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Chapter 75: Date
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A long time ago, the V5 decided on which place they're going to build the International Permit Agency's headquarters and they came to the conclusion it should be built in the Mimbo republic due to the Hunter Association's HQ also being there which can provide necessary backup if need.
Such a place will need maximum possible protection because of what is in its basement, some things that can exterminate humanity if unleashed so while the V5 has Nen users of their own.
They still needed a backup plan in case that's not enough and if even the backup plan failed then they'll have to use much more destructive means.
So while the Mimbo republic certainly benefits from the agency's headquarter being built in their territory.
They also have to live with the risk that if the threats within the basement ever got unleashed, the rest of the V5 will have to use nuclear weapons to exterminate them.
So the Mimbo republic decided to take the safe route and build the headquarters within a safe distance from the capital and Swardani city, in a small city, the same one Yasuo just landed on and walked with Morena towards the biggest building in the city, The agency's headquarters.
Yasuo handed his 3-star hunter license to the front desk receptionist while saying, "I have an appointment, please let the Agency director know."
The receptionist didn't look surprised as if expecting him, once she verified his hunter license she said, "Please wait for a moment, the director will be with you in a minute." After saying that, she made a call only saying 'The guest is here,'.
Yasuo sat down on one of the waiting chairs with Morena sitting next to him and asking playfully, "I don't know much about dates but this is certainly a weird place for a date, don't you think?"
Yasuo just smiled saying, "What did you expect? of course its gonna be an unusual 'date' but it will certainly be an interesting one,"
Morena looked around wondering, "Is there more than what meets the eye to this place?", "You'll see..."
They only had to wait for about two minutes before the agency's director appeared within their vision, he walked towards them and said:
"Welcome to the IPA Mr. Yasuo and Miss Morena, I'm the director of the agency Mirruc.
You can choose for me to be the tour guide and I'll explain everything as we tour. if you don't, just know that I'll have to follow you through the tour to make sure everything is going well."
Mirruc is a short old man, his hair is almost completely white signifying his age with a few wrinkles on his face.
He was wearing a brown suit with a perfect posture in contrast to his age and this is due to something Yasuo noticed, Mirruc is a Nen user and a strong one at that.
Yasuo said with a smile, "No need, I read the book, I just need to see them with my eyes though I might ask you a few questions if needed."
Mirruc's expression doesn't seem to change at all since the start of the interaction as he just nodded, "Please follow me."
They started walking with Morena asking Yasuo, "Care to explain?"
"If someone becomes a 2-star hunter, the option to request a tour in this place becomes available, and since I became a 3-star hunter I can request to take another person to the tour even if the latter isn't a 2-star hunter.
So I requested to add you as an extra and they approved. As for what's in here well it's better to see it yourself."
Morena nodded only to ask another question, "And the director is acting as the guide?"
The one to answer the question ended up being Mirruc, "Rarely does anyone request for the tour especially considering the price for it is three billion jenny so I don't mind taking some time of the day to act as the guide and this is my responsibility,"
Yasuo raised his eyebrows wondering, "Really, Is it just that? I thought it's because your ability is suitable for such a role in case something happened..."
Yet Mirruc's expression didn't change as he simply said, "Who knows~"
Then they stayed silent as the elevator started going down until Morena remembered something, "What book were you talking about earlier~"
"'Journey to the new world' a book about the dark continent, I will send you a digital form once we finish the tour," Explained Yasuo.
Hearing that actually caused a change in Mirruc's expression with his face twitching slightly, "You know you'll be hunted for that right?", "Will I?"
Mirruc didn't talk any further as he leads them through a certain hallway after exiting the elevator only to lead them to another elevator though he had to enter a code and swipe a red card he had on him for the elevator to start going down and it took quite some time before it stopped.
They walked through another hallway though this one is quite long with tens of armed soldiers and several security measures only to take another elevator down.
'Definitely more than two miles underground which makes sense considering what's in here...'
This is what Yasuo noted after exiting the elevator, his domain able to see beyond the large door in front of them, the same door Mirruc is verifying his identity on through biometric authentication.
'I can already sense a few Nen users behind the door all around the facility, Nen users specially picked to provide protection against the threats inside and the possible threats outside so their abilities are bound to be dangerous or effective in keeping intruders out...'
A gleam of light passed in his eyes thinking of this.
'Also, mysterious engravings inside the walls, the ground and the roof as far as I can sense and are most likely all around the facility, and some are similar to the divine inscriptions... Interesting I should study them when I go back.'
"You both can walk anywhere within the facility as long as you don't touch anything or get too close to the tubes. I'll follow closely behind," Stated Mirruc as the door started opening.
What came within their vision as they walked past the door are several people in hazmat suits that seem to be walking around and discussing between themself.
There also seem to be some of them that are closely observing a few of the many large tubes placed all around the facility.
The tubes seem to be filled with some kind of liquid with something peculiar floating inside each of every tube, something that stunned Morena as she started looking around at all the different disfigured and macabre human corpses and other gruesome things that barely look like a human.
In fact, in some of the tubes, there are things that look more like disfigured human babies.
"Just what is this?" Asked Morena frowning looking at the gruesome figures though for the wrong reasons.
She walked next to Yasuo as he explained to her, "These are the victims of the five great calamities that humanity brought back in its travels to the dark continent,"
Yasuo pointed at a specific tube, inside it is a human body with its head missing, seemingly not even severed.
The neck just seems to end. Also, it looks like something burst from its guts.
"This one is a victim of Brion the Botanical Weapon, not much is known about it so far except its appearance which appears as an enormous sphere on top of a human body, where the head should be."
He then pointed at another tube, "All the bodies that are squashed or wrung and twisted are victims of Ai a gaseous life-form with limb-like appendages extending from its main form."
Then he looked at the one with victims the size of dolls, all have an antler sticking out of their head. "This is the result of 'Pap', its capable of shrinking its victims to the size of dolls, its full capabilities are unknown."
"And Hellbell, a snake-like creature with two tails. Its distinguishing feature is a large, black lump resembling a bell from which it derives its name.
The skin of its neck up to the black lump from which the tails sprout looks twisted in texture.
It infects its prey with homicidal desire and it's even capable of mutating their bodies and possibly even affecting dead bodies with homicidal desires, its incredibly dangerous especially with the combination with its mutation ability ."
Explained Yasuo looking at what appeared to be A hand...that grew mouths, mini-hands, and what seem to be tendrils as Morena listened attentively with her interest in the dark continent peaking.
They walked around the lab with Yasuo explaining what he deemed interesting and using his control domain to analyze each and everything in the tubes, all of the victims of the five threats, well almost all...
Yasuo stopped walking once he neared a large glass chamber as Morena stood next to him while looking at what is inside the chamber with curiosity in her eyes.
A simple yet weird-looking human, he seems to be in the process of feeding on his own flesh with no sound coming out of him except the munching sound.
"This is a victim of The Zobae Disease, also called "The Immortality Disease", a mysterious sickness and one of the Five Threats.
A Hunter, who obtained the uncanny capacity to live entirely self-sufficiently and without sustenance for many years, becoming practically immune to death.
It seems its self-sustenance is achieved through feeding on one's own flesh, and the disease greatly accelerates the regeneration of tissues."
A weird expression surfaced on Yasuo's face, an expression of anticipation, anticipating the results of what he really came here for...