The Black Tower was even larger than they had imagined.
It took the group a full hour to walk from the edge of Shadow Forest to the foot of the tower.
The closer they got, the stronger the oppressive pressure became.
The tower was pure black, built from a kind of black stone they had never seen before. The stone's surface had no patterns, smooth as a mirror, yet it absorbed all light without reflecting any of it. The tower was so tall that its peak was invisible. Looking up, they saw its tip vanish into the darkness like a black pillar piercing the heavens.
Even the air around the tower was slightly distorted.
It was neither heat nor cold, but a pure, suffocating pressure. It felt like an invisible hand had seized everyone's heart, making it hard even to breathe.
"This is... the Black Tower." Kurapika's voice was low, and a trace of gravity flashed through his Scarlet Eyes. "The place where The Nullifier is sealed."
Gon looked up at the tower and clenched his fists.
"It's so tall..." he said. "Much taller than I imagined."
Killua stood on his skateboard, white arcs of electricity flickering over his body as they resisted the pressure around him.
"The Nen density here..." He frowned. "It's even denser than in the Lava Zone, and it's impure. Like something contaminated it."
Leorio rolled his shoulders. Nen from his Ranged Impact Punch gathered around his fists, only to be scattered by the surrounding pressure as soon as it formed.
"My Nen..." His face turned pale. "I can't gather it here. It's like something is suppressing it."
Kurapika's Chain trembled slightly as well, as though it were afraid of something.
"This tower itself is a massive Nen restriction," he said. "The closer we get, the