Papu's Easy Defeat X Ecology

The sudden appearance of the Shadow Creature immediately prompted everyone to take action.

Even after examining it so closely, all they could see was a creature composed of pure black matter.

The four fastest are Kevin, King, Melusina, and Killua.

Different attacks.

They landed on the heads of the people closest to them, and although they hadn't communicated beforehand, they were extremely in sync.

This time, they were on guard, and the attack was extremely fast.

Before the black Human-Rearing Beast could even take a bite of the fruit, they were all struck.

Kevin used his speed to close the distance and punch.

When the fist, imbued with Nen Aura, struck, it didn't feel like it had hit a tangible object.

It was like hitting thin air.

It doesn't even qualify as air.

Kevin frowned at the empty, gray feeling; it was a very strange sensation.

It's that feeling of definitely missing.

But the visual information indicated that Kevin had hit the target.

Indeed, the black Human-Rearing Beast vanished the instant his fist struck.

It was as if it had been struck and vanished.

The fruit still hung on their heads.

The four people had already collapsed to the ground, their expressions showing the same happiness, relief, and joy described in the report.

However, perhaps because the attack was fast enough, the fruit was not eaten, so the four of them simply fainted and fell into a state of "happiness" similar to that described in the report.

The attacks from others achieved the same effect.

Upon seeing this, Kevin immediately took two steps back and released his Nen Aura, forming a circle.

It directly enveloped everyone, allowing for a precise assessment of the situation.

There was nothing there.

Apart from their individual existence, no other living beings exist within the circle.

Everyone remained vigilant.

Biscuit looked at Kevin and asked.

"Are they dead? Or are they hiding?"

"Disappeared. I don't know if they're dead or what, there's not a trace left."

Kevin said, frowning.

Everyone's brows were furrowed, unable to relax.

After confirming that there were no enemies, Qiduo and the others approached and began to check on the four people who had fainted on the ground.

After a quick check.

"All reflexes are normal; it's not even fair to say he's in a coma, he's more like he's asleep but can't be woken up."

Qiduo assessed the current situation.

"They may be trapped in some kind of Dreamscape, which is related to the fruit growing above their heads."

Qiduo glanced at the fruits hanging above everyone's heads.

At this point, I dared not touch anything carelessly; if it fell, the problem would be huge.

Kevin had expanded his circle, sweeping a wide area before scanning the surrounding area more precisely.

No problems were found.

"Take them to the Infirmary first," Kevin said, frowning.

Everyone sprang into action.

Become vigilant and begin patrols.

Something is clearly wrong.

We entered the Infirmary.

Looking at the four people already lying in the hospital beds, and at the different but mostly excited and happy smiles on their faces.

"First of all, the Papu the Nurturing Beast has actually entered the Snake Nest area, which is clearly abnormal."

"Moreover, when I hit them, it felt like I was hitting thin air; there was absolutely no feedback. Even when I hit something that Energy State, there would be some feedback."

Kevin began to explain what he had noticed was wrong.

Jin then said, "I easily destroyed the Papu the Nurturing Beast just now, which is completely different from when I attacked Moxi before."

"That one did try to dodge, but it didn't resist, and its dissipation wasn't as easy as it is now."

Biscuit listened to the two men, recalling the report.

"The situation described in the report is also different from what we encountered. In the report, the seven lucky people also launched an attack when they were first discovered."

"But their feedback was that their attack was ineffective, and all the Papu the Nurturing Beast were watching them at that time. That fear made them flee after their attack failed."

There are different signals here.

Those seven were also elite, including some highly skilled Nen user. Their attacks were not so ineffective that the Human-Rearing Beast were completely unaware of them.

Damage caused, disappearance during a dodge, and nullification of an attack are different ways of describing an attack.

That means you attacked the opponent, but they seemed completely unconcerned.

We managed to attack the opponent, and they simply vanished.

Jin's experience was also different.

In other words, three different situations arose.

"By arranging them according to different locations, we can see that the farther away from the Unmanned Stone Range, the more vulnerable these Papu the Nurturing Beasts, seem to be after being attacked."

Based on everyone's descriptions, Melusina immediately connected them into a logical chain and spoke.

Kevin listened and nodded; that was indeed very possible.

"Is this attack necessary? After all, they're already so far away, and inside the Snake Nest, but they'll still launch an attack once the fruit ripens."

"Could it be that, in fact, the Papu the Nurturing Beast was already lurking inside the victim's body the moment the Flesh Bud sprouted?"

Biscuit deduced this from the perspective of Nen ability.

Let me check it.

Kevin waved his hand as he spoke, and his Nen Aura formed dust that flowed into Aimeimei's nostrils.

It enters the brain through the nasal cavity.

Kevin's abilities certainly don't allow him to enter fantastical realms like Dreamscape.

This dust can be used to determine the other party's current mental state; after all, it can even be used to control some wild animals with low intelligence.

It can also strongly interfere with humans.

Kevin quickly sensed Aimeimei's current mental state.

At this moment, the other person is happy, joyful, and very positive. Their spirits are also very active, and they don't seem to be asleep at all. Instead, they seem to be experiencing something joyful.

In other words, from the other person's perspective, she is currently happy.

Kevin immediately checked the others as well, and received the exact same feedback.

The findings of the inspection were shared with everyone.

"Is this what they call the equivalent exchange of happiness? I must say, although it's based on limited information, the conclusion does seem to fit."

Qiduo couldn't help but say.

Jin had been frowning the whole time, but then something suddenly occurred to him, and his eyes lit up.

"Do you think it's possible that the so-called Papu the Nurturing Beast isn't actually a living being, but rather a disease, or a virus or something?"

"Once infected with this disease, symptoms will appear such as Flesh Bud growing on the top of the head, eventually flowering and bearing fruit. At the moment of fruiting, this black monster will appear."

At this point, Jin's thoughts seemed to clear up, and he spoke with excitement.

"Now that I think about it, why is the Unmanned Stone Range so desolate, with almost no life?"

"Because that place is not the hunting ground of the Papu the Nurturing Beast at all, but a contaminated area with this disease."

"That's why they don't need any creatures to hunt or maintain an ecosystem. After all, they're just infected with disease in the area around the Unmanned Stone Range."

"The closer you get to the Unmanned Stone Range, the stronger the disease becomes; if you're farther away, it might not be as potent."

This sounds very reasonable and can explain most situations.

But after listening, Biscuit frowned and asked a question.

"What about those ships that were left behind? Remember? When those seven men returned to camp, those who remained on the ships encountered the same situation."

Those people didn't even enter the Unmanned Stone Range, but they still got caught.

"It may be contagious, and there is contact between the forward Exploration Team and the teams remaining on the rear."

"There were people constantly transporting supplies back and forth; I remember there was such a structure."

"These people coming and going led the Papu the Nurturing Beast to the group guarding the ship."

If that's the case, then a new problem arises.

"Then why weren't we infected?" Kevin asked.

Afterwards, Qiduo offered possible explanations based on everyone's thoughts.

"If the distance to the Unmanned Stone Range is indeed related to the strength of the Papu the Nurturing Beast, then it's very likely that we're too far from the Unmanned Stone Range."

After all, Jin, Aimeimei, and the others had been back for several days.

If it were normally contagious, then Flesh Bud should have grown on their heads yesterday.

"If it is indeed a contagious disease, it would explain why they chased it all the way to the Snake Nest without fear of the Lord there."

Because these Papu the Nurturing Beasts, are not living beings at all; they are merely a disease.

When it is accepted that the Papu the Nurturing Beast is a disease, and that the severity of the disease is related to the distance from the Unmanned Stone Range, all the problems they encountered can be directly explained.

Qiduo could even immediately diagnose that it was a mental illness, only that it manifested physically.

To take it a step further, it could be called a disease of the soul.

"In any case, let's conduct a complete examination first. We have four patients undergoing thorough and comprehensive examinations, which should yield more data to corroborate our findings."

And so the night has passed.

For Hunter x Hunter, even if they don't sleep all night, it won't affect their condition at all.

Kevin and the others spent the night in the Infirmary, conducting a thorough examination of the four who had fainted.

Through various means, the mind, the body, and even the soul were examined.

Unlike Moxi, whose fruit fell from his head and merged into his body.

The fruits above Aimeimei and the others' heads were still there.

More information can be checked.

Then, through cross-examination by the three parties, a somewhat outlandish conclusion was reached.

The Flesh Bud that grows on the top of the head, and the fruit that grows from it, is somewhat similar to External Brain.

It certainly cannot be compared to the brain completely, but for the human body, it plays a certain role similar to the brain.

After the connection is established, a portion of a person's consciousness, or rather, their soul, is temporarily stored in this External Brain.

Based on a detailed examination of the psychological fluctuations Dreamscape.

Kevin was almost certain that the active part of his mind resided in this External Brain.

The left and right hemispheres of the brain still perform various important functions, such as maintaining and controlling the body.

Through those blissful, positive Dreamscape, those feelings that one desires, one's consciousness or spirit is tricked into this External Brain.

Then remove the fruit.

It's like viewing humanity as a potted plant nurturing fruit.

"I still can't understand why, if it's a disease, those pitch-black creatures would eat the fruit."

"What would happen if we ate the fruit? I don't mean human remains, I mean the Papu the Nurturing Beast."

Biscuit said from the side.

Kevin already had a fairly logical guess about this, and he said it directly from the side.

"Although we call it a disease, this disease may be the attack method or breeding method of the so-called Papu the Nurturing Beast."

"If they eat this fruit, will they be able to come back to life from that Shadow Creature, intangible state?"

"Is this how I gained a new life?"

This idea surprised everyone.

Because it's very likely.

After all, they had never seen what would happen if the Papu the Nurturing Beast were allowed to devour the fruit.

"However, we cannot verify this conclusion for the time being. We will capture some intelligent and self-aware creatures and put them in for experiments later."

Kevin clapped his hands as he spoke, looking at Kim.

"What are you planning to do? Should we let them use the Cocoon of Rebirth to give birth to new life?"

This was the only possible treatment they could come up with after a night of meticulous examination.

The only option is to leave them in this vegetative state for now, while Kevin creates the appropriate medication later.

"Treat him your way, start with Moxi."

If it fails, it will at least end Moxi's suffering; letting him remain in the status quo is torture every day.

If Moxi succeeds, then the chances of the other four succeeding will increase dramatically.

Upon hearing this, Kevin nodded.

"In that case, I'll begin."

Kevin walked over to where Moxi was sitting.

Seeing the other person's current contorted state, he exhaled and raised his hands.

A crack appeared in my palm, and blood gushed out.

Then, the blood and Nen Aura wove together into something like silk threads, enveloping the other person.

The weaving and wrapping process was incredibly fast, almost visibly so, completely enveloping the target and transforming it into a blood-red Cocoon.

The biological form inside can be vaguely seen through the translucent Cocoon.

It still looks distorted at this moment.

The Nen ability was activated very quickly.

The Cocoon began to contract inward, focusing its Nen Aura.

Like a heart, it began to beat slightly.

The rebirth has begun.