Are You Going to Handle It, or Is the V5 Behind You Going to Step In?

On the field.

The Hunters watched in astonishment as the Black Pillars slowly grew larger.

After putting the several Black Pillars back in their places.

The Toy Soldiers returned to Ian's side.

Gratitude for your trust...

Before Ian and the others, Aimina's phantom solidified slightly, and around her, several Black Pillars emitted a faint glow, the beams of light connecting together.

Now that the truth about "Xie Tool" has been revealed.

So.

She no longer needed to hide the power of the Xie Tool.

Her power had been somewhat restored, but her physical body was still bound, so she spoke softly.

"Next, I'm afraid I'll need your help to dig out the remaining Xie Tools, a total of thirty-three. Once they're all found, I can use my power to awaken Eluna..."

Ian frowned upon hearing her words.

"What do you mean, awaken your sister from Elina? What will happen to her?"

In response, Aimina calmly stated...

"I'll only be using her body temporarily as a host, and it won't have any negative impact on her."

"After all... I'm merely the guardian of these Ruins. Only Eluna truly possesses the power to control these Xie Tool beings..."

Upon hearing her words, Ian and Kim exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting.

"Hey, do you think what she said is reliable?"

"It sounds plausible... but I'm hard to judge for sure, after all, who knows what kind of medium these sealing abilities from the distant past require..."

"Damn, does that mean we have to take a gamble?! What if this guy does something bad to Elina?"

"If you're worried, didn't they give us stickers? Those are supposed to ward off disasters, right? Will they work?"

"Thanks for the reminder! You're right. With this, even if the other party has ulterior motives, I'll make their efforts futile!"

The two exchanged a lot of words in a short period of time.

"Alright, if those Malice thoughts were indeed caused by the Fear-Eater sealed underground, then... I hope you can truly help us."

"We can help you, provided you at least face us in your true form, right?"

After a moment 'Ian and careful consideration, Ian spoke in a deep voice.

Hearing his words, Aimina lowered her eyes and said softly.

"My... my body was sealed away along with it..."

"This is my power, and also my destiny—the destiny of being suppressed here along with those Dark Creations..."

"I'm sorry, I'm unable to meet your requirements."

Ian was taken aback by her words.

He hadn't expected the other party to be so candid...

But.

He hadn't expected the other party to be in this state.

"So how are you appearing before us now?"

Jin asked from the side.

Aimina gave a wry smile.

"It's just an illusion; it's my unique Nen Ability..."

"Just a heads-up, with the appearance of these pillars, the Fear-Eater suppressed at the bottom of the Ruins are slowly reviving, and my power will be enhanced at the same time..."

"Therefore, once all thirty-three pillars have been excavated, please bring Elina here as soon as possible..."

"Because at that time, the activity level of the Fear-Eater will reach its peak."

"At that time, we must awaken Eluna again. Only she can control these Xie Tools to reinforce the seal. Although it's risky, it's... the only way."

Her eyes were lowered, and she spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Otherwise, we can only watch helplessly as their power leaks out little by little, causing even worse consequences."

Hearing her words.

Ian and the others looked grave.

At present, neither side can determine the other's position.

Despite all that they said, there was no evidence to prove whether they were deceiving them.

However, if we don't do as they say, the leakage of Malice from this Ruins will be like a slow death, only causing more serious consequences for the country.

"Okay, let's do as you say for now..."

Ian nodded in agreement.

On his journey, he had already heard from King about his close relationship with the Gogar Kingdom.

If he stood idly by, Kim would risk his life to try and save the country, and right now, he would do whatever he could to help.

And...

He was also very curious about who this Princess Egina was.

It's astonishing that Jin was able to get involved in all this trouble.

But.

After agreeing to help, Ian and Kim went to the side with Netero and the three of them decided to discuss it.

"Netero, you also heard what that guy said. What are your thoughts on it?"

Upon hearing this, Netero's expression turned solemn.

"I, like you, am filled with confusion..."

"The secrets and experiences of these ancient countries sound far too thrilling!"

Even Netero, who has lived for over a hundred years.

But he had never encountered anything so horrifying...

It still involves the fall of a dynasty thousands of years ago.

So he spoke slowly.

"However, Ian, you might not know about those Fear-Eater they mentioned... those things..."

"It must be from the Dark Continent!"

Before the other person could finish speaking, Ian answered confidently.

Netero and Kim, who were standing to the side, were stunned for a moment, then their eyes widened in surprise.

How did you know!?

"Ian, where did you hear that from...?"

Ian waved his hand and said calmly.

"Don't worry, no one else leaked this information to me; it's just the ability of one of my tools."

He certainly couldn't say that he had already seen the plot in advance.

However, for anything that's hard to explain, just blame it on your own props.

Netero and Kim were speechless.

Okay... so what if you have props...?

Both men felt a lump in their throats; after a moment's hesitation, Netero spoke.

"Now that you know about the Dark Continent, Ian, there's no need to hide many things from you anymore..."

"The other party mentioned the Fear-Eater, which are most likely creatures that drifted across the ocean from the Dark Continent. No, it could also be some other form of existence that we don't understand..."

At this point, a serious look flashed across Netero's eyes, and he said in a deep voice.

"However, there is no doubt that this thing poses a deadly threat to the human race as a whole!"

"It's no exaggeration to say that our civilization could very well suffer a devastating catastrophe under the impact of such Dark Creations..."

"Ian, humanity doesn't have enough leverage to gamble on whether we have a better way to deal with these monsters than the Gandor Dynasty..."

Upon hearing Netero's words, Ian instantly understood what he meant.

The old man still agreed to temporarily follow Aimina's opinion and methods.

It would be best to reseal the Fear-Eater here.

Ian nodded.

"Understood. Then let's proceed as we discussed with her before."

With the Disaster-Repelling Sticker in hand, he wasn't worried that the other party might do something to Elina at the end.

Just then...

Kannari Rin walked over, adjusted her glasses, and said with a serious expression.

"Netero, Kim, I... Ian, please tell me what agreement you reached with the girl in the Ruins..."

"Who is she, and what is her purpose in manipulating us before the Gandor Ruins?"

Because she and the rest of the Exorcism Team had not consumed the [Translation Konjac], they were naturally unaware of the previous exchange between Ian and the others and Aimina.

Kannari Rin understood.

Netero and that somewhat infuriating kid Ian on the field are strong, but her duty requires her to come and find out the truth.

Since it was V5, she needed to convey detailed information.

At the same time, as a member of the V5 Special Forces, she has a responsibility to make the right decisions here based on the available intelligence.

Netero's expression was somewhat complicated; he really wanted to say something.

In matters like this, Group Leader Kannari Rin shouldn't meddle with human politics...

However, he also understood.

The other party was unaware of what Aimina was saying, and therefore did not understand the thorny predicament they were facing.

Jin slapped his forehead in exasperation.

Ian raised an eyebrow, looking at the serious and earnest woman in front of him, and couldn't help but want to laugh.

Although he knew the other party was there out of duty, and that it was quite bold of the Exorcism Team not to have all escaped, he still shared the same thought as Netero.

This guy... is too inexperienced...

"Are you sure you want to know the truth, Group Leader Kannari Rin?" Ian looked at the other person and asked sincerely.

Kannari Rin nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly, and said seriously, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Certainly!"

"I belong to the V5's subordinate combat unit and have the authority to formulate combat plans based on inter-field intelligence..."

"Furthermore, I need to determine whether the other party is friend or foe based on the information you've provided..."

Ian sighed helplessly, pointing to Aimina in the distance.

"She's a princess of the Gandor Dynasty, and her father is the King... yes, the one we chased away before."

"Thousands of years ago, they could command the wind and rain, kill with a single glance, and when they were unhappy, they could tear mountains apart with their minds; when they were happy, they could lift islands above their heads..."

"And so, under the leadership of this superhuman, hundreds of thousands of Nen users across the country were ultimately worn down and killed by a group of unkillable monsters that had crossed the ocean..."

"Those monsters are buried under these Ruins right now. The seal has loosened, and the monsters will soon escape. They're going to reseal this place. Do you want to go over and talk to them, and tell them not to make a move? You... or your V5 can handle it?"

Ian said expressionlessly.

Hearing his string of words, Kannari Rin was somewhat stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

She understood the individual words, but she couldn't understand them when they were put together...

What do you mean by "tearing apart a mountain"?

What? Hundreds of thousands of Nen users?

What is the other person saying?