Gon, alongside Steffelor, go diving into the deep water.
Gon already prepared himself for the dive, all the gear ready for a successful trip. While Sakura and Iason were worried for him, he was going to make sure he kept his promise to them. After this dive, he was going to make sure he climbs into bed and snuggle with them, afterwards…
He lightly tapped the wetsuit and gear, checking to see if everything fit perfectly. Sakura and Iason have some serious taste because he was loving the green strips down the sides of the suit. He also made sure to check the gear was working as intended, and the time on the watch.
Seeing that it was around twelve-thirty, he was grateful for doing this trip early in the afternoon. It meant if they got this job done quickly, he'd get to spend more time with his partners.
Steffelor was driving the boat, moving it to a good location. The coast guards were aware of what they were doing, so they won't be bothered.
The only thing that troubled Gon right now is Kite never returned with much information. He said that nothing had been recorded. So, like chimera ants… this will be the first time they'll be discovered, or even personally dealt with.
They'll need evidence and a sample of the plant, hopefully with the yellow pus.
Steffelor already brought most of the equipment with him… so Gon and the man will only have to worry about going down there.
Eventually, the boat was halted, the engine coming to a shuttering stop.
"Alright Gon, I have a few rules you need to follow. One, no gallivanting on your own. You're here to assist, not go adventuring. Second, if you find something, tell me first so I can stop. Third, there are no heroes. We see the creature, I don't care if you can Suplex it, we're getting out of there. Fourth, if you can get a photo of it without being noticed… go for it. But if you think you'll be seen, don't attempt it. Finally, we work together… not against each other."
"I understand…"
"Good, now fit the rest of your gear on, we're diving in. We have about six hours before the sun sets… and if it's a night creature, I do not want to be caught when it's waking up for a midnight snack."
The two got ready, Steffelor taking the first plunge into the water. Gon made sure to send a message to his partners, letting them know he was going in. He wouldn't want them worrying about whether or not he made it to their diving location.
Taking one final deep breath, he fell back into the warm water, the man still waiting for him.
He made an okay sign before getting closer. His feet flicked with slow movements, pushing for a longer stride as he swam.
Steffelor got closer to the boy, pressing his hand against the boy's chest.
Gon felt it, a surge of aura flowed into him. It was like his first training session with Wing, the mucous feeling flowing around him. But unlike then, he had no control over its flow… he couldn't command it.
"Can you hear me?"
"I can. It doesn't sound distorted… like I would've imagined you to sound underwater."
"I control it via the bubbles, so when we speak, we'll be able to hear each other fine. But once that flows go, you won't hear much. So at least try to stay within twenty feet of me."
The man checked his gear "All good on your end?"
"Yup…"
"Let's go…" The man moved at a steady pace, moving deeper into the forest. Gon was in awe, eyes lit up like little Christmas trees. He understood why Sakura wanted to come to this section of the island.
It was vast, intertwining trees, like an Amazon, just only underwater.
There still seemed to be fish around, so maybe the creature was still eating. The boy's hands tightened around the camera. Then something caught his eye, he brought the camera up to his face, zooming in on a school of fishes. Like a mirage, they swam in a spherical shape, the light reflecting off their scales.
The flash made the man stop, "What did you see?"
"Nothing…"
Turning his head, he spotted the school of fish, "Ah, the glittering stain-glass fish."
"The what?"
"Well, they're not made from glass… nor are they translucent. But their scales act like light reflecting off stain-glass, very pretty to look at."
"I think my partners would appreciate the photo."
"Keep the sightseeing to a minimum, we have a job to do."
"Hai~"
The two went further, the man taking photos of markings on trees. There were deep gashes in the tree, like cravings on a rock. Probably an inch thick. He dug his gloved finger into the hole, expecting to see the yellow pus-like substance on the tip of the finger. But there was nothing.
Did the creature have a way of differentiating between trees and organic life? Did the pus not affect trees as it did for other life forms? He took a small pocket knife, flicking out the blade "One second, Gon…"
"What did you find?"
"A bite mark on a tree." Digging the blade in, he scooped out a piece of bark, making sure to keep the strange groove intact. The nurse Gon talked about, might want a piece, given that the shape and serrated nature of the teeth of skin are engraved into the wood. Placing it into a tiny evidence bag, he shoved it into the bag around his chest "It didn't infect the tree…"
"Maybe the pus spread into the roots?"
"Wouldn't the whole tree be oozing the stuff like the body in that case… it's weird."
"I guess you're right. Maybe it's a specific kind of life… the kind that has a blood flow."
"That would make sense… a circulatory system would rapidly pump the toxin around the body, infecting all its systems before the host has time to recover. It's also probably why the guy didn't escape the attack. So, it's a good point you made…" He moved further into the forest, towards their end goal, the patch where the Luminous Bile grows.
The shark most likely frequents the area due to their smell, to disguise their horrendous odour… supposedly.
It's hard for him to tell if the odour permeated the underwater area.
But to Gon, he'd probably be able to tell if the creature is within the area… again, if it produces a foul smell, he can pick up on it through the filter of his scuba diving gear.
The closer they got, the more markings they saw on the trees, one was even splintered, possibly from being rammed with the full force of the monster they were supposed to deal with.
"Ugh… it smells here." Gon whined. He detected the smell from the surrounding area, with no distinct direction for him to pick and point at.
"Which direction?"
"Everywhere…"
"I don't like that one bit… perhaps it's using its smell as a deterrent?"
"Marking its territory…?" Gon asked, more so out of curiosity than belief. They don't know much about the creature… other than it's large, given the tooth marks on the tree… it smells bad and it's toxic.
"We proceed with caution." He moved further in… spotting the patch of Luminous Bile… at least, what's left of it.
Sections of it were torn like a wild beast came in and chewed up the once beautiful patch of flowers. It was desolated, reduced to a barely useable patch. Only a few flowers remained untouched, the ethereal white glow dims amongst the remaining flower bed.
Gon wanted to pluck one, to make sure at least one survives the onslaught… because he knows it's useless.
There was no way to save what remained. They grow underwater, deep in the darkness.
Several of the patches had that toxic sludge caking what was left of most of the plants. Like the tree, it wasn't affected by the toxin… at least from a glance. The toxins definitely, affect only living entities, given that the tree and plants remained unfazed by the toxin.
Both could be used as a sample of the proof that the creature is here… that the creature was bound to destroy the ecosystem if it remained. The area was now its home and hunting grounds. However, what was more important, was gathering proof that only humans and animals can be poisoned by its toxin.
He had to be careful when gathering a sample.
Steffelor moved closer, swimming up to the edge of the flower bed. He gauged the best spot to gather evidence, a spot where there was still an intact flower, with some of the toxic sludge splattered across it.
He found a piece, carefully scooping it up with some of the dirt, "Hey, Gon. Can you take a photo of the area?"
The young teen brought the camera up to his face, carefully taking a photo of the flower bed. The flash went off like a bright light going off in the darkness. When Gon looked at the photo, far in the back of the image, the boy saw it… a shadowy blur.
"Ahh… Steffelor?"
"What…?" The man placed the sample inside a glass jar, screwing the lid on to fasten the evidence within the container. As the man slid the container into his bag, Gon's lack of response made him turn in the boy's direction, "Wha-"
Gon opened his mouth to say something, to warn the man that they might be in serious, danger. But then he felt its presence and given the man's reaction, he must have felt it too.
The two's bodies stiffened, the presence of a foreboding death watching their every move. At least, that's what it felt… like death held a hand over their shoulder, grasping it tightly as if to drag them down at the slightest of movements.
"Get away from the patch!"
Something roared in the background, from behind the trees. The deathly wail of foreboding doom. What was worse was the smell had gotten stronger, signalling that it was much closer than the two anticipated.
Steffelor moved away from the patch, hoping that it wasn't close enough to sense his ability going off, forcing him away from the flower bed. His eyes darted towards the trees, trying to pick up where it was going to come from.
The last thing he needed was it to come from behind him, teeth tearing through his flesh without it being aware of him, much like the teeth tore through the trees "Do you see it?"
"No…" Gon's eyes focused on the surrounding, trying to sniff the foul odour, to pinpoint its exact location. But he couldn't… it was circling the area, always moving so it was never spotted.
It was much smarter than they anticipated, an intelligent creature that was aware that they were there… waiting for it to reveal itself "It's here, watching us… moving too fast for me to know its exact location. But… I can smell its thick odour."
When the man started to move, Gon saw a shadow flicker through the trees in the back "DON'T… MOVE…" From out of the shadows the young boy caught the large creature moving in their direction. It knew they were there… it could feel their presence.
A large figure with a crocodile's body shape, moved towards them, fins helping it glide through the water with ease. Instead of a face shaped like a crocodile, it was like a great white shark, several sets of teeth protruding from its mouth like an angler fish.
It left the creature's jaw unhinged; mouth ready to snap down on its target, like a crocodile, if it even sensed an inkling of something being near their mouth. Unlike a shark which was smooth and rubbery, this thing had pointed scales, shaped like miniature shields… it was something Gon saw on how people would envision a dragon's scales to look like.
Between those scales, sacks of yellow pus wobbling over its body, leaving a cloudy trail that dispersed behind them… most likely leaving behind that smell… but not the toxin. It was interesting to see it up close.
That was until they saw the two sets of green eyes, which looked like they would glow in the pitch-black darkness… focusing only on them. It sent chills down their spin. It made its way over to them slowly, as though it were trying to feel around its surrounding.
The moment it got too close, it turned away as if they were walls in their way.
Two of their eyes peered at Gon, staring right into his soul… yet they couldn't tell he was floating there. It knew they were there, but it couldn't tell them apart from the surroundings… it must be somewhat blind, considering it was way too close for comfort. It was truly blind… or at least mostly blind.
Accustomed to hunting in the darkness of night…
However, it still knew something was near them…
After a few seconds, believing that they were the only thing in the background, it swam back to the patch of flowers, widening its jaw like a crocodile would before sinking its teeth into the soil, chewing on what it could eat.
It must use a form of echolocation, sensing its surroundings via soundwaves. But the problem with how it's producing those soundwaves is it can't tell the difference between a tree and them.
But given that it also looked at them, they could see its surroundings, so maybe echolocation was wrong. But then, how was it moving around without bumping into anything? Wait… it might still bump into things, given that there were trees with teeth marks shredding through them… or were they markings of its territory?
There was so much they were yet to learn about this terrifying creature.
As the creature continued to eat, now that it was so far away, the two observed the creature's massive size. It had to have been around eight meters long, from the head to the tail.
Gon slowly brought the camera up, taking a photo of the creature.
The blinding flash sent it into a frenzy, the creature's eyes darting in every direction, growling at all its surroundings. Neither one moved, refusing to alert it of their presence. It's bad enough that the blinding flash aggravated it… he didn't want to do any more than that.
But at least now, they had evidence of its existence…
When nothing moved, the frustrated animal stuck its head back in the flower bed. It continued to chew.
Once the man was sure they were temporarily safe, Steffelor spoke calmly to the teen at his side "That was reckless. We're getting out of here, before-" The creature stopped, head twisting back in their direction. It growled, now certain that those two figures it was looking at earlier were not meant to be there.
It moved once more towards Steffelor, as it did to Gon, stopping to stare at him, growling at him, when it didn't move, it snapped its head towards Gon, certain that it was that figure making all the ruckus.
Something within Gon went into flight mode, moving to swim away. It was the worst choice to make, his movements alerted the creature that he was running away. With a flick of its fins, it rapidly swam towards Gon.
The teen barely had any time to react. A burst of aura flowed through Gon, a wave of his hand pushing him right out of the pathway of the creature with barely a split second to spare. The creature smashed into the tree ahead of them, knocking the tree over.
Gon stopped to see where it was going, the creature now moving between the trees at blinding speed. The boy could barely detect the direction of the creature by its smell, but it moved from its spot, certain of the creature once more coming after him.
He laid low on the ground, making sure his floating figure wasn't the thing that came after.
When it resurfaced once more from the trees it moved back to the location where Gon once was, the creature chomping down on the spot. It goes by movement… it's using the vibrations in the water to tell where they were. It's why it hunted down that diver because it knew exactly where he was.
"It hunts by sound and vibrations!"
The creature twisted its head in Gon's direction, baring its teeth at him. When the boy made no moves, it moved back to the patch, munching on the soil and plants.
Neither one moved… waiting for the creature to move on. It left in the direction it came, possibly hunting for a new victim to feed its vicious appetite.
"We're leaving… NOW!" The two moved in tandem, swimming away from the dangerous area.
Gon didn't argue, heading back towards the boat with the man.
When the man was the first to break through the tree line, his eyes caught the creature, already waiting for them. It must have felt the motion of the boat bopping. It roared once more, moving towards them.
"Split up and move towards the boat!" It swam between them, hoping to catch one in its mouth. But Steffelor avoided it by using his ability, manipulating the bubbles around him to torpedo his body out of the way "We're sitting ducks out here!"
Gon moved the creature once more following his movements. There was no point standing still and waiting for it to leave, it knew they were there… there was nothing for them to meld with the surroundings, for the creature to lose sight of them… it wasn't planning on leaving them alone.
The monster made its way towards Gon, the teen barely having time to put up his guard, not that it would do any good to the toxin flowing through its body. But the moment it bites down on him, as long as its jaws weren't stronger than him, he was going to knock it out so they had enough time to get away.
He knows Steffelor said not to be a hero, in many more words… but given its speed, avoiding it was impossible at his distance
Steffelor flicked his hand in Gon's direction his aura surrounding the boy, the flow pulsing with life, getting ready to force the boy out of the way. But just as his ability was prepared for a burst, the creature turned away at the last second, avoiding Gon.
The teen didn't question it, he didn't question the fact he survived… he in instead moved towards the boat, grateful for surviving the encounter. It seems the man agreed with the sentiment, given that he was also making his way towards the only refuge they may have against the creature.
Unless the thing hitting the boat with the full force of its body would capsize the thing. Given its size and speed, it probably could… but it's the only thing that could protect them right now.
They needed to get out of the water…
But given that the creature was now turning around, heading back towards them, he wasn't too sure for how long they'll be able to avoid those encounters.
Right as the two touched the boat, they looked in time to see the creature had stopped several meters away, eyes focus on them. When it moved closer, the light breaking through the water caused it to flicker away, avoiding it as though it burned the creature's skin.
It roared in their direction, frustrated from having lost out on its dinner. The beast continued to circle the area, trying to find a place where it could breach the bright light. The two were forced to keep an eye on it just in case it decides to head straight for them.
Eventually, the creature gave up, eyes blinking several times before retreating, back into the forest.
The two let out a shuddering breath of relief, hands still trembling against the boat. They barely avoided death, both out of luck from the sheer ability to survive the short but terrifying encounter…
But at least now they knew why it didn't surface… it was terrified, or at least avoided the light.
But it didn't explain why it roared at Gon when the camera light flashed… why didn't it bolt away? Or was it because the flash was so quick, that it registered only the light for a split second?
It even got angry at the light flash… not scared.
Gon moving, caused it to go after him…
But when they were swimming towards the boat, why did it avoid Gon at the last second? The man barely had any time to force his ability to activate, to push the teen out of the way. That creature moved way too fast… faster than any other sea creature around the island.
Why didn't it carry through to chomp down on his defence? The teen was there… wide open, yet it didn't carry through with its attack.
Why…?
Given its speed and toxin, how are there not more bodies turning up dead?
No, he was getting off the main topic. Why did it stop mid-attack? He didn't want the boy to die, but that can't be the reason why it stopped… were the creatures also Nen users? It certainly felt that way when it looked in their direction… the bloodlust this thing oozed was unfathomable.
But that can't be the main answer…
Gon wouldn't even be able to supply an answer, because he couldn't see Nen… but the teen did say he could feel it.
"Gon, why did it avoid you before attacking?"
"HUH?!"
"What did you do…?"
"I didn't do anything different… what did you do? I felt your aura surge around me… you should be asking yourself that question!" The boy defends himself, refusing to take the blame for his lucky survival.
Had the man not surged the aura around him, he'd probably be inside the mouth of the creature… punching it until it released him.
The man looked away from the teen, instead opting to look back at the boat, "I don't know… but what I do know is I'm getting out of here. When night comes, I do not want to be caught by that thing."
Gon pouted from the answer. He bets the man does know… but if he was going to take a blind guess, his best bet was the creature is weak against all forms of light, including the kind generated from Nen… and if it can see Nen, it's not a normal creature…
It was most likely something from the dark continent…
And now that he has visual proof of the monster…
Kite better have some answers, because he's not going back in the water without an idea of how to take that thing down.