Departure, Target: Dark Continent!

A few days later, a small group of twenty-three people, led by Oboro, officially set off for the Dark Continent.

The route they were going to take was the same one that the Ochima Federation had explored back then, which was from the northernmost point of the human continent straight to the top of the Lake Island.

As seen on the map, the lakes inhabited by humans are elliptical in shape. If extended from east to west, the distance is the longest, and the travel time is also the longest.

The top and bottom sections should be relatively shorter.

But it is also more dangerous.

Because previous human expeditions to the Dark Continent, especially those led by Netero and Beyond, did not take this route.

Aside from the six members of the Oboro Squad, the remaining seventeen members of the team were not members of the Hunter Association. Five of them were the strongest fighters selected by V5 from their respective countries' militaries, and they were also Nen user. The remaining twelve were top figures in their respective fields... Here, everyone had signed a contract with V5.

Some didn't want to miss this opportunity and volunteered to travel with Long and the Accompany, while others made a deal with V5.

Within this team, Oboro holds absolute authority.

Actually, Long didn't want to bring so many people, but considering that V5 also had its concerns, she decided against it.

The ship they boarded was small, only able to hold about a hundred people, but it was made with the most advanced human technology... It had many functions and could be considered a medium-sized ship.

Before leaving, Oboro had also taken care of all matters.

Their operation this time was extremely secretive; even the middle and upper echelons of the Hunter Association and the Fills Family were unaware of their departure time and location.

Therefore, no one saw them off.

It was on a bright and sunny morning that it left the human world.

After boarding the ship, Oboro briefly introduced himself to the others.

He didn't need to give any instructions regarding matters and rules after arriving in the Dark Continent.

These people were selected to go together... v5 has already 'trained' or 'informed' them quite a bit.

It would take them several months to travel from the Lake Island to the Dark Continent at their ship's speed.

During the trip, the team will stop at several islands along the route to resupply.

From the moment Oboro said he would lead the team to the Dark Continent, V5 had already begun to make preparations, such as providing support along this route.

Establish a small base on a relatively isolated island closest to the Dark Continent as a transit point, etc.

There's no need for Long to worry about any of these things... The power of humanity is beginning to manifest itself at this moment.

As for life on the ship, there's not much to say; it was extremely boring.

Some members, who were initially excited to board the ship, gradually became more somber as they drew closer to the Dark Continent.

I could clearly feel that my condition was different.

Meanwhile, in Oboro's mind, limited information was constantly being filtered.

One aspect is humanity's limited understanding of the Dark Continent.

On the other hand, it's just a picture.

In his previous life, he saw a few simple illustrations inserted in anime or comics when the Dark Continent was mentioned.

This... is all he knows about the Dark Continent.

"Judging from Netero's report to V5 and Beyond's diary, danger and opportunity coexist... This seems to be a particular balance in the Dark Continent. Danger naturally refers to disaster, while opportunity refers to some kind of 'hope' or resource that is beneficial to the human world... It has always been so."

The next day, Oboro stood on the deck at the bow of the ship, leaning against the railing, gazing at the shimmering sea, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

He reached the pinnacle of the human world, possessing abilities nearly comparable to a catastrophe. Even so, his heart remained heavy as he journeyed to the Dark Continent.

It's like finally leveling up a character to max level, only to suddenly have to start all over again from the beginner village.

"Team leader."

At this moment, Menchi and his five companions also boarded the deck, and Anthony called out with a relaxed expression.

This guy is an oddball; he eats and drinks whatever he wants.

In his words, although the days on the ship were monotonous, they might be the last period of peace and comfort in their lives, so they should enjoy it to the fullest.

"Mowis just said that in about a month, we will be able to enter the unknown seas," Menchi said.

The Unknown Seas are areas closer to the Dark Continent that humanity has never explored.

"A few days later... we will reach the last isolated island to resupply. As for what comes after that, until we land, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

"Um."

Long nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "Remember, from the moment we enter the unknown seas, we cannot relax for even a moment. Although the human army easily reached the land along this route before without encountering any danger, that was many years ago... Who knows what it's like now. The most recent round trip was by Netero and Beyond, but their route was different from ours, so... it's still very unsafe."

"Clear."

A month later, Oboro and his ship were completely separated from the human world.

We have entered unknown waters.

From that moment on, everyone on the ship was on high alert.

They have arrived at a location close to the Dark Continent.

Of course, although it's called a sea, it's actually a lake.

"It seems... nothing has changed..."

Inside the cabin, Gabe Vich pressed his face against the glass, gazing at the azure sea outside, and murmured to himself.

If it weren't for the coordinates displayed on the instrument, it would feel like driving near a human continent.

From the moment they entered this sea area, Gabe Vich has applied his abilities to everyone, ensuring that any disturbance or discovery is immediately relayed to them.

Something's wrong!

But half an hour later, one of the team members suddenly spoke up.

In less than half a minute, everyone appeared on the deck.

On a daily basis, crew members patrol the bow and stern of the ship, keeping watch for potential dangers... This is done in 24-hour shifts.

The person who sounded the alarm pointed to the distant sea.

Everyone's expressions turned serious upon seeing this.

"The seawater... has changed color..."

Someone murmured.

Under the sunlight, the surrounding seawater was sky blue, and the closer ones were green... but beyond their field of vision, it was completely black.

It feels like it's been contaminated.

"There's no radar signal," a colleague reminded him.

Then, everyone's eyes turned to Long, who was standing in the middle.

Oboro sensed it as well, but indeed couldn't detect any aura...

"Speed up and drive past."

He gave the order.

"Yes."

Fifteen minutes later, the ship's speed increased, and it entered the Black Sea.

After Long first instructed everyone to remain vigilant and ensure there was no danger, one of the scientists on board used instruments and donned protective gear to collect seawater samples for testing. Although their ship was small, its facilities were incredibly comprehensive, including a dedicated laboratory.

A few minutes later, the person suddenly exclaimed in the 'telepathy' group chat, "Team leader, this is a kind of energy liquid!"

Energy liquid?

Hazy was stunned.

Then, the former elaborated on the story and offered further explanation.

Long understood. To put it bluntly... it's very similar to oil.

But what's astonishing is the sheer size of this sea area. Could all of this be energy resources? How abundant must they be?

They've already made a discovery before even reaching the Dark Continent? Upon hearing this, Long's heart skipped a beat.

I know... something bad has happened!

Hope and disaster go hand in hand.

There's something around here!

"Everyone, go on high alert. We've likely been targeted," Long immediately ordered.

"Captain, our speed has slowed down... The seawater here is saturated with energy substances, which has drastically reduced our ship's maneuverability, and the concentration of these energy substances is still increasing. If we continue forward, we may lose power and become stranded on the surface..."

This news sent everyone's hearts sinking instantly.

It goes without saying what would happen if it were anchored on a deserted sea.

Even if no danger is imminent, everyone will starve to death in the long run.

"Change of course".

Long made a decision immediately.

"Yes."

We can still evacuate now; continuing to enter would be tantamount to suicide.

However, they sailed around the sea for a day and a night without leaving the Black Sea. To make matters worse, the ocean currents had changed at some point.

It became incredibly difficult for them to retreat; it seemed that moving forward was the only way forward.

"As expected... it's not that simple."

Long thought to herself.

Just by discovering this energy source, they are already heroes for humanity. They can just go back... It couldn't be easier.

But in reality, the moment they came into contact with 'hope', disaster had already struck.

This is why almost no one can return alive from the Dark Continent.

Most importantly, they had not yet set foot on the Dark Continent!

The route he took was one of the oldest routes in V5, and no one had taken it for years. The reason Oboro chose this route was because... it was the route that Don Freecss had taken.

It has been far too long since the last time the Ochima Federation's army entered...

My worst fears have come true.

However, this also shows that they are indeed very close to the Dark Continent.