047 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

Although Netero's strength had fallen to less than half of what it was in his prime, he was still the number one Nen user in the world before the Ant King appeared. His body and constitution were nothing short of formidable.

And what about Linne, who was far younger than Netero?

Back during the election for the new Chairman of the Hunter Association, Linne looked utterly worn out. Her listless, sluggish demeanor couldn't compare to Netero's usual boundless energy.

She was younger, sure—but her physical decline had been much steeper. Just like Beyond said: her lifespan had already passed its peak.

And Zigg...?

Well, there's no need to bring him up. Alluka's wish-granting ability alone makes that whole situation a different category.

Both Netero and Zigg had faced the gatekeepers' trials—but Netero survived.

Maybe it's guilt over what happened to his old friend. Maybe that's why he never wanted to return to the Dark Continent. Perhaps that's also why he's more cautious than Beyond when it comes to exploring it further.

"Pfft. After everything we've been through, I'm not making the same mistakes that old man did. And this time, I'm not letting any of those bandits steal from us again!" Beyond suddenly grinned at Ronnel, laughing mid-thought.

"Ronnel, did you leave an exit for the dimensional apartment somewhere in the Six Continents?"

"Yeah," Ronnel nodded. "Just in case anything went wrong, I left one on the Six Continents."

"That's perfect!" Beyond clapped his hands, delighted.

"Once our Dark Continent expedition's over, we can just use the apartment as a transfer hub and head straight back to the Six Continents!" His eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"We won't need to waste time dealing with gangsters and scavengers—we can even leave most of the haul behind as bait for them."

Hearing that, Ronnel chuckled and replied:

"And I'll leave another exit in the Dark Continent. That way, we'll be able to travel straight from the Six Continents to the Dark Continent whenever we want. No need for gatekeepers anymore."

"You were planning that all along, Ronnel?!" Beyond's eyes lit up as he twirled around joyfully. "Now we can actually make detailed plans—no more gambling our lives on half-guesses! I'm telling you, this time I'm setting our landing spot at—hey, wait, I'm not done yet—!"

Before he could finish, his annoyed companion—still recovering from a booger attack—grabbed him by the neck and dragged him away mid-ramble.

Ronnel just shook his head, amused, while reviewing all the details Beyond had given him.

Gatekeepers?

That was valuable intel.

While Beyond rambled, Ronnel had already used Psychometry along with his particle clones to pull every image from their previous expedition straight out of Beyond's mind.

Gatekeepers. Demihumans. The terrain of the Dark Continent. The lurking disasters. The faint glimmers of hope...

All of it left a vivid impression in Ronnel's mind, giving him a clear, visceral sense of what they were about to face.

And above all else, what stood out wasn't the oppressive darkness of the sky—but the enormous World Tree towering at the center, piercing the clouds and stretching endlessly into the sky.

Ronnel had seen the World Tree sapling on the Six Continents before. Compared to the one in Beyond's memory... it really was just a sapling.

So calling it that wasn't an insult—it was dead-on.

The real World Tree was so massive that even Beyond's memory couldn't capture its full shape. All he'd seen were its titanic roots—thicker than sea kings—and a canopy so high it merged into the clouds. Enormous birds circled the mist-shrouded trunk.

This tree—this behemoth—was one of Ging's main goals for coming to the Dark Continent.

If it turns out to be even half of what he's imagined all this time, he'll be beyond satisfied.

But...

As Ronnel continued scanning Beyond's memories, something tugged at him—a feeling of déjà vu.

Those gatekeepers... those demihuman monsters...

They looked strangely familiar.

...

Time slipped by.

A week passed in a blink.

Ronnel and Beyond arrived at their destination smoothly, without any accidents or interference.

Just like Beyond had promised, the ship—its hull crafted entirely from sea stone—navigated the volatile sea with ease.

Ronnel's clone, stationed just outside the dimensional apartment, had quietly observed the ship's course. At one point, Irving—who had radar detection—veered slightly off path. Moments later, a massive Pipi Shrimp leapt out of the ocean right where the ship would've been.

The distance had been less than a few meters. The resulting splash nearly capsized the vessel.

But despite the close call, the shrimp didn't even glance at them—it flipped and vanished.

Thanks to the combined effects of sea stone and Rozman's abilities, they were nearly invisible out here. Aside from the occasional rogue wave kicked up by sea beasts, they had little to fear.

...

Beyond, Ronnel, Ging, and Pariston stood at the bow, staring out at the lone island breaking the endless sea. At its center stood a vast, weathered gate.

"I've dealt with these guys before. Let me do the talking," Beyond said quietly to the others.

"Of course, if negotiations fail... then we blast our way through! And if that doesn't work—we run like hell!"

He didn't even pretend to be ashamed about it.

None of the others spoke. The four of them were easily the strongest members of the expedition team. If even they couldn't handle what lay ahead, retreat would be the only option.

After giving his brief warning, Beyond leapt down onto the dark island.

The terrain was bleak and barren, most of it swallowed by jagged khaki-colored rocks shaped like frozen waves.

And in the middle of it all stood a towering, ancient gate—rough-hewn and silent.

It was as tall, maybe taller, than the Zoldyck family's Testing Gate.