Menchi and the others were not in good condition either. The shockwaves from the explosion and the high temperatures had left their flesh and life force depleted.
At the moment of approaching death, although Fant and Rita shielded them, the remaining three instinctively unleashed their full Nen for defense.
Their journey through the desert was temporarily halted. Oboro used stones to build a makeshift shelter to help the three recover from their injuries.
During this time, he also had to hunt nearby, not straying too far, and constantly monitoring the vital signs of the three.
A few days later, Menchi was the first to wake up.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Oboro sitting nearby, preparing food that smelled strongly of blood.
And on the side of his face facing her, there was a shocking burn scar.
"Don't speak... Rest well," Oboro said calmly.
Menchi's mouth was dry, and her body was weak. Hearing his voice, she remained silent.
She first assessed her condition, then rolled her eyes and glanced to the side.
She saw Gebuwich and Anthony... As for Fant and Rita... they were gone.
Instantly, Menchi's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face.
She understood what had happened...
"Before we came, everyone was prepared for this... So, for this outcome, all we can do is accept it with equanimity." Oboro sensed Menchi's emotions and offered no comfort, only saying, "Their deaths serve as a warning to us who survived, to always be vigilant against hidden dangers."
"They were our companions, and more importantly, our saviors..."
As he finished speaking, Menchi turned her head away, her neck trembling slightly.
Half a day later, Anthony also woke up.
His reaction was similar to Menchi's, but his emotions were more intense. However, his weakened body prevented him from any strenuous activity, even speaking loudly... In the end, he could only weep profusely, his expression one of unbearable grief.
Although they had mentally prepared themselves, the reality of what happened was still difficult to accept.
It was mainly too sudden... there wasn't even a moment to process it.
"I'm sorry... it was... me... all... my fault..."
After opening his eyes, Gebuwich was consumed by deep self-blame.
If he hadn't made a sound, perhaps those insects wouldn't have gathered.
"That extreme heat from the flames could affect even the soul... so, I didn't even have time to retrieve their souls." Oboro alternately gave water and food to his teammates, saying in a deep voice, "Don't let their lives be sacrificed in vain. Live well..."
"…"
The night passed without incident.
The next day, Menchi, still recovering, insisted on getting up. In her words, if she couldn't overcome even this difficulty in the Dark Continent, she might as well die. She didn't want to be a burden to the team or hold them back.
Her eyes... had changed.
It wasn't just her; Anthony and Gebuwich also seemed different in demeanor.
The deaths of Fant and Rita had profoundly impacted the three of them.
Then, Gebuwich and Anthony, as usual, divided their tasks.
They busied themselves, their bodies still weary.
Oboro didn't forcibly stop them, as this was their way of processing their grief.
Anthony cut off his cherished long hair, leaving him with short hair, much like Fant's.
As for Gebuwich... he became taciturn, unwilling to speak.
In less than a month since setting foot in the Dark Continent, this land had dealt the team a heavy blow.
Some crises were so severe that even with Oboro present, it was difficult to ensure everyone's safety.
Thus, the team, reduced from six to four members, continued their journey.
Time passed bit by bit.
Although their strength hadn't significantly increased, the shift in their mindset, coupled with their adaptation to this continent, had allowed Menchi and the other two to maintain a relatively stable state when facing various bizarre creatures, no longer succumbing to fear or panic.
Their daily actions became more disciplined.
Having overcome their psychological trauma, when Oboro found prey, he would consciously control the battlefield and, while ensuring safety, allow the three to participate. This was primarily to temper them and increase their chances of survival.
Their team's survival strategy was simple... at least for now, they would absolutely avoid supernatural powers, bizarre phenomena, and rules. If anything seemed amiss, they would flee immediately.
They would only hunt or attack creatures for which they had gathered detailed information and intelligence.
Or, they would have a thorough understanding of the target's 'abilities.'
After half a year of traveling through the desert, they finally saw an oasis.
However, instead of joy, everyone's expression was one of caution.
The appearance of a new area could indicate a new food chain, a new ecosystem, and more unfamiliar species... The current team had gained some understanding of the Dark Continent.
Adversity builds character... Although humans are fragile, their adaptability is outstanding.
With their combat experience and tempering from facing monsters, Menchi and the other two had made significant progress, even if it wasn't as dramatic as Oboro's advancements through soul absorption... Compared to their initial state, they had undergone a qualitative leap.
This improvement was comprehensive.
And after a full half-year, Oboro had killed hundreds of monsters and absorbed their souls.
This finally caused a slight change in his status panel.
His food chain position remained 'Lower.'
However, his ecosystem rating increased from 25 to 27.
An increase of 2 points... at least it was an increase.
The reason for the increase was likely related to his understanding of the continent's environment and his finding ways to integrate into it.
"Earth Devourer Worm."
As they approached the oasis, Oboro didn't issue a warning. Menchi, walking to the side, suddenly said with a blank expression.
As she spoke, the sand nearby suddenly collapsed downwards, and all the yellow sand poured into the underground like a sea current. Oboro stood still, while Menchi, holding her knife, immediately followed the sand flow into the dark, deep underground opening. With the light, she could already see a gaping, expectant maw.
Beneath the ground lay a worm, entirely milky white, with no eyes or any other organs. This type of worm identified food by scent. It wasn't very large, only tens of meters long. In the Dark Continent, this was considered a small life form... And the worms typically hunted creatures with weaker life energy, otherwise, they wouldn't have targeted Oboro and his team.
For large life forms, they wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth; they would likely be ignored, just like the rat and the monstrous bird Oboro had encountered initially.
After Menchi voluntarily jumped into the sand pit, Gebuwich and Anthony also entered the yellow sand vortex one after another.
Soon after, Oboro heard the Earth Devourer Worm's roar... The sand tide stopped flowing, but the ground trembled continuously, clearly indicating that the underground worm had been attacked by humans and was resisting in some way.
In the desert, every creature they hunted or encountered was given a temporary name.
Generally, sandy areas where Earth Devourer Worms hid, or gravelly areas, meaning the sand particles, would be relatively loose, and the geology would be softer. This slight change was unobservable by the previously vigilant Menchi and the others, but now, without Oboro's reminder, the three could handle it well.
This... was growth.
After a while, a small mound rose from the sand, and the three, covered in slime, crawled out from underground.
The battle was over.
Of course, the three of them, working together, could barely hunt small prey, provided... the danger wasn't too high.
For larger ones, they still relied on Oboro.
Setting aside other matters, in this harsh environment, the sustained maintenance and consumption of Nen were invisibly honing the life energy of the three.
Seeing the oasis, Oboro had confirmed their location.
It was on the far left of the 'map.' Moving forward, past the oasis, there should be 'thatched-roof buildings' of various sizes.
Upon stepping onto the oasis, the scorching heat in the air subsided considerably, and a gentle breeze blew.
But the lush vegetation before them, no matter which type, was dozens, even hundreds of times larger than in the human world... Although the species of plants differed, and it wasn't as exaggerated as the World Tree, it was still astonishing.
For this continent, the oasis before them should be considered a lush grassland.
But Oboro and the other three moved through the shadows of the towering branches and leaves like insects.
Not long after entering the oasis, Oboro heard a buzzing sound, and then saw several giant, crustacean-like insects descend from the sky onto the leaves above their heads, looking down at the four black dots hidden beneath the foliage. Dozens of them in total... Oboro's squad was surrounded.
But they were not panicked.
Oboro merely glanced at the insects, and the next second, with a flick of his hand.
All the surrounding plants were cut in half, and some even shattered into pieces... As for the insects perched on the leaves, before they could even attack, their bodies made crisp sounds, exploding into splashes of juice that rained down.
Menchi and the other two quickly dodled, not daring to touch the liquid, unsure if it was poisonous.
Having absorbed so many souls, and species with such immense energy, Oboro's gains over the past six months far exceeded his achievements in the human world over several years... Even though the system panel had changed and no longer displayed specific numerical values, only increasing his ecosystem rating by two points, his Nen abilities remained, meaning his improvement had never stopped.
Whether it was attack range, magic power, or defense... as well as the transformation of his body due to attribute increases.
Oboro's current physical strength was greater than when he first set foot on the Dark Continent... His range of remote attacks had also increased, reaching nearly a li.
Furthermore, his Nen abilities were still being developed.
Now he had quite a few more trump cards.
For example, although he didn't understand the body structure of unfamiliar species, he could capture the weak points of some life forms by directly perceiving their souls, and then use pressure points or meridian manipulation to inflict terrifying damage. No matter how a body structure changed, blood flow remained the same... Ordinary creatures could not escape this fundamental principle.
After killing them, Oboro did not release his ghost fog. Instead, the souls dropped by the insects flew towards him like magnets, pouring into his body.
After walking a short distance, more insects descended.
This time, however, they didn't need to act.
Instead, a black centipede crawling among the plants reared up, its sharp, massive mouthparts directly grabbing a flying insect. It landed, causing the ground to tremble, and then began to devour it. Menchi and the other two's expressions changed slightly. They hadn't noticed this centipede beforehand because this monster could change its color, like a chameleon, lying in wait. Only when it became active did its original coloration reappear... Moreover, perhaps due to its relatively weak life energy, the centipede didn't target them.
The four of them had been constantly using 'Zetsu,' keeping their life energy at a low frequency... Currently, their Nen skills had all advanced to an 'extremely profound' level. At least, judging from the perspective of Nen users in the human world, they were almost there.
"There's... something here."
Oboro said.
He could sense the 'energy' of this oasis. On the barren desert, such abundant energy would surely nurture something extraordinary.
Whether it was the flying insects or the centipede, they were all disasters... further indicating that nearby... there was 'hope.'
And it was different from the 'hope' they had encountered before.
The hope they had previously gained, including the alchemical plants that Beyond had once sought, were actually from the perspective of human energy resources, representing 'hope.' There were also sparse vegetation in the desert with similar effects. For example, the four had once encountered a peculiar 'barrel cactus' as large as a house.
The juice it secreted was a natural preservative... anything coated with it could maintain its original appearance.
It seemed unaffected by time, weathering, or environment.
If it could be utilized in the human world, its impact would be unimaginable.
This preservative could be applied to various substances, and this alone would be 'infinitely beneficial' to humanity.
But 'hope' is divided into many levels and types.
This kind of hope was not what Oboro desired.
For example, in the human world, there were the Five Great Hopes: the Unmanned Stone, which could power human consumption of terrifying electricity with just a small piece; the Tri-elemental Water, which could be the base for all liquids, and so on. These were all forms of hope.
What Oboro wanted to find were things like the Longevity Rice, or herbs that could cure all illnesses...
'Hope' that could benefit individuals, or be applied to strength and survival, more relevant to their current predicament.
Even if he found energy-related hope, it would be useless.
Furthermore, the barrel cactus could not be brought back to the human world. Ultimately, it was a plant, and it would wither without its roots.
The lizard's potion and the octopus's ink, however, could be brought back... but their effects were not at the level of 'hope.'
They could only be considered treasures.
Oboro's words made Menchi and the other two's eyes sharpen.
Then, Oboro bent his elbow and aimed at the centipede not far away.
The centipede was still feeding...
When Oboro deactivated Zetsu and unleashed his aura, the centipede finally sensed the danger and let out a screech.
It instantly leaped sideways and flew towards them.
Its reaction was undoubtedly quick.
Boom!
But Oboro's fist was faster... it didn't even need to hit it.
He stepped forward, lowered his stance... and threw a punch.
The terrifying force caused the air between the centipede and Oboro to explode repeatedly, and the surrounding plants were shattered... This was merely the residual force. Oboro's attack range was not a process of gradual power increase, but a direct, space-ignoring impact on the target.
However, this punch only knocked the centipede to the ground, sending it flying far away, but it failed to pierce it... The metallic sheen of the centipede's carapace was extraordinarily hard.
For Oboro, this was enough.
He then changed his fist into a palm, instantly perceiving the centipede's soul state. The monster's body burned with soul fire, but various body parts were connected by thin lines to these fire clusters. The denser and thicker the lines, the more concentrated the target's spirit was, representing its most valued parts.
At the same time, these were also its weaknesses.
Oboro struck like lightning, slashing through the air!
An invisible blade formed by immense force instantly targeted a gap beneath the centipede's head, at the junction of its carapace, and struck down!
Boom!
The centipede's head was severed.
A ditch-like pit was left in the ground beneath its corpse.
"The vision range of those insects just now was extremely wide, as if there were no blind spots. Otherwise, even in Zetsu state, walking with cover, they wouldn't have found us. Of course, it could also be due to their hunting instincts; they specialize in hunting creatures with weak life energy, so even with our concealed Zetsu, they could still sense us," Menchi said calmly, observing the scene.
The three had witnessed the Captain hunting too many times.
She reminded them.
Arriving in an unfamiliar area meant leaving familiar surroundings behind, and everything had to be re-adapted and understood.
Gebuwich behind them immediately took out a small notebook and began recording.
Anthony walked over to the spilled insect fluid and observed it.
"Unlike before, the deeper we go, the higher the probability of encountering supernatural, bizarre, and rule-based life forms. It's not as rare as in the desert anymore, so be careful."
Oboro retracted his aura and said calmly, "Let's find hope first."
"Yes."
____________________
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