Moses had asked Shizuku several questions about Blinky.
For example, how big was Blinky's 'stomach', and how did Blinky process the things it sucked into its 'stomach'...
The answers he received were all 'I don't know'.
That's right.
As the possessor of this ability, Shizuku had no knowledge of some of Blinky's abilities, or perhaps she lacked the corresponding concepts.
It might have been precisely because of this that Blinky could suck in a large amount of things at once.
Such an ability was incredibly effective when used to clear a path.
Now-
Even the rootless, abnormal phosphorus flames that Don Freecss had specifically warned about were completely swept away by Blinky.
With the flames no longer obstructing their path, the group moved unimpeded through the Bone Burial Ground and soon reached the boundary between the burial ground and the swampland.
Looking into the distance, what lay before them was an endless expanse of swamp shrubs.
From afar, these plants had looked like reeds, but upon closer inspection, they were not.
These plants had sharp, sword-like leaves, nearly two meters tall, growing densely and evenly.
Through the gaps in the leaves, one could vaguely see the moist soil, with not much surface water.
In terms of classification, it should belong to a low-lying swamp.
But Moses knew that stepping on it could easily sink one up to the thighs.
"From here on, I'll go in alone."
Looking up at the distant sword-like leaves, Moses was determined to succeed.
Hearing Moses's words, the group had no objections. This was an arrangement that had been decided at the beginning.
After all, the ability of Hellbell is to spread killing intent...
Faced with such a threat, group action would be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.
Moreover, according to the information provided by Don Freecss, simply blocking one's ears wouldn't fully resist the erosion of the killing intent bell.
"If things don't work out, retreat."
"Master, be careful!"
"Stay safe."
Except for Hisoka, who was fiddling with a deck of cards, everyone else reminded Moses to be cautious.
Moses nodded to the group and then began his preparations before setting off.
'First of all…'
Moses raised his hands to cover his ears. With a slight exertion of Aura, blood began to trickle from his ears.
This self-inflicted method of completely cutting off his hearing was one of the preparations to counter the Hellbell's ability.
After that, as long as he can successfully find Nitro Rice, he can use the [Black Clay] to restore his injured ears to normal.
[Soul Echo]
Moses ignored the pain in his ear and mobilized his Aura to conjure 3D Hisoka in front of him.
Then, Moses raised his hands and cupped 3D Hisoka's ears.
Before taking action, Moses instinctively glanced at Hisoka, who was not far away, and then repeated the process, using Aura to lightly exert force and severely damage 3D Hisoka's ears.
Hisoka, who had been silent after Moses's earlier glance, stopped playing with his cards and put them away.
"I'm going in. Wait for my good news."
After making his preparations, Moses controlled 3D Hisoka to take the lead, and then, under the watchful eyes of the group, he also followed into the swamp.
As he had previously judged, stepping onto the swamp was like stepping into mud, with his entire thigh sinking in.
However, with the enhancement from his Aura, Moses didn't feel much resistance, treating it as if he were wading through water.
The only trouble was that the swamp's sword-like grass grew densely and was nearly two meters tall, completely blocking his vision.
Therefore, Moses had to occasionally throw another unit of shadow into the air to confirm his direction.
It took about an hour to walk through the swamp.
Moses couldn't determine how far he had traveled, and during his journey, he hadn't encountered any creatures.
As for Hellbell that could spread killing intent, it was nowhere to be seen.
There was no wind in the swamp, and the arrow-like grass stood motionless. The surroundings were eerily quiet, as if brewing an invisible threat.
Moses's legs moved forward, stirring the mud and making a gurgling sound. He pushed aside the grass with his hands, one clump after another, repeating the process.
Moses continued through the swamp for several hours, with the journey being uneventful...
It was hard to imagine that this very swamp had been the downfall of many human expeditions in the past.
Without even seeing Nitro Rice, let alone the true form of Hellbell, they had died killing each other.
'It was too quiet, too peaceful...'
Moses felt that something was off.
'Could it be because I'm immune to the Hellbell's killing intent chime?'
Moses suddenly thought of this possibility.
Right now, he couldn't hear any sounds.
Although this didn't completely protect him from the killing intent chime, he also has the Mental Resilience buff.
With these combined, perhaps he could completely ignore the Hellbell's killing intent chime.
Therefore, it was possible that the numerous Hellbell in the swamp had already launched their attacks, but they had no effect, leaving them staring helplessly from the aquatic bushes.
This was the only possibility Moses could think of.
After about six hours of continuous travel, as he pushed aside the sword-like grass, the unchanging scenery before his eyes finally shifted.
Ahead, there were hundreds of flowers blooming in profusion, with their roots lying across the muddy, filthy swamp.
Thick, emerald-green stems weaved through the colorful flowers, not at all out of place. Instead, they added a touch of vitality to the dazzling array of colors.
At the center of the clustered flowers is a plant that produces golden, rice-like fruits.
The fruits were translucent, with a faint golden glow shimmering on their surface. This was the Nitro Rice that Don Freecss had mentioned, a food that could extend one's lifespan.
But when Moses saw this colorful and vibrant scene, he inexplicably felt a chill.
Because-
He clearly saw...
Beneath the colorful flowers and emerald-green stems, the remains of various creatures were faintly visible.
And on some of the wounded parts of the green stems, a blood-red sap was oozing out...
'The so-called longevity food-'
'Was it a fruit that bloomed atop the lives of many creatures?'
Moses calmed the turmoil in his heart and immediately controlled 3D Hisoka to approach the palm-sized, rice-like fruit surrounded by the flowers.
Once he gets it, it would mean the return journey was near.
Surrounding him…
In the seemingly silent aquatic bushes, sharp chimes echoed incessantly.
The chimes carried an unrelenting killing intent, like the clashing of weapons in a valley...
Yet Moses was completely unaware of this.
In the swamp bushes, hundreds of Hellbells were twisting their bodies with all their might.
But it was utterly useless.
What's going on???
Their tiny brains were filled with confusion that shouldn't exist.
…
At the boundary of the swamplands.
On a crooked tree, a nimble figure stood.
The figure's furry right hand was shaped like a telescope, pressed against its eyes, as if it could see the distant scenery of the swamp.
Then-
The figure's equally furry face first showed a look of disbelief, followed by deep thought.
'That human...'
'What's going on with him!?'