If it were simply a matter of losing one soul in exchange for greater power, it might be hard to say whether it was a loss or a gain.
But when Cluck tried again, she found that even after leaving the gray mist, the doves were slowly slipping from her control.
The Aura she had placed on them was continuously weakening. There was no need to debate it then—this was a losing trade for anyone involved. If this was the effect on controlled birds, the consequences for humans would be even more dire.
Losing one soul meant losing self-awareness; no amount of power would make up for that.
"Hmm?" Sensing a sudden fluctuation in Aura, Morel and the others turned their attention to Akira shadow. An inexplicable suction force emerged from it.
Gengar, hidden in the shadow, drew out the Death Aura from the doves—something the others hadn't even noticed. In the blink of an eye, the doves regained their vitality, their eyes once again filled with life.
They were no different from ordinary doves now.
Perhaps because they hadn't been affected for long, there was no permanent damage, and they could still be saved.
After all, this [sacrifice] was different from Melody loss of health—it involved something far more profound: the soul. Akira couldn't guarantee that healing them would fully restore their souls. But for now, as long as the exposure hadn't lasted too long, recovery seemed possible.
Seeing the doves return to normal, the group realized Akira had intervened.
Knowing his method was truly effective against the Dark Sonata influence, they couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Since there's a risk to the soul, let's start by exploring with inanimate objects." After a moment of contemplation, Morel stroked his chin, his sunglasses fixed meaningfully on the gray mist.
With the interior obscured and living beings at risk, this was the perfect time for him to act. Morel raised his heavy smoking pipe with one hand and took a deep drag, his chest visibly swelling.
"Exhale~"
Puffs of light, white smoke emerged, forming a stark contrast with the gray mist nearby. The white smoke twisted and writhed, but instead of taking humanoid forms as one might expect, it shaped itself into small rabbit figures.
The Purple Haze Rabbits, unlike the humanoid Purple Haze Soldiers, lacked offensive capabilities. But their movements were even lighter and more agile, making it effortless to create a large group, perfectly suited for reconnaissance work.
Under Morel precise manipulation, the Purple Haze Rabbits looked lifelike—at first glance, they appeared to be ordinary white rabbits. In the blink of an eye, Morel had exhaled over a hundred Purple Haze Rabbits before stopping his actions.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the rabbits hopped one after another into the gray mist.
Since the scope of this exploration was still uncertain, Morel didn't deploy Purple Haze Soldier Unit.
At this moment, according to Morel perception, there was nothing inside the gray mist.
After a few minutes, Morel finally made a new discovery.
"Got it!"
"It seems to be a ship, but... there's something off about it?" Beads of sweat faintly appeared on Morel forehead, his previously confident expression now clouded with confusion.
Even for someone as skilled as Morel, long-distance manipulation was no small burden.
"What's the situation with that ship?" Cluck hurriedly asked.
There was actually a ship in this eerie gray mist?
"It's a very large ship. After continuous scouting, the Purple Haze Rabbits confirmed that the ship is the center of the gray mist."
"In other words, that ship is most likely where the Dark Sonata is located."
"Though the ship's origin is puzzling, it's not entirely unreasonable for a ship to appear in the middle of the ocean, right?" After hearing Morel report, Cluck looked puzzled.
She felt Morel reaction seemed a bit exaggerated.
"So what's the situation on the ship? Is someone playing the Dark Sonata, or is the music appearing spontaneously?"
Halfway through her question, Cluck dismissed the possibility of someone playing the Dark Sonata on the ship. No one could possibly play the Dark Sonata continuously—the consequences would be unbearable for anyone.
In her view, it was more likely that the Death Aura of the Dark Sonata had triggered some special condition, causing it to remain in a perpetual state of being played.
"That's exactly what baffles me."
"There's nothing on that ship except the hull itself!"
"No trace of anything related to the Dark Sonata, nothing else at all. None of the people who went in earlier were seen either."
With each word Morel spoke, his expression darkened further.
Things were deviating from their expectations. How could there be nothing on the ship?
That was impossible!
The missing people could be explained away—they might have died, their bodies sinking into the sea or drifting away.
But how could there be nothing at all?
Then what had killed the earlier personnel? And how had White Pigeon nearly lost his soul?
"It seems we'll have to go in and investigate ourselves." Akira calmly gazed at the gray mist, his tone steady.
Relying solely on Morel Purple Haze Rabbits couldn't guarantee the accuracy of the information. There must still be some critical details they were missing.
Akira had a premonition—entering the gray mist this time might yield unexpected rewards!
This was the strongest premonition he had ever experienced in his life!
No matter what, he was determined to enter that mist.
Morel, Cluck and the others exchanged glances before their expressions hardened.
With Akira by their side, what was there to fear?
The Aura removal technique Akira had just demonstrated was more than enough to protect them.
"Alright, let's go in and get to the bottom of this!" With that, Morel steered the ship into the gray mist.
As the ship continued forward, everyone entered the range shrouded by the gray mist.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Akira felt an uncomfortable sensation after entering the mist.
Suddenly, an eerie melody reached their ears.
The beautiful and melodious music did not bring joy to Morel and the others, instead, it sent chills down their spines.
The principle of [Giving] and [Receiving].
Bizarre Death Aura.
An inexplicable melody.
All of this signaled to the group that what they were about to face was the infamous Dark Sonata.
Cluck ears twitched slightly as she spoke with absolute certainty
"This is the sound of a violin. It seems this time it's the violin movement of the Dark Sonata."
As a musician, even though the Dark Sonata had altered the sound somewhat, Cluck could still discern it as the timbre of a violin.
"The song of the Dark Sonata can still affect you even if you deliberately deafen yourself."
"In the past, the Dark Sonata was considered an unsolvable danger." Everyone understood why Cluck said "in the past"—because now they had Akira, who could resolve it.
Though the Dark Sonata was perilous, having Akira by their side ensured their safety.
Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing into the distance.
Not long after hearing the melody, strands of Death Aura exuding a sinister aura flew toward them from the depths. It seemed they intended to entwine themselves around the group, just as they had with the pigeons earlier.
Akira glanced thoughtfully at the surrounding gray mist. It was likely that the Dark Sonata detected living beings through this mist.
Any living creature appearing within the mist would attract the Death Aura of the Dark Sonata.
"Come out, Gengar." Under the astonished gazes of Morel and the others, a mass of purplish-black smoke emerged from Akira shadow. It looked like an oversized purple plastic bag.
Gengar crimson eyes locked onto the approaching Death Aura as it licked its lips with its large tongue.
This was all experience to boost its strength!
"Gengaarr!" Gengar let out a loud cry, then its mouth generated an intense suction force, directly drawing the Death Aura into its maw.
Even as an S- rank powerhouse, Gengar could effortlessly devour these terrifying Death Aura.
The Death Aura seemed endless, as if they were determined to wrap themselves around Akira and the others no matter what.
This, however, worked to Gengar advantage—it was like being served an all-you-can-eat buffet. Thick strands of Death Aura poured into Gengar's mouth.
It almost looked like Gengar was slurping up noodles.
"Another Nen beast?" Morel stared blankly at Gengar, comparing it to his memories. He realized this was also one of the five auras he had sensed that day!
'So it's a Nen beast that can consume Death Aura?!'
Akira Nen beasts... seem to have all kinds of abilities?
Within the gray mist, the Death Aura of the Dark Sonata were especially dense, visible even to Morel and the others.
"As expected, Mr. Akria can easily handle the disturbances of the Dark Sonata." Cluck sighed in relief.
Seeing Gengar relaxed and carefree expression, her previously anxious heart settled. It seemed that even the Dark Sonata was no challenge for Akira.
With the threat of the Death Aura gone, the group found themselves with the leisure to appreciate the song of the Dark Sonata.
It must be said that although the consequences behind it were terrifying—either losing one's health or one's soul—the singing itself was quite pleasant.
As the ship continued forward, Akira noticed some details within the gray mist.
To be precise, the mist wasn't just concealing the ship—there were also the corpses of marine creatures floating on the sea surface. These corpses were bizarre, showing no visible wounds, making it impossible to determine the cause of death.
This matched exactly the characteristics of the jellyfish corpse Akira had seen earlier at the auction house. At first, Akira hadn't understood, but now it all made sense.
Their souls had been taken by the Dark Sonata!
It didn't act on the physical body but struck directly at the soul.
Speaking of which, the Dark Sonata was truly extraordinary, capable of affecting the souls of living beings.
Perhaps in the future, he too could nurture a Pokemon related to souls. But Pokemon of that level were either Ghost-types or legendary beings.
****
Somewhere on a desolate stretch of sea, no living creatures existed here—only an eerie gray mist.
At the center of the mist loomed a massive ship.
Creak—
Morel stepped onto the deck, and the long-neglected wooden planks let out a piercing screech, echoing through the empty vessel. This was a colossal wooden ship, dilapidated in every corner, as if it had been here for ages.
The damp air had rotted many of the planks, exuding a musty stench.
"Found anything?" Cluck asked without much hope, having already searched her area to no avail. As expected, Morel shook his head—his side was just as empty.
It seemed the Purple Haze Rabbits' search hadn't been mistaken. Aside from the lingering music, there was nothing on this ship.
"Nothing on my end."
"Same here."
Knuckle and Shoot McMahon approached from opposite directions, equally empty-handed.
They had combed through the entire ship multiple times but found nothing.
Only a few smaller boats were moored beside the ship, likely left behind by previous exploration teams.
Naturally, aside from some supplies, there was nothing else on them—no trace of people.
So where had everyone gone? Had they simply died and sunk into the sea?
Morel and the others doubted it was that simple, as there was one peculiar spot on the ship.
The most bizarre place on the entire vessel!
Akira stood at the bow, arms crossed, watching with keen interest.
To his left was Gengar, continuously devouring Death Aura, while to his right stood Menchi, keeping him company.
Before Akira stood a figurehead.
If there was one thing on a ship that embodied beauty, it was the figurehead.
Sailors believed figureheads could protect both the ship and its crew. They were thought to intimidate sea monsters, enemies, or bring good fortune. Figureheads came in many forms—some shaped like animals, others like deities.
This ship's figurehead was a woman resembling Vienna from Earth. Strangely, it seemed to have suffered a violent impact, splitting it cleanly into two.
Only the lower half remained in place, still attached to the ship.
And the singing of the Dark Sonata, along with the Death Aura… It was emanating from the space above this broken, half-sunken figurehead!
Visible strands of Death Aura materialized out of thin air, attempting to fly toward Akira and the others, only to be swallowed by Gengar in the end. It seemed there was an invisible spatial entrance here, from which Death Aura continuously flowed.
No matter how you looked at it, this place was highly suspicious!
Especially this scene, which reminded Akira of his previous experience visiting the Kurta clan.
So... was this another Secret Realm?
"Indeed, there's nothing here. The problem must lie within" Morel said in a deep voice, standing behind Akira with his large smoking pipe resting on his shoulder.
Akira stood at the forefront, with everyone except Menchi obediently positioned behind him. The disparity in strength had long since established Akira dominant role within the team.
Whether to advance or retreat was entirely up to his command!
"Then let's give it a try—see if we can enter and exit this place!" Akira lips curled into a playful smile.
If this truly was a Secret Realm, perhaps he could gain another Mega-Evolved Pokemon this time!
Cluck nodded slightly and casually waved her hand, sending several white pigeons flying toward the spot. Since the Death Aura were all absorbed by Gengar, the pigeons remained unaffected and could move freely.
Under everyone watchful gaze, the moment the pigeons reached the spot, it was as if they had touched something, suddenly stirring ripples in the air.
Then, their bodies vanished on the spot.
It seemed this was indeed the same as a Secret Realm!
Suppressing her shock, Cluck quickly manipulated the pigeons to fly back. After just a brief moment inside, she felt she was on the verge of losing control over them.
Because the space inside was filled with Death Aura and without Gengar to absorb them...
A short while later, the pigeons that had flown in returned, proving that entry and exit were possible.
"It seems we can come and go freely" Akira murmured softly.
With no lingering concerns, they could now enter without worry. Considering the influence of Death Aura inside, Gengar took the lead, with Akira and the others following closely behind.
In fact, Akira even released Mega Sableye, fearing Gengar alone might not be efficient enough.
A two-pronged approach!
Morel and the others had already grown accustomed to Akira casually summoning Nen beasts.
They simply think his Nen beasts is limitless!
The moment Akira stepped through the entrance, what surprised him most wasn't the strange surroundings.
But the two Incubation Bars that had suddenly appeared in his mind!
This was the first time he had encountered two Incubation Bars appearing simultaneously!
This meant two new Pokemon would be born.
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