Nen abilities come in countless bizarre forms.
Beyond Enhancers and Specialization Types, Conjuration abilities are arguably the most troublesome and unpredictable.
Most Conjuration abilities manifest as physical objects or Nen Beasts, each harboring unique mechanisms and special effects.
Without sufficient experience and knowledge, dealing with them often requires multiple rounds of probing and testing.
Mechanism-based abilities, in particular, are notoriously difficult to guard against.
So when the Spider Nen beast appeared, Morrow immediately identified it as the greatest threat.
But one thing could be confirmed right away.
The Spider Nen beast's ability to neutralize attacks, along with its use of segmented silk to ensnare Shooting Star and trigger the red warning light, unmistakably pointed to one conclusion:
A cumulative Conjuration ability!
It could absorb the Nen output from enemy attacks by neutralizing them.
Evidence of this lay in how the Spider Nen beast bound Shooting Star with its silk and repurposed one pair of its limbs.
Under normal circumstances, one might worry about how the accumulated Nen would eventually be utilized or what hidden dangers it might pose.
Such judgments and realizations inevitably impose psychological pressure, leading to hesitation in offense.
But that was only under normal circumstances.
Morrow remained entirely unaffected by such concerns. He was certain.
Since this cumulative ability already provided its user with direct benefits by neutralizing attacks, he, as the opponent, had no reason to fear whatever effect might trigger once the accumulation was complete.
At the very least, it wouldn't bring any negative consequences.
So there was no problem; he could attack freely.
From ordering Kalluto to probe Adam's ability, to Caleb exposing a flaw while covering for Adam, and finally Luke deploying the Spider Nen beast to neutralize what should have been a fatal Shooting Star aimed at Caleb.
This chain of reactions allowed Morrow to gather ample intel on their abilities before the real clash even began.
This was crucial.
Armed with this knowledge, Morrow cast aside all hesitation and lured Luke into attacking.
He didn't even need to worry that Luke might retreat due to the effects of Starlight Convergence.
This judgment could very well become the decisive factor in the battle's outcome!
Brilliant starlight filled the surrounding space.
Luke's Palm Blade sliced through the scattered points of light, driving straight for Morrow's vitals.
Morrow, with only minimal aura shielding his body, managed a swift backward step, narrowly evading the piercing strike.
Luke's frontal assault had missed.
And now, these mysterious, glowing motes surrounded him…
While every Nen user's temperament and approach differed, the logical move here would be to retreat temporarily and probe the nature of these starlit particles.
Yet Morrow was certain Luke wouldn't choose to retreat, on the contrary, he would only attack more ferociously.
Two reasons supported this:
Morrow was currently in his ability's activation state, his defenses so weak that even a single strike could kill him.
The Spider Nen beast's ability to neutralize attacks meant Luke could assault without reservation.
And just as Morrow predicted,
Not a trace of hesitation could be seen in the aura surging around Luke. Therefore, Morrow foresightedly employed the Rhythm Echo footwork.
In an instant, the shifts between slow and fast rhythms caused Morrow's body to sway, leaving behind a series of afterimages.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Luke's Palm Blades, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, stabbed repeatedly at Morrow's afterimages.
Miss, miss, miss, miss!
In less than a second, Morrow narrowly avoided all four of Luke's Palm Blade strikes.
Then, Morrow feigned the illusion of being overwhelmed by the pressure, retreating hastily after dodging the fourth strike to put distance between them.
A flash of cold killing intent flickered in Luke's eyes.
—--
His aura is so weak that a single strike could kill him. Though I don't know the effect of his ability, "Web Weaver" can still resolve two more crises for me. No need to hold back.
As this thought crossed his mind, Luke pressed his advantage, his attacks infused with killing intent so dense it felt tangible.
Fierce, savage!
This kind of offensive momentum, bolstered by sheer killing intent, was enough to obliterate any Nen user with weak aura output at close range.
At the very least, it could impose psychological pressure on the enemy.
If the enemy grew tense under such pressure, the resulting mental fluctuations would inevitably affect the flow of their aura.
Yet, this had no effect on Morrow.
He wasn't as unshakable as a high monk, but he wasn't so easily disturbed by such pressure either.
Morrow's toes tapped the ground as he first used Gazelle Steps to evade Luke's ferocious, killing intent-laden strike.
Then, somewhat awkwardly, he transitioned into Rhythm Echo, causing Luke's follow-up attacks to land only on afterimages.
Miss, miss, miss...!
The relentless string of misses directly triggered the effect of Starlight Convergence.
Instantly, the drifting starlight particles in the surroundings attached themselves to Luke's limbs, morphing into Star Chains that restricted his movement.
Chains?
Luke froze in place but remained calm.
Since Web Weaver showed no reaction, it meant the Chains posed no life-threatening danger.
Morrow quickly glanced at the unresponsive Spider Nen beast before decisively retracting the Starlight Convergence ability.
As the dispersed aura returned to his body, he suddenly raised his arm, palm aimed at Adam, who had already closed in, and condensed a surge of powerful aura in his palm.
—--
Here it comes!
Seeing Morrow assume an attacking stance toward him, Adam immediately halted, his expression grave as he prepared to defend.
With his current manifested Nen quantity, he could easily withstand the opponent's Nen bullet attack without exposing the asset-seizing effect of Venture Capital.
This way, he could capitalize on the "first successful strike" to inflict severe damage on Morrow while seizing as many assets as possible.
Just one hit would be enough!
That alone could secure victory.
Yes, this was the decisive move!
Adam focused intently on Morrow, who was poised to strike.
The next moment,
Morrow sidestepped, putting distance between himself and both Luke and Adam.
The concentrated aura in his palm dissipated harmlessly.
It had only been a bluff.
But Adam's reaction made Morrow's gaze seem deeply meaningful as he retreated.
Adam stared blankly as Morrow abruptly withdrew the aura he had been gathering.
Damn it!
That damned Zoldyck assassin! Adams, who had assumed a defensive stance, suddenly twitched his cheek. If looks could kill, Morrow would have been torn to shreds a thousand times over.