Originally, the population density of the bronze mechanical lifeforms had indeed decreased significantly, but it wasn't to the point where you couldn't see a single one.
Perhaps that Aura had driven the bronze mechanical lifeforms from the negative first floor down to the negative second floor.
Now, with the ruins lacking their Core Energy, they could no longer continuously produce bronze mechanical lifeforms.
In other words, previously the ruins were a dangerous area, but now, without the Core Energy, they had become a tourist attraction.
That was a very apt metaphor.
However, the exploitable value remaining in the ruins was limited, which was why Law and his group had given up on the idea of turning the ruins inside out.
The two walked side by side, unimpeded, encountering no bronze mechanical lifeforms.
Thus, they headed at great speed towards the location of the Aura.
Without obstacles, Law and Ging's travel efficiency was astonishingly high. Added to this, the layout of the ruins' negative first floor was straightforward, which did not hinder the speed enhanced by their Nen.
In less than ten minutes, they felt the Aura was very close.
Therefore, for safety, they slowed their pace.
Even so, it was a speed difficult for ordinary people to perceive.
They finally arrived nearby. Up close, the deterrent power of that Aura was even greater.
"Not easy to mess with," Ging said, moving along the wall, his tone slightly grave.
Feeling the oppressive force of that Aura up close, it was the most formidable existence he had ever encountered.
"No kidding."
Law directly retorted.
That fact had been known before they came.
Ging didn't mind and suggested seriously, "Then we better be ready to run at a moment's notice."
He's like a child ringing a doorbell at night, ready to bolt before pressing it.
"Yes."
Law looked ahead.
Hearing their exchange, Kuro resisted the urge to punch them both.
They turned a corner and reached a fork in the path.
They didn't need to hesitate, choosing the right path because the Aura was coming from that direction.
Standing at the fork, Law said, "Kuro, your turn."
Kuro sighed inwardly in resignation and obediently transformed into smoke, scouting ahead.
If the deterrent power of that Aura had greatly affected Law and Ging, how much more so for him?
Honestly, he was terrified.
Even if he could be resurrected by Law after death, the strength he had accumulated so far would vanish like smoke, and there was also the threat from that guy Hakuro.
But he had no choice but to accept his fate.
The black smoke passed through the forked passage, merging with the darkness.
There was no light in the passage, but at the far end ahead, there was a faint white glow.
Soon, the smoke-form Kuro passed through the passage, and the scene before him was a pitted, chaotic place.
Light filtered in through the gaps in the architecture above, falling to the ground, creating dappled light sources.
At that moment, blood flowed over those light sources, converging into small rivers.
In the corners of the walls, and right in the middle of the passage, one or two corpses could be seen.
Kuro's gaze quickly skimmed over these, landing on a dark figure in the distance.
"So that's the guy...!"
Looking at that figure shrouded in a terrifying Aura, the silver eyes within the black smoke were filled with fear and gravity.
He had no mind to remark on how similar this creature looked to his own leopard form, nor did he have time to examine the scene closely. He decisively turned and slipped away.
Truly terrifying, like a god of death.
Kuro's mind churned with the Aura emitted by that figure. He dared to wager that the number of lives that creature had taken was simply incalculable!
Soon, Kuro returned to Law's side and reported what he had seen.
"I'm serious, we shouldn't provoke her. I can feel it, the number of lives that creature has killed must be countless!"
Kuro made a final desperate attempt, hoping Law and Ging would decisively give up.
But Law and Ging clearly had no intention of stopping here.
The bodies lying on the ground were either from the Hunter Association or Beyond's side.
If anything, it was Kuro's fault for fleeing too hastily and not looking more carefully before returning.
"Don't worry, we know what we're doing." Law waved the back of his hand at Kuro.
Kuro sighed and transformed into black smoke, burrowing back into the back of Law's hand.
Then, Law and Ging entered the passage.
After walking only a short distance, they could smell the faint scent of blood in the air.
Having already received the relevant information from Kuro, neither was surprised.
Both closed their Aura Nodes and moved cautiously, ensuring they made the least noise possible.
Soon, they reached the passage entrance, their figures hidden in the darkness, quietly observing the situation outside.
What they saw was what Kuro had just described.
However, they gathered more information.
The bodies on the ground belonged to both Hunter Association's members and Beyond's team members.
Further away...
Law and Ging simultaneously released their Nen, focusing it on their eyes.
"Hmm?"
Both their expressions changed.
'Beyond's team and the Hunter Association's team had actually been forced to huddle together, all just to resist that leopard-like creature?'
'Moreover, Netero was nowhere to be seen, and both teams had suffered significant casualties.'
'Had the corpses on the ground all been killed by that creature?'
'Or had the Hunter Association and Beyond's team been fighting here when that creature suddenly inserted itself into the fray?'
Regardless of the possibility, there seemed little point in dwelling on it now.
"Cheadle, Morel, Menchi, Dafifi, Ginta..."
Law's gaze swept over the Hunter Association's members dodging attacks, and his brow furrowed.
Netero wasn't there, and their numbers had dwindled to fewer than ten.
Beyond's side also looked quite battered.
According to Netero's information, Beyond's team should have been an elite force of twenty. Now, fewer than ten remained.
Finally, Law and Ging's gazes converged on that figure.
It was a creature very similar to Kuro's leopard form. The difference was that it had many silver spikes on its ears and back, and it was these spikes that had trapped the members of both Beyond's team and the Hunter Association's team here.
Just from the scene, the two teams, forced to huddle together, were still being completely dominated and unable to fight back.
Visually, that leopard-like creature did display extremely formidable strength.
But, strong as it was, given the level of lethality it was currently showing, it shouldn't have been enough to kill so many expert Nen Users, right?
Law had this doubt because he hadn't witnessed Coo's special skill with his own eyes.
Based solely on his first visual impression, the sense of threat Coo gave him wasn't as high.
But if he only focused on feeling Coo's Aura, it remained that extreme sense of threat.
Not only had Law's assessment changed, but Ging, having seen Coo engaging the two teams, found that his initial judgment based on her Aura had not changed at all.
The two didn't rush to render assistance. Instead, they calmly observed the battle circle to roughly gauge Coo's strength.
But they had to use Gyo on their eyes to see the situation clearly. And because of Gyo, Coo sensed their arrival.
Inside the battle circle, Coo suddenly stopped, ignoring the threats from all the Nen Users before her, and simply turned her head, looking at Law and Ging hidden in the darkness.
"Hmm?"
Her vertical eyes glowed slightly, piercing the darkness to clearly see the features of Law and Ging.
'Found you...'
'Hmm? Another human...'
A flicker of confusion appeared in Coo's eyes.