Within the ice layer area, no wind or snow could be seen.
Outside the ice layer area, snow fell heavily, whipping with fierce winds, forming a blurred boundary.
The voice, cutting through the wind and snow, reached everyone's ears clearly.
Before the voice came, no one had noticed the arrival of its owner.
If the mushroom kid, Pekotero, with the keen ears who had been on guard duty earlier was still around, he might have noticed in advance.
Following the sound, at the edge of the ice layer area, there was only churning wind and snow.
The voice spoke in the Common Language of the Six Continents. But before seeing the newcomer clearly, they treated the owner of the voice as an enemy.
Thus, everyone present opened their Aura Nodes, maximizing Nen coverage over their bodies, ready for battle at any moment.
Within moments, a figure appeared faintly in the wind and snow. Then, a foot stepped out of the snow, planting itself on the ice layer.
Their gazes instinctively lowered, falling on that foot, then slowly rose, landing on the unknown individual whose upper body had already emerged from the blizzard.
It was a human of standard build, draped in tattered black robes.
The hood attached to the robe covered the person's head. Using some unknown method, a layer of shadow fell over the face, making the features dark and indistinct.
Only a wisp-thin layer of Nen clung to the newcomer's body, perhaps not even meeting the standard of Ten.
Normally, a Nen User's first impression of strength was based on the magnitude of Manifested Aura.
Someone with Manifested Aura as thin as this could be considered weak to the core.
Yet Beyond and his party did not think this black-robed figure was weak.
The reason was that the Nen on this person was too thin, so thin it was striking.
For a Nen User to open their Aura Nodes and fully output Nen was not particularly difficult. However, to control the Manifested Aura quantity to such an extremely low level, like this black-robed person, required very high control skills.
This approach seemed as if he was afraid of wasting even a single drop of Nen.
As if he was walking through a desert, not knowing where the next oasis was, he had to conserve every drop of water in his canteen.
"Who?"
Beyond's Aura flared fully as he barked.
The black-robed figure looked up slightly. On the shadow-covered face, a pair of orange eyes slowly revealed themselves.
"Don, Freecss."
"!!!!!"
Except for Beyond, the others all had looks of shock on their faces.
"Don Freecss? The Don Freecss who wrote the Journey to the New World?"
"How is that possible? That book was from several hundred years ago..."
"Human lifespans are not that long."
"Could it be..."
The expressions in their eyes gradually changed. They all thought of one of the known [Hopes]… the longevity food, Nitro Rice.
But this speculation was no match for a single answer from the black-robed person.
Beyond had not immediately recalled who Don Freecss was. But upon hearing his teammates mention the Journey to the New World, he instantly remembered. A strong interest immediately appeared on his face.
"You are the Don Freecss who wrote the Journey to the New World?"
Beyond's style was always direct. Instead of endless speculation, he preferred to ask directly.
"Yes."
In the end, Don Freecss answered just as directly, just as he had straightforwardly stated his name.
Hearing Don Freecss's answer, Pariston and the others felt as if they had discovered a new continent.
"Ha, I did not expect you to still be alive. Come to think of it, you only wrote half of the Journey to the New World. There is no way you would be willing to end it there."
A dazzling light shone in Beyond's eyes. As a later explorer, meeting a predecessor here was truly a wonderful experience.
Don Freecss showed little reaction. As he stepped forward, his gaze passed over Beyond and his group, falling on the book inside the icicle.
With each step he took, the aquatic creatures below the ice layer, as if frightened by something, scattered from beneath every footfall.
After Don Freecss passed, the aquatic creatures quickly gathered back, forming a dark mass.
Beyond and his party silently watched Don Freecss stride towards them. They also saw the strange fish rapidly retreating with every step Don Freecss took, then instinctively looked down at their own feet.
In the water, a pack of menacing aquatic creatures clung to the ice, watching them.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Why did Don Freecss scare away the aquatic creatures with every step, while even though they stood here, the aquatic creatures did not flee, only looked ready to devour them?
As Don Freecss walked, he suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the book inside the icicle.
"You may leave your own marks here, but it would be best not to touch it."
"Is this a warning, or a prohibition?"
"A bit of both."
Don Freecss's tone was very flat, lacking any sense of absolute finality.
In response to Don Freecss, Beyond pressed his hand against the icicle.
That gesture seemed to be declaring sovereignty to Don Freecss.
Thus, Don Freecss suddenly stopped walking and silently looked at Beyond.
"To go where no one has gone before, to see people no one has seen before, to obtain things no one has touched before, to set foot on land no one has reached before… this is the meaning of my coming to the Dark Continent."
"Therefore, I do not want to be bound by anyone, including you, Don Freecss..."
Nen began to surge from Beyond's body.
Upon seeing the book inside the icicle, he had a premonition.
As long as he obtained this book, he would surely gain many things.
That was why he had laughed so heartily before even touching the book.
No matter what, he could not let this book slip away.
Seeing Beyond released his Aura, Don Freecss's eyes remained calm. Beyond's teammates also silently controlled their Manifested Aura, coating their bodies with Ken, thus entering a combat state.
They were well aware that the person they were facing was a monster who had lived for centuries.
Even so, they did not think Beyond's choice was wrong.
In the Hunter's World, treasures always belonged to the strong.
If they backed down now, how could they continue?
At any rate, they had numbers.
This might be their only source of confidence.
"It seems you are determined to take it?"
Don Freecss's gaze remained locked on the book inside the icicle.
Even if these people were unaware of the Mender's existence, they could still recognize that the book in the icicle was a rare treasure.
But in terms of how humans from the Six Continents categorized certain existences on the Dark Continent, the Mender in the icicle was both a Hope and a Calamity.
Or perhaps the title should be corrected.
Not the Mender, but the remains of a Mender.