A Scientific Urban Detective.

Chapter 1108 Treasure Hunting Fellows

"What's wrong?" Noticing her companion's unusual behavior, Marian asked without looking up.

"We've spotted a tricky guy," Thor said in a low voice. "But thankfully, he doesn't seem to be causing any trouble, so let's not provoke him and just keep to ourselves..."

“Then forget about him,” Marian said nonchalantly—she was a craftswoman, not a warrior. “Quickly find me a sample—that thing was smashed many times last night, there must be some residue! This stuff is very valuable!”

"Okay, okay..." Thor watched Aureos leave his sight before turning his attention back to help Marian search.

They were searching for the remains of the "Underworld." Marianne, being a craftswoman, deduced that the "Underworld" would be useful to Othinus, and out of professional instinct, she decided to take some samples back.

You should know that one of her purposes in coming to Academy City was to gather information on suitable materials.

Compared to Marian and the black barrel who were searching diligently, Thor seemed much more nonchalant; her actions were less of a search and more of a symbolic glance around.

However, it is thanks to this that we can notice the surrounding situation in time, such as the situation we just passed by, O'Reilly.

Marian didn't ask anything more of him, thinking of him as a lookout for her.

"We need to hurry, someone could come at any time in this kind of crucial place," Thor said while observing the surroundings. "The 'Exorcise Bystanders' spell isn't particularly effective here."

Especially after witnessing the "magic-suppressing field" last night, even a top mage like Thor couldn't guarantee how long his spell could last.

Sure enough, just as Thor was marveling to himself, he saw a girl in sportswear brazenly appear in the battlefield area.

"somebody is coming."

Marianne looked up, then turned back to look at the barrel beside her.

The barrel swayed slightly.

“I don’t see anything special about her,” Marian pushed up her glasses. “She’s probably just an ordinary female student.”

“I don’t see anything special about her either,” Thor said softly. “But since she’s here at this time, she must be extraordinary. It’s always good to be careful.”

Just as the two were discussing, the black-haired girl noticed them, hesitated for a moment, and finally came closer.

Marian and Thor stood ready, and the barrel hissed and then remained motionless.

Saten Ruiko cautiously approached the two girls dressed as researchers, then breathed a slight sigh of relief.

—These two girls are very young, they look to be at most high school students.

Academy City has no shortage of young, genius researchers, and it is not uncommon for students to obtain formal researcher status at the age of middle school or even elementary school.

But generally speaking, people of the same age tend to have more in common and won't be scolded or lectured like they would with a teacher.

Upon closer inspection, Saten Ruiko noticed that the brown-skinned girl was holding a small golden hammer and shovel, as if she were digging in the ground in search of something.

"Ha!" Saten Ruiko burst out laughing, pulling out the same tool from her waist pouch—a small hammer she'd bought from a hardware store. "I've met a kindred spirit!"

Marian and Thor looked at each other, wondering what the girl meant.

In other words, they genuinely sensed no hostility or threat; otherwise, Saten Ruiko's action of pulling out the hammer might have been interpreted as a signal to start a fight, prompting them to attack. Unaware that she was so close to danger, Saten Ruiko excitedly asked, "Are you here to search for treasure too?"

“Yes, that’s right.” Marian pushed up her glasses and replied, “We are collecting samples.”

Looking at their white lab coats, Saten Ruiko nodded: "I understand. You sneaked in disguised as researchers—because this area is a restricted zone and is not open to any person or research institution."

Marian gripped the hammer tightly, and Thor quickly stepped in front of her to block her.

Unaware of what was going on, Saten Ruiko said, "But don't worry, we're all fellow treasure hunters, I won't report you."

“I see,” Thor said. “Thank you so much.”

Saten Ruiko waved her hand, no longer looking at the two "fellow enthusiasts" in front of her, but instead focusing her attention on the surrounding ruins.

"So...did you get anything?"

"We've only just arrived here, so we haven't found it yet."

Saten Ruiko nodded and said, "Yes, 'non-metallic' isn't so easy to find..."

"Not metal? Then what is it..." Marian couldn't help but ask.

Before he could finish speaking, Thor interrupted him: "You've misunderstood. We're not here to find the 'non-metal.' We're just here to collect some samples... you know, for research."

Seeing that they weren't looking for "non-metals," Saten Ruiko seemed to lose interest as well, and found a favorite spot to search alone.

Saten Ruiko has recently become obsessed with finding "non-metals," and after a successful experience, she has become even more enthusiastic about this "treasure hunt."

Last week, in the battlefield area where Lin Wuming and Misaka Mikoto fought, Saten Ruiko successfully found the legendary "absent metal".

Saten Ruiko wasn't greedy; she only chipped off a cluster of crystals as a keepsake, and sent the rest to the laboratory for research.

After that, Saten Ruiko was not satisfied; perhaps because the collection process went too smoothly, she began to doubt whether what she had found was truly the "non-metal".

To verify this, Saten Ruiko continued her search, preparing to find "non-metals" produced elsewhere for comparison.

She already had a general idea—high-level ability users, preferably in places where intense battles take place at level 5, would greatly increase the probability of "non-metallic" beings being born.

And so, she found this place today.

Although she has little presence, Saten Ruiko is, after all, a member of the "nameless force," and she has no shortage of basic information and authority.

Unlike Marian and Tohru, who sneaked in unnoticed, Saten Ruiko also slipped in unnoticed, but she had obtained a proper certificate from Kumokawa Maria beforehand, just in case.

Saten Ruiko knew perfectly well that the two girls in front of her didn't have any permits; furthermore, she knew that battlefields where Level 5 battles had taken place would leave behind a lot of valuable biological intelligence, and many research institutions were keeping an eye on this place. That's why this area was designated a restricted zone.

The two girls who arrived in this area first were likely targeting these biological intelligence.

—This is a bit troublesome. It seems they're not just "like-minded" people.

(End of this chapter)