In the Hunter x Hunter World, so-called 'magical beasts' refer to intelligent creatures with human-like traits.
However, the original work doesn't provide much description or appearance of magical beast clans.
Among them, the most representative magical beast clan is likely the Man-faced Ape that appeared during the Hunter Exam arc.
Next is the [Gatekeeper] mentioned in the V5 high-level meetings, who also belongs to the magical beast race.
If the defining characteristics of magical beasts are humanoid forms, high intelligence, and human-like traits...
Then the Chimera Ants, which is born from the mixing of human genes, could, to some extent, also be classified as part of the magical beast race.
As for creatures like Mammon, who possess unique abilities and hail from the Dark Continent, they are among the elite of magical beasts.
Comparable to them is the Gatekeeper Race, a magical beast race responsible for 'guarding the boundaries'.
At the boundary of the swamp, on a crooked tree.
This figure, covered in fur and with a nimble build, was a member of the Gatekeeper clan, named Sulfur.
Like most magical beasts, Sulfur had a human-like physique, but his entire body was covered in thick fur, including his face, which was almost entirely obscured by red fur, leaving only a pair of eyes with heavy dark circles visible.
Sulfur slowly lowered his right hand, which he had used to 'capture the scene'. As he did so, his long, sharp nails lightly brushed through the air, leaving behind a fleeting spark.
"To actually be immune to the invasion of the Hellbell..."
Having clearly seen the events in the swamp through his hand-formed telescope, Sulfur wore a contemplative expression, though his heart was filled with shock and disbelief.
Although the Gatekeepers possessed the ability to 'contain calamities', this didn't mean they could handle all disasters.
For example, the Hellbell active in the swamplands were one of the calamities the Gatekeepers struggled to deal with.
Yet, this troublesome disaster, which involved mental manipulation, posed no threat to that human...
This was the reason for Sulfur's astonishment.
So much so that when he discovered Moses, his focus wasn't on the fact that this human had arrived in the Dark Continent through 'unauthorized means', but rather on the fact that this human could resist Hellbell.
Because of this, he found himself unsure of how to handle this human who had come to the Dark Continent without proper 'negotiation'.
Should he allow this human to return to Lake Mobius with the disaster, as a warning?
Or should he use coercive measures to restrain this human and figure out the secret behind his immunity to the Hellbell?
The former was for the public good, in line with the duties the Gatekeepers had always upheld.
The latter was for personal gain, as understanding the secret to resisting the Hellbell would mean the Gatekeepers could harvest Nitro Rice in the future without fearing the threat from Hellbell.
In fact, in to ensure the eternal continuation of the Gatekeeper Race, Nitro Rice was an indispensable necessity for them.
At this moment…
Inside the swamp.
Under Moses's control, 3D Hisoka approached the Nitro Rice surrounded by blooming flowers.
With just a reach of his hand, he could take the Nitro Rice for himself.
'How strange...'
Seeing the progress was too smooth, Moses couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
However, the most urgent task was still to harvest the Nitro Rice, so Moses suppressed the unease in his heart, and manipulated 3D Hisoka to bend down and uproot the entire Nitro Rice plant.
'Excellent.'
Moses's eyes lit up slightly, and he controlled 3D Hisoka to walk back, while also condensing a Shadow World's passage beside him.
Obtaining the Nitro Rice so easily was beyond his expectations.
Now-
The only remaining issue was the return journey and transportation.
If he couldn't bring the Nitro Rice back to the Six Continents intact, all his efforts would be in vain.
Moses absolutely couldn't allow that to happen.
He manipulated 3D Hisoka to enter the Shadow World, and then planted the harvested Nitro Rice into the soil he prepared in advance.
'I also need some dead bodies.'
Moses glanced at the numerous corpses of creatures vaguely visible under the flowers.
'Since the growth and maturation of Nitro Rice were built upon the lives of many creatures, perhaps I could use the corpses of some beasts to preserve the vitality of the Nitro Rice.'
'But before that, I needed to leave this swamp.'
'I didn't even encounter a Hellbell… Did I just get incredibly lucky?'
Moses felt a wave of doubt and let 3D Hisoka come out of the Shadow World first. He then attached the Shadow World's passage to his body, leaving only a small opening to ensure air circulation.
'But I can't let my guard down...'
Although he did not encounter any Hellbell, Moses remained highly vigilant.
When 3D Hisoka brought the Nitro Rice into the Shadow World, Moses had briefly considered searching for more Nitro Rice...
However, in order to avoid unnecessary complications, he ultimately abandoned that tempting thought.
On the way back to the Bone Burial Ground, 3D Hisoka continued to lead the way.
Six hours later.
Moses returned to the Bone Burial Ground without any incidents. The entire process going so smoothly that it was hard to believe.
Seeing Moses emerge from the swamp, Biscuit and the others immediately showed relief and joy on their faces.
Regardless of whether Moses had obtained the Nitro Rice, seeing him return safely was a cause for celebration.
"Moses, are you okay?"
Biscuit walked over quickly and carefully checked Moses's body with concern.
Since his ears are damaged, Moses couldn't make out Biscuit's words, but he could guess her meaning from her expression and gestures.
"I'm fine."
He smiled and nodded, then said, "You might not believe it, but I spent most of the day in the swamp and didn't encounter a single Hellbell."
"What?"
Hearing Moses's words, everyone looked surprised.
The biggest obstacle to obtaining Nitro Rice was the Hellbell that inhabited the swamplands, yet Moses hadn't encountered a single one after half a day?
That was just too unbelievable!
Moses looked at the surprised reactions of his teammates, and his smile grew wider. He then took out the Black Clay and stuffed it into his injured ears.
Now that he was out of the swamp, it was time to heal his ears.
Biscuit originally wanted to ask Moses whether he had obtained the Nitro Rice, but when she saw him taking out Black Clay to heal his ears, she temporarily held back her question.
In just a few moments, the Black Clay in his ears emitted a cool sensation. Before Moses could fully process it, he suddenly heard the surrounding sounds again.
'The effect is amazing... As expected of something from the Dark Continent.'
The speed of the Black Clay's healing left Moses momentarily stunned.
When Biscuit saw Moses's reaction, she understood what happened and immediately asked, "Did you get the Nitro Rice?"
Upon hearing this, everyone else looked at Moses, waiting for his answer.
Facing their expectant gazes, Moses nodded and said, "Yes, I've stored it in the Shadow World."
"That's good."
Biscuit let out a slight sigh of relief.
The others also felt a sense of relief.
"Now it's time for the 'return journey..."
Moses took a deep breath and looked in one direction, his gaze passing over the field of bones.
The real challenge is to bring Nitro Rice back to the Six Continents intact.
After a moment.
Ignoring Biscuit's suggestion to rest, Moses decided to set off immediately.
Thus, the group set out in the chosen direction.
But after traveling just a hundred or so kilometers, an unexpected visitor blocked their path.
"A magical beast?"
Seeing the humanoid appearance of the figure, the group's eyes narrowed.