Two days later...
Since setting foot on this vast grassland, they had encountered all manner of creatures.
They had faced countless dangers, yet none had managed to halt their progress.
Now, they had finally traversed the grassland and arrived at the next terrain.
Akira stood proudly atop a protruding boulder, gazing into the distance.
They were currently at the border between two landscapes.
Ahead lay a rocky expanse with sparse vegetation and exposed stones.
Compared to the vibrant grassland, this rocky terrain appeared desolate, with little greenery in sight.
Before them stretched a world of black, gray, and white, composed of rocks of various hues.
Moreover, unlike the flat grassland, this rocky area seemed scarred by countless battles, littered with large craters and pits.
The rocky terrain was also not as vast as the grassland—estimating, it would take only two or three days to cross.
According to the map, beyond the rocky land lay their destination: the swamp where the Nitro Rice grew!
At the same time, Akira noticed that beyond the swamp stood a cluster of interconnected volcanoes.
"Obtaining that map was definitely the right choice," he murmured to himself, the breeze brushing against his face.
"The Gatekeeper's map is quite detailed, especially regarding the borders of the Dark Continent."
Given their limited capabilities, they could only explore the outer regions, never daring to venture deeper.
Still, their maps were infinitely more detailed than those held by the V5's Navigation Bureau.
After all, the Bureau's expeditions had only returned five times and none had ventured far into the continent.
The swamp containing the Nitro Rice marked the farthest point reached in one of those five known routes.
However, they weren't following the exact path of their own team.
If they had, they likely wouldn't have made it past the grassland.
Historical records showed that the Navigation Bureau had conducted 149 expeditions, dispatching a total of 7,500 people.
On average, each expedition consisted of about 50 members.
But the actual numbers varied.
Since the Navigation Bureau was a joint department established by V5—the five superpowers of the six continents—it lacked a true central authority.
Power was roughly balanced among the five nations.
Any expedition to the Dark Continent typically began with a proposal from one nation seeking to conduct an exploration.
Only after deliberation and approval by the five highest leaders would negotiations with the Gatekeeper commence.
The personnel sent were mostly provided by the proposing nation, with other countries offering minimal resources and manpower in support.
Thus, most expeditions were led by a single nation, with little substantial assistance from the others.
Therefore, the strength and number of personnel dispatched are related to the nation's power.
According to records, the largest dispatch involved a full thousand people, accounting for a significant portion of the total 7,500 individuals.
Their destination was the northeastern shore of Mobius Lake.
There, in the treacherous mountain ranges, they encountered one of the Five Great Threats—the "Human-Keeping Beast, Pap."
Of the thousand send, only seven returned.
This proved that sheer numbers did not guarantee success and team sizes needed to be kept within reasonable limits.
Since then, major nations rarely sent large forces at once.
Losing too many personnel at once would also weaken a nation's strength.
After all, those who ventured into the Dark Continent without sufficient strength or ability were merely killing themself.
Subsequent explorations prioritized streamlined teams, usually consisting of just a few dozen members.
The team that had previously reached the swamp had landed on the opposite coastline.
The dangers they faced were noticeably less severe than those on this route.
That was how they had made it to the swamp—and also where they met their demise, with only a handful escaping back.
According to the Navigation Bureau's reports, 99% of those who went there died.
Yet, by sheer coincidence, they managed to bring back a small segment of Nitro Rice.
Research confirmed it had life-extending properties.
Unfortunately, there was only a tiny amount, and after study, even less remained.
Cultivating it proved impossible.
The energy contained within the Nitro Rice diminished over time once harvested.
Eventually, it would become nothing more than ordinary, albeit tasty, rice grains.
Thus, it had to be consumed promptly after harvesting to avoid wasting its effects.
Akira had already planned how to handle the Nitro Rice once obtained.
First, he would secure a plot of land for cultivation—either by transplanting the original soil into his network space or using ordinary soil.
Then, Shaymin and Landorus would tend to it—one providing vitality, the other enriching the soil.
Even the most finicky plants would thrive under the combined efforts of the Grass Hedgehog and the Harvest Deity.
In time, this life-extending Nitro Rice would undergo a transformation in his hands.
From a scarce, consumable resource, it would become an endless, inexhaustible supply.
But the true brilliance lay beyond even this.
With this method, he could turn all plant-related hopes into boundless, everlasting resources.
Setting aside his thoughts, Akira flashed forward, appearing on a patch of grass beside a rock.
Here, the weeds were sparse, their height reduced enough to call it a lawn.
A few steps ahead lay another region.
As Akira advanced, the rest of the team followed with resolute determination.
Comparing their current expressions to when they had first departed the Six Continents, one would notice a marked change.
Each member's gaze had grown firmer, more vigilant—qualities essential for an explorer.
Not that they had lacked them before, but the level of caution sufficient for the Six Continents fell far short in the Dark Continent.
After a long voyage and a subsequent trek upon landing, though the time might not seem excessive, the dangers they encountered on this journey far surpassed all the perils they had faced before combined.
And they were countless times more deadly.
On the Six Continents, dangers often only brought setbacks, rarely posing life-threatening challenges.
But in the uncharted waters and especially on the Dark Continent, every hazard was a fatal threat.
A single misstep could mean losing one's head!
This was a shared realization for every first-time traveler to the Dark Continent.
Even Ging was no exception.
They could firmly attest that without Akira leading the way, they would have died countless times over.
And this was a team assembled from the elites across all six continents.
This clearly showed that the Dark Continent being called the 'Forbidden Land of Humanity' was never an exaggeration.
After repeated trials between life and death, everyone's eyes had undergone noticeable changes.
They were gradually adapting to the dangers of the Dark Continent!
Even with their strength limited, they were destined not to venture far.
But the mental tempering this expedition provided was also one of their most valuable gains.
What they needed to do next was to fulfill their duties and strive for the goal of this journey.
When Akira crossed the grassy field and stepped onto the rocky terrain, two Incubation Bars appeared in his mind once more.
His expression unchanged, Akira continued leading the group forward.
After several occurrences, he had grown accustomed to the appearance of two bars at a time, at most feeling anticipation and guessing which Pokemon they might be.
With limited information at hand, he only knew this area was rocky terrain, so the hatched Pokemon were likely Rock-type.
What followed was another relatively monotonous stretch of travel.
Since they had to stay vigilant while moving, most of the group remained tense.
The reason it was "most" and not "all" was because Akira at the front didn't need to be this nervous.
While traveling, he still had the leisure to observe their surroundings.
His initial glance had been cursory, but now walking on this rocky ground, Akira gained a deeper understanding of the terrain.
It largely matched his earlier observation—filled with ravines and pits everywhere—though there were relatively flat areas too.
The vegetation was as expected: virtually nonexistent.
The entire region embodied a 'world of rock' with even soil being scarce.
Many places had bare rock surfaces without even a covering of soil.
The rocks here were rather monotonous, mostly composed of two or three ordinary types without anything special.
However, due to unknown reasons, the terrain was chaotic, resulting in many bizarre formations.
Grotesque rock formations dotted the landscape, each pockmarked with holes of varying sizes.
It was as if they had entered a forest of strange stones, with jagged rocks of every conceivable shape.
After advancing further without encountering any danger, they made a new discovery.
Akira slowly came to a stop, staring blankly at the ground ahead.
The others also turned their attention to the ground.
Where the surface should have been composed of gray-white rocks, there were instead small patches of fiery red.
Though the ground was relatively flat, these red stones seemed deliberately inserted, standing out starkly against their surroundings.
These vivid red stones stood out like a crane among chickens amidst the gray-white rocks.
Occasionally, wisps of white smoke rose from these red patches, carrying a scorching scent.
Approaching these stones, they clearly felt the temperature around them rise noticeably compared to before.
Anyone could tell these fiery stones were extraordinary.
With a raised eyebrow, Akira took two steps forward, bent down, and reached out toward the stones.
As his hand registered increasing heat, he activated his Pokedex Ability on them.
Flameglow Stone: Appears fiery red overall with flame-like patterns, emitting high temperatures.
The energy is obtained by absorbing sunlight, and the heat emission is periodic.
After obtaining this information about the stones, Akira had a general understanding of the temperatures they emitted.
These could be considered quite unique ores, undoubtedly possessing significant value.
Speaking of ores, Akira was reminded of one of the great hopes—the Unmanned Rock.
The Unmanned Rock is an ore the size of a bead that generates electricity when immersed in water.
According to research, just a small string of Unmanned Rock can produce twenty thousand kilowatts of electricity in a single day.
The resource potential of this ore fully justifies its title as a "hope."
Strangely, the name "Unmanned Rock" doesn't seem to match its capabilities at all.
Perhaps people named it this way because of the disaster associated with its origin.
The disaster that left only seven survivors out of a thousand—Pap.
The Human Keeping Beast, Pap, was also a calamity that Akira suspected might be the true identity of Nanika.
Perhaps people felt the mortality rate for those who ventured there was so high that the place could rightfully be called a land where no one survives.
Hence the name "Unmanned Rock."
The Flameglow Stones before them were clearly not as remarkable as the Unmanned Rock, but they were still a decent find.
"Ores that can continuously emit heat?"
"Seems like a good haul."
Beyond gazed at the Flameglow Stones, a faint smile on his face.
The Dark Continent was rife with disasters, but it also held many hopes.
Among these hopes, Beyond considered mineral-based ones to be particularly valuable.
This was mainly due to their practicality.
Herbs like Nitro Rice and Aromatic Grass had powerful effects.
But they couldn't be used on a large scale, as they were usually scarce and hard to obtain.
In contrast, the HUnmanned Rock, was far more practical.
Just a small amount could create immense resource value, making it highly useful in the Six Continents.
Moreover, after witnessing the withering of alchemical plants, Beyond held mineral-based hopes—which didn't "wither"—in even higher regard.
With the exception of special ores, most could be easily preserved without any loss of effectiveness.
"These high-temperature minerals likely have considerable utility."
"But their exact capabilities will require further study."
Akira nodded and said, "Let's dig out all these red stones, and try not to damage them."
Hearing this, everyone sprang into action.
Compared to fighting enemies, digging was undoubtedly a relaxing task, especially when it yielded rewards.
For a while, the mood was high as everyone worked cheerfully on their "mining."
Ging pondered for a moment, then ignited a flicker of flame in his hand and forcefully dug into the ground.
In the next instant, a Flameglow Stone, along with some debris, appeared in his hand as if by magic.
Seemingly reacting to the flame of aura in Ging's hand, the stone's glow intensified.
"The temperature is indeed impressive, and it seems like a reusable resource."
"As for its usual energy source..."
Mid-sentence, Ging glanced at the hole in the ground, where nothing lay beneath.
Then he looked up, squinting at the blazing sun, murmuring to himself.
"It absorbs sunlight normally?"
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