Mustang Island is an unknown isle sitting alone in the middle of the sea.
Its area is so small that no one pays it any mind.
The island has no resources and is downright desolate.
Even its name was coined only when a group of players, having discovered something tied to the Dark Continent, needed a label for their find.
Before that, the place was known only by a sequence code.
Aboard a naval transport, Xiang Nan stood at the bow, looking south across the glittering waves and breathing in the salty, humid wind. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novelꜰire.net
This was his first ocean-crossing voyage.
No one else was on the vessel.
It was a warship of the Republic of Padokea, tasked with taking him to his destination.
The crew already held official passage papers from the Maritime Bureau.
Mustang Island lies on the very edge of the high-seas zone demarcated by the V5 nations—essentially the outermost limit of humanity's territory in the Hunter × Hunter world.
Beyond that point are the blockade posts on uninhabited islands where V5 keeps troops.
Apart from those five great powers, almost no one can break through without applying to V5—
the Kakin Empire being a rare exception.
In short, Mustang Island is the farthest ocean coordinate an ordinary human can reach under V5 authority.
Discovering something mysterious way out here would make sense, because it is well outside any settled region.
For ordinary folk the trip is nearly impossible, but for players and certain factions there are plenty of ways to slip past V5—as long as they avoid the zones under strict lockdown, the line is not technically crossed.
Since the Dark Continent is involved… it might be worth the gamble.
Contemplation flickered in Xiang Nan's eyes.
There had been no visible response from V5.
Through Padokea he had already tried probing for information, and by rights the V5 could not be unaware: anything touching the Dark Continent should have triggered an immediate takeover of Mustang Island and a total news blackout.
So why were players still being allowed ashore?
From Garo's reports, a dispute caused by a "shattered statue" had already raged among players for some time, and the casualties were overwhelmingly high-level players.
No wonder the total player count on the system interface had dropped so sharply of late.
Newcomers lack both backing and ability; they cannot evade V5's eyes to reach Mustang Island.
High-level players, though, have spent years in the Hunter × Hunter world, embedding themselves in every sort of faction.
Hence almost everyone drawn to the island is top-tier—Extinction Level 5 or higher.
News of the incident spread and fermented quickly: in the earliest parties many Extinction 5 players vanished without a trace.
The mere phrase Dark Continent drives players crazy. Outside the system itself, it represents the greatest potential bounty in the entire setting.
If that "thing" really holds mysterious power—like the Seed Urn or the Dark Sonata—then, dangerous or not, whoever masters it could gain immeasurable strength, maybe even breeze through future stages or clear an entire Extinction Game.
As the game now stands, the further the top players advance, the heavier the pressure becomes; many doubt they can survive the next stage.
A sudden, life-changing opportunity naturally draws them like moths to a flame.
Players are not natives of the Hunter × Hunter world; their mind-set is still basically that of their previous lives, less colored by this reality.
Whether the weight comes from the system or from frustrations carried over, they cannot turn a blind eye to the chance—even if it might get them killed.
Yet to Xiang Nan the whole affair feels highly suspicious.
First clue: V5's total inaction.
Perhaps they investigated Mustang Island long ago, confirmed it harmless, and secured the human world accordingly.
Second: the rumor seems tailored for players.
Some individual or force may well be targeting the high-level players of Namele Town; the mastermind clearly understands exactly what players crave.
"Maybe… someone on the inside is playing us," Xiang Nan murmured.
Cull the strongest players?
Others likely share his doubts, but they still show up—out of sheer greed. What if…?
Given how much of the Hunter × Hunter map remains undeveloped, rare artifacts truly could be dug up beyond the reach of any nation. And if he laid hands on one… the payoff would be enormous.
The warship plowed through the waves for ten full days before reaching its objective.
On the canonical map, humanity's "Lake Island" home is only a tiny speck of the wider world, yet in reality the lake is a vast ocean.
After all that time they had only edged a little way across it.
From the deck Xiang Nan could already see small craft drifting nearby.
Some were rusted hulks; others looked to have been here ages.
Corpses and broken debris bobbed in the surf.
The warship circled the lush little island. Through binoculars Xiang Nan saw that the landmass was merely a hill a few kilometres across, cloaked in dense forest, showing no sign of habitation—yet in several spots scorch marks and shell craters were obvious.
Plainly a pitched battle among players had already taken place.
"Did we check with the Transit Bureau? Has anyone besides us been granted clearance?" still scanning the shore, Xiang Nan asked the soldier beside him.
"No, sir. We're the only recent applicant. Those boats must have slipped in unnoticed."
He lowered the binoculars.
Moments later the warship anchored offshore.
Xiang Nan ordered the crew to remain aboard, then took a speedboat with Manman and headed for land.
They had barely stepped off the fine, soft sand when they spotted several rotting corpses.
Sun and seawater had bleached away even the stench.
Their attire looked mafia-like.
"Players fighting among themselves?" Manman ventured.
"Possibly," Xiang Nan said, striding on.
Most high-level players have already carved out a niche in this world—joining the underworld, tying themselves to national power like he did, building private forces and businesses, or swelling the ranks of the Hunter Association while "enriching" themselves.
Even the Star crowd, lacking their own backing, stick together. True lone wolves are rare.
So none of them would come alone for Dark Continent power; each would bring retainers or form teams, and clashes were inevitable.
The bodies here might not have been killed at the beach; more likely they fled this way.
With no proper trails, Xiang Nan followed the footprints of earlier arrivals, steadily working inland toward the hilltop.
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