When the game shut down, I took my skills with me.

Chapter 75 Serafina's Misjudgment

Global Security Council, Emergency Virtual Meeting Room.

The applause that had just erupted for the "Red Bear" unit's victory had not yet completely subsided when the piercing highest priority alarm pulled everyone back from their joy to the cold reality.

On the screen, the green icon representing the "Lighthouse" project's exploration fleet was flashing a deadly red at a point in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

"SOS! SOS! Mayday! This is Explorer 1! A critical error has occurred in the computational model! The volcano is about to erupt!"

Serafina Vince's calm, intellectually charming voice suddenly became sharp and urgent, filled with unbelievable panic.

In the conference room, the representatives from various countries who had just been arguing about Ivanov's recklessness fell silent.

The U.S. "Lighthouse" project is renowned for its world-leading data analysis and high-tech equipment. Its chief analyst, Serafina, is hailed as a "goddess walking on data." She firmly believes that everything in the world, including gods and demons, can be deconstructed into cold data and precisely calculated and predicted.

However, at this moment, her voice was proclaiming the complete failure of the data model.

Half an hour ago, in the Pacific Ocean, in the "Heart of Volcano" mission area.

The USS Challenger, the most advanced research vessel in the United States.

In the enormous command center, Serafina Vince elegantly sipped a cup of coffee, her eyes confidently fixed on the countless data streams reflected back on the main screen.

"The energy field is stable."

"Crustal pressure index: 0.03, below the safe threshold."

"Core temperature: 1275 degrees Celsius, consistent with model prediction."

Everything is under control.

Unlike Ivanov's brutal exploration relying on muscle and vodka, Serafina viewed this S-class mission as a perfect operation to showcase the technological prowess of Project Lighthouse.

Their target is the "Fragment of Rules"—the "Earth's First Flames"—located at the core of an underwater active volcano's magma chamber.

To this end, they deployed their top-notch team and equipment.

A special deep-sea submersible named "Explorer 1" used a superconducting thermal drill to create a passage through the weak sidewall of the volcano, leading directly to its core.

—The "Pioneers" squad, composed of top players, wearing the latest "Hellfire" power armor that allows them to move briefly in lava, has arrived at the lava chamber.

"Dr. Serafina, we have arrived at the designated location," the squad leader's voice came through the communicator. "We are ready to begin the retrieval operation at any time."

"Proceed as planned." Serafina took a sip of her coffee, her tone calm. "My model shows that as long as we don't stay there for more than fifteen minutes, the probability of triggering an unstable volcanic eruption is less than 0.3%. Good luck, gentlemen."

"clear."

Inside the lava chamber, the "Pioneer" team began their operation.

A robotic arm made of a special alloy and equipped with a cooling system slowly extends towards the center of the magma chamber.

There, a crystal the size of a human head, entirely crimson, and seemingly burning with flames, floated silently.

It is the first flames of fury ignited on the earth.

The robotic arm cautiously approached, and the probe continuously collected data from the surrounding area; everything seemed normal.

Serafina looked at the steady data curve on the screen and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

See, this is how civilization explores its potential: precise, efficient, and elegant. Not like that polar bear, who only resorts to fists and alcohol to solve problems.

However, just as the robotic arm's gripper gently touched the crystal...

An unexpected change occurred!

"Buzz"

The crystal trembled violently and burst forth with a dazzling red light.

In the command center, all the green data indicator lights turned a blinding red at the same time.

"Alert! Alert! Unknown high-energy reaction detected!"

"The crustal pressure index spiked instantly! Exceeding the critical value by 5,000!"

"Core temperature is out of control! It's rising exponentially!"

The piercing alarm sounded throughout the Challenger.

Serafina's smile froze instantly, and the coffee cup in her hand fell to the ground and shattered.

"How is this possible?! This doesn't fit the model!" She rushed to the control panel, staring at the data waterfall that had become a complete mess of gibberish, and screamed in disbelief.

Her model, her proud, perfect model that had calculated all known variables, was shattered in the face of reality.

She had calculated everything, except that the "rule fragment" itself was a living, self-aware "variable"!

It doesn't passively wait to be picked up; it actively responds to external contact with the most intense reactions!

"Boom!"

The images transmitted back by Explorer 1 began to shake violently.

The entire underwater volcano was detonated prematurely!

The lava, like an angry dragon, surged in from all directions. The passages they had cleared were instantly swallowed up and sealed off by the rushing lava.

"We're trapped!"

"Hellfire" armor is running low on energy! The heat insulation is failing!

"Oxygen system malfunction!"

The screams and cries of the team members, transmitted through the communicator, were like sharp knives piercing Serafina's ears.

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" she shouted hoarsely into the communicator.

"We're trapped! Doctor! The passage is completely blocked!"

The despairing reply chilled Serafina to the bone.

She watched as the elite team representing the pinnacle of American technology was slowly swallowed by endless lava and poisonous gas on the screen.

Her pride, her confidence, and her faith in data were shattered by reality at this moment.

"Doctor—we must call for help." His adjutant, a battle-hardened naval captain, said in a hoarse voice.

Asking for help?

Whom should we ask for help?

Towards the "Global Security Council," which she viewed as a gathering place for brutes and charlatans?

To Qin Shiyue, who only uses Dihua to explain everything, and Ivanov, who only knows how to think with vodka?

Serafina was torn between her inner thoughts and her own conscience.

But the sight of one team member's life signal after another going out on the screen became the final straw that broke her pride.

"Connect to the Global Security Council—" She closed her eyes and squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, using all her strength.

"Highest priority — distress signal."

In the virtual conference room, Qin Shiyue looked at the SOS report on the screen, filled with data and formulas, and Serafina's pale and desperate face.

His expression became meaningful.

Ivanov used his muscles to teach the world a lesson about "courage" and "faith".

Now, it's Serafina's turn to teach a lesson about "arrogance" and "reverence" through her failure.

The teacher's "teaching plan" was indeed meticulously crafted and watertight.

He was already looking forward to how the teacher would "correct" his answer sheet after the class.