CHAPTER 217: PERFECT COORDINATION!

After a series of sharp sounds, most of the falling feathers were intercepted by the people on board.

However, a few "stragglers" still landed on the ship, triggering several electric explosions.

Fortunately, the vessel was under Usamen’s protection at the time—otherwise, those feathers would likely have blasted several holes through it.

Judging by the explosions, these feathers were nothing to scoff at.

Each one possessed hardness comparable to steel and was imbued with an electric effect.

Ging held three blue-white feathers in his hand, silently examining them.

Ging was no stranger to biological research, having once pioneered a breeding method for two-headed wolves.

But these thunderbirds were something else entirely.

First, there was their behavior of emerging from thunderclouds.

In nature, there was a universal rule: during thunderstorms, birds would fly lower to avoid the turbulence.

Yet these birds not only showed no fear of the raging storm but actively flew out from thunder-laden cumulonimbus clouds.

This was clearly unnatural.

Compared to this, the thunderbirds’ large size was hardly noteworthy—after all, the Six Continents were home to plenty of oversized creatures.

Of the three feathers, two were longer, and one was shorter, but their overall appearance was identical.

Pure white in color, they crackled with streaks of blue electricity.

However, the current was visibly dissipating at a noticeable rate, likely to vanish entirely before long.

This suggested that the electricity had a limited duration.

Perhaps it faded once separated from the birds, or maybe it simply dissipated after being away from the thunderclouds for too long.

But the fact that electricity could flow through them at all meant the feathers were not only resistant to current but might even possess some capacity to store it.

That alone made these feathers highly valuable.

Taken back to the Six Continents, they could fuel extensive research and lead to the development of new technologies.

Moreover, their steel-like hardness made them a decent material in their own right.

With a flick of his wrist, Ging tucked the three feathers into a cloth pouch as if performing a magic trick, then turned his gaze to the thunderbirds circling overhead.

Like Ging, the others had also recognized the feathers’ unusual properties and collected a few well-preserved ones for themselves.

Even ignoring the miraculous effects of [Hope], these ordinary gains were already quite rewarding.

Take these peculiar feathers, for example—they could fetch a hefty price back on the Six Continents.

The Dark Continent was fraught with peril, but it was also a land brimming with treasures.

Muherr and the others frowned slightly, their eyes locked onto the thunderbirds wheeling through the sky.

After the initial "barrage," the feathers on the birds’ wings had noticeably thinned.

At most, they could only launch two or three more attacks.

Perhaps sensing the threat posed by the humans’ artillery, the thunderbirds had ascended to a higher altitude.

This put them beyond the effective range of the group’s Aura Weapons.

"Unwilling to give up prey already within their reach?"

"Do they think victory is assured?"

"Or is the target simply too tempting to abandon?"

Beyond’s eyes narrowed, his expression shifting unpredictably as he muttered under his breath.

Though his voice was low, it carried an eerie clarity, ensuring every word reached the ears of those around him.

Compared to the others who were merely speculating, Beyond had a deeper understanding of the current situation.

He had witnessed the operating principles among creatures of the Dark Continent—endless devouring!

There, the only standard was "the strong prey on the weak"—big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat even smaller fish.

This contained an underlying theme—evolution!

Had Beyond personally witnessed the Ant King, he likely wouldn’t have been particularly surprised by its devouring and evolving abilities.

Because he had seen such creatures more than once on the Dark Continent.

Or rather, in that unknown land, it seemed most creatures possessed this capability.

Every devoured creature became an accumulation for oneself.

When this accumulation reached a certain level, they would transform into more formidable forms.

In human terms, this was called "evolution"!

Precisely because most creatures could effectively utilize the energy from devouring, there was a continuous cycle of evolution.

This gave rise to the endless emergence of gigantic creatures on the Dark Continent.

Compared to the creatures of the Dark Continent, humans were undoubtedly lacking in the aspect of evolution.

But human powerhouses with vast aura were considered delicacies in the eyes of those creatures.

Perhaps creatures with overwhelming strength differences wouldn’t spare humans a glance.

Yet those within a certain range of power difference took great pleasure in hunting Nen Users.

According to records from surviving soldiers, aside from natural disasters, bizarre "calamities," and diseases, the most common cause of death was being preyed upon by creatures!

The Thunderbirds they encountered now were likely the same.

Despite knowing the danger, they lingered unwilling to leave.

Because this entire ship of human powerhouses was far too tempting for them!

For a moment, the situation seemed to have reached an impasse.

The Thunderbirds had their reservations, while the humans lacked effective means to harm them.

Their flight altitude was too high—even if long-range attacks like Aura Projectiles could reach that height, the Thunderbirds could easily dodge them.

The next moment, the situation suddenly took a shocking turn!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three consecutive gunshots shattered the tense standoff between humans and birds.

Three Thunderbirds fell instantly, their corpses plummeting like meteors.

Drops of bright red blood scattered, blending with the rain before landing on the ship and sea.

Everything was stained crimson.

Seeing this, the group barely had time to be shocked before hastily dodging—the falling corpses were headed straight for where they stood.

The massive bodies crashed onto the deck, causing the recently stabilized ship to rock violently again.

It swayed from side to side like it had survived a tsunami before finally steadying.

All three Thunderbirds had identical holes in their heads—uncannily resembling bullet wounds.

Beyond and Ging were the first to react, turning to look in Akira’s direction.

Akira stood motionless, holding a feather that had appeared out of nowhere.

Beside him, Meowth wielded a bizarre-looking sniper rifle, wearing what appeared to be ordinary glasses.

Clearly, it was Meowth who had shot down those Thunderbirds!

Both the glasses and that sniper rifle were extraordinary.

[Precision Glasses]: When worn, they increase the accuracy of long-range attacks.

The farther the target, the harder it is to hit—but the greater the boost to accuracy.

Using them continuously drains mental energy, and prolonged wear can lead to fatigue and lethargy.

[Bizarre Sniper Rifle]: When aura is channeled into it, the rifle automatically forms bullets. The farther the target, the greater the damage inflicted.

Both the [Precision Glasses] and the [Bizarre Sniper Rifle] were developed by Meowth himself.

They could be said to perfectly complement the Aura system.

One was a pair of glasses that increased accuracy the farther the target was.

The other was a sniper rifle that dealt more damage the greater the distance.

When used together, their synergy created an effect greater than the sum of their parts.

With three consecutive shots from Meowth, three Thunderbirds were struck down, plummeting onto the deck like kites with severed strings.

"I hit them, meow! I hit them!"

Seeing the fruits of his labor pay off, Meowth jumped for joy, cheering excitedly.

His adorable cat ears twitched with his movements, and his tail curled and straightened repeatedly.

The sudden death of three companions finally overwhelmed the remaining Thunderbirds’ greed with fear.

With a frantic beat of their wings, they vanished into the thunderclouds in an instant.

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