Chapter 878
A whale-shaped creature appeared—its size rivaled that of the giant octopus, perhaps even larger. However, it wasn't targeting the humans. Its goal was the giant octopus.
Its gaping maw opened wide.
Squelch!
With one bite, it tore away a massive chunk of flesh.
"Cell, move!"
At Ron's command, Cell immediately pulled back at full speed. The whale, having caught the aura of the Ascension Relic in Cell's possession, shifted its gaze. But at that moment, Ron opened the entrance to Sumas's space and transported both Cell and the Ascension Relic inside.
The dimensional boundary cut off all traces of the relic's aura.
Losing interest in Cell, the whale turned its attention back to feeding. In no time, the giant octopus's body was consumed entirely. Then the whale dove into the deep sea, ignoring Ron and the others, and showing no interest in the Black Whale either.
"It's over," someone muttered.
Everyone descended toward the ocean surface. Without the cruise ship, returning to the Black Whale meant traveling over open water. Ron landed as well, but his thoughts were focused elsewhere—on Sumas's space, where Cell now held the Ascension Relic.
According to what Rosgell had previously said, Ascension Relics could only be found in the Reverse World. The one inside the giant octopus must have been brought out by some previous person—or creature. That Sequence user had died, and the relic had ended up in the octopus's possession. It was possible the relic had something to do with the octopus's immense size.
Ron distinctly remembered that when Cell removed the relic, the octopus's aura had clearly weakened.
An unseen force suddenly surged from the relic.
The next moment, it melted—transforming into a black liquid that flowed into Cell's body.
Something within Cell began to mutate.
Suddenly, his aura receded.
All of it condensed inward, completely vanishing from the outside.
Silence fell.
Yet Ron could still sense the bond between them.
A black thread appeared across Cell's body, wrapping him completely in a complex pattern.
Moments later, the pattern vanished.
Cell stabilized.
A flood of information poured into Ron's mind—it was Cell's updated profile.
Sequence 1: Glutton.
Ability: Devour.
Ron realized Cell had now entered a semi-corporeal state. In other words, Cell was no longer just a Nen Beast. Ron could no longer simply will him out of existence with a thought. However, he could still withdraw Cell's aura and place him into a dormant state—or infuse him with only a small amount of aura to keep him in a passive standby mode.
This would ensure that Cell could respond immediately to threats, while his inherent defenses would protect him from any sneak attack or critical damage.
"Like a standby mode," Ron thought. "Devour—an evolved form of Cell's previous consumption ability."
It reminded him of a character from another world—a slime with that exact ability. Then a pig king with a similar one. In their battle, both had tried to devour each other.
"Two Sequence holders," Ron thought. "Specter for control, Glutton for offense. The two of them together will be a powerful force."
Killing the octopus—or even that whale—should be no problem.
A surge of power fed back into Ron's own body.
Returning to the Black Whale, he noticed something had changed.
Somehow, Nasubi had completely detached the fifth level of the ship from the rest. It had fallen away and sunk into the depths of the ocean. Those strange, twisted lifeforms that had haunted the fifth level disappeared along with it.
Now freed from that burden, the Black Whale accelerated significantly.
Even if another creature like the octopus appeared, it would no longer focus on the ship, but rather on the discarded fifth level beneath the sea.
Thud!
The seafloor shook.
The fifth level embedded itself into the seabed. Numerous sea creatures scattered in fear. But it wasn't long before they gathered again. A small octopus wriggled into the structure's remains.
............
.....
.
Back on the Black Whale, the seventh prince was dead—along with the entire Cha‑R family.
The fall of the fifth level had dealt a heavy blow to them, and now the eyes of the other princes would shift toward the seventh.
The aura of the Ascension Relic that Specter was tracking had grown stronger—and it was nearly complete.
Unfortunately for Ron, this relic didn't resonate with any of his Nen Beasts. If it had, he would have considered trying to acquire it. But without compatibility, it held no value.
And chasing after something worthless—especially if it meant crossing Nasubi—was not worth the risk.
No one could say for sure what other hidden cards Nasubi might still hold aboard the Black Whale.
.............
......
.
Kurapika's expression darkened.
His gaze repeatedly drifted in the same direction.
"Tserriednich…"
By now, he had gathered nearly all the relevant intel on the princes.
And on the Fourth Prince's side, he had made a major discovery.
Among Tserriednich's collection were numerous Scarlet Eyes—taken from members of the Kurta Clan.
Even Pairo's severed head was there, preserved in formalin and displayed as a specimen.
Kurapika was certain: the massacre of the Kurta Clan was inextricably linked to Tserriednich.
He wanted—desperately—to act now, to kill him and avenge his people.
But he also understood that killing the Fourth Prince wouldn't be easy.
First, the prince's guards were highly capable.
Second, Tserriednich himself wasn't weak.
He had undergone the Egg of the King Ceremony, which birthed a Guardian Spirit Beast. And after learning Nen, he had developed his own ability—one that, combined with his formidable physique and twisted mind, made him immensely dangerous.
Even as a beginner, Tserriednich had already reached a high level of mastery. His aura reserves were not lacking. The only thing he still fell short on was the technical execution of basic Nen techniques.
But with his talent, that gap would close quickly.
To confront him, Kurapika would have to treat him as an opponent on the same level—only then could his revenge succeed.