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Chapter 176: The Ritual Awakened The...
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"Follow." Every gatekeeper uttered at the same time then they walked... They walked to the Island's edge. More than a hundred of them walking in that direction with several of them talking to each other in a language none could understand.
"Many of the previous expeditions' members tried to understand their language but none could to this day," Explained Beyond as a gleam of light surface on his eyes. "Not even Don Freecss."
Each was to their own thoughts. Such a scene is too fascinating even to the uninterested though Muherr didn't mind voicing his thoughts.
"Are they in constant pain? They look incredibly deformed and disfigured, there is also swelling on some of their body parts. Does that make them constant pain or is that a natural thing to them?"
Beyond shook his head. "I don't know. In fact, no one knows as far as I know. There is simply no way to find out as they don't answer questions and it's impossible to research them. But, I know they're born like that so it's unlikely they feel any pain due to that."
Yasuo managed to confirm that with his domain previously. He didn't notice any signs of pus or any sickness whatsoever. In fact, he found that they're quite healthy.
Aside from the swelling in some of their limbs which he found to be just extra flesh that'll only go as far as restricting their mobility and balance.
Yasuo's eyes couldn't help but glitter looking at the prey walking slowly ahead of him. A new fascinating prey means research. 'However, I will wait until later to get them. I also need to observe how they summon the guide, that sounds even more interesting.'
The gatekeepers walked to the edge of land. What lies before they are the beautiful light blue ocean. A part of the vast Mobius lake that's extremely safe in contrast to the dangers close to the dark continent.
The raging storms and the massive tsunami waves that threaten to wreck even ships as massive as the black whale. The massive predators that can consume ships as if they're bugs. The smaller ones that can threaten even those massive predators.
No man's land, No man's sea, it was called. A sea none can pass through and none can sail through with a purpose. The Mobius strip, a surface with only one side and only one boundary curve. A loop that will never lead one to the much needed destination.
This is where the guide plays a role. Something the gatekeepers summon responsible for transporting people to their destination. And this is what they started doing, what looks like a strange ritual.
A strange yet simple ritual, one that looks extremely creepy with how they look yet it didn't faze the strange humans watching the scene with interest. None of them are normal, a small group of bizarre humans, one weirder than the other.
The gatekeepers each took the hands of the ones next to them. They also formed several lines, each line close to the line before it, that allowed the gatekeepers from the first line to rest their heads on the shoulders of the ones in front of them allowing everyone to be connected.
They started mumbling some kind of incomprehensible words all at the same time, and this is where everyone sensed something. They sensed a Nen signal with its source being each of them.
They saw the strange color of the gatekeepers' Nen moving above the water far away and mixing together to form something entirely different and strange.
It formed into a massive transparent octopus that remained unmoving in the water, lifeless. They continued what could be interpreted as a prayer, some kind of worshiping ritual for a while until the giant octopus appeared to be a bit more realistic.
Directly after which, they started going back to their settlement looking a bit exhausted. However, they didn't complain nor did it appear like they could, ill-fated indeed.
'Certainly interesting...' Thought Yasuo with curiosity apparent in his eyes, 'Too interesting.' He used his domain to observed how their Nen behaves and functions and for the most part, it appears to be similar to humans.
However, the strangeness started appearing once they were constructing the colossal octopus. No matter how much he observed their Nen, he simply couldn't understand how it was done.
Their Nen was normal until it wasn't anymore. Until it formed into that strange creature instantly, until it became Nen no more. 'Perhaps it's a natural thing they can do due to the curse? If so, there is a possibility I can mimic it if I find the source of the curse.'
Yasuo was contemplating deeply engrossed by the previous scene. 'If there is a curse in the first place. Well, I'll research them sooner than later.'
Each of them was contemplating different things. What they just saw isn't something that can be seen regularly.
"Why an Octopus?" Wondered Muherr curious.
"I don't know how their abilities work nor why such shapes appear. All I know is that each time, the guide's form looks different." Explained Beyond while stroking his long black beard.
They then went back to the ship which is much smaller than the colossal octopus. The ship steered its way towards the transparent Octopus and ended up going through it which is strange considering it's actually solid.
It's also not allowing water inside meaning it's completely empty inside. However, once the ship went through it, it didn't stop or fall. Instead, It continued floating until it stabilized in the middle of the Guide.
Only at that point did Beyond gently whispered, "North shore of lake Mobius."
That seemed to be a signal the guide was waiting for because it started moving directly after at a speed surpassing even the fastest of ships humans have ever created.
The small ship inside remained frozen not affected by its speed and even the guide didn't seem affected by the water it goes through. The blue vibrant ocean was no match.
"Interesting." Remarked Yasuo observing all of that from his room with a dark purple crow resting on his shoulder. 'Does Beyond have to be the to give the destination? Is it because he is the one that asked the gatekeepers?'
'Well, It's time to find out.' Thought Yasuo as the dark crow blinked. Directly after, he disappeared. He appeared only a few seconds after that above the small settlement looking down on the strange creatures.
A colossal purple hand spurted from Yasuo's back before striking towards the creatures beneath him. However, just as Beyond said, the attack met an unmovable object.
A transparent barrier that seems to only trigger once anything tries to attack them. One that didn't allow any harm to reach them nor did it allow the force to move them from their location.
All lifted their head looking at the sky specifically towards Yasuo with their strange creepy faces. Then strangely they just went back for their previous business not caring about what happened.
Yasuo didn't give up. Instead, he manifested the six-armed vision construct, a massive construct that looked down on the creatures because performing a barrage of attacks everywhere bringing chaos to the once peaceful settlement.
He was able to cause destruction to the buildings and the walls. However, no harm reached the gatekeepers at all. This time, they looked quite annoyed as they looked up at Yasuo but then started cleaning the place anyway.
'I see, so they can't attack me at all, they will likely bring some kind of misfortune to the known world and me as a result but they can't attack me themselves, interesting.'
Yasuo disappeared again and appeared close to one of the gatekeepers creating an amplification domain that engulf the creature with the latter not paying him much attention.
"I really thought they'll somehow be related to the kurta clan but it appears I was mistaken, still quite interesting nonetheless. Also, I can't break the barrier unless I tried too hard or... I exploit a loophole."
Yasuo was noting loudly without a care in the world while observing the creatures around him until he satiated most of his hunger. He added. "A loophole I already exploited. My control domain is truly remarkable."
As he made that remark, the creature standing before him started disintegrating inside out. The barrier was able to stop nothing, no visible attack was performed, only an act of absolute control.
The gatekeepers looked at the scene emotionlessly as if emotions weren't something they were permitted to have or show. However, they let their actions show their feelings.
They lifted their hands from which their weak Nen started pouring out into the atmosphere mixing together until it formed into a massive crab, one that looks extremely dangerous as if specifically created just for destruction, a transparent crab.
"I see," remarked Yasuo who will go on to continue his experimentation on them for a while after. The crab was too slow to even touch him considering his space control.
Until he allowed it to touch him... It evaporated him. 'Too interesting.' Yasuo thought again still seated on his bed like he never moved in the first place. 'Too many interesting things to study but I have time, lots of it.'
He brought his pale hand up looking closely at the tube he's holding, a tube filled with a red liquid, one of many he has on him. This one however is special, this one is the blood of the gatekeepers.
He collected quite a lot of their blood, a sample of each of them without anyone noticing. As he said, his domain is truly remarkable.
The crow on his shoulder blinked and he saw what he needed, only then did he drink their blood. However, he knows he can't do the same for some of the hunters on the ship.
He collected the blood of most of them but those few selected people remain because he knows they will definitely notice, he saw it with his eyes.
So he decided to leave it for later, now he has too many things to research and train... Way too many things, the trip will also be a long long trip so he has ample time to do whatever he wants.