"Beep! Beep!"
The smartwatch on Hisoka's wrist emitted a series of sharp pings. His watch was linked directly to his laptop, and with a quick press of the screen-toggle button, a green radar grid flickered to life on the display.
According to the data transmitted by the tracking chip, the red dot representing the giant Rhydon had begun to move. Its trajectory was aimed straight for the cave where Hisoka currently stood.
The giant beast was heading home. He had to move faster.
Hisoka stared at the iridescent orb embedded in the rock wall. He couldn't let this go; he had a gut feeling that this was an incredible treasure. Unfortunately, his computer lacked an internet connection, leaving him unable to search for the answers he needed.
Hisoka gently patted Lulu's small head, pulling her out of her trance. "Lulu," he asked softly, "can you feel anything coming from this Key Stone?"
"Mhm! Mm-hmm!" Lulu nodded vigorously, her small hand pointing excitedly at the orb on the wall. "Lulu can feel a very strange energy inside that bead. I can't describe what kind of energy it is, but it's very powerful... just like the sun. It's full of life..."
"Weavile Weavile"
Standing beside them, Weavile also nodded repeatedly. She, too, could sense a remarkably comfortable aura emanating from the stone.
Hearing Lulu's description, Hisoka felt more certain. This Key Stone was undoubtedly a powerful held item, and the energy contained within was substantial. Even though Lulu and the others were at least three or four meters away, they were still being affected by the energy radiation the orb emitted.
"Lulu, can you use your Confusion to pull this stone out of the cliffside?"
"Lulu can try!"
Lulu nodded and stepped forward. She opened her hands, the blue light in her eyes fading as the air around her suddenly grew heavy. Invisible waves of Confusion, controlled by Lulu's mental power, slowly approached the Key Stone.
Lulu didn't dare use too much force at once. She didn't know how fragile the stone was, and if she accidentally shattered it by pulling too hard, Hisoka would definitely be unhappy.
As she felt her mental energy wrap around the orb, a shallow smile played across Lulu's lips. She was just about to wrench the stone from the rock when... a sudden, inexplicable repulsive force exploded from the Key Stone!
The Confusion was instantly shattered. The rejection was so violent it created a momentary magnetic storm, blowing the caught-off-guard Hisoka and Weavile backward against the far cave wall.
"Cough, cough..." Hisoka clutched his lower back as he stood up. That hit had been anything but light.
"Lulu, Weavile, are you two okay?" He helped Lulu up and glanced at Weavile, who had already performed a quick kip-up to get back on her feet.
"Lulu is fine!"
"Weavile..." Weavile shook her head to indicate she was unharmed.
Looking back, the previously quiet Key Stone was now radiating a brilliant, scorching light. The iridescent halo inside the bead had vanished, replaced by a glow as intense as sunlight.
For a moment, the dim cave was illuminated as bright as high noon!
"What on earth is going on?" Hisoka whispered, though there was no one to answer him.
The blinding daylight lasted for a full two minutes before fading into tranquility. The orb returned to its original state, with the rainbow halo reappearing inside the transparent sphere.
Hisoka pondered for a moment before considering a possibility. He turned to the somewhat self-reproachful Lulu and said, "Lulu, try touching the stone with Confusion again. Just a tiny bit this time."
"Mhm!"
Lulu gave a quiet response and raised her hands once more. The invisible mental force spread through the air, nearing the Key Stone again.
Learning from the previous disaster, Hisoka was fully prepared. He dropped to the ground, lying prone to prevent being blown away by another magnetic storm.
Weavile was clever; without needing an order, she immediately crouched low as well.
The mental energy lightly brushed against the Key Stone. Sure enough, the iridescent halo inside began to spin at high speeds, and that brilliant daylight flared up again. Seeing this, Lulu immediately retracted her power. Perhaps because she had used so little energy this time, the stone did not trigger another magnetic storm.
"Just as I thought!"
Hisoka stood up excitedly and pumped his fist. This treasure was definitely special. It actually rejected mental energywhat did that mean?
It meant this Key Stone possessed a self-protection mechanism.
"Incredible, truly incredible..." Hisoka muttered to himself. He had never heard of a held item with its own defense mechanism. Once he left this island, he would have to conduct a thorough investigation into such artifacts.
He pulled an electric cutter from his backpack. Since Lulu's Confusion couldn't do the job, he would have to resort to brute force demolition.
Hisoka brandished the cutter with confidence. "Lulu, in a moment, use your Confusion to lift me up. I'll use the cutter to carve out the stone along with the surrounding rock."
"Lulu understands!"
Lulu's eyes curved into happy crescents. She felt that Hisoka was always so brilliant.
...
At that same moment, the giant Rhydon rushing back to its cave sensed something was wrong. Its heart began to throb with anxiety. Its treasurethe prize it had guardedwas being touched.
When the Key Stone flashed its brilliant light twice in succession, the Rhydon, which had grown up alongside the orb since it was young, felt the connection flare.
An unnamable fury erupted from the depths of its soul. The creature's original golden pupils were now shot through with bloodred veins, a sign that the giant beast was enraged to the absolute limit.
Its home had been invaded. Its most precious treasure was being disturbed. The simple-minded creature couldn't think of much else; it had only one goal: to tear the intruder into bloody shreds.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
The harsh sound of cutting echoed through the depths of the cave. Hisoka used the electric cutter to carve a circular path about ten centimeters wide around the orb.
"Done!" Hisoka wiped the dust from his face and put away the cutter, its blade now severely worn. The rock on this cliff was much harder than what he usually encountered, so the cutting had taken quite some time.
However, it was a minor issue. Just as he had suspected, this primitive method of brute force demolition didn't trigger a counterattack from the orb.
After all, the stone wasn't a living thing. Its self-protection mechanism made it extraordinary, but it wasn't omnipotent. A stone trying to become a sentient spirit? This wasn't Journey to the West.
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