Chapter 357: Episode 14

"Hey, I'm Cher, I'll be investigating with you from now on. Ah, I brought some clothes, do you have any?"

This proposal was accepted. In the end, a joint investigation with the human research team "Quantum" would be conducted, but before that.

One of the members gave me a piece of clothing. At first glance, it was hard to tell if they were male or female, so I asked, and it seems they are female. At that moment, her expression was a smile, but I don't know if it was my imagination, it made me feel a momentary aura of swordsmanship.

I find it difficult to distinguish human faces. They all look very similar, and they look like the same face. It is relatively easier to distinguish them by physique, hair color, and voice quality.

And clothes. I have been unable to turn my head, but I am completely naked. I forgot, because the other party didn't mention it either. For someone like me who has never worn clothes since birth, this is the first "human item" I have possessed.

"Wait a moment, I have prepared water to wash the body over there, I have to clean off the mud first, okay?"

A plastic water tank filled with clear water, a large bathtub, and even a towel to wipe the body were prepared. Water can be extracted from seawater, so I was told I could use it without worrying. I feel like you are being a bit too polite. No, is this a normal reaction?

Feeling something behind me, I brought my nose close to the water in the bathtub and sniffed. When I gently licked it to check the taste, I was mocked by Cher. I don't know what went wrong, but the water seemed fine.

I washed my body timidly, and Cher reached out from behind. There was no sign of an attack, but I carefully dodged.

"I'll wash your back. Look back."

"Fine. I'll do it myself."

At first glance, this seemed like a kind offer, but the other party is a Nen User. You cannot afford to not stay vigilant.

"Don't shrink away."

For some reason, she was very stubborn. I couldn't even wash my body slowly because she kept reaching out her hands. However, although her smile was suspicious, I didn't feel any hostility.

Let's accept the invitation here and see how the other party responds. If you want to use some ability, this is a good opportunity to check it. It's better than being used to find a reward, hidden in the noise of battle.

There are some Nen Abilities that will not be noticed by the opponent even when activated, and the effect will continue to be attached to the target. In that case, I wouldn't notice that she activated an ability, but that's fine. Since the possessed mind is attached to my body, I can activate the Almeiza Machine there.

Unless the set cancellation conditions are met, a Nen Ability with special effects, such as possession, cannot be disabled. However, there is a way to force its release. It is a Nen Ability called "Nen-Nen". It is a Nen Ability that invalidates the opponent's Nen Ability, and its user is called a Nen Master.

I think the power of the Almeiza Machine can be used to replace this annihilation effect. This virus converts Life Energy into metal. Since the possessed mind is formed by the aura (Life Energy) of the person with the ability, it can be invalidated by converting it into a completely different substance, namely the crystal of the virus body.

Usually, "refusal" imposes great restrictions on its use. The abolitionist imposes a burden on himself in some way, depending on the number of abilities he cancels. This is a necessary Constraint of giving up, and not all abilities can be "removed" indefinitely. You cannot cancel Nen that exceeds your own processing capacity.

However, the Almeiza Machine does not have this limitation. Since this is not a Nen Ability, it is not bound by concepts such as "Constraint" or "Contract". Moreover, once the erosion of the virus begins, not only the possessed mind, but even the source of the aura will be tracked, and even the user will be killed. No matter how far you go, you cannot escape the Pursuit of the virus.

This virus has the worst compatibility with possessive Nen Ability users. I thought I had the upper hand by putting on a collar, but the reins were nothing more than a fuse. The culprit was exposed in an instant, and he paid the price with his life without delay.

If there is a disadvantage, it is that it is difficult to get rid of the feeling that has already been planted in the body. If you want to do so, there is nothing you cannot do, but in that case, crystallized metal fragments will form inside Quinn's body. The surrounding cells are damaged, and considering the possibility of being contaminated by toxic substances, the possibility of death is high.

But that's fine. Quinn died, but human hostility can be checked. Regardless of the reason, if they launch an attack without our permission just in case, it will be considered a clear declaration of war. The strategy of taking a friendly response will have to change.

If Quinn is allowed to 'die', the vigilance on the human side might relax a little. This will make attacking a little easier.

"..."

Cher's hand approaches Quinn's back. I won't run away this time. While pretending to wash myself wholeheartedly, I concentrate and look for signs behind me. If something goes wrong, I am ready to pull the trigger.

If you want to come, come, I will greet you with the Almeiza Machine.

Her hands are placed on my abdomen and sides. Then an attack—

-Come!

"Hmm!"

Cher's fingers wiggled like the legs of an arthropod, rattling against Quinn's side. When I touch my own body, I don't think anything of it, but when someone else touches me, I get very ticklish. A shiver runs through me with an unknown sensation.

A violent tickling attack knocked Cher down. I accidentally pushed her away with force, but she performed a graceful strike and rolled on the ground.

"Hahahaha! What's with that sound! Funny!"

I am still holding my stomach and laughing. What does this person want...

"Aren't you afraid?"

Before I knew it, she asked a frank question.

Just in case, I turned on the functions of the Almeiza Machine, but there were no traces of any attack. Why can you perform the meaningless action of tickling here?

If I were in her position, I would never do this. Or rather, I couldn't. The opponent is a Magician with unknown abilities. Being many times more vigilant than I am towards Cher is not enough.

Even if they say they are in a cooperative relationship, they must understand that they are in a balance that can easily collapse with the slightest change.

I am afraid. Even in the current situation where I think I have the upper hand, my vigilance has not relaxed in the slightest. An unknown Nen User is just that dangerous. That is why I want to know how she feels. Where does this leeway come from?

"Hmm? Ah... scary or not, I don't think that's the problem anymore."

Cher sat cross-legged, seemingly thinking about something.

"First of all, we were ordered to monitor you."

"Can I say that?"

"It's fine, you know, don't you? Well, it doesn't matter which one it is. This is not something to hide."

Even so, shouldn't we remain silent in principle? I am becoming more and more puzzled.

"Besides that monitoring, there is another mission to bring the returned things back to the ship. I don't have the confidence that I can do it."

For example, if I approach them with the intention of harming them, it is difficult to stop them before the harm actually occurs. From their perspective, I am an internal disease that has slipped into this unit. You have to overcome the difficulty of finding a reward while holding someone you don't know is an enemy or an ally.

"Just now, when I wanted to tickle you... I had a premonition that if I made any suspicious moves here, I would be killed."

"..."

"Ah, I'm not leaking killing intent again, how should I put it, it's hard to describe in words... is it the same feeling as you being shot by a gun?"

The intention to attack is accompanied by killing intent. For example, when Nen Users are engaged in battle with each other, both sides can sense the other's killing intent, from which they can understand various information such as the enemy's personality, strength, and condition.

However, you don't have to be a Nen User to kill a Nen User. Even ordinary people carrying weapons have enough power to kill someone who is truly capable.

"This is my personal opinion, but the level of preparation in it is different from being hit directly by an aura and being shot by a soldier. Aim and pull the trigger. So people die. It's just that the process of killing doesn't match the result. That's why it's 'good'."

My vigilance towards Cher was nothing more than a trivial killing intent, wanting to be "shot" by her.

"Isn't there anything? Something that can kill me as easily as pulling a trigger."

I don't answer anything. Cher is not in a hurry to answer, just smiles fearlessly. How can you stay calm while realizing this? Why are you approaching me so casually?

"Ah, are you talking about whether you are afraid or not? It's scary."

Saying this, Cher reaches for Quinn's hair. Mud is stuck to it, and I wash it to loosen the Hardened hair strands.

"But, I can't worry about what happens when you betray me. If I start doubting everything from one to ten, I will never finish. Then I can only believe, right?"

I can say the same for myself. No matter how many times one repeats calculated thinking, a transaction that perfectly satisfies both parties' interests will never yield results. The laws and orders that execute contracts do not function properly here.

Due to the chaos, at some point you must trust that both sides will keep their promises. If there is nothing to tolerate in each other, there is no other way but struggle. Even if you have doubts, you must draw a line of "from here to here you can trust."

To me, the boundary is truly blurry. Where do you draw the line of trust? It is as boundless as grasping at clouds. Unless you are a mind reader, you cannot know what others are thinking. Based on what should I trust?

I am sure she has a clear boundary to draw. So do not be afraid to approach me. This might be a human nature I still do not know.

"Of course, I won't force you to say, 'So trust us!'"

I could not say anything. The ratio of doubt and trust was fluctuating. At this stage, I seemed unable to give an answer. If I had believed, I could have responded appropriately, but for some reason, I hesitated.

But she did not refuse to let Quinn bathe. I did not let my guard down, but I decided to accept it.

The clothes they gave me look like military uniforms. Cher taught me how to wear them. This clothing seems to be standard equipment for special forces, with all members wearing the same attire.

The elastic underwear that clings to the body felt a bit unfamiliar to put on. The shape is similar to a full-body bodysuit, and the feeling of being squeezed all over makes me shudder. I wanted to take it off, but it seems to be made of a special high-performance Material.

It has excellent breathability and a special fiber structure that protects the skin, can work to a certain extent even in environments with air pollution, and has high heat resistance and blade resistance. It does not particularly hinder movement, so wait until you get used to it.

"As for the bra... well, I don't have pants..."

No problem. The inner layer can be worn directly. Most importantly, he is wearing camouflage, long sleeves and long pants, and body armor that protects the torso. This is also made of thin, light, and flexible Material, emphasizing the convenience of movement.

I especially like these shoes. Up until now, running in places with bad ground, if the soles of my feet were not strengthened with Aura, they would be full of scratches, but there is no need to worry. The movement of the ankles and toes is restricted a little, so it is a pity, but it is not to the extent of a major hindrance.

However, when these pieces of equipment overlap, it is more difficult to move than when naked, and it is quite Heavy. Please be careful, as it may not work properly. Conversely, believe that if you strengthen the clothes with "Ryu", the defensive power will increase dramatically.

By the way, I often wondered if there was a piece of clothing that fit Quinn's body, but this seems to be spare equipment used by special forces members. The members seem to be adult males, which means his physique is the same as Quinn's, which is a bit worrying.

Since that member is already dead, the equipment was handed over. As a result, it is a bit large and bulky. The shoes are also a bit big, but if you tie them with shoelaces, there is no problem.

A backpack containing essentials was also provided. Supplies like food and water are packed compactly. It even contains a full-face gas mask and an oxygenator. Put your pack in your backpack.

Finally, put on the helmet. This completes the installation of the kit. Join the special forces members who have been waiting.

"…………"

Everyone stared at Quinn. For some reason, only Cher proudly puffed out her chest.

"What do you think, this kind of knowing expression?"

"Why are you bragging, Mr. Cher? No, I am surprised..."

"Even if it is covered in mud, I can feel something glowing, but when the dirt is cleanly removed, the situation is different."

Somehow, they were whispering in a Quan. I think it might be about Quinn's appearance, but I wonder if this clothing doesn't fit her very well.

"No, um, it doesn't fit you. It's just a strange feeling that the daughter of the deep window is stiffened by military special forces equipment. I mean, what is that beautiful hair that maintains its glossy cuticle? Skin. Is it too white? Did you go to a beauty salon? Could it be the previous mud? Is the mud of the Dark Continent best for a Goo?"

He asked questions one after another with a serious expression. Apparently, she suspects that Quinn's skin was not damaged by ultraviolet rays. Although I live outdoors, I didn't get tanned at all, so I can't help but wonder.

This is the restriction effect of "Idolatry" where the "design cannot be changed," but I cannot explain it. Let's assume the Aura keeps the skin young.

"Wait, Mr. Quinn is in trouble, isn't he? Sorry, he is noisy."

"Hmm? I'm here, right?"

"Mr. Cher is a male frame, right?!"

When the black-haired youth spoke, Cher punched the youth in the stomach. It was a blow with solid Aura. If you were an ordinary person, your internal organs would definitely burst.

The youth reacted instantly; this blow was clearly filled with killing intent. It collected Aura and increased defense by applying "Ken" to the abdomen. Even so, he coughed painfully, as if he could not escape the damage.

The offense and defense between Nen users are excellent, but I don't understand why they started to Split at this time.

"That's enough."

The captain man roared, managing the place. If I remember correctly, the name must be Gragg Mcmiyah. As the captain, he seems to have a common-sense personality. However, his behavior is somewhat suspicious, so I really cannot trust him.

I have a strange way of walking. When turning, use the heel as an axis to turn. It's like a marching movement. Furthermore, sometimes it moves so mysteriously that the joints seem to be Fixed.

It is strange to see another man named Katlai not joining the conversation. Gragg and his trembling body did not try to make eye contact with me. No, in a sense, this might be a normal reaction, but...

Does this unit have any decent people?

"First of all, I want to thank you for your cooperation in the process of finding a return. I would like to sincerely become a companion with you, may I introduce myself again?"

Even if I can remember the names, I don't have the confidence to match the faces immediately, so listen carefully and remember it.

Four special forces soldiers and one girl, a strange combination, are heading smoothly to their destination. Night falls, and the first day's activities end successfully. No matter how much time you have left, forcing yourself at night is dangerous. Moreover, this is the Dark Continent.

It is a hard march, still very tense. Rest is essential, both physically and mentally. Especially Cher, who is the key to finding enemies, is the most exhausted because she has to constantly expand a large En. If we don't rest, we won't be able to march tomorrow.

Although not as bad as Cher, the other three are also tired. This is the case even though I have never encountered an enemy and was able to digest the journey smoothly. Captain Gragg Mcmiyah stood with his back against a tree. I feel that if I sit down, I will lose my mind.

On the other hand, the youngest girl among them does not look tired and is calm. It's not that I want to be thin. For the members, this forest is an extraordinary, illusory lair, but for the girl, it is a daily routine. One can tell at a glance that they are used to walking.

At first, I doubted whether such a girl could really accompany me in the pursuit. The girl's appearance is so delicate and unreliable. It looks like a child.

However, honestly, the Gragg family feels that the news that they were residents of this continent before is not fake. Body movement, how to Eliminate signs, keen senses. Its appearance is as delicate as a beast. Deeply rooted in the girl's body is the primitive "survival technique" of life, which can never be learned by living in a community called human society.

That is why it is so unnatural. The girl's body is too clean. Running around in the forest and living in nature, he lacks the muscles that nature possesses. He maintains fair skin without any scratches, cuts, or other scars. It is as beautiful as it originally was.

The body and the power contained within it have lost their balance. The imbalance is forcibly patched together by a powerful Aura. Normally, through Cultivation, Aura, the physical body, and the mind and body will be exercised to produce power, but for her, it is too biased toward only strengthening Aura. If you use the same thought, you will not be able to obtain decent power.

However, without Training muscles, her strengthening speed far exceeds that of ordinary Nen users. This is a push with huge Aura potential and performance. This is an extremely inefficient and dangerous way of using power. If you let high output speak and release it as you please, the body will be destroyed by the excess power.

First of all, you usually cannot strengthen your body to the point where it destroys itself. The limiter that the brain works unconsciously is suppressing the output. Sometimes it is temporarily canceled, such as in the "stupid power of the Fire field," but this situation does not happen often.

There is also a way to deliberately delete this limiter. However, in any martial art, most techniques belong to taboos. If you forcibly pull out power, there will always be recoil. Learning it requires talent and long-term bloody Training, and it is not a technique that can be easily used.

The girl used this technique as if it were a matter of course. How do you cultivate this Mindfulness? What kind of guidance did her father, who would teach her Luan, give her? Gragg Mcmiyah is scratching his head.

It is very likely that he is using some kind of "departure (special ability)". This is an ability that can be said to be the lifeline of a Nen user. If I let you tell me, I have no way to tell you, and asking like this is a serious violation of etiquette. In some cases, it would not be strange to take immediate hostile action.

However, Gragg Mcmiyah succeeded in getting information about her ability from the girl. In order to increase the probability of survival a little, it is better for everyone to understand each person's ability when investigating the dangerous zones of the Dark Continent. It created an opportunity for the five of us to share information here.

Since it is a very private matter, let the girl decide whether to expose her ability. To be fair, the people of Quantum showed their abilities first. Most importantly, the girl was never forced to do anything.

Facing such a response, the girl stepped forward to explain her ability. He did not pretend to hide anything. It seems there was speculation from the beginning.

She seems to be a Nen user belonging to the Specialist System. It has two abilities. One of them is called "Crazy Doll". This seems to be an ability to improve physical recovery functions, but the effect is extraordinary. It is said that even serious injuries can be treated, and as long as it is not Immediate Death, even damaged parts can be restored to their original state.

The recovery ability is indeed very useful in battle, but it is surprising that few people can create it. Hatsu is the pinnacle of the Four Major Principles and is a technique that expresses the essence of a person. Since the user's potential quality is strongly reflected, it is impossible to create anything at will.

Recovery is a characteristic based on the premise of being attacked by an enemy, and it is only one step away from offense. Realizing that Spirit Power is the most important thing and attempting to make this "pull" into a power might be an affirmation of one's own weaknesses. To exert this power, you need qualities different from the senses of an ordinary person.

This must be a rare ability. But Quinn is more special. Physical recovery falls under the category of Enhancement in the system, but most of it is just to increase self-healing power. When it comes to the ability to recover even from deficiencies, it is no longer the realm of recovery, but the realm of regeneration. So, it makes sense that she belongs to the Specialist type rather than the Enhancer type.

Even if she receives fatal damage, it seems unable to heal, and it seems unable to Eliminate infection and Poison, but it is more than enough, powerful to the point of madness. The reason it has been able to survive on the Dark Continent until now is because it has such great ability.

She did not provide any further details, but we can guess that her regenerative ability maintains her youthful appearance. One of the limitations is the lack of muscle. This is why I am convinced that it can withstand physical overuse that exceeds the limits of Aura.

Not only that, she also created another ability. It is about Manipulation of a large insect Attached to her right arm. This one seems to have no name; it is an ability generally included in the category of "biological manipulation," originating from the Manipulation System.

Although it is said to be a Specialist System, it is going against the Manipulation System, but this situation is not uncommon. If you look at the gender chart, the two lines are right next to each other, complementing each other. Even at the cost of efficiency, it is possible to create another ability. Nen also has aspects that function according to the strength of a person's emotions, so it cannot be unconditionally judged as a failed choice.

The types of Manipulation ability users are roughly divided into three main types. The three are "Material Manipulation," "biological manipulation," and "Nen Bead." In the case of a Nen Bead user, because it is a combination ability of the Emission System and the Materialization System, it is difficult to handle.

In contrast, biological manipulation can be said to be an orthodox ability. Its biggest advantage is cost-effectiveness. Like the Nen Bead, shaping one to ten targets of manipulation for the Aura requires a large amount of energy just to maintain it. In this regard, the object of biological manipulation is a living creature with Material, and its power source is provided from the start. It can operate for a long time even if the amount of Aura is small. Depending on the skill of the caster, he is good at manipulating a large number of targets at once.

A representative example of biological manipulation is "human manipulation." It controls others and turns them into puppets. However, this is a particularly difficult technique in biological manipulation and requires the operator's skill and strict usage restrictions. Many conditions are imposed just to be able to eliminate the enemy in an instant.

On the other hand, if it is not a creature with complex thoughts like a human, it is relatively easy to manipulate. Nen Ability has a lot to do with sensation-based corrections, so it is impossible to manipulate any creature, but for example, there are many "animal tamers" who can freely manipulate tamed animals.

People like Quinn are called "insect Magicians." There is no such thing as "weak because we can only manipulate small objects like insects." Especially in this case, the biggest problem is that the manipulated bug is native to the Dark Continent.

Ever since they first saw Quinn, everyone has been curious about this bug, but they didn't pry until she spoke about it. Perhaps it is related to her own ability, so it can be considered not to ask casually.

By manipulating insects, she used the Poison in their fangs. There was no specific mention of the strength or effect of the Poison.

The investigation team found her way of explaining things puzzling. Regarding the ability of the first eye, "idol molding," she spoke as if she had been prepared, but she was perfunctory about the ability of the second eye. It didn't even have an ability name; she just explained it simply, as if it were an event.

Indeed, her Specialist ability is extraordinary; by comparison, controlling insects is a trivial ability—and it might be that she was deliberately trying to induce the conversation. The first ability was not entirely a lie, but it might have been partially aimed at camouflage.

The bug seems to be a very important relative to her, but the idea of forcibly binding such a relative with a control ability feels strange. Moreover, it seems that because of her vow, she cannot leave that bug. It seems to have imposed a heavy promise that if you leave it beyond a certain distance, you will die.

Although the first ability has no specific restrictions or promises (or they were not disclosed), the second ability is unusually heavy. So, deciding to put her on the ship means that this bug must also be taken along.

As long as we don't know the details of this insect, we cannot let our guard down. Just because they are insects inhabiting the Dark Continent, the threat they pose is somewhat mysterious. I still have to carefully check the content of her speaking ability.

The investigation is already underway. Gragg Mcmiyah and others know that her statement contains lies. This is Katrai's ability. I don't know to what extent it is a lie, but I am sure that I did not tell the truth.

Katrai's ability is not omnipotent either. Even if she said it was a deliberate concealment, she did not lie, so the Malice behind it was negligible, and the accuracy of the detection dropped significantly. If she were an unapologetic liar and a deep-rooted liar, Katrai would be in trouble. Fortunately, she is honest, and her lies are easily discovered.

Especially regarding the vow, this is a blatant lie. I knew immediately that this was an excuse to bring the bug onto the ship. Moreover, exposing her obvious weakness is probably to wait and see the reaction of the members. It seems that if the people in the investigation team take action and forcibly separate the bug from her, it can be used as Material to judge hostility.

The girl tried to negotiate a favorable deal for herself, but it is the same thing. Gragg Mcmiyah also did not reveal the whole truth. Naturally, he hid Katrai's lie-detecting ability.

Whether to treat her as an ally or an enemy, the investigation team is waiting for a final decision. After including a potential enemy in the unit, the initial mission of the investigation return must also be completed. Worries weigh heavily on Gragg Mcmiyah's shoulders.

If this were just a relationship of deceiving and being deceived, it might be easier. Assuming this girl named Quinn was an obvious enemy, she could have made the decision to punish her decisively.

She is too "human" to say that.

Quinn's cooperation is an important reason why we were able to reach the scheduled location without encountering enemies or fighting them. Cheru's Fist, Katrai's sense of bloodlust, Tokunosuke's reconnaissance of Nen Bead; in the past, there have been scenes where contact with enemies could not be avoided even with multi-layered searches.

Quinn's sense for finding enemies in the wild is worth seeing, but the most useful thing is his knowledge of the range of activities of large creatures. In this forest ecosystem where the food chain is chaotic, it is extremely difficult to grasp the territory of the creatures inhabiting it. It requires delicate and professional knowledge, like reading tides that are constantly being disturbed.

This kind of knowledge appears naturally in life. She is able to predict the range of dangerous creatures from the slightest traces and derive a safer route. He generously disclosed information worth millions of dollars.

He is also very knowledgeable about edible plants. Gragg Mcmiyah had some questions about the plants he saw along the way. This was an opportunity to obtain valuable information about poisonous plants and mushrooms.

When eating, he didn't seem to like the taste of the portable food provided. He didn't seem to like eating meat. In exchange, he wolfed down the hard biscuits that came with the rations as a luxury, winning laughter from everyone. He was expressionless, but his cheeks bulged like a hamster's; it must have been delicious.

Although he does not have a talkative personality and answers coldly, he has also asked the members questions about the continent where humans live several times.

Someone asked Gragg Mcmiyah if he knew a cartoon called "Hunter x Hunter." He didn't know much about manga, so he couldn't answer, but from the title, one could guess that it was a work about Hunters. There are many works depicting the activities of Hunters who have achieved amazing feats. The girl said she wanted to see the manga.

Nothing, just an ordinary child. If she hadn't been born in such a place, hadn't acquired the power she deserved, and had been born on the human continent, she should have been able to live a normal life. I can understand the desire to escape this hell and live a normal life like a human.

There were no lies in her words. Just a modest request to be put on the ship is far away. If this girl were a heartless monster intending to use the investigation team to destroy humanity, then one of Gragg Mcmiyah's concerns would be resolved.

I can't help but think that he is a difficult opponent.