Chapter 27: Chapter 27 The Cost
Even without that fleeting Aura fluctuation, Ken and his group could clearly discern the direction.
This was because their companion Genbu's Conjuration ability, 'Gambler's Fantasy', possessed a mechanism that granted 'absolute wishes within a reasonable range' when cashing in the jackpot.
Exchanging a jackpot just for a directional guide? There was no reason for it not to be cashed in.
This was their confidence in being able to determine the direction.
"Position determined."
In the driver's seat was a sturdy man with a dark skin and a buzz cut.
That man was Genbu, the one with the 'Gambler's Fantasy' ability.
"We don't need this anymore."
With one hand on the steering wheel, he looked in the direction of the scenic area, and then threw a handful of blood out of the window.
From the passenger seat, Ken noticed Genbu's action of throwing away the blood, and praised with a smile: "Genbu, confidence is a good thing."
The blood discarded by Genbu belonged to Hawk.
"Blood, return to your master."
This was what Genbu cashed in with the jackpot.
Then, they arrived here under the guidance of the blood, but before reaching the destination, they sensed the sudden outbreak of resentment aura.
Even though it lasted for only about a second, it was enough for them to determine their position.
That's why Genbu confidently discarded Hawk's blood, thus ending his ability's effect.
Seeing this scene, Ken couldn't help but commend Genbu's confidence, but in his heart, he cursed Genbu for being reckless.
Unaware of Ken's real thoughts, Genbu just grinned and slammed on the gas.
With the roar of the engine, the black car suddenly accelerated forward.
The five cars following behind had no choice but to also accelerate to keep up.
"What the hell is Genbu thinking? Taking the lead on such a crappy road is one thing, but speeding like this? Hasn't his brain considered the problem of a burst tire?"
Inside one of the cars, a long-haired man wearing sunglasses complained.
Sitting in the passenger seat was Sivir, still dressed in revealing attire.
Accustomed to Genbu's quirks, she didn't bother to agree with the long-haired man's words.
Bang!
Suddenly, a loud noise came from ahead.
The long-haired man and Sivir looked towards the sound, and saw Genbu's car crashing into the cliff, the entire vehicle deforming.
While the Nen users, Genbu and Ken were mostly unharmed, the three armed members on the back weren't as fortunate and died on the spot.
"That idiot…"
The long-haired man sighed, then stepped on the brakes to stop.
He and Sivir got out of the car, and the cars following behind also stopped one after another.
"What a lousy tire."
The unhurt Genbu kicked the heavily deformed car, seemingly indifferent to the death of the three armed members inside.
Ken stood on the side.
He held a long black sheathed knife in his hand, looking relaxed as if Genbu's crazy operation hadn't affected his mood.
The long-haired man, who came over, couldn't be bothered to look at Genbu and said to Ken, "There's no space in the other cars. You two should walk."
"It's fine, we're not in a hurry."
Ken smiled faintly, pointing at the not-yet-dark sky, and said seriously, "No one thinks we should act during the 'day,' right?"
The long-haired man looked up at the sky and nodded.
Sivir, who is following behind him, forcibly swallowed the words about to come out of her mouth.
…
At the mountaintop of the scenic area, in the temple's courtyard:
It's hard to imagine that a zombie face that looks like tree bark could exhibit such rich expressions at this moment. Ultimately, only a Nen Exorcist could deeply understand the horror of resentment, because, for the most part, the method most Nen Exorcists use is to first transfer the resentment to themselves and then sublimate and digest it.
This kind of close contact, along with the associated risks, constantly reminded Nen Exorcists of the dangers they faced.
Just by taking a brief look at the aura emitted by the 'Libra', Eriselle completely lost the courage to further interact with it.
That level of resentment is something he couldn't touch.
So, Eriselle, who subconsciously considered himself superior, readily admitted his inadequacy in front of everyone when he was frightened.
However—
Hawk then pointed out the real target for Eriselle to exorcise.
It wasn't the terrifyingly powerful 'Libra', but the expression made of Aura at the end of Rat Jewel's tail.
Eriselle's expression of terror on his face had not yet subsided when, under Hawk's guidance, he slowly looked at Rat Jewel's tail in silence.
After calming down, Moses and Cheadle also looked towards Rat Jewel.
In their eyes, the Aura at the end of Rat Jewel's tail did not seem special, and they could not feel any threat from it.
Hawk did not explain, and simply deactivated his ability.
"One-Way Road."
A green arrow mark appeared on Rat Jewel's head.
At the same time, the Aura at the end of its tail silently generated fine blood threads on its surface, covering the Aura at an extremely fast speed.
"Chirp."
Rat Jewel made a soft sound.
Before the sound could fade away, the Aura, covered in blood threads, withered like a deflated balloon, and finally disappeared.
At the same time, the black resentment, like earthworms, quietly emerged from various places on Hawk's face, neck, and arms.
Following that, Hawk began to age.
The flesh on his face became loose and sagged, many wrinkles appeared on his forehead, and his thick sideburns turned white.
In just a second or two, his originally robust figure unexpectedly shrunk.
Seeing Hawk's sudden change, Moses, Cheadle, and Eriselle were all shocked.
Aging, dying, turning to dust.
This was the cost that the 'Libra' had poured onto Hawk.
What was even more frightening, this cost would also be passed down through the bloodline.
In other words, once Hawk dies, this aging phenomenon would be transfered to Moses.
"Mr. Eriselle, please take care of this resentment attached to me."
Hawk's voice became much hoarser, but it didn't conceal his anticipation.
Eriselle's eyes trembled, staring blankly at Hawk.
Today's events had deeply shaken him.
"I…"
Eriselle hesitated.
He wanted to refuse, but the pride he had developed over the years was pulling his thoughts.
"I'll try…"
In the end, Eriselle didn't refuse.
The aged Hawk breathed a sigh of relief, 'At least, there was hope now.'
"Hawk."
Moses quickly stepped forward, supporting Hawk's aged arm, his eyes filled with complex emotion.
To exorcise or not—
The choice given deep in his consciousness seemed to be an instinctive response, without any sense of disparity.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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