053 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"It helps keep the team intact, but a team has its limits. You can't just keep growing it forever."

"Other than those Pac-Man-like creatures, there doesn't seem to be any additional hazards in the area. Judging by the skeletons hidden beneath their bodies—already corroded by time—there's no sign of other abnormalities."

"In short, if we want to deal with those Pac-Man monsters, we either need to destroy them instantly with telekinesis... or kill them faster than they can split!"

That was Ronnel's analysis—and both Ging and Beyond shared the same conclusion.

"What a shame. With that kind of rapid division, I actually wanted to keep one or two around for research~"

Ging sounded genuinely regretful as he commented on the Pac-Man-like organisms.

"There's no shortage of fascinating lifeforms in the Dark Continent. Countless things here are worth studying. But it's better to wipe out the dangerous ones right away."

Beyond rose to his feet, stretching as he exuded a wave of aura.

"This patch of land isn't too wide. I'll take the left, Ging will handle the right—Ronnel, can I leave the center to you?"

"No problem at all~!" Ronnel and Ging both grinned.

Without needing another word, the three of them launched off the deck in unison, blazing with tremendous energy as they flew toward beach.

...

The creatures ahead seemed to register the threat in real time. Their various faces contorted in surprise, and they quickly clustered into a single massive, circular form in the air.

A gaping mouth yawned open, flashing massive silver-gray fangs that gleamed menacingly under the darkened sky.

"So this is how they deal with strong enemies?" Ging floated in the air with a slightly puzzled expression.

"No~" Ronnel replied dryly, "More like how they eat large marine beasts that come ashore."

"...Fair enough," Ging admitted after a moment of thought.

"This actually makes things easier for us." Beyond smiled. "Since they're all gathered together, we won't risk letting any slip through the cracks!"

He spread out his limbs mid-air, pulled back his right hand, and began concentrating an enormous amount of aura. The buildup looked like a supercharged cannonball.

"Get ready, you two!" Beyond roared. "This is the first punch we throw on the Dark Continent!"

Before he even finished shouting, the giant Pac-Man lunged with its mouth wide open.

Ronnel and Ging had already thrown their punches. Beyond's strike followed in the next breath.

BOOM!

Three monstrous attacks—among the strongest from any Nen user across all six continents—slammed into the creature in a thunderous explosion.

Just as Beyond said: this was the first punch he'd ever thrown on the Dark Continent. Ronnel, wanting to mark the occasion, put about 70% of his aura into his strike.

The result? Predictably devastating.

The giant Pac-Man didn't even flinch. Hit by the massive burst of telekinetic force, its body collapsed almost instantly.

There wasn't even time for it to split or counterattack. All the individual Pac-Men that had merged into it froze, unable to react before they disintegrated in midair.

From Ronnel's perspective, it didn't even last half a second. The creature just vanished—like smoke blown away in the wind.

...

"That's it?" Ging looked down at the land the creature had covered, then at his own fist. He clicked his tongue.

"Kind of underwhelming~"

For the first enemy they'd encountered on the Dark Continent, defeating it so easily left Ging with no sense of satisfaction.

"And nothing to show for it, either." Ging landed on soil scattered with shrimp and crab corpses and pressed his foot down lightly—no further threats emerged.

"Still, having a stable landing zone is good enough for now. Looks like this expedition's already going smoother than the last."

Beyond was in high spirits. Their tight teamwork just now had achieved their goal quickly and efficiently. Once again, he felt how amazing it was to have allies you could trust with your life.

On the Dark Continent, no one fears opponents who fight well. What you really fear are teammates who fight bad. Compared to the dead weight from their last mission, this was a massive upgrade.

The three of them double-checked the area to ensure there were no hidden threats. Then Beyond called out to Irving and the others, signaling for the ship to approach this side of the coast.

Ronnel immediately activated the ability of his Hide and Seek, opening a portal that connected directly to the Dark Continent.

With that, the return path between the Dark Continent and the Six Continents was officially established. From now on, Beyond's team could travel between them freely.

The moment filled Beyond with such joy that he couldn't resist clapping Ronnel on the shoulder.

"Bringing you on my team might be the best decision I've ever made," he told Ronnel, for once sounding completely serious.

But then, the usual cocky grin spread across his face.

"Hahahaha! I knew I had a good eye for talent. That privilege treaty I signed with you? Totally worth it! Honestly, with the kind of returns we're getting now, that thing was a steal! Hahaha!"

Ronnel smiled as well.

Off in the distance, Irving and the rest of the team brought the ship closer, while Beyond's other companions emerged from the Hide and Seek through the newly placed exit.

"So this is the Dark Continent..."

A thick, eerie mist blanketed the land. The sky was empty—devoid of clouds, sun, or stars.

Everything was silent. There was a sprawling sea of trees ahead, yet not a single sound emerged from it. Only the waves crashing against the shore echoed behind them.

The forest ahead was impossibly dense, its tangled trees forming a barrier that obscured the interior from view.

Each tree was a towering giant, stretching so high they pierced the clouds. Their trunks were massive, and their branches bristled with black and yellow leaves that swayed like shadows in the gloom.

Even standing at the edge, the air around them felt heavy—melancholy and watchful.