049 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"Southeast. Swamp."

Beyond uttered those two words without elaboration.

"Oh? So your target is the longevity food, Nitro Rice?"

The gatekeeper clearly knew more than he let on about the Dark Continent's hidden treasures.

The moment Beyond spoke, thoughts of the treasures—and the calamities tied to them—flashed through his mind.

"Nitro Rice grows in the swamps. But before you reach it, you'll have to pass through the territory of the two-tailed snake, Hellbell—the one that radiates murderous intent. Don't die out there. I haven't had a taste of that longevity crop yet, hehehe~"

It was obvious the chatty gatekeeper had already claimed Nitro Rice for himself in his heart.

As he spoke, the sound of him gulping was barely audible.

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving you any!"

Beyond's expression didn't change, but his internal voice snarled fiercely.

Back when they were still aboard the ship, Beyond's team had already chosen Nitro Rice as their first objective.

As a medicinal resource believed to extend the human lifespan, Nitro Rice was considered the most valuable of the five known hopes from the Dark Continent.

More importantly, Netero himself had once benefited from it. That gave it special significance in Beyond's eyes.

And crucially, Beyond's team had come prepared with a method to handle the guardian of Nitro Rice—the Twin-Tailed Snake, Hellbell.

Hellbell shakes its two tails like bells from the underworld, unleashing a sound that floods the minds of those who hear it with pure killing intent—driving them mad or leaving them lost in a haze of violence.

The team's initial strategy was simple: prevent themselves from hearing it altogether.

For instance, Saiyu could use his ability [the see-not monkey · the hear-not monkey · the speak-not monkey] to block his own hearing with the hear-not monkey.

It was a crude approach—but sometimes crude solutions worked best.

There was, of course, the question of whether the sound didn't just travel through the eardrum, but directly attacked the mind instead…

But that seemed unlikely.

If Hellbell's sound could penetrate the mind directly. Its aura of killing intent would've spread long before humans ever approached.

Granted, it's possible that the elders used unique techniques to neutralize it.

But even so, Netero had successfully obtained Nitro Rice.

That much alone made the mission seem manageable.

Ronnel also voiced his approval and backed Beyond's decision to pursue Nitro Rice.

If Netero and his team could pull it off, then surely a team like theirs—with him and Beyond—wouldn't fare worse.

Besides, Nitro Rice would be invaluable for Ronnel's use of [Emperor Time].

And really, who wouldn't want to live longer?

…

"@#%..."

As the gatekeeper babbled in some incomprehensible tongue and performed a bizarre little dance, Ronnel and the others watched as a dense black mist leaked through the crack in the gate.

The fog slithered toward them, then began to condense rapidly before their eyes.

It took shape—a humanoid silhouette with bronze-toned skin and bladed limbs resembling claws.

It stood upright like a person, but its head was unmistakably beast-like: two massive tusks like a war elephant, a long, curling trunk, and an exposed crimson tongue dripping with corrosive saliva.

"With a human body and a beast's head… is this a demihuman leader?"

Ronnel studied the creature. Its physiology reminded him of Chimera Ants—beings made from fused human DNA.

"This one's already guided humans to the southeast before. It's experienced," the gatekeeper said, pointing at the beastly guide.

"Just make sure it's fed along the way, and you'll be fine."

He gave a casual wave. "Well then—good luck~"

Without waiting for a reply, the ever-chatty gatekeeper spun on his heel and vanished through the closing gate.

"Boom!"

The heavy stone slammed shut, not a crack left behind.

Ging and Pariston stood in silence, eyeing the mute demihuman before turning to look at Beyond.

"You heard him," Beyond said with a dry cough. "Let's move. To the Dark Continent!"

There were no explosive disputes or urgent crises.

The V5 had borrowed guides from these gatekeepers for centuries—whatever casualties occurred came from within the Dark Continent itself, not the guides.

There was no reason Ronnel's relatively uneventful expedition would stir up trouble.

He wasn't some cursed star destined to drag disaster with him everywhere he went…

But…

…

At that very moment, beyond the gate—

"Hehehe… besides that one surviving human, are there any other interesting guests?"

The gatekeeper giggled as he strolled deeper into the darkness, his lanky silhouette swallowed by the shadows.

Images of Ronnel and Ging danced through his mind, and he couldn't suppress another round of strange, raspy laughter.

"Those two carry the aura of those old bones..."

"It's them… the ones who broke the seals! This is getting very interesting… quack, quack~!"

His hoarse, eerie laughter echoed through the pitch-black corridor, raising goosebumps as it lingered in the stale air.

…

After securing the guide, Beyond didn't waste time. He brought the demihuman back to the ship immediately.

Under the curious stares of Irving and Rozman, Ronnel and the others remained on deck. They didn't return to the fourth-dimensional apartment—instead, they stood watching the creature.

The demihuman guide, for its part, didn't hesitate.

The moment it stepped onto the ship, it extended its clawed hand toward Beyond.