At its core, the Ancient Pipeline was also a form of Post-Mortem Nen.
It embodied the strong will of ancient humans, a vivid manifestation of instincts like biological reproduction and survival.
Therefore, the Ancient Pipeline and the [Seed Urn] of the Kakin Empire shared a similar essence, as both carried a will that demanded continuation through generations.
Therefore, in theory, as long as no external forces interfered, the Ancient Pipelines and the Seed Urn could exist indefinitely.
But they required certain conditions to activate their abilities.
Take the Ancient Pipeline in front of Moses, for example, which could lead to the Six Continents. After each use, it required a relatively long cooldown period.
According to Don Freecss, the activation of the Ancient Pipeline didn't drain the user's Aura. Instead, it consumed the Aura accumulated by the Ancient Pipeline itself.
This revealed a spirit of pure sacrifice and dedication within its ability.
If there was one Post-Mortem Nen in the world that posed no danger, it would undoubtedly be the Ancient Pipeline, which benefited future generations of humans.
Because of this, if the Ancient Pipeline was overused, the Post-Mortem Nen that formed it would need time to replenish its energy.
Before coming here, Moses had been worried that the Ancient Pipeline might not have enough energy to activate.
Now, it seemed he was worrying too much.
After all, this was an Ancient Pipeline that had been lost in the annals of history, rarely known to anyone. Its usage frequency was undoubtedly extremely low, so there was no need to worry about energy issues.
Moses checked the state of the Ancient Pipeline.
'There's no problem.'
A faint smile appeared on Moses's face as he turned to his teammates: "We can go back now."
Everyone looked at each other, and an inexplicable sense of relief arose in their hearts.
The various environments of the Dark Continent were truly harsh for humans.
From insects the size of fingernails to colossal beings that blotted out the sky-
All of them posed deadly threats to humans.
During this period of time, if it weren't for Moses's Shadow World and Biscuit's Cookie, even if they didn't encounter any fatal threats, their bodies and minds might have broken down in such an environment.
Now that they could finally return, the tension in their emotions naturally eased.
Moses nodded to the group, then injected a small amount of Aura into the Ancient Pipeline.
Hum-
The patterns on the Ancient Pipeline lit up with a white light, shining through the cracks in the rock pile.
Immediately afterwards, the white light suddenly expanded, enveloping Moses and the others.
When the white light faded, Moses and the group vanished. They had already entered the Ancient Pipeline and embarked on their journey home.
However, before entering the Ancient Pipeline, Moses and the others hadn't noticed a slender figure on the red land.
The figure watched from a distance as Moses and the group disappeared, its narrow eyes glinting with a cold light.
'This is a necessary warning.'
It had arrived at the last moment, but had no intention of avenging Sulfur.
Instead, she was fulfilling her duty as a member of the Gatekeeper Race, ensuring that the humans of the Six Continents understood the risks and consequences of 'crossing the boundary'.
'Humans,'
'You may take hope, but calamity must follow.'
…
In the inland of the Kakin Empire, in a vibrant forest.
"Speaking of which..."
Killua crouched under a large tree, holding a red-spotted mushroom in his hand. He looked up at Kite, who was placing a square basket on the ground ahead.
"What are you doing here, Kite?"
"Investigate lifeforms."
Hearing Killua's question, Kite raised his hand and slightly adjusted his hat, with a slight smile on her lips, and explained:
"I'm a Beast Hunter. Right now, I'm working on a commission from the Kakin Empire. The main task is to investigate newly discovered species and conduct follow-up ecological surveys. Besides me, it seems several other bio-investigation teams have also taken on this commission."
"Oh~~~"
Killua clasped his hands behind his head, showing little interest in the so-called bio-investigation.
Meanwhile, Gon's eyes sparkled with excitement and he showed great interest in the content of Kite's commissioned work.
Noticing Gon's reaction, Kite smiled and asked, "Once we finish up in this area, would you like to see some of the animal footage I've recorded?"
"Yes, yes!"
Gon raised his hand enthusiastically, but Killua next to him didn't react at all and looked very calm.
Kite smiled as he placed the freshly picked plant into the wooden basket.
"By the way, my investigation team has seven members. When they return, I'll introduce you to them. Although they're amateur hunters, their work skills are excellent."
"Okay."
Gon responded with eager anticipation.
Killua, still with his hands behind his head, remained as calm as ever.
Kite stood up, picked up the wooden basket, and looked at Gon and Killua.
Recalling the scene of the two of them falling from the sky just now, Kite felt a slight sense of wonder.
He didn't know why his master had sent Gon to him, but he felt that since his master made such arrangements, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.
'For now, let's have Gon and Killua join the investigation team.'
Kite thought to himself.
'Given the nature of the current commission, the danger level was very low, and it would be a good opportunity for training.'
"Follow me."
Kite, carrying the basket on his back, headed in the direction of the team's meeting point.
Seeing this, Gon and Killua quickly stood up and followed him.
…
Night fell.
By the riverside.
Kite, Killua, and Gon sat around a campfire.
A dozen river fish skewered on wooden sticks were propped up beside the fire, gradually emitting a fragrant aroma as they roasted over the heat.
Gon and Killua excitedly recounted their experiences in Greed Island.
Kite listened quietly on the side, occasionally smiling.
Just as the fish were about to be done, the sound of footsteps approached from the distance.
Hearing this, Gon and Killua stopped talking.
Kate looked in the direction of the sound and saw six figures of varying heights approaching the campfire from the darkness.
"Those six are the members of the investigation team I wanted to introduce you to."
Seeing his companions finally return, Kite smiled.
The trajectory of fate remained unchanged-
Thanks to the box Ging left on Whale Island containing information about Greed Island, Gon and Killua had eventually made their way to Greed Island.
Even though one of the Bombers, Genthru, had been dealt with by Moses beforehand, and Biscuit hadn't been hired by the wealthy Battera to enter Greed Island as in the original work, Gon and Killua had still cleared the game.
Thus, according to the settings that Ging had prepared long ago, Gon and his 'friend' landed right in front of Kite, just as in the original story.
At this point in time, Kite was nearly finished with the biological investigation commission for the Kakin Empire, but that didn't stop Gon and Killua from naturally joining the Wildlife Exploration Team.
However, the trajectory of fate had also undergone some changes-
On the southern coast of the Baru Archipelago in the Yorbian Continent, a creature that had crossed the ocean arrived at a seaside cave.
This creature is none other than the Chimera Ant Queen, who had come from the Dark Continent and possessed some human genes.
She was injured.
But her injuries weren't as severe as in the original work.
Although she had indeed lost some limbs, her condition was manageable, and she also retained decent mobility.
"My mission..."
"Is to give birth to the King."
"These…"
"Are not enough. I need more nutrients."
The Chimera Ant Queen, in her humanoid form, leaned against the cave wall, her gaze sweeping over the dead fish and bats on the ground before turning to the world outside the cave.
The fish and bats were too small.
Not only did they provide little nutrition, but they also affected her feeding efficiency.
After some time to recover, the Chimera Ant Queen was no longer satisfied with this.
But before that, she needed to wait for the first batch of worker ants to be born.