August 8th was a special day for everyone who had taken part in the colonization voyage.
No one would ever forget it.
It was on this very day last year that they had departed from the Six Continents, crossed the vast ocean, and headed toward the New Continent—though most still believed this was the true Dark Continent.
The survivors had indeed endured a dark and harrowing time here.
To them, this was the kind of danger the Dark Continent represented.
That belief only grew stronger with time.
Human settlements rarely held grand celebrations.
There simply hadn't been anything worth celebrating.
But now, "One Year Since the Start of the Colonization Voyage"—
That was something worth commemorating.
Something that deserved joy.
And remembrance.
All across the New Continent, human settlements lit lanterns, set off fireworks, and burst into celebration.
At present, all known settlements were expanding outward from two central hubs—the coastal fortress and the wreckage of BW1.
Single-story homes had been constructed.
Roads were paved.
A foundation had been laid.
After months of dedicated construction, the communities radiating from the two strongholds had taken shape.
And it was only a matter of time before the separate settlements became one united territory.
Standing on a grassy slope, Germain gazed down at the settlement in front of the coastal fortress.
The streets below were bustling with life.
Vendors lined the main road, shouting their wares as people moved shoulder to shoulder.
The bazaar thrived with color and sound—almost indistinguishable from a small town on the Six Continents.
"Sorry about this."
A calm voice came from behind.
Chairman Netero walked up, hands clasped behind his back, his presence as firm and composed as ever.
"You only got married two days ago, and I'm already calling you back to duty. Can't be very pleasant, right?"
"Not at all." Germain shook his head.
"Shizuku and I understand. This is the situation we're in.There's nothing to be upset about."
"Hahaha... I appreciate the understanding—really, I do."
Netero smiled, but the warmth in his voice faded just slightly.
"I asked you here for two reasons."
Germain already had a rough idea what they might be.
But he said nothing.
He waited patiently, allowing Netero to speak in full.
"The first thing... on the day of your wedding, Admiral Mike called."
"I couldn't answer at the time. When I called back later, no one picked up."
Germain had a feeling this was related to Admiral Mike.
But he didn't expect something this strange.
He was slightly surprised.
"The line was cut off?"
"Seems like it."
Chairman Netero nodded.
"I immediately had Palm start observing him. I'd already asked her to secretly make Admiral Mike one of her targets."
"And then?"
"Palm saw him lying on a stretcher, face pale as death, being carried through a narrow mountain path."
"But there wasn't a single visible wound on his body."
"No external injuries…"
Germain fell silent for a moment, then said,
"That likely means he was hit by a nen ability that causes abnormal states—like poisoning or a curse."
"Most likely."
"My guess is, he called to request help."
"But while he was waiting for me to call back, he was attacked."
"What's the situation at the frontlines now?"
Germain knew Chairman Netero wouldn't have come to him without reason.
He must've already confirmed something serious before showing up.
As expected, Netero replied, "I've asked Palm to keep observing Admiral Mike while trying to contact the frontlines as best we can."
"But all communication has been cut off…"
"It's hard not to assume the enemy had already scouted the situation there."
"Only with that kind of preparation could they cut off all communications."
"Even though the lines are down, Clucks Manipulation-type nen ability, Little Birdies, can still be extremely useful in situations like this."
"After Bird made a round trip to deliver messages, and combining it with Palm's observations, I've got a rough idea of what happened on the front lines."
Chairman Netero spoke quietly.
Germain stood still, listening intently.
Netero walked to the edge of a slope. One foot was planted firmly in the dirt, while the other dangled in the air. Loose stones and dust tumbled down the incline.
"Two nights ago, Admiral Mike and several high-ranking officers fell under a certain 'curse.' They all collapsed into deep sleep and haven't woken up since."
"After that, the magical beasts launched a full-scale counterattack."
Germain immediately grasped the situation.
"This was a premeditated assault. They used the 'curse' to take out the army's leadership, then struck the camp while it was vulnerable."
"That's exactly right," Netero nodded. "Admiral Mike's heavy bombardment strategy didn't crush the beasts' morale. If anything, it brought them together."
"They must've been planning this for some time. The timing was just right, so they acted. And it worked."
"With no one to lead, the frontline troops quickly collapsed. The entire defensive line was shattered into pieces. The army scattered in all directions, and chaos broke out."
Germain asked calmly, "You want me to clean up this mess?"
"Exactly," Netero replied. "These are magical beasts with curse-based Nen abilities. If it were me, I'd investigate first, gather intel, then go for a swift and decisive strike—don't give them the chance to cast their 'curse.'"
"But that would take too long," Germain understood Netero's concern. "Alright. I'll head there and either capture or eliminate the beasts capable of casting curses."
Admiral Mike's aggressive tactics had already offended many of the New Continent's magical beasts. Getting cursed was the price he paid.
Germain's mission wasn't to take command of the broken army. And it wasn't to lead a counterattack.
He was to operate like a special forces unit—strike at the heart of the magical beast army and take down their leaders.
"You can choose your own teammates," Netero added. "But don't be hasty. There's one more thing."
He looked up at the sky. "Look. Perfect timing. It's here."
Germain looked up.
On the horizon where the sea met the sky, a small black dot appeared.
Above that dot, if you looked closely, you could see many tiny specks clustered together.
"This is… a ship and airships?" Germain lifted the brim of his triangular hat to get a clearer view.
"Yes," Chairman Netero explained. "The second wave of reinforcements from V6 has arrived. This time, they sent a massive ship remodeled based on the BW1."
"The ship's deck can hold twenty airships, and inside, it accommodates over fifty thousand soldiers, researchers, and logistics personnel."
Having learned from the problems during BW1's long voyage, later ships never carried as many as two hundred thousand people.
Two hundred thousand people confined on one giant ship for a two-month voyage—just thinking about it was enough to imagine the human tragedies that would unfold.
In reality, even fifty thousand on one ship was already cramped.
"It's named BW2," Chairman Netero continued. "When it got close enough to the new continent last night, we received its signal and established contact."
"Once those fifty thousand land, I'll negotiate with their commanders to explain the frontline situation and persuade them to join us in regrouping the remaining forces."
"If the negotiations succeed, you and your team will set out ahead of us to carry out your mission, while I lead the main army forward slowly."
"Our goal is to patch up the hole caused by Admiral Mike as best as we can."
"Of course, if you get a chance to rescue that foolish Admiral Mike, do so—though it might already be too late."
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