This was because, these things were hyper sensitive to sound and would drop extremely easily, and shatter at the bottom of the chasm alerting all ice bats.
So Roman used the same method to obtain the shells in his first adventure.
Emitting a Nen dagger attached to a string, as well as another Nen string in his other hand. He tossed both, the string connecting to an ice string. The dagger cutting it free from the ceiling. Though Roman pulled the thing attached to the knife as soon as its job was done, to not affect other ice strings.
Dissipating the emitted knife, he dragged the ice string by his Nen string. But the more he did, the more resistance he eventually felt. Until even with all his strength, it wouldn't budge.
This was bad, it meant he would have to cut the string, but that would also mean the remaining part of the string would fall down the chasm alerting the crystal bats.
But for this Roman would have to descend the chasm to cut it.
Sighing internally, he glanced at Note who didn't seem to be fazed, as if expecting this result.
Even though it was never mentioned in the information they had. This made Roman think, if it wasn't mentioned in the information Note gave him.
It meant she was withholding information or it wasn't in the one star hunter encyclopedia.
If it wasn't in the encyclopedia it meant Hunters had never done what they were doing. Or it was beyond the scope of a one star hunter and only mentioned for two or three star hunters.
The whole thing irked Roman, so he motioned for Note to approach him.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, marking her.
Roman spoke through his soul. "Don't react to my voice." Concerned she might be surprised and make a noise.
"Talk to me through your thoughts." Roman added.
"Wow! Is this your ability?" Note asked, starting to believe Romans ability had something to do with the mind.
"That's beside the point, I can't pull this string up. Any clue?" Roman asked.
Watching Note frown for a second she spoke. "Then just cut it and tie off the remaining part of the string."
This was also what Roman was thinking, so he looked at Menchi for a hand.
She was already familiar with Roman's communication ability.
"Menchi I'm going to tie you up in Nen strings, I need you to descend with your ice knife. You're going to need to cut the ice string free and attach it to the ice chasm with the cold power of your knife." Roman spoke.
Menchi nodded and Roman sent a dozen Nen treads to tie her at her waist. Lowering her down a dozen meters, talking her through the whole thing.
This was the magic of the manipulation category, it worked wonders in tandem with the emission category.
Extremely versatile.
As for the communication ability of the soul mark. It was a minor ability that Roman found useful, an extension of its suggestion power.
Communication was the cornerstone of the human race, so he made it useful with one simple condition.
Originally he could skim the thoughts of the marked person, but it was relatively useless. An ability that Roman would have to develop for it to be useful.
So Roman sacrificed its usage to streamline the mark for communication between willing participants.
Roman discovered all this when trying to study souls and his abilities.
Meanwhile Menchi within the chasm summoned her blue knife, not needing the cauldron because of the cold of the environment fueled her blade.
She grabbed the ice string, cutting one end, allowing Roman to pull it free.
While she pressed the other end against the ice wall, using the cold power of her knife to freeze the two together.
Unexpectedly the string was resistant and Menchi needed to summon her blue cauldron for stronger cold to attach the string.
Pulling Menchi back up, Note took the string and coiled it up, like a normal string, putting it into her bag.
They began to backtrack their steps, Note using her flute to freeze the bats.
Though the most difficult part was ascending the ice pillars through the chasm.
For this they couldn't jump up to most of them directly. Instead, Roman used his versatile Nen treads, lassoing each pillar and dragging everybody up.
This took a much longer time and by the time they reached the meeting point, the other three were already waiting.
Three five meter stacks of ice blocks rested beside them.
"Everything go well?" Filepe asked, unconcerned of making too much noise and alerting the bats.
He was the most experienced member of the group, and especially knowledgeable of this location. But that didn't mean he could get away with the consequences of making noise.
Actually it was an ability of his to operate in this environment so unrestricted.
"Yes, we got what we came for?" Note smiled.
Roman didn't know Filepe's ability but knew it was emission based, and had something to do with wind.
"What is that ice used for?" Roman asked as they began their journey out of the cave.
A perfectly executed mission without any hiccups. This was how things were supposed to go. Though if Roman went in alone, he would be sure to cause problems to experience and understand the exact nature of the caverns.
This made him aware that he wouldn't want to be confined to a group when adventuring. Unless the group was fine with riskier operations. Roman didn't want to just sightsee, much of what this mission felt like. Roman wanted to explore every question and mystery he found interesting, even if it was dangerous and provoking ruin.
"We are selling them at the exclusive hunter auction this time. Hunters use this ice for their unique heat resistance effect." Thain explained, apparently the business man of the group.
"Heat resistant?" Roman asked, wasn't this supposed to be ice, something cold.
"Yes this ice is special, while it's cold it's actually very resistant to heat, more so than it should. It actually doesn't even melt into water, but with enough heat it shrinks into crystals." Thain explained why it was called Ice crystal, mentioning that when it was rechilled it turned back into ice and expanded with the degree of cold.
"Also what's this hunter auction?" Roman asked.
This time Alice, carrying some excitement along with the ice. "It's an auction that happens once every five years. Hunters can only post one thing, everything gets sold and at twice the item's original value, even if nobody wants anything, the association will step in and buy everything."
Alice made the thing sound like a massive money making opportunity. Unfortunately it only occurred once every five years and everybody could only post one thing.
"How much is the ice worth?" Roman was interested, this could be very useful for Menchi, after all more resistance to temperatures and her ability would become stronger.
Chuckling for some reason Thain responded. "This isn't a big ticket item, we were hoping to sell all this ice for just twenty billion."
"Can I buy it from you guys?" Roman offered.
"Eh you want it?" Thain asked, glancing at the other two carrying ice. "Well if you have the money, sure why not?"
"Perfect! if you want you can set the ice down and Menchi can store it?" Roman asked, even though he couldn't pay them in the middle of the wilderness.
But they were friends and Roman was still here to get something from Note. That they knew, and could use it just in case Roman didn't have the money.
Seeing the three glance at each other, they silently agreed.
Setting down the ice, Alice sighed. She dreaded carrying the ice, so this unburdened her.
A second later all the ice was stored in the small blue cauldron.
Everybody exited the cavern just in time to see the sun setting, Menchi cooked dinner and the night passed.
Returning to town, Roman and the three he did business with went and found a computer in the hotel to transfer the funds.
Meanwhile, Note printed a stack of papers for Roman.
Sifting through them while enjoying another meal with everyone chatting about.
"Where is the auction by the way?" Roman asked a question to the group. Pausing his research into Nen script.
"It's at the association headquarters, we were gonna go there to submit the ice originally, but now we don't need to. There's still a couple months until the auction begins." Alice answered all of Romans questions.
Nodding alone, Roman was wondering if he should sell something. But instead he figured he'd just buy things, glancing at Menchi sucking on an ice cube.
It was the only way to consume the ice crystal, a slow but beneficial process.
Though the question still lingered in the air. What was next?
Roman knew Note was trying to collect materials for instruments. But he didn't know if her next destination was another adventure to find materials or to her Nen script friend she had mentioned to him.
That friend mentioned wasn't any of the ones he had met here.
So he wasn't sure what Note was gonna do.
Though what really mattered was what he wanted to do. Roman wanted to study these papers, but he also wanted to find new places to adventure.
But beyond that he wanted the information privy to stared hunters. It would make his adventuring ten times easier.
He contemplated just stealing Notes license, but instead decided to ask how Note got her star.
Turning to her, Roman asked. "Note how did you get your star?"
Roman already knew to become a one star hunter, you needed to make a significant contribution to a given field, any field of expertise. But Roman didn't know how significant.
Glancing at Roman with her usual smile, she didn't hold back. After all, a hunter's contributions and accomplishments were never secrets.
Note spoke with great pride. "I combined poetry with music!"