Shallow Overflow Hot Spring: Ice-Sealed Myriad Flavors

The warmth grew layer upon layer in the passage deep within the ice cave.

A thin mist of water condensed along the icy walls, carrying a sweet, fresh fragrance. The farther they went, the richer and heavier the aroma of food became.

"The scent's getting stronger. We must be close to the springhead." Gon hurried after them, constantly sniffing the air.

Kurapika clenched his chain tightly in one hand, his eyes full of vigilance. "The Cloaked Executive set an ambush earlier, and the First Prince is guarding this place. We cannot let down our guard."

The five of them lowered their bodies and slowly passed through the narrow ice passage.

The view before them abruptly opened up as a gigantic karst cavern spread out before their eyes.

An amber-colored hot spring pool, hundreds of meters wide, lay quietly at the center of the cavern. Warm mist curled upward, while bubbles continuously rose from the bottom of the spring.

Yet, completely unlike what they had expected, most of the pool was covered by a thick layer of ancient ice. Only a small area at the center allowed a shallow amount of spring broth to overflow, its thin liquid slowly flowing.

The ice was not simply pure, cold ice. Countless rare ingredients were frozen inside it, layer upon layer embedded in the transparent mass, stretching beyond sight.

Genos immediately stepped forward. The blue light in his mechanical eyes rapidly scanned the entire ice layer as enormous amounts of data refreshed at high speed.

"Scan complete. The ancient frozen layer covering the hot spring preserves native ingredients from the entire ice region, spanning dozens of Capture Levels. The total quantity of ingredients exceeds ten thousand."

Everyone gathered at the edge of the ice layer and carefully examined the rare treasures frozen within.

In