062 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

And just like before, they followed the same path back.

"More than twenty plants?"

At that moment, Ronnel used the interchange between his clone and [Double], shifting his body to the edge of the swamp.

He glanced at the shimmering Nitro Rice in Netero's hands and, with a simple gesture, stored them all into the space behind him.

"Once we get back to the Six Continents, ask Ickshonpe if there's a person who can genuinely duplicate things. If not, check with Emuksu~"

When it comes to longevity foods like Nitro Rice that can be replicated and expanded, there's no such thing as too much.

Netero had already gathered most of the Nitro Rice from the swamp, though he deliberately left behind about ten plants.

For adventurers, it's taboo to strip a natural swamp bare. Taking everything without leaving a trace behind is considered poor form.

Once Beyond, Pariston, and the others arrived and saw how few were left, they'd understand the unspoken rule and wouldn't complain.

With that, Netero, having stored the Nitro Rice, reverted to his puppet form once again.

Ronnel stood nearby, waiting for Beyond's group to arrive.

...

As if cowed by the overwhelming pressure of Netero's 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, the entangling grass on the plains had ceased moving, no longer hindering Beyond and his group. Their travel speed improved dramatically.

Not long after, the three teams crossed the plains and reached the swamp's edge almost simultaneously.

"Is that... Nitro Rice?"

The moment they arrived, all eyes turned toward the remaining glowing plants in the center of the swamp.

Then they noticed Ronnel standing nearby... and the scattered remains—broken branches, leaves, and bits of meat.

"Did he already take down the twin-tailed snake, Hellbell?"

Beyond, Pariston, and the others glanced at the wreckage and felt a ripple of surprise.

Ronnel had dealt with Hellbell so quickly—it had completely caught Beyond off guard.

This ruined his plan to use Saiyu to seal off Hellbell's senses, but at the same time, it was good news that the danger had been eliminated.

Then, when Beyond turned his gaze to the center of the swamp and saw only ten remaining Nitro Rice plants—and the obvious spots where others had been pulled out—he instantly understood that Ronnel had beaten them to it and taken the lion's share.

He gave Ronnel a deep, meaningful look, then smiled and stepped forward to greet him.

"Hahaha! Ronnel, didn't think you'd be this quick! You charged ahead of all of us—makes us look bad!"

"Just lucky~" Ronnel grinned and gestured toward the broken brush. "Hellbell's already dealt with, and I've secured some Nitro Rice."

"As for how much I took—per our agreement—everyone takes what they can. I don't need to declare my gains, right?"

"No need at all," Beyond nodded seriously. "You took down Hellbell and overcame the greatest obstacle to getting the Nitro Rice. You deserve the biggest share."

The two played their parts well. Their prior verbal agreement was now being upheld in action, setting a precedent in front of everyone.

That made it official—something good, in its own right.

Now that the idea of "earn what you can" was publicly established, it would stay in the minds of all the other team members. It would push them to go all-in for the next expedition.

Otherwise, they'd just be stuck watching Ronnel eat the meat while they fought for the scraps—if even that.

...

Once Beyond finished speaking with Ronnel, he instructed his crew to retrieve three Nitro Rice plants.

He understood the need to preserve the ecosystem here, so he only took three. 

Of the three plants, he had one delivered to the logistics team for research—to see if cultivation was possible.

The other two he planned to cook into rice and divide evenly among everyone.

As for Ronnel... that guy clearly had plenty already, so he wouldn't be getting any of this batch!

While Beyond was arranging the Nitro Rice, Ging carefully collected pieces of Hellbell's flesh. The remains had great research potential.

With the Nitro Rice secured, it was time to pick their next target and formulate a plan.

...

"The magical herb that cures all illnesses—Vanilla!"

Beyond addressed everyone with his next objective.

"In this dangerous land, one wrong step could mean infection by some strange disease. Herbs with healing properties are our next priority."

"Once we have Vanilla, we'll be in a much better position for the next phase of our journey."

"Vanilla grows to the north of our current location—in a forest even more dangerous than the one we just crossed."

"It's not near the Dark Continent's coast like Nitro Rice was, but buried deep inside a maze-like, uninhabited city 400 kilometers away—past the sea of trees."

"The calamity there is a mysterious sphere that guards ancient ruins—Brion, a type of plant-based weapon made of gold and silver alloy."

"Vanilla has incredible medicinal effects, so naturally, many will flock to it. For the V6, its value for scientific research is immense."

"Some countries even sent elite squads there. In the end, only two survivors returned—all because of Brion's defenses."

"Brion's overall threat level is only B+—on the lower end of known threats. But we can't afford to be careless."

"They can take over human bodies by replacing their heads, effectively turning people into puppets to enhance their strength."

"They're highly destructive, but this parasitic method is their only major threat. As long as we prevent them from seizing control of our bodies, we can take them down using Nen!"