Once they passed through the new ruins, they started to suspect that the so called "Cave of Death Aura" might be connected to the Dark Continent.
But just like before, the entire team they sent vanished.
Even elite fighters with A-rank strength disappeared without a trace.
After that, V5 declared the place highly dangerous and sealed it off. Only a handful of people have ever been allowed in since.
Ging had been allowed to participate in the exploration because of his status, which wasn't low to begin with, and Pyon, being one of the Zodiacs, had clearance as well. But for someone like Ging, permission was more of a formality if he really wanted to go in, no one could stop him anyway.
Once Ging learned that the V5's efforts to uncover the cave's secrets had all ended in failure despite their many attempts, his curiosity only grew stronger. A place that dangerous had to be connected to the Dark Continent.
As they talked, the three of them arrived at the defense line set up by V5, a sign that they were already close to their destination.
At the checkpoint, a man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses looked over the three of them. After confirming their identities, especially Ging, whom they'd already been informed about he waved them through without issue.
Once they were past the checkpoint, Ging walked slightly ahead of the group and remarked with a knowing tone, "Looks like the higher-ups are taking this place pretty seriously."
"Yeah, that guy in the suit wasn't bad," Pyon replied, recalling the man with a faint smile. His pink hoodie with the bunny print gave him a playful appearance, but he was clearly paying attention.
"That's just what you see on the surface," Larry said, glancing toward the forest nearby without moving his head. "There are others hidden out there, watching."
Unlike Pyon, Larry had sharper senses, he could pick up on things easily overlooked. A quick scan was all he needed.
"Four more," he added casually.
"You're right," Ging nodded, continuing forward without missing a step.
Not long after passing the checkpoint, they reached the cave itself. It was carved naturally into a stone cliffside, and despite how massive it was, the cave didn't look out of place at all, it seemed to belong there.
A thin, translucent film covered the entrance like a veil, keeping the inside completely sealed off from the outside world.
Through the film, the three of them could clearly see the thick, churning death aura within. The malevolent energy swirled and twisted, almost alive, as if trying to claw its way out. Just watching it made the air feel colder.
Pyon's eyes widened in shock at the intensity of it. The sheer volume of death aura was overwhelming.
Larry stayed quiet, comparing it silently to what he had seen back in the Solvren Ruins. The result was clear, this place was far worse.
The death aura here was heavier, darker, and far more violent. That also meant there was more potential experience here for Gengar.
Another thought formed in Larry's mind. If he released the Mega Sableye, could it absorb these thoughts of death too? He'd have to test it.
Ging glanced at the two of them, who were staring into the cave without saying a word. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then reached into his robe again and pulled something out.
This time it wasn't a banana, it was two apples. He held them out, grinning. "Want one? They're good."
Just like before, both Larry and Pyon politely declined.
It wasn't that they didn't trust him, or thought he was trying to do anything shady. The main problem was his habit of pulling food out from inside his clothes, it killed any appetite they might've had.
"You got anything else in there?" Larry teased, smirking. He was in a good mood and wanted to see what else Ging could pull out.
"Plenty," Ging replied confidently. "I've got all kinds of fruit."
Right after saying that, he reached back into his robe and rummaged around before triumphantly pulling out an orange.
But Ging wasn't done yet. After the orange, he casually pulled out grapes, pears, peaches, practically a full fruit basket.
"Well? Just tell me which one you want," he said cheerfully, holding them out like a merchant at a market stall.
Larry narrowed his eyes and focused on Ging's robe. Could it be hiding some kind of four-dimensional storage?
"I'm not interested in eating right now," he replied, voice calm. "But I am interested in how you pulled all that out."
"Is it a space-based Nen technique?" Larry asked, his curiosity clearly piqued. He had already suspected something was off when Ging started casually producing fruit like a magician.
Ging chuckled and finally pulled out the source of the mystery, a small brown cloth bag that looked completely ordinary.
"This little thing's a rare artifact I picked up during a mission. It's Nen imbued nothing fancy at first glance, but it can store a ridiculous amount of stuff," he explained. "The only downside is that it constantly drains a bit of aura to stay active."
As he spoke, he demonstrated by placing all the fruits back into the bag. The narrow opening expanded unnaturally as each item touched it, sucking them in like the bag itself was alive.
It was clearly useful, but Larry mentally compared it to Gengar's internal space. That one worked more like a personal En-based pocket dimension, completely separate from material constraints and, more importantly, didn't sap his aura at all.
In the world of Hunters, tools like this were often categorized as Nen enhanced artifacts either created by powerful Nen users or naturally saturated with aura over time.
Some originated from places like Greed Island or the Dark Continent, and while their abilities could be incredible, they often came with a cost: aura drain, strict conditions, or even unknown side effects.
"Alright," Ging said, his tone shifting as he tucked the cloth bag away. The smile faded from his face, replaced by a rare seriousness. "Now that you've seen the death aura for yourself, Larry, how confident are you in dealing with it?"
Larry didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I can give it a shot."
As he spoke, a flash of white light shimmered beside him, and an elegant figure appeared. Gardevoir. She floated gently above the ground, her presence serene yet powerful.
At the same time, from the shadow beneath Larry's feet, a dark mist swirled upward, revealing the grinning face of Gengar, eyes gleaming with mischief. He had been hiding in Larry's shadow the whole time.
Ging raised his brows, eyeing the two spirit beasts. "Two? Interesting."
Without a word, Gardevoir lifted one delicate hand. Three translucent spheres emerged and floated gently over to surround each of them.