"Splash..."
Illumi and his fifty-four companions slowly advanced through the swamp in inflatable boats.
The sun in the sky was covered by a dark cloud. Strange floating plants grew everywhere in the swamp. The view ahead was not boundless, but rather dominated by towering giant trees, seemingly hundreds of meters tall or even higher.
The roots of these colossal trees were firmly planted in the swamp mud, but their trunks did not touch the water's surface, just like mangroves.
However, they were so immense that Illumi and his group's inflatable boats could even pass through the gaps between their roots.
"Hmph~!"
Suddenly, Natalie, who was resting in a wooden boat, let out a muffled groan. She pulled up the sleeve of her left arm. In the middle of her left forearm, a small area of skin was purplish, seemingly a bruise.
"What's wrong?"
Sophia, who was rowing behind, asked worriedly. Natalie touched the purplish spot and shook her head.
"No, just a minor bruise. Probably got it while fighting the crocodiles."
"I've rested enough."
Natalie finished speaking, picked up a paddle from the boat, and began to row.
"Pay attention to the water. If there's any movement, attack immediately."
At the very front of the team, Illumi ordered the Avenger soldiers. Ozma Federation's thousand-person expedition had been completely wiped out here; they absolutely could not be careless.
"Also, prepare anesthetic darts."
Illumi's voice was low but still spread throughout the swamp. The deep, serious voice continuously echoed above.
"Why prepare anesthetic darts? Are you planning to capture the Hell's Bell alive?"
To Illumi's left, a wooden boat was moving alongside theirs at the very front of the team. Standing on it were Beyond, Cervantes, and Sergio.
"Hey, I've never heard of anyone being able to capture demons. Don't act recklessly."
Sergio said, looking like he thought they were "courting death." Meanwhile, a hint of vigilance flashed in Beyond's and Cervantes's eyes.
"Heh heh."
Greed looked at Beyond and his group, a sinister smile on his lips, making one feel he had ill intentions.
Illumi wasn't planning to capture demons. He had the Avengers prepare anesthetic darts for attacking people.
Illumi was expressionless. He didn't intend to explain further, and he didn't need to explain his actions to anyone.
In fact, the Hell's Bell demon was truly incompatible with Illumi.
Why?
Because Illumi could perceive and influence others' emotions, his ability happened to be a direct counter to a demon like Hell's Bell, which could spread killing intent.
And the Avenger soldiers were completely unaffected by emotions, only following simple commands. They were cold machines with physical bodies.
As for Jin Bradley and Pride, these Nen beasts, it was unknown if Hell's Bell would have any effect on them.
Throughout the journey, Illumi kept his emotion sensing active. As long as anyone showed emotional fluctuations, especially killing intent.
He would first use his ability to influence them. But if his ability still couldn't calm them, then the Avengers would simply open fire with anesthetic darts.
Umbrella Biohazard Corporation's specially made anesthetic darts. Just 0.01 milligrams could knock out an adult female elephant. As long as it hit, no one except existences like Beyond could resist the invasion of sleep.
Of course, it was not impossible that the anesthetic darts might not be able to resist the excitatory effect caused by killing intent. In that case, Illumi would not hesitate to kill.
He was just not sure what Beyond's ability truly was.
Thinking of this, Illumi glanced at Beyond. He had only seen Beyond act once before, and that one time, he instantly dealt with five crocodiles.
The ability he displayed didn't belong to the Enhancement type, but it wasn't impossible that it was an effect derived from his own ability cultivation reaching a certain level.
Illumi and his group slowly advanced through the swamp in their small boats. No further incidents occurred along the way, until thirty minutes before dark...
"Hey, we've got a new discovery."
Sergio, sitting on the foremost wooden boat, turned back and shouted to Natalie, Hercules, and the others at the rear of the team.
"It's land. Maybe we can find some clues here."
Illumi looked at the large expanse of land that appeared in the swamp ahead. He speculated that if he were the thousand-person expedition team from the Ozma Federation, this place would be a perfect temporary camp for them.
After all, it was impossible for so many people to stay on boats, right?
Twenty inflatable boats and four wooden boats successively moored at the bank. Pride arranged for the Avenger troops to land first for vigilance and reconnaissance.
"Buzz~"
Two small Harrier drones quickly took off, flying towards a patch of forest on the land. They swiftly passed through the forest and arrived at an open area.
One could see many towering trees that had been cut down around them. The outskirts of the open area were also surrounded by a barbed wire fence. However, with the passage of time, much of the barbed wire fence had rusted and collapsed. Many vines and vegetation had spread over the barbed wire fence.
"Boss."
Pride came to Illumi with his tablet and nodded.
"Depart."
Illumi ordered. The Avenger troops, armed with firearms, were the first to enter the forest. This patch of forest on the swamp land was small. The group walked out of the forest in just ten minutes and arrived outside the expedition team's camp.
"Clang."
An Avenger grabbed the rusted, unopenable barbed wire gate. He pulled hard on it with his arm, and the barbed wire gate was directly ripped off by force, bringing down the barbed wire on both sides with it.
"This is the camp of the Ozma Federation's thousand-person expedition team."
Illumi stepped through the barbed wire gate and entered the camp. The Ranger neural-mechanical helmet on his head continuously analyzed and scouted the surrounding environment.
Inside the camp, rows of large wooden cabins stood neatly like vegetable greenhouses on the damp ground, resembling a military base.
Although there were many of them, they were indeed built quickly. All were made from local materials, constructed from the towering giant trees in the forest.
"The Ozma Federation people are truly capable builders."
"Compared to the Ozma Federation's expedition team, the Kakin Empire's expedition team is simply a bunch of trash."
Greed stood to Illumi's left, looking at the numerous large wooden cabins arranged neatly, his tone filled with disdain for the Kakin Empire.
No one in the team paid attention to Greed's words. After all, all the Kakin Empire people were dead.
"What are these things? Flowers?"
Gina walked up to a wooden cabin, looking curiously at a spot no one else could see.
Beyond and his group's attention was drawn to her. They all walked to her side, following her gaze.
On the walls of the large wooden cabins built by the Ozma Federation's expedition team, numerous colorful, peculiar plants and flowers grew. Not only that, but many mycelial threads of different colors were also attached to them.
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