Chapter 162: Integration and Exploration
Muherr's following explanation confirmed that Ronin's internal deduction was
correct.
"Over a hundred years ago, when humanity first began applying electrical energy
to daily life, some scholars hypothesized that ancient civilizations used a
similar power source," Muherr said.
"But it wasn't officially confirmed until 1950. That year, the V5 (the United
Nations of Five) organized a secret expedition to the Dark Continent. They
brought back a specialized mineral. If you submerge that stone in water, it
generates a staggering volume of electricity. When the research data was
compared to ancient texts found in various ruins, they realized it was the same
power source."
"However, in the centuries since those civilizations collapsed, no one has found
a naturally occurring vein of that ore—now known as the Unmanned Rock—within the
known world. It's as if, over the millennia, the stones simply exhausted their
charge and reverted to ordinary rock."
Muherr watched Ronin's reaction through his tactical mask, satisfied by the look
of focused interest in the boy's eyes.
Ronin, meanwhile, was cross-referencing this with his knowledge of the timeline.
Based on history, humanity "discovered" electricity and verified its utility
around the year 1800. That was also the year the V5 signed the "Treaty of
Inviolability," which banned all unsanctioned exploration of the Dark Continent.
That same year, the Kurta Clan chose to go into hiding—likely because that was
when the first "Eye Hunters" began appearing in the wake of the world's sudden
industrial and supernatural expansion.
For the next century and a half, the V5 maintained a public ban while privately
launching over a hundred "expeditions" to the Forbidden Continent. Most were
disasters.
The 1950 expedition was the landmark event. It was the first time survivors
officially returned to the Lake Mobius region, and it was during this run that
the Five Great Threats (Calamities) and the Five Great Treasures were
documented.
The Unmanned Rock was one of those five treasures.
Ronin realized Muherr wasn't just being chatty. This was a "Level 1" clearance
test.
Muherr had acknowledged Ronin's strength in Yorknew, but he was now evaluating
his ambition. Was Ronin a potential partner for a future "Voyage"? Did he have
the mental fortitude to handle the truth of the world beyond the Lake?
Ronin kept his thoughts guarded. He understood the subtext.
The unit finished their rest. The "Group Infiltration" phase was over. Now, they
were entering the "Hard Zone."
The city was a monolithic graveyard. As Ronin and the mercenaries stepped out of
the lobby, treading on shattered glass, they were hit by a heavy, oppressive
silence.
The buildings looked modern, but they felt ancient. And the moment they left the
shelter of the tower, Ronin felt it—the sensation of being watched by a thousand
unseen eyes.
They had no map. They relied on two things: Ronin's hunter instincts and
Vanessa's professional expertise.
Vanessa was the unit's navigator. By analyzing the architecture, the symbols
etched into the stone, and the city's layout, she could deduce the function of
various buildings. As they moved, she sketched a real-time map, pinpointing the
"High-Value Zones" that likely housed the energy cores or archives they were
looking for.
Packs of raptor-like monsters occasionally lunged from the alleyways, but they
were no match for the Golem's Gatling gun. The Nen-bullets reduced them to red
mist before they could get within fifty meters.
But Muherr remained on high alert. This constant, high-stakes vigilance kept
Ronin on edge too.
The city is too quiet, Ronin thought. These raptors are just the immune system.
What's the brain?
The exploration was a slow grind. The unit operated on a strict rotation,
resting and eating according to their tactical chronometers.
The interior of the skyscrapers proved to be the most grueling terrain. Tunnels
and service ducts connected the buildings, creating a subterranean maze.
"What do these things even eat?" Ronin asked, looking at a pile of raptor
remains.
The carcasses emitted a pungent, metallic odor of blood. Yet, when they passed
the same spot the next day, the bodies had desiccated completely—looking like
hollow, leathery husks that would crumble into dust at a touch.
No one had an answer.
"Should we perform a full sweep of the foundation levels?" Mashur asked Muherr.
He was fascinated by the raptors' biological cycle. They felt manufactured—like
biological drones. No self-preservation, no emotion, just a mechanical drive to
kill anything that breached their territory.
Muherr hesitated.
Previous attempts to scout the lower basements had met with increasing
resistance. The deeper they went, the more the raptors were replaced by
something worse: Armored Beasts.
These monsters possessed massive claws and natural chitinous plate armor. The
Golem's Gatling gun couldn't kill them instantly; the Nen-bullets struggled to
penetrate the plating.
To clear the basement, the Golem would have to swap its Gatling for a warhammer
or heavy blade, and the unit would have to engage in a prolonged melee. The aura
consumption would be massive.
"What about a solo infiltration?" Ronin proposed.
A collaborative Nen construct like the Golem was a tank. It excelled at holding
a line and carpet-bombing an open field. But for scouting a labyrinth filled
with armored predators, it was a noisy, expensive liability.
The job needed someone agile.
Muherr looked at Vanessa.
"I can do it," the girl said, stepping out from the shadows.
"I'm going too," Ronin volunteered.
Muherr frowned. He knew Vanessa's capabilities—her shadow-warping was perfect
for stealth. But he viewed Ronin as a frontline brawler. In a high-risk
infiltration, a "noisy" Enhancer could get them both killed.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Ronin," Muherr said cautiously. "But this isn't a
frontal assault. This is a ghost run. Can you stay hidden?"
☆☆☆
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