Shu Heads Towards the Dark Continent

One week.

The entire First Camp has been neatly planned and arranged.

The port area was set up using temporary modular equipment.

The massive prefabricated steel frame structure was quickly assembled to form simple trestle bridges, unloading platforms, and dock facilities.

Although it looks somewhat rudimentary and rough, with exposed steel frames and ramps that lack aesthetic appeal, it is fully functional, and can handle ship berthing, cargo loading and unloading, and the gathering and dispersal of people without any problems.

This is only the First Stage. Further expansion will be carried out, including laying more solid roads, adding warehouses and functional areas, in preparation for the arrival of the next large-scale ocean cruise ship.

Nasby, who was originally King, had never intended to continue this expansion.

Fortunately, this information was known only to a very small number of key personnel, and everyone from the top to the bottom believed it was a national strategy.

Therefore, all kinds of supplies were prepared, including later planning, preparations, and diplomacy.

Under these circumstances, the newly enthroned Ninth Prince naturally had to continue.

This would also bring him more prestige and divert the attention of the public and some internal forces.

This would allow him to seize power in the country during this period and begin implementing reforms.

Therefore, ocean cruises will continue in the future.

Beyond the port area, there is a wide open space.

This area, spanning several hundred meters, has been completely leveled by heavy machinery. All the gravel and weeds have been removed or crushed, and now it has been covered with a layer of quick-drying cement.

Compared to the initial muddy or gravel-covered state, this cement cover greatly improves traffic conditions, is dustproof and slip-resistant, and looks much more comfortable, providing a stable base for people and vehicles to move around.

After all, this place is very important, and a large amount of supplies need to be stockpiled and transported.

Behind this paved open space is a long row of brand-new, large prefabricated warehouses.

These warehouses are quickly assembled from standardized metal sheets and frames, arranged neatly in rows extending outwards.

These formed the core of the camp's supply reserves; the huge roller shutter doors were open, revealing that the interior was filled with containers unloaded from the ship, construction machinery, building materials, and various supplies.

Further on, as far as the eye could see, there was a vast construction site bustling with activity.

Various large construction machines continued to roar deafeningly under the power of their massive engines, their tracks grinding against the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

This area is being further cleared and leveled, clearly in preparation for a larger-scale permanent or semi-permanent complex, and is at the forefront of the camp's expansion.

Further away lies a tent settlement that resembles a colorful ocean.

A dense array of tents of various colors, from simple single tents to larger multi-person tents and even command tents, spread out in large swaths, occupying the cleared flat land and extending inland.

Smoke curled from chimneys, and the air was filled with the sounds of people talking.

The residential area presents a temporary yet vibrant scene.

It seems that this tent area won't change much for the time being until more robust shelters are built.

Port area.

Kevin and King's teams meet here.

The Twelve Zodiacs also wait here.

A little further away, Beyond stood with his arms crossed, accompanied by two strangers, gazing at the sea.

Qiduo looked at Kevin and the others and said, "You can now choose to follow and monitor six members of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Zhi group."

"Porto and I can only each choose one team; we'll each lead a separate team for surveillance."

This was a task assigned to them by the Chairman, but for them, it was real surveillance, unlike Beyond's.

As for Kevin and his group, the focus was more on providing assistance, indirectly offering them help.

Kevin had already thought this through; he could make the decision on this matter alone.

After all, metal is meant to explore outwards, while the members of the Twelve Zodiacs, while monitoring, are more focused on holding their ground along the coast.

The main purpose was to prevent members of the Exploration Team from escaping back by ship before they had gained any hope or found a solution to the disaster.

Kevin's choice was to stay put and then expand outwards.

This is different from Kim's direct exploration outwards.

"You, Gugu, Illumi, Morel, Bianluoke, Kansai."

After hearing Kevin's choices, Qiduo nodded. None of these choices were unexpected, except for those from Kansai.

After all, the people Kevin chose were either people he had a good relationship with and knew well, or people whose abilities were a perfect match for the team's needs.

In Kansai, however, Kevin and the other party seemed to be strangers, and the other party's abilities were nothing special.

"He's a treasure hunter and Hunter x Hunter, isn't he? The base still needs someone to protect it."

This is why Kevin made the choice; as a bodyguard Hunter x Hunter, Kansai's professional level in this area is beyond doubt.

As for the rest, Kevin had heard about them to some extent; they were all rather difficult to deal with, and he had some dissatisfaction with Beyond.

And more importantly, there must be a traitor within the Twelve Zodiacs, Beyond.

Kevin didn't care who it was; he just needed to make sure that the ones he had chosen weren't.

Qiduo quickly began discussing group assignments with her companions.

After all, this grouping not only has to take into account Kevin's choice, but also the thoughts of the Twelve Zodiacs themselves.

Fortunately, those who were close to Kevin did not object to Kevin choice and all nodded in agreement.

After all, it's better to stay with Kevin than to go and scheme against Beyond. After all, their people know that Kevin had been to the Dark Continent and returned safely.

Although they were not afraid of risks, why not do things that could reduce risks? They hardly thought about any downsides.

The two ships were anchored in the harbor.

One of them was significantly larger and had a more militarized design.

There were some national flags and icons hanging on it.

This is clearly a ship Beyond's.

The group gathered on the shore, including some of Beyond's men.

This time, it was someone from the International Voyage Bureau who spoke.

That bespectacled, seemingly frail young man.

"Before boarding the ship and officially setting sail for the Dark Continent, I need to reiterate once again—"

It's the same old stuff.

But no one said anything; they listened quietly.

Only after the exchange was completed did the International Voyage Bureau lead its personnel directly onto the warship-like vessel.

Kevin and the others boarded Morel's ship.

Morel's ship has undergone significant changes compared to before, with many additional internal structures added, making it appear much more sturdy overall.

There were nearly forty people on the boat in total.

Of course, even with forty people, the ship still didn't feel crowded, unlike the ship next to it that carried over a thousand people.

"Set sail!"

"We'll be on the ship for quite some time now, and it's even smaller than that."

Buhaci leaned against the wall, gripping the railing with one hand, gazing at the boundless sea, and said with a hint of nausea.

"Hey, is there something you're unhappy with about my little boat?"

Morel, an Ocean Hunter, was very satisfied with his ship.

Buhaci simply waved his hand dismissively.

On this side, Kevin looked at Qi beside him, and followed Qi's gaze.

Jin and Gon could be seen by the railing; the two were away from the crowd, leaning on the railing at the bow of the boat, chatting about something.

Are you homesick? Or do you miss your father like this?

Upon hearing Kevin's words, Qi waved his hand dismissively.

--

"Of course I don't want to. I've had enough of this place already, and my dad is much better than Gon's dad."

So that's how it is. Jin isn't even as good as the head of an assassin family.

"By the way, what are your impressions of the Dark Continent?"

Kiy suddenly asked.

So that's how it is. It seems there's some tension. As they get closer to the Gatekeeper's territory, a sense of unease about the Dark Continent inevitably begins to arise in everyone's hearts.

Even with gold, tension and anticipation coexist.

Even Kevin and Melusina, who had been to the Dark Continent, couldn't help but feel a slight tension.

The two of them were even more nervous than others, because they had actually been to the Dark Continent and witnessed its dangers.

"Although I've told you this several times already, since you want to hear it again, I'll say it once more."

Kevin said directly.

"To be honest, when Melusina and I were inexplicably dumped there, we didn't think much about it."

"Until the first time I was on the verge of death, it was the Dream-Entering Butterfly, which makes people unknowingly immerse themselves in a dream until death."

Kevin was awakened by his sensitivity to Nen Aura and discovered that Melusina was asleep, realizing that something was wrong.

"When I found that Butterfly and gently pinched it to death, I realized that I had arrived in the Dark Continent."

"Just this tiny Butterfly, which you could easily pinch and kill, almost killed us without us even realizing it."

This small detail reveals the terror of the Dark Continent.

Moreover, this thing doesn't just fly around nearby; it travels a bit further away, letting its Scale Powder drift on the wind.

"Then there's the Earth-Swallowing Worm, which I've emphasized before. The key is the slight tremor coming from the ground. When you notice this tremor, you must run away quickly."

"The area it devours is extremely large; it will use the exposed part of its mouth as the center and suck in an area several kilometers around it."

Kevin escaped that crisis by cutting through space with a dagger.

Without that thing, Kevin might only be able to think about how to get out of the other person's stomach.

"Further on, there are incredibly exaggerated, Overlord Giant Bird that truly blot out the sky. When they fly overhead, it's as if night has fallen and all the light has been blocked."

"The immense pressure emanating from that Giant Bird was so great that it made it difficult for anyone to even stand; it was a true Overlord."

That was the most outrageous thing Kevin had ever seen.

"Then there are the Shi Yunyu, the constantly moving Rain Cloud ----"

Even after a brief explanation, Kiy still found it interesting.

"Haven't you seen even stranger things in books before?"

Kevin asked, amused.

The Travelogue published by Don Fuglits describes an even more bizarre and fantastical world.

"That's different. You're a living, breathing person standing right in front of me. Your description of the experience needs to be more detailed, since it includes your feelings."

Kiy thought for a moment and said.

It definitely feels different from reading a book.

In the days that followed, Kevin was forced to recount in greater detail his experiences in the Dark Continent that year.

The main reason is that the members of Team Kim want to know more clearly.

Kevin then shared his understanding of the hierarchy of beings.

Of course, this is just his personal opinion, based on his experience that year, and the specifics cannot be quickly verified.

"That Giant Bird is the most outrageous creature I've ever seen. Even on the Dark Continent, it can freely exude its intimidation, soaring through the sky without fear of anything."

It's practically the Overlord of that place, so I call it Overlord- level creature. Its territory must be extremely vast, perhaps even far exceeding the territory of human society.

"Below it are the regional creatures, such as that Sand Worm and the Resentful Eater Snake. I call them Lord Level creatures. They have their own territory, which they occupy with the power of individuals or groups. The other territories around their territory are more likely to be their hunting grounds."

"For example, the Timely Rain Cloud Area, which is completely unmanageable for me, is just a place for these snakes' young to hunt and play, and poses no threat at all."

"For them, the real hunting ground is the neighboring Land of Giant Beasts, which I named myself, of course. It's full of giant beasts with extremely vigorous Life Force, and the top predator in this area is the Resentful Eater Snake that lives nearby."

It can be said that the Resentful Eater Snake has a very comprehensive plan for its territory.

The Timely Rain Cloud Area allows young larvae to hunt within, while threatening individuals are either accelerated or immobilized by the Time Rain.

The nearby Land of Giant Beasts is a huge hunting ground, allowing even Growth Stage snakes to hunt.

The high energy of their homeland also allows beings in their complete form to permeate the region.

It can be said that the area surrounding his territory is his territory.

Calling them Lord Level is no exaggeration.

Such a division is certainly not rigorous and lacks a control group, but this method is straightforward enough and memorable.

They naturally adopted it, and when different theories emerged, they made slight modifications. Then, by combining their respective theories, newer classification rules were naturally born for new explorations.

Isn't this how humanity progresses step by step?

Observe, summarize, and conclude.

Kevin's main task on the ship was to communicate with King and his teammates, and to learn from and study the construction of Nen tool.

It must be said that Kim and his teammates have different approaches to Nen.

Chairman Netero, due to his martial arts fanaticism, is more interested in researching the reproducible and categorizable aspects of Nen ability.

To know what Nen ability can enhance, what they can build, and what they can obtain.

Skilled in application.

Stronger than practical.

Jin, on the other hand, is a creature driven purely by interest.

The research was more fragmented and scattered.

What I understand more about is the existence of Nen ability and their deeper structure.

Therefore, he believes that Nen ability is something unique to humans or socially intelligent species.

First, all living things possess qi, which is Life Energy.

The will of the spirit can give qi (vital energy) more variations.

Like many Demonic Beast Rare Beast and rare creatures, they also seem to possess Nen ability, but their Nen ability are of a single nature.

At most, depending on the classification of the population, there may be several different types of Nen ability, but in essence, they are still products of the combination of their physical characteristics and ki.

Like a Rare Beast, its ability is to make its cry deceptive, confusing and bewildering the minds of any creature that hears it.

Essentially, it is just a solid Nen ability produced by evolution, something born from the combination of the body's structure and Life Energy.

Does this count as Nen ability?

Of course it counts.

Humans can even imitate and build them.

This is similar to some of Kevin's A-Rank drugs, which modify the body to give him Nen ability that are impossible for humans.

The capacity for humans to construct Nen ability, or Memory Capacity, is essentially a slot.

The Nen ability constructed can be compared to the special abilities of these creatures.

Humans simply have a slot where they can construct Nen ability, insert them, and then solidify them.

There are more choices, more freedom.

Because of the special properties of air, it can affect the natural environment.

This gave rise to the ability to predict the future, fix time, Create Space, and even influence fortune.

Jin's main research area is this.

He can achieve similar effects through non- Nen ability actions, simply by using Ki and some practical means such as Succession Ceremony and God Text.

Its byproduct is the manufacture of Nen tool of magical artifact).

It is constructed through Succession Ceremony, Restriction, and the concept of God Text.

Seriously speaking, Kevin benefited greatly.

He had even roughly figured out how to modify [The Master of Stealth], all he needed to do was find a way to change or strip away its will.