Above the endless expanse of white clouds, an airship billowed with smoke and fire, its frame tilted dangerously, on the verge of plunging into the sea of clouds.
Inside the airship, screams echoed.
The terror of a disaster at such heights gripped the passengers and crew like merciless hands squeezing their hearts.
Under the oppressive shadow of death, some gave up in despair, some screamed helplessly, while others, in a frenzy, clung to the faintest hope for survival.
Yet, faced with the impending crash, even the strongest will to survive seemed as insignificant as an ant underfoot.
Hearing the passengers' panic-stricken cries, Moro and Kang reacted in starkly different ways.
Moro climbed the sloping floor in silence, heading toward the observation deck.
As the airship teetered on the brink of destruction, the fate of the other passengers was all too clear.
In Moro's mind, only one thought remained: self-preservation.
There was no room for anything else.
Kang glanced toward the source of the cries, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. After a brief sigh, his expression hardened.
Dwelling on the powerless was meaningless.
The hesitation vanished as he quickened his pace to catch up with Moro.
The two arrived at the observation deck, one behind the other.
From their vantage point, all they had to do was look up to see the smoke and flames creeping dangerously close to the massive gas chamber above the airship.
Seeing this, both Moro and Kang tensed.
That gas chamber was like a giant bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
Suppressing his unease, Moro moved along the wall to the edge of the deck and looked down at the clouds just within reach.
The next moment, the tilting airship plunged into the cloud layer, and a powerful gust of wind whipped through Moro's hair and clothes.
Gripping the railing tightly, Moro leaned over, peering below.
Through the thinning clouds, the vast earth came into view, the rushing wind carrying a suffocating sense of dread.
From thousands of meters above the ground...
Even with Nen abilities, there was no sense of safety.
Staring at the distant ground below, Moro thought he would feel his heart race or an uncontrollable fear—but instead, he was unexpectedly calm.
Kang stepped behind Moro and said gravely, "Whether we live or not depends entirely on our skills."
At a moment like this, even hoping for luck felt like a luxury.
Even as a Reinforcement-Type user, Kang couldn't guarantee a safe landing from such a height.
Moro glanced back at Kang, then up at the gas chamber, which could explode at any second.
Time was too short for hesitation or planning.
Moro had envisioned the airship crashing earlier, but the current situation was even more perilous.
"Let's exchange contact information."
He took out his phone and looked at Kang.
Kang nodded. "Alright. If we both make it to the ground, I'll contact you immediately. If you die, I'll try to take care of your remains."
"Well, thanks for that," Moro said, his eyelid twitching slightly.
Kang, oblivious to the sarcasm, replied earnestly, "Don't mention it. After all, we're comrades now."
"..."
Moro paused before asking, "Your number?"
Braving the strengthening wind, Kang recited his contact number.
Moro quickly dialed it, letting it ring once before ending the call.
"Take care."
Pocketing his phone, Moro nodded slightly at Kang, then leapt from the deck, his body slicing through the sky like a javelin.
With the airship on the verge of exploding, there was no time to second-guess whether his survival techniques would work.
Watching Moro's figure plummet, Kang's eyes briefly showed admiration.
Then, glancing back at the gas chamber, complex emotions churned within him—a mixture of regret and guilt.
After standing still for two or three seconds, Kang released his grip on the railing and leapt into the soft white clouds below.
He spread his arms and legs, allowing air resistance to slow his descent.
From his current altitude, he could still see Moro falling below.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang out above.
Kang and Moro instinctively flipped midair to face upward, their eyes snapping toward the source of the blast.
Before them, the airship erupted into a massive fireball, brilliant and blinding, suspended in the sky.
Moro watched the enormous fireball expand, fragments of the airship's frame scattering in all directions.
Though it was distant, he couldn't help but feel that among the debris were fragments of human bodies.
So often… human life seemed as insignificant as dust.
Only with power in hand could one grasp the chance to change.
Flipping back to face the ground, Moro spread his limbs to slow his fall.
"Deceptive Starfall."
He aimed his right palm downward, conjuring a glowing green Nen orb before launching it.
Whoosh—
The orb shot downward, stopping abruptly a hundred meters below.
One second later,
The orb seemed to reverse time, rocketing back toward Moro, who had now fallen closer.
As the orb approached, Moro channeled Nen into his right hand, where the clock-like tattoo was engraved.
Boom!
The orb struck his hand, releasing a blast of force that sent Moro spinning upward.
"Not enough."
Struggling to stabilize himself midair, Moro fired another orb downward, this time concentrating more Nen into his palm.
Boom!
The returning orb struck again, but the force was less violent this time.
"Still not enough…"
Analyzing the feedback from the clash of Nen energies, Moro fired another orb, increasing the concentration of Nen in his palm further.
Boom!
This time, the impact felt almost gentle.
The energy from the orb was so finely balanced with the Nen in Moro's palm that it created a strange moment of equilibrium, briefly halting his fall.
When the energy levels were perfectly matched, it significantly reduced Moro's downward momentum.
"This works."
Having confirmed his technique, Moro felt a sense of relief.
Above him, Kang witnessed Moro's maneuvers with wide eyes and an open mouth, letting the wind rush in.
This guy…
Meanwhile, in a stone chamber illuminated by glowing pearls...
The rectangular room had a square platform in the center, built with ascending steps.
On the platform stood a harp with a jade-like body and ebony strings.
Suddenly,
The strings plucked themselves, their sound as clear as a mountain spring before turning into a storm-like frenzy.
With each fierce vibration, black Nen energy swirled from the harp, coalescing into a humanoid shape.
Gradually, the figure took form, revealing Safu's appearance.
Safu slowly opened her eyes, a mix of familiarity and surprise flashing across her face as she looked at the harp.
Confusion soon replaced her initial emotions.
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen