066 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

It was a pity—the one who brought it back was already gravely injured and died before saying much. Because of that, the V5 had no idea how the dark-red dates grew, and its cultivation across the six continents proceeded with difficulty and uncertainty.

Despite pouring in tremendous effort and resources, they only managed to grow a deformed variant with reduced potency.

It was nothing like the kind native to the Dark Continent—those were said to work miracles, instantly replenishing blood and curing all manner of circulatory conditions.

Even so, what they had was still exceedingly rare.

Usually, it was reserved for the upper crust—nobles, celebrities, elites. Only when there was surplus would a few scraps trickle down to hospitals.

Before Beyond and his team arrived, they had managed to secure some of the dark-red dates through their own channels. When they saw Karre's condition, they didn't hesitate to feed him one.

The fruit melted in his mouth and began restoring his blood volume almost immediately.

When Karre's face gradually changed from ashen gray to a healthier hue, and his breathing steadied, everyone around let out a collective sigh of relief.

At the very least, it meant the dark-red dates worked—and that Karre had simply lost a lot of blood, not suffered from any other underlying condition.

"But why did he lose so much blood so suddenly?"

Everyone started pondering that question—and then all eyes turned to the red earth beneath their feet.

"Can it absorb blood from living beings? No wonder it's so red~"

Beyond's expression turned serious.

"Exactly what I was thinking. The Dark Continent doesn't duplicate its hazards. You'll never find two identical threats. There's only one 'Red Earth'. This place… calling it 'Blood Land' or 'Blood Earth' would be more accurate."

"Then the crimson trees—do they absorb nutrients from this bloody soil and grow into blood trees?"

Ronnel stared out at the forest of red trees—plants clearly thriving on something far from ordinary.

As for what fueled them...

"Maybe when marine amphibians crawl onto shore to sunbathe, the ground feeds off their blood without them noticing..."

By now, half the sun had already dipped into the sea, staining both sky and water with its scarlet glow—like the flushed cheeks of someone deeply drunk.

But combined with the sight in front of them, the scenery wasn't beautiful. It was chilling.

The red afterglow painted the landscape in a surreal palette, the ocean mirroring the blood-colored soil. The overlapping colors made a picturesque coastal view—one that disturbed the heart more than it pleased the eye.

Had Beyond and the others not already known how dangerous the "Bloody Land" was, they might have even called it breathtaking.

But in truth, every hair on their bodies was standing on end. They were already edging backward, putting distance between themselves and the uncanny landscape.

They knew very well—this land could literally eat people.

...

"The smoke soldiers and Nen beasts aren't affected at all... is it because they're made entirely of aura? No blood to draw from, so nothing happens?"

They glanced over at the smoke soldiers—purple mist drifting lazily as they stood atop the blood-soaked soil—and the assorted birds, beasts, and nen constructs eagerly awaiting instructions.

"It seems it only affects creatures with actual blood."

Since Nen beasts are born from aura, their biology isn't even remotely similar to real animals. Their structures are fundamentally different.

It was just like during the dodgeball match with Razor on Greed Island—when Goreinu summoned his black-and-white gorilla Nen beasts. One got slammed by Razor's Nen-powered ball. It didn't bleed. It just disintegrated—its body collapsing because it couldn't withstand the hit.

Clearly, you couldn't treat Nen beasts the same as real creatures.

(Of course, there are some deeply obsessive types out there who go to extreme lengths to create flesh-and-blood Nen beasts. But they're a rare kind of freak...)

Still, now that they'd grasped the basic idea, the group started testing further—trying to confirm how the blood-absorbing property worked.

Someone tossed a chunk of raw meat—still fresh, still bleeding—onto the Bloody Land.

In less than a second, it was gone. The soil devoured it on contact, right down to the bone.

Anything with blood... erased.

But when they tried it with plush toys and mechanical pets?

Nothing happened.

(And no, don't ask why the expedition brought stuffed animals. Some of them really like plushies.)

Then they tried flowers and other living plants.

As soon as the roots touched the soil, they took hold and started to grow at an unnatural speed. The once-vibrant petals and leaves were dyed in an eerie blood-red hue, giving off a strange, luminous crimson glow.

That was enough to confirm it.

This land was hostile to creatures with blood.

But plants? They thrived.

...

"So, how exactly are we supposed to get across?"

That was the next problem they had to face.

Everyone here was a seasoned traveler—action-oriented types who immediately began discussing practical strategies.

"As long as you don't make direct contact with the ground, you should be fine~"

Ging rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"I was watching Karre closely. His symptoms only started after he touched the ground. The moment his feet were off it, he returned to normal."

"If we fly or cross from above, it should be okay."

"Fly, huh..." The idea lingered in everyone's mind.

Then someone perked up.

"What if we laid something over the ground—like those stuffed toys or some other padding—and stepped on that to avoid touching the soil directly?"

It was Muherr, the elf mercenary. He'd brought along a steel mech that functioned more or less like a giant armored suit.

"It's worth a shot. But don't get your hopes up."

Pariston smiled faintly.

"Karre was wearing socks and shoes when he stepped down, wasn't he? If those weren't enough of a barrier, anything we throw down probably won't help either. The ground seems to draw blood directly from living beings, barrier or not."

That quieted everyone.

They all turned back toward the bloody land, brows furrowed in deep thought.

It was clear—getting across this place was going to be a real pain.