There are countless living beings in this world.
Each organism has its own unique growth rate.
Some creatures can grow into giants within a year, while others remain as larvae even after a year.
But no matter how fast or slow these beings grow, they will all eventually reach the same endpoint called 'death'.
As one of the countless living beings in this world, the Gatekeepers are no exception.
They, too, will die.
But they can live far longer than any other creature.
And with such an extended lifespan, they can hone their abilities to the level that humans could never hope to achieve.
Spudimen's ability, [Isolation], which rejects all things, is the most fitting for its identity as a Gatekeeper.
If used in combat, this ability would at least ensure absolute invincibility.
So when facing this group of insignificant ants, Spudimen never once considered the possibility of losing, or dying.
'How is it possible-'
'How could something like that ever happen?'
But this is not an illusion… It is a reality that is actually happening.
Its body had been split vertically in half, but its formidable vitality kept Spudimen from dying immediately.
Its eyes, which were still functioning biologically, were staring at Moses in disbelief.
He couldn't accept it.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand how this human had done it.
The others present also stared at Spudimen's body, which was gushing blood, and was equally baffled about how Moses had accomplished this.
'What had happened to Moses in that less-than-a-minute span?'
'How could he increase the power of his slash to another dimension?'
Moses calmly watched as the last traces of life faded from Spudimen.
The only remaining [Counterpoint Cornerstone] had originally been prepared to deal with the Calamity.
However, after successfully subduing the Guide, he had hoped to save this precious Cornerstone for another time.
But he never expected the Gatekeeper to possess such a terrifying ability.
Not only could it teleport them from a distance, but it could also manipulate dense wind blades to cover an area and wield an absolute defense that seemed to operate on the level of Rules.
So, naturally, Moses decided to use the [Counterpoint Cornerstone] against the Gatekeeper.
Therefore, under the ability of the Counterpoint Cornerstone, which can 'counteract a certain phenomenon', Moses gained the ability to 'sever space'.
While it is said to 'sever space', it is actually a conceptual ability that overrides the Rules, and it is subtly related to the ability, [Soul Echo], that he lost.
That slash just now-
It could be said to have severed space, or even severed the space that included shadows.
However, this 'passive ability' came with a limitation.
Moses could inflict substantial damage to the target by severing the shadows, but his own shadow would also become a target for attacks.
But the interesting thing is-
Moses has no shadow.
So this cost was practically negligible.
Moses remained silent, while the Gatekeeper struggled in disbelief.
The scene fell into a brief silence.
Finally,
all the life force in the Gatekeeper's body dissipated, and its body, which was split in two, finally collapsed to the ground lifelessly.
If it were given another chance to do it again, this Gatekeeper, who has guarded this place for many years, would definitely not make the decision to 'deal with these humans'.
Unfortunately, there is no ifs.
After confirming the Gatekeeper's death, Moses instructed Cheadle to organize the others and begin tending to the wounded.
"How did you do it?"
Ging came to the Gatekeeper's body and tilted his head to look at Moses.
The battle had ended far too quickly.
But everyone understood how the fight had unfolded.
Originally, there had been no possibility of breaking through the Gatekeeper's defense-
Hearing Ging's blunt question, Moses lowered his gaze to the Gatekeeper's body, pondering something, and casually replied:
"I 'edited' my Nen Ability on the spot."
"…"
Ging was slightly startled when he heard this.
Editing a Nen Ability-
That was one of the most fascinating aspects of his Nen Ability, [Ready Player One].
But editing an ability on the spot are easier said than done.
But since the one saying this was Moses, Ging didn't doubt it for a second.
After all, he had personally witnessed Moses's Ability to edit his Nen Ability on the spot during their battle.
"Impressive."
After a few seconds of silence, Ging sincerely praised without pressing further about the potential costs Moses might have incurred.
Moses smiled faintly and continued staring at the Gatekeeper's corpse.
He was contemplating-
Whether or not to use the [Chimera Gene] ability on the Gatekeeper.
There was a chance the conditions wouldn't be met, but also a possibility he could successfully extract the Gatekeeper's genetic abilities.
Moses hesitated.
Even if he decided to assimilate the Gatekeeper's genes, he couldn't do it in front of everyone.
'No rush. I'll wait until Cheadle and the others finish their work first.'
Moses suppressed his thoughts for now.
This battle had been sudden, and the casualties were quite heavy. They would likely need at least a day before setting out again.
Moreover, they had to figure out their current location and the whereabouts of the Purple Smoke.
Without the Purple Smoke, it would be difficult for them to cross the Uncharted Waters, let alone returning to the Six Continents.
Moses wasn't the only one thinking this, as Morel and the others shared the same concern.
When the Gatekeeper had forcibly teleported them here, the Purple Smoke hadn't been brought along.
From this point of view, the teleportation ability likely only worked on living beings.
Now, the question is-
How could they retrieve the Purple Smoke?
This problem alone was enough to make Morel and the others feel very troubled.
Only Moses remained completely unfazed.
Before setting out for the Dark Continent, he had already prepared a contingency plan. As long as they had crossed the Dark Waters, he would not have to worry about not being able to go back.
So, compared to the journey back, he was more concerned about the number of Gatekeepers.
'We can't rule out the possibility of a second Gatekeeper here. In any case… once the wounded are treated, we should leave this place as soon as possible.'
Moses's gaze shifted away from the Gatekeeper's body and turned to look at the surrounding environment.
The area was a barren wasteland, devoid of any greenery, stretching endlessly with no landmarks in sight.
Without clear reference points or structures like city walls, it was hard to determine whether this was the same continent they had initially arrived at to meet the Gatekeeper.
If there was any similarity-
When the Gatekeeper had opened the gate back then, the environment inside had looked just as desolate and lifeless as this place.
…
That night.
The team decided to rest for a day.
The Gatekeeper's wind-trap had reduced Beyond's team to only nine members, while Moses' side had also lost two professionals-
They are Nono, who is in charge of logistics and transportation, and Karura, who has rich knowledge of magical beasts.
In addition, more than half of the team were injured.
Aside from Moses and a few others, most had sustained varying degrees of wounds.
Take Ponzu and the other members with weaker defensive capabilities, for example, each of them was seriously injured.
Fortunately, the team's medical capabilities were exceptional, so they were pulled back from the brink of death.
There was no time to mourn the dead. After stabilizing the wounded, Cheadle, under Moses' instruction, convened a meeting to discuss their next steps.
Moses did not participate in the meeting but went to the place where the Gatekeeper's body was stored.
After much deliberation, he decided to use the Chimera Gene on the Gatekeeper.