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Rocky entered the bathroom. Although he was taking a shower, he kept his ears perked up, listening to the conversation outside.
"This morning, little Rocky told me that he had a strange dream!"
"He dreamed that the Phantom Troupe destroyed our Kuruta tribe!"
As Rocky's uncle, Satsuki was stunned for a moment. "Chief, you called us here because of a dream?"
Although Satsuki didn't seem very perceptive, there were others in the tribe who were quite sharp.
"Chief! How did Rocky know about the Phantom Troupe?" one of the tribe members asked.
The chief shook his head. "It's impossible for him to know about the Phantom Troupe through any regular channels!"
Hearing this, Satsuki froze as well. His nephew, who had never interacted with outsiders at his age, how could he have known about the Phantom Troupe? Even Satsuki had only heard the name mentioned vaguely once.
"Perhaps some of you don't know much about the Phantom Troupe. Let me explain," the chief began.
After the chief provided some background on the Phantom Troupe, the tribe members were left stunned.
"How did Rocky dream about these people?" one asked, concerned.
"And it wouldn't be a big deal if it was just a dream, right?" another questioned.
The chief sighed and shook his head. "No. I believe this isn't just a dream—this might be a prophecy."
"A prophecy?" The tribe members exchanged uncertain glances, some feeling that the chief might be a bit too fantastical in his thinking.
"Yes, a prophecy," the chief affirmed, looking everyone in the eye. "As Nen users, you all understand that Nen is sensitive to danger, and Rocky is a prodigy like no other in our Kuruta tribe!"
"You all know that well," he continued, his tone serious. "The dream he had might not simply be a dream—it could be a glimpse of the future, showing him a danger on the horizon!"
The chief paused, deep in thought. "It may even be a power he's not fully developed yet, which is alerting him to an impending threat."
Though the explanation seemed plausible, it was still difficult to say whether it was just a dream or an actual prophecy.
Seeing the silence in the room, the chief raised his head and spoke again. "I've been thinking about this all day. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. If it's a false alarm, then it's best for the Kuruta tribe. But—"
He paused for emphasis.
"What if, even if there's just a one in a thousand chance, it's true?"
The tribe members exchanged uneasy glances. If it were true, the entire Kuruta tribe could be in danger.
The Phantom Troupe was notorious for its brutality. If they targeted the Kuruta tribe, resistance would be almost impossible.
"I'd rather believe that this is Little Rocky's prophecy of our tribe's future than ignore it," the chief concluded, his voice firm.
Satsuki was the first to speak up. "Chief, what should we do if it is true?"
The chief sighed, rubbing his chin. "Little Rocky's dream didn't give us a time frame, so we don't know when this will happen. But we must remain vigilant. The barrier within the tribe hasn't been properly maintained in years."
"We've lived peacefully for so long that we've grown complacent, thinking the outside world has forgotten about us. Little Rocky's warning has reminded me."
The chief stood up and began making decisions. "First, we'll rebuild the barrier tomorrow, based on the current one."
"Second, Haizo, you will leave the village tomorrow to gather information about the Phantom Troupe from the outside world. Be discreet. Don't ask too many questions—it would be bad if you drew attention."
Haizo, a quiet man in his thirties with a light beard and glasses, nodded. He had the appearance of a small business owner, and such an inconspicuous demeanor would help him blend in.
"Understood, Chief," Haizo replied.
"Third," the chief continued, "if something does happen, do we have a plan for where people can escape?"
At this, there was a noticeable silence. No one had ever thought about such a contingency before.
Seeing their uncertainty, the chief sighed again. "Then we'll need to develop an emergency escape plan. If the tribe is attacked, where will ordinary tribe members go? Some must stay behind to hold off the enemy, but the rest must have a safe route to escape."
At this moment, Rocky had finished his shower and was drying his hair with a towel.
If they couldn't come up with a solution, perhaps he could offer one.
The cliff they had explored during their previous training would be the best escape route, but it was only feasible for Nen users like himself. In fact, it was only suitable for him.
For the others to escape through that route, the only option would be... to dig a tunnel.
Digging a passage through the mountain wasn't something one or two people could accomplish easily. It would be a huge task.
A large tunnel was impractical, but a small passage large enough to fit two or three people—or even just one—was still possible. With Nen, it wouldn't be impossible to dig a hundred-meter tunnel in about ten days.
Rocky stepped out of the room and interrupted the conversation. "Grandpa, Chief! I know of a place. It's the only direction without a barrier!"
Everyone turned to look at him.
The chief was taken aback. "What place?"
Rocky walked over to the window and pointed toward a cliff in the west.
The height of that cliff made it impossible for anyone to approach from that direction, so it wasn't protected by a barrier. The Kuruta tribe's sacred cave was located in that area.
"I used my ability to climb that cliff before, and there's a canyon behind it!"
"If we can dig a passage, once we destroy it, the cliff alone will block the enemy for a long time."
"And during that time, if we can destroy the canyon as well, it will be impossible for the enemy to follow us."
The chief was momentarily stunned. How had Rocky climbed that cliff? Even with his abilities, he couldn't have teleported that far—unless... Rocky had Apparated continuously to get up there!
If he had fallen, he would have died!
Rocky's reckless disregard for danger was infuriating, but...
If what he said was true, it was a brilliant plan.
"Take me there tomorrow," the chief instructed. "And Satsuki, you'll come with us. If the terrain is as Rocky described, then this will be the escape route in case of emergency."
With no objections from the others, Rocky breathed a sigh of relief.
The first step toward changing his fate had gone smoothly.
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