At the endpoint of the inner city of the Harimu Ruins, there stood a pitch-black gate, seemingly composed of ink, enveloped by a dense aura of death. The gate stood proudly, blocking all who approached. If the death aura outside was like scattered black mist, then this gate was a solid block of ink. It had condensed into a solid form!
Yet, in front of the gate, the usual silence was replaced by a lively atmosphere.
"So... are we just going to leave like this?" Pete, a young master with a middle-parted hairstyle and oversized sunglasses, spoke up, a shadow flickering in his eyes.
"What else can we do? Can you dispel the aura?" The leather-clad woman glared at the gate, her tone filled with frustration and unwillingness.
...
"Um... I know a little..."
???
All six of them turned their heads to look behind. The area, which should have been suffocating under the death aura, now began to churn violently like boiling water. A few seconds later, a handsome, relatively young man walked out with a smile.
He seemed to be encased in a translucent "plastic bag," isolating the death aura. Behind him was a humanoid Nen beast, exuding the demeanor of a noble lady. The newcomer was none other than Akira and Gardevoir.
As Akira ventured deeper, he realized that the end of the inner city wasn't the true endpoint. This was evident from the progress bar stopping at 80%. The true endpoint must lie beyond this gate.
The others also noticed Gardevoir beside Akira, and as Nen users, they immediately recognized it as a Nen beast. All six of them focused their attention on the fact that Akira was unaffected by the death aura.
A Nen exorcist?!
"Bro, are you a Nen exorcist?" The leather-clad woman, already half-convinced by Akira appearance, couldn't help but ask.
"I wouldn't call myself a Nen exorcist, but I do have some methods to keep the death aura at bay." Akira words lifted the spirits of the group, who had been suffering under the death aura. They approached him as if they had finally seen the light of victory.
After some explanation, Akira fully understood the situation.
The bespectacled man, the leather-clad woman, and the hip-hop guy were siblings. They had encountered Pete and his two bodyguards in the outer city of the ruins, all aiming to explore deeper. Considering the potential dangers inside, they formed a temporary team to explore together.
But the biggest issue with this temporary team was the lack of a Nen exorcist. They had been relying on constantly depleting their own Nen to endure the journey. If the path hadn't been relatively short, they wouldn't have made it this far.
Even so, their Nen reserves were nearly half depleted.
Akira examined the gate closely, finally understanding why the legend said no one had ever reached the end. It was all because of this gate, exuding a sinister and dark death aura.
The death aura on this gate was at least ten times stronger than the one permeating the air outside. If they could barely withstand the death aura outside with their Nen, then this gate was truly insurmountable. Even the slightest touch might lead to instant death!
While listening to their explanation, Akira didn't idle. He used his Pokédex ability to scan everyone present. The results reassured him.
Most of the individuals inside were at C-level strength, with only the middle-parted-haired Pete at B-level and the hip-hop guy at B-minus. Such strength posed no real threat to him and Gardevoir.
However, the unique Nen abilities of the three siblings did catch him off guard, though their overall strength still wasn't impressive.
While they were sizing up Akira, he was also observing the six of them. Pete and the two bodyguards were dressed in standard black suits. Perhaps due to the impression left by Pierce, Akira now instinctively associated such attire with gangsters.
The two bodyguards had typical buzz cuts and ordinary looks. Pete, with his middle-parted hair, hid his eyes behind oversized sunglasses, making it hard to discern his expression. But Akira didn't need to guess—there was likely something off about this guy, whether it was his eyes or his character.
The former would mean concealing an eye condition, while the latter would imply hiding his true intentions. The two bodyguards each carried a large leather backpack, while Pete walked freely with empty hands.
Among the three siblings, the bespectacled man was the eldest, the leather-clad woman was the second, and the hip-hop guy was the youngest.
The bespectacled man was thin, with narrow eyes and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He wore a plain white shirt and dusty leather shoes. If thrown into a crowd, he'd look like an ordinary office worker, except for his slightly sharp gaze.
The leather-clad woman stood around 1.7 meters tall, with a mature, domineering face and an air of authority between her brows. Dressed in black leather and holding a slender whip with barbs, she looked like a "queen."
This wasn't just for role-playing—under Akira "Gyo" observation, he noticed the whip was entirely composed of Nen. Clearly, it was a materialized Nen construct.
The hip-hop guy was the most eye-catching, with darker skin and thick eyebrows. He wore a red hip-hop dance outfit and carried a large hiking backpack. What caught Akira attention the most were his thick-knuckled hands, covered in calluses, which hinted at his unusual nature.
"Brother, if you can help us avoid the death curse, I promise you'll get 40% of the spoils. How about it?" Pete spoke up first, his tone full of sincerity, but Akira couldn't shake the feeling that this guy had ulterior motives.
With a slight smirk, Akira narrowed eyes revealed a playful glint. Since their strength wasn't particularly high, he decided to play along.
"Alright," Akira nodded, walking toward the gate.