Ever since encountering information about large-scale ancient relics, Law had thought about how great it would be to get one.
That way, even if they traveled by air, they would not have to take on so much risk. Otherwise, like now, if a giant creature suddenly appeared ahead, they in the air would have no choice but to retreat immediately.
If they had to fight an aerial battle, among everyone, only Law could protect himself. The others, restricted by the environment, would struggle to even defend themselves.
Kuro, in his black panther form, stood on the Nen Mass released by Law, while Law and the others stood on Kuro's back, quietly watching Coo heading towards Ginhanabi.
The timing of Coo's proposal to handle the matter was exactly when Law was about to have Kuro retreat.
Now that Coo was heading towards Ginhanabi, there was no need for Kuro to move back. Regardless of the outcome, it was impossible for Law to confront the Gatekeeper Clan's Ginhanabi head-on here.
If Coo could not resolve it, Law would immediately bring his teammates back to the ground and make other plans.
On her way towards Ginhanabi, Coo had already made herself larger than Kuro.
Meanwhile, the airborne Ginhanabi slowed down and adjusted its tilted posture, slowly making the trunk stand upright in the air.
The roots spread out at the base of the trunk, like the tentacles of a jellyfish, eye-catching with their combination of flames and steam.
Moments later, Ginhanabi stood completely upright in the air, hovering in place with an up-and-down floating motion.
Ginhanabi stopped, but Coo did not. She continued straight towards it. One of Red Shadow's goals in activating Ginhanabi, even at the cost of destroying their own settlement, was to rescue Coo, the clan's strongest combatant.
On the other hand, he also intended to burn their bridges and charge ahead recklessly.
The interior of Ginhanabi was not completely hollow, so the internal space was not as spacious as one might imagine, probably also related to the relic's own mechanism. The temperature inside was like a furnace, stiflingly hot.
This environment was difficult for humans to endure. However, the Gatekeeper Clan's Magical Beast constitution allowed them to withstand the high temperatures emitted by Ginhanabi.
Compared to the Humanoids' black disc, the interior of Ginhanabi had no sense of technology. It was like carving an inner cavity out of a normal tree.
Not only was the space limited, but the view outside was also quite restricted, unlike the black disc, which could monitor the entire external situation through some ability.
In fact, Ginhanabi could not only fly but also dash across land.
Inside Ginhanabi, through the crimson cracks, Red Shadow and the other Magical Beasts could see Coo, but they also saw Law and his group.
Given the current situation, they could only be utterly confused. They might have imagined many possible scenarios, but not this one in front of them.
But regardless of what unexpected turns lay within, Red Shadow was willing to risk accepting this strange situation.
Soon, Coo reached Ginhanabi. Her giant body suddenly turned into a mass of dark smoke, then shrunk like a whale drawing water, and passed through the crimson cracks on the trunk of Ginhanabi, entering the interior space.
As the most senior member of the Gatekeeper Clan, she was familiar with the interior of Ginhanabi. Without wasting much time going the wrong way, she arrived at the main control room where Red Shadow and the other Magical Beasts were.
It was a flat room without any equipment. Overall, it was very monotonous, with only a platform covered in roots. Every root glowed with silver light and flames, illuminating the entire room.
The Mender's corpse, namely the Book of Truth, was placed on the platform, and the roots extending from the shadows quietly wrapped around it.
Red Shadow stood with his back to the Book of Truth, looking at Coo walking in through the room's entrance.
The other members of the Gatekeeper Clan stood scattered on both sides, numbering less than a hundred. This number of members was not good for a race. But it could not be helped.
Although the Gatekeeper Clan could live forever, they could not reproduce to grow their race. Coupled with the reform that required bloodshed, their numbers had sharply decreased.
If this continued, the Gatekeeper Clan, unable to continue their bloodline, would eventually face extinction.
Therefore, Red Shadow wanted to change the current situation. Rather than a slow death, it was better to take a gamble. Death was inevitable anyway... gambling offered a chance for change.
The many Magical Beasts watched Coo walk in. No one spoke. The room was silent.
Coo stopped in the center of the room. In her smoky form, she floated in the air, revealing a single vertical pupil.
She looked at the Book of Truth tightly wrapped in roots, then at Red Shadow and the other clan members. A complex expression showed in her eyes.
"I have established a cooperative relationship... with that group of humans."
After a moment, Coo did not beat around the bush and directly dropped a bombshell in the room.
Many Magical Beasts changed color, unable to digest Coo's words. Red Shadow, especially, looked extremely grim.
'So that was it. No wonder Coo had appeared this way.' But he really could not understand why Coo had aligned herself with that group of humans.
"Why?"
Red Shadow's tone was somewhat cold.
"Among them, there is a Nen Beast called Kuro." Coo paused here, then said calmly, "That Nen Beast can make me pregnant."
Something usually considered private, Coo stated without changing her expression.
'Impregnating Coo?' Hearing this news, the Magical Beasts present were inevitably shocked. The first thing that came to their minds, naturally, was not that Coo and Kuro had mated, but that this Nen Beast called Kuro could actually make Coo pregnant?
Among all the Magical Beasts, only Red Shadow quickly calmed down. His gaze shifted slightly downward, landing on Coo's smoky body, his eyes sharp. "There is no other life force inside your body."
"Because my child was taken by the Mender. That is also why I am cooperating with that group of humans."
"What?"
Red Shadow was surprised again, 'How did the Mender get involved?'
Currently, the Mender was the last thing he wanted to face, because the time was not right. Coo did not want to waste too much time, so she succinctly explained her experiences after being captured.
After listening to Coo's explanation, Red Shadow's eyes gleamed with a strange light.
According to Coo, the importance of Kuro went without saying. Thinking this, Red Shadow glanced imperceptibly at the female members of the clan.
With the superior constitution of the Magical Beast race, bearing children would take at most two months. In just a few years, the clan's numbers could surge dramatically.
"As long as we can control that human!"
Red Shadow emitted a sharp Aura.
"You can't."
Coo immediately poured cold water on him.
'How strong was that human? Hadn't he considered his own limitations?'
She did not utter such devastating words. Moreover, through their many contacts, the clan members already had a deep understanding of this situation.
Even the proudest Magical Beast present could not refute Coo's words. That human named Law was indeed so strong that it was far beyond what they could ever imagine.