The cause of death for the ninety-nine corpses was the same, the time of death differing by no more than five minutes. However, the victims were spaced far apart and scattered.
What did this indicate?
The number of unidentified snakes that killed people was certainly substantial and highly dangerous, actively attacking humans.
But why had no one seen the snakes?
The investigating officers, while puzzled, reported the gathered information upwards.
Soon, the higher-ups concluded that the incident was defined as an accident caused by wild animals, and the bodies were quickly arranged for cremation.
When this conclusion reached everyone's ears, no one was surprised, but everyone became more cautious.
No one knew from where the unidentified snakes that killed ninety-nine people overnight would emerge again.
This cautious attitude directly affected logging efficiency. But given the sheer number of workers, the forest area along the coast was shrinking at a considerable rate.
Once all large trees were felled, in no more than three days, houses would stand here.
After all, among the B·W passengers, various skilled laborers were abundant.
With them, as long as materials were sufficient, quickly building a coastal city on-site wasn't difficult.
In the forest, Machi and the others moved together. While felling trees and transporting them back, they constantly looked around, not missing any chance to find Ging.
Last night's incident didn't affect them, but one location with five deaths was less than twenty meters from them.
They knew the so-called unidentified snakes were certainly the perpetrators' doing. Presumably, the lives of those ninety-nine people had become someone's experience points here.
Simultaneously, they were certain the perpetrator would strike again tonight.
"If we can't find Ging, what do we do next?" Nobunaga was slacking off while chopping a tree. Each of them could fell a tree in one second, but there was no need.
"I don't know."
Machi sighed softly.
Not finding Ging meant not finding Law.
Moreover, this wasn't the Six Continents, communication methods were useless.
Once Ging left this place beyond their sight and rendezvoused with Law somewhere, they would be helpless.
Somewhere in the forest, a narrow-eyed man lazily chopped a large tree while whistling.
Not far away, a man with spinach-like hair slowly approached.
The narrow-eyed man stopped swinging his axe, looking back at the spinach-haired man.
"Good harvest, huh?"
The spinach-haired man approached the tree, lightly striking the notch the narrow-eyed man had made earlier.
The narrow-eyed man's lips twitched slightly, calmly saying, "Just average."
"There are six days until the landing ceremony begins. During that time, you can effortlessly harvest another six hundred people's worth of experience points," The spinach-haired man's tone carried faint envy.
"I need to correct you on one point: not six hundred, but five hundred ninety-four."
"You're so particular about numbers, that's why your ability has this side effect."
"No, on the contrary, it's precisely because I'm particular in this aspect that I obtained such a useful ability."
"Is that so? In that environment, you could kill a thousand people overnight without being discovered, yet you can only kill ninety-nine."
Hearing this, the narrow-eyed man sneered coldly, saying flatly, "A man whose heart is not content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant."
"That phrase makes sense. But in six days, I'm going to swallow a huge elephant!" A dazzling light flashed in the spinach-haired man's eyes.
"By then, it'll certainly be quite interesting," Anticipation surfaced on the narrow-eyed man's face.
Just imagining being amidst orderly queues, surrounded by readily available experience, the excitement in his chest felt like it might burst out.
Hard… to suppress.
Threads of cruel malice emanated from the narrow-eyed man and spinach-haired man.
But soon, they simultaneously restrained themselves.
Not yet time…
Besides the narrow-eyed man and spinach-haired man, there were eleven perpetrators lurking in the shadows.
Camp Tent Area.
Regarding the unidentified snake incidents, Beyond's group had their own judgments.
But this matter had nothing to do with them.
"So annoying, having to act out a play with Kakin."
In the tent, Beyond said discontentedly.
This wasn't the Dark Continent, but in the public's eyes, it was.
As the team leader, the performances he needed to participate in couldn't be missed.
Only after the performances ended could he lead the team deep inland to visit the key entity… the Gatekeeper.
In a corner, Pariston said quietly, "The Kakin Expeditionary Force is watching closely."
Beyond glanced at him, unconcerned. "So what? No one can stop what I want to do. If anyone dares block the way, I'll eliminate them without mercy!"
Pariston timely reminded, "Their team shouldn't be underestimated. A full thousand people, all Nen Users."
"I know. Speaking of which, the V5 really invested heavily," Beyond's eyes gleamed.
The 'heavy investment' he referred to wasn't the V5 sending a thousand Nen Users, but how the V5 created this thousand Nen Users.
Information about the Chimera Ant incident was fully presented on the V5's high-level meeting table. Therefore, they emulated the Ant King and Royal Guards' methods, selecting numerous soldiers with excellent physical fitness from the military.
Then, through forced activation methods, they forcibly created a thousand-strong Nen User team.
For this team, not a few soldiers were sacrificed.
And the V5 firmly believed this team would bring invaluable wealth to the nation and the entire world.
That wealth would be obtained from the Dark Continent.
…
Sunrise, sunset.
The second day passed, and people opened their eyes.
Commotion rose again, as someone discovered corpses.
Again ninety-nine, again killed by unidentified snakes.
Compared to the base of over a hundred thousand people, ninety-nine wasn't significant.
People saw how the bodies died.
As long as it wasn't homicide, the military had ways to suppress the spreading panic.
Soon, the third day passed. Houses were already built on the plain. But when the morning sun rose, another ninety-nine people died.
Three consecutive days like this… by no means normal.
Law and Ging remained detached from the affair. Together with Kuro, they tried their best to find Sheila's traces.
While searching, Law also continuously monitored Machi and the others' locations. Even though wearing a mask, he avoided intersecting as much as possible.
"Found her."
That night, Kuro brought good news.
Simultaneously, the small black snakes emerging from firelight shadows continued their attacks.