In order to seek a glimmer of hope for survival, creatures rushed towards the top of the mountain one after another. Every second, a creature fell, either trampled in the chaos or sent tumbling off the cliff, vanishing into the thick green smoke below.
Wails, roars, and furious shouts filled the mountainside, all carrying different emotions.
Those who could stand out in such an environment were the best of the best, but at the top of the mountain stood a gatekeeper. Strictly speaking, there are two gatekeepers.
Any creature that got close to the peak was either driven back or killed by Law. When the conditions were met, Kuro assisted him enthusiastically, and every target he locked onto ended up dead without exception.
Although the number of black pages will increase, Law's pressure is greatly reduced with Kuro's help.
After nearly an hour, only Law, Sambika and Kuro were left on at the top of the mountain, while the group of creatures heading towards the top of the mountain all fell along the way. From a glance, the mountain was littered with corpses, radiating a chilling sense of despair.
With the threat dealt with, Law let out a small breath and looked around. The forest below, shrouded in green smoke, flickered in and out of sight, which is harsh on the eyes.
"Law, can you bring a corpse up here for me?" Sanbica looked at the many bodies scattered along the slope.
"That green smoke might not be a virus. Are you sure about this?" Law knew what Sanbica wanted to do.
"No." Sanbica shook her head. She wasn't certain what category the green smoke fell under.
Law paused and said, "If you're not sure, then don't risk it."
Sanbica looked at him and replied seriously, "Aren't you here?"
Law was stunned when he heard this, and immediately understood what Sanbica meant.
He knew Sanbica's Nen Ability, and she also understood his. With him around, even if the green smoke wasn't a virus, he could extract it from her body at any moment.
After a short silence, Law agreed to Sanbica's request. He looked at Kuro and said, "Go and bring up a corpse."
Upon hearing this, Kuro down toward the mountainside.
Law watched Kuro descend. The reason he agreed to let Sanbica take the risk was because he believed the green smoke was the enemy's doing, and it's some kind of biochemical weapon.
Any biochemical weapons were not something an individual's strength could withstand.
This was one of the enemy's trump cards, but he doesn't know how many cards they have. So, if possible, this was the perfect opportunity for Sanbica to analyze the mist's properties for future contingencies.
"Poor Man's Rose..."
Law's gaze drifted from Kuro to the corpses scattered across the slope. Unintentionally, he thought of the weapon that would take the Chimera Ant King's life.
"What?" Sanbica heard Law's slightly vague whisper.
"Nothing."
Law shook his head slightly and raised his eyes to the forest shrouded in green smoke, 'If we were the only survivors, then just how many lives had been lost down there?'
Sanbica followed Law's gaze and also looked down at the forest, remaining silent.
On the mountainside, Kuro picked a relatively ordinary forest wolf. Judging by the green blood oozing from it, the creature had clearly died from poison gas.
Clutching the wolf, Kuro returned to the summit in no time.
Law expanded his Domain to shield himself, filtering out all harmful particles from the air.
He stayed on high alert, standing nearby and ready to act. The moment Sanbica showed any signs of distress, he'd step in to save her.
Sanbica remained calm. She took off her gloves, revealing her veiny hands, and reached straight toward the green blood on the forest wolf's corpse.
The moment she touched the blood, her Nen Ability was activated and she began the analysis.
"It's a virus, I can handle it." Sanbica looked up at Law and said.
"Alright."
Law nodded slightly, but still remained on alert.
Half an hour later, Sanbica finally withdrew her Nen Ability.
"How is it?" Law asked.
"We'll only know if it works once we test it." Sanbica replied.
Law suddenly looked down the slope and saw only corpses, not a single living creature left, 'In this case, didn't that mean there was no test subject for the experiment?'
'Unfortunately, Kuro wasn't a living being in the biological sense, so it couldn't serve as a guinea pig.'
He suddenly glanced at Kuro, and the latter immediately showed a look of vigilance. After being glanced at by Law, he always felt a sense of danger as if everyone wanted to harm him.
'Since Kuro was out of the question, it seemed I would have to step up myself.'
Law was about to volunteer when he heard Sanbica pointing at the green blood flowing from the wolf's body and saying, "This will do."
"Don't you need a live subject?" Law asked doubtfully.
Sanbica shook her head and said, "No need."
After saying that, she once again placed her hand over the puddle of blood. Her Aura surged and quietly seeped into the blood. Within just a couple of minutes, the green blood turned a deep red.
The change in color seemed to signify that the virus had been neutralized.
Sanbica stood up, her right hand covered in blood.
Law glanced at the now dark red blood, walked over a few steps, and used his ability to wipe the blood off Sanbica's palm.
"Law, can your Domain block out this virus?" Sanbica looked at her hand, then up at Law.
"It can." Law replied.
"Then we can leave now. This virus has no effect on me." Sanbica said.
Hearing this, Law's eyes lit up slightly. If he didn't have to use his Nen Ability to protect Sambika, then their chances of making it out of the forest safely would be even greater.
"No rush, let's rest here for a while and leave after our Aura recovers." Law said.
"Alright." Sanbica nodded.
The two stayed on the top of the mountain for one night. At first light, they descended together, heading straight into the green smoke.
The green smoke clung to the forest like morning fog, coating every inch and turning the landscape into a ghost realm.
In here, they can't hear any sound, nor can they feel the slightest sign of life. The ground was littered with corpses, and the withered trees gave the place a desolate, eerie look.
The forest that was once full of life has now truly become a land of the dead.
After seeing the aftermath of a biochemical weapon with his own eyes, Law felt a little heavy-hearted. It was his first encounter with such a thing, and the feeling it gave him was difficult to describe.
The two of them locked onto a direction and began heading straight toward the forest's edge.
The farther they went, the more corpses there were on the ground.
They traveled without stopping, and by late afternoon, they happened to pass by a clearing that had been leveled by a bomb. That's when they noticed something strange.
While the green smoke blanketed the forest like fog, the clearing was different. Green smoke could still be seen there, but it was very faint and could not be seen unless they looked carefully.
Law and Sanbica looked at each other and saw doubt in each other's eyes.
Suddenly, a white figure floated out gently from the collapsed opening, then slowly descended onto the open ground. At the same time, the green smoke not far away was drawn toward it, as if pulled by invisible hands.
The white figure, which is wrapped entirely in white bandages, was humanoid in shape but hollow inside.
"What is that thing?"
Law and Sanbica's expressions sharpened instantly.
It's because there was no trace of Nen on the human-shaped bandage.