Germain, Shizuku, Ging, and a refreshed, neatly dressed Bisky returned once again to the top floor of the towering structure.
Light and shadow alternated, dividing the stone-brick floor into two distinct sections—one large, one small—separated by a straight line, much like the boundary between dawn and dusk.
Ging once again spread out the copied and summarized records from his ancestor's book—Journey to the New World: East Edition—along with the Dangerous Creatures Evaluation List.
He had flipped through these scrolls countless times, their edges curled from his fingers constantly brushing against them.
"During the days you were away, I actually spoke with Menchi and Sanbica about this matter. They've both decided to leave the final decision to us."
"I just met with Buhara earlier, and he shares the same view. That means the four of us here will determine our next target."
"Any objections?" Ging cleared his throat and swept his sharp gaze across the other three.
Germain and Bisky shook their heads one after another. Shizuku, after seeing Germain's response, also followed suit.
Ging couldn't help but think—maybe Shizuku shouldn't have been included in this decision-making.
She would likely just follow Germain's lead, which could be troublesome...
But there was no denying the importance of Shizuku's Nen ability. With her recent power boost, she was now just behind the three of them in terms of combat strength.
In fact, when it came to necessity, she was second only to Germain.
Without Germain, there would be no Journey to the Dark Continent. And without Shizuku, this team wouldn't be able to sustain itself on the Dark Continent for long.
Logically and emotionally, she deserved to be here...
Forget it. The important thing isn't choosing the right option—it's making sure we're united in whichever one we pick.
Since no one voiced any objections, Ging continued.
"Among the Five Great Calamities, there are still three we have yet to explore or resolve."
"They are even more dangerous and mysterious than the first two."
"The Gaseous Lifeform: Ai."
"The Twin-Tailed Snake: Hellbell."
"Human-Keeping Beast: Pap."
"Their 'danger level' is all rated as A, and both their 'numbers' and 'reproductive ability' remain unknown."
"To make things clearer, I've compared them side by side with some known threats—'Botanical Weapon: Brion,' 'Immortality Disease: Zobae,' and 'Chimera Ants'."
Ging spread out a large sheet of paper in front of everyone. It displayed a comparison of the six known dangerous creatures, ranking them based on what was already known.
--- "Aggressiveness" Ranking ---
"The Twin-Tailed Snake: Hellbell" – A-1"Gaseous Lifeform: Ai" – A-2"Human-Keeping Beast: Pap" – A-2"Botanical Weapon: Brion" – B"Chimera Ants" – B~C"Immortality Disease: Zobae" – C-1
--- "Destructive Power" Ranking ---
"Chimera Ants" – A"Botanical Weapon: Brion" – A-1"The Twin-Tailed Snake: Hellbell" – A-2"Gaseous Lifeform: Ai" – A~B"Human-Keeping Beast: Pap" – B-1"Immortality Disease: Zobae" – B-2
Looking at the rankings, the group could immediately see that in terms of aggressiveness, the top three were The Twin-Tailed Snake, Gaseous Lifeform, and Human-Keeping Beast, all of which were still largely unknown.
However, when it came to destructive power, the Chimera Ants and Botanical Weapon took the lead, surpassing the others.
The reason the "Threat Evaluation List" categorized the first three as A-rank disasters was because aggressiveness was considered a more critical factor than destructive power—after all, the ranking system focused on how dangerous these creatures were to humans.
A creature with low aggressiveness could be avoided, meaning its destructive potential wouldn't always come into play.
Of course, these rankings were only general evaluations. Individual cases might vary, so it wasn't a simple matter of one being absolutely stronger than the other. Still, the rankings served as a valuable reference.
Ging waited patiently for everyone to finish reading. Then, sitting cross-legged with his arms folded, he calmly raised one finger.
"Regarding our next move, I have a proposal. There are four of us here, and three known threats left."
"Each of us will give our judgment and a brief explanation. Then we'll vote to decide our next target. How does that sound?"
With four people and three threats, at least one option was guaranteed to get two or more votes no matter what.
Even if two threats ended up getting two votes each, they could just hold another vote to break the tie.
Ging suggested this voting method so that everyone could openly express their stance instead of keeping their thoughts hidden.
At the same time, they could change their initial choice at any moment.
This vote wasn't about fairness or selecting an absolutely correct answer—it was about unifying everyone's opinions.
Germain and Bisky immediately understood Ging's intent.
However, Germain didn't speak first because he knew that if he did, the vote would likely be decided then and there.
"I'll go first, then."
Bisky understood the role she needed to play in this situation.
She casually combed her golden hair with a small, jewel-encrusted brush.
Though her hair wasn't as thick and fluffy as before, she still had enough to style into a cute braid or bun, which made her quite happy.
"My choice is 'Pap, the Human-Keeping Beast.'"
After removing 'Botanical Weapon: Brion,' 'Immortality Disease: Zobae,' and 'Chimera Ants,' the answer was already clear in the 'Dangerous Creatures Evaluation List.'
"In terms of 'ferocity' and 'destructive power,' 'Twin-Tailed Serpent: Hellbell' surpasses the other two category disasters and is the first to be eliminated."
"When it comes to 'ferocity,' 'Gaseous Lifeform: Ai' and 'Pap, the Human-Keeping Beast' are evenly matched, but in terms of 'destructive power,' 'Gaseous Lifeform: Ai' is superior."
"So, I choose the less dangerous 'Pap, the Human-Keeping Beast.'"
Bisky's reasoning seemed sound, but Ging, who spoke next, quickly refuted her.
"Your choice is based on written evaluations, all of which come from the surviving members of past expeditions and the East Edition of Journey to the New World."
"I don't think it's appropriate to make a decision solely based on their judgments, even if some of those evaluations came from Don Freecss himself."
Bisky pursed her lips when she heard this but didn't interrupt. She quietly listened instead.
Ging seemed a little uncomfortable with his sitting posture. He leaned forward slightly, resting his left elbow on his knee while propping his chin up with his palm. His eyes glanced sideways at the group.
"Therefore, aside from the 'Dangerous Creatures Classification List,' we also need to review their brief descriptions to refine our judgment."
"'Gaseous Lifeform · Ai' is described as a 'manifestation of desire.' Those affected end up in conflict, and in the end, all survivors go insane."
"'Two-Tailed Snake · Hellbell' is described as a 'creature that spreads murderous intent.' Everyone who dies becomes its food."
"'Human-Keeping Beast · Pap' is described as 'an equivalent exchange between happiness and life.' Those who trespass into its territory rarely make it out alive."
"It's clear that all of these are troublesome 'dangerous creatures.'"
The group nodded in agreement as they listened. Then, Ging made his choice.
"So, my choice is the 'Human-Keeping Beast · Pap.'"
The moment she heard this, Bisky nearly jumped up in shock.
"Isn't that the same as mine?!"
"No, it's not," Ging snorted. "My reasoning is more complete and much more logical than yours."
Seeing how stubborn Ging was, Bisky clenched her fist. If she were holding anything other than a small comb, she would've thrown it right at this scruffy man's face.
But of course, she still needed to hear him out. For now, Bisky held back and stayed quiet.
********
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