In the stone chamber, the resonant harp music gradually faded.
What followed was the sharp, successive snapping of strings.
The pitch-black strings of the harp broke one by one in front of Safu—or rather, her true name, Eve.
When the final string snapped and flew apart, the chamber fell into silence.
At the same time, the dark Nen energy emanating from the harp slowly dissipated until it vanished completely.
Eve's eyes were filled with confusion, as though she couldn't piece together why she was here. Yet, she vaguely remembered the brush of death she had experienced.
In the silence, she turned her gaze to the harp, its strings all broken. On the harp's pillar was an old, filthy sheet of sheet music that starkly contrasted with the harp's pristine, jade-like body.
The Dark Sonata – Solo for Harp.
In the foggy recesses of her mind, the words surfaced unexpectedly, piercing through the mist like a ray of sunlight.
"I'm still alive."
Her voice, soft and murmuring, echoed in the chamber.
The confusion in Eve's eyes gave way to calmness.
She reached out and ran her fingers along the harp's body, and a star-like glimmer of Nen energy appeared at her fingertips—a physical manifestation of Nen.
Returning to the world through a method as unique as shaping her body with harp music, the third princess of the ancient kingdom of Gugan Jade awakened her Nen abilities naturally.
The sealed memories of the harp and the music score also resurfaced in her mind.
Before her return to the world, Eve hadn't fully understood the harp's or the music's powers. She had certainly never imagined such a scenario.
Eve harbored no fear of death and didn't flinch at its approach.
In her view, humans on the path of opposing certain forces naturally risked confronting death. It was only right and inevitable.
Ironically, among the non-Nen users who also faced death, those who feared it the most perished like specks of dust.
Meanwhile, Eve—who neither feared nor resisted death—was alive and breathing.
"So, this is the power of Nen…"
Her fingers glided across the harp's pillar and reached the empty pegboard. With a flick of her Nen-imbued fingertips, she conjured a single glowing harp string, attaching it to the harp.
Perhaps due to the visualization of her Nen abilities, a rare trace of excitement flickered in Eve's otherwise calm eyes.
In a dense forest,
Near the border of the Republic of Minbo, separated by an ocean from the kingdom of Gugan Jade, Moro was plummeting from the sky.
Seeing the dense canopy of trees below, his tense heart finally relaxed.
Freefalling from thousands of meters…
While Nen's versatility offered ways to survive, many uncontrollable factors could still lead to disaster before landing safely.
Fortunately, the airship was still over the Republic of Minbo's territory and not above the open sea.
From above, Moro looked down at a sprawling forest, its expanse bathed in silvery moonlight.
As the ground drew closer, Moro launched a returning Nen orb to counter his momentum.
Even so, he fell the last hundred meters straight into the forest floor.
With a deafening crash, Moro hit the ground like a cannonball, shattering the forest's tranquil night.
Rustle—
A flock of birds scattered into the night sky, and nocturnal beasts fled in every direction.
Thud.
A centuries-old tree, unlucky enough to be Moro's landing point, toppled under the immense force of the collision.
Moments later, Moro emerged from the dense canopy, surveying his surroundings.
Towering trees loomed overhead, their trunks glowing faintly in the moonlight that filtered through the gaps in the leaves. A soft mist drifted through the forest, covering mossy stones and fallen branches.
In the distance, a winding stream snaked its way through a field of scattered rocks, disappearing into darkness.
After briefly scanning the area, Moro pulled his gaze back. Concerned about Kang Zai's condition, he took out his phone, only to find it cracked and powered off from the impact.
"Kang Zai should be fine."
Putting away the damaged phone, Moro reasoned that if he had survived, Kang Zai likely had as well—unless Kang Zai had the bad luck to fall into a swamp or a sinkhole.
"This place… should still be in the Republic of Minbo."
Moro approached the nearby stream.
The Republic of Minbo, one of the Five Great Nations, was located two countries away from Heaven's Arena.
Judging by the airship's trajectory, Moro guessed he had landed somewhere within the vast territory of the Republic of Minbo. The exact location, however, remained unclear.
Getting out of this unfamiliar forest would not be an easy task.
With a sigh, Moro began walking along the stream.
After some time, Moro emerged from the forest and onto a flat clearing. Ahead was a mist-covered lake, its surface dotted with reflections of stars.
Wild animals gathered along the lake's edge, illuminated faintly by the starlight.
Scanning the area, Moro's attention was drawn to several white deer with massive, coral-like antlers.
The antlers, as intricate as interwoven branches, gleamed under the moonlight, making the deer stand out among the other animals.
Moro had no intention of disturbing the animals drinking peacefully by the lake. He surveyed the nearby area, searching for a suitable place to rest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As Moro scouted, gunshots rang out from across the lake.
Startled by the noise, the animals scattered in panic.
Moro turned toward the source of the shots and saw the white deer collapse to the ground. Moments later, several armed men emerged from the forest.
Watching from afar, Moro stepped behind a tree, his ears picking up the men's excited chatter and their comments about the loud noise earlier.
The loud noise must have been the crash he caused when landing.
Listening further, Moro heard the men speak about striking it rich, likely referring to the value of the white deer they had just killed.
After some thought, Moro stepped out of hiding, deciding to approach the men to gather information.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, about ten kilometers away,
A massive ball of human bodies—formed from a dozen tangled individuals—plummeted into a lake, sending a towering spray of water into the air.
As the spray settled, bodies began floating to the surface.
Splash—
A sudden burst of water broke the surface.
Rokuhara emerged, gasping for air, his gaze fixed on the dense forest along the shore.
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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)
20 Advance Chapters: patreon.com/milezen