Chapter 81: The Failed Negotiation
Guided by Haze, the three entered a cave at the foot of the mountain. Inside, they discovered a spacious area furnished like a living room and bedroom. The entire mountain seemed to function as a building its caves neatly organized as homes, with some used as storage rooms.
However, the cave they entered was already damaged. Tables and chairs lay broken, and bloodstains marred the floor.
"Captain, look…" Kanji warned suddenly, pointing to a wall.
Haze turned to see a mural.
The Bozwa tribe seemed to enjoy carving… The house also contained many small, delicate stone statues.
The mural was divided into several sections. The first depicted a group of tiny figures kneeling before a giant, praying and bowing with devotion.
The second showed the figures lifting their companions and throwing them into the giant's open jaws.
The third portrayed human-sized ants and several animals appearing suddenly, celebrating—as if at a grand feast—while the giant's belly swelled.
The fourth painting showed the giant giving birth… to a mass of eggs and fluid. Notably, all the animals present at the celebration, including the humans, had died in various ways—only five or six humans remained, radiant with joy as they cradled several round embryos.
Haze's gaze focused on the giant. Though it resembled a human, it lacked facial features—a faceless form.
Moreover, in the second image, the giant's mouth—wide open—was lined not with two rows of teeth, but a ring of sharp fangs, like a monstrous feeding maw.
It was likely not a species from the human world, much less a human race.
"The Dark Continent…" Haze thought.
Both the Kuruta and Bozwa seemed to use imagery or text to record and transmit their origins. But compared to the Kuruta and the nature-loving Bozwa, the scenes of these murals were not set in natural environments—they depicted underground caverns with no flowers or plants, only torchlight, giving off a grim and ominous tone.
It perfectly matched the kind of environment the Bozwa lived in today.
They visited several more caves and discovered that each contained murals with similar content.
"Come on, the leader is waiting for us inside," Xi Suo said, stopping in front of another cave that led deeper into the mountain.
Inside each cave—besides serving as Bozwa dwellings—there was a deep, narrow tunnel at the back, resembling a hive or anthill. The passageway was tight, allowing only one person through at a time. Xi Suo led the way, with Haze taking up the rear.
After walking several hundred meters, they reached a junction where three tunnels branched off in different directions.
"What now? Should we split up?" Kanji asked, looking at Haze.
The interior of the mountain was extremely complex, like a maze.
Haze studied the paths but found nothing suspicious.
"These tunnels likely lead to the same destination—just through different routes, some longer, some shorter," Haze concluded. "There must be some mechanism only the Bozwa can discern… Are you trying to separate us?"
"Or taking different routes to ambush us?" Kanji muttered.
"I'll take this one…"
In that instant, Hisoka strode toward the leftmost tunnel entrance.
"If the captain's guess is right, we should stick together," Kanji suggested.
Hisoka ignored him and turned toward Haze. "Kill all the Bozwa and get that thing… right?"
"Yes," Haze nodded.
"If I complete the mission before you, how will you thank me?" Hisoka grinned.
"That's what you're supposed to do. Your debt to me will be paid," Haze replied, entering the central passage.
"Ha… let's see who's faster!"
Hisoka's figure vanished into the darkness as well.
Kanji stood alone for a moment, then decided to follow Captain Haze.
A few extinguished torches lined the walls. As they ventured deeper, the light dimmed further until total darkness surrounded them. The narrow, enclosed space induced unease and irritability. Though Haze and Kanji found no traps, the endless intersections made it impossible to maintain direction.
An hour passed.
Eventually, they emerged into a new section with four tunnel entrances facing them from different directions.
"This is…" Kanji licked his dry lips.
He felt dizzy and completely lost.
Haze crouched, scooped some dirt, felt its dampness, and said calmly, "The direction doesn't matter. As long as we keep descending, we'll reach the bottom… It'll just take longer."
Rumble…
Suddenly, rocks and earth shook loose from above, followed by a faint tremor.
A battle had erupted inside the mountain!
"Is it Hisoka? Did he already engage the Bozwa?" Kanji exclaimed.
"No…" Haze frowned.
The tremor came from above, not below. Judging by the labyrinthine structure, the Bozwa were likely hidden deep beneath the mountain's core. In other words, Hisoka had either fallen into a trap—or launched an attack.
They were moving even slower than him.
"Let's go," Haze said, leading the way into another tunnel.
Haze analyzed the ground for signs of proximity to the surface, while Kanji used her telepathic patch to ensure they didn't retrace their steps. Half an hour later, light appeared ahead—at the cave's exit—and the cracked ground beneath them gave way to paved stone.
Emerging from the tunnel, they entered a vast underground chamber resembling the interior of a grand palace.
Braziers burned brightly, casting warm, flickering light.
Ten massive pillars stood before them, intricately carved with ornate patterns.
At the center, on an altar-like platform, sat an elderly Bozwa, draped in a familiar white robe and wearing a long gray braid.
"Stay alert," Haze told Kanji, his heart tightening as he stared at the old man.
Suddenly, a figure darted in front of the altar.
The elder had been sitting with his head bowed, holding a skull in his hands as if in prayer. Hearing the sound, he slowly raised his head and met Haze's gaze.
Haze focused his Concentration Spell on the skull. Indeed—an aura of black energy swirled around it, a strange, indescribable presence. That was it—the ritual artifact! The skull wasn't human but appeared to be carved from polished stone, etched with bizarre patterns.
"Just him?" Haze sharpened his senses. Aside from the elder, there were no other Bozwa in the vast chamber.
"Outsider… Are you a servant of the king?" the elder asked coldly, speaking the local tongue.
"No. I'm a Hunter working for a certain organization. I'm here to complete a mission," Haze said, glancing around before pointing at the skull. "That's what we came for."
Even if he mentioned the Hunter Association, the elder likely wouldn't understand, so Haze didn't bother explaining further.
"Your situation is worse than I thought," Haze said calmly. "There aren't many of you left, are there? Allowing the parasites to divide and evolve, spreading the battlefield… only increases casualties. But right now, the battle hasn't even reached Donggudo's capital. It poses no real threat to the king. At this rate, even if the parasite spreads, without enough sacrifices, it won't multiply further. Once exterminated, it's over. Not even ancient rituals can stand against a nation."
He had assumed at least twenty or thirty Bozwa still lived—but now, it seemed less than half remained.
The survivors had been sent to distant battlefields, preparing for the next—and final—wave of sacrifices.
The elder seemed surprised that Haze understood the ritual's hidden meaning.
"It doesn't matter," the elder said solemnly. "Only by performing the ritual do the Bozwa have any hope of survival. Even if we can't kill that tyrant, we'll tear a piece of his flesh and make him feel our hatred."
"As long as one Bozwa survives—just one—the flames of vengeance will burn on. If not this time, then another… One day, he will pay."
Haze fell silent.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," he finally said. "The current monarch of Donggudo lives in decadence and excess… I doubt he even remembers your people."
"Then he deserves to die!"
The elder slowly rose, his aura flaring—he was a Nen user.
Haze released his own aura in response. A humanoid-shaped burst of energy formed, then vanished with a strange shriek.
"I'm not interested in your conflict with Donggudo's king," Haze said evenly. "I only want the skull in your hands. Your ritual aims to preserve your lineage. That means one Bozwa will survive. I can take that survivor out of Donggudo and give them a new identity in the outside world, guaranteeing safety for the rest of their life. In exchange, that skull will be mine. What do you say?"
"I sense your sincerity," the elder replied, "but I cannot accept. I must refuse."
Haze wasn't surprised.
"In that case… I'm sorry."
Haze's heart tensed as he activated another Rune Skill.
Because of his prior limitations, he couldn't use Flash or Heal—only the runes he had previously selected.
The elder didn't seem particularly strong… Haze believed he could handle it.
But still—something felt off.
(End of Chapter)
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