Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 833

After several hours of arduous trekking, Professor Caldwell's expedition team finally reached the Surinamese oasis.

This patch of green land appeared abruptly in the vast desert, as if it were an incredible masterpiece of nature. The team members quickened their pace noticeably in the last few steps as they approached the oasis, and a relaxed and joyful expression unconsciously appeared on everyone's face.

The oases in Suriname are not large, only about the size of a few football fields, but these green spaces are so precious. Every oasis in the desert is like a miracle of nature, providing a glimmer of hope for life to the surrounding environment.

Under the azure sky, several tall eucalyptus trees seem to be telling travelers that this is a haven in the desert.

On the ground, various small shrubs and sparse green vegetation create a vibrant picture.

Even just seeing the Surinamese oasis from afar is enough to make one feel refreshed and relaxed.

Even the expedition team quickened their pace upon seeing the oasis.

As they approached the final few steps, the beautiful panorama of the Suriname oasis gradually unfolded before the expedition team members. The water source at the heart of the oasis, like a mirror, reflected the sunlight and shimmered gently, while lush vegetation grew along the banks, creating a vibrant landscape.

The greenery here stands in stark contrast to the surrounding desert, which is devoid of any greenery for miles around. It is like a piece of emerald on the desert stage, precious and dazzling.

Upon arriving at the Suriname oasis, almost every member of the expedition team slowed down. They threw down their heavy backpacks, and some even lay down directly under the tall eucalyptus trees.

In an instant, the weariness seemed to be replaced by the fresh air of this green space. Several team members spontaneously took off their hats, smoothed their hair which was already soaked with sweat, and gasped for breath.

"I've started to believe in miracles," a young female team member exclaimed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of fresh air.

Human physical strength is limited.

The physical exertion here refers not only to physical consumption, but more importantly, to mental consumption. Especially in the wilderness of the desert, mental exhaustion is far more devastating and harder to recover from than physical exhaustion.

If physical exertion is too great, it can be replenished by drinking water, eating, and resting, but mental exhaustion is difficult to make up for in the wild.

Professor Caldwell led the group into the oasis.

Just like the process of moving into the previous oasis, Tiera and Algnis, who was in charge of looking after him, went together to test the water quality, while the others set up a sunshade so that the others could rest for a while.

Tierra and Algnis, carrying testing equipment, headed toward the natural spring in the center of the oasis.

The hot desert wind brushed against their faces, but compared to the heat and exhaustion of crossing the desert before, the temperature here was noticeably cooler.

“Mr. Algnis,” Tiera, who was walking ahead, suddenly asked.

"What's wrong, Mr. Tierra?" Algnis asked with concern as he walked beside Tierra.

"Don't you think something's a little strange?" Tiera asked casually. "Strange?" Algnis replied, puzzled.

“Here, including the other oases we’ve passed, we don’t seem to see any life other than plants,” Tiera said meaningfully.

"Does your team have any explanation for this phenomenon?" Tierra asked with a smile.

“No. Mr. Tierra, you seem to have noticed it too.” Algnis paused slightly. “This is also the most puzzling point for our ecology community. Look at the Suriname oasis. Although it is small, it is enough for some species such as desert scorpions, desert rats, and even desert foxes to live there for a long time. But there is absolutely nothing here. Our research group, including the research groups of other leading ecologists, have investigated this place many times and have never found any animals or traces of their existence.”

“This is very unusual,” Algnis added.

“This is truly perplexing. If only one oasis lacks animal life, it can be explained by special environmental factors. However, if multiple oases exhibit the same phenomenon, we must consider the possibility of some unknown environmental factor or a missing link in the food chain,” Tiera nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said.

He himself knew perfectly well why.

It must have been completely devoured by those dark magic creatures.

“That’s right. Our research has been exploring possible reasons, but so far we haven’t found a convincing explanation.” Algnis nodded in agreement. “But what’s strange is that research groups have indeed unearthed fossils in this area and in the George Crater, not just from the dinosaur era, but also from the Quaternary period after the emergence of humans.”

“Where are the humans? Where are the human skeletons?” Tiera asked again. “I remember reading in the introduction to the George Crater that the local natives liked to use live sacrifices to worship the gods. So many years have passed, so the interior of the George Crater should be filled with skeletons, right?”

“No, not really,” Algnis said, shaking his head. “After all, our exploration of the George Crater is not extensive.”

"Not that big?" Tiera raised an eyebrow and asked. "I thought we were almost done exploring."

“If you’re referring to the oases inside the crater, yes, we’ve explored almost all of them except for the largest one in the center. But we know very little about the cave passages inside the crater,” Algnis explained honestly.

“It’s too dangerous there,” Algonis said. “No one dares to explore it deeply. Currently, based on ultrasonic detection, the area that humans have explored is less than three percent of the entire cave system inside the crater.”

"So little," Tiera nodded, remarking.

“Yes, Mr. Lockhart,” Algnis said. “With our current level of technology, it would be difficult to explore the entire cave without any casualties.”

“Perhaps, these vast and unknown cave systems in the hinterland are the key to solving the mystery of these oases,” Tiera said meaningfully.

As they talked, the two walked to the natural spring in the center of the oasis and began preparations for water quality testing. Tierra took out the testing equipment, while Algnis took out several clean test tubes from his bag.

They carried out the collection and recording of specimens in an orderly manner.

Meanwhile, the other team members had already set up the sunshade and were resting under it. Some were checking equipment, while others were organizing data. Everyone was doing their job and maintaining the efficient operation of the scientific expedition team.