As far as the eye could see, the Wall stretched to the ends of the horizon like the spine of the World Serpent.
However, this magnificent spine was now severely damaged.
Breaches were visible everywhere, and the ancient spells on the wall, which resembled Divine Script, were shattered into pieces.
The group stood at the foot of the Wall, their expressions varied.
Their mission was to investigate the Wall's condition.
If circumstances allowed, they were naturally to find a way to repair it.
But as things stood, repairing the Wall seemed nearly impossible.
Morrow walked to the base of the Wall and looked up, gazing at the intersecting spells on its surface.
Ging came to his side and mused, "The key probably isn't repairing the wall itself, but these spells."
"Mmm."
Morrow, who was well-versed in Divine Script, had realized this as well.
If they wanted the Wall to truly function as a "Boundary," its thickness and height alone would never be enough to stop the creatures or calamities of the Dark Continent.
To put it another way, for creatures that could fly, wouldn't it be simple to cross the Wall?
But the fact was, before this, such flying creatures had rarely invaded the six continents.
This showed that what truly established the Boundary's effect was not the Wall itself, but the ancient spells carved upon it.
A brief observation was all it took to notice that the breaches in the Wall had almost all precisely destroyed the core structures of the spells.
It was like a blade had struck the spine, completely nullifying the spells' effects.
"These spells, compared to Divine Script, still have some differences."
Morrow's gaze swept over the broken spells. "We know nothing about them. Even if we wanted to repair them, we wouldn't know where to start."
"Indeed."
Ging was also carefully studying the damaged spells on the wall.
Although their structure bore some resemblance to Divine Script, they were fundamentally a completely different system.
In a completely unfamiliar domain, with only their abilities and knowledge, even taking the first step was extremely difficult, let alone a complete restoration.
"If we find the Gatekeeper, we might be able to sort things out."
Ging turned to look at the gaps in the Wall.
Morrow nodded at his words. "Let's find the Gatekeeper first."
With that, the group began to discuss the matter.
Although Cheadle was the leader of the Hunter Association, she was a reasonable person and had completely handed over leadership of this operation to Morrow and Ging. All opinions and decisions were deferred to the two of them.
As for the elite team sent by the International Permit Agencies, they treated the members of the Hunter Association with a condescending attitude, both in status and ability.
It was an arrogance born from their background and the system they belonged to.
But the power Morrow had displayed when he dealt with the Death God, and the scene where he casually killed that ridiculously colossal creature before setting off for the Dark Continent...
It had undoubtedly made this group of self-important elites from the International Permit Agencies completely sheathe their claws, turning them into a bunch of obedient little babies.
At least in front of Morrow, they lowered their posture to the dust.
This wasn't just a matter of admiring the strong.
One could only say that Morrow's presence now was equivalent to that of a god in the mortal world.
So, under Morrow and Ging's decision, the team didn't even rest and set off immediately to find the Gatekeeper.
The Wall was now severely damaged, with breaches everywhere.
This meant that colossal creatures like the one Morrow had dealt with could break into the six continents from the Dark Continent again at any moment.
New calamities would also follow one after another.
For humanity, this was undoubtedly the worst possible news.
Because of this, the mission their team shouldered was a race against time.
Putting aside whether they could repair the Wall later, just based on the current situation, every second they delayed, the six continents could face another difficult calamity.
The team traveled along the Wall for a day.
—--
Perhaps the Luck brought by the Entropy Bird was beginning to manifest, for after searching for a day and a night, they finally found a Gatekeeper.
The being belonged to the Magical Beast race, its form combining features of both humans and other creatures.
Under the influence of its bloodline, these traits were integrated in an exceptionally harmonious way.
The Gatekeeper the team found was petite, with deer antlers on her head. Half of her face was covered by a bone mask, and she wore foreign-style clothing, with parts of her fur-covered body exposed to the air.
She appeared to be a little girl.
Upon sensing Morrow's party, she immediately turned and fled in a panic.
But how could her speed possibly match Morrow's teleportation?
In just a moment, Morrow had restrained her.
"Let go of me!"
The little antlered girl was pinned to the ground by Morrow and began to struggle desperately.
Although her aura output level far surpassed that of top-tier humans, she still seemed powerless under the suppression of Morrow's even more terrifying aura.
All resistance was futile.
Morrow took out the Bru Tribe remains, forcibly constructing a bridge for conscious connection. "I'm not going to hurt you. Calm down."
"Eh?"
The little antlered girl's movements froze, a look of astonishment flashing in her eyes, but in the next second, she struggled even more fiercely.
How could she possibly believe the one-sided words of a human?
In the perception of the Gatekeepers, humans were mostly rude and boorish creatures, filled with ugly desires and base natures.
If not for the fact that the Pillars of Creation ecosystem needed humanity's unique imagination, humans would not deserve protection based on these flaws alone.
Right now, she only wanted to break free from Morrow's grasp.
And after realizing that he could communicate directly with her consciousness, she didn't dare say another word. She just clenched her jaw and used all her strength to try and escape.
Seeing her react so violently, Morrow could only try to persuade her with a gentle attitude.
However, it was completely useless.
This little girl from the Magical Beast race had an exaggerated level of vigilance and defensiveness towards humans.
If Horse Saccho of the Zodiac Twelve were still here, he could have used his Nen to sever the little girl's defensive mentality.
Without a relevant Nen ability now, they could only rely on brute force to make the little girl calm down.
"Move again, and I'll kill you."
Seeing that persuasion was ineffective, Morrow's eyes turned cold, and an indescribably terrifying bloodlust erupted from his body.
The Nen users from the International Permit Agencies and the members of the Hunter Association participating in the operation, who were not far away, were inevitably shaken to their core by this aura.
Due to the mental shock, the state of their aura output even began to fall into disarray.
"Too terrifying... Is he even human?"
Everyone was profoundly shaken.
The eruption of this bloodlust-filled aura showed them a completely different side of Morrow.
No wonder...
In the days they had spent together, although Morrow possessed god-like, transcendent strength, his dealings with people had mostly given off a gentle impression.
So much so that when they felt such a horrifying aura now, the images of his faint smile in their minds instantly shattered into nothingness.
The little girl from the Magical Beast race, who bore the brunt of it, froze instantly and became quiet.
This was because her strong survival instinct had been completely triggered under the crushing pressure of this bloodlust.
As a member of the Magical Beast race, a Gatekeeper's instincts were, in most cases, stronger than their reason.
"Now, are you willing to listen to me?"
Morrow, of course, had no intention of harming this little girl from the Magical Beast race, but that didn't stop him from using intimidation.
The little girl nodded timidly. "As... as long as you don't kill me..."
"Then, I'll ask, you'll answer."
"O-Okay."
"What happened to the Wall?"
"It was you humans... no, that's not right."
She shook her head, correcting herself in time. "There was a calamity that used humans as a medium to unleash its ability. It not only destroyed the Wall but also killed many of my kin."
"Can the Wall be repaired?"
Morrow was neither concerned with the losses the Gatekeepers had suffered nor did he intend to ask for details about the calamity. He roughly understood this was the work of the Death God, so he cut straight to the most critical question.
The little girl from the Magical Beast race shook her head again. "No. The Land of Walls was built in ancient times, and the relevant techniques have long been lost. Because there's no possibility of repair, my race... is now considering abandoning our oath and no longer undertaking the duty of guarding the Wall."
"What are you hiding?"
Morrow pointed it out directly, because in the space of conscious communication, even the slightest emotional fluctuation could not be concealed.
The little girl from the Magical Beast race was not as simple and naive as she appeared on the surface. Just hearing Morrow say this, she immediately understood the nature of this communication ability.
In that case, trying to hide important information from this human was basically impossible.
Realizing this, and considering her own survival, the little girl from the Magical Beast race dared not act recklessly anymore.
"Actually... it's because we've lost the protection of the Mobius Snake Incantation that my race is powerless to defend the Land of Walls. If we continue to hold on, it will only lead my race to extinction."
The little girl from the Magical Beast race revealed the most fundamental reason why the Gatekeepers wanted to abandon their oath.
Guarding this place certainly brought benefits to the Gatekeeper race.
But if it meant sacrificing the future of the entire race, the cost was too high.
So, in the face of their own survival, so-called oaths and duties naturally seemed insignificant.
In fact, after suffering huge losses, the Gatekeepers had tried to continue holding their ground.
But the price was more and more of their kin dying in attacks from calamities and bizarre creatures.
Morrow could feel the helplessness of the little girl from the Magical Beast race through the bridge of consciousness.
This also made him basically certain that what the little girl said about the Wall being irreparable was likely true.
Despite this, a glimmer of hope still remained in Morrow's heart.
"The Wall... is there really no way to repair it?"
Morrow asked through the bridge of consciousness in an exceptionally solemn tone, "Even if there's just a slight possibility, we humans are willing to do our best to help."
"It's true. If it could be fixed, my kin wouldn't have..."
The little girl's words revealed deep sorrow. She didn't continue, but this emotion itself was enough to explain everything.
"It's very unsafe here."
She paused, then warned, "You'd better leave as soon as possible."
During their exchange, she had already sensed through the bridge of consciousness that Morrow truly had no intention of harming her, which was why she took the initiative to warn him.
Morrow didn't pay much attention to the little girl's warning and just kept asking about the Land of Walls.
With her life in Morrow's hands, and since the Land of Walls had already lost its purpose, the little girl from the Magical Beast race answered all his questions without reservation.
From her answers, Morrow further confirmed that the Wall was indeed the key to preventing calamities and creatures from invading the six continents.
But now that it couldn't be repaired, it was no different from a decoration.
Having obtained the information he wanted, Morrow put away the Bru Tribe remains, ending the exchange.
"You can go."
Tucking the Bru Tribe remains into the Wolf Spirit Space, Morrow waved his hand at the little Gatekeeper girl before him.
The little girl from the Magical Beast race understood the meaning of the wave. She looked at Morrow hesitantly, then at the others around them.
Then, she turned and left.
However, even with her back to Morrow and the others, she remained highly vigilant, looking back from time to time.
Morrow saw this but had no reaction, simply watching the little girl leave.
Ging walked over and asked, "How did it go?"
"The Wall can indeed block calamities and bizarre creatures, but it's severely damaged now. The Gatekeeper race can't repair it either, so they're preparing to abandon this place."
Morrow sighed softly.
If even the Gatekeepers who had guarded this place for generations were helpless to repair the Wall, what chance did they, as humans, have?
Hearing Morrow's words, the expressions of everyone present grew grim.
If the Wall couldn't be repaired, the six continents where humanity resided would face constant invasions and attacks.
Morrow looked at the heavy expressions on everyone's faces and said, "Even if there's only a sliver of hope, we must do our best to fight for it. But given the current situation, let's prepare for the worst."
"..."
Everyone couldn't help but fall into a deathly silence.
Prepare for the worst...
It should be said that from this moment on, they had to start thinking about a way out for humanity.
In this pin-drop silence, a terrified scream suddenly came from the direction the little girl had gone.
The scream broke the silence.
Everyone looked towards the sound and saw the little girl who had just left running frantically towards them.
Behind her, a bizarrely shaped creature was in hot pursuit.
The creature had a body like a spider, with ten long, sharp limbs. As its tips touched the ground while it walked, it left a series of small holes.
On the back of its spider-like torso, however, it carried a clock made of antique bronze.
The clock continuously rotated as the creature moved, its edges emitting a hazy glow.
Within the glow, illusory, mirage-like scenes faintly appeared.
The Clock Spider was chasing the little girl from the Magical Beast race. From within the hazy glow, Spider silk was gathering, ready to strike.
But suddenly, the creature seemed to sense the threatening aura emanating from Morrow.
So much so that after locking onto the little girl, it changed its target without any warning.
Swoosh!
A large amount of Spider silk shot out from the glow at the clock's edge, flying straight past the little girl from the Magical Beast race and lunging directly at Morrow.
This sudden attack made everyone present instantly enter a combat stance.
Morrow, however, flashed out of the way. While dodging the Spider silk, he decisively teleported to the Clock Spider's side.
Just as he was about to strike and finish off this monster, his Guardian Spirit Beast, the Wolf Spirit, suddenly moved.
Sensing the Wolf Spirit's intention, Morrow unhesitatingly withdrew his hand.
He knew the Wolf Spirit had "sniffed out" its prey.
This meant that the strange creature before him was related to Nen space and Post-Mortem Nen.
The next moment, the Wolf Spirit opened its mouth and swallowed the Clock Spider whole.
The area of the Nen space inside it expanded noticeably once again.
And the little girl from the Magical Beast race, who had been fleeing for her life, witnessed this scene and was left utterly dumbfounded, as if she had seen something unbelievable.
"Are you really... human!?"
(Translated by yourtl.app)