The Hunter Association's people were not the only ones who sensed that virus-like erosion of their souls.
Not long after leaving the Ancient City, everyone who had entered it sensed that peculiar feeling.
No, it was not just the people. Even the Hundred Ghosts that had escaped the city sensed the same unusual condition.
The countdown to their deaths seemed to have begun the moment they left the Ancient City.
Herb was the first thing that came to everyone's mind.
But obtaining Herb was no simple matter.
Some knew of the ancient people's existence and began searching the Dark Continent for traces of them.
Some chose to return to the Ancient City to try their luck.
The last group simply chose to ignore the countdown and acted even more recklessly on the Dark Continent.
Among the humans, the third choice was the most common.
After all, they had already prepared themselves for death when they ventured into the Dark Continent.
Besides, judging by the rate of erosion, it would take at least several years, perhaps even around ten, to kill them.
No one could say what might happen in that time. But compared with returning to the Ancient City to face the frenzied Wood Wraiths, exploring this Dark Continent full of dangers and opportunities was the choice they believed offered a better chance of survival.
Beyond stood atop a high mountain and gazed into the distance. From there, he could see an enormous lake in the distance, as well as the roots farther away and the pitch-black opening beneath them.
The Forest Sea was also within his field of view, allowing Beyond to determine his current location with ease.
He was in the western Dark Continent, where those monsters they had seen earlier lived-the ones whose tongues could unfurl into