Smuggling? Beneath Me! X Disasters

Inside the Nosra Manor.

Ging seemed to have noticed Kurapika and the others' skepticism about the conversation between the two.

Information about the Dark Continent, especially detailed information about human travel Dark Continent, is not something that everyone can know clearly.

Even Hunter x Hunter have to pay a huge price and spend a lot of time to obtain relevant information; it's impossible to know without the ability.

Perhaps among mid-to-high-level Hunter x Hunter, and at the top levels of some large forces, the Dark Continent is not a secret.

However, detailed information about the Dark Continent remains a secret; the more detailed the information, the harder it is to obtain.

Even Kevin didn't know much about it when he wasn't deliberately gathering information.

Not to mention Kurapika and the others.

Even though Kevin and his companion were stranded on the Dark Continent, Kurapika and the others had been doing their best to gather relevant information during this time.

But the understanding is extremely superficial.

Because their relevant information channels are unable to penetrate into this situation.

How many Hunter x Hunter know about the existence of the Dark Continent?

Not many.

How many of them genuinely want to go to the Dark Continent?

The answer is very rare.

The most famous thing about Ganzhong is that he knows how to go to the Dark Continent. It is not a very troublesome thing. Many people go there. However, going to the Dark Continent is indeed a very troublesome and complicated thing, and it is even a matter that requires several years or even more than ten years of preparation.

Faced with such a price, Hunter x Hunter don't have much of a yearning for the Dark Continent will naturally give up.

For most Hunter x Hunter, the affairs of the human world are enough to keep them busy.

However, if a team wants to go and has made the necessary preparations, most Hunter x Hunter who know about and aspire to go will not refuse.

These Hunter x Hunter may not become leaders, but they certainly don't mind being participants.

Seeing Kurapika and the others' confusion, Ging stopped talking to Biscuit.

In Jin's view, Kevin was undoubtedly deeply bound to the Dark Continent.

Whether it's its peculiar origins, its accidental being thrown into the Dark Continent, or Kevin's Nen ability.

Kevin will definitely travel to the Dark Continent again.

Kim completely believed this.

In his classification, Kevin is undoubtedly a like-minded person.

The three children, or rather the young people, in front of me are the team that Kevin has trained.

Because Kevin had absolute trust in the three of them, and the three of them felt the same way.

Jin had already marked the three young men in front of him as potential companions who might travel to the Dark Continent together.

Or perhaps they were involved in logistics.

Have you read that book?

Jin asked.

Kurapika and his two companions exchanged glances, then nodded in unison.

We've all seen it.

"The experiences described in the book are bizarre and fantastical, but most of the writing focuses on the characteristics of certain regions and the descriptions of wondrous items. It never mentions the dangers one might encounter, right?"

Jin asked this question.

Pairo sat on the sofa and nodded.

They originally wanted to learn about the dangers of the Dark Continent from the book, but according to the book, the Dark Continent doesn't seem dangerous at all.

Because it doesn't mention anything related to danger, it's like a Travelogue, describing the scenery seen and interesting items encountered along the way.

"This is intentional on the author's part; he only throws out the bait, and the danger involved is something those who want to obtain the bait must face."

As he spoke, Jin asked, "Are there many things in the book that everyone would desire? Are they magical?"

Kurapika nodded in agreement.

"There are many. In the entire book alone, I saw more than twenty kinds of valuable items, each of which is a treasure that humankind would desperately desire."

A smile appeared on Kim's face. He said, "That's right, these things, we call them [hope], since records began..."

These are the things that all the teams heading to the Dark Continent want.

From its publication three hundred years ago until its ban, to the present day, there have been 149 recorded explorations of this book.

This is based on exploratory records, and over a period of three hundred years, an average of one team went there every two years.

Of course, that was in the past. In recent decades, no teams have gone there anymore because, as time has passed, the restrictions on traveling to the Dark Continent have become more and more numerous and complicated.

These recorded explorations were all conducted within the first one or two hundred years.

Of these 149 officially recorded expeditions, how many do you think someone returned?

Before anyone could answer, Jin gave the answer directly.

"Five times, and each time it was an exploration organized and supported by one of the V5 countries."

In other words, apart from the five most powerful countries, almost no other teams returned safely.

"That time in the Diary before—"

Nion asked, puzzled.

However, before she could finish her question, Kurapika answered it.

"That incident in the Diary isn't exactly recorded, is it? Based on what's written in the Diary, V5 probably didn't even realize the value of that book at that time."

Jin wagged his finger, agreeing with Kurapika's answer, "That's right, what I said is documented. There are many more cases of unauthorized 'smuggling' by '1-man-gate 7', and quite a few of these groups have returned. I know of several instances myself."

The number of illegal border crossings is impossible to estimate, but it is very likely to far exceed the number recorded under normal circumstances.

This also means that the number of times illegal immigrants return may far exceed the normal number of returns.

V5 may turn a blind eye to this behavior.

Pairo looked at Kim and suddenly asked curiously.

"Uncle, with your abilities, going to the Dark Continent shouldn't be difficult, right? For example, smuggling yourself in—I don't believe you don't have the means."

Upon hearing this, Jin glanced at him and calmly nodded.

"If I wanted to go, I could leave right now, but I don't want this kind of smuggling and exploration."

Although Kim spoke calmly, everyone could tell that she seemed to look down on the act of smuggling.

"I prefer to do things honestly and without any worries, especially things like this."

Jin can't be considered a perfectionist, but because of his personality and abilities, he always manages to do things perfectly, or at least in his own eyes.

Just like those Ruins.

He could easily have used all sorts of despicable and insidious criminal methods to explore and excavate, just like many other Ruins explorers.

But he disdained such a thing.

His goal is to assemble the perfect team and explore his desired objectives in a compliant, legal, and aboveboard manner.

Then, through various formal means, and according to one's own mood, one can make things perfect.

That is why he has become a legend and a benchmark in the field of Ruins preservation and exploration.

Currently, almost all Ruins exploration and conservation efforts are conducted using the gold standard.

The same applies to exploring the Dark Continent.

Jin's goal is to assemble a suitable team, ensure perfect logistics, and then explore the Dark Continent.

What he wanted was not simply to explore once, retrieve the goods, and return, as previously recorded. He wanted a safe sea route and a long period of exploration.

He even wanted to establish a real base there and put down roots in the Dark Continent.

To achieve this goal, smuggling is meaningless.

He wanted more than just to go; he didn't want to go on a pilgrimage.

What he wanted was to arrive, and then, like his ancestors, live a long and prosperous life.

Because the Dark Continent can undoubtedly satisfy his insatiable curiosity; it can fulfill any Dark Continent, as long as you have sufficient ability.

Therefore, there is no point in engaging in illegal immigration.

Why are so many smuggling groups able to return?

Because these smuggling teams usually do things out of pure curiosity.

They were curious about the Dark Continent; they simply wanted to go there and see for themselves.

When faced with unforeseen circumstances or dangers, they will return immediately after satisfying a certain level of curiosity.

Which legitimate, documented exploration hasn't come at a huge cost? Which hasn't been carried out with great fanfare?

These all have very clear goals; each one is aimed at [hope].

The number of teams that naturally returned was pitifully small.

The people present looked at Jin, listened to what he said, and understood his purpose.

Kurapika frowned, seemingly pondering something, and looked up at Ging Biscuit.

"If it were simply because each exploration was unsuccessful, it wouldn't be causing you so much distress, Uncle."

"Obtaining relevant information shouldn't be so difficult, nor should it cause you so much anxiety."

"So, if we want to explore the Dark Continent, we must have to pay some price that even V5 can't accept, right?"

After hearing all this and considering what he already knew, Kurapika asked this biggest question.

At this point, Biscuit gave her answer.

She nodded, and then said.

"It is [disaster]. These powerful, coveted items are called [hope], and what they bring, which are irresistible and unavoidable, is [disaster]."

"Disaster-"

The three young people muttered to themselves, contemplating the danger inherent in the word.

Pairo raised his hand like a child.

"Um, I'd like to ask a question? Humanity's goal is to obtain [hope], and these items are all treasures, so I understand why they want to bring them back."

Why bring back something like a disaster?

Pairo didn't understand.

Biscuit didn't answer; instead, she looked at Kim.

Regarding information related to the Dark Continent, Biscuit may not know more than King.

For example, the two of them just disagreed.

She also wanted to hear Jin's opinion—why was it different from her own?

"Because humans are weak, so weak that even if these things return with humans, humans might not even know about them."

"Humanity, whether passively or actively, or out of ignorance, has brought these disasters back with it."

Upon hearing Ging's words, Kurapika opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then silently closed it again.

In Kurapika's view, if he himself were to be tainted by such great harm, even to the point of being called a "disaster" in human society...

It would be better to just let them die and be done with it; why bother bringing them back?

"I know what you're wondering about. Modern interpretations have made it clear that it seems to be a kind of Bargain and Vow."

"I've told you before, haven't I? It's highly likely, even 100%, that the ancestors of humankind were natives of the Dark Continent."

"For unknown reasons, human ancestors fled to this island, where the boundary between the Inner Sea and Outer Sea formed a natural barrier, protecting humankind and allowing it to develop peacefully."

"But I believe there must have been some price to pay, like Bargain and Vow."

"Human ancestors came from the Dark Continent, and human descendants will inevitably go to the Dark Continent."

"Judging from the records of the Ruins, humans fled here. To prevent future generations from recklessly exploring the Dark Continent without any sense of awe, they may have established such Restriction and oaths."

"Each time you return, whether you like it or not, some things from the Dark Continent will follow you back to human society, either willingly or unwillingly."

It seemed even Biscuit was unaware of this news; she silently lowered her head, lost in thought.

There were definitely more than just those five teams that returned. For example, Biscuit knew that her mentor, Netero, had gone twice, one of which was by smuggling himself in.

In other words, his master must have brought back a [big treasure] when he returned.

"Based on the information I have now, it is clear that the larger the scale of the returning expedition team, the greater the disaster it will bring upon their return."

Jin provided this information.

"The so-called Five Great Disasters at this stage are all large-scale explorations organized by five major countries, with each exploration involving thousands of people."

"And the number of people in the smuggling team was only in the double digits, which was the limit."

As he spoke, Kim looked at Biscuit.

Biscuit seemed to understand something as well.

"Resentful Eater Snake?"

She murmured to herself.

Upon hearing this, Jin smiled and nodded, even giving the other person a thumbs up.

"That's right, you got it right. We've all read the Diary. Vipera's target has always been the snake eggs, and she did indeed achieve her long-cherished goal, and even returned."

"But what did she get in return?"

For her, for the lives in that area, and for the once-renowned [Nen-Eating Village] composed of pure Nen user, what she received was undoubtedly a disaster.

This directly transformed what was once a renowned Village into a Secret Realm, a Cage.

Isn't this a disaster?

Humanity has explored very little of the Dark Continent, and its understanding of its resources and terrain comes entirely from that book.

And our understanding of danger is almost nonexistent, so we don't even have the ability to judge whether something is dangerous.

It's not surprising at all that such behavior treats a menace like a treasure.

Their lack of information left them completely unaware of what was a scourge and what was a treasure.

Even treasures can be a source of trouble; it's just that you don't understand them enough, which allows them to become a source of harm.

The importance of information, or intelligence, is beyond doubt.

This is why Kim insists on using legitimate and aboveboard methods to explore the world; he must have a complete Logistics Department.

There must be a connection to the human world to provide continuous support.

Otherwise, the results would be no different from previous explorations, which is not what Jin wants.

Therefore, according to theories like those of gold...

Perhaps Kevin didn't want to explore the Dark Continent, but if he wanted to return from the Dark Continent, whether by choice or necessity, he would inevitably bring disaster.

In order to prevent such a disaster from escalating and attracting the attention of V5, they must make preparations for a rescue operation on that island in advance.

Fortunately, there was Prophecy Poem.

If Kevin and his group were to return, the Prophecy Poem would provide clues, allowing them to make adequate preparations during that timeframe.

He made it so clear here.

This action must have Biscuit's support.

Biscuit needs the Hunter Association's support to accomplish this.

It sounds strange to say it like that.

But King admitted that, within the Hunter Association, Biscuit's prestige far surpassed his own.

Having Biscuit take the lead would garner more support.

He was responsible for providing support, preparing for information protection, and responding to disasters.

This is Kevin from the Dark Continent. He has discovered the path back, but hasn't yet put any action into it.

Preparations for the rescue have already begun here.