Chapter 896
The woman had transformed into the shape of a submarine. Most of her body was submerged, with only a small portion visible above the water's surface.
"We're going," Ron said.
With a light leap, the group landed on the top of the vessel.
Clack!
A hatch opened, revealing a stairwell leading down into the interior. The four of them followed it downward. The hatch closed behind them.
"I'm starting up now," the woman's voice rang out.
A deep mechanical rumble echoed through the chamber as the submarine fully submerged. Its forward movement began slow, but the acceleration quickly increased to a point where an ordinary person would've had difficulty keeping their balance.
Fortunately, Ron and the others were all powerful Nen users.
Ron glanced around. The interior of the submarine wasn't large—just a square chamber. Windows lined either side, providing a view of the ocean outside, but beyond that, there was nothing. No bathroom, no food stores, not even air filtration. It was clear that after traveling for a while, the submarine would need to resurface to replenish air.
Outside the windows, the ocean was a deep, dark blue, filled with swimming marine life. The submarine, in its current form, blended perfectly with its environment, moving as naturally as any sea creature.
Or perhaps more accurately, it resembled the presence of inorganic sea matter—dead zones, discarded machines, or sunken wreckage. Its aura didn't feel alive, which likely helped it avoid detection.
"So this is why the Gatekeepers can travel to the Dark Continent?" Ron murmured. "They reduce the chances of being attacked by blending in with the environment. Predators won't treat them as prey. But humans… it's a different story."
Still, that couldn't be absolute. Some creatures relied on movement and vibration rather than aura to detect their prey. Those types might still target the Gatekeepers. However, their speed likely made it difficult for anything to catch up.
What remained was the rare class of predator—the ones with broken instincts.
Ron pulled out a compass, but the needle immediately began spinning wildly. It was clear that using it to determine direction was impossible here.
He looked up toward the surface, but the sky above was still completely shrouded in mist. This wasn't due to being underwater; it had been the same even when they were above the surface. Judging direction using the sun or stars didn't work here either.
"If you need to use the bathroom or want to hunt for food," the woman's voice echoed, "please let me know in advance. I don't like filth."
"No problem," Ron replied. The absence of a bathroom inside the submarine had already made him think of that.
Of course, he had other solutions—specifically, Sumas's space. There was a fully functional bathroom there. As for food, that too could be resolved within the space. Beyond the food Ron had pre-stored in the warehouse sector, there was also the forest region and Park's farm.
Having a spatial-type Nen spirit was incredibly convenient. Since obtaining Sumas's space, Ron had been able to resolve many logistical challenges—one of the reasons he'd chosen to help Kurapika. After all, Sumas had originated from the hidden settlement of the Kurta Clan.
Ron turned to the woman and asked, "In this form, do you need rest or food?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Then follow your own schedule. My team and I have other options. What I need is for you to get us to the Dark Continent as fast as possible."
There was a moment of silence before she responded. "Understood."
Ron drew a line through the air, opening a gate to Sumas's space.
"Machi, go inside. It'll be more comfortable."
"Yes, Captain."
Machi and the others stepped in. As soon as they entered Sumas's space, they relaxed slightly. The submarine interior, after all, gave off an unsettling feeling. Even though the woman wasn't human—or even a creature made of flesh—she had appeared to them before in a humanoid form. Staying inside her now felt uncomfortably close to being inside someone's body.
Lunchtime arrived. With a thought, Ron summoned Erina. She quickly laid out a variety of ingredients and, with practiced speed, prepared a full meal. The fragrance of freshly cooked food filled the chamber.
Ron could almost hear the sound of someone swallowing saliva. But it wasn't Machi or the others, nor was it himself.
That left only one possibility.
He raised an eyebrow slightly. "If our food suits your tastes, I'm willing to share some. Think of it as payment for increased travel speed. How about it?"
"Alright."
"How do I give it to you?"
Clack! A compartment opened in the wall.
"Place the food inside."
Ron picked up a plate and slid it into the opening.
Clack! The compartment sealed shut.
He heard soft chewing.
"Tasty," she said. Clearly satisfied, and sure enough, the submarine's speed noticeably increased.
"I'm glad you like it," Ron replied.
It was through this exchange that he realized the Gatekeeper, despite not being human, wasn't simply a soulless NPC. There was emotion there—something close to personhood. And that opened up new ideas.
"Amelia, are your routes fixed?" he asked. Amelia was the name of the submarine.
"Yes," she replied.
"So how do you ensure your path stays accurate? Most of the tools we humans use for navigation don't work in these waters."
Amelia fell silent for a moment.
"Ron, do you want to know the exact path?"
"I think we're already friends. I don't hide what I can offer to those I trust. But if this is something you can't tell me, I understand."
"To us Gatekeepers, humans coming to the Dark Continent isn't necessarily good or bad. Whether you complete your missions or not, we simply view it as a shift in our routine. Years, even decades can pass without anyone arriving. Even if I shared the path and others used it without trading with us, it wouldn't affect us much. But even so, I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"It's instinct. I don't know how it works. I don't know the origin of it. I don't even know what part of me decides the direction. I just know that when I feel the pull in a certain direction—I follow it."
Suddenly, the submarine jolted violently.