CHAPTER 228: WATER SOURCE

’Thud.’

With a relatively soft collision sound, the ship safely docked under the solemn gaze of everyone.

Since the entire coastline was sandy, their vessel could pull directly ashore.

Rather than needing to swim or paddle across a considerable distance.

Although the boat had already reached the shore, no one made a move, instead cautiously observing their surroundings.

At first glance, there didn’t seem to be any issues.

Stretching before them was a vast expanse of golden sand, shimmering under the gradually intensifying sunlight with a radiant, golden hue.

Occasionally, a wave or two would roll in, carrying away the outermost layers of yellow sand while depositing some unknown debris.

Further ahead stood towering purple trees, so numerous that they formed an entire Purple Forest.

From a distance earlier, they hadn’t noticed one crucial detail.

These trees were so enormous that they remained clearly visible even from afar.

Each tree was the size of a skyscraper, making anyone standing among them feel as though they were in a metropolis.

The only difference was that one was an actual jungle, while the other was a metaphorical ’concrete jungle’.

Because the forest was so dense and vast, they couldn’t immediately discern what lay beyond it.

Setting aside the distant Purple Forest for now, the beach right before them appeared harmless.

At least, after scanning the area, they found no signs of living creatures.

Though called a beach, this place could easily be considered a desert.

Its sheer expanse was so vast that only by gazing into the distance could one see the Purple Forest at the horizon.

Everywhere else, the endless desert stretched as far as the eye could see.

At that moment, everyone had the same thought:

Water!

Traveling through a desert made sustenance a critical concern.

And among all necessities, water was the most important.

It was common knowledge that deserts rarely had water sources.

A lack of it during a long journey could prove fatal.

"Just by rough estimation—though not entirely precise—if we proceed at our normal pace,"

"it would take about one or two days to reach that Purple Forest."

"But that’s assuming no obstacles and smooth progress the entire way."

"In reality, the time needed will definitely exceed that, given the inevitable dangers we’ll encounter."

"How much longer it’ll take depends entirely on how many hazards we face along the way."

After a moment of contemplation, Muheer voiced his thoughts.

He first broke the journey into smaller segments—for example, getting from the shore to the Purple Forest was one such segment.

Then, for this segment, he outlined the approximate time required and potential dangers they might face.

"At present, we haven’t detected any threats, but one thing we must consider is water."

"Even though crossing this desert won’t take too long, securing water is still crucial."

"Right now, there are two possible solutions."

"The first is carrying our own water supply."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone except Akira, Ging, and Beyond pulled out specially prepared water pouches.

Compared to canteens, these pouches were lighter and easier to carry, which was why they had all opted for them, each filled with a substantial amount of fresh water.

As for Beyond, he touched the silver bracelet on his wrist, and a transparent water droplet suddenly appeared in his palm.

A water-condensing bead?

Akira recognized the water pearl at first glance because he had something similar on hand.

"Aside from the water pouches everyone carries, I’ve also prepared a large number of water pearls to meet our hydration needs."

Beyond held up a water pearl, speaking with full confidence.

"Don’t underestimate this pearl just because it’s only half the size of a fist—its effects are incredibly potent."

"Consuming just one pearl like this can provide enough water for an adult’s daily needs."

"It’s especially useful for replenishing bodily fluids when there isn’t enough fresh water available."

Akira recalled that these were obtained from a type of fish called ’water pearl fish’ found in Carter Port.

This fish had a bizarre appearance, with almost no flesh—its body was instead composed of clusters of water pearls.

Due to its unique physiology, the fish could secrete a special membrane that compressed and purified water.

What was originally salty, briny seawater became purified into pearls indistinguishable from fresh water.

Moreover, these fish were extremely rare, found only in the deep ocean, making each pearl highly valuable.

Back then, Akira had speculated that people targeting the Dark Continent would purchase such items.

After all, in such a place, the utility of water pearls would be even more pronounced and critically important.

Sure enough, Beyond had acquired quite a few, likely spending a considerable sum in the process.

"Indeed, the water reserves we’re carrying ourselves are quite sufficient."

Muheer nodded before continuing with the second point.

"The second method is to rely on local water sources once our own supplies run out."

"That’s when Sammy’s Nen ability comes into play—using it to determine which water sources are safe to drink."

Sammy nodded in agreement.

"The only concern is if we can’t find any drinkable water sources on the Dark Continent—that would be troublesome."

Muheer added the final, most crucial point.

Sammy’s Nen ability could only determine the safety of food and water, not purify them.

"Don’t worry, we won’t face that kind of predicament because we have Akira is here with us."

Hearing this, Beyond laughed heartily and turned to look at Akira beside him.

Akira chuckled lightly. "That’s right. I have a substantial amount of fresh water with me, more than enough for this journey."

The "substantial amount" he referred to was currently stored within his shadow.

To be precise, it was inside Gengar’s stomach.

"Then we needn’t worry about this issue any further."

Muheer glanced at Akira and Beyond, then relaxed as he spoke slowly.

Though he didn’t know how Akira managed to carry so much fresh water, as long as the team’s top two leaders said so, he only needed to trust them.

"Now that the water issue is fully resolved, we should turn our attention to safety concerns."

"Mascher."

After speaking, Muheer called out to Mascher on the other side.

"Coming."

Mascher walked over, holding a live chicken in his hand, which was currently cowering under his intimidating aura.

They had deliberately brought this chicken before setting sail, precisely for situations like this.

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