"Thank goodness these creatures are confined outside the Mobius Lake. Otherwise, where would human civilization be now?" Daniel sighed deeply as he watched a golden bird, nearly a kilometer in length, streak across the sky.
The colossal sea creatures could at least be fended off with technology, but the flying beasts were a different story. With the current level of technology in the Hunter world, fighting such creatures would be nearly impossible.
These golden birds weren't the only massive entities in the sky. While most were several hundred meters in size, that was still more than enough. Their flight speed rivaled the fastest aircraft of the Hunter world and even surpassed the capabilities of Daniel's Mark series armor in some cases.
"Fortunately, the Kakin Empire is only exploring the Hypothetical Continent. If it were the real Dark Continent, V5 would probably stop at nothing to wipe them out." The terrifying scene they had just witnessed made Daniel ponder what even greater dangers awaited on the Dark Continent. This was not a place where victory could be achieved by numbers alone.
"Netero's decision to prohibit exploration of the Dark Continent wasn't unreasonable, but you can't say that Ging was wrong either." Netero, Ging, and Beyond each had different philosophies, none of which were necessarily right or wrong—just different.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Standing on the deck of the ship, the Hunters from the Association were all stunned by the sight of the sea and sky. Even though they were Nen users, some of the most powerful people alive, the sheer scale of the creatures left them speechless.
"Ging, I thought you weren't with the Hunter Association anymore. Shouldn't you be with Beyond and his group?" Kite's expression tightened as Ging casually walked up to them.
"No need to frown like that—it'll give you wrinkles," Ging joked, grinning mischievously.
Three ships were traveling toward the Dark Continent. The first belonged to Beyond's group, the second carried V6 officials, and the last housed the Hunter Association.
Ging had originally been on the first ship with Beyond, but soon after they set sail, he transferred to the Hunter Association's ship.
"You—" Kite was about to explode with frustration, but Netero waved her down, stopping her from losing her temper.
"So, Chairman, about that contract you made… We're in serious trouble this time," Ging said, his face uncharacteristically serious as he turned to Netero.
"How many do you think will make it back?" Before Netero could respond, Ging glanced at the excited Hunters, who were brimming with the thrill of adventure after seeing the marvels of the Dark Continent.
Hunters were driven by their adventurous spirits. Before witnessing the true horrors of the Dark Continent, most of them were overconfident—just as they had been when facing the Chimera Ants. Who could have anticipated the overwhelming strength of the Chimera Ant King Meruem and his Royal Guards? And yet, the fearsome Meruem was but a minor player compared to what lay on the Dark Continent.
"As Hunters, we've all prepared ourselves for the risks," Kite spoke before Netero could answer.
"You know that's not what I mean." Ging didn't even glance at Kite, keeping his eyes locked on Netero. When it came to understanding the Dark Continent, Ging was just as knowledgeable as those who had actually been there, like Netero and Beyond. He had spent years studying the ancient ruins and relics that held clues to the continent.
Venturing into the Dark Continent was possible, but historically, the expeditions that had survived were small in number. When Netero led his own expedition, there had been fewer than ten members.
Beyond's original team was around twenty members—individuals he had carefully selected for their unique abilities. These twenty were supposed to ensure survival, but due to the V5's involvement, the team had grown to over a hundred members, nearly five times the original number.
The Hunter Association, including the Zodiac Twelve and other core members, had a total of fifty-five people on board.
But V6's contingent dwarfed them all, with over four hundred officials—far more than Beyond's group and the Hunter Association combined.
Ging's point was simple. Without the contract between Netero and Beyond, Beyond would have taken a small group of about twenty people to sneak into the Dark Continent. The guides didn't care whether humans entered the Dark Continent officially or unofficially.
But the agreement Netero made led to the Kakin Empire becoming involved, which turned the exploration of the Dark Continent into a public, sanctioned mission. This emboldened the V5 leaders to fully commit to the journey, despite years of hesitation and debate over the risks posed by the five great calamities.
"What difference does it make?" Netero asked softly in response to Ging's questions.
"It doesn't. Beyond really is your son—you two are exactly the same." Ging left the conversation with that remark, walking away.
"Is the guide like Sea-Prism Stone?" While others marveled at the expansive sea and sky, Daniel remained focused on the guide. The guide had been onboard the V5 ship since the journey began, silently remaining below deck, indifferent to the attention of the others.
This one route to the Dark Continent had long been known, and the guide's actions made Daniel think of the Sea-Prism Stone from the One Piece world. Just as sea-stone allowed Navy ships to pass safely through the Calm Belt, the presence of the guide ensured their safe journey to the Dark Continent.
"It really is similar to the Calm Belt," Robin whispered as she stood beside Daniel. Even Ada nodded in agreement. Both had spent time in the One Piece world and were no strangers to enormous Sea Kings.
Compared to the other Hunters, the two of them were far calmer. After all, in the One Piece world, they were used to seeing gigantic Sea Kings, and they had even eaten them as food.
"But this place is much larger than the Calm Belt," Daniel remarked. The Calm Belt was already vast, but it paled in comparison to this region. What's more, they weren't even technically on the ocean—they were sailing on Mobius Lake, an inland lake of incomprehensible size.
The difference between lakes and seas was typically vast, but this lake defied all conventional understanding. The size of the lake was so immense that it made one wonder just how large the oceans of the Hunter world truly were.
Good thing I'm not a geographer, or I'd probably go insane, Daniel mused to himself.
Thanks to the guide's presence, the journey proceeded relatively smoothly, apart from a few dangerous storms. Whether they encountered sea creatures or airborne threats, the guide ensured their safety. As for the storms, the top-tier Nen users onboard, including those with water-related abilities, managed to mitigate the damage.
"This is insane. These trees alone could make someone rich just by selling the lumber!" As they approached the Dark Continent, the group began to see the landscape clearly. The first thing that struck them were the towering trees, some over a hundred meters tall.
In the One Piece world, there were also massive trees, such as the Sun Tree Eve, which extended from the ocean's depths to the heights of the Red Line. The combination of Fishman Island and the Red Line made the tree over 20,000 meters tall. However, that was just one tree, and even the peculiar Yarukiman Mangroves of Sabaody Archipelago were relatively few in number.
Here, the towering hundred-meter trees formed an entire forest. There were even trees far exceeding that height.
"I wonder how tall the World Tree on the Dark Continent is. It's probably taller than the Sun Tree Eve," Daniel speculated. After all, even a sapling of the World Tree on the Six Continents was over a thousand meters tall. Who could imagine the size of the fully grown tree?
"Is Beyond trying to get ahead of everyone?" As soon as they reached the shore, Beyond's team of over twenty people immediately vanished into the forest, not even waiting for everyone to disembark.
At the same time, Netero and several members of the Zodiac Twelve quickly gave chase.
"He's trying to avoid Netero, huh?" Daniel instantly understood why Beyond was so eager to leave. Beyond had come to explore, not to fight Netero. If Netero and the Hunter Association caught up with him, Beyond's team might be able to hold their own, but any casualties would seriously jeopardize their exploration of the Dark Continent.
By leaving immediately, Beyond avoided confrontation with Netero.
"Kite, I'll be seeing you. Hopefully, we'll meet again." As Kite was busy organizing the Hunter Association's team, Ging waved at her before leaving with a small group.
"That's Ging's team? They sure kept a low profile. I didn't notice them before," Daniel mused as he watched Ging leave with three companions. He hadn't seen these people before, but that wasn't surprising.
Just as Beyond had spent years preparing his team for this expedition, Ging had done the same. In the Hunter world, companions were essential. Even Netero had relied on strong companions during his early explorations.
Of course, whether Ging had only four people or more was uncertain. Just like Beyond's group, there could be additional members hiding in special spaces created by Nen users.
Space-related Nen abilities were incredibly valuable during the Dark Continent expedition. They were second only to ancient scholars in terms of importance. Space users were crucial for logistics, storing supplies, modern equipment, weapons, and providing safe zones in case of danger.
"What's V5 doing? We've come this far, so why not cooperate with Netero and Beyond?" Daniel
couldn't help but shake his head at the situation. If V5 didn't want Netero exploring the Dark Continent, they could have easily teamed up with the Hunter Association to take out Beyond's group first. Instead, it seemed like V5 was focused on their own preparations, paying little attention to the others.
Meanwhile, the people Beyond had left behind were getting ready to act as well. Many of them were former members of the Hunter Association, and they weren't about to pass up the chance to explore the Dark Continent.
"Enemy on the sea!" Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and the V5's Nen users sprang into action. Most of them had conjuration-type or cooperative Nen abilities, and soon the sounds of guns, rockets, and even tanks filled the air.
A horde of hideous, green-skinned creatures with sharp claws and bulging eyes began to rise from the ocean.
"Fish-men?" Daniel immediately thought of the Fishmen from One Piece. "But these guys are hideous. Compared to them, the Fishmen from Fishman Island look downright cute."
The Fishmen roared as they charged toward the shore, baring their fangs.
"Open fire!" The V5 Nen users responded swiftly, unleashing a barrage of Nen bullets, rockets, and cannon fire. The sea quickly turned a murky green as the creatures' blood spilled into the water, filling the air with a nauseating stench.
The V5's abilities were well-suited for this type of battle, especially when compared to the Hunters, who had fewer long-range Nen users.
The Fishmen soon retaliated, hurling massive bone spears toward the shore. Their strength was terrifying, and several Nen users were impaled by the projectiles.
In the end, after losing nearly ten men, the V5 managed to drive the creatures back, leaving the sea littered with their bodies.
"This has never happened before. It seems this isn't a suitable place to set up camp." The unexpected Fishman attack forced the V5, Beyond's group, and the Hunter Association to sit down for negotiations.
Not everyone in these groups was here to explore the Dark Continent. Some were responsible for setting up camps, as this was meant to be a long-term mission. The Dark Continent was simply too vast, and previous expeditions had failed in part due to poor logistics.
Food, medical supplies, and psychological support were all critical to the success of the expedition.
The V5 had spent years preparing for this and were far more organized in these aspects than even the Hunter Association.
Although Daniel had previously thought cooperation with Beyond was the best solution, he now realized the distinction between the two groups. The V5's approach was more akin to archaeology, while Beyond's methods were more like tomb raiding.
While the V5 had their own interests in the Dark Continent, they would tread more carefully compared to Beyond, whose reckless explorations had already caused one of the five great calamities.
Who knew what other horrors Beyond might unleash?
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