Exploration team X Parasite

A secluded cave.

A small human squad is hiding among them.

Inside the portable Bonfire, the flames flickered gently, illuminating the stone walls of the cave.

A cold wind howled outside, creating eerie sounds in the silent night.

This is a 7-person team, members of V6, all from the Ochima Federation.

"Our supplies are almost used up; it's time to head back."

The logistics staff in the team checked the backpacks they were carrying and gave a reminder.

Upon hearing this, the squad leader put down his tablet, which displayed a precise map being drawn.

How many essential items are left?

"There's only enough for each of us to use twice."

The essential items are naturally medicines and various emergency supplies. As for food, to be honest, it's not particularly scarce in the Dark Continent.

In an emergency, all you need to do is bring two extra Nutrient Potion for each person.

"It's time to go back."

The captain nodded in agreement.

A teammate leaning against the stone wall nearby couldn't help but stretch upon hearing this.

"Finally, we're going back. We were lucky this time; we didn't encounter anything dangerous. Otherwise, a few of us would be bedridden when we got back."

Upon hearing this, another teammate glanced at him.

Don't Crow it, you bastard.

"What do you mean by 'Crow'? We were really lucky this time. When have we ever been without injuries?"

They really couldn't refute that statement.

The Ochima Federation has 10 slots.

So they were essentially a 10-person squad, except that one of them died within a year of arriving.

The remaining two are currently resting in the Small Town; one is from a support logistics unit and is on rotation, while the other has just recovered from a serious injury.

"Sigh, it's been a year, and we're still just wandering around here."

A woman who appeared to be of robust build said listlessly.

A petite woman sitting next to her glanced at her upon hearing this.

"Aren't you going to get bored? It's so dangerous, and we're still around Mr. Kevin's territory."

This area has already been cleaned once.

Upon establishing their territory, Kevin and his group unilaterally expelled and eliminated any powerful individuals in the surrounding area.

These were all relatively dangerous individuals, and Kevin dealt with most of them by himself.

Furthermore, since a Lord has already been established here and has spread his influence and marked the territory, the creatures that stay in the vicinity are unlikely to be very powerful.

Even during their detailed exploration of this area, they encountered numerous dangers.

"Now that we're gradually getting to know these areas, it feels like it won't be long before we have to explore even further. I used to think the dangers of the Dark Continent might be tolerable, but now it seems I was completely overthinking it."

A tall, thin man standing nearby said weakly, "This is after it's been cleaned; I don't even want to think about how dangerous it would be if it hadn't been cleaned."

Upon hearing this, the person who had just been organizing logistical supplies couldn't help but complain.

"Weren't we too impatient? Although we have a mission, we're in the Dark Continent right now. Why are we so hasty? The Dark Probe actually want us to train more in the camp and improve our strength before slowly exploring outwards."

We're too weak; what's the point of going out to explore?

"They modeled their abilities on themselves, which lacks universality. Even with the potion provided by Mr. Kevin, how easy is it to improve one's strength?"

A burly man standing nearby couldn't help but speak, his tone tinged with helplessness.

They certainly wanted to improve their strength, and after arriving on the Dark Continent, with Biscuit's training and the use of various potions, their strength did indeed increase significantly.

However, in the environment of the Dark Continent, these improvements in strength only gave them the most basic abilities, far from reaching a powerful level, because they had not even reached their first limit, and their Nen power was generally below 400,000.

"To be honest, for us right now, the real danger isn't the powerful individuals, but rather those unpredictable things. This place is still too eerie."

They were mostly injured by various toxins and strange abilities.

"I heard they've already started building a ship to take us back at the port, so we should be able to go back soon."

"That's what the tall, thin man said."

"You want to go back?"

"I definitely want to go back. I never really had much of a desire for the Dark Continent; I was just curious. Now that my curiosity has been satisfied, it's too dangerous here."

The tall, thin man spoke without any hesitation.

He will definitely lead the team back to report for duty afterward, and he doesn't plan to come back then.

"I'd rather stay here," the muscular woman said.

The captain sat by the fire, listening to his team members, without offering any opinion.

He already knew all this; he knew perfectly well who wanted to leave and who wanted to stay.

As for himself...

One of the main reasons he was chosen as captain, besides his abilities, was his clear yearning for the Dark Continent.

He was aware of the dangers here, but even so, there was no way he could go back.

The group chatted idly like that.

The petite woman stood up and patted the muscular woman beside her on the shoulder, and the two of them got up and walked out of the cave.

Hole.

The others glanced at it but didn't find it strange.

It's right outside the cave.

"I'll just stay here and watch. It doesn't feel safe to be too far away."

Hearing the muscular woman's words, the petite woman nodded and went to the toilet nearby.

The robust woman leaned against the stone wall, gazing at the starry sky and the distant howling of the cold wind.

"So beautiful—the scenery here is something you can't see in human society at all; there are huge things everywhere, and everything is so new and amazing."

As he spoke, he raised his right arm and made a bodybuilding gesture, his muscles bulging.

Feel the surging power within my body.

"To possess such formidable strength—who could have imagined such a thing before?"

Before coming to the Dark Continent, although she was a top Nen ability user, belonging to the Enhancement Type, to be honest, her strength was just so-so. She could block bullets and cannons, but that was the limit.

Having been in the Dark Continent for a year or two, she feels like she could kill ten of her past selves with a single punch.

As Enhancement Type, she is far too sensitive to the growth of her body.

Perhaps it was due to talent, or perhaps for one reason or another, but her growth became extremely slow.

That's what Nen ability is like.

Once you reach a certain level, it becomes extremely difficult to grow further.

I spend almost the entire day on this.

But she also has her own job.

Therefore, the improvement in strength over the past two years is a stark contrast to the snail-like progress after reaching a bottleneck.

That's incredibly fast.

For humans, the tangible growth of their own strength is an addictive mechanism.

Unable to extricate myself.

It might be dangerous here, but the rewards far outweigh the risks. The nutrition and deliciousness of the food were irresistible, and the scenery was breathtaking.

"Perhaps I was born to belong here."

The dangers here couldn't stop her.

What are you thinking?

Besides sharing her own thoughts, she said all this because she really hoped the other person would stay.

"Um."

The petite woman who had already gotten up and walked over simply hummed in agreement, smiled at her, and then went into the cave.

This behavior made her stand still, watching the other person's back as she frowned slightly.

But I followed them anyway.

The two returned to the cave together and sat by the Bonfire.

The casual conversation continued.

On nights like this, to avoid danger, it's obviously not advisable to go out and explore; chatting becomes the best form of entertainment.

Casual conversation is the earliest, most fundamental, and most basic form of entertainment for humankind, and it is also the very foundation upon which language was born.

What do you think, Nana'an?

The petite woman looked up when she was suddenly asked a question.

"Well enough."

They discussed the dangers of the area and which expedition had been the most dangerous.

What did you think of that thing we got before?

The petite woman pondered for a moment.

"I quite like it; I feel it will be very useful."

"Right, that's what I thought too."

"Um."

After chatting for a while, everyone quieted down.

"Go to sleep, I'm going to sleep now."

The group took turns resting.

The fire wasn't extinguished until morning, and then they set off again to begin their journey home.

Although we encountered some minor incidents along the way, we were generally safe.

A week later, they gradually approached the Small Town.

The captain raised his hand, and a metallic Chimera Ant crawled out.

He reached out and knocked.

"We're coming back with some haul. Remember to send someone to pick us up."

"----No problem, Mr. Kevin is back just in time."

"Mr. Kevin is back too? That's wonderful!"

The captain said with a smile, as if it were a casual chat, and then the call ended.

The teammates smiled, as if they had breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't know why, but with Mr. Kevin around, I feel much more at ease coming home."

"Haha, well, there's nothing I can do about it, Mr. Kevin is quite strong after all."

Slowly, we got closer and closer to the Small Town.

Nana'an paused for a moment, then continued walking forward, as if the brief pause had never happened, and as if no one had noticed.

I saw the stone-paved road and walked on it. In the distance, I saw a few people waiting at the entrance of the Small Town, but Kevin was not there.

"Welcome back. Seeing that you are all safe and sound really puts my mind at ease."

Those who remained in the Small Town were overjoyed to see their teammates return. They hugged each other before entering the Small Town together.

Nothing much has changed; testing, archiving, rest—everything is proceeding smoothly.

Kevin and Melusina walked down the street and just happened to brush past the team members.

Upon seeing Kevin, the team members waited a moment longer, then nodded slightly to Kevin as he arrived, as a sign of respect.

Kevin simply smiled at them.

As they passed each other, Nana'an glanced at Kevin.

"Interesting, I didn't notice any change in that person, nor did they show any malice."

Kevin said to Melusina after they passed each other.

Although all of this looks natural, it is not natural at all in essence.

Kevin had been informed beforehand that one of the members of the returning team might have a problem.

That's right.

Sarah noticed Nana'an the moment she returned from the restroom.

It can only be said that in the Dark Continent, especially in teams exploring the outer regions, vigilance is extremely high.

No way.

If you're not vigilant, you probably won't survive even in Small Town.

Now that we are much stronger, we must remain extremely vigilant once we leave the safe zone of the Small Town.

This is also why they dare not go too far when exploring the outside world.

Such mental tension is extremely exhausting.

Moreover, this vigilance extends beyond the surrounding environment to include one's teammates.

The Dark Continent is far too dangerous, filled with all sorts of bizarre abilities.

Whether it's the reports from the past or the things that some squads have encountered in recent years, this has led to a situation where everyone in each squad is both close and distant, and they each have their own secret codes.

These codes are known only to the individuals involved, hidden within everyday conversations, and are difficult to decipher.

So, around the Bonfire that night, Sarah revealed the secret code she had been using with others. They communicated through these individual codes, which were then cross-checked, confirming that Nana'an might have a problem.

Question.

Yes, that's possible, because they have absolutely no way of knowing for sure.

However, knowing about the existence of the Wearer Ghost and the Spiritual Lifeform, the possibility of being possessed is not low. It is also very possible that the other party can completely immerse themselves in the role of Nana'an without revealing any flaws.

Sarah knew this entirely because he sensed the change in Nana's emotions during that brief moment when Nana'an might be replaced.

"So, was he actually parasitized by an unknown creature?"

Melusina asked, unable to be sure, even though she had just looked at it herself.

However, Kevin shook his head.

"To be honest, I didn't know; I didn't notice. But it's best not to let him wander around the Small Town aimlessly; let Nobu handle it."

Kevin made a decision.

Perhaps we should wait and let them slip up, but there are only so many people in this Small Town.

What if the parasite can reproduce by fission? Wouldn't that be disastrous?

Although, according to the information provided, it may not have reached that stage yet.

But Kevin didn't want to gamble.

Preparations were completed quickly.

Kevin entered Nobu's Four-Dimensional Apartment early and waited quietly.

Outside, Nana'an followed her teammates through a series of procedures before arriving at the restaurant.

After collecting their food, the team members sat down at a round table. As soon as the table was full, the entire table, along with them, vanished from the spot, leaving behind a circular portal on the floor that perfectly enclosed them.

Nobu walked out from a distance, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Well done, you locked them all up in one go."

That's not easy.

Nobu had been in the Dark Continent for a year or two, and his increased strength had also improved his Nen ability.

For example, he can now hide the entrance by concealing it from the original doorway, and then suddenly open it when needed to use it as a trap.

Meanwhile, inside the Four-Dimensional Apartment...

Kevin watched as Nana'an fell from above.

Although it was unexpected, Nana'an landed steadily the moment she fell, looked around, and then looked at Kevin.

"Did I expose myself? I didn't even notice. Humans are such an interesting species."

Nana'an wasn't panicked, and of course, she didn't pretend.

Sure enough, this parasitism allowed the other party to learn about Nana'an's memories and indirectly gain an understanding of the human condition.

How did you figure that out?

Nana'an looked at Kevin with some curiosity and asked.

Kevin just stared at the other person, and to be honest, he couldn't tell at all, even now.

The opponent's concealment is extremely sophisticated; they almost never reveal any weaknesses.

If the person parasitizing the other party doesn't have teammates or vigilant personnel familiar with him in a short period of time, he will definitely be able to move freely in the camp while wearing Nana'an's skin, and who knows what he wants to do.

"So why did you do that? Are you trying to provoke me?"

Kevin simply asked.

He was almost certain that the other person was a Lord.

Of course, there is also a possibility that it is a powerful creature that specializes in parasitism and stealth.

Kevin, however, leans more towards the former, and in this situation, he trusts a part of his instinctive premonition. There's no reason why.

"Don't say that. I understand humans quite well now. I'm just curious, you know? Just curious."

Nana'an gave a suitable smile.

Unlike those who wear human skin, there's no eeriness associated with it; everything is exactly the same as what humans would expect.

This is troublesome.

Is they such a difficult race to deal with?