Chapter 20: Star Mark Evolution
Arthur's resting place was on the east coast of Ghost Island, known locally as East Town. The abandoned small yacht was located along the northern coast, while most of the land within the peninsula was designated as the Crescent Moon Tiger Reserve, managed by Blanchet Company. The east side led to the mainland of Ochima Federation... The western coast was known as West Town, where Ochima's official representative, Sloer, and others had settled.
Apart from the two towns, there were no proper roads on the island. The two SUVs bumped along the rough terrain until they finally reached West Town.
Compared to the tourist-like East Town, West Town, without an amusement park, became particularly quiet as night fell. The streets were devoid of neon lights, as if they belonged to a different era. The two cars stopped in front of a small hotel.
Sloer got out of the front car, adjusted his windbreaker collar, and touched his thinning hair. Kanzai, who was in the passenger seat, also got out. He was short, with a body that seemed ordinary, and his hair was styled like a wild tiger with yellow and black stripes. His demeanor and intelligence made him seem like a wild tiger in human skin.
Shizuku and the others from the rear car followed them into the small hotel. Everyone was dressed in suits, looking particularly professional.
However, before entering, Kanzai, who was following Sloer, suddenly turned around and looked at the bird flying away from the roof of the rear car.
Shizuku, naturally curious, also turned to look, asking, "Is there something there?"
"It's a bird," Kanzai replied. "There was a bird on the ship earlier. When we got in the car, it landed on the roof of your car and stayed there until now."
"Is that so?" Shizuku asked.
"Indeed, there were two birds on the rocks by the ship," the others said, sweating.
They, like Shizuku, were amateur hunters recruited for this mission. Although they had only known each other for about two days, Shizuku's peculiar memory had already left a deep impression on them. The most frustrating part was that while they remembered her forgetfulness, she would forget and be puzzled by why they looked at her strangely...
"But we didn't notice one of the birds landing on the roof of the rear car."
"It must be a coincidence. Don't worry about it."
"The other bird is gone, and this one flew away."
The group whispered among themselves as they followed Sloer upstairs, gathering in his room before heading to their own rooms to rest.
Sloer glanced at the amateur hunters he had recruited and said earnestly, "I anticipate that Blanchet Company won't easily agree to let us investigate the reserve for a few days. They'll probably wait until Kakin's official side doesn't protest before they relent. Babimyna and his team started their investigation as soon as they arrived, likely aiming to complete their mission quickly and end this cooperation, perhaps not even waiting for the full 20 days..."
He paused, loosened his tie, and continued, "Starting tomorrow, I'll be negotiating with Blanchet Company as the official representative. Let them delay as long as they want. As for the actual investigation, it will rely on you, the experts from the private sector."
Shizuku raised her hand, curious, "What exactly are we investigating?"
"The Crescent Moon Tigers?" the amateur hunters speculated. "When it comes to this island, it must be about the Crescent Moon Tigers. These rare and endangered animals were only found in Kakin Empire before..."
"Are we supposed to capture some Crescent Moon Tigers?" Shizuku continued, curious. "I've heard they're beautiful. I'd love to see one."
Sloer replied, "It's precisely because we know nothing about this place that we need to investigate. If I had to give a reason, it's because we're very curious why, for 24 years, Kakin's royal family has been so secretive about this island."
...
Arthur, of course, didn't know what these people discussed after entering the hotel. Before being discovered, he had already controlled the green bird hitching a ride to fly away, circling around before landing on the eaves of the hotel, choosing a spot where he could see the entrance.
He was troubled by the same issue with the green bird left near the abandoned yacht on the north coast.
If he disconnected from the first-person control mode now, the two green birds would continue executing the command given before he took over: pecking their bodies with their beaks upon seeing humans to activate the Star Mark's healing function and alert him on the east coast.
It's easy to imagine that if he logged off from these two green birds, they would immediately start pecking...
I'll have to keep my consciousness connected!
Arthur controlled the two green birds, one keeping watch at the small hotel in West Town, and the other hiding in the woods near the north coast, secretly observing what Babimyna and his team might discover.
Even Neferpitou, one of the Chimera Ant Royal Guards, couldn't monitor below the surface with her exaggerated En. It's unlikely that this Babimyna, with his military demeanor and cauliflower hairstyle, could easily find the bodies he had thrown into the sea or the two he had buried...
, , , , , , , ,
Back on the east coast, Arthur thought to himself that it was just his luck that his godmother's pursuit had attracted people who seemed to be from Kakin Empire.
With his current abilities, he couldn't deal with such a colossal entity.
But who knows what the future holds? Arthur mentally noted the situation and decided to wait and see.
The little rock sparrow had already dozed off, lying on the bed sheet.
Arthur picked it up and placed it on the bedside table, then quickly went to rest himself.
Since his main body was asleep while he was still controlling the two green birds, his sleep quality that night wasn't great.
The next day, in the bathroom of his room, the sound of running water stopped as Arthur splashed cold water on his face, splattering it on the little rock sparrow struggling with a toothbrush, causing it to chirp incessantly.
"Let's go out for breakfast."
The little rock sparrow immediately stopped chirping and affectionately perched on Arthur's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek.
After breakfast and feeding the chirping little rock sparrow, Arthur grabbed a bunch of meat and sensed the location of the two white birds near Lumin, heading in that direction.
"Roar!"
In the woods outside East Town, a Crescent Moon Tiger lying under a tree suddenly raised its head. Seeing Arthur approaching with bags of food, it happily stood up, leaping forward and pouncing, Arthur fell.
"Haha, stop it."
After a playful tussle, Arthur nimbly got up, "Lumin, do you want some delicious food? Stand at attention, at ease!"
Lumin sat obediently in front of him.
Arthur spread out the bags of meat, and under his urging, Lumin finally couldn't resist and started devouring.
While stroking the tiger's neck fur as it ate, Arthur pondered his Manipulation Type Nen Ability.
The current operation method seemed rigid and inflexible. It would be great if he could change the operational commands after taking over the first-person control...
With this in mind, Arthur decided to give it a try.
The Manipulation Type Nen Ability "Song of the Earth" was, according to Arthur's guess, a subconscious optimal solution formed during a life-threatening crisis when facing the wolves' gaze. To enhance its power, a series of implicit constraints were also spontaneously formed.
For example, there must be a complete Pentagram symbol, the mark must be imprinted on the target's surface, and it must be in contact with his aura...
Now, he was attempting to actively develop or optimize this Manipulation Type ability for the first time.
"Tiger bro, it's gotta be you." Arthur patted the tiger's back, "These birds are too dumb, and the wolves are gone, so you'll have to help me develop this. I'll count to one, two, "
Lumin, chewing on the cooked meat, looked up at the human child. At the moment he counted to two, its consciousness seemed to go black, like a movie screen suddenly going dark, completely suppressed, pushed into the deepest part of its mind...
In this subconscious layer, everything was almost static, fragmented, with no sense of time passing.
It was unclear how much time had passed when Lumin suddenly had a vague sense of awareness.
It raised its head, tearing open a crack in the pitch-black world, letting in a faint silver light, like the moon they loved so much...
The "movie screen" suddenly lit up again.
Lumin's consciousness emerged from the subconscious layer, seeing the scenery of the woods through its eyes and smelling the scents, but its body no longer belonged to it, like a stone, unresponsive.
From afar, the voice of the human child echoed in its mind, "Ha! As expected, my Nen Ability is still developing, and its plasticity is strong! Lumin, can you hear me? If you can hear me, please respond, please respond..."
(End of Chapter)