The most critical aspect of this excavation project was the Post-Mortem Will.
Especially this offensive type of Post-Mortem Will within the underground palace, it undoubtedly posed a direct threat to the team members' safety.
In the past, when encountering such troublesome matters, Tessa would typically use sealing techniques to temporarily suppress the threat of Post-Mortem Nen to ensure the safety of the excavation work.
Now, with Morrow's specialized Nen exorcism ability targeting Post-Mortem Will, which could completely eliminate hidden dangers, the subsequent excavation research could proceed step by step even without Ging present.
This was the reason Ging agreed so readily.
However, this place wasn't suitable for sparring.
Morrow and Ging walked through the passage and arrived at a spacious cave.
At that moment, Menchi was cooking fish congee in front of a rock wall.
The white steam rising from the pot was immediately absorbed by the plants on the rock wall.
But the aroma remained, filling the surroundings.
As soon as Ging and Morrow stepped out of the tunnel, a fresh and fragrant scent of fish congee wafted over.
Perfect timing.
Ging sniffed the air and unceremoniously approached the pot, sitting directly on the ground beside it. He even picked up an empty bowl and stared intently at the thick, bubbling fish congee.
"Is it ready?"
He felt it was about time and couldn't wait to ask.
"Not yet."
Menchi shot him an annoyed glance and remarked, "Your Zodiac Twelve identity truly suits you."
"Heh."
Ging easily caught her implication about his Boar title in the Zodiac Twelve, but he didn't care at all, waiting expressionlessly for the meal.
Seeing this, Morrow was about to sit on the ground next to Ging.
But as soon as he moved, Menchi pulled out a small stool from behind and placed it behind him.
"Thanks."
Morrow smiled at Menchi and sat on the small stool.
"???"
Holding an empty bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, Ging first glanced at the nonchalant Menchi, then at the small stool under Morrow, his face gradually showing a desolate expression.
"Ah, how cold the world is... The young get stools to sit on, while a middle-aged man like me, about to be eliminated by society, can only..."
"Shut up."
Menchi couldn't take it anymore and casually tossed him a small stool.
Ging swiftly sat on the stool, any trace of desolation completely gone.
"By the way, I almost forgot to ask you."
Holding the empty bowl, Ging suddenly turned to Morrow: "When you transferred that Post-Mortem Will, did you receive any memory fragments?"
"Yes."
Morrow nodded lightly and then described the memory content he saw in detail.
After listening, Ging fell into deep thought, connecting it with the historical records and myths about the Akasha Kingdom from ancient texts.
Seeing his serious expression, Morrow didn't disturb him and also pondered those memory fragments.
What he paid particular attention to were the strange bottle that brought the roots and the palm-sized feather that could trigger strong earthquakes.
He even suspected these might be hallucinations caused by the root's hallucinogenic effects on the memory's owner.
But then again, beyond the world's map lay the Dark Sea and the Dark Continent. In that vast, unknown land, anything imaginable by humans, or even things completely beyond comprehension, could truly exist.
So it's not impossible for a feather the size of a palm to trigger a powerful earthquake.
And that bizarre plant from the memory images I received while absorbing Post-Mortem Nen, the one that could drain the earth's nutrients dry.
If these things drifted over from the Dark Continent, then... humans recklessly coveting the resources of the Dark Continent are indeed walking a path toward destruction.
Thinking this, Morrow shook his head slightly. This had nothing to do with him.
Even if the timeline progressed to the point where the massive Kakin ship, carrying 200,000 sacrificial passengers, departed from the port, what it would ultimately reach is merely a fabricated continent concocted by the superpowers.
A substitute meant to deceive the masses, located before the Dark Sea.
If there's any real source of danger, it's probably Beyond's team.
But even if Beyond's team successfully reached the Dark Continent and possibly brought back a disaster capable of shaking the world... with Tree Rings, he would still be the safest person in the world.
As Morrow pondered, Menchi handed him a bowl of steaming fish congee.
"Thank you."
Morrow smiled as he took the porridge. He had only taken a few bites when Ging picked up his bowl and went over to Menchi.
After filling his bowl, Ging sat back on the small stool, eating the fish congee while asking Morrow, "Do you think those memories are 'real'?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
Morrow replied calmly, "After all, that mysterious root, while controlling humans, also grants them an ability to freely create false memories."
"Yeah."
Ging swallowed a mouthful of porridge and suddenly asked, "Do you know about the Cyber World?"
"Hmm?"
Morrow raised an eyebrow, quickly recalling the two-star Hacker Hunter who appeared in the original election arc.
Though there weren't many related scenes, he remembered a brief mention of the Cyber World.
"I know of it, but not much."
Morrow said, shoveling the remaining porridge into his mouth.
Ging said seriously, "For those of us living in the real world, the Cyber World is a virtual world existing within the network. But for its residents, our world is the unreal one. If you insist on comparing the two..." At this point, Ging's tone carried a hint of emotion.
"Actually, the Cyber World is freer. The residents there can freely construct whatever they want. So, in my view, humans controlled by the root are a lot like those who willingly abandon their physical bodies to immigrate to the Cyber World."
"Sounds... quite interesting."
Morrow glanced at Ging.
Based on his understanding of the so-called Cyber World, it's merely a network world that allows people from all over the globe to connect remotely via computers and phones.
However, with the existence of Nen, even a network world derived from technology doesn't seem so simple.
"Right."
Ging lowered his head to eat the porridge, his eyes gleaming with a strong desire for exploration.
The existence of Nen brings many possibilities.
It blurs the line between falsehood and reality.
And it continuously influences human perception. Ging had every reason to believe that the memory fragments, such as the feather capable of triggering powerful earthquakes, were real.
It was even more likely that they originated from the Dark Continent.
He wasn't fully prepared for this yet, but it seemed he was already beginning to touch upon everything related to the Dark Continent.
This actually excited him somewhat.
To digest these emotions, he needed to shift his focus elsewhere.
For instance, becoming Morrow's sparring partner.
—--
When Morrow and Ging returned to the surface, the sky was still bright.
Seeing the two emerge from the water and come ashore, Kurapika approached to help them remove their diving gear.
During this period, Kurapika was responsible for coordination and security on land within the team.
His outstanding work ethic caught Ging's attention, and he deeply remembered this young Single Star Hunter.
After changing his clothes, Morrow informed Kurapika, then left the Thousand Mirror Lake area with Ging, finding a relatively open, flat area.
"Starlight Convergence."
As soon as both were in position, Morrow immediately activated his ability.
In the twilight of the setting sun, countless brilliant starlights intertwined into a dazzling curtain of light.
Ging stood with his hands in his pockets, slightly tilting his head upward, his eyes reflecting the swirling starlight.
"Though I've experienced it many times, each firsthand encounter still feels novel and intriguing." Ging slowly withdrew his hands from his pockets, gazing at the starry sky, and continued, "Given the complex structure of this ability, it's already quite refined. That's precisely the fundamental reason why it's difficult for you to improve it further."
"Mm, but I still want to try. Like you said, even if the final result falls short of expectations, I can gain other things along the way."
Morrow's eyes also mirrored the starlight.
Starlight Convergence, from the moment of its creation, was the result of a well-thought-out concept.
Its complete structure also meant it was challenging to add new building blocks.
But even if he failed, during this year-long sparring period, he was certain to learn other things from Ging.
"Let's begin."
Morrow's expression suddenly turned focused, the gleam emerging from his eyes so intense that not even the starlight from Starlight Convergence could obscure it.
Hearing this, Ging smiled faintly and casually began moving his hands.
Each of his movements was precise and composed, subtly incorporating just the right amount of force, and the flow of his aura was as smooth and swift as floating clouds and flowing water.
This was one of Ging's sparring tasks.
Under the cover of Starlight Convergence, he repeated standard movements over and over, much like an elderly man doing morning exercises in a park.
Perhaps by the mid to late stages, Morrow would request practical exercises...
But Ging could almost foresee that, for at least the next six months, he would only be mechanically repeating the same motions.
Monotonous?
Absolutely.
Yet even so, Ging would meticulously fulfill the agreement.
Amid the starlight, Morrow concentrated fully on analyzing the information conveyed by each of Ging's movements.
Currently, Starlight Convergence could only read force application methods and aura trajectories, but in the time to come, he would attempt it thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times...
Even if he had to repeat it millions of times, he was determined to fully integrate his obsession with evolution into the ability's system.
Regardless of whether he ultimately succeeded or not... yet at the very least, such training allowed his control over Nen to steadily improve, while his exchanges with Ging continuously deepened his understanding of the Nen System.
As long as he kept moving forward, gains would surely follow.
Thus, even with an uncertain path ahead, Morrow would unhesitatingly stride onward.
Time flowed slowly.
Months passed in the blink of an eye.
Morrow's Starlight Convergence ability mechanism remained in its prototype stage.
But through countless applications, its precision had been steadily rising.
Beyond that, his physique had also seen significant improvement.
After all, every few days, Morrow could freeload a high-value medicinal cuisine meal from Ging.
Additionally, since Menchi had specially designed a nutritional diet for him and Ging to aid energy recovery, he gained extra time each day to practice Zetsu and Body Tempering.
By mid-June 1998, the excavation work at the underground palace ruins of Akasha was nearing completion.
Ging's team publicly released their excavation research report from this period.
Within just a few days, Ging's name once again resounded across the world.
Most professionals in related fields knew nothing of Ging's appearance or other details, but even with just a name, they revered him as an idol.
Fame gathered around him, yet Ging paid it no mind.
At this moment, he was sparring with Morrow.
On the flat ground, brilliant starlight filled the surroundings.
Morrow stood at the center of the starlight, as if positioned at the heart of a miniature universe.
Directly ahead of him, Ging smiled and lifted his right foot, then stomped it onto the ground.
With exquisite aura control and precisely measured force, the stomp gouged out a several-square-meter layer of stone from the ground, sending it flying straight toward Ging.
Ging swung his hand forward, striking the stone layer.
With a thunderous crash, the stone layer shattered into dozens of pieces, each wrapped in Nen, soaring through the air toward Morrow like a flock of geese.
Facing these dozens of stones flying at him, Morrow's right hand gripped the hilt of his Poultry Scarlet Knife. His first instinct wasn't to evade but to reshape Starlight Convergence, enveloping Ging within it like a coiling dragon.
Then, with a few nimble movements, he effortlessly weaved through the dozens of stones.
As long as both conditions, maintaining the starlight range and evading attacks, were met, he could instantly plant a Star Mark on Ging.
But Ging wouldn't let Morrow have his way. He reacted swiftly, retreating beyond the starlight's reach without triggering Starlight Convergence's ability mechanism.
After dodging the dragon-like advance of starlight, he abruptly crouched, pressing his right palm against the ground as Nen rapidly flowed.
The next instant, just as Morrow evaded the flying stones and steadied himself, a gleam of light erupted beneath his feet.
It was his Insidious Shooting Star ability, which Ging had already secretly learned.
Clang!
Morrow reacted just as quickly, sidestepping while suddenly drawing his Poultry Scarlet Knife. As the blade left the sheath, he used a deft motion to knock the sheath from his waist, directing its opening toward the shimmering light on the ground.
A Nen bullet shot out from the light but was instantly absorbed by the obliquely inserted Abyssal Sheath.
Simultaneously, Ging's figure vanished into thin air, reappearing behind Morrow.
Another Emission ability.
But this time, it was teleportation. After Ging manifested his form, he immediately reached out to attack Morrow's back.
Since Morrow had just pushed all the starlight from the rear area to the front in order to alter the shape of Starlight Convergence's starlight, this tactical adjustment left his back completely unguarded by starlight.
Ging had precisely targeted this weakness, using his Insidious Shooting Star ability, which emphasized firing speed, to divert Morrow's attention.
Both combatants' reactions and speed were so extreme that their exchanges occurred in the blink of an eye, leaving no room for conscious thought.
However... even without the informational support of Starlight Convergence, Morrow could predict Ging's movements a step ahead.
The reason was simple.
His back lacked protective starlight for defense.
Such exposed vulnerabilities during intense combat would almost certainly provoke direct attacks from opponents.
Of course, if the intention became too obvious, it would also alert the opponent to the trap.
But Morrow was certain of one thing.
Even if Ging realized this was an intentionally revealed opening, he would still choose to strike.
Because that was the confidence of a top-tier powerhouse.
So Morrow had guessed correctly; the instant Ging blinked into position behind him.
Astral Step.
Without knowing what was happening behind him, without even precisely sensing Ging's aura, Morrow decisively activated his Astral Step ability.
Whoosh!
His figure vanished into thin air, teleporting backward a hundred meters, where he saw dozens of stones already before his eyes and Ging's back standing ahead.
Ging's reaching attack naturally found empty air.
When Ging saw the Starlight Convergence, which should have been distributed like a long dragon ahead, suddenly shift position to envelop him, he immediately realized the danger.
But it was already too late.
Far behind him, Morrow, having teleported to this location, almost missed the timing as he dodged the dozens of stones attacking through the air for the second time.
This time, the dragon-shaped Starlight Convergence had teleported backward a hundred meters along with Morrow, precisely trapping Ging within it.
Both ability conditions were fulfilled in that moment.
Dozens of evaded attacks instantly transformed the starlight into golden chains, firmly binding Ging.
"This ability is too cheap."
As chains wrapped around his body, Ging drooped his eyelids and turned to look at Morrow, never imagining that Morrow would use Astral Step to teleport into the flight path of those dozens of stones.
Then, by dodging the stones' attack a second time, he directly fulfilled Starlight Convergence's activation condition.
Had Ging's attack speed been even slightly slower, Morrow could never have reached the stones' trajectory at the last moment.
In other words, this tactic's execution relied on Ging possessing formidable strength.
Only then could it perfectly coordinate with Morrow.
"Heh."
Morrow didn't respond, merely raising a finger to point beside Ging.
There lay the Abyssal Sheath, slanted into the ground.
Boom!
The previously absorbed Nen bullets now erupted as energy from within the scabbard.
Propelled by the energy explosion, the slanted scabbard shot directly toward Ging's face.
Yet Ging didn't look at the scabbard, instead fixing Morrow with a slightly peculiar gaze.
Clatter.
The golden chains abruptly shattered. Freed from the chains' restraint, Ging casually reached out without even looking and caught the airborne scabbard in his palm.
Morrow wasn't disappointed that the Abyssal Sheath he had deliberately left behind failed to strike Ging's face.
Or rather, he never expected such a low-level sneak attack to work on Ging in the first place.
"If you ask me, your Nen ability is the cheap one here."
Morrow looked at Ging and responded with a serious expression.
During their previous combat drills, he had fallen victim to Ging's ability once, after which he decisively banned Ging from using it.
Ging ignored Morrow's remark and threw a scabbard back at him.
Outside the training area, Menchi's brows furrowed tightly.
"I can't see anything at all."
She said with a troubled expression.
Beside her, Kurapika remained silent.