050 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"Give me blood food."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Beyond tossed him a massive slab of seafood caught on the way.

"Bah!"

The sound of sharp fangs tearing into flesh sent shivers down the Irving brothers' spines. They instinctively stepped farther away from the beast devouring its meal with grotesque satisfaction.

Once it had eaten and drank its fill, the demi-human silently walked to the bow of the ship, sat cross-legged, and said nothing.

"Head southeast."

Compared to the chatty gatekeeper, this guide was a man—creature—of very few words.

At Beyond's signal, the ship's horn bellowed once again as it resumed motion.

"Shift left... stop."

Every time something happened, before Irving could even scan the surroundings with radar, the demi-human monster would already have issued a curt command.

But his guidance was never specific. If he said to shift left, he didn't say by how much. Rozman would adjust the ship accordingly, and once the angle seemed right, the guide would call for a stop and fall silent, implicitly approving the current course.

Simple. Crude. But surprisingly effective.

At the very least, since they started following his directions, they'd encountered far fewer giant sea beasts than before.

Of course, it was impossible to avoid them all.

Still, thanks to the joint efforts of Irving's detection systems and the guide's uncanny instinct, the danger from sea monsters was significantly reduced.

...

As the ship sailed deeper into the Dark Sea, the change in atmosphere was undeniable.

First, the sky. So dark it swallowed sunlight whole.

The air was thick, heavy—almost syrupy—and the oppressive pressure made it hard to breathe.

But as the voyage continued and the human body slowly adapted, these became minor inconveniences.

What truly wore them down were the bizarre weather patterns, each one as devastating as a natural disaster.

Tsunamis. Tornadoes. Tempests. Hailstones the size of boulders...

As the monstrous waves rolled in, Ronnel couldn't shake the feeling that even a small one could obliterate their ship.

Fortunately, Beyond had come prepared. Among the crew he brought from the Six Continents, there were specialists whose Nen abilities were tailored specifically to handle extreme weather.

"Call loudly to the sky and say I love you... Let the heavens hear you!"

Whenever the weather shifted ominously, one of the Nen users would step onto the deck—per Ronnel's whimsical cue—and begin to sing.

And miraculously, it worked.

Snowballs, hailstones, even raindrops as big as houses—all steered clear of the ship.

Not a single one made contact.

"You really thought of everything for this trip," Ronnel commented, lounging on the deck without so much as a wobble beneath his feet.

"Hahahaha! Of course I did!" Beyond grinned, showing off his teeth. "With support-type Nen users, we can cut through a ton of dangers and save on energy. That boosts our chances of reaching the Dark Continent by a lot!"

He jabbed his thumb proudly at his chest.

"These are elite experts from across the Six Continents. Wouldn't it be a joke if the weather took them out before we even got close?"

Beyond had made this journey once before. This time, he came fully prepared.

...

While Beyond and the others braved the open sea, the ancient gate—the one guarded by the eccentric sentry—welcomed another round of uninvited visitors.

"Alright, I've told you the rules and conditions. Feed him regularly, and he'll lead you to the Dark Continent."

The gatekeeper's tone was noticeably colder this time, very different from his earlier chatter with Beyond. He gestured toward the demi-human guide beside him, his attitude flat and disinterested.

"This guy..."

Phinks' veins bulged in frustration. He clenched his fists tightly, face twisted in distaste.

"The boss said not to worry about these guys," Franklin murmured beside him. "We just borrow the guide. No need to deal with the rest."

"We relied on Machi's sixth sense to get this far, and it helped us dodge most sea monsters. But from here on out, things are gonna be worse. Her ability alone won't cut it. We need a guide."

Franklin's gaze shifted to the fuzzy gatekeeper. His expression was grave.

"These guys are strange. Messing with them now would only make things worse."

"Tch." Phinks spat on the ground, clearly annoyed.

Feitan, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes and paused, then quietly sheathed his umbrella-sword.

The gatekeeper—aloof but clearly perceptive—noticed everything. His sharp beak twitched as he snorted in disdain.

He gave one last glance to the demi-human guide they'd summoned—a creature with a boar's head, tusks, and a surly air of resentment—and then turned his back on them, walking back through the ancient gate.

"That bastard's attitude really pisses me off."

Phinks cracked his knuckles, his glare following the retreating figure.

"Let it go," Shalnark said calmly. "In this unknown territory, staying calm is the best way to avoid unnecessary trouble. Besides…"

He glanced at the old gate. "Those gatekeepers are no joke."

"So... are we really bringing this pig-headed thing aboard, Captain?"

Kortopi caught himself just in time, choking down the words pig head.

Everyone turned toward Chrollo, who stood there calmly, facing the drooling, boar-headed demi-human that would now be their guide.

"No problem," Chrollo said, snapping shut the book in his hands with a quiet thud. "According to the intel I found onboard, as long as you follow the rules and show some respect, the gatekeepers won't cause any trouble. The guides? Even easier."

He tucked the book under one arm.

"The materials I read laid it all out—gatekeepers, guides, how to get to this place. We followed the map and made it here."

And now they had their next step.

Their voyage to the Dark Continent had officially begun.