Pedrocese, [Abyss] Base.
At eight in the morning, after seeing Illumi off on his flight home, Illumi returned to the base. He was originally going to go back with Illumi,
but Ikshampi temporarily informed him that they had received the latest intelligence about that monster from the Ozuma Federation Navy. Furthermore, besides the monster's intelligence, they also obtained a classified file from the Ozuma Federation Navy.
"A creature capable of learning and imitating humans and other species?" Illumi sat alone at the head of the central conference room, his fingers lightly sliding across the desktop,
viewing the intelligence obtained by Riley Gates from the Ozuma Federation military system. Extremely powerful learning and adaptive abilities, and a special ability to freely change its form. It had always lived thousands of meters deep on the seabed, never seeing the light of day.
"Boss, Riley has sent over the video from the Koman Trench." Ikshampi's voice rang out in the central conference room, his cartoon image appearing on the floating globe in the middle.
Illumi lightly nodded, gesturing for it to be played. "Static..." The screen on the floating globe in the middle of the round table flickered, and immediately a dark image appeared. White light occasionally flashed across the screen, illuminating the front.
"This is footage from ten hours ago." Ikshampi explained.
"This is in the deep sea?" Illumi's eyelids drooped. From the footage, it appeared to be some kind of deep-sea submersible conducting reconnaissance in the deep sea. As the submersible continued to descend, a submarine appeared in the footage.
"This is the 'Stealth Assassin' Seadragon-class strategic nuclear submarine that the Ozuma Federation lost contact with two months ago. Their original mission was to proceed to the Koman Trench for a bombing mission."
Ikshampi's voice rang out in the conference room at the appropriate time. "However, as they were about to reach the Koman Trench, they 'accidentally' encountered the SCP-S719 World Serpent, which had followed Beyond and others from the Dark Continent."
"The World Serpent actively attacked them, causing the 'Stealth Assassin' to be damaged and sink into the Koman Trench." "And this military operation, while ostensibly a rescue mission,
was actually to detonate the nuclear missiles that had sunk into the Koman Trench, thereby destroying the creatures at the bottom of the Koman Trench." As Ikshampi's voice fell, Illumi, who was lightly tapping the desktop in thought, suddenly froze as a familiar emblem appeared at the bottom of the screen.
"Mobius strip?" Gazing at the two interconnected rings in the footage, which flickered with a faint blue light, Illumi's heart filled with doubt. But the next scene made his pupils suddenly dilate. In the dark, deep sea, sixty-four crimson vertical pupils suddenly appeared, and the footage cut off.
"Boss, next is footage from an hour ago." The footage flashed, showing the sea surface. On the surging, storm-ridden sea, a tugboat was towing a semi-submersible drilling platform towards the distance.
The footage remained locked on a distant sea area also experiencing wind and rain. Suddenly, the entire sea in the footage abruptly jolted. The screen shook, as if something like a shockwave had swept through.
At the very end of the footage, only a white light was seen erupting from beneath the sea, followed by a violent explosion like an underwater volcano erupting.
A towering sea current, a thousand meters in diameter, rose from the seabed, soaring skyward. A giant mushroom cloud stood on the sea surface, unmoving in the raging storm.
"The nuclear missile was detonated." Illumi looked at the terrifying mushroom cloud in the footage, his fingers having stopped tapping the desktop.
His expression was solemn. "In an explosion of this magnitude, I wonder if the World Serpent can still survive." Illumi thought to himself.
However, the Ozuma Federation would likely send people to investigate. Not only that, the Hunter Association and V5 might already be negotiating how to deal with the World Serpent.
And the issue Illumi was currently concerned with was the creature, described in the Ozuma Federation's classified files, that could transform into other life forms. To avoid causing panic, and also because of the small number of such creatures, the Ozuma Federation had hidden all information about it.
By now, two years had passed. No one knew where those creatures capable of freely changing form had gone or what they were doing. Or rather, they had been hiding in human society, learning human knowledge, and acting like humans.
If that were the case, then their intelligence had reached a worrisome level. A world where humans were supreme would never allow creatures that could contend with humans in intelligence to exist. If there were, humans would spare no effort to exterminate them.
If these creatures also learned such an ideology from humans, they would certainly devise some kind of conspiracy against humans, or even replace them.
"You must always pay attention to murder cases worldwide, especially mysterious murder cases." Illumi commanded in a solemn tone. In fact, he himself also adhered to the ideology of human supremacy. He would not allow the existence of any creature that could threaten the human race.
"Yes, boss." Ikshampi replied, his cartoon image disappearing. Ikshampi left, and the large central conference room was left with only Illumi, silent. "Let's check the news." A hint of loneliness arose in Illumi's heart. His fingers lightly tapped the desktop, and the image on the central globe flashed. A game console appeared on the screen.
"Greed Island!" "A dreamlike game, privately produced by a mysterious individual, renowned worldwide half a year ago!" "A hunting game exclusively for Hunters!" "To be auctioned at the South Piece Auction House on November 1st. Everyone is encouraged to sign up and participate in the auction."
Accompanied by the host's voice, the camera gradually moved away from the game console, revealing a grand auction house scene. The South Piece Auction House was a legitimate auction house in Yorknew City, not an underground auction house run by gangs.
The news just now was their official promotion, aimed at attracting all those interested in this mysterious dreamlike game to the event. After the news about the mysterious game [Greed Island] ended, the next was an international news report.
"September 17th, three personnel from foreign television stations attempted to infiltrate NGL with modern technological products, to film a documentary interviewing and tracking residents of the NGL autonomous region."
"September 21st, according to information from the Mitene Union, the three foreign television personnel have all been arrested. One was executed, and two were detained."
"Negotiations are currently underway between the foreign government and the NGL autonomous region's official institutions for the extradition of the remaining two foreign television personnel." Illumi closed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping the desktop, turning off the news broadcast.
"Greed Island, I remember there are some very peculiar cards in it." "For example, Archangel's Breath, a card that can instantly restore a dying person to full health." "It can heal fatal wounds and incurable diseases in one breath, but it can only be used once."
Illumi clasped his hands on his crossed thighs. He wondered who created the Archangel's Breath card, to have developed such a bug-like healing ability. However, Illumi hadn't thought of specifically seeking it out. After all, such powerful healing ability must come with a price that ordinary people cannot bear.
"Before going home, I need to make a trip to Yorknew City." Illumi slowly stood up, walking out of the conference room. He immediately arranged a flight to Yorknew City for the same day. He was going to Yorknew City to participate in the auction and obtain the rare cards from this game.
There were many strange cards in the Greed Island game, such as the Pregnancy Stone. Carrying this 3kg stone for one month, after a week, regardless of gender, one would become pregnant. The stones came in male and female versions, and one could choose the desired gender of the child.
In his previous life, readers of Hunter x Hunter once suspected that the protagonist was born by Gin using the Pregnancy Stone. After all, Gin, this person, always wandered around, exploring, tomb-raiding, etc. How could he have time for romance, marriage, and having children? The original story also had no description of the protagonist's mother.
The Concealing Cavern: once entered, one could access any uninhabited place within the country from there. No matter where one was sent, one could freely return to the original starting cavern. This was also an ability that could be called bug-level, simply a simplified version of a spatial wormhole.
Illumi was unclear about the range of this ability, but judging from the original story, the range of this ability at least covered the entire Greed Island. However, if one left the range of Greed Island, how large the coverage of this ability would be was uncertain.
What Illumi wanted, besides Archangel's Breath, was this Concealing Cavern. As for the third card, besides these two overpowered cards, he didn't remember the others very clearly. He would see then.
Additionally, he planned to collect Greed Island game owners worldwide and buy them at a high price. If the other party was unwilling, he would simply forcefully take them.
Illumi's idea was that a single card could only be cleared once. So, he would collect enough cards and continuously clear the game. He would try his best to get some useful cards from this game until they could no longer be materialized. He wanted to maximize his "wool-pulling" from the protagonist's father, Gin Freecss.
Pedrocese, Pattilus University Medical School.
"Sigh~" In a exquisitely decorated single female dormitory, a purple-haired girl with a single ponytail sat on a stool in front of her desk. Her left hand propped her chin, her elbow resting on the desk, a pen spinning rapidly with the movement of her right hand. She stared blankly at the scenery outside the window.
"Whoosh, whoosh~~" A cool autumn breeze blew past, the curtains danced with the wind, stirring up Machi's memories.
"It makes no sense." Machi always felt this way whenever she thought of the man who had tricked her away from Meteor City.
Four years ago, that man tricked her out of that place for no reason. He gave her an identity, food and clothes, money, and even found her teachers, giving her the best environment, and even letting her attend university.
She really wanted to ask that person, why? Why did he specifically take her out of Meteor City? Why did he give her so much, such a good growth environment? That's right,
Machi was currently in the junior class at Pattilus Medical School. This world also had many countries with junior classes. However, junior classes were not available at every university; only schools of Pattilus University's caliber had them.
"I wonder how Chrollo and the others are doing." Machi thought to herself. She had disappeared without a trace. Chrollo and the others must have been very angry and anxious at the time. But after so many years, she actually knew the identity of the person who took her away.
Umbrella Bio-Tech Corporation, this now famous multinational monopoly group, a veritable commercial empire. And that man was the mastermind behind it all. Chrollo and the others, even if they knew who took her,
probably wouldn't be able to rescue her. What's more, her current situation wasn't what they might imagine. No, it should be said that compared to Meteor City, it was like heaven and earth.
"Machi!" Suddenly, a perverted head popped out of the window, shouting her name.
"Swish!" A pen instantly plunged towards the intruder's eye, but it suddenly stopped just before hitting.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Long time no see. You're not trying to kill me as soon as we meet, are you?" Nobunaga stared at the tip of the pen, less than a centimeter from his eyeball, his eyelids twitching wildly. A drop of cold sweat trailed down his temple.
"Nobunaga?" Machi looked at the young face that suddenly appeared outside the window with surprise. At the same time, she felt happy. "If you're here, then..."
"Thump, thump..." Before he could finish, a knock sounded at the door. Machi placed the pen on the book and turned to open the door, while Nobunaga used his arm strength to easily climb in through the window. "Click." Machi gripped the doorknob and gently opened a crack, looking outside with wariness mixed with a hint of anticipation.
"Excuse me."
"Machi." Chrollo, dressed in a black T-shirt and with a bandage on his head, greeted Machi softly from outside the door. "Chrollo!" Machi looked at Chrollo outside the door, her expression surprised and delighted. She fully opened the door and looked behind Chrollo. Phinks, Pakunoda, and Uvogin were also there.
"Hi~ Machi." Pakunoda smiled and waved to her. After four years, she still wore a slim-fit, elegant suit with a V-neck, golden shoulder-length hair, and long, straight, fair legs, looking cold and sexy. "Aren't you going to invite us in for a sit?" Phinks's voice was still hoarse and carried a cold tone, but his eyes, looking at Machi, were full of trust.
"Then, please come in." Machi smiled, stepping aside to invite them in. Chrollo and his group slowly entered the room. After Chrollo and all four others entered the room, Machi poked her head out the door and looked left and right, finding no one. Only then did she close the door.
"Are you looking for those guards?" Nobunaga, by the window, asked Machi, observing her actions.
"Yes, how did you bypass those bodyguards and get in?" Machi closed the door, then turned around and asked curiously. You know, that man had assigned bodyguards to her, although they usually didn't appear. But as long as she encountered trouble she couldn't solve, those bodyguards would take action.
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