Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 350 (Patreon)

Chapter 350: A Partial Truth

Absorbing the resentment from the stone box significantly increases the likelihood of pushing the average values of the six Nen categories beyond the sixty percent mark. Based on previous experiences, forcibly entering the state of 【Zetsu】 would last at least half a year.

Luo was not afraid of danger, especially with the natural protector, the black cat, by his side. However, he feared he might not fulfill his promise to Linne.

Now, seeing Linne agree, Luo had no more worries.

On their way back to the room, Linne asked several questions related to Luo's journey. Luo did not hide anything and answered all of them, knowing that Linne's only remaining interest was the Dark Continent.

A few minutes later, Luo and Linne returned to the room.

On the delicate round table, the stone box lay still. The black resentment entwining it was like an unstoppable mischievous child, lively and restless, perhaps due to the presence of living beings in the room.

If the stone box were placed in an area devoid of life, it might settle down.

Seeing the intense resentment wrapped around the stone box, even the well-versed Linne couldn't help but lift her eyelids in surprise.

"Can you remove it?"

She couldn't help but ask Luo.

When an Exorcist starts removing a curse, there are only two outcomes: success or failure. There is no halfway point.

For such a level of resentment, a failed exorcism would likely result in death. Even if one survived by luck, they would live in extreme pain.

Her question aimed to gauge Luo's confidence. If it was below fifty percent, they shouldn't proceed.

"Yes," Luo affirmed.

Seeing Luo's confidence, Linne was even more surprised. Given his assuredness, she decided not to ask further.

"Do we need to do anything?" Ging asked.

"No, just keep your distance." Luo walked to the table and placed both hands on the stone box.

Ging nodded and stepped back with Linne.

Without any preparation or special rituals, Luo began the exorcism, which contradicted Ging's understanding of exorcists.

Upon touching the stone box, the white smoke font reappeared, offering a choice. This time, Luo chose to absorb.

When Luo confirmed the absorption, the black resentment expanded like flames poured with gasoline, filling most of the room in an instant.

As the black resentment boiled, Ging and Linne, who had retreated to the corner, simultaneously used 【Ken】, covering their bodies with Nen.

The sudden anomaly disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Ging and Linne had just covered themselves with Nen when the black resentment, which had expanded, vanished in seconds as if sucked into a vortex.

At the same time, they saw Luo close his eyes, and the Nen around him gradually withdrew into his body and disappeared.

Since the restrictive effect had appeared, it meant Luo had successfully exorcised the curse, otherwise, he wouldn't have entered the state of 【Zetsu】.

But, was it supposed to be this quick and simple?

Ging walked towards Luo, but the black cat emerged from Luo's arm and blocked Ging, saying, "Don't disturb Luo. The exorcism isn't completely over; it needs time to be digested."

"Understood."

Hearing the black cat, Ging nodded, then sat cross-legged on the ground, watching the motionless Luo.

Linne leisurely sat on the sofa near the living room, keeping an eye on Luo, who had entered 【Zetsu】.

While waiting, Ging looked at the floating black cat and curiously asked, "If the restriction of the exorcism is forced 【Zetsu】, how can you appear?"

"Good question," the black cat replied seriously while crossing its legs in mid-air. "Because I'm powerful."

Ging was speechless and shifted his attention back to Luo.

At this moment, Luo was immersed in the memory environment created by the black resentment.

Absorbing the resentment from the stone box indeed pushed the six Nen categories' values beyond sixty percent and entered the state of 【Zetsu】 for a full year. Maintaining training could probably shorten the time significantly.

Just as Luo was about to exit the consciousness space, he was suddenly pulled into the memory space of the black resentment.

Scenes quickly shifted, and Luo stood aside as an observer, witnessing all the scenes firsthand.

The resentment was not from a single individual but from the collective grievances of numerous living sacrifices.

The underground race practiced sacrificial rituals with living humans as offerings.

The sacrificial hall with stone statues was the place for these rituals.

The process involved first gouging out the eyes, followed by devout prayers. The offerings were then placed on the stone floor inscribed with ancient texts and left to starve to death.

They believed that by removing physical eyes, they could see the gods with their spiritual eyes. The gouged-out eyes were all placed in the stone box.

The so-called gods were actually the non-physical entities, Void.

The scenes shifted rapidly, almost always showing the sacrificial process, deriving from different fragments of resentment.

Perhaps due to the fusion of many grievances, the remaining memory fragments only had one recurring scene, frustrating Luo's attempt to learn more.

However, these memory fragments clarified why the underground bodies were preserved and why each corpse lacked eyes. In short, it was their own doing.

Thousands died simultaneously, all killed by Void, who took their eyes.

The underground people had no specific name, so they were referred to as the Serbo people.

Initially, Void's presence benefitted the Serbo people without threatening their lives.

The Serbo people, unaware of Void's nature, worshipped them as gods because Void removed dangers and diseases, which was the beginning of their doom.

To thank Void, the Serbo people began live sacrifices, not knowing that Void, a non-living entity, acted on instinct and wasn't helping them intentionally.

Attacking large creatures was due to their strong life force.

Removing diseases from the Serbo people was because viruses and bacteria were Void's food source.

The two could coexist peacefully, which was the Serbo people's greatest fortune. However, the foolish act of live sacrifices eventually destroyed the entire tribe.

A peculiar 【seed】 was stored in the stone box, absorbing flesh and blood but never showing signs of sprouting.

In the Serbo people's eyes, this seed might belong to a deity waiting to revive. Thus, after sacrificing to Void, they placed the gouged eyes in the stone box to nourish the 【seed】.

Removing the eyes was because Void had no physical form. Feeding the eyes to the seed was in hopes it would open its eyes.

The eyes placed in the stone box were naturally devoured by the 【seed】, and the grievances left by the sacrificial victims began to wrap around the stone box.

With Void's protection, the Serbo population grew rapidly, and the sacrifices increased without restraint, leading to an accumulation of resentment on the stone box over the years.

Resentment, at its core, is spiritual energy, which can influence Void's actions. Thus, affected by the resentment, Void for the first time acted against its instinct and attacked humans.

Luo emerged from the memory scenes and slowly opened his eyes.

The stone box was devoid of any resentment, and he had entered the state of 【Zetsu】. For the next year, he wouldn't even be able to use the basic Nen technique of Ten.

Without immediately explaining to Ging and Linne, Luo wanted to open the stone box to see what the 【seed】 inside was.

However, no matter how hard he tried, the stone box wouldn't budge.

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