Searching for a Gatekeeper.
Completing a Gatekeeper mission.
Absorbing its properties.
That cycle had defined Ron's life for a full two weeks. Day after day, the same process — hunt, complete, absorb. But finally, after half a month, Ron came to a stop. He stared at the crystal orb before him. The progress bar displayed on its surface had reached one hundred percent.
"Ponzu, hold this position. I've got something to take care of."
"Yes, Captain."
Ron raised his hand, drew open a door, and stepped inside — into Sumas's space.
"Begin."
The moment the word left his mouth, Ron felt his aura pour out at high speed, rushing into the crystal orb. Its color began to shift and swirl.
Bang!
A violent impact echoed in his mind. Then all at once Ron's consciousness plunged into another realm. Illusory images flashed before his eyes: a heavily armored creature, a red car, a yellow car, a black truck. All of those figures surged into the crystal orb in sequence.
Boom!
Another explosion rang out.
Ron felt his consciousness rapidly detach and withdraw. Not long after, he opened his eyes again. He triggered a thought—and in the next instant, a figure materialized before him. No, not quite a person—it was a vehicle.
Streams of data flooded his mind.
"Bumblebee."
The vehicle transformed. With a whir of mechanical motion, it unfolded and shifted, standing upright in humanoid form—a full transformation.
"So it really is a Transformer…"
Ron had already suspected this based on the Gatekeeper's appearance. Nen beasts were shaped by one's nature and traits—often fusing with memories or impressions from the user's own mind. The Gatekeeper had been remarkably similar to a mechanical lifeform. Transformers were exactly like that.
"There are two modes: combat form and driving form. Combat mode is larger, but doesn't offer much else."
That didn't mean Bumblebee was weak—just that compared to Ron's other Nen beasts, he wasn't especially powerful. Gluttony and Specter were both Sequence 1‑level beasts. Even Wither, created from the fusion of Neferpitou and Killer Queen, rarely saw use anymore. Bumblebee simply didn't match their output.
"But the driving mode might be useful."
Ron had stockpiled a variety of vehicles—cars, boats, small airships. But they were industrial products, not combat‑grade. Their durability was limited. Whenever danger arose, Ron would have to use Shu to reinforce them with aura, just to keep them from falling apart.
But Bumblebee was different. He still required aura to operate, but in terms of cost‑efficiency, Bumblebee was vastly more practical than enhancing manufactured machines with Shu.
"And since Bumblebee was created by fully absorbing the traits of the Gatekeeper continent, that means he might be just as safe underwater, too."
The possibility seemed high.
"Still, we'll need the Gatekeeper's guidance for the actual route."
Ron left Sumas's space.
"Captain," Ponzu called, noticing his return.
"Tell Machi and Misty they can get ready to depart."
"Yes, Captain."
Ponzu pulled out her Zodiac card and began contacting them.
Moments later, a beam of light descended rapidly toward their location.
"Captain."
"Big Brother."
Ron turned to see Machi and Misty landing in front of him. Both looked to be in good condition—clearly, the Gatekeeper missions hadn't been too difficult for them.
"How many Gatekeeper missions did you complete?"
"Six in total, Big Brother. What about you?"
"Two more than that."
Even at a moderate pace, Ron's efficiency outpaced theirs by a wide margin. If he'd gone all out, he could've completed even more. But there was no need. Risking his life for ordinary humans wasn't Ron's style. This was just part of his deal with Mizaistrone.
"We'll meet with Mizaistrone next. After that, we can contact the first Gatekeeper we encountered and proceed to the Dark Continent."
Mizaistrone hadn't strayed far from the initial landing zone. Most ordinary people had stayed there too. They didn't have the strength to search for a Gatekeeper, let alone complete its tasks. Some couldn't even secure food. If not for the Hunter Association's support, many would already be dead. The Kakin government certainly wasn't going to help.
"Ron."
Mizaistrone's eyes lit up the moment he saw him. He quickly walked over.
"Mizaistrone."
"You've already completed the Gatekeeper missions?"
Ron nodded and held out several tokens. "These are Gatekeeper tokens. With them, we can pass through."
"This many?" Mizaistrone looked surprised.
Ron asked, "How many people have already departed?"
"Not many," Mizaistrone replied, shaking his head. "Very few people even understand the Gatekeeper's role. Kakin hasn't shared that information widely—not even most of the princes know. The king himself hasn't left yet. The Hunter Association members are all working to complete Gatekeeper tasks, trying to create as many opportunities as possible for the civilians to reach the Dark Continent. Most Nen users have made deals with us."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "What about Gin and Beyond?"
"No idea. They disappeared the moment we landed."
Mizaistrone looked down at the tokens in his hand. "Ron, this is more than enough. You didn't need to bring so many. Sorry for taking up your time. Honestly, I don't know much about what's waiting on the Dark Continent. I won't be of much help."
"No need to apologize. This was part of the agreement."
Ron didn't blame Mizaistrone. He had considered stopping midway and not absorbing the full set of Gatekeeper traits. But once he saw how quickly the absorption was progressing, he committed fully. In return for his time, he'd gained a new Nen beast. From Ron's perspective, that was a worthwhile trade.
According to the data he'd gathered, Gatekeepers varied in speed. Ron had kept the fastest one for himself—a bonus from completing extra missions.
After finalizing the exchange with Mizaistrone, Ron's group of four headed for the entrance of the valley. A woman stepped into view.
"You've decided to depart now?"
Ron nodded. "Let's head to the shore."
When they reached the coastline, the woman stepped into the surf. The moment she touched the seawater, her body began to shift violently—her form transforming in a way uncannily similar to a Transformer.
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