The Guide X Lands

They returned to the ship.

The giant beast that had been like a statue on the platform sat back down, closed its eyes, and became like a statue again.

They didn't seem interested in their departure.

"Was that the Gatekeeper? Did he say anything? Did he speak human language? Or does he have some special ability?"

Gon and Qikuang sidled up and asked curiously, something that had seemed quite amusing to these two childlike individuals.

Their curiosity was undeniable.

Jin smiled and recounted what had just happened to them.

The people of the Twelve Zodiacs also noticed the excitement on Qiduo's face, clearly indicating that something had just happened.

If it can make the usually calm and indifferent Qiduo act excitedly, then it must be something good.

And this isn't just any ordinary good thing.

Qiduo immediately shared with them that Kevin's return would not involve any disaster.

This news immediately excited the others as well.

Because this is truly a good thing.

The most important reason the Twelve Zodiacs were sent by the Chairman was to monitor these Exploration Team heading to the Dark Continent and not allow them to return until they found a solution to the disaster.

Because every time they return, the Gatekeeper forces them to bring back a disaster.

If you can't solve it, it's like carrying a bomb in your home that you can't control and that could explode at any moment.

The ships resumed their course and soon sailed side by side through the gate.

Then they saw at the end of the channel, two enormous, whale-like creatures floating on the sea, silently waiting for them.

On the whale's back are two creatures that look like humans, but with pure white wings on their backs, making them look like Angel.

But clearly, the other party was not Angel.

If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the so-called "Guide".

It is not a living being in itself, but Demi-human Nen Beast created by the Gatekeeper.

Two Angel flew towards a ship, each one of them.

One of them landed on the deck of Kevin's ship.

The armrest gracefully bowed.

"Then, please tell me the direction you wish to go, and I will guide you in that direction."

We're heading to the northeast.

Kevin said.

This was the direction they had decided on long ago.

Since the Snake Nest was in this direction, they didn't necessarily have to land directly; instead, they headed towards the mountain range where the so-called uncharted territory was located.

But the Unmanned Stone was indeed the closest to their landing point, and one of the hopes that previous teams had tried to explore.

Kevin is in charge of this.

Because all Jin needs to do is reach the Dark Continent; it doesn't matter which hope it chooses.

Qiduo and the others simply followed.

Having determined their direction, the two ships slowly sailed forward.

Everyone was standing on the decks of both ships.

On the larger ship next to him, Beyond walked to the edge of the deck.

"Here we part ways. Although we are not like-minded, we are all warriors heading to the Dark Continent."

"Then, I wish you all great success in your military endeavors!"

On the deck, Beyond said this loudly, followed by a burst of laughter.

Two whales ahead opened their mouths wide, and water rushed into them.

The ship carrying Kevin and the others slowly sailed in.

How much time exactly has passed?

To be honest, it's impossible to tell quickly, since although things are very stable inside a whale's mouth, you can't really feel the rotation of the sun and moon.

The only way to determine how much time has passed is by using a timer they carry with them.

All told, they probably stayed in the whale's mouth for about ten days.

This was an even more tedious voyage than before, because the ships were not moving as they were perceived; they were simply waiting in the dim, dark environment.

Awaiting the arrival of the Dark Continent.

Until a deafening sound came from outside, like the cry of a whale.

Light appeared ahead.

That's a whale with its mouth wide open.

The long-awaited light shone from ahead.

--

The Angel Guide flew in once more and landed on the deck.

"Please leave, everyone. You've arrived at the direction you're looking for."

The ship starts.

Even Morel, who was in control of the ship, couldn't resist taking a real puff of his Pipe.

The slight trembling of the Pipe revealed Morel's slightly excited state of mind.

Kim and his teammates were completely sprawled along the railing.

He'll be there soon.

He arrived at the place he had always dreamed of.

"It seems like only the two of us are relatively calm."

Melusina took Kevin's arm and leaned on his shoulder, saying with a grin.

Upon hearing this, Kevin reached out and took her hand.

"After all, we've actually been through this, so we're much more experienced than them."

As he spoke, he winked, and the two looked at each other and smiled.

The ship sailed completely out of the whale's mouth.

Once again, there was an endless expanse of sea.

The Angel flew back, and then three Bone Whistle appeared in his hand.

"Take this. It is a token of summoning. Remember this location. When you return once more, whistle, and we will return to bring you back."

"Remember the landing route. If you deviate from it on your return journey, you may encounter unexpected risks, and the return route is not necessarily safe."

The Angel offered a gentle reminder, then flapped its wings and flew away.

Kevin and his team were well aware of this, with Beyond being the best example.

It's successful.

But at the last moment, the ship encountered an accident while returning, which was truly a great pity.

It was precisely this regret that made Beyond so unwilling to accept defeat.

"Let's go, keep moving forward. It might take several more days to reach the shore."

With a clear route planned, the ships sailed on the seas near the Dark Continent.

What is that?

Not long after setting sail, Gon looked at a black dot in the sky and said...

Everyone looked up.

Far in the distance, they saw countless black dots in the sky. These dots drew closer, but thankfully, they didn't seem to be their target. Even from such a distance, they could still see that they were Pterosaur -like creatures.

They hovered in the sky, occasionally plunging into the water, seemingly hunting.

Based on this distance, each of these Pterosaur would be as large as this ship.

"Roar!"

A roar came from afar.

Almost at the edge of sight, the sea broke open, and a slender but enormous opening suddenly sprang up into the sky.

It swallowed a large number of Pterosaur in one gulp, then its massive head tilted and fell back into the water.

Its slender body twisted and turned like a sea serpent.

Wow, it's huge!

Kiy leaned over the railing, unable to contain her surprise, and gasped.

Even from this distance, you can feel the sheer size of the creature. If you were to get close, this ship would be so powerful that even a casual touch would shatter it.

"That's how the Dark Continent is; everything is ridiculously large, as if there's an inexhaustible supply of nutrients there."

Kevin, standing nearby, couldn't help but complain.

Fortunately, as they sailed past, the ship seemed to be protected by something, and indeed, no creatures bothered them.

After sailing for less than three days, they could already see the mainland in the distance.

Another day of sailing.

They determined their course and finally found a natural harbor to land at.

"Are we almost there? We're almost there!"

Jin stood on the deck, his voice trembling with excitement.

He wasn't the only one unable to hide his excitement.

As the ship slowly approached the shore, it dropped anchor.

Kevin jumped off the boat first, stood on the shore, and stomped his feet on it.

"Finally, I'm standing on solid ground."

To be honest, floating on the sea for a long time can be quite uncomfortable; standing on solid ground is much more reassuring.

The rest of the people also disembarked.

"Is it really okay for this ship to just stay here like this?"

Looking at his boat, Morel couldn't help but ask.

"We could find a deep-water cave near the shore and park it there. It's not that dangerous."

After all, the Dark Continent is so vast that if every short distance is dangerous and deadly, then there's no point in living.

"This coastline is relatively safe; at least when we stayed here before, we didn't encounter any danger—well, I don't think so."

Morel nodded, and after circling the coastline, he did find a cave, but it wasn't big enough.

Kevin followed and used brute force to carve out and enlarge the cavern until it could easily accommodate the ship.

The boat slowly sailed into the cave, where there was nothing dangerous except for some small fish.

They took out a waterproof tarpaulin that had been stored in the cabin and covered the entire ship with it.

After taking protective measures, Kevin blasted the adjacent rock wall, creating a platform and opening up the cave entrance, carving out a tunnel.

"That's outrageous. It's only been a little over a year since we last met, and your strength seems to have improved a lot."

After all, he was Kevin's comrade-in-arms who fought alongside them against the Chimera Ant, so he had witnessed Kevin's strength.

Kevin can now punch a Rock and send Rock flying into regularly shaped fragments.

More importantly, the sound produced was not the kind of loud, explosive bang, but a muffled thud.

The sound is lower and more focused.

But it also indicates the degree of control the opponent has over their power.

Kevin simply raised an eyebrow and smiled.

I walked out through the tunnel and remembered the location.

On the shore, Jin and the others had already gathered there, none of them making any rash moves. After all, this was the Dark Continent, and acting recklessly would be tantamount to suicide.

"I sensed a spying target, and it was a dangerous gaze. After you left, did any dangerous creature appear here?"

Looking at Kevin who had returned, King asked.

"Let me see."

As Kevin spoke, he raised his hand and released the gathered Nen Aura.

The cylindrical circle immediately swept around the body.

"Oh, those creatures."

Seemingly stimulated by Kevin's Nen Aura, one strange creature after another emerged from the distant woods.

"Chimeric Ant?!"

Morel blurted it out as if on cue; he was all too familiar with these creatures.

He will never forget that war.

"Pretty much, probably the same creature, but without human genes involved, so it's more like a pure beast."

Kevin offered a brief explanation from the side, seemingly unconcerned.

"They are indeed very different from us."

After observing carefully for a while, the Koala spoke.

"Don't be so nervous," Kevin said with a smile, patting Morel's shoulder. "Those Chimeric Ant we encountered before were carefully cultivated by someone, incorporating too much human gene and learning Nen ability, which is why they were so powerful."

These Chimeric Ant survive on the Dark Continent by relying on their own abilities, but they are not so lucky.

They were never a powerful race to begin with.

In the Dark Continent, where everyone possesses unique skills, they appear less intimidating.

They could only stay in the well-shaped area by the coast.

Kevin then playfully swung his arm.

He crouched down in front of everyone, then sprang into the air.

It flew in a large arc and crashed directly into the center of the Chimeric Ant.

"Bang!"

All that could be heard was a deafening roar, followed by a cloud of sand and gravel shooting into the sky.

Then came the agonizing screams of agony.

Less than ten minutes later, they witnessed a massacre and confirmed that the Chimeric Ant were indeed not very powerful.

It looks like just an ordinary Chimera Ant, a combination of different species.

Leaving behind a pile of wreckage as a deterrent, Kevin returned, his face expressionless and his breath steady.

"That's enough. It'll create a deterrent effect, and they'll naturally stay away from here."

Kevin did the same thing a few years ago, and now he's done it again, enough to make those Chimeric Ant fear this place. Even if they don't migrate, it will at least reduce the probability of them exploring this area.

"Should we build a simple outpost here? After all, the ships are still here."

Illumi casually said.

She had been observing the environment and her initial assessment suggested that the danger here was indeed not high.

However, he was unfamiliar with the environment, so he created a dust slope.

Qiduo and the others also looked at Kevin.

Kevin shook his head. "Although this place doesn't look like the territory of any creature, it is still the Dark Continent. Who knows when a powerful creature passing by might destroy the stronghold?"

"You can't predict luck, so we decided against it. Besides, the ship was hidden inside a cave, and we took safety precautions."

"If we still encounter problems under these circumstances, there's nothing we can do. We can just rebuild one when we go back. Don't worry, it's not that difficult; there are plenty of materials here."

Having already done it once, Kevin spoke with ease.

Morel silently curled his lip beside him. "It's not your boat, so of course there's no slope problem."

However, since he had already come all this way, he was naturally prepared for the possibility that the ship might be damaged or even sink completely, so he did not raise any objections.

"Let's move out of here. I'll lead the way; it's not safe here."

Go to a safe place.