God... cockroach...
Roy watched silently, a phrase involuntarily surfacing in his mind.
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God said, "Let all sins fall into darkness," and there was hell...
If God determines the life, death, and reincarnation of humans based on His preferences, then... who determines the life, death, and reincarnation of God?
[It is precisely because among us "cockroaches," with the changing times, a small group of people who [Do not believe in God] and [Do not respect God] always emerges. Because they have no reverence in their hearts... so...]
[They cannot provide "faith" as sustenance for God, so naturally, they are not favored by [God]. However...]
[As highly intelligent beings, humans, when compared to some unenlightened magic beasts and monsters, provide an extremely high value of "faith" through pious worship. Thus... God has to take care of the human believers who worship Him and has not completely exterminated these "blasphemers." He only exiled these [Disbelieving] and [Disrespecting] "heretics" to the lower world...]
[As far as I know, there are at least seven other places similar to [Lake Heart Island] on the Dark Continent... They are centralized places of exile for those judged as "heretics" by the seven major orthodox gods...]
[This is the premise—]
The afternoon sun was just right, shining on the young man through the clean glass window. Roy's heart surged like ocean waves. He finally had a general understanding of that unknown Dark Continent.
First, [Gods] truly exist on that continent. Whether based on "statistics" or "rules," they control an immense [Authority].
Second, that is a "land of faith." It was foreseeable... there must be human kingdoms that worship the so-called "seven major orthodox gods."
Third, because they are despised, there will be "gatekeepers," "Calamities"... "magic beasts," and so on... to prevent them, the outcasts from the lower world labeled as "blasphemers," from ever returning to the Dark Continent.
Roy read the "title page message" in a daze. A moment later, he rubbed the back of his hand. If... all the humans living on Lake Heart Island were descendants of "heretics" or "blasphemers," then... what was a guy like him, who was directly cursed by [God]?
Would he be discovered as soon as he landed and be wanted across the entire Dark Continent?
His mood gradually grew heavy... Roy realized he had oversimplified things... To kill a god, he might first have to overcome the divine kingdom that God built. In other words... he would not be facing a single person, but an entire nation!
In the original story, someone as strong as the Ant King, a B+ rank creature with a potential aura in the millions, still met his end before the "Poor Man's Rose," a nuclear bomb created by nations like the V5. First, he was bombed to the brink of death, and after being revived by consuming Shaiapouf and Menthuthuyoupi, he was subsequently killed by the poison... This clearly showed—
Unless individual power rises to a height that others can only look up to in awe, it will be... worthless! Especially when facing a "collective" unit like a nation, or even a divine kingdom that has the existence of a [God] and the blessing of "divine power."
So, the question was... what did Grandpa Zigg do back then that made [God] act against him, even across Mobius Lake?
Roy thought of the [Gaseous Lifeform Ai], and of his yet-to-be-born younger sibling Alluka and Nanika. Frowning, he opened the title page and continued reading. What came into view was a hand-drawn...
[Map of the West Continent]
The map was marked with nearly a hundred regions... some were countries... some were forests... some were seas. Roy just gave it a cursory glance and noticed that the West Continent was mostly covered by forests and seas. The [Human] [Nations], when added together, seemed to account for less than twenty percent of the West Continent.
In other words, compared to [Humans], the Dark Continent as a whole was more suitable for the survival of "magic beasts," "rare beasts," "phantom beasts," and all kinds of incredible "Calamities." And... Roy unexpectedly discovered...
In the forests and seas far from human kingdoms, Grandpa Zigg had specifically circled them in red and added a note...
[The human world belongs to humans, the world of magic beasts belongs to magic beasts. In territories where humans are not active, the tentacles of [God] cannot reach.]
'So... it seems "faith" is crucial to [God]. In places where "faith" cannot reach, even if the other party is a [God], it is difficult to act...'
Roy focused on those forests and seas. His gaze moved to the lower-left corner, on the southern coast of a forest surrounded by two countries named [Principality of Samir] and [Kingdom of Hoin]. He found... the landing point where Isaac Netero, Linne, and Grandpa Zigg, with the support of the Guganyu Kingdom, had searched for [Triaqua] all those years ago...
The territory where the Sandworm—[Jushi]—once roamed: the [Uzuki Great Forest]!
That thing had suppressed him so much he couldn't even lift his head with just its [Ren]. He didn't know what kind of creature it was. The [Monster Encyclopedia] was urgently needed... The young man rubbed his brow, glanced at the sky, and temporarily closed the West Continent Records. He planned to go to Grandpa Zigg himself to feel things out.
After all, he had promised to teach Gotoh the [Breathing Style] in the evening. Time was tight and couldn't be wasted.
However, before that... the young man pushed back his chair, stood up, took off his pajamas, and walked into the bathroom... He would first absorb the "life energy" he had accumulated.
[Hint: "Constitution" +71]
[Current "Constitution": 242.8→313.8]
The familiar, intense pain struck... When "adding points" became the norm, it didn't feel as painful anymore. At least it wasn't like the first time, when he almost fainted from the pain.
Yesterday's "old body" weathered and decayed; today's "new body" was reborn from the ashes... In less than a minute, the young man walked out. His height didn't seem to have increased, but the taut muscles, carved as if by knife and axe, couldn't deceive the eyes.
Roy crossed his hands, stretched toward the sky, rotated his waist, and moved his body, gradually adapting to his current physical strength. He slipped on a training uniform. The uniform, which had fit him well before, was now obviously smaller, stretched tautly... it looked like it needed to be replaced again.
'I should get a bigger one.'
This way, he wouldn't have to change clothes so frequently the next time he added points... Roy planned to mention it to Gotoh in the evening. He reached out, pulled open the door, and walked out...
"Tap... tap..."
His footsteps echoed in the mottled corridor of the Zoldyck family's ancient castle, a corridor filled with the breath of ages.
The young man walked slowly toward the basement, the sunlight at his back. At a certain moment, he turned his head and looked toward the garden... After intensive repairs by the butler team, Silva was strolling with Kikyo as usual. The woman's belly was high; her due date was supposedly in two months.
Two months... The time when that tuft of silver hair would appear in the world would also be the day the next heir of the Zoldyck family was decided.
"So fast..." Roy stretched out a hand, letting a falling leaf spin into his palm. He thought about how last year he was still worrying about his stagnant "constitution," yet now he had to rush about for a much bigger worry... the "curse."
Unwittingly, he no longer cared much about being the "heir" or "head of the family."
Just then, Silva sensed something and turned his head to glance at Roy.
"Gao!"
A thought crossed the young man's mind. The Golden Crow spread its wings, suddenly emerging from the top of his head. It opened its mouth and spat out a tongue of fire, burning the leaf in Roy's palm to ash.
It seemed to be complaining that he had a good lunch without calling it.
Heaven pity him... He was low on Nen at the time, willing but powerless. He could only ask for forgiveness.
Roy smiled and stroked the tuft of golden "idiot hair" on the Golden Crow's head. The fat crow pecked him resentfully before perching on his head as usual.
Silva watched this scene quietly. He saw the young man and the bird, laughing and playing, disappear around the corner... A tug on his sleeve brought him back to his senses. It was Kikyo, calling him.
"This child will definitely have silver hair," the woman said.
Silva retracted his gaze and grunted noncommittally. This was the five hundred and sixty-fourth time the woman had said this to him since her pregnancy began to show.
In silence, he supported her and walked forward.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was slanting west.
"Young Master..."
"Young Master..."
Having not seen him for a month, One-Eye and Scarface stood guard at the basement door. When they saw Roy approaching, they bowed in greeting.
"Long time no see," Roy smiled.
"Long time no see." Scarface and One-Eye each pulled open one side of the door for the young man, revealing the deep, dark corridor behind it.
Ever since learning that [re; Death Game] was connected to the real Dark Continent, Roy's emotions surged as he saw Zigg again. He stood silently at the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping inside.
Scarface and One-Eye bowed as he left. His footsteps faded deep into the corridor... Only when they could no longer see Roy's figure did the two exchange a glance and pull the door shut.
"The Young Master has changed."
"He's gotten stronger... and he's become... hard to describe..."
"He seems to have something on his mind."
"Having something on his mind means he's grown up, he's matured..."
"Like old master Zigg?"
"No... he's not the old master... But, the old master seems to like him very much..."
A few lines of quiet conversation drifted away on the wind.
Roy passed through the passage, walking under the faint yellow light. He slowly arrived at the airtight door, casting a sidelong glance at the chrysanthemums. It was early spring, and the chrysanthemums had already withered, lacking their late autumn brilliance. He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock. "Knock... knock..."
"Grandpa Zigg, I've come to see you."
"Swish!"
The airtight door burst open. A thick tentacle shot out, wrapped around Roy, and dragged him inside.
Right at that moment, the panel's notification sound arrived as expected by Roy's ear.
[Monster Encyclopedia... archived...]
[Magic Eye: B-Rank "Rare Beast"]
[Manifested Aura: 177851/1000000 (Note: Using ants as a reference. Elite Squad Leader D, Division Commander C, Three Guards B, Ant King B+)]
[Potential Aura: 177851/1000000 (Note: This is an "artificially" modified "Magic Eye". Its potential for improvement is exhausted. Suspected of being used as a "memory" vessel, its "original consciousness" has been erased.)]
'No doubt... This is Grandpa Zigg's handiwork.' Roy suddenly remembered what Zeno had once told him... It was Grandpa Zigg's "Nen Beast," the [Biscuit Soldiers], that brought the Magic Eye home. As his mind reeled, his consciousness went dark. When he came to...
He was by Grandpa Zigg's side again, seeing the young Isaac Netero and Linne by his side.
"Roar!" A towering Sandworm burst from the ground, sweeping in all directions with an incomparably tyrannical [Ren]... Roy's gaze swept past the group, looking at the towering trees ahead that formed a lush forest. Behind them was the sea, with waves crashing against the reefs, sending up countless splashes...
That's right, this was the landing point when Grandpa accompanied Isaac Netero and Linne on their first trip to the Dark Continent—the southern coast of the Uzuki Great Forest!
"What are you spacing out for, kid?"
"Get down!"
The familiar warning came.
Unlike before, this time, Roy chose... to stand!
"No—I want to see this monster's full appearance!"
[Monster Encyclopedia... now open...]
The young man rejected Zigg's suggestion. With a thought, he gathered aura in front of him, forming a hard shield wrapped in "magnetic purple aura" to block... Zigg, with his silver hair standing on end—not soft like Silva's, but more like the soon-to-be-born Killua's, spiky like a hedgehog, showing off his personality—cast an unexpected glance. He hadn't expected...
This unknown young man beside him could skillfully use [Ken], an advanced Nen application.
He muttered to himself: 'I wonder which family this kid belongs to. He has some talent.'
"Bang... bang... bang..." Sand and stones flew... The Sandworm's [Ren] formed a wind, destroying everything... tearing up the ground, destroying the ships... From time to time, trees, planks, and rudders slammed over.
This time, relying on the boost from his nearly "300 points" of constitution, Roy glanced at his aura...
[Manifested Aura: D+ (6874/10000→9825/10000)]
[Potential Aura: C- (1542/100000→22580/100000)]
It had already increased countless times compared to before he left for the Hunter Exam!
"Ho ho... good kid, you're standing up straight..." Isaac Netero was right next to Zigg, with Linne on the other side.
The two looked at Roy in surprise. One had a Buddhist light appearing before him, the other had a large iron wok. They looked far more relaxed than Roy...
The young Linne wore her hair in two pigtails and a red Lolita-style dress. She conjured a spatula and, "Clang!" smashed a plank flying toward her. She turned her head and asked Roy: "Kid, what's your name? Which faction do you belong to?"
Young, yet able to use [Ken] skillfully. He was a talent. He might be able to provide some help in the exploration of the Dark Continent...
"Roy." Roy raised his shield and knocked away a flying stone, not providing any more information.
According to the information Isaac Netero revealed in the Swindler's Swamp, the group was forced to separate upon landing. It was clear they had encountered something... uncontrollable!
Speak of the devil. The towering Sandworm stirred up the wind and clouds. Looking down, it noticed a few "little bugs" still standing firm.
They seemed unimpressed by the destruction it had caused.
Enraged... it roared at the sky!
Its massive body suddenly trembled, shaking off countless scales. They landed and transformed into lice, each over three meters tall. Their abdominal legs wriggled, forming a boundless army of lice that charged straight at the group.
Roy's scalp went numb. A piece of information suddenly popped up on his panel and entered his mind...
[Monster Encyclopedia... archived...]
[Mad Louse: C-Rank Magic Beast]
[Manifested Aura: C- (2451/100000)]
[Potential Aura: C (14280/100000)]
[Note: A parasite. Its strength varies significantly depending on the individual host. Because it often feeds on the "host's" Nen, it forms a symbiotic relationship with the host and is often driven by it...]
In summary...
What was rushing toward Roy and the others now was... an army of "Mad Lice" at the level of Chimera Ant Division Commanders!