Chapter 368: Episode 25

Crossing the dark seas, passing through the Marginal Waters, and reaching the Human World. What is it that you truly need?

First, understand your current location. I must know where this island is. It is understood that this research ship was docked at the northern end of Mobius Lake. Considering this island is within the range of the Fugura, it is highly likely not far from the docking port.

However, with the current landmass completely lost, there is no way to determine the exact location. It is currently unclear how far the Disaster of the jellyfish blew them away. The investigation team can only confirm a portion of the Fugura's habitat; it is almost impossible to determine its current position.

And a square. Assuming this island is located in the northern part of Mobius Lake, we must head south to reach the human sphere. Setting sail without knowing the exact direction is no different from drifting.

Just in case, I took the compass from the ship, but the magnetic force emitted by the lakes on this island has gone crazy. But no problem. I have acquired the ability to know the direction more accurately than a compass.

The blue metal I captured on this island has properties closely related to magnetism. The railgun is an application of this energy, and the massive current it generates is also controlled by magnetic force. By integrating this metal into its exoskeleton, the main body has enhanced its perception of magnetism. That is to say, the main body itself is a compass, and by sensing the Earth's magnetic field, it can deduce the direction.

But knowing the correct direction does not mean you are on the correct path. Even if you think you are going straight, it is possible to be swept away by the waves and move diagonally without realizing it. In extreme cases, after a desperate voyage, it is possible to pass through the Human World and reach the southern shore of Mobius Lake.

Worse still, the premises of these assumptions are completely bleak. It is a way of navigation. There is no way to cross this sea.

There are not even materials on the island to build a raft. First of all, sailing on a ship of a scale that can be built by an individual is extremely difficult. Even the slightest weather change could be fatal, at least until you leave the range of the Fugura. I cannot be optimistic about the sea ahead.

At the very least, the ability to breathe underwater needs to be integrated into the main body. In these waters, there are very few creatures adapted to the sea of slime. If you do not acquire these breathing abilities, sailing is terrifying and impossible.

There are countless things missing. However, you must acquire them one by one.

There are different types of "strength." Can I really call myself a "strong person"?

It might be strong under certain conditions. However, in an environment that deviates from those conditions, it is impossible to fully demonstrate its power. And often, the environment that is convenient for you is not the battlefield.

I do not have the ability to adapt to naval warfare or sea battles. The large number of main bodies and the railgun have power based on standing on the ground. The stage of future battles is at sea. And the enemy is a "strong person" who struggles for survival in that kind of environment.

On land, even if an enemy stronger than oneself appears, one can hide and escape. But at sea, even that does not work. With the speed of a ship, you cannot escape the fangs of the predators that haunt these waters. The human research ship is able to sail safely under the guidance of advanced technology and a "Guide." It can also be said to be one of its strengths.

Even if a ship were built, I feel it would only be useful for saving some physical strength in the first few days after Departure. The ship is broken. Whether it is an enemy attack or the result of an abnormal natural environment, it should be destroyed.

That is to say, most of the travel must be completed by swimming. Even if by some means you could get a ship capable of long-distance travel, it would be useless if you could not swim at all. Furthermore, one must not only swim but also possess swimming skills that take combat into account.

This kind of training is essential for crossing the ocean. I entrusted this task to Biscuit. Currently, no matter how hard you try, the main body has no swimming ability. This is something that only Biscuit, who can move precisely without needing to breathe underwater, can do.

If it were just swimming, you could do it effortlessly. The problem is this sea of slime. The more you struggle in the water, the more viscous the seawater becomes, and the more you struggle. Even if you float, the seawater around its body will gradually turn into a cocoon-like solid, and if you swim even a little, you will be immediately blocked.

When stimulated, this slime reacts and changes from liquid to fibrous. The cocoon is formed by the aggregation of countless bundles of tough fibers, which are not easily cut. They are not shackles that can be slipped out of at sea, let alone in a battle with an enemy.

However, even in these waters, there are creatures that can move. That jellyfish might have used its teleportation ability to repel the seawater, so it cannot be used as a reference, but the sea urchin I hit at the time was definitely adapted to these waters. The thorns were not caught by the slime and moved straight ahead at extreme speed.

Furthermore, the propulsion engine installed on the research ship also made sailing no longer a worry about slime. Not all stimuli are related to reactions. In that case, the sea itself, which is constantly flowing and churning, should have turned into a cocoon.

There is a key to swimming across this sea. Through trial and error, and at the cost of many Biscuits, I discovered this secret.

It is possible to swim. It does not oppose the movement of the waves, but it paddles in the water and gains propulsion. There is a way of swimming that balances the contradictions. Throwing the entire body into the invisible gaps of the water flow, like weaving between the waves, without resting for a moment. The angle and force of putting your hands into the water open a path thinner than a line, and gracefully curving your legs allows you to glide through the water.

Its way of swimming mimics the movement of an earthworm rather than a fish. When you lift a large Stone, you can observe the movement of the earthworm hiding under it trying to escape quickly to the underground. How can an earthworm without arms and legs drill into a hole so nimbly? This is the function of the bristles covering the surface of the earthworm.

It is called peristalsis. Muscles produce movements that propagate contraction waves, transporting objects in a specific direction. In the case of earthworms, they can move quickly by moving countless bristles in a wave-like manner.

Applying this principle, the body surface of Biscuit is wrapped in a thin layer of wart-like Aura. Its length is about 1 centimeter, just like the bristles of an earthworm growing from Biscuit's whole body. The Aura itself does not have the power of physical interference, but there is a flow of energy there. On the contrary, it is convenient. I was able to convert the energy waves into fine peristaltic movements and transmit them to the water without causing unnecessary stimulation to the slime.

However, the stroke requires great concentration. Changing the shape of the Aura into warts is a technique belonging to the Manipulation category. It is incompatible with the Specialist-type Biscuit. It is easy to make just a few warts, but it was originally impossible to grow enough warts to cover the entire body and keep them orderly without the slightest interference, moving them in a wave-like manner.

The reason I was able to do this is largely due to the use of "Thought Calculation (Multi-tasking)." As the number of main bodies increases, its performance has also significantly improved. If there are more consciousness bodies to handle tasks, the processing speed also increases. Processing more complex information has become possible.

Even if that power is fully utilized, it is difficult to manipulate the warts. It can only be activated continuously for a short time. Furthermore, during the wart stroke, even basic Nen Ability like "Kneading" cannot be used normally.

Moreover, this swimming method does not mean that you don't have to do anything after manipulating the warts. You must pay close attention to the movement of the waves and follow the ever-changing path of the waves. It is as difficult as finding the right route in a maze that branches like capillaries. If you draw a dead end, it ends there. No matter how precisely you move your Aura hair, if you are caught in the waves, you will become prey to the slime.

This difficulty level is on a calm sea where the wind is not particularly strong. Facing a storm, you are helpless. The threat of nature is the greatest enemy.

Without time to rest every day, Biscuit continues to challenge the sea.

More than 100 days have passed since they drifted to this island.

Biscuit dumped the contents of her bag.

This bag is kept by one of the main bodies. Only small items that do not hinder movement can be put in, so only truly important things can be put in. It used to contain food like nuts, but most of it was discarded because it was eaten or damaged by seawater.

Look at what rolls out of the bag. A few small cans of biscuits, Stones, and some trash like raisins. I picked up the can rolling around at my feet, making a rattling sound, and threw it against the Wall.

But that hand never swung. This can was given to me by Cher before. I thought I would eat it later, so I put it in a bag. When the drifting started, food was scarce, and for some reason, I didn't touch it, and in the end, I just left it in the bag. I might never eat it again.

Put the canned food back in the bag. I also put the pebble "Soul Stone" that fell on the ground back into the bag. The rest are things that look like dried plant nuts. It was harvested from a hallucinogenic flower obtained when he fought the dead tree man.

The effect was too strong, and even the main body that shared consciousness through Biscuit produced extreme hallucinogenic symptoms. Then why do you still take these things seriously until now? On one hand, it might be a reward. I think it will come in handy sometimes.

Honestly, it's just an excuse. I've only experienced Poison once. I can guess why the dead tree man wanted to cultivate this. The Poison of this plant is addictive.

There is no end to life on the island. No matter how I cultivate, no matter how much power I acquire, I don't know if the day I cross the sea will come. Anxiety weighs heavily on him day by day, making Biscuit's swimming sluggish.

If it were the old me, I shouldn't be panicking here. Do your best and wait for the right time. He never doubted himself, only thinking about the goals of "I want to go to the Human World" and "I want to understand humans." At least I shouldn't be in a hurry to forget myself.

After meeting the investigation team, my mindset, which had originally undergone complex changes, also lost its former simplicity. This might be the feeling of the person I am looking for, but it is also a weakness.

Facing a dream that is almost within reach, the frustration of not being able to reach that place again. A feeling of rejection, that my place is not here.

I want some hope. Even if it is just a momentary pleasure, even if it doesn't solve any problems, I can't help but reach out.

The dried spongy fruit of this plant mysteriously drips a drop of juice when squeezed. Even if it is withered, as long as you pinch it, only a drop will fall. If Biscuit drinks it, she will die, but the body can withstand it. It brings a drunken state and infects everyone who shares the consciousness.

It produces a strong psychedelic effect, and in Biscuit's field of vision, colorful gradients and kaleidoscopic geometric patterns dance wildly. You can actually touch them. They may not exist in reality, but there is definitely a tactile sensation.

Biscuit's body, the beach she stands on, the sea, everything is twisted like a vortex. Among them, only the patterns soaring in the air and twisting and turning have unchanging characteristics. This is a "Wave." Don't let your distorted vision deceive you, just feel the movement of the waves, and you will be fine.

This Poison has the effect of increasing the sensitivity of all things to wavelengths. The power that the dead tree man used to resonate his own voice and destroy any part of them was presumably derived from this effect. Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce the same action with Biscuit's voice. Because of their unique voices, they can do this. However, Biscuit possesses the technique to handle Aura that they do not.

Go to Meditation.

The wonderful scenes shown by hallucinogenic drugs are sometimes revered for their mystery. Since ancient times, Wizards have used drugs to enter religious trance states to communicate with supernatural beings such as gods. In modern times, hallucinations have been evaluated as culture and art.

Although it is a feeling shared by humans, it has an attractive power because it is a field that is usually not recognized. There is a completely unusual world. Fantastic phantoms strike as an overwhelming reality. The world no longer has a normal form, dominated by the senses from within oneself, and consciousness and unconsciousness become mixed like a Snake.

Meditation is deeper than ever before. The results of physical Training are combined there. Swimming in this bottomless Swamp sea is inseparable from the "Four Major Principles"—the foundation of Nen Ability. Meditation and cultivation, body and mind as one.

Reaching a state of extreme concentration, Biscuit's consciousness captures strands of Aura circling on her own body. There is a specific process in the Flow. Like blood vessels, there are pathways that run through the whole body. It is that pore that releases Life Energy from the body to the outside, that path.

And understand. The Four Major Principles are nothing more than controlling this "path." I remembered the most basic teachings in the Four Major Principles of Shingen-ryu.

"Know the Mantle, remember the Absolute, experience the Training, reach the Departure."

Everything begins with "Piercing." The opening of the Shoko lies in identifying the energy path that connects the self to the external world. However, as the path is created, the boundary between the spirit and the outside world becomes blurred. A technique that allows the Aura seeping from damaged skin to remain around the body and fix its shape. That is "Piercing."

The activity of the mind, completed within the body, influences the world outside the skin, even if only by a few centimeters. This is an intrusion upon the world, transcending existing physical laws. The influence of the mind transcends the body, changing one's existence and influence. This is the essence of the heart.

The foundation is "Piercing"; if the sensation is understood, neither "Absolute" nor "Training" are difficult. The "Zetsu" technique is a method to cut off the flow of Aura by closing the Shoko. It isolates oneself from the world and minimizes the influence of the mind. Conversely, "Kneading" opens the Shoko and releases a powerful Aura. It is a state that expands one's existence and increases one's influence on the world.

These are merely distinctions representing forms of Aura; in essence, they are the same. "Hatsu" is also the same, the end point of the Four Major Principles, known as the pinnacle of Nen Ability. Varying by user, "Hatsu" with its diverse effects may seem different from other techniques at first glance, but it has a close connection.

The answer is the direction of force. "Ryu," "Zetsu," and "Kneading" are forces directed against the exterior of the self. However, "Hatsu" is directed toward the inner self. It is an influence on the microscopic world of one's body and mind.

There is a world within my heart. The influence exerted on the inner world is "Hatsu." The flow of power is not a conscious thing. Finding that infinitely small world is difficult and elusive. It is a flow of power equal to nothing.

So, give it your way. By naming it an ability and expressing its effects, the flow of power has meaning for the first time. Even if this power is inward, it eventually affects the outside world. If you keep pouring water into a cup, it will eventually overflow and wet the table.

In other words, the function of the Shoko exists deep within the self. Developing an ability through "Hatsu" is the process of opening this inner hole. If you do not understand yourself and try to acquire an inappropriate ability, you will not be able to open this path well and reach your full potential.

Conversely, if you can grasp the flow of that Aura and accurately control the Shoko within your body, the accuracy of "Release" will improve. The Cultivation of "Material," "Zetsu," and "Training" will naturally lead to the result of improved "Hatsu" effects.

The extreme state of Meditation pushed my "mental tuning" to a higher dimension. Thousands of "me" formed a network within one body. Thousands of corpses gathered together, and the network became complex and vast.

I don't even know the details anymore. Consciousness expands infinitely. It is as vast as the universe. Infinite consciousness converges at one point. In order to operate the execution machine named Quinn, it exports optimal instructions.

Thousands of subjects, as well as the large number of "me" existing in the eggs, are watching Quinn's movements. From postural damping, skeletal movement, and muscle micro-movements, every part of the consciousness is captured in detail. This allows you to record every smallest change.

Repeated Training is essential for mastering martial arts techniques. By repeating the same movements over and over, you will learn to control the best techniques in combat. He notices the errors in his movements, corrects them little by little, and eventually develops a technique. However, there is no completion there. The ultimate of martial arts is infinitely distant; if Cultivation has an end, it is merely a Compromise.

The most important thing in the Training process is "noticing one's own errors." People want to believe in their own justice without realizing it. If you practice wrong movements in the wrong way, you will only learn wrong techniques. That is why the existence of a martial arts master is great; correct guidance allows a person to grow a lot.

If you can do it by self-study, then you will need the same effort and time to open up a path where there is no road. I have no teacher to teach me how to swim right now. However, I have countless "eyes" observing myself. I can realize my own errors as soon as I practice, whereas an ordinary person would need to practice dozens of times to realize them.

The vast amount of error information extracted and accumulated in this way is returned to Quinn. All feedback information is corrected in Quinn, and the program is constantly being rewritten.

Quinn does not need to think much. No, by eliminating the space for thought, she achieves full-body Training. The collection of information and the resolution of problems are entrusted to the host's network. Then she only needs to focus on running the completed program.

That is a state of extreme focus. Subjective time is compressed, the moment is elongated, and it feels like it lasts forever. In movement, it is a state called "Ryu" or "Flow," and in martial arts, it leads to a state of "no-self" and "no-mind."

Only do what needs to be done. The selfless state of eliminating all distracting thoughts is to liken oneself to an empty doll. Ironically, this is a return to Quinn's essence as a Nen Ability doll, and her Nen Ability performs at its best level at that time.

For Quinn, the marine environment is no longer a threat. Embracing the water that soaks the whole body allows you to relax, just like the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus. You can swim naturally, as if your body knows the answer.

Its wart-like Aura on the body surface perfectly captures the waves. It reads the shape of the waves passing through the liquid and swims by matching the movement of the body. It achieves ideal movement, without an error of 1/1000th of a millimeter.

Quinn sailed across the sea. At its destination, there was a living organism reacting. It was a giant squid 20 meters in length.

This kind of squid has been common in the island's waters recently. The plants that absorb Aura have been managed and cultivated, and the recent invasion of magnetic snails has also subsided somewhat. Perhaps because of this, creatures never seen before have begun to appear. Gradually, the ecosystem around the island has begun to change.

So far, this is a welcome change for me. This kind of squid is easy to catch and has great practical value as food and as research Material for feeding and mating. In addition, its bones (squid bones) are strong, can float on the water, and are waterproof, so they are expected to be used as Material for ships.

The giant squid extended its long tentacles and launched an attack on Quinn as it approached. The body of this squid is covered with a unique mucous membrane that can neutralize sea mucus. Therefore, even in this thick sea, movement does not slow down.

You can dodge the approaching tentacles, but the next attack will appear soon. Or rather, there is no need to avoid it. Quinn threw a hand blade and drained the water on the spot. The wart-like Aura on that hand was wriggling, producing subtle Aura fluctuations.

The vibration produced by one swing of the arm cut the sea in a straight line. It is not that I put a lot of effort into it. It felt like expanding a gap a little along the seams of the sea waves. The tentacles of the squid in the line of Fire were completely severed.

However, the strength of this squid lies in its amazing body regeneration speed. Five seconds later, the tentacles will return to their original state. However, 5 seconds is enough time to finish everything.

Aim for the squid's body and approach it. The detached tentacles were thrashing wildly, blocking Quinn's path, but when she swung her arm, it burst like a balloon, turning into small pieces of meat that flew across the sea surface.

It is easy to defeat the enemy like this, but if you want to bring it back as food, it is better to keep its original shape. However, it cannot be killed by the enemy's resilience just by causing some damage. After all, even if the head is completely destroyed, it is a creature that regenerates immediately. A little precise force control.

Quinn 'sees' the enemy with 'Ryu.' Its eyes can even capture invisible light waves passing through matter. Through (scanning), the movement of force flowing through the body can be seen from inside the skin to the organ structure. Determine the place where the enemy will not regenerate after being crushed, and determine the lifeline that surrounds the whole body.

Quinn's hand touched the enemy. Not a strike, just a light touch. It also contained only a small amount of Aura. If you convert it into offensive and defensive power, I would say 10. However, that small amount of energy is the starting water that spreads the waves. It is a resonance phenomenon caused by Aura.

Every Material has its own natural frequency, and when it is subjected to vibrations of a specific frequency, the amplitude increases infinitely, eventually decomposing. The dead tree humans use sound to manipulate the vibrations of the air and developed this resonance into a weapon.

In Quinn's case, this is achieved through the vibration of her Aura. Breathing, pulse, blood pressure, body temperature. Organisms always have their own "waves" in their lives. If you accurately read the flow of that Life Energy and emit Aura fluctuations that synchronize with the enemy's vital signs, the enemy's own Aura will go out of control and self-destruct.

This makes it possible to destroy only the enemy's vital points locally and kill them with minimal effort. Of course, if you change the part to be destroyed, you can disable it while keeping it alive. Touched by Quinn, the giant squid stopped moving, twitched, and floated to the surface of the water. All that remained was to drag it to the island.

Quinn put her head into the sea to look in the direction of the small island. The sky was dyed redder, and the Sun was about to set into the sea.

Strange.

If I remember correctly, when I discovered the giant squid's reaction and entered the sea, it must have been around noon. It took less than a few minutes to kill the squid. How is it already night?

Clouds flew by like birds. The Sun had set, and the Moon was shining in the middle of the sky.

My senses are accelerating. No, my consciousness has not kept up. Which one?

Without realizing it, Quinn was already standing on the sandy beach of the island. The giant squid that should have been killed was nowhere to be found.

My memory has become blurred. I don't know if the fight with the squid just now actually happened.

What have I been doing all day today?

A sudden, violent nausea rose. A severe headache. I had difficulty breathing. Those symptoms, which should have been self-repaired by the Nen Ability, could not be relieved at all.

I cannot breathe. If this continues, I will suffocate. Something is stuck in my throat. When I put my Finger into my mouth, there was something like a crawling Snake. No, it was a tentacle. That squid's tentacle was attacking Quinn. I immediately took it out of my mouth.

"Oh... ugh..."

Massive bleeding. Look at the foreign object removed from the back of the throat. Only a small piece of pink meat.

Squatting on the ground. I can only hear the whistling and the breathing like a broken flute. No one is here. Except for me, no one is here. Where did everyone go?

I really can't take it anymore, at this speed, hurry up and take the next medicine...