As the storm approached, the sea was turbulent with surging waves.
Layered waves crashed against the reefs, shattering into white foam that sprayed high into the air.
Netero and his party, having returned to the shoreline of the New Continent, were both mentally and physically exhausted.
Even with the help of a guide, making it back was no easy task.
They were also unlucky, encountering many troubles on the Dark Waters, though fortunately, they ended up frightened but unharmed.
The mission had failed. Afterwards, the focus should shift back to the Hunter Association.
Netero looked back at the roaring waves on the sea, pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
His aged and decrepit demeanor was on full display in that moment.
But soon, he shed that weary air, looked straight ahead, and his entire being exuded a sharp edge.
He no longer had the strength to deal with Beyond's affairs and could only hope that Beyond would be repelled by the Dark Continent.
Otherwise, given Beyond's seemingly bottomless desires, he might bring intractable disasters to the Six Continents.
Netero didn't dwell on the matter further. The priority now was to revitalize the Hunter Association.
"We need to return to the Six Continents as soon as possible."
Netero gazed into the distance.
Suddenly, heavy rain poured down, drawing a dense curtain of water between heaven and earth.
Within seconds, Netero and his party were drenched.
"Chairman, although we've lost the initiative, it's not too late to establish a foothold here now."
Cheadle raised her hand to shield her eyes, squinting against the torrential rain.
Back then, the Hunter Association had given up on the profits to be mined from the new world in order to head to the Dark Continent and nip the potential threat posed by Beyond in the bud.
Unfortunately, they failed. Now, the V6 should already have a foothold on the New Continent, and it was unknown to what extent human settlements had been developed.
During a pioneering period, the earlier one's influence permeate into the region, the deeper their roots would sink into the soil over time.
The underworld forces from the ten districts of the Six Continents had likely already deeply embedded their roots in the human settlements developed by the Kakin Empire.
Under these circumstances, it wouldn't be so simple for the Hunter Association to enter.
However, as Cheadle said, it wasn't too late yet. Establishing a foothold on the New Continent was still achievable.
The only obstacle was the trust of the V6.
"Information on the Dark Continent that we possess might be exchanged for a foothold. If we return to the Six Continents now, the back-and-forth would consume considerable time, making it even harder to gain a solid footing on the New Continent."
Morel also offered his view.
He was a Sea Hunter, and deep down, he hoped to work on the New Continent.
After all, the surrounding seas represented a brand new world to him.
With Cheadle and Morel taking the lead in proposing this, the remaining Pro Hunters who had survived shared similar thoughts.
If they were to return to the Hunter Association's headquarters on the Six Continents, they would be in a situation where they couldn't handle both ends.
Rather than that, they might as well take a chance in this new world.
Through the dense curtain of rain, Netero looked at the team members offering suggestions.
These people were the only remaining core members.
The Hunter Association was now on the verge of collapse. To rebuild, they would need to rely on these core members to branch out.
Netero thought for a long time. He neither rejected the suggestions of these core members outright nor explicitly approved them.
Whether they were to establish a foothold here or return to the Six Continents, they first needed to return to the homeland being cultivated by the Kakin Empire.
With the national power of the Kakin Empire, a considerable number of B·W ships should have already been built, capable of transporting massive amounts of human resources.
The landing point of the Hunter Association's team was relatively remote. It would take about a month to reach the territory of human power on the New Continent.
It was currently stormy, and Netero's party was in poor physical condition. With no suitable shelter nearby, they had no choice but to press on through the rain.
A month later, they returned to the original landing point of the B·W ships.
What greeted their eyes was a port full of modern smell. Several B·W ships in the shape of whales were anchored quietly in the nearshore waters.
On the flat land near the coast, rows of tall buildings had already been constructed, hinting at a prosperous appearance.
A coastal city had been built in such a short time.
What enabled the Kakin Empire to achieve this was the massive influx of cheap human resources shipped from the Six Continents.
Gazing at the large port and coastal city from afar, even Netero couldn't help but show an expression of amazement.
If this pace continued, it would likely take less than fifty years for the New Continent to become humanity's second Six Continents.
After a month of arduous trekking, Netero and the others were travel-worn.
If they hadn't used a weakened version of Shu to reinforce their clothing, their clothes would probably be in tatters after such a long journey.
At least now, they still looked presentable.
"Let's go."
Netero walked at the front, heading towards the distant coastal city.
They had come along the coastline, so they were unaware of how far the Kakin Empire had extended its reach.
Perhaps five large cities had already been built, perhaps ten or more.
With such thoughts, Netero and his party arrived near this newly established coastal city.
Soon, they realized something was wrong.
The port was devoid of any people. And it was too quiet.
"What is going on?"
The Hunter Association's members were puzzled and slightly alarmed.
Sweeping their gazes across the large port, a faint sense of desolation emerged.
"Let's check the city."
Netero withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the nearby buildings.
A foreboding feeling arose in his heart.
Without lingering at the port, the Hunter Association's party headed straight for the city.
After seeing the empty streets, the foreboding feeling in their hearts instantly amplified.
From afar, it looked like a prosperous coastal city, but up close, it was an uninhabited, desolate ghost city.
'What exactly happened?'
'How could such a vast city have not a single person?'
Entering the city, Netero and the others all had grave expressions.
Unconsciously, threads of chill crept up their spines.
...
The Dark Continent.
After three months of travel, Law's group was finally nearing the Forest of Medusa that Coo had mentioned.
Along the way, Coo had essentially revealed all the known information. Among this, the information about Don Freecss gave Law and the others a deeper understanding.
Most crucially, the intelligence provided by Coo filled the inaccuracies in the information obtained from the skeleton people.
"Without desires and ambitions..."
That was Coo's evaluation of Don Freecss.
She believed that the Calamities on the Dark Continent co-existed alongside human desires.
In other words, excessively strong desires would bring endless disasters.
Therefore, in Coo's eyes, Don Freecss had always been a human with very low threat potential, and someone she was willing to actively approach.
But if humans had no desires, why would they want to set foot on the Dark Continent?
After learning about Don Freecss's past from Coo, Ging's feelings were slightly complicated.
Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder… If he were to meet Don Freecss, how would seniority be determined?