Landing on the Black Shore: A Frenzied Assault by Lesser Beasts

The Exploration Ship slowly docked at the edge of the Dark Continent. No crisp crash of waves, no cries of seabirds-only dead silence and oppressive gloom shrouded the entire coast. The beach here was black as ink, its sand mixed with eerie dark red crystals. Stepping onto it sent a bone-chilling cold surging through the soles of one's feet and into the body, making even the flow of nen more sluggish. The coastal reefs bristled with vicious spikes, stained with long-dried black-red blood-the traces of countless battles between explorers and strange beasts. "Everyone off the ship. Form up and enter Zetsu. Don't expose your nen aura." Lin Ye was the first to jump ashore. As his feet touched the black sand, his Observation Haki spread out instantly, covering the entire coast. He could sense countless savage nen fluctuations lurking in the Black Thorn Forest beyond the shore. Each matched a chimera ant Captain, and several had already reached Squadron Leader level. Fifty elite Hunters disembarked in orderly fashion. Three Zoldyck Family Assassins spread out along the team's flanks, their auras deathly still as they kept watch like ghosts; Killua held Gon firmly, wrapping him in a thin layer of his Electric Current Nen to ward off the chill of the black sand; Kite held his Nen Spear, Morel formed a smoke barrier, and Knov deployed his spatial nen, the three creating a triangular defensive formation around the team's core. "There are even more beasts here than we expected," Kite said quietly, the tip of his Nen Spear trembling slightly. "The Black Thorn Forest is a trial ground on the outskirts of the Dark Continent. Every beast inside carries Corrupted Nen. If you're hit, your Nen Channels will be permanently eroded." Knov nodded and added, "My spatial teleportation is severely restricted