After several more months, the four of them set off again.
This time, their travel speed was much faster, and Menchi and the other two had all improved.
Especially after all three had been taught breathing techniques and some national martial arts by Oboro. Of course, such progress alone wouldn't be decisive in the Dark Continent. More importantly, their Nen abilities, mindset, adaptability, and willpower had undergone a transformation.
Each area in the oasis seemed to have its own unique food chain and ecosystem, completely different from the desert. Therefore, the four had to be extremely cautious in every location. During this time, Oboro even used his soul to control some life forms as mounts, carrying the group as they traveled.
Previously, his abilities hadn't reached this level. Because soul possession could take over humans, he couldn't control the creatures here. Most creatures possessed immense life energy and massive bodies, making it extremely difficult for a soul to control such a large puppet.
The requirement for possession was that the soul and body must be compatible and achieve a certain balance before control was possible.
Simply put... it was like trying to drive a small car with a truck engine.
Furthermore, injecting a large number of souls into a single body would cause rejection... making control even more impossible.
But now, although the system panel showed no obvious changes, Oboro's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. He could combine a vast number of ghosts into a single consciousness to occupy a life form.
Therefore, they sometimes rode beasts like Ceratopsians, hairless elephants, or conch-shelled wildebeests, galloping across the land, and other times, they would sit on the backs of flocks of birds, traversing the skies.
Even so, it took them a full year to completely leave the oasis.
In total, from their arrival on the Dark Continent until now, more than three years had passed... and they were still in the peripheral regions of the continent.
This journey further illustrated that Netero and the others' explorations of the Dark Continent were likely confined to the edge areas.
It felt like it would take decades, if not centuries, to reach the heart of the Dark Continent.
And human lifespans simply couldn't withstand such a drain.
As time passed, the group became increasingly aware of the horrors of the Dark Continent.
The terror wasn't just in the life forms but also in the environment and climate...
For example, they once experienced a torrential downpour. The rain came suddenly, without any warning, and without any clouds or mist, it simply fell from the sky. The rainwater was extremely corrosive, each drop the size of a fist. Upon hitting the ground, it would corrode a blackened hole like a strong acidic solution.
Anthony nearly lost his life at that time... Fortunately, Oboro used condensed ghost fog to form a large umbrella, covering them just in time.
After the rain hit the ground, it didn't disperse, remaining in clumps of transparent matter... Later, they discovered that this 'rainwater' was actually a type of microscopic organism, a life form. They would appear in groups in certain areas, wandering in the sky, and once they detected a large number of living beings, they would descend, creating the illusion of 'rain.'
Oboro's ghosts were his Nen. With his current Nen strength, he could counteract such energy damage and depletion.
This was a unique 'climatic phenomenon' of the Dark Continent.
They also encountered a type of crystal-clear flower. Its branches and leaves spread out like prayer mats, and its leaves could reflect scenery like a mirror. However, one must absolutely not look directly at it, because the 'mirror leaves' of the flower would reflect a person's innermost desires.
Gebuwich saw Fant, resurrected from the dead, in the 'mirror' and wanted to approach him. Fortunately, Menchi noticed something unusual and pulled him back in time. Otherwise, upon approaching, he would have been paralyzed by the sharp thorns hidden beneath the mirror flower's soil and become food.
They had encountered countless similar situations in this year, too many to count.
The various bizarre phenomena and dangers had also enhanced their perception of unknown threats.
...
"Finally, we see a water source..."
The next day, several butterfly-like creatures resembling bats descended from the sky.
Oboro and the others dismounted from the backs of their host creatures after landing.
Menchi looked at the calm yet vast river before them and smiled.
The river surface was tranquil, shimmering, and a deep blue.
It was a river in the Dark Continent, but the land on the other side lay at the horizon's end.
"Looking down from the sky just now, on the other side of this river, are the 'thatched huts' you mentioned, Captain."
Anthony added.
They were those buildings that resembled human houses.
Menchi walked to the riverbank and, without a word, swung her hand. A sharp blade of light flashed, instantly splitting the river surface in two and raising a large spray of water droplets.
The woman's eyes quickly glanced at the depths of the river revealed by the blade, then at the water droplets scattering in the sunlight. Then, she said faintly, "No problem," as a smear of crimson appeared on the river surface dozens of meters away.
As she spoke, the carcass of an aquatic creature floated out from under the water, its appearance quite strange.
But to the group, it was already quite normal.
In these past few years, what kind of 'oddities' hadn't they seen?
The presence of life forms generally ensured the safety of the water quality. If there were no life forms in the water, that would be truly cause for caution!
Oboro heard the sound and controlled several flying birds to approach and drink. After waiting for a while, and confirming there were no abnormalities, he nodded.
Although there were some water sources within the oasis, due to the bizarre ecosystem, the group didn't dare to drink them. In such a situation, even drinking monster blood would be safer than those water sources.
Because some water sources might be 'microorganisms,' not true 'water.'
The river before them was undoubtedly a genuine water source... its volume and area were not something that microorganisms or bizarre phenomena could achieve.
Of course, special regions and environments inevitably meant that this river contained its own food chain and ecosystem.
The four of them briefly cleaned themselves.
Their spirits were refreshed.
They felt a sense of unfamiliarity even seeing water now.
As for the clothes they were wearing, they were also a type of 'hope,' or perhaps 'treasure.'
They were woven from silk produced by a monster in the oasis with a soft, cocoon-like body but a baby's head, which they called a 'Swaddling Worm.'
This silk was exceptionally strong, difficult to break or damage. Most interestingly, the silk would become firm or soft according to the wearer's range of motion and strength.
When worn, it felt as light as nothing.
The weaving process was not artificial; the silk would automatically conform to the wearer's body shape and even change into any desired color upon contact with human skin... Of course, all this was controlled by the Swaddling Worm itself.
They were cute but also dangerous, hiding among various plants, making them difficult to detect... Their hunting method also involved using this 'silk thread.'
The black clothing Oboro was wearing now, as well as the combat suits that tightly wrapped Menchi and the other two, were all thanks to the Swaddling Worm.
This type of silk effectively mitigated physical damage and enhanced their defensive attributes.
Boom!
While the four were cleaning themselves, the river water in the distance suddenly churned with massive white waves, feeling like being at sea. A colossal 'whale' leaped high out of the water before crashing down again, causing tsunami-like ripples in the calm river.
However, Oboro and the others remained remarkably calm.
They only glanced at it before continuing their grooming.
As long as a life form didn't exhibit 'malice' towards them, they couldn't be bothered.
Oboro finished washing first and opened his system panel.
In the past year, his ecosystem rating had risen to 45.
His food chain position remained unchanged.
This made Oboro realize something: despite absorbing countless souls over the past year, the score increase had slowed down. This indicated... that the soul energy dropped by the species in the edge regions of the Dark Continent, even with his stacked magic power and armor, had diminishing returns.
Moreover, the growth rate of the rating had clearly slowed down. This was similar to the human world; as strength increased, the effect of ordinary souls decreased.
It would only become more difficult later on.
Unless he could enter a 'high-level map,' surpassing the food chain level he was currently exposed to.
Oboro was now like a level 30 player grinding experience in a level 20 map... If not for Menchi and the other two accompanying him, Oboro believed that apart from some rule-based creatures, including the bizarre phenomena they had encountered so far... in the desert and oasis alone, he was already a boss-level life form in these two maps.
Many food chains would be ruthlessly destroyed and altered by his presence.
The river water surged ashore, its tsunami-like force, like a natural disaster, engulfing everything.
Several mounts flew into the sky.
After a while, the tide receded, and Menchi and the other two emerged from the water, stepping onto the land.
If this were three years ago, when they first arrived in the Dark Continent, the three would likely have been washed away.
"Let's go."
Then, Oboro gave the order.
The team once again mounted their hosts and flew into the sky.
Heading straight for the opposite bank.
A few hours later, at dusk.
The four finally reached their destination.
A new area, with human-like structures standing on the ground.
There were actually only a dozen or so of these structures, scattered across the land, with considerable distance between each one.
The size of a single structure was tens, even hundreds of times larger than a human palace, giving the impression that the space inside could accommodate a small town. From the outside, it looked like a magnificent, vast labyrinth.
The main body of the houses was built from earth and stone. The roofs appeared to be covered with grass and wood, but in reality, they were land covered with trees and flowers, like suspended islands.
Only by flying to a sufficient height could the group take in the entire structure.
Looking down from the sky, they indeed resembled earthen or thatched cottages.
Upon landing, Oboro's expression became solemn.
The appearance of these structures indicated... that human civilization had definitely left traces here.
Beside him, Menchi and the other two, who had become quite experienced, couldn't help but feel awestruck.
It didn't seem as impactful from the sky, but standing on the ground, they deeply felt the shock. They looked up, unable to even see the tops of the houses... like giant walls connecting to the sky stood before them. Even more astonishing was that the open doorways alone were several kilometers long from left to right.
If they hadn't seen the entire structure from above beforehand, they wouldn't have realized that what lay before them was a 'doorway.'
Because the doorway was so vast, to them, tiny humans, it was almost 'completely open,' with no obstruction.
"Is this... a city inside?"
Anthony's voice trembled slightly.
As far as he could see, within the relatively dark space inside the house, there were still buildings of varying heights, all in a human architectural style.
"Captain, when we flew down from the sky, I noticed there seemed to be life forms active on the roof... They seemed to have been living there for a long time, forming a unique ecosystem," Menchi said with a serious expression.
The roof of this building was equivalent to a certain area of the oasis, unimaginably vast.
"It's a bit cold."
Anthony added.
The position where they were standing was almost completely cut off from the sky by the house. Without sunlight, the temperature naturally plummeted.
Moreover, the closer they got to the 'city within the house,' the more they felt a contradictory sensation, like transitioning from day to night.
"A few small ants... have trespassed into a human's home."
Oboro murmured.
"Stay close to me."
With that, he took the lead.
Along the way, Oboro summoned Meruem and other spiritual bodies, sending them to scout the surroundings.
Menchi and the other two remained vigilant, observing their surroundings.
As long as the dispersed spiritual bodies didn't stray too far, Oboro would sense them if they found anything.
He and the spiritual bodies 'shared everything.'
The process from outside the door to inside took a full hour.
"No signs of life..."
Oboro frowned.
The four of them didn't enter the 'house' directly. Instead, Oboro had previously sent a large number of ghosts to soar into the dark space to search.
But after these ghosts reached their maximum range and automatically dissipated into black mist, he received no 'feedback.'
"A dead city?"
Oboro could now see the cityscape inside the 'house.'
It truly looked like a city, giving him an illusion of being back in the human world.
Because the buildings inside the house were very small, identical to those in the human world... there was no scaling up.
Only the architectural style was ancient... they could still see streets and lamps resembling streetlights.
This was quite strange. Despite the presence of various creatures on the roof, the inside of the house was 'empty.'
"Is it ruins?"
Menchi asked curiously.
This was similar to the information held by the human side.
Someone on the other side of the Dark Continent had also discovered 'mysterious ancient ruins of a labyrinthine city.'
The environment was different.
Moreover... the plant weapon Goldfinger and Silverfinger, one of the Five Great Calamities, was a 'guardian.'
Does that imply there's also some kind of 'guardian' here?
"That ancient labyrinthine city completely defeated the expeditionary force sent by the United States back then, with only 2 survivors... This shows that even without life forms, there must be other dangers here." Oboro replied in a deep voice. "The absence of sensed life only means they haven't yet formed a soul form... Microorganisms or bizarre phenomena might still exist."
"This place is very similar to the labyrinthine city..."
"It's a... city within a house."
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