Ging closed the "original," and the red glow faded quickly. Then, in a curious tone, he asked:
"What really makes me curious now is how you all managed to get here—and even defeat the boss monster of this place—relying on just an incomplete 'fragment.'"
"I thought the intel I left behind had helped you... but now it seems that wasn't entirely the case."
"So how exactly did you do it?"
Germain didn't answer Don's question right away.
Instead, he used telepathy to speak with Ging, Bisky, and Shizuku beside him.
They quickly came to an agreement, and Germain continued the conversation with Don.
"We all want answers from each other," he said. "So, why don't we just trade information?"
The black-robed man hidden in the shadows went silent again.
But soon, he replied, "Alright. Let's go with that."
"You all answer my first question first, then — 'How exactly did you do it?'"
"To be honest, it was more of a step-by-step process," Germain explained.
"We first went through the 'Ancient Labyrinth,' the 'Wasteleand,' and the 'Steep Mountain Range.'"
"We dealt with the 'Botanical Weapon,' the 'Immortality Disease,' and the 'Human-Keeping Beast,' and in return, we obtained the 'Herb for All-illnesses,' the 'Alchemy Plant,' and the 'Unmanned Rock.'"
"After overcoming those 'Disasters' and gaining those 'Hopes,' we made our way here — to the 'Rainforest Swamp,' where the 'Twin-Tailed Snake' and the 'Longevity Food' are found."
Don listened carefully, slightly surprised as he did.
Everything they mentioned — these 'Hopes and Disasters' — had been recorded in his New World Chronicles: East Edition.
He himself had traveled the entire coastline route countless times over the past three centuries.
So much so that he could walk it in his sleep.
But that didn't mean the path was easy.
Back in his pioneering days, he had narrowly escaped death countless times.
It wasn't until one day, after a sudden epiphany and a rise in strength, that the journey became even slightly easier.
Over these three hundred years, he had come across many corpses of humans who came from the Six Continents to explore the Dark Continent.
All of them had died in horrific ways.
Some left no remains. Others… were left in fates worse than death.
Don would often show mercy to the latter.
Little by little, he began to feel disappointed in humanity from the Six Continents.
With the information in hand, for over three hundred years, the Six Continents had yet to produce another like him. This was, without a doubt, a failure.
Perhaps the overly comfortable life had caused humans—once top-tier predators in the wild—to gradually regress.
And in recent years, due to certain terrifying encounters, Don's mentality had undergone a drastic change compared to before.
Therefore, he no longer expected any human compatriots to visit the Dark Continent.
But today, he unexpectedly encountered a group of people who, against all odds, had made their way here, overcoming various challenges. This left him both surprised and impressed.
Especially the man he was conversing with, whose Nen, though restrained, secretly made Don feel alarmed.
Don lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said: "I only had time to see the corpses of the two 'giant snakes.' I didn't see the process of your battle."
"However, it's certain that you've defeated the 'disaster.'"
"If you can defeat the 'disaster' here, then I wouldn't be surprised if you also manage to defeat the 'disasters' in the other three 'regions.'"
Don seemed to be thinking about something. After a long pause, he added:
"So, that means you haven't been to the area of the 'Mist Creatures Ai and Trinity Elixir,' right?"
"Correct." Germain replied.
"Good." Don sighed lightly and said, "Don't go there, at least not for now… it's extremely unstable. If you're not careful, you might catch the 'curse.'"
Germain's interest was piqued by the word "curse."
At the same time, Ging and Bisky were also intrigued by this during their 'mental exchange,' hoping Germain would inquire further.
So, Germain asked: "Don, now it's your turn to answer our questions."
Don smiled faintly under his black cloak and said, "Since you're willing to call me 'Don,' it seems you're starting to believe in my identity."
"Alright, tell me your questions. I will answer whatever I can. For some questions, if I don't know or can't answer, I'll ask you to change it."
Germain voiced the common questions shared by the group.
"I knew it, you'd be interested in 'curses'," Don paused for a moment, his gloved fingers tapping on the cover of an ancient book a few times, before speaking.
"If it were any ordinary exploration team, I would never reveal this to them... But you're different. The fact that you've made it this far already proves your uniqueness."
"I am willing to share this 'knowledge' with you. To discuss 'curses', I first need to introduce the concept of 'demigods'."
"Demigods?!"
Germain couldn't help but glance at Ging, Bisky, and Shizuku, exchanging uncertain looks and wondering what this meant.
At that moment, Don suddenly pointed at Germain and said:
"Actually, ever since a while ago, I've been sensing a familiar 'aura.' It's a bit unbelievable, but... What's your name?"
Germain hesitated for a moment but still answered, "Germain."
"Germain." Don lowered his finger and asked seriously, "Can you hear the 'thoughts' of people around you? And can you gain 'knowledge' from the things around you?"
This time, Germain didn't hesitate. He directly answered, "Yes."
"I see." Don, hidden under his hood, brightened up, "I didn't expect that someone as young as you has become one of 'us'. It seems you are also one of the 'chosen ones'."
Ging, upon hearing this, was slightly shocked.
"In a certain era, in a certain region, some 'chosen ones' left behind records of their experiences in the relics..."
Ging always felt that the phrase "chosen ones" had a deep meaning, so he quietly kept it in mind. He never expected to hear it again from Don today.
"You must be curious, what exactly are 'chosen ones,' right?" Don said, reading everyone's thoughts, and laughed. "Actually, it's quite simple. It refers to those 'chosen by the gods.'"
"And when I talk about 'gods,' I mean the one true 'god,' as well as the four 'demigods.'"
Don's voice gradually lowered without him noticing, as though he feared being overheard.
"As far as I know, the four 'demigods,' in the order they were born, are 'Darkness,' 'Flesh and Blood,' 'Deep Sea,' and 'Curse of Resentment.'"
Then, he raised a finger and pointed to the gray sky, at the waning moon. It had an inexplicable coldness and a faded appearance.
"And the one true 'god' refers to the one who chose the four 'demigods'—'Blood Moon.'"
At this point, everyone couldn't help but hold their breath. This "knowledge" was completely new to them, and they felt both curious and heavy in their hearts.
Germain, on the other hand, had the feeling of a stone finally hitting the ground.
The door to the new world, which had always existed but had been overlooked by them, had truly opened before them.
Don continued:
"The 'demigods' are, without a doubt, far more powerful than us 'chosen ones,' and the 'true god' is above them..."
"As far as I know, except for 'Curse of Resentment,' who has already fallen, the 'demigods' each occupy their own 'regions,' dividing most of the Dark Continent among themselves."
Don's tone became gradually more somber, like a crocodile slowly sinking into cold lake water.
"If you're like me and rashly enter their domains, even accidentally coming into direct or indirect contact with a 'demigod,' there's a high chance you'll be infected by their 'curse.'"
At this point, Don stood up and walked into the moonlight, finally removing his black hood.
Under the eerie pale moonlight, a grotesque, twisted face emerged. It was completely bald, with only red, unnaturally swollen muscles, twisted into an irregular shape like dough.
The face seemed like that of a leper, with features all squished together. It looked as if it had been burned, with no skin remaining.
The only thing that could be considered normal were his eyes.
This face, revealed under the moonlight, was truly shocking. The onlookers were left speechless for a while.
"It's called 'The Curse of Flesh and Blood,'" Don said, sweeping his hands across, pulling the hood back over the hideous face.
This time, no one would wonder why he hid his face and body.
*******
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