The subsequent task distribution went smoothly.

Ronald unsurprisingly took on the task of helping the expedition team collect food.

This was also the best choice given the current conditions.

After all, for an ordinary person, the dangers of hunting unknown creatures and the challenge of determining whether the prey is edible, are issues that Ronald can easily resolve.

The Sin of Greed can confirm the specific information and status of the prey.

His overwhelming power allows him to hunt at will.

The otherwise severe problem of resource scarcity was thus easily resolved.

Moreover, in a sense, this was not only beneficial for the expedition team.

It was also a win-win proposal for Ronald.

After all, one of the reasons why he and Costate came to the Arctic was to search for the traces of the Dust Beast on this vast polar continent.

Although the beast was enormously large,

finding it on the vast expanse of the polar continent was still quite a challenge.

By utilizing the time he spent wandering while hunting,

Ronald could better search for the Dust Beast's location while protecting his expedition teammates.

…

Thus, on this rarely-trodden polar ice cap,

the expedition team embarked on a new phase of advancement.

Having resolved the issue of resource scarcity, the overall mood within the team improved significantly.

Two more days passed.

In the polar climate, numbed to the point of being unable to feel the change in the cold air, the expedition team finally discovered something extraordinary.

It was an oasis embedded in the white land—

Amid the cold and vast ice, a splash of green, impossible to ignore, lay before them.

A multitude of green plants grew densely here, and traces of sunlight reflecting on water could be seen in the area's center. It not only had a temperature suitable for human habitation, but also a readily available water source!

"How… how is this possible?"

Giovanni, the expedition leader, reacted most intensely.

As an explorer with several expedition feats, his first thought wasn't even about the unusual phenomenon of greenery on the ice cap being reasonable, but about the meaning of the oasis's location itself.

The expedition team set out for the Arctic from the Pinnacle Trail with a clear direction towards the North Pole.

In other words—

From the Pinnacle Trail to the North Pole, this oasis can be called a necessary passage.

So whether in the past, present, or future,

as long as this oasis remains here, all explorers heading to the North Pole can use it as a good campsite to rest their minds and bodies.

If one hadn't seen this with their own eyes, who would believe such a thing?

"…"

"Could this be a mirage?"

Giovanni's eyes wavered wildly.

Even though he knew at heart that spatial changes had already made Liersania a better route to the Arctic, this realization from previous knowledge still stirred quite a bit of emotion in him.

"Dear explorer, you can rest assured about this situation."

Seeing Giovanni's change, it was instead Costate's city-state inspector who spoke up to comfort him.

However, the content of his words to comfort Giovanni,

was somewhat unconventional.

"This is land granted to us by a benevolent god. If a habitable place didn't exist here, it would actually be strange!"

"What you should do now is to be thankful for this divine gift."

When he said this, Zeno's expression was one of gratitude and pride.

In his understanding, this Arctic continent was indeed a new territory blessed by the gods to the Liersania Kingdom.

So even an oasis appearing in the extreme polar cold weather was not an issue, as everything in Zeno's mind could be explained.

"…"

Though the other party probably doesn't believe it much,

I should at least offer an explanation myself.

Seeing the posture of Giovanni and Zeno's conversation, Ronald felt a bit uneasy, so he took the initiative to explain:

"Um—actually, I once found a book named 'Northern Enertifa Chronicles' in the library in Entrode, which describes a past explorer's journey to the Arctic."

"This oasis was actually recorded several hundred years ago."

"Mr. Ronald, the informant should be responsible for the accuracy of their information!" Zeno immediately became agitated.

He even disregarded Ronald the Caster's status and directly challenged him vocally:

"This land is absolutely bestowed to mankind by the gods for protection!"

"Does the book you read really exist, or was it just the baseless rant of a deranged person a hundred years ago?"

"…"

Do not try to change some people's views.

His life's experience before crossing over had already taught Ronald this profound lesson.

The explanation made out of unease just now,

can only be blamed on himself for meddling.

After quickly reminding himself several times, faced with Zeno's current heightened emotions, Ronald did not retort or become angry but just showed an apologetic smile and lightly spread his hands:

"Alright, maybe you are right."

"…"

"Hmph—"

Although Zeno was dissatisfied with Ronald's words, he ultimately understood the abilities of the man before him.

So he merely huffed coldly and said nothing further.

…

After this small dispute, the atmosphere among the expedition team naturally fell slightly.

However, what Ronald did not expect was,

as they continued onward, Zeno's companion Shiva unexpectedly approached him quietly and began a conversation.

Even though she was also a city-state inspector,

Shiva's attitude and tone were much more gentle than Zeno's.

"Mr. Ronald, Zeno did not intend to offend you."

"For us Liersanians, these are rules that inherently exist between heaven and earth. Zeno is only trying to uphold this, not to antagonize the members of the expedition team."

This statement was said reasonably.

So before replying to Shiva, Ronald seriously examined the young woman in front of him.

Shiva's current expression was earnest yet exuded a kind of mellowness, contrasting with Zeno's firm stance, forming a complementary relationship between the two.

It appears these two could pair up as city-state inspectors.

Their superiors likely considered their personalities carefully.

"It's alright, I understand." In response to Shiva's manner, Ronald naturally replied in a gentle tone, "It's nothing major, you don't need to dwell on it."

"What we should focus on now is entering the oasis."

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