052 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"The land we set foot on was red soil. I called it Red Earth."

Beyond spoke as he looked toward the approaching continent, then slowly closed his eyes.

"I still remember… the moment the soldiers disembarked, when their boots touched the bare ground, a searing heat surged from the soles of their feet straight to their skulls.

"I watched as their beards, eyebrows, and hair turned from black to red… then crumbled into ash, drifting into the air.

"Most of that first landing unit was incinerated in seconds—burned away by the sheer heat before we'd even begun exploring."

He paused.

"A few of them, though… those who reacted quickly and reinforced themselves with aura managed to survive. They used their Nen to resist the scorching red ground."

Beyond opened his eyes again. Any trace of excitement had vanished. What remained was a grave, unwavering resolve.

"Even this coastline up ahead could be deadly. Don't let your guard down for a second."

Ronnel and Ging didn't respond. They walked over to join and stood beside Beyond, gazing out toward the land beyond the horizon.

Beyond's account was more than just a warning—it was a sobering reminder of what lay ahead.

As the ship drew closer, the shoreline gradually came into focus for Ronnel.

"...Yellow? That beach is golden?"

Ging raised an eyebrow. The shimmering stretch of sand reflected dazzling rays in the sunlight.

Beaches were common near coasts, sure—but this…

"This isn't your average beach," Ronnel said, projecting a specialized En to scan for abnormalities. His eyes glinted as he caught a faint trace.

"There's something alive here… even though it's buried deep."

The beaches of the Dark Continent were anything but ordinary.

"Looks like we'll be warming up sooner than expected." Ging rolled his shoulders with a grin. 

"Haven't stretched in a while—don't wanna get rusty."

Beyond turned to Ronnel without a word.

Ronnel understood. He gave a soft smile, then drew in a long breath and exhaled slowly.

Puffs of pale white smoke flowed from his lips—four or five clouds drifting gently into the air. He injected a core of aura into each one, and they rapidly took on humanoid forms.

Morel's Nen technique—Deep Purple. Perfect for scouting unfamiliar terrain.

"Let me add a little something~"

Ronnel plucked a few strands of hair and pressed them into the smoke soldiers.

Immediately, Beyond and Ging sensed the change—these smoke figures now carried a trace of life energy.

"If you get serious, some creatures get… clever," Ronnel said. "If they can't sense life, they won't react."

Beyond gave an approving nod.

He ordered Irving and the others to slow the ship's approach. Even before docking, Ronnel sent the five smoke soldiers sprinting toward the golden beach.

...

The moment the leading trooper's foot touched the sand, the ground erupted.

A wave of golden sand shot into the air—rising nearly ten meters high. Like a tidal surge, it came crashing down toward the smoke soldiers with a deafening roar.

On the ship, the three of them watched every movement intently. As the wave surged upward, their eyes widened in unison.

"This is…" Ging's voice was stunned. "Pac-Man?!"

"Could it be...?" Beyond's tone was suddenly uncertain.

"It's a match," Ronnel said after a long pause. "Looks exactly the same."

As the wave climbed into the sky, they could finally see the truth within.

The golden beach was alive—and the sand was composed of countless small creatures, each resembling the classic figure of Pac-Man.

Pac-Man was a familiar icon, whether in Ronnel's past life or this world. Ging, a known gaming fan, knew it well.

These things looked identical: spherical yellow bodies, a wide mouth that split the shape like a wedge, no eyes. But this version had something more.

Inside that wedge, you could see rows of sharp, jagged fangs.

One bite, and you wouldn't just lose a life—you'd lose a chunk of flesh.

"We should just call them Pac-Men, no?" Ging mused, rubbing his chin. "Golden and round... scattered across the coast like beach pebbles."

Beyond examined the remains near the shore—skeletons resembling shrimp and crabs now laid bare in the sand.

"Maybe they're ambush predators—lying in wait, like marine life crawling ashore for sun and prey."

As the Pac-Men surged, they'd dislodged the hidden corpses that had begun to rot beneath the sand.

...

"So… what's your plan?" Ronnel glanced at the others. "If neither of you object, I'll take care of them."

The Deep Purple hadn't stood a chance. They were instantly swallowed by the sand wave, vanishing without resistance.

But in that brief moment before they dissolved, Ronnel had seen what he needed to.

"Their bite's vicious, and they're dense enough to look intimidating when they swarm. But individually, they're not that tough."

"Nen works. Aura strikes did damage—even created openings in the wave for a second. You could feel the cold aura cores from the smoke soldiers causing small vacuums."

"But those gaps closed almost immediately. Looks like they have some kind of splitting or replication ability."