In a place like the Dark Continent, compared to the various Hopes that could benefit humanity, there are many phenomena and things that can be called Calamities.
One might encounter a new Calamity with every step they took.
But on the other hand, it is also possible to encounter a Hope.
So sometimes, it wasn't necessary to face a Calamity first before finding a Hope.
It was just that the chances of encountering a Calamity were far higher than those of finding a Hope.
That was why, during Moses's team's exploration of the Dark Continent, they had encountered numerous Calamities, but only obtained a single Hope.
It was simply a matter of probability.
Therefore, sometimes, without encountering any Calamity, one can encounter those Hopes that are usually impossible to obtain.
And that voice that had inexplicably echoed in his mind was a Hope known as [Desire Force].
It was like a Wish-Granting Machine that demanded no price, and it is capable of fulfilling the desires of any living being without limit.
In other words -
The ancient labyrinth city was not an illusion, and the herb Moses had brought back was not an illusion either.
Everything he had seen and touched is real.
[Desire Force] had sent Moses to the ancient labyrinth city, then used some kind of power to let him effortlessly obtain the Herb for All-illnesses he desired.
And in the end, it had directly transported him and his teammates back to the open cave where the Purple Smoke was anchored.
After Moses digested this information, his emotions turned complicated.
'If what I had been thinking about day and night during this period was returning to the Six Continents instead of returning to this open-air cave where the Purple Smoke was docked, would this inexplicable [Desire Force] send us directly back to the Six Continents?'
In addition to the truth about [Desire Force], the information also contained the origins of Hopes and Calamities.
As for why this information had appeared, it was likely due to curiosity.
Even if Moses himself wasn't particularly interested in the Dark Continent, he still couldn't help but wonder about the bizarre nature of its Hopes and Calamities.
In the final analysis-
The emergence of this information could also be seen as fulfilling Moses's wish to understand the truth.
Although Moses wouldn't easily assume that this was reality, it didn't stop him from processing the information.
Hope and Calamity-
Originated from humanity!
Imagination, desire, need-
In this boundless land, only humans could gather these things.
And because of the existence of Nen, human imagination and desires gained the potential to manifest.
To be more precise-
It was humanity's unique 'creativity' that gave rise to certain phenomena.
After absorbing all this, Moses suddenly fell into thought.
'Assuming that the Hopes and Calamities of the Dark Continent all originate from human's imagination, needs and desires… then the existence of known Hopes and Calamities does make sense.'
'The Herb for All-illnesses-'
'Isn't this the end of medicine that mankind has always dreamed of?'
'The Unmanned Stone that generate electricity-'
'Isn't it an important energy source that is indispensable to human beings?'
'The Longevity Food, Nitro Rice-'
'Isn't this the ultimate goal that humans dream of pursuing?'
'Trinity Elixir that is mother solution for all sorts of liquids-'
'Isn't this the Hope that could solve humanity's non-renewable energy crisis?'
'And then there was the blood our team had found, which accelerated plant growth. This is not only the nemesis of the desert, but can also effectively solve the problems of famine and poverty.'
'How many of humanity's deepest desires were embedded in these things?'
'Or take the Black Clay that could regenerate limbs-'
'How many disabled people across the world dreamed of such a thing?'
Looking at the origins of Hope from this perspective, Moses actually found it eerily reasonable.
But in the final analysis-
The main reason this theory held weight was Nen, which could manifest human desires.
'The Nen Users can use the power of Nen to fully materialize what is in their mind, even their deepest desires and needs, then it was also possible that, unknowingly, they had created these Hopes.'
'In a way, these known Hopes truly align with the collective desires and needs of all humanity.'
'And the many Calamities, with their immense threat, can also be seen as manifestations of humanity's darker impulses, such as violence, destruction, greed, fear, suffering, rage, and other malevolent traits.'
Moses's thoughts sank deeper into this line of reasoning, and he inexplicably thought of his previous speculation about 'keeping humans in captivity'.
'If these Hopes and Calamities were truly the aggregated consciousness of countless humans, and there is some existence that wants the Dark Continent to constantly breed new Hopes and Calamities-'
'Then this is probably the motivation for keeping humans in captivity.'
'Sigh… Now isn't the time to dwell on this.'
Moses shook his head slightly, pulling himself out of his thoughts.
Regardless of whether this information was true or not, right now, he only wanted to confirm the reality of their current situation.
And the only problem now is to confirm whether 'this moment' is an illusion or reality.
Moses turned his gaze toward his teammates, who are lying motionless on the sand.
As if responding to his stare, his teammates, who were originally unconscious, woke up one after another.
Noticing this change, Moses did not make any move. He just watched his teammates gradually regaining consciousness like a detached spectator.
Under his watch, the awakened team members immediately demonstrated the instincts of seasoned Nen Users. They all released their maximum Manifested Aura at the first moment, and then stood up and quickly observed the situation around them.
And then, they all saw Moses standing on the beach.
"Huh?"
Kanzai's expression twisted in shock.
It was not because he saw Moses, but because he saw the Purple Smoke parked deep in the open-air cave.
"How… are we back here?!"
He stared at the Purple Smoke with a look as if he had seen a ghost, with disbelief and confusion warring on his face.
The others weren't as dramatic as Kanzai, but their reactions weren't far off.
After all, in their memories, they should still be on that vast plain, not back at the open-air cave where they'd left the ship.
"Moses, what happened?"
Cheadle suppressed the shock in her heart and spoke directly to Moses, who was standing silently on the beach.
After hearing what Cheadle said, the team members shifted their gazes away from the Purple Smoke and turned to look at Moses, who was not far from the entrance of the open-air cave.
As for the members of Beyond's team, they were even more confused and bewildered.
Faced with their questioning gazes, Moses didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Because he still couldn't tell if this was reality or illusion.
If the [Desire Force] could transport them across space, then sending them back here wasn't impossible.
After all, even the Wish-Granting Machine from the Zoldyck family could achieve something similar, let alone other entities on the Dark Continent.
"You've created a monster."
Just as Moses was considering how to answer Cheadle's question, the voice of the Guide suddenly echoed from the depths of the cave.
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw the Guide standing in the dim light.
Though barely visible, it was clear that the Guide was staring straight at Moses.
'Created a monster?'
'Why would it say such a thing to Moses?'
The team exchanged confused glances, unsure of what had transpired.
Even Moses himself was puzzled by the Guide's words.
His eyes flicked over the Guide's body.
The black tendrils are still there, and the Eye of Sight, the source of Kyoka Suigetsu, is also still inside its body.