HxH: I Will Be Supreme

Led by Oboro, the three of them entered the cave at the base of the mountain. Inside, they found a fully furnished living space; the cave had been converted into a proper dwelling with a living room and bedroom. The entire mountain was essentially a building, with its network of caves serving as homes and storage areas.

This particular cave, however, showed signs of violence: furniture was broken and bloodstains littered the room.

"Captain, look!" Kaki suddenly pointed to one of the walls.

Oboro turned and saw an elaborate wall painting. The Bozwa clearly had a passion for stone craftsmanship; the cave contained numerous small, intricately carved statues in addition to the murals.

The mural was divided into several scenes. The first depicted a group of small figures kneeling before a massive giant, their poses suggesting devout worship. In the second scene, the small figures were shown picking up their fellow tribesmen and throwing them into the giant's gaping maw. The third depicted ant-sized humans and various animals suddenly appearing as if celebrating a great feast, while the giant's stomach was distended. The fourth scene showed the giant in the process of giving birth, releasing egg-like objects surrounded by liquid. Noticeably, all of the celebrating animals and most of the humans were dead, except for five or six figures joyfully holding several round embryos in the air.

Oboro studied the giant closely. Though humanoid in form, it lacked any facial features: a blank slate where a face should be. In the second scene, its mouth was wide open, lined not with normal rows of teeth but with circular rings of sharp fangs, more like a parasitic mouthpart than anything human.

"Dark Continent," the thought popped into Oboro's mind unbidden.

Both the Kuruta and the Bozwa seemed to prefer to record their origins through images and text. But while the Kuruta worshipped nature, the Bozwa's imagery had darker undertones. Their murals depicted scenes set underground or in caves rather than in natural settings; no plants or flowers, just torch-lit darkness. It suited their current living conditions perfectly.

As they explored more caves, they found similar murals in each dwelling.

"This way. The master is waiting for us inside," Hisoka said, standing in front of a tunnel that led deeper into the mountain.

In addition to serving as dwellings, each cave contained a narrow passageway at the back, reminiscent of ant or bee colonies. The tunnels were barely wide enough to move in single file. Hisoka took the lead while Oboro brought up the rear.

After several hundred meters, they reached an intersection with three branching paths.

"What's the plan? Split up?" Kaki looked to Oboro for direction.

The interior of the mountain seemed to be an intricate labyrinth.

After careful observation, Oboro found no obvious clues. "These paths probably lead to the same destination, just by different routes: some longer, some shorter," he reasoned. "There must be some mechanism that only the Bozwa can detect."

"Trying to separate us?" Kaki mused. "Or different routes with different ambushes?"

"I'll take this one," Hisoka suddenly moved to the leftmost passage.

"If the captain is right, we should stick together," Kaki suggested.

Hisoka ignored him and turned to Oboro instead. "We just have to kill the Bozwa and get the 'thing', right?"

"Yes," Oboro nodded.

"If I complete the task first, how will you reward me?"

Hisoka's lips curled into a smile.

"This is your obligation. Complete it and your debt to me will be settled." With that, Oboro stepped into the central passage.

"Haha! Let's see who's faster!" Hisoka's figure disappeared in the darkness.

Kaki, left alone, decided to follow his captain.

Unlit torches lined the walls of the passage. As they ventured deeper, the darkness pressed in until they could barely see their hands in front of their faces. The confined space and oppressive atmosphere could easily trigger claustrophobia. While Oboro and Kaki encountered no traps, the endless crossroads and winding paths made orientation nearly impossible.

An hour passed in vain.

Finally, they emerged into a chamber with four new passages.

"This..." Kaki licked his dry lips, completely disoriented.

Oboro moved forward, thrusting his hand into the ground and testing its moisture. "Direction is less important than maintaining our descent," he said coolly. "Though that will take longer."

A sudden rumble shook the chamber, sending dirt and small rocks crashing down on them.

"Hisoka? Has he already attacked the Bozwa?" Kaki asked in surprise.

"No," Oboro frowned.

The tremors came from above, not from below. Considering the labyrinth-like structure, he figured that the true sanctuary of the Bozwa must be in the core of the mountain. Hisoka had either triggered a trap or encountered resistance, but his progress would have been slower than theirs.

"Let's go." Oboro entered one of the passages, Kaki close behind.

Using soil analysis to track their descent and Kaki's telepathic abilities to avoid backtracking, they continued on. After another thirty minutes, light appeared ahead as the earthen floor gave way to stone blocks.

Oboro emerged into a vast underground chamber that resembled the interior of a palace.

Braziers cast dancing light across the room. Ten massive pillars stood before them, carved with intricate designs. In the center, on an altar-like platform, sat an elderly Bozwa man in familiar white robes, his gray hair long and braided.

"Stay back," Oboro ordered Kaki, his heart sinking as he assessed the situation.

In a flash, he moved to the edge of the altar.

The old man sat hunched over, cradling a skull in his hands as if he were asleep. At their approach, he slowly raised his head to meet Oboro's gaze.

With Gyo, Oboro examined the skull. Black energy swirled around it, radiating an unknown aura; this was definitely their target, the catalyst of the ritual. The skull wasn't real bone, but seemed to be carved out of stone, covered with strange markings.

Oboro stretched his En to the limit. He detected no other presence in the massive chamber except for the old man.

"Outsider, are you the king's servant?" The old man spoke the common language, his eyes cold.

"No. I am a hunter, hired for a special task." Oboro scanned the room before pointing to the skull. "This is our target."

He saw no point in explaining the Hunters' Association to someone who probably wouldn't understand.

"Your situation is worse than I thought. Your numbers have dwindled considerably. Using the split evolution of the parasites to expand the battlefield speeds up the sacrifice process, but you're still far from reaching the royal city. You can't pose a real threat to the king."

Oboro continued calmly, "At this rate, even if the parasites reach the city limits, they'll stop splitting without more sacrifices. Once they're eliminated, it's over."

He'd expected twenty or thirty surviving Bozwa, but the reality seemed far less. The remaining members must be scattered across various battlefields, preparing for the final wave of sacrifices.

The old man showed surprise at Oboro's understanding of the ritual. "It does not matter! Only through the ritual can we Bozwa find hope for survival. Even if we can't kill this tyrant, we will tear flesh from his body; we will make him feel the rage and hatred of our people!"

"As long as a Bozwa draws breath, our revenge burns bright. If we fail now, we'll try again one day, and he'll pay what he owes."

Oboro remained silent.

"You may be disappointed. From what I know of Dongguotuo's current monarch, he lives only for pleasure and excess. I doubt he gives the Bozwa a second thought."

"Then he deserves death!"

The old man stood up and unleashed his mental energy.

A Nen User

Oboro activated his own mental energy and ability. His face button manifested briefly before disappearing with an unearthly sound.

"I have no interest in your conflict with the king of Dongguotuo. I only want the skull. Since your ritual ensures a survivor, I offer this: I'll escort her out of Dongguotuo, give her a new identity, and guarantee her safety for life. In exchange, the skull will be mine. Your thoughts?"

"I sense your sincerity, but I must decline." The old man's answer came as no surprise.

"I am sorry."

Oboro tensed.

Drawing the rune skill again was unfortunate. Due to restrictions, he couldn't configure any lightning or healing abilities, including his previously selected runes.

The old man's presence wasn't overwhelming, but something about the situation felt wrong.