Ponzu took a deep breath. "Anyone who's been sick for too long ends up dying. That's why the villagers were forced to lock the little girl away in a small hut. As she grew older, the infection spread even faster, so no one dared go near that place. We don't even know if she's still alive.
"There are also people in the village whose bodies sprout plant-like growths—like leaves on a tree. Under normal conditions, they don't feel much, but if they get close to fire, it becomes unbearably painful and itchy. If you cut the leaves, they actually bleed."
Ron frowned. From what Ponzu had described, it could be the work of a magical beast or possibly a Nen user, but it didn't match anything he'd seen before. It wasn't like the disaster created by the Kute Gang of Thieves in Meteor City, nor like the monsters in the Taris Kingdom.
"Is there more?"
"There are other strange stories, but they're all too old. I've only heard them from my elders."
"What about the current crisis?"
"I don't know." Ponzu shook her head. "All my grandmother told me was that something huge happened in the village—something no one can solve—and she ordered me to leave. She told me never to come back. But I can't just stand by and let my village suffer."
Ron's expression grew solemn. "How far is it from here?"
"Two or three kilometers."
"Let's stop. I'll take a look first."
He summoned a small wireless camera and handed it to Sasuke, who sprinted off toward Ponzu's village. Meanwhile, Ron opened his laptop, and Chii appeared by his side. Almost instantly, they could see the camera's live feed on the screen. Ponzu recognized the area at once, but something felt off—it was too desolate. Dead, even.
"Use Gyo," Ron reminded them.
Hanzo, Ruco, and Ponzu channeled aura into their eyes. The screen took on a different appearance, revealing a mass of swirling Nen energy. Sasuke reached the village entrance. Grass and shrubs choked the pathway, as if it had been years since anyone set foot there.
Ponzu's eyes went wide. "How…? How can this be?"
Everything looked run-down, many buildings rotten or collapsing. Ponzu wanted to rush into the village straight away, but Ron grabbed her wrist.
"Don't be rash. What would you do if you went in now? Your grandmother told you to leave for a reason—don't waste that intention."
From the footage, Ron suspected no one had survived. The entire village seemed long dead. Anyone who ventured in would likely meet the same fate, especially with such strange Nen lingering everywhere.
"You've seen that aura drifting around. With your current strength, going inside would be suicide," Ron said.
Ponzu was still distraught. "But I spoke to my grandmother on the phone not long ago, just after the Hunter Exam ended."
Ron's eyes flickered. "Try calling her now."
Ponzu dialed, and moments later, the line picked up. The familiar voice of her grandmother came through. "Ponzu, is something wrong?"
The sound of her grandmother's voice, paired with the live feed on Ron's laptop, brought tears to Ponzu's eyes. "Grandma, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Why do you ask? Is everything okay?"
Ponzu longed to describe what she was seeing but didn't know where to begin. Meanwhile, Sasuke continued deeper into the village, searching for any sign of life. Hanzo stepped closer to Ron, peering at the screen.
"With the village in this state, it's hard to believe anyone's still alive," he said. "Could it be that they might have moved somewhere else?"
Ruco shook her head. "If that were the case, her grandmother would have told her. There's no reason to hide something like that."
She turned to Ponzu. "You should just ask her. The call's connected, so you may as well speak plainly."
Ponzu nodded. Just then, Sasuke seemed to notice something, turning the camera toward a particular building—a wooden hut that appeared less decrepit than the others, though it still radiated that eerie stillness. Sasuke tried pushing the door. It didn't budge at first, so he used more force.
Creak!
The door swung open, revealing an elderly woman. Her withered frame looked more dead than alive. A long black thread extended from her body, wrapped around a cell phone.
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