A few days later, a small group of 23 people led by Oboro officially set off for the Dark Continent.
The route they chose was the same one the Ochima Federation had explored years ago straight from the northernmost point of the human continent to the top of the island in the lake.
According to the maps, the lake housing the human world was elliptical. Traveling east to west would cover the longest distance and take the most time. The north-south route should be relatively shorter, but also far more dangerous. This explained why previous expeditions to the Dark Continent, especially those led by Netero and Beyond, had avoided this particular path.
Their team consisted of Oboro's six core members, plus seventeen others who weren't affiliated with the Hunter Association. Five were elite Nen users the strongest fighters V5 had selected from their military forces. The remaining twelve were experts in various fields, all bound by contracts with V5. Some had eagerly volunteered for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, while others had struck deals with the organization.
Within this expedition, Oboro held absolute authority. He'd initially wanted a smaller team, but understanding V5's concerns, he reluctantly accepted the additional members.
Their vessel wasn't particularly large designed to accommodate about a hundred people but it represented the pinnacle of human engineering. The medium-sized ship boasted cutting-edge technology and a remarkable array of specialized functions.
Before departing, Oboro had meticulously handled all necessary preparations. The expedition maintained absolute secrecy; even the mid-level and senior management of both the Hunter Association and the Fells Family remained unaware of their departure time and location. As a result, no one had come to see them off.
It was on a clear, sunny morning that they left the human world behind.
After boarding, Oboro briefly acquainted himself with the other expedition members. He didn't need to outline the rules for their arrival in the Dark Continent V5 had already thoroughly "trained" and "informed" everyone selected for the journey.
At their vessel's speed, the voyage from the lake island to the Dark Continent would take several months. They planned to stop at islands along the route to replenish supplies. Ever since Oboro had announced his leadership of the expedition, V5 had begun deploying resources to support their journey, establishing a small base on the isolated island closest to the Dark Continent as a transit point.
These logistics required no concern from Oboro humanity's collective power was manifesting itself in full force through these preparations.
Life aboard the ship proved uneventful. Some members displayed excitement when first setting sail, but as they drew closer to the Dark Continent, their enthusiasm gradually gave way to apprehension. Everyone could clearly sense the shifting circumstances.
Meanwhile, Oboro's mind constantly filtered through the limited information he possessed. Current human understanding of the Dark Continent remained severely restricted. All he had were vague memories from his previous life simple illustrations from anime and manga that mentioned the Dark Continent. This constituted the entirety of his knowledge.
"According to Netero's report to V5 and Beyond's diary, danger and opportunity exist in perfect balance within the Dark Continent," Oboro mused. "Dangers manifest as disasters, while opportunities represent some form of 'hope' or resources beneficial to humanity. It has always been this way."
The following day, Oboro stood alone on the bow deck, leaning against the railing as he gazed at the sparkling sea, his thick eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Despite having reached the pinnacle of human potential with abilities nearly as powerful as a natural disaster, he felt a profound weight in his chest as they journeyed toward the Dark Continent.
The feeling resembled that of training a character to maximum level, only to suddenly find yourself starting over in the novice village.
"Team leader."
Anthony's relaxed voice broke through Oboro's contemplation as Menchi and their five companions joined him on deck. Anthony remained the outlier of the group, eating and drinking without care. In his words, although ship life was boring, these might be their last comfortable moments, so they should naturally enjoy them.
"Moweis just informed me that we'll enter unknown waters in about a month," Menchi said.
The unknown waters were regions closer to the Dark Continent areas humans had never explored.
"In a few days, we'll reach the last isolated island to resupply," Oboro responded after a moment of thought. "From that point until we make landfall, we'll be entirely on our own."
"Understood."
Oboro nodded, then added, "Remember, once we enter unknown waters, you cannot lower your guard for even a second. Although human forces easily reached land on this route without encountering danger years ago, circumstances may have changed. The most recent expedition was conducted by Netero and Beyond, but they followed a different route. Our path remains highly uncertain."
"Clear."
One month later, Oboro's ship had completely separated from the human world as they entered unknown waters. From this moment, everyone aboard remained in a state of high alertness. They had arrived in proximity to the Dark Continent though called a sea, it was technically a vast lake.
"It seems nothing has changed" Gabwich muttered, pressing against the glass in the cabin as he stared at the blue expanse outside. If not for the coordinates displayed on their instruments, it would feel like sailing near the human continent.
Since entering these waters, Gabwich had extended his Nen ability to include everyone on board. If anything unusual was detected, the news could spread instantly among the team.
"Something's wrong!"
The alarm came suddenly, barely half an hour later. Within thirty seconds, everyone had assembled on deck. According to their established protocol, team members patrolled the bow and stern around the clock, maintaining vigilance against potential threats.
The person who had raised the alarm pointed toward the distant waters. Everyone's expressions grew solemn at the sight.
"The color of the seawater it's changed," someone whispered.
Under the sunlight, the surrounding water appeared sky blue, with greenish tints closer to the ship. But beyond their visual range, everything had turned pitch black, as though severely polluted.
"Radar shows no anomalies," one of the companions reported.
All eyes turned to Oboro, who stood silently in their midst. He focused his senses but detected no hostile Aura.
"Increase speed and proceed forward," he ordered.
"Yes."
Fifteen minutes later, the accelerating ship entered the Black Sea. Oboro first instructed everyone to maintain maximum alertness while confirming no immediate danger existed. Then a scientist aboard, wearing protective gear, extracted seawater samples for testing. Though their vessel wasn't large, its facilities were comprehensive, including a fully-equipped laboratory.
Minutes later, the scientist's voice erupted through their Nen-based group communication: "Leader, this is an energy liquid!"
'Energy liquid?' Oboro's mind raced.
The scientist continued with further explanation.
It was similar to oil, but significantly more potent. What astounded everyone was the sheer scale the entire sea area potentially consisted of this energy substance. The wealth this represented was incalculable.
They hadn't even reached the Dark Continent yet, and they'd already made a monumental discovery. Oboro's heart skipped a beat as realization dawned.
'I understand now something has happened!'
Hope and disaster truly walked hand in hand. Something lurked nearby.
"Combat alert, everyone," Oboro commanded immediately. "We may have been targeted."
"Captain, our ship has slowed dramatically," came another report. "This energy-saturated seawater has severely reduced our maneuverability, and the concentration continues to increase. If we proceed further, we risk losing power completely and becoming stranded."
The news sent a chill through the entire crew. The consequences of being anchored in this deserted sea were obvious even without immediate danger, they would eventually starve.
"Change course," Oboro decided without hesitation.
"Yes!"
They could still escape now, but continuing forward would be suicidal. However, after sailing for an entire day and night, they remained trapped within the Black Sea. Worse still, the ocean currents had mysteriously shifted, making retreat increasingly difficult. It seemed their only option was to press onward.
"Just as I suspected it was never going to be simple," Oboro thought grimly.
Simply discovering this energy source would have made them heroes to humanity. All they needed was to return safely it should have been straightforward.
But reality proved harsher. The moment they contacted "hope," disaster had already arrived. This was precisely why almost no one returned alive from the Dark Continent.
Most troubling of all, they hadn't even reached the Dark Continent yet!
The route Oboro had chosen was one of V5's oldest paths, unused for years. He'd selected it specifically because it followed Don Freecss's footsteps. Too much time had passed since the Ochima Federation's army last ventured this way.
What Oboro had feared most had finally come to pass. Yet this also confirmed they were indeed very close to the Dark Continent.