Under the pressure from the copper mechanical lifeforms, combined with their location deep within the underground ruins.
Under such circumstances, how could it be simple to successfully escape?
The failure of the safe zones was like a massive mountain, heavily weighing down on both sides.
They had been full of confidence due to the existence of the safe zones, and now, because of their disappearance, they were forced into a hasty retreat.
This uncomfortable feeling of not being in control of the situation was subtly affecting the emotions of Beyond and Netero.
Abilities ultimately have their limits. The path to doing as one pleases seems endless.
If an elephant is killed by a swarm of ants, is that ironic?
At the very least, neither Beyond nor Netero wanted to fall in such an aggrieved manner.
No matter what, they had to lead their teams to successfully escape the underground ruins.
That's what they thought.
Now, turning to another matter.
The sudden riot of the copper mechanical lifeforms also affected Law's team not long after.
It was impossible to know exactly how many copper mechanical lifeforms were in the underground ruins. The only certainty was that there were very, very many.
Therefore, when the passageways became packed with copper mechanical lifeforms, Law's team had to make a choice.
Continue deeper into the underground ruins, or turn back to the surface?
"Forward, or back?"
Stargie's tone remained as cool as ever.
Law glanced at his teammates and read the answer from their eyes. Then, with a light laugh, he calmly said, "Forward."
Stargie gave a slight nod and began to play her harp, attacking.
Seven Verses of Rhythm, Rapid Tune!
The harp sounds suddenly sharpened into blades, splitting into dozens or even hundreds, spiraling forward and crashing into the copper mechanical lifeforms crammed in the passageway.
The sharp Nen Blades sliced all the copper mechanical lifeforms into fragments.
However, the passageway space was limited. Even though the copper mechanical lifeforms shattered and died, their remains still clogged the way, turning the passage into a dead end.
The same situation applied to the path behind the team.
Facing this result, Law patted Kuro's head and smiled, "Leave it to you."
Kuro gave a bitter smile, forced himself to work up an appetite, enlarged himself, and swallowed the wreckage of the copper mechanical lifeforms clogging the passage one by one.
He was like a diligent cleaner, swiftly clearing away the remnants of the copper mechanical lifeforms.
"Let's see what lies below."
Looking at the passage Kuro had cleared, Law took the lead at the front.
The team members followed closely behind, without a trace of nervousness.
Beyond's team and the Hunter Association's team, located deep in the ruins, were thinking of quickly returning to the surface. Meanwhile, Law's team, having entered the ruins, chose to go deeper.
Because of the Lichen and Hide-and-Seek, Law's team was brimming with confidence.
With Stargie's harp blades as the main attack and Law's White General as support, the team advanced, completely destroying all copper mechanical lifeforms blocking their path, leaving no room for them.
As they went deeper, the terrain began to change.
"Ant nest structure?" Ging speculated.
"Most likely. Who knows what considerations ancient humans had to build their homes like this."
"What if these ruins weren't built by ancient humans?" Someone raised a hypothesis.
Regarding this hypothesis, including Ging and Salin, no one could provide an answer.
Perhaps that was a possibility.
The team continued downward, further down. Along the way, the number of copper mechanical lifeforms they encountered didn't decrease but instead increased, becoming more and more numerous.
To deal with the copper mechanical lifeforms blocking their way, Stargie's Nen was rapidly depleting.
Watching Stargie's Emission-type killing power with its terrifying coverage, team members like the Skeleton Man were already numb.
So far, they still couldn't gauge Stargie's upper limit.
They only knew that the overwhelming, large-scale destruction Stargie displayed truly gave them a great sense of security.
Unlike Stargie's violent slaughter, Law's method of dealing with copper mechanical lifeforms appeared much more refined.
He initially used the White General, but later felt that was too wasteful of Nen. So he switched to a targeted kill mode, specifically converting Nen into fine needles to pierce and shatter the energy crystals of the copper mechanical lifeforms from a distance.
But that method was very taxing on mental energy.
Thus, he switched to another method… his En.
He enveloped all the copper mechanical lifeforms ahead within his En, then dismantled them one by one… an artistic way of conquering.
With two powerhouses like Stargie and Law present, even Ging didn't need to do much. He just needed to cling to their coattails and cheer them on from the sidelines.
Their high-efficiency killing allowed the team to gradually increase their pace, and the Lichen continued to be consumed.
Even though copper mechanical lifeforms came endlessly, they couldn't hinder Law's team's progress in the slightest.
Thus, Law's team headed deeper into the underground ruins. As for Beyond and Netero's teams, they were also striving to move upward.
Whether the two sides would converge was still unknown.
Moreover, each side had a dangerous presence not to be underestimated following behind.
One was the Scarecrow left behind by Law's team. The other was the Masked Man, who had obtained the [Core Energy] and was preparing to leave.
The copper mechanical lifeforms treated everyone equally, also becoming obstacles for the Scarecrow and the Masked Man.
However, their methods of dealing with the copper mechanical lifeforms were far too easy.
The copper mechanical lifeforms couldn't harm the Scarecrow, only being slaughtered by it one-sidedly.
As for the Masked Man, it was unclear what method he used, but any copper mechanical lifeforms charging towards him would automatically disassemble before they could get close.
That scene was very similar to Law using his En to dismantle copper mechanical lifeforms.
The Masked Man held the helical crystal known as [Core Energy] as if carrying a chick.
While walking briskly, the white-haired human atop the helical crystal remained motionless, like a stone sculpture.
The copper mechanical lifeforms attacking him, as if protecting a chick, were much more frenzied than their counterparts elsewhere.
It seemed the [Core Energy] in the Masked Man's hand was like the [Holy Grail] to the copper mechanical lifeforms.
Yet even so, facing the Masked Man who did as he pleased, the copper mechanical lifeforms attempting to reclaim the [Core Energy] all turned into lifeless wreckage.
"It, placed here, is a waste."
"You, just, disappear."
The Masked Man spat out a series of obscure syllables.
Behind his mask, he scanned the wreckage of copper mechanical lifeforms littering the ground with disdain.
Stepping over the wreckage, the Masked Man left the place.
His speed of advance far surpassed that of Beyond's team and the Hunter Association team.
Time passed. All parties were advancing, pushing forward at their fastest speeds.
About five hours later, the Masked Man saw flashes of golden light at the end of a passageway ahead and simultaneously sensed... fluctuations of life force.