"You think you can escape that easily? Room." As the black giant bird struggled to fly away with its injured wing after losing the battle against the massive white ape, Daniel intervened. He used his powers to dismember the bird, quickly sealing it within a large storage space.
"As for the ape, I'll let it go." The battle between the two beasts had been evenly matched, leaving both severely wounded. After killing the bird, Daniel considered pursuing the ape but ultimately decided against it, watching as it disappeared into the distance.
"Time to explore the area," Daniel muttered, shifting his focus to a wide search across the surrounding terrain.
"Dwarves? No, these must be demi-humans." As he explored, Daniel stumbled upon a group of creatures resembling humans, but none stood taller than one meter. Despite their small stature, they moved with incredible agility and had a notable amount of nen energy. However, their ability to wield nen was crude, at least from Daniel's perspective.
He had detected them through his Observation Haki. When he found them, they were hunting a rhinoceros-like monster. Based on their behavior, it seemed they were after food.
"Surviving in this world must be as tough as living in the Stone Age." The Dark Continent wasn't completely devoid of human life. According to relics found on the Six Continents, it was highly likely that humanity had originated from the Dark Continent and had fled to the Six Continents. These demi-humans were probably unaware of the existence of the Six Continents, but if they knew, they would likely do anything to live there. At least in the human world, they wouldn't have to face constant threats like they did in the Dark Continent.
Daniel chose not to interact with the demi-humans. Someone like Ging, eager to explore every mystery of the Dark Continent, would have undoubtedly engaged them, but Daniel wasn't interested in that.
"This must be monkey wine," he said as his exploration led him to a blue monkey colony, where he found several jars of fermented liquid. Using a portal, Daniel took a large amount. Though he wasn't much of a drinker, this was an exceptionally rare find, especially in the Dark Continent. Its effects were bound to be far superior to ordinary monkey wine.
In the commercial market, most "monkey wine" was artificially produced. Real monkey wine was exceedingly difficult to obtain, and anyone who did manage to acquire it would never openly sell it.
Apart from the monkey wine, Daniel discovered another incredible find: royal jelly or queen's honey, hidden deep within a massive forest. Had it been anyone else—even one of the Four Emperors from the One Piece world—they likely wouldn't have survived retrieving it. The beehive was protected by billions of bees, each the size of a watermelon, and their stingers were strong enough to pierce through steel. Even a powerhouse would likely fall victim to their overwhelming numbers and deadly poison.
Moreover, the hive was home to a much larger queen bee, whose nen energy far surpassed that of Meruem, the Chimera Ant King.
After stealing the honey from the queen's nest, Daniel had to retreat quickly as the enraged queen and her guards unleashed a massive swarm of bees that blanketed the sky. Even from within the Mirror Dimension, the sight of so many bees left Daniel feeling uneasy.
His actions caused widespread chaos, as the nearby beasts suffered the unintended consequences of the bee swarm. While the bees were individually small compared to the giant creatures of the Dark Continent, their sheer numbers and poisonous stingers made them a deadly force.
"Let's hope no one foolishly wanders into that forest," Daniel mused. Anyone who ventured into the hive without spatial abilities would be as good as dead.
After securing the honey, Daniel decided to shift to another area.
"Music? How can there be music here?" One day, as Daniel continued his exploration, he heard a faint, mesmerizing melody. The music was so enchanting that he almost fell into a trance.
"What's going on?" He cautiously made his way toward the source of the sound, curiosity and caution guiding his steps. As he approached, he noticed that many of the creatures around him had fallen into a deep sleep. "Are they asleep because of the music?"
He soon found the source of the melody: a large, rectangular stone tablet, about one meter long and half a meter wide, hovering in the air. The tablet had strange symbols etched into it, though Daniel couldn't decipher them. However, the notes clearly resembled musical symbols.
As the stone floated slowly through the air, any creature that heard its melody fell into a slumber. On the Dark Continent, such an unintended sleep could easily spell death.
The stone tablet reminded Daniel of ancient stone books he had seen in Kamar-Taj. Back when paper hadn't been invented, stone slabs, wooden tablets, and bamboo slips were the main mediums for recording knowledge.
Without warning, Daniel launched a massive fireball at the tablet, but the stone didn't react at all, allowing the flames to engulf it without taking any damage.
"Completely unscathed?" Daniel frowned. Despite the intense heat, the tablet hadn't been harmed and continued to float forward.
He summoned a long sword and slashed several waves of sword energy at the stone. Although his attacks didn't damage the stone, they did manage to shift its position slightly.
However, in response, the music emanating from the tablet abruptly changed. No longer soothing, it became agitating and dissonant, causing an intense rage to bubble up inside Daniel. He felt an overwhelming desire to destroy everything around him.
"I've been affected," Daniel realized. He quickly retreated, distancing himself from the stone tablet. Once he was far enough that the music no longer reached him, his mind began to clear.
"How terrifying, this Dark Continent," Daniel muttered, taking a deep breath to calm himself. After a while, the melody from the stone returned to its original enchanting form.
"It only moves in a straight line... but its destination... this is bad." Daniel's face darkened as he realized the stone was heading toward the coastline. While it was moving slowly, if left unchecked, it would eventually reach the shore.
"I've learned my lesson. When exploring, never attack the unknown recklessly." During his time with Ada and Robin, both seasoned explorers, Daniel had picked up some basic rules of adventure. One of the most important: never trigger traps or mechanisms in unfamiliar territory. In ancient tombs and ruins, traps were common, and in a world with nen, such dangers were even more pronounced.
"Let's change your direction." Reflecting on his impulsiveness, Daniel used a portal to redirect the stone tablet, sending it along a different path.
"I thought I was already strong enough, but it seems I still have a long way to go," Daniel mused. His unexpected encounter with the stone tablet had dampened his enthusiasm for further exploration. He created another portal, returning to the treetop where Ada and Robin were waiting.
"This camp went up fast," he remarked. Thanks to nen abilities, the camp had been completed in no time. The teams left behind at the ruins were from three different factions. Meanwhile, Netero had taken most of the active Zodiacs to pursue Beyond Netero.
The remaining personnel weren't idle. There was much work to be done—analyzing the geography, climate, and flora of the Dark Continent, among other tasks. Leorio's medical team was also busy, as the number of injured and poisoned individuals had steadily increased. Injuries were manageable, but the poisons of the Dark Continent were notoriously dangerous. In fact, one of the greatest threats here was the toxicity of the environment.
"What does this say?" In an underground pyramid, Daniel found Ada and Robin photographing the walls.
"It tells the story of a queen who led her people to survive against all odds, eventually finding a paradise-like refuge," Robin explained, interpreting the wall's carvings and inscriptions.
"Is that Mobius Lake?" The final scene on the mural, depicting a peaceful island in a vast sea, reminded Daniel of the Six Continents where humans now lived.
"What did you find?" Ada asked quietly as she walked over.
"Some surprises, but I managed to secure everything," Daniel replied.
"Good. We're almost done here. When we get back, you'll have to tell us all about your adventures."
The ruins they were exploring were located about 200 kilometers west of the coastline where they had landed. Ada and Robin had stumbled upon them by chance. Many of the Dark Continent's ruins were buried underground or hidden in mountain ranges. These ruins were often the last refuges for weaker creatures, who couldn't survive in the hostile environment above ground.
Finding such sites was mostly a matter of luck, and Ada and Robin had certainly been lucky this time.
"These are the Five Great Hopes, the treasures everyone's been chasing. If V5 knew you had them, they'd stop at nothing to take them from you," Ada remarked with a hint of excitement as Daniel displayed his collection.
"We can discuss the rest later. First, let's try the Nitrolomi rice and the Vanilla Herb," Daniel suggested, cracking open three kernels of the golden, fragrant rice. The aroma was so enticing that all three of them inhaled deeply.
Without hesitation, Ada and Robin each took a kernel and ate it, and Daniel did the same.
"What a miraculous substance," Daniel commented as he felt the changes within his body. While Nitrolomi didn't directly boost his power, it significantly increased his body's vitality.
"This herb feels like a waste, though," Daniel grumbled after consuming the Vanilla Herb. While the rice had a profound effect, the herb did little for him beyond tasting pleasant. Ada and Robin, however, felt noticeable improvements in their bodies.
"You'd better hold on to the rest of these.
We don't really need them, and they're safer with you anyway," Ada said when Daniel offered to share more of the treasures. He didn't argue and stored the Five Great Hopes, but he did pull out some monkey wine and honey to share. After using the Op-Op Fruit to analyze them, he had confirmed their extraordinary properties, especially the honey, which had significant health and beauty benefits—particularly for women.
Even though Ada and Robin were already stunning, they were more than happy to accept the honey.
"Now tell us about your adventures."
"That floating stone tablet… I didn't sense any nen from it, but it played music. Could it be the Dark Sonata?" Ada speculated after hearing Daniel's account.
"The Dark Sonata? That's a real possibility," Daniel mused. If it were indeed the infamous piece composed by a dark sorcerer, then its power to influence him made perfect sense.
"This place is incredibly dangerous. You two need to be careful. If you encounter anything similar, avoid it at all costs," Daniel warned, his encounter with the eerie stone making him concerned for Ada and Robin's safety. However, he didn't try to convince them to leave the Dark Continent. He knew they wouldn't listen, and besides, they weren't just delicate flowers. Ada, in particular, was very capable and independent.
"Don't worry. If things get out of hand, we'll retreat immediately," Ada reassured him with a gentle smile. She placed a hand on his cheek and added, "Now that you've gathered the Five Great Hopes, you must be preparing to leave soon. Why not take some time to relax with us before you go?"
"How could I refuse?"
"Here, let me teach you both how to use the Object Manipulation technique. With your spiritual energy, controlling a few enchanted items should be no problem." Daniel decided to stay a little longer, taking the opportunity to relax and enjoy his time with Ada and Robin. He also wanted to pass down the Object Manipulation technique to them.
Unfortunately, neither of them was particularly interested in it. Ada, especially after acquiring the powers of the Goro Goro no Mi, already had formidable long-range attack capabilities.
Daniel didn't push the matter. Instead, he focused on using the Alchemical Plant, Vibranium, and other materials to craft several sets of advanced defensive gear for them, modeled after Ma Xianhong's equipment but far more powerful. These defensive items, disguised as jewelry, wouldn't hinder movement and would provide excellent protection.
During his downtime, Daniel also ventured into the ocean, hunting down several massive sea creatures, including a giant crab and an enormous lobster.
"So this is the awakening of the Op-Op Fruit. I don't even know how to describe how incredible this is," Daniel thought, reflecting on his recent experiences. With the help of the Six Paths of Pain, the advanced life forms he had encountered, and various other high-level materials, Daniel had finally awakened the full potential of the Op-Op Fruit.
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