Maha's Double Standards × First Steps into the Dark Continent

An old man and a young man stood side by side, watching the sunrise Daybreak the darkness, casting countless rays of dawn. Behind them, their shadows were stretched, intertwined, and twisted together by the lamplight...

Roy remained silent, a lump in his throat. Having lived to Maha's age, experienced the vicissitudes of the Human Realm, and witnessed the beauty of the world, it seemed that nothing could still arouse the old man's interest. Just like Netero possessing a nuclear bomb, he clearly had a thousand ways to kill the Meruem, such as simply sending a Nen Beast to replace him and implant the "Poor Man's Rose," but...

However, he chose to fight the Meruem one-on-one, claiming it was to "satisfy his fighting pleasure," but in reality, deep down he may have had thoughts of "going to his death."

Roy had never grown old, and he wondered if, when he did, he would stand atop a mountain like Maha or Netero, alone and undefeated, gazing out at a landscape devoid of life... After a long pause, rubbing the "Curse" on the back of his hand, he took a breath and said, "I'll do it myself."

He turned his head to look at Maha and smiled slightly, "Great-grandfather, you know me. I'm afraid of death, but I'm even more afraid of guilt."

"I don't want to owe anyone a favor, whether it's to you, Grandpa, or Father."

After a pause, the Sun-Earring Boy blinked. "It's okay if you get beaten to death because of me, but the guilt and distress I feel will kill me."

Maha glared at him. "You brat, you think you can look down on me?"

"Hmm~" Roy, noticing that the old man was a head taller Maha, reached out and patted his head. "Great-Grandpa, you should live a long life. After I kill the god and come back, I'll keep you company while you bask in the sun."

"You deserve a beating!" Maha feigned anger and prepared to strike.

"Haha!" Roy dodged aside, laughing as he left.

In a corner of the corridor, shadows shifted, revealing a figure... Zeno, hunched over, watched the Sun-Earring Boy disappear around the corner with his hands behind his back, and said to Maha in a low voice, "Grandpa, you can break his legs now."

"You're going to do it?" Maha glanced at him sideways.

Zeno his mouth, pretending not to hear, and took two steps forward to stand behind Maha. As usual, he began massaging Maha's shoulders, glancing occasionally at the old man's bald head, which had almost no hair left. Almost unconsciously, he reached out and touched it, and then...

The person crashed through the glass window and flew into the sky!

"You bastard, did I tell you to touch me?" Maha, his face darkening, as he lowered his fist.

Zeno:

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a shooting star in the sky and vanished in an instant.

"Whoosh~" A mountain breeze blew by, bringing a touch of coolness.

After exchanging a few words with his great-grandfather, Roy went to the training room, deftly took off his shirt, revealing a well-defined and muscular physique.

Luke, holding the stun baton imbued with the God Script," had been waiting for some time. He stole a few glances and noticed... the Young Master had grown taller and stronger, yet he didn't appear bulky at all. His physique was as beautiful as a sculpture. Luke's eyes were filled with envy as he bowed and said, " Young Master, please forgive me."

"Crackling and popping~"

A burst of electric light erupted in a spherical shape!

Luke swung his staff... Roy seemed oblivious, casually glancing at the panel.

[Name: Roy Zoldyck]

[Physical Fitness: 343.4 (Note: Average person's score is 1)]

[Nen Ability: The Gate of Cognition]

[Manifested Aura: C-(2750/100000) (Note: Rating is based on Chimera Ant. Elite squad leader is D, Squadron Leader is C, Three Royal Guards are B, and the Meruem B+)]

[Potential Aura: C(34590/100000)]

[Believer: 2]

[Power of Faith: 2 points]

[Title: The apple tree that has successfully borne fruit now possesses all the qualities to become an "elite Hunter"]

It's a completely different story compared to the past.

Three million volts... three million five hundred thousand volts... four million...

Roy handled the situation with ease and composure, while Luke, drenched in sweat and with his Nen fully activated, swayed as the counter on his stun baton reached 500, indicating he had reached his limit.

"I'll do it."

"Squeak~" The door to the training room opened.

Silva noticed this scene, his face expressionless, and Illumi followed behind him as they walked slowly over.

Taking over from Luke, he gripped the stun baton, which exploded with a loud "bang," and the counter on the baton visibly jumped from 500 to 800. He aimed it at Roy's chest and rammed it in!

"Sizzle~" His hair exploded, Roy frowned, and immediately felt the pressure... The stinging and tingling sensation surged like a wave. Compared to Luke, Silva, Silva "Emission," was clearly far superior in both Nen Qi output and Nen quantity.

The most direct physical reaction was... after struggling to hold on for thirty seconds, Roy finally lost control of his body and stumbled to the ground.

"And you?" Silva asked Illumi.

Illumi remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward. "I want to be like him."

"Sizzle~" Eight million volts of voltage poured down. Illumi speaking when, 0.01 seconds later, everything went black, and with a "bang," he fell backward to the ground, losing consciousness.

Having done all that, Silva tossed the stun gun to Luke and said without turning back, "Bury Milluki too."

With that, Gate of Opening and walked out.

Luke nodded in agreement, then stood up and looked at Roy again. "Young Master, let me help you."

"No need." Roy breathed a sigh of relief, and with a thought, summoned the Golden Crow.

"Caw~" The Fat Crow spread its wings and suddenly emerged from above Roy's head. It landed on three legs, grew larger in the wind, bowed its head, carried the Sun-Earring Boy on its back, flapped its wings, and walked into the garden. Luke was stunned for a moment, then picked up Illumi and followed. A little while later, he threw out a pig to keep Illumi and Roy company while they basked in the sun.

At noon, the sun is high in the sky, and the sunlight is at its strongest.

Illumi was buried in the pit, only his head sticking out. He opened his eyes groggily and looked around... Roy lay flat on the soft grass, his hands folded over his lower abdomen, peacefully basking in the sun. He pulled at his hoarse voice and said, "Mommy is about to give birth."

Eight months of pregnancy have passed, Kikyo has been counting down the days until around the 15th of next month when she will give birth.

Seeing that Roy kept his eyes closed and ignored him, Illumi said to himself, "I heard he'll have silver hair."

Roy didn't react.

Illumi: "I only need one word from you now."

The Sun-Earring Boy stared blankly at Roy with his empty, lifeless eyes and said, "Say you need me, and I'll immediately stand by your side and make you the head of the family."

"Mmm~" Just then, Milluki, lying between the two, let out a soft moan and twitched twice.

Illumi waited quietly...

In response, Roy rolled over, got up from the ground, and turned away indifferently.

"Tap... tap..."

The footsteps faded into the distance...

The foolish little brother squinted and shouted, "Is it so hard to ask you for a single word?"

Roy kept walking.

Illumi burst from the ground, clenching his fist. "Go ahead and leave, but don't regret it later."

"Tap... tap..."

Roy didn't look back, leaving Illumi alone. He kicked Milluki and arrived at the basement in no time.

Young Master...

Young Master...

As always, the Scar-Face One-Eye opened the security door.

This time, we'll enter the Dark Continent again through [re: The Game of the Dead].

Having rested and recharged, Roy calmly made his way through the passageway to the airtight door. The Demon Eye extended a tentacle that coiled around him, connecting him to the Game... and a the Game notification sounded in his ear at just the right moment...

[re: The Game of the Dead... Start...]

[The Game save file... loading...]

Then, when Roy opened his eyes, he found himself back in the Uzuki Great Forest. Looking up, he saw the A-rank creature... the Sandworm, which was unleashing an unparalleled attack imbued with the Power of Faith, slamming its tail down and even blocking out the sun in the sky!

"What are you standing there for, kid?" Jager tossed out a card, summoning Two-Headed Troll. He flashed to the troll's shoulder, commanding it to swing its spiked Mace, smashing several Mad Louse to death. He glanced at Roy and said, "This isn't a fight you can participate in. Run!"

Boom!

Even before the Sandworm's tail arrives, the sheer force and wind pressure it generates are enough to crush a person if they get too close!

"Bang... bang... bang..." Many of the entourage members didn't even have time to scream before they were all turned into mincemeat!

Roy's ears and nose were bleeding. Even though he had used [Strength] to protect his body the moment he appeared on the battlefield, his internal organs were still churning from the impact, and he couldn't control himself, spitting out a mouthful of blood...

"This isn't something you can just run away from..."

The Sun-Earring Boy wiped his mouth, his gaze passing over Jager to see Linne and Netero. One had swollen into the shape of a giant, and the other had summoned the "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva," both trying to withstand the Sandworm's tail strike alongside Jager...

As it turned out, Roy didn't get to see the final outcome... He, like the other crew members who had been blown up before, exploded with a "bang," disconnecting him from the Game...

[Detection of the "Demon Eye" consciousness; the Gate of the Dark Continent has been opened...]

"Creak~" The dark door, branded with intricate patterns, opened a crack...

This time, enough "qi" was reserved to maintain the "Gate of Cognition," and nothing unexpected happened.

When Roy woke up again, he found himself in the "Cognitive World," sprawled out on the beach of the "Sea of Cognition," his eyes glazed over as he stared at the azure sky in a daze.

He thought to himself, "The gap is still too big."

Grandpa Jager was right. Facing the Sandworm, an A-level creature, he, a newly promoted C-level rookie...

Completely unable to participate in the battle...

However, judging from the information Netero revealed to him at the Lost Paradise... the fact that the group was forced to part ways may have been due to the Sandworm's attack.

Therefore, Roy's only purpose in this trip is not to fight, but simply to... survive and avoid the Sandworm!

The Sun-Earring Boy patted his face, rolled over, and got up from the beach. This time, he brought a knife... A few fireflies bloomed, and Short Blade appeared, which he gripped tightly in his hand. He took a deep breath and plunged headfirst into the Gate of the Dark Continent...

Ten seconds later, when he disconnected again and returned to the Sea of Cognition, he didn't linger but continued trying, repeating this process over and over...

Three times... four times... six times... eight times... Finally, when Roy entered the Gate of the Dark Continent for the ninth time, he never returned. After consuming eight "resurrections," he discovered the pattern of the Sandworm's attacks and survived by finding a sliver of an opening.

"Boom!"

The colossal tail landed!

The earth split open!

Lava erupted from the ground Water Arrow, propelling Netero, Linne, Jager, and Roy in different directions... The Sun-Earring Boy managed to convert all his Nen Qi into True Meaning of Scorching Heat in time, avoiding being burned by the lava, and finally received... the first the Game notification sound from the "Demon Eye" since his first memorial service for Jager and participation in the [Game of the Dead]...

[First stage: "Landing Battle" has been completed...]

[Three "Resurrection Coin" remaining...]

[Note: Players have a total of three "revival" opportunities. Once all are used, the player will be permanently removed from the Game and will not be allowed to enter again...]

"Whoosh~" The wind whistled past my ears...

The lava beneath your feet is scorching hot...

Roy was propelled by the lava towards an unknown land, lost in thought.

Gradually, it became clear why Zeno and Silva didn't attend the memorial service for Jager. It was most likely not because they had cleared the game, but because... they had already used up their three chances to "resurrect" and were rejected by the Demon Eye from the "Dark Continent."

"And what about me?" Roy thought of himself, and of the "Gate of the Dark Continent" standing in the "Cognitive World"... He wondered what would happen when he ran out of "Resurrection Coin."

Or is it that... the "Resurrection Coin" itself is a power that Jager stole from [Nature]?

Such incredible power... I wonder what price Grandpa Jager paid...

With a mind racing, Roy was like a trapped beast, imprisoned in the sky by the lava. In an instant, he transformed into a shooting star and disappeared into the horizon. When he reappeared, the lava's momentum had slowed and was becoming increasingly weak... He finally found a sliver of control, and with a leap, he plunged to the ground.

He unleashed the "Wind Breathing" technique he had learned from Shinazugawa Sanemi halfway down, and descended on a whirlwind.

What met my eyes was a vast forest that stretched as far as the eye could see, making it impossible to distinguish which direction was east, west, south, or north!

Every tree in the forest was exceptionally tall and thick; even a dozen people might not be able to encircle it... This reminded Roy of the "World Tree"!

Legend has it that the true "World Tree" is rooted in underground magma, growing wildly by absorbing magma, reaching straight into the clouds. The largest of these trees can even support a small world, hence the name "World Tree".

In the original story, the tree that Gon and Ging agreed to meet was just a sapling of the "World Tree." Even after it died and stopped growing, it still stood tall and towering beyond human imagination.

Roy looked up, feeling like a "little person" who had suddenly fallen into the land of "giants," seeing towering trees reaching into the clouds. He immediately summoned [Circle] and cautiously began to explore the forest.

According to Grandpa Jager's account in <The Record of the Western Continent>, this forest should be the [Uzuki Great Forest], which is sandwiched between the [Samir Principality] and the [Hoin Kingdom]!

It is also... a place beyond the reach of the gods' Divine Power!

Listen... explore... mark a spot on a tree every so often, Roy gradually ventures deeper... along the way, he sees two or three strangely shaped Magic Beast through the [Monster Compendium]. He avoids the stronger ones and kills the weaker ones. At one moment, his brow furrows, and he spots a human figure!

"Come quick, we've found a fellow countryman here!"

Roy saw the man, and the man actually saw Roy too; both of them were startled!

The latter's lips curled upwards in a smile...