On the road.
A crowd had gathered to observe the situation.
As regular attendees of the Yorknew Auction, they were all too familiar with the reputation of the Shadow Beasts.
So when they witnessed this battle, they assumed it was simply the Shadow Beasts carrying out the Ten Dons' orders to eliminate some enemy.
But after watching for a while, something seemed off.
"Why are the Shadow Beasts killing each other?"
Someone voiced the question on everyone's mind.
This was the most baffling aspect for most of the onlookers.
Only Nen users of Tsezguerra's caliber could discern the truth.
"Impressive."
Tsezguerra murmured to himself.
He could tell that Morrow had employed some technique to mislead Worm's judgment.
With just this one move, he not only neutralized Worm's troublesome cooperative combat ability but also redirected the damage back onto the enemy.
Though his aura strength was average and his technique slightly lacking, his tactical instincts were outstanding.
Tsezguerra couldn't help but view Morrow in a new light.
Aura strength and technique were limited by age; given time, they would naturally improve.
But refining tactical instincts was a systematic and complex process, requiring battle after battle to cultivate.
Unless one possessed exceptional talent, with thinking and awareness far beyond the norm.
It was like playing a game.
Most players needed time to learn the ropes, slowly improving through repeated matches until experience honed their instincts.
But some grasped it immediately, compensating for technical shortcomings with surgical precision in their decision-making, allowing them to surpass most players from the start.
That was the difference in mental acuity and innate awareness.
In Tsezguerra's eyes, Morrow was fighting the Shadow Beasts purely by relying on his astonishing instincts to bridge the gap in combat experience.
"Tsezguerra, it's rare to hear you praise someone like this."
From the back seat of the car, Battera glanced up at Tsezguerra outside the window.
Among all the Nen users he had recruited, Tsezguerra was the strongest in overall ability.
Aside from Tsezguerra's own subordinates, the other Nen users were relatively unremarkable, or at least, they failed to inspire much expectation in Battera.
So when Tsezguerra, the standout among them, praised a Nen user as "impressive" for the first time, even if that Nen user was just a seemingly inexperienced young man, Battera couldn't help but take interest.
Hearing his employer's words, Tsezguerra nodded. "That young man excels in certain areas. He'd actually be a good fit for Greed Island."
He wasn't just being polite.
One of the core mechanics of Greed Island was its Spell Cards, each with unique effects.
A Nen user like Morrow might not be the strongest in direct combat, but he would excel in a support role, using his sharp instincts to strategize in the blink of an eye, activating the right Spell Card at the perfect moment.
Inside the car, Battera felt a stir of excitement.
To clear Greed Island, he was willing to spend his entire fortune.
Thus, he valued every potential asset.
"Then invite him to join the clearing team." Battera was always decisive. The moment he had an intention, he made a decision in an instant.
Tsezguerra glanced at Battera and reminded him, "Extending an olive branch to him might offend the Ten Dons."
"So what?"
Battera's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "Perfect. Let's see what he's capable of."
"…"
Seeing that Battera had made up his mind, Tsezguerra said nothing more.
Although Morrow's mastery of Nen was relatively poor, Tsezguerra still hoped he would join their team to break through the challenge.
—--
On the wasteland.
Mosquito, having been struck twice by Worm, could no longer conceal his anger.
If it had only happened once, he might have let it slide.
But he had already been reluctant to endure the risk of being hit by his teammate, yet Worm had stubbornly insisted, giving him no chance to refuse.
Now, once again, he was suffering the consequences of Worm's mistake.
Under such circumstances, how could he possibly agree to Worm's demands again?
"That hurt like hell, damn it…"
Mosquito felt a burning pain on his face, the swelling from the blood congestion even slightly affecting his vision.
Worm remained silent.
His ability required more coordination from his teammates.
Now that his teammate refused to cooperate, he couldn't recklessly make decisions on his own again.
"Let's attack together."
Realizing Mosquito wouldn't give him a third chance, Worm had no choice but to resort to conventional teamwork tactics.
Perhaps out of guilt for the two previous misfires, Worm took the lead without hesitation, charging straight at Morrow the moment he stated his stance.
Seeing this, Mosquito, despite his resentment, quickly followed suit.
From this reaction, it was clear Mosquito was still a reliable teammate after all.
Morrow had been waiting for Worm and Mosquito's response.
Now that Worm had stopped burrowing underground, Morrow slightly lowered his gaze. The aura surging around him shattered like bubbles, transforming into dazzling starlight that encircled his body.
Starlight Convergence.
Confident in his imminent victory, Morrow stood at the center of the radiant starlight, as if positioned at the very heart of the universe.
It was hard to describe the sensation he felt at this moment.
It was like reaching the midgame in a match of Go, where the situation suddenly became clear; only a single, overwhelming move was needed to swiftly bring about the endgame.
My heartbeat is speeding up, and my blood feels like it's boiling slightly… I need to suppress it. I can't get too excited, or it'll destabilize "Starlight".
Morrow could clearly sense the fluctuations in his emotions.
To maintain the stability of Starlight Convergence, he had to forcibly suppress the surging excitement in his heart.
When using Starlight Convergence, his emotions had to remain rational and calm.
This psychological Limitation meant that if Morrow felt negative emotions like fear or panic during battle, Starlight Convergence would instantly collapse.
The essence of the Starlight ability was akin to walking a high wire without any safety net or room for error.
But even Morrow himself likely never anticipated...
That the true risk from this psychological Limitation wouldn't stem from negative emotions like fear or panic, but from his own excitement, even exhilaration, when overwhelming his enemies.
Morrow steadied his emotions, entering a state of perfect tranquility.
Worm, seeing the starlight swirling around Morrow, abruptly slowed his pace.
Releasing aura and dispersing it into points of light... I don't sense any threat, but there must be some kind of ability hidden within. Worm grew wary and, in an eerie motion that didn't hinder his movement, bent down to scoop up a handful of gravel from the ground.
"Wrist Rotation."
Worm adopted a posture resembling a pitcher's throw, his remarkably flexible arm drawing back before his wrist, and then his entire arm, began spinning at an unnatural speed.
The moment Worm bent to gather the gravel, Morrow immediately understood his intention.
Prepared for this, Morrow suddenly charged toward Worm the instant he assumed the throwing stance.
This move was like stealing a base before the pitch, seemingly forcing Worm to abandon his ranged gravel attack.
At this distance, there's no way you can make it in time!
Seeing Morrow's response, Worm decisively swung his arm with full force.
In the next instant,
His rapidly rotating wrist hurled the gravel toward Morrow.
Whoosh!
The shards, wreathed in aura, shot toward Morrow's vitals like high-speed buckshot.
Yet at almost the exact same moment,
A galaxy of dazzling starlight enveloped Worm just as he released the gravel.
Morrow had compressed the range of Starlight Convergence directly ahead while charging, effectively pushing the starlight from behind him forward. This expanded the normally five-meter radius of Starlight Convergence to ten meters or more in an instant.
This ability to freely alter the form of his En, similar to the Cat's Eye ability, was what Morrow employed now.
But fundamentally, it was because controlling the starlight aura particles was far easier than manipulating En.
After all, mastering En required extreme difficulty; its release speed and stable form typically demanded prolonged training, far beyond what Morrow could currently manage freely.
By advancing the Starlight Convergence's range and pre-emptively charging at Worm...
Morrow succeeded in drawing Worm into the starlight's reach at the exact moment the gravel was thrown, all while maintaining the initiative.
This was the true purpose behind his "stolen base" maneuver.
The prerequisite for his ability's activation was now fulfilled, like a pair of merciful giant palms gently cradling Worm.
But one step remained.
Within the starlight, Morrow's eyes gleamed with celestial light. Using Gazelle Steps to shift his position, he swung the Poultry Scarlet Knife to slash through the incoming buckshot-like gravel.
Crack!
He carved an opening through the hail of stones.
Then Morrow weaved past the remaining projectiles.
Sssk!
His clothes split at the shoulders, waist, and legs, revealing faint bloodstains on his exposed skin.
In Starlight Convergence state, Morrow's offensive and defensive aura capabilities were vastly mismatched.
Thus, even when gravel didn't directly hit him, the aura enveloping each piece extended like invisible blades, mercilessly slicing through Morrow's pitifully thin protective aura.
This still counted as landing hits.
Yet the number of gravel pieces Morrow dodged far exceeded ten.
Seeing the gashes left by the gravel's residual force, Worm prepared to press his advantage.
But just as this thought formed, the starlight aura particles surrounding him suddenly adhered to his body, transforming into faintly glowing golden chains.
"Huh?!"
Worm startled.
A counter-type binding ability? The moment this speculation surfaced in his mind, the Star Chains binding his body suddenly shattered and dispersed.
A restraining strength that didn't even last a second?
Worm was slightly surprised, then immediately noticed the scattered starlight particles visibly seeping into his own aura, quickly condensing into a cross-shaped Star Mark pattern at the center of his chest.
The brief restraint from the Star Chains had also given Morrow some room to maneuver.
Of course.
With his limited aura, he couldn't possibly launch an attack against Worm during this window.
But he didn't retract his ability either, instead sweeping the Starlight Convergence before him toward another direction.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
At that moment, the sound of something cutting through air suddenly erupted.
A sharp, elongated finger wrapped in solidified aura stabbed toward Morrow.
It was Mosquito arriving to assist.
He had seen the starlight chains appear on Worm's body and hastily activated his ability, his sole thought being to help Worm break free.
Yet a doubt flashed through his mind.
Why hadn't he been bound by starlight-formed chains like Worm when he attacked Morrow earlier?
Amidst this fleeting confusion, his extended fingertip pierced through the dense starlight.
Just as predicted.
A glint flashed in Morrow's eyes — this was precisely why he hadn't immediately retracted his ability and retreated after marking Worm.
Earlier, he had used strategy to dismantle Worm's combat advantage, indirectly affecting the battle trust between Worm and Mosquito.
Even so, when Worm charged forward as the vanguard, Mosquito, despite being struck twice by his teammate, still suppressed his anger to immediately follow Worm's combat rhythm.
This proved that Mosquito prioritized battle results over personal emotions.
Based on this, Morrow predicted that when the Star Chain ability targeted Worm, Mosquito would likely rush to assist.
Hence his prepared countermeasure.
The drifting starlight particles were scattered by the sharp fingertip as Morrow shifted positions, evading Mosquito's Piercing Mouthpart strike.
Then Morrow feigned a stumble.
Mosquito's original intent was to relieve Worm.
Seeing Morrow lose balance while dodging, he instantly swung his arm horizontally in that split second, driving his sharp finger toward Morrow.
With his ability, simply piercing Morrow's flesh would allow blood extraction.
But after several exchanges without landing a hit, he treasured every attack opportunity.
Amidst the whistling air, the aura-enhanced fingertip swept toward Morrow.
Morrow promptly steadied himself.
That's enough repetitions.
The next instant, Morrow leaped airborne, narrowly dodging Mosquito's sweeping strike.
Though this was a repeated tactic, Mosquito had anticipated it, would he really let Morrow disengage again via a Nen burst from his feet?
Thus his follow-up strike was swifter and fiercer.
Yet...
The drifting starlight particles instantly coalesced into Star Chains, restraining Mosquito's body.
"What...?!"
Mosquito's pupils contracted sharply as the chains halted his pursuit.
Unhindered, Morrow deactivated his ability.
The swirling external aura gathered back to him like a vortex as he descended, landing firmly.
After touching down, Morrow observed the Star Marks on Worm and Mosquito. No longer needing to wait for reactions, he paced sideways, subtly adjusting his stance. This positioned Worm in front while Mosquito stayed behind.
"Though I could predict your every move, your level of coordination still surprises me. Alright, it's time to end this."
Morrow raised his hand, condensing a fluorescent green Shooting Star, his tone calm as he declared the conclusion of this battle.
Without paying much attention to Worm and Mosquito's reactions, Morrow casually released the Shooting Star behind him, placing the final, decisive piece on the black-and-white chessboard.
Amid the surging aura fluctuations, the Shooting Star shot from his hand, pausing and expanding a hundred meters away.
The next moment.
The enlarged Shooting Star reversed course, streaking past Morrow's side, the gust of wind it raised fluttering his hair and clothes.
Now twice as fast, it carved a trajectory through the air.
Thanks to the reversal, Worm and Mosquito had enough time to react.
The target is me.
Watching the Shooting Star hurtle toward him, Worm had no time to consider the effect of the Star Mark on his body; he had to dodge.
Yet in the next instant, he saw the Shooting Star veer away on its own, heading toward the rear.
Worm immediately realized the true target was Mosquito, his expression shifting slightly.
A Nen bullet with tracking capabilities… and immense destructive power…
As Worm processed this, the curved Shooting Star homed in on Mosquito.
Mosquito had also initially assumed Morrow's primary target was Worm, so by the time he noticed the Shooting Star changing direction, he had little time left to react.
Damn it, I have to tank it.
With the Shooting Star closing in, Mosquito mustered all his aura, concentrating it on his raised arms.
His pupils reflected the Shooting Star's fluorescent green glow.
Then, the speck of green light in his pupils burst like fireworks.
His eyes, dyed entirely by the light, trembled for an instant, revealing sheer terror.
The next moment.
Mosquito was engulfed by a storm of Shooting Stars.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid the relentless explosions, Mosquito's body was riddled with holes.
When the explosions finally ceased, his corpse, like a torn sack, collapsed into the settling dust, dead on the spot.
!!!
Witnessing this, Worm's heart pounded violently.
He had already guessed that the Star Mark on him was the source of the tracking ability.
Then, Morrow's earlier words, "predict your every move," resurfaced in his mind.
Fragmented details from the earlier battle pieced themselves together like a shattered mirror restored, confirming Morrow's claim.
This guy… the moment he dodged my first attack, he already had this interlocking battle plan in place!
The shock in Worm's heart slowly spread across his face.
This plan accounted for both his and Mosquito's abilities, traits, and instinctive reactions.
And the moment it was set into motion was the instant he abandoned tunneling underground.
Everything had been orchestrated to ensure those starlight-like patterns were stamped onto both him and Mosquito in one decisive strike.
Is it… the number of times?
Worm suddenly grasped the condition for the Star Mark's activation.
It was precisely because the ability was tied to a count-based trigger that Mosquito had remained unharmed through several waves of attacks.
Had he realized this sooner, he wouldn't have wasted time testing with scattered debris earlier.
What should have been a limitation of the ability had instead become its most crucial factor. After quickly sorting out his thoughts, Worm's gaze toward Morrow changed, shock now mixed with fear, as if he were staring at a young monster.
At that moment, Worm lost all will to continue fighting.
If I just burrow underground, I can escape him!
Abruptly, Worm dove headfirst toward the ground in a motion resembling a dive, plunging into the earth.
Just as half his head had broken through the soil, he heard Morrow's voice.
"Hah, don't even think about running. Weren't those your own words?"
Though the remark carried no particular mockery, it now weighed on Worm like a crushing force, pressing down on his body.
But whether it was shame, anger, or unwillingness, none of it mattered.
I can't let it slow me down!
That bastard must be trying to provoke me with those words, which means my choice is the right one.
As he swiftly burrowed deeper, Worm consoled himself with this thought.
Above ground,
Morrow calmly channeled his aura, condensing a basketball-sized Shooting Star of fluorescent green energy in his palm.
But he didn't release it immediately. Instead, he compressed it further while continuously drawing more aura from his body and pouring it into the Nen bullet.
Under this process, the originally basketball-sized Shooting Star visibly shrank.
Until it was only the size of a fist.
Pop.
Suddenly, the violently compressed Nen bullet destabilized and exploded without warning.
The force sent Morrow's arm jerking backward, and he staggered several steps.
Not as easy as I thought, but this should be enough.
After the compression failed, Morrow immediately gathered his aura again, condensing the Shooting Star down to fist-size once more.
Then, he lightly tossed it into the air.
The Shooting Star rocketed upward like a missile, freezing in place a hundred meters above.
The next second...
Like a shark scenting blood, it plummeted toward the ground at an even faster speed.
From a distance, it resembled a meteor, trailing a dazzling yet deadly streak through the night sky.
BOOM!
The Shooting Star struck the ground and, propelled by its doubled velocity, pierced through the soil, homing in unerringly toward Worm.
Deep underground, Worm, who had been tunneling forward at high speed, suddenly sensed an intense tremor.
No way…!!!
In an instant, he realized what was happening and looked up.
The pitch-black soil above him was torn apart by a violent force, and blinding light engulfed his entire body.
KABOOM!
The ground trembled violently, splitting open with deep, jagged fissures.
[Lv.33 → Lv.35 → Lv.38]
Morrow glanced at the cracked earth, then at the shifting characters of the rings on the back of his hand, confirming Worm's death.
If I want to level up quickly, I really need to target higher-level opponents.
With the battle concluded, Morrow allowed his emotions to surface, a faint smile creeping onto his face.
But beneath that smile lurked an impatient, seething killing intent, directed squarely at Nolan.
First, an assassin from the Zoldyck Family, then two Shadow Beasts.
At this rate, even more troublesome arrangements might follow.
Let me think.
Morrow raised a hand to his chin.
Neither Argo nor the Hunter website could help him locate Nolan.
That left only Kalluto as his remaining hope.
With his current five billion in savings, it should be enough to "persuade" him to turn on his employer.
And with that Star Mark still active, it would be even easier. Morrow suddenly lowered his hand and turned around warily toward the driveway.
He saw Tsezguerra and Battera walking one after the other, followed by several Nen users dressed in yellow military uniforms.
They were Tsezguerra's companions.
To prevent Morrow from misunderstanding while still ensuring Battera's safety, Tsezguerra had no choice but to keep his companions at a distance.
Originally, he hadn't considered bringing all his companions, believing he alone was enough to protect Battera.
But the outcome of this battle completely overturned his initial assumption.
I'm really regressing, to think I'd hastily judge a Nen user's combat ability based solely on aura intensity and technique.
At this moment, Tsezguerra's heart was anything but calm.
The young man before him had given him a vivid lesson!
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I've worked hard to translate and publish the battle chapters on the same day, so you don't have to wait. Sooooo POWER STOOONES