The massive tremors caused by the Star Rain Nen bullets impacting the ground were like noise flooding his ears, making it difficult for Worm to pinpoint his target.
However, after a brief period of adjustment, bolstered by his Nen, he had already managed to overcome the interference caused by the Nen bullets.
He was confident.
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Having the utmost trust in one's own abilities often allowed those abilities to perform at their peak.
But when faced with an opponent who defied common sense, that same confidence could lead to rare, negative consequences.
To perfectly mimic Mosquito's footstep vibrations in such a short time… It's hard to believe, but it's the truth.
Worm was absolutely certain.
Just as he dared to strike blindly based solely on the information received through Earth Listening, without worrying about accidentally hitting an ally or walking straight into an enemy's fist.
Both his personality and his ability were rooted in an unshakable self-assurance.
It was precisely this self-assurance that led Worm, after emerging from underground, to marvel at Morrow's strange ability, without ever considering exchanging intel with Mosquito.
Mosquito, on the other hand, had initially trusted Worm's ability completely, which was why he had done his best in their coordinated attack to create an opening for Worm to land a decisive blow.
This was the standard dynamic among the Shadow Beasts.
But that trust was built on the premise that "Worm would not miss."
Worm's earth-shattering punch had not only shattered Mosquito's face; it had shattered his trust as well.
So when Worm confidently asserted that Morrow had managed to replicate Mosquito's footstep vibrations in such a short time, Mosquito naturally took it as an excuse for his mistake.
Nen abilities could amplify the strengths of one's personality, but they could just as easily amplify its flaws.
In the heat of battle, Worm and Mosquito had no intention of truly communicating.
But in the end, the root cause of all this was that Morrow's countermeasures had exceeded their understanding.
The ability Starlight Convergence allowed Morrow to read every movement of his enemies, converting them into information that was directly transmitted to his brain's Processor.
This information became real-time combat intelligence.
Using this intel, Morrow could respond precisely to his enemies' attacks.
At the same time, the digitized processing method allowed Morrow to perceive subtle details in his opponents' movements, such as their force-exertion techniques and habitual actions, with unprecedented clarity.
It was like using a magnifying glass to reveal the tiniest details.
This was how Morrow had managed to replicate Mosquito's footstep vibrations in such a short time.
Three times.
Morrow landed from the air, steadying himself as he silently counted the number of times he had dodged Mosquito's attacks through Starlight Convergence.
The condition for generating a Star Mark was the number of successful dodges, and the number of dodges required depended on the difference in aura output levels between the two sides.
Against Kalluto, whose level was below 20, only one dodge was needed to apply a Star Mark.
Against a target of the same level, four dodges were required.
For every ten levels above his own, the number of dodges doubled.
In other words…
Given Mosquito's aura output level, which exceeded Lv. 40, Morrow would need at least eight successful dodges to mark him.
Let's see how you two handle this.
Morrow drew the Poultry Scarlet Knife, gripping it in his right hand, showing no intention of taking the initiative. He simply stood in place, watching Worm and Mosquito.
Starlight Convergence was more of a counter-attacking attribute, primarily manifesting in defensive retaliation. Moreover, using this ability made him more vulnerable, so when outnumbered, the last thing he wanted to face was a Nen user like Worm, who specialized in ambushes.
Now, he had already used "strategy" to make Worm and Mosquito taste defeat, planting the seed of "tactics won't work" in their minds. As long as Worm abandoned his tunneling tactics, Morrow could use Starlight Convergence without hesitation, securing victory.
There was also an unexpected gain: the combat trust between these two Shadow Beasts wasn't as solid as he had anticipated.
Morrow waited for Worm and Mosquito's reactions to determine his next move.
Just a second or two passed.
Worm hesitated but ultimately made his decision. Confidence in himself drove him to burrow underground again, leveraging his ability's advantage.
It was just one failure. If he tried once more, he was confident he could learn from his mistakes and succeed in one strike.
"I won't miss again."
Before tunneling underground, Worm didn't forget to reassure Mosquito.
Mosquito's expression shifted.
"Wait…"
He stretched out a hand, but Worm had already swiftly disappeared into the ground.
Damn bastard.
You failing once is no big deal, but I'm the one who gets hit!!!
Mosquito cursed inwardly but had no choice but to continue cooperating with Worm.
Morrow watched as Worm burrowed underground again.
Still stubborn, huh… No matter. My mastery of "Reading and Replication" will only grow sharper.
Morrow remained expressionless as he tossed a Shooting Star into the sky.
It ascended, then split apart.
A rain of Nen bullets descended once more.
Mosquito gritted his teeth and charged at Morrow.
Yet that dazzling, galaxy-like starlight flooded his vision again.
The moment Mosquito moved, Morrow also dashed toward him.
Piercing Mouthpart.
Seeing this, Mosquito activated his ability, extending his ten fingertips to seal off all of Morrow's escape routes. Having failed twice before, he had learned his lesson, this time spreading his fingers wide to create a near-area lockdown attack.
Morrow didn't have much aura to reinforce himself, but he held a Nen-infused blade purchased from the auction. Its abnormal hardness gave it the ability to block attacks.
Clang!
Morrow used the Poultry Scarlet Knife to carve a path through the ten fingers. At the same time, he leveraged the collision force to disrupt Mosquito's footing.
Amid this, the Star Rain Nen bullets struck the ground one after another, kicking up plumes of dust and water.
Morrow didn't leap into the air this time. Instead, using the Starlight Convergence ability, he retreated safely, matching Mosquito's previous step frequency and force.
At the same moment…
Amid the dense barrage of Nen bullets, a familiar sound of earth breaking mixed in.
Worm emerged.
Worm threw a punch.
Mosquito's face twisted in horror.
"Don't!!!"
Bam!
Mosquito was struck in the face, sent flying sideways like a ball, bouncing several times on the ground.
Worm froze in his punching stance, a bead of sweat rolling down his stunned face. Seeing Mosquito stop his rolling, Worm opened his mouth with difficulty and said, "Give me one more chance. I know what to do this time."
With astonishing willpower, Mosquito flipped himself up from the ground. Both sides of his face were swollen like a pig's head, and more than half his teeth were gone, yet it didn't stop him from radiating an aura of fury.
"Chance your motherfucking ass..."