The elite unit "Quantum" was a Dark Continent exploration team organized by the United States of Saherta, utilizing vast amounts of time and funding. However, its name was never spoken of in public. This was because, for the general populace, the six continents depicted on the world map were the entirety of the world, and mentioning the "Outside" was considered taboo.
The Quantum Project had been a subject of controversy within the country for a long time. Enormous tax revenues were being poured into a place the public knew nothing about. It was too large a sum to be dismissed simply as defense spending.
Even so, the plan was never canceled. If they succeeded in acquiring resources, the profits generated would be immeasurable. The ambitions of the rulers who moved the political and financial worlds decided the state of the nation regardless of the people's will. Regarding the sealed threat known as the Dark Continent, democracy was no longer functioning.
Two hundred chosen elites had been gathered with the nation's prestige at stake. They understood that their organization was, if not black, close to gray. Only those who could maintain confidentiality and possessed the will to faithfully execute their mission were selected. Included in that mission was the assumption of their own deaths.
They thought they fully understood the threat of the Dark Continent.
"Ugh, ugh... everyone died because of me... I, at that time, that, ah, ah, aaaaaah... don't come! Stay awaaay! Uwaaaah!!"
In a room on the survey ship, three soldiers were ordered to stand by. One soldier was crouching in the corner of the room, holding his head. The temperature inside the ship should have been comfortable, yet he was shivering violently as if he were in a freezing land.
His eyes were sunken, betraying deep fatigue. His focus was unsteady, darting restlessly through the empty air. His terrified gaze was searching for the illusion of a monster that wasn't there. Under the table, in the gaps of the shelves, a small stain on the ceiling. He was excessively wary of trivial dark places.
"Gugo..."
The second soldier was a woman. She was sleeping boldly in the middle of the room. Despite the hard floor, she was sound asleep. If it weren't for the occasional snore, she was so still one might think she was dead.
Her features were regular, but with her cropped short hair and trained physique, her gender was indistinguishable at first glance. There was no dignity in her sleeping form as she drooled without a care, but her voice did possess a high-pitched resonance characteristic of a woman.
"It's no use... I'm gonna die, d, hi, hihihihiiii!?"
"...Shut the hell up, you baldy! I can't sleep!"
"I'm sorry... everyone... I'm sorry..."
"..."
The third soldier maintained silence. He did not interject in the exchange between the two noisy soldiers, maintaining an attitude of indifference.
He was the only one of a different race, possessing Asian features. He was concentrating on a task at his hands on the desk. He did not appear to be doing paperwork. He was cutting paper with scissors and drawing scribble-like patterns on it. He looked like a child engrossed in arts and crafts.
These three soldiers, plus one captain, were the survivors of "Quantum".
This was the current state of the Dark Continent exploration team that the United States of Saherta prided itself on. If the upper brass back home could see this room, they would be appalled. The devastating situation was tantamount to throwing a huge investment into the gutter.
"...Ah, the Captain is coming."
The female soldier announced abruptly. The other members did not doubt her statement, briskly beginning to tidy themselves up. Tens of seconds later, a man entered the room where the soldiers were stationed. He was the captain of this unit, the soldier who had been reporting to Commander Andarm earlier.
When the captain entered the room, the soldiers inside were already lined up and waiting. Their posture was straight and dignified, exuding the agile demeanor of military personnel. The looseness with which they had been relaxing moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
However, that was a conditioned reflex drilled into them by training. No matter how much they corrected their posture, it did not mean their inner selves were completely disciplined.
"I have bad news."
The Captain cut straight to the chase. A quiet tension drifted through the room.
"Katroi Benson."
"H-Hahi!?"
"Chel Haas."
"Sir!"
"Tokunosuke Amamiya."
"Sir."
"I hereby order the three of you to continue the mission."
It was an overly cruel disposition. Their physical and mental fatigue had reached their limits. Even those who appeared to be keeping up appearances at a glance had hollow eyes. The desperate state of their minds could likely only be understood by those who had actually walked the Dark Continent.
They were indeed at their limit.
"So, what is the bad news?"
However, they were completely unshaken. They accepted the mission as a matter of course. From the beginning, they had been prepared for this outcome and had steeled themselves to be here.
Quantum Captain Gragg McMeyer was grateful to be entrusted with this unit.
Gragg had advised Commander Andarm that it was impossible for Quantum to continue the mission. That was out of concern for his subordinates' minds and bodies, and there was no falsehood in that sentiment. But it was also a fact that he was possessed by a desire overwhelmingly larger than his concern for his subordinates.
By any means necessary, he would seize the returns with his own hands and bring them back to his motherland. His comrades had become a pile of corpses. He wouldn't say he had no fear. Even so, his ambition had become an uncontrollable impulse driving his body.
On the other hand, he was also disgusted by his own personal feelings. He agonized over whether it was really okay to drag his remaining comrades along. That was why he dared to voice an opinion contrary to his emotions to Andarm. If Andarm had relieved Quantum of duty, he would have had no right to deny it. He could have given up cleanly.
He wanted to continue the mission. He thought so from the bottom of his heart. He was dominated by a heat that scorched his body. He was cornered to the point where he could not answer the voice of his own conscience and had to leave the decision to his superior.
"Lend me your lives."
And the squad members understood the Captain's feelings. That was precisely why they believed there was no one more suitable to lead this unit than him.
"I can't guarantee I'll return them. But I will definitely acquire 'everything'. Are we clear?"
"YES Sir."
The response was quiet. However, the feeling contained in that single phrase was strong. Rather than positive vitality or spirit, it was a kind of tenacity or obsession boiling at the bottom of their stomachs.
There are many strong people in the world. Among them, from the perspective of general Nen users, soldiers tend to be looked down upon. Leaving aside the power of a group, when viewed on an individual level, they are sometimes thought of as a gathering of weaklings who can do nothing unless they herd together. In fact, the majority of those belonging to the military are weak.
If one were strong enough to master Nen individually, they should just become a Hunter instead of joining the military. If they had that much strength, they would be fully qualified to become a Hunter. Money and fame would be at their fingertips. As a Hunter, one could do what they wanted without hesitation.
Then, what are those who choose to be bound by the herd known as the military, despite being Nen users? Under certain specific conditions, they were existences more unique than Hunters. One could even call them abnormal. Their way of life was unfathomable to others.
Even after reaching their physical and mental limits, they would exert their potential. Their spirits were not dead.
Eighth survey expedition commences. Judging from the return schedule, there isn't much time to spend on the expedition. At most, they could manage two or three more trips. Above all, the possibility of total annihilation was the highest.
However, that danger had constantly shadowed them in previous expeditions. Slipping through that danger, their unit had survived.
On the day of departure, Commander Andarm personally visited to encourage the squad members. If he simply wanted to give instructions, he could have summoned the members to his room. It showed his character.
The Commander seemed worried about the condition and mental health of the squad members, but that was a needless anxiety. They would complete the mission with their whole heart and soul. Sensing that enthusiasm, Andarm sent the members off with peace of mind.
Prioritize survival above all else. Think of bringing back information first. Andarm did not say it aloud, but the squad members realized that the meaning "don't overdo it" was included behind those words.
Though fatigue was heavy, their spirit was full. The expedition got off to a smooth start.
"..."
"What is it, Chel?"
The unit had quickly run through the sandy beach and entered the forest. The sandy beach, with no cover to hide in, was a barrier that whittled away at the spirit just by crossing it. Reaching the forest without incident was something to rejoice over for now. However, Chel, one of the squad members, remained with a grim expression, constantly wary of the surroundings.
'Being watched...?'
Her sharp senses were warning her. It was nothing more than a minuscule sign, barely touching the tips of her peach fuzz, something that wouldn't be strange to overlook, but she definitely felt an anomaly.
Chel Haas. She had been raised in a military training facility since she was old enough to understand the world. Among the currently remaining members, she was the human with the longest history of military affiliation.
Before being taken in by the military, she lived in the slums as an orphan. At that time, she was seven years old. Soldiers from the slums were not that rare, but it was an exception among exceptions to be sent to the training facility at her age.
It was a special military training school where only ability mattered, and one could not enter just because they wanted to. If admission was granted, not only was livelihood security guaranteed, but high social status was also promised for the future. Provided one could endure the grueling training program.
The reason she was allowed admission lay entirely in her talent. At seven years old, she had already mastered Nen.
However, actually, child Nen users are not that rare. If looking only at numbers, there are rather many. Generally, one cannot learn Nen without methods like meditation, but there are rare cases where it manifests naturally in childhood.
In many of those cases, because they do not know how to shroud themselves in aura, their life force depletes and they die of weakness. Officially, they are processed as deaths from unknown illnesses. Even if they manage to endure, most do not realize they are Nen users even as adults because they cannot consciously master the power.
Alternatively, they might be forcibly awakened to Nen through "Baptism". In conflict zones, the inhumane method of giving baptism to brainwashed child soldiers to create instant Nen users has been rampant for a long time.
In Chel's case, she awakened to Nen through this "Baptism". That is, the method of forcibly opening the aura nodes by receiving an attack with aura from another person. Her mother was a prostitute, and her father was a man belonging to the Mafia. This father was a Nen user, and the abuse she received at a young age became the baptism.
If it were just that, she would have been merely an unfortunate girl and would not have caught the eye of the military. What made her special was the talent for Nen she possessed from birth. The seven-year-old girl, who knew nothing of the existence of Nen, could use En reaching 50 meters at that point.
It is said that the domain of En that a master who has trained for a lifetime can reach is 50 meters. Considering that, it could only be called an abnormal talent. However, the only technique she could use properly was En. En is an applied technique of Ten and Ren, but she could only use Ten with the minimum precision to prevent aura leakage, and as for Ren, she could not use it at all.
Being able to handle one technique outstandingly while unable to use others. This is common among those whose Nen manifested naturally or who were made to learn it unconsciously. It is impossible to accurately understand how to use an unknown power that suddenly awakened within oneself one day. To a young girl, it must have felt like magic or psychic powers.
One thing that can be said is that she did not try to abuse that power. By the nature of En, it does not have direct offensive power, but depending on how it is used, it can hurt others as much as one likes. Given her upbringing, it wouldn't have been strange if she had taken the easy path and chosen to place herself in the lawless world. However, Chel chose a way of life using that power for people as a soldier.
And now, her fully trained En reaches a radius of 100 meters. Looking only at the technique of En, she was undoubtedly a world-class user. In this mission, enemy detection via her En was the linchpin of all action.
A domain of 100 meters is certainly wide, but there are likely still a few masters in the world who exceed this distance. However, her truly superior point lay in the duration of En activation. The use of En involves extreme concentration and fatigue. Where a normal person would reach their limit in a few minutes, in her case, if she was in perfect condition, it was possible to keep it active constantly except when sleeping.