Flames scattered like fireworks over steel-hard roots… countless fire blossoms bloomed.
Within moments, a fierce fire ignited, filling the area with intense heat.
Brion possessed both plant and metal attributes.
But essence leaned more towards plants, evident from roots and lantern flowers covering the ground.
The International Permit prepared for this operation.
NX-Flame Rounds were specifically designed for Brion.
Against highly mobile parasitic wandering Brion, slow NX-Flame Rounds' hit rate was negligible. So these rounds were for continuous growth Brion.
Burning flames clung to roots like stubborn parasites… however roots struggled, flames persisted.
Although Giles didn't worry about the herb's safety, he adjusted the flame rounds' coverage range beforehand.
Through gaps in raging flames, Giles saw innermost green-glowing herb protected by roots and lantern grass.
Whoosh!
Giles swung his staff, lowered eyelids, then looked at figures emerging from flames.
"Draw blades, attack bodies."
Before his words faded, Brion parasitizing soldier corpses charged from flames.
Soldiers all holstered firearms, drawing special alloy blades.
They knew ranged firearms were ineffective against Brion, like alloy blades striking Brion roots only sparked.
To deal with parasitic Brion, only close combat group tactics worked.
"Charge!"
Giles led, meeting nearly a hundred parasitic Brion head-on.
Holes at the staff's end emitted shockwaves, propelling Giles forward instantly, reaching foremost Brion in a blink.
Persistent shockwaves from holes suddenly ceased, turning into encircling sharp aura blades.
Swish!
The staff split air, sweeping through… over a dozen Brion human bodies shattered into fragments.
Unharmed Brion lost hosts, falling to ground.
Below metal spheres were structures like sweet potato roots.
"Though you always protect hosts, the effort clearly isn't as strong as protecting heads. After losing hosts, you're just hard metal spheres."
Giles's face twisted ferociously… he stepped forward, Aura Blasts continuously shooting from staff holes.
"Wait, I'll slowly eliminate you all. No matter how deep your roots go, I'll dig them out."
Giles swung his right hand, and the staff holes extended shovel-shaped Aura Blades, shattering metal spheres on ground.
Seeing Giles eliminate over a dozen Brion instantly, charging soldiers' morale surged, blades meeting nearby Brion.
Though these Brion parasitized recently deceased comrades, soldiers showed no hesitation or mercy.
They knew bodies moving before them were no longer former teammates but monsters to eliminate.
Close combat erupted instantly.
Soldiers and Brion tangled.
Brion's close combat strength wasn't overly troublesome, but freely shape-shifting liquid properties and metal's lethal poison caused casualties.
Brion fell continuously under blades.
But soldiers with even minor scratches succumbed to poison within minutes, collapsing dead.
Kincaid's group outside the combat zone silently watched the battle.
This was humanity's first time confronting a Calamity head-on without disadvantage.
Among five known Calamities, humanity currently had most confidence against... Brion.
'It can succeed. Even if only taking a few herb leaves, it's a historic breakthrough success.' Kincaid stared intently at the battle zone where people fell, heart filled with hope.
Fifteen minutes passed. The International Permit Agencies' team, with clear numerical and combat superiority, eliminated nearly a hundred Brion but lost fifty soldiers.
These soldiers didn't die from direct Brion attacks but from poison.
Simultaneously, flames extinguished, leaving charred remains, with the innermost plants remained lush.
Charred and green, a clear dividing line between.
"Soon, so soon..."
'Just another wave of NX-Flame Rounds… remaining threats negligible.'
Giles's eyes gleamed… he still led, stepping onto charred ground, commanding: "Advance in echelons."
The team slowly advanced towards plant Brion beyond charred area.
"Captain Giles, the corpses...!"
Suddenly, a soldier's warning came from behind.
Giles abruptly turned back, and his forehead creased deeply.
Teammates dead from poison... were rising.
Mercury-like fluid seeped from corpses' tightly shut cyanotic eye slits; then, noses, mouths, ears… all seeped mercury-like liquid, enveloping entire heads at an engulfing pace.
"Transformation... damn."
Giles's expression twisted again.
Earlier poisoned teammates were immediately burned, so they hadn't noticed poisoned dead transforming into Brion.
If toxin-based, how did such minute components achieve transformation?
"Deal with rear..."
Giles halted mid-sentence, and his pupils slowly contracted to pinpoints.
Ahead, at the passage's far end where Kincaid's group stood, various parasitic Brion gathered.
Walking on ground, climbing walls.
Soldiers, including Kincaid's retreating group, saw; everyone widened eyes.
So many...
Five hundred, or a thousand?
Even more?
Without loud noises, why so many Brion gathered?
…
Western Dark Continent, a vast pitch-black ink-like plain… Don Freecss, wearing tattered robes, walked slowly.
Every ten meters, he took algae, converted it to clean water with Nen, drinking.
Five hundred meters ahead on the ink plain stood a 'Y'-shaped leafless tree.
Tree height about three meters… trunk appeared slightly crystalline amber.
"Five hundred meters left."
Dong's slightly hoarse voice came from under his dark hat brim.
Suddenly, his face paused… he looked back at ink plain over a dozen meters away.
An unknown plant bearing pink spheres appeared out of thin air… then, round spheres split open, slowly revealing huge eyeballs.
Eyeballs rolled… suddenly emitted flowing light, pooling beside eyeballs, forming puddles of light fluid.
Then, five figures slowly rose from light fluid.
As light dispersed, five Gatekeeper Clan's magical beasts appeared.
"Hostility evident. Not planning to abide by rules?"
Facing five hostile magical beasts, Don, shorter, slowly raised his head, amber eyes revealed.