They Went into the Sea Themselves

After Gisa said "contamination," no one on deck spoke.

Milluki's fingers were still resting on his terminal. The screen was lit, but he did not keep scrolling.

Captain Nishimatsu took the unlit pipe from his mouth and glanced back at the sea beyond the rail.

Several crewmen had been standing at the back listening to the news. Now, they all edged toward the middle, as if getting farther from the railing would make them safer.

Bai Zhu was not smiling either.

Those two words were more troublesome than "monster," "sea beast," or "Nen Ability user."

Monsters could be avoided.

Nen Ability users could be fought.

But contamination sounded like something that could get you before you even knew it had happened.

Morel set his pipe on the table.

"Explain."

Gisa did not keep them in suspense. He immediately took a report from the metal case.

The document was sealed in a bag, with both the Voyage Bureau and Hunter Association seals affixed to the closure.

He spread the report out and pushed it to the center of the table.

"This is the mucus sample Mr. Morel sent back three days ago. The Association branch conducted an emergency analysis, and the Voyage Bureau also pulled relevant records."

Milluki immediately leaned closer.

Bai Zhu stepped closer as well.

The report was filled with technical terms. Bai Zhu got a headache after skimming two lines.

He decided to leave professional matters to professionals.

Milluki read quickly, and his expression grew stiffer the farther he got.

"Not venom?"

Gisa nodded.

"No."

"Not some kind of sea beast secretion either?"

"Not tissue from a single organism."

Milluki looked up.

"Then what is it?"

Gisa tapped a line in the middle of the report.

"A colony of highly active microscopic parasites."

One of the crewmen cursed