The eerie ferry ghost ship surfaced from the water as daylight fully broke, and the faint outline of the coastline gradually revealed itself.
They were nearing their destination.
The captain, crew, and passengers began to gather on the damp deck—some gazing up at the bright blue sky above the fluttering flag, others staring into the distance where the sea met the sky.
With the sea breeze brushing against their faces, a sense of relief washed over everyone.
Anyone would feel the strain after spending over two months at sea.
And yet, in that short time, Ging had already gotten along famously with the oddly-shaped, octopus-headed captain.
He always had a knack for connecting with strangers to achieve his goals. This time, his goal was to gather information about the underwater city they had glimpsed the night before.
Ging was deeply intrigued by the enormous city buried beneath the ocean. He could barely restrain himself from diving in to explore it right away.
"Ah..." The captain took a puff from his pipe, his slick, waxy yellow lips squirming. "What you saw last night was The Dwelling of the Gods."
The captain didn't need to say much—Ging instantly understood.
"The Dwelling of the Gods... So, have you ever set foot on it?"
"You mean to ask whether you humans have a safe way to set foot on The Dwelling of the Gods, don't you?" Smoke drifted from the holes in the captain's tentacled head as he smiled and pointed his pipe at Ging.
Ging wasn't the least bit flustered at being seen through. In fact, he had intended for that to happen.
"As expected, nothing escapes you. So, is there a way?"
Germain and Morel, listening nearby, turned their attention to the conversation.
"You might as well give up on that dream," the captain said bluntly. "The pressure at the seafloor is just the first problem you'd face. As far as I know, the only one who can freely enter and leave The Dwelling of the Gods... is the Gatekeeper."
Ging lowered his eyes and nodded, understanding.
"So only those who are recognized can enter… I get it. We won't try to push our luck. No one wants to throw their lives away."
"Good to hear. The ship will be docking soon—get yourselves ready."
The captain was not exaggerating. Shortly after the ferry ghost ship passed through the near sea inhabited by a gigantic sea serpent and a black cylindrical sea beast resembling a Sea Monk, it arrived at the shores of the Dark Continent.
That seemingly distant journey was nothing compared to the mysterious speed of the ferry ghost ship.
After the exploration team members landed on the shore, each person reacted differently—some excited, some nervous, some calm—as they looked around.
Just like last time, the captain gave Germain an empty conch shell, then sank together with his ferry ghost ship beneath the waves, leaving only white foam on the water's surface.
Cheadle, the Vice President of the Hunter Association, adjusted her glasses and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"The journey ahead will be long, and anything can happen. Our next camp will be in the forest sea ahead. Please act carefully and don't leave the group."
Through several large-scale exercises following Germain, she clearly understood that more members in the exploration team wasn't always better.
The biggest problem with the current 200-person team was management.
They were not puppets controlled by strings, but independent individuals.
Once gathered together, everyone's thoughts would collide, producing self-righteous "idea kings." If not careful, the whole system would become chaotic.
After listing a few key points, Cheadle handed the stage to someone else.
"Now, let's welcome the official from the International Permit Agency—Mr. Steiner—to speak."
Steiner stood before everyone, looking slightly uneasy. He made a few polite remarks, then spoke from the heart.
"I believe that none of you came here to waste time, sailing more than two months at sea and risking your lives to reach this Dark Continent. You all want to achieve something here."
"In fact, like you, I carry the responsibility of observing and evaluating the entire exploration journey."
He then gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Actually, I'm just hiding behind all of you—especially behind Mr. Germain, the professional Hunters from the Hunter Association, and all the soldiers."
Everyone chuckled softly.
At the same time, they began to feel a bit more fondness for this approachable officer.
"I will do my best not to interfere with your normal work. Mr. Germain often says, 'Leave professional matters to the professionals.' That will also be my guiding principle."
"Now, let's invite Mr. Germain to speak… Oh, he's waving at me, so it seems he has nothing to add. Then, I wish everyone a smooth journey on this expedition."
Everyone cooperatively applauded.
However, after the exploration team quietly advanced for just over a kilometer, some members of the group began to feel unwell.
After diagnosing them, Sanbica gave the answer in a gentle voice.
"The aura of Nen here is too dense…"
Everyone quickly understood what she meant.
Nen contains life energy (aura), and the aura on the Dark Continent is far denser than in the inner sea region of Mobius Lake.
For those of them who are Nen users, this is no problem.
They have mastered the proper way to breathe aura, so coming to the Dark Continent will only benefit their bodies.
But for ordinary people, especially those with average physical condition, suddenly sensing such an overwhelming amount of life energy can cause discomfort—similar to altitude sickness.
"They should recover soon," Cheadle made her judgment.
"Also, perhaps some of them might be forced to open their aura nodes because of this, which could become the prerequisite for learning Nen."
Cheadle's prediction might come true—or it might never happen.
It would require a long period of observation.
But most professional Hunters supported her opinion.
Being passively immersed in a world overflowing with indescribable life energy, it would likely only take one catalyst—one they might not even notice—for someone to open their aura nodes and let Nen flow.
Those members who were feeling unwell entered Knov's "Four-Dimensional Apartment" to rest for a while. The others continued moving forward.
Besides that, nearly half of the members inside the "Four-Dimensional Apartment" were resting. They planned to rotate shifts later with the members currently out walking.
Meanwhile, the members outside had already started their work.
The "Botanical Hunter," Cluck.
The "Poison Hunter," Gel.
The "Virus Hunter," Sanbica.
The "Gourmet Hunter," Menchi.
The "Beast Hunter," Knuckle.
The "Unidentified Beast Hunter," Shoot.
The "Beast Hunter," Kite.
Each group went off on their own, collecting and studying the strange creatures of the Dark Continent that caught their interest.
Steiner was busy writing and drawing in his notebook, occasionally taking photos with his camera — this was his job.
Most eye-catching were the giant beasts as huge as small mountains.
Some flew through the sky, some burrowed underground, some moved swiftly, others slowly — all kinds of bizarre and varied creatures.
There were also towering plants, roaring rivers, brightly colored mushrooms, and bacteria so tiny they were nearly invisible to the naked eye…
All of these elements formed the wondrous and magnificent stage of the Dark Continent.
Just as Chairman Netero had described it — "Everything here is simply enormous."
Before long, they arrived at the forest sea mentioned at the coastal mobilization meeting. This would be their first campsite on the Dark Continent.
The date was January 17, 2001, at 2:56 PM.
*******
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