Chapter 296: Convulsive Stat Point Allocation X Slaughtering Gods Like Cooking a Dish
The figure slowly left Roy's line of sight, and a leisurely hot breeze blew through the window lattice, dispersing the coldness in the bedroom.
A faint smile hung on Roy's face as he watched Silva leave. He casually glanced at the sun; there was still half a day and a night before tomorrow. Besides continuing to study his pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, he also needed to clear out the accumulated "Life Energy" and "Faith Power" in his panel one by one.
Roy's gaze followed Silva's tall back until it disappeared around the corner. He stood up, turned, and disappeared into the bathroom, turning on the shower head...
Splash... Under the sprinkling stream of water, it felt just like the sunlight outside the window shining on a person, warming them until it tickled.
In the training room on the far east side of the first floor of the Zoldyck family's ancient castle, the sound of balls being hit rang out: Bang... bang...
Zeno accompanied Netero, both having changed into capable sportswear. Across a makeshift volleyball net set up using a drying rack, they were smashing a volleyball back and forth at each other. In a flash of lightning, the volleyball was armed into a "cannonball" by the Nen aura attached by the two, specifically targeting the opponent's vitals. Even though these two old men were not of the "Emitter" type, their use of "Shu" was not inferior in the slightest to first-rate Emitter Nen users like Razor or Franklin!
This made the pupils of Beans and Luca, who were keeping score on the side, tremble wildly.
"Ho ho ho... Zeno, it seems I came at just the right time." With his white hair tied into a skyward topknot and his elongated earlobes sporting two trendy ear studs to keep up with the youth, Netero leaped into the air. His forehead nearly touched the ceiling, his right hand raised high, faintly revealing an arm of the "Guanyin of the Hundred Type," and aimed a sharp spike at the flying volleyball!
Boom! The air exploded!
The volleyball was struck with massive force, visibly flattening as it flew backward toward Zeno's face, taking no more than a breath's time!
The speed was so fast that it instantly escaped the limits of what human vision could capture!
"I don't know if you came at the right time,"
"I only know that the child Roy is even faster than I thought!"
Suddenly, a dragon's roar echoed!
It drilled out from Zeno's palm. He had taken off his usual robe printed with "One Kill a Day, Active for Life" and set it aside, but the lethal skill in Zeno's hands was undiminished. There was no fear in his eyes, nor the slightest intention of dodging. He merely opened his hands, aimed at the volleyball, and skillfully guided it.
The majestic Nen aura transformed into a winding, roaring Nen dragon. Opening its large mouth, it bit down on the volleyball, absorbing the impact while drawing a semi-circle around Zeno, then reversed direction and charged back at Netero.
Applying the "Transmuter" type to such a degree was something Beans had never even seen within the Hunter Association.
"The Zoldycks... only they can fight back and forth with the Chairman..." Wearing a crisp suit that contrasted comically with his green skin, round face, and tiny bean-like eyes, Beans was mesmerized by the situation on the court. He didn't forget to split his attention, casting one glance toward the dim little room at the corner of the first floor, and another... up the stairs toward the second floor, specifically at the bedroom where Silva Zoldyck, the current head of the Zoldyck family, was said to sleep.
Compared to when he was at the Hunter Association, his aura and mindset were visibly much more restrained.
Bang! The roaring Nen dragon was struck right in the face by Netero's backhanded punch of gratitude. With a cry of pain, the dragon and the ball were smashed together toward Zeno. Netero chuckled "ho ho", casting a sidelong glance at the second floor where Silva had gone after leaving Roy's bedroom. Exhaling freely, he said: "When you told me before that the two had agreed on a one-year timeframe, I only treated it as a joke. I kept feeling that Roy was shamelessly boasting and just needed a good beating. But now..."
Netero narrowed his old eyes. He leisurely watched the "Nen dragon," which had been repelled by his punch, get coated with another layer of Nen aura by Zeno to stabilize itself. In its anger, it swung its tail, hitting the volleyball straight toward his heart. With a sharp glint in his eyes, Netero said: "It was my eyes that were clumsy. The child... has the qualifications!"
"His name is Roy Zoldyck," Zeno said deeply, his white hair swaying. "A Zoldyck among Zoldycks!"
"Ho ho..." Netero raised his right leg high and brought it down heavily, executing another high kick to intercept the volleyball mid-air and send it back. He glanced sideways at Zeno and said: "You indeed have capital to be proud of, but as for you personally, Zeno..."
"I don't recall you, despite your noble Zoldyck status, being able to exchange blows with your grandfather when you were at Roy's age..."
"I couldn't, but could you?" Zeno's eyebrows raised. The Nen dragon extended its claw, grasping with its five talons. The spinning volleyball was stripped of its momentum, and then with a toss, it shot directly over the drying rack and fired back.
Seeing this, Netero said quite naturally: "Of course, I couldn't either."
The world only knew him as the officially recognized "Strongest Human," but little did they know that regarding the so-called "Strongest," there was no "Strongest," only "Stronger"!
The old master preferred quiet over movement. Even though he was also an "Enhancer" like him, their personalities were different, and he didn't like to fight without reason. But Netero actually knew very well that if Maha wanted to, he could strip him of the title "Strongest Human" at any time. It was just that he... disdained to do so!
Just as Zzigg had once told him... "Beneath the gods, all are ants"!
The so-called "Strongest Human" was merely a slightly larger ant.
Bang! The volleyball arrived, and Netero backhanded it back with a slap. At this right moment, the training room door opened, and two pink pigtails came into view.
Tsubone slowly pushed a dining cart into the sight of the two men. "Master, it is time to eat."
Rumble, rumble... The dining cart rolled across the floor, making a series of soft sounds.
Zeno waved his hand to dispel the Nen dragon. Taking advantage of the rippling aftermath of the Nen aura, he performed a smooth upward flick. The incoming volleyball instantly lost its momentum and landed lightly in Luca's arms.
"No more playing. Time to eat."
The covers were lifted, revealing several stir-fried dishes on the dining cart that Netero had never seen before. The old man took the towel handed to him by Beans, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, glanced at Zeno, and said: "Is this what you meant by the stir-fried dishes the child Roy researched himself?"
Heavens have mercy... He had known Roy for so long, how had he never realized this child... seemingly also had the potential to be a "Gourmet Hunter"?
As expected, is the "God-Slaughtering Hunter" planning to treat "Gods" as a dish to be cooked?
Suddenly startled by the thought that popped into his head... Seeing Zzigg not speaking, Netero picked up his chopsticks, picked up a slice of twice-cooked pork, and put it in his mouth. Opening and closing his old eyes, he savored it carefully... Imitating Zzigg, his chopsticks moved like lightning, similarly having no time to speak.
"Chairman," Beans, standing beside the two, was just about to use his chopsticks when a plate of twice-cooked pork vanished right before his eyes. His bean-sized eyes stared blankly at Netero. In just one glance... another plate of tomato and egg stir-fry was gone. He rolled his eyes bizarrely, thinking to himself: No way, is the food at the Zoldycks' really this delicious?
Refusing to believe it, Beans, who had traveled all over the world with Netero and eaten all sorts of grand feasts, quickly snatched a piece of braised pork before the plate was wiped out and tossed it into his mouth. Following that, his mung-bean-sized eyes instantly bulged like brass bells, and he was inwardly shocked: "This is simply more delicious than the gourmet food Linne makes."
"No... no... not more delicious than what Linne makes,"
It was just that the dishes were novel, things he had never eaten at her place. Coming back to his senses, Beans couldn't help but cast another glance toward a certain bedroom on the west side of the first floor, deeply suspecting... Was this really invented by the child Roy?
In a daze, before he could reach his chopsticks a second time, the braised pork was gone too. Angry enough to beat his chest and stomp his feet, he couldn't help but complain inwardly: "I just shouldn't eat with Enhancers. Every single one of them is a bottomless pit."
However, there is absolutely no regret medicine in the world, otherwise, Beans would have definitely bought some to eat.
Clang! The plates were empty, the bowls were empty. The massive dining cart was swept completely bare. In a flash, only a few pairs of chopsticks were left tossed on the countertop.
Netero contentedly took the tissue handed by Tsubone, looking at her with a smiling expression: "The little girl who always liked to follow behind Zzigg has grown up too."
Expressionless, Tsubone similarly pulled out a tissue and handed it to Zeno, saying: "The Chairman must be joking. I haven't grown up; I have grown old."
"I don't even feel old at ninety. You are only fifty; you are still young."
Tsubone smiled politely and began clearing the dishes.
Zeno wiped his mouth methodically, casually tossed the tissue into an empty bowl, shot a sidelong glance at her, and asked: "Why are you the one who came over?"
He clearly remembered that just a few days ago, Silva had assigned Tsubone to serve Roy, filling the vacancy left by the slumbering Gotoh. No matter who it was, it shouldn't have been her delivering meals for him and Netero.
"The Young Master said he wasn't hungry and would eat later."
Zeno raised an eyebrow. This didn't seem like Roy's style... He could forget anything normally, but he never forgot to eat. Unobtrusively, he deployed "En"... letting it quietly spread toward Roy's bedroom.
Hum...
The transparent "Nen dome" swept past Netero, enveloping him as well. This made him freeze slightly. Taking a look at Zeno, maintaining his composure, Netero let his Nen follow his mind. Following Zeno's lead, he deployed "En", wanting to see what the boy was doing... Who would have thought, a cold snort echoed!
Exploding like thunder!
It directly bounced his and Zeno's "En", which was spreading toward Roy's bedroom, right back!
The corners of both their eyes twitched simultaneously, followed by an angry curse: "Even eating can't block your eyes!"
"Don't look randomly at things you shouldn't be looking at!"
"That's my precious descendant, not that Beyond from your family!"
It was the grandfather / the old man!
The "En" was forced back... Netero and Zeno looked at each other, staring in blank dismay.
Maha's words were laced with Nen aura, shaking their scalps until they went numb. Although he didn't explicitly say anything, it... felt like he had said everything. In a single instant, it made Zeno and Netero realize:
Something must have definitely happened to Roy!
Zeno silently retracted his "En". Looking at Tsubone this time, he narrowed his eyes and asked: "When you delivered the meal to Roy, what was he doing?"
With her two pink pigtails draped behind her head, Tsubone quietly cast a glance toward the dim little room and answered truthfully: "I didn't see either. At the time... I only remember that the Young Master was in the bathroom."
The bathroom?!!!
Zeno's expression changed abruptly, and he instantly fell silent.
Beside him, noticing this scene, Netero feigned complete unconcern and said: "Perhaps the child had an upset stomach."
As his words fell, Zeno shot him a bizarre glare, leaving Netero completely baffled.
"Ho ho, it seems this old man misspoke."
"Not entirely wrong," Zeno cast a profound look toward Roy's bedroom. "Expelling impurities to welcome a new life. Who can say that evolution isn't a form of having the runs?"
Hum... Suddenly, a pillar of blood energy piercing the sky abruptly bloomed between heaven and earth...
Deploying "Gyo", Netero's expression changed, and he abruptly pushed back his chair and stood up!
This Strongest Human, his old eyes densely covered in time and weather, flashed with brilliant light. His gaze, like a sword, pierced straight through layers of thick walls to look at Roy's bedroom. That was the center where the "pillar of blood energy" was blooming, and also... the starting point of its bloom!
[Detection: Current "Life Energy" surplus 287 points... "Faith Power" surplus 508 points...]
[Clear all?]
In that bedroom belonging to Roy on the first floor of the Zoldyck family's ancient castle, ever since agreeing on tomorrow with Silva, Roy hadn't waited a single moment and had gone straight into the bathroom.
The boy, with his beautiful silver hair trailing glazed golden light at the tips, stood under the showerhead. As the water babbled, his wet hair draped behind his back. He opened the panel and received the prompt. Just casting a faint glance at it, he immediately began allocating points. It was different from the past. This time, Roy had learned the lesson from his previous rashness and slowly cautioned himself: "No rush, take it wave by wave."
A total of 795 points of "Life Energy" and "Faith Power" were divided by him into four waves, two hundred points per wave. Adding them wave by wave, consequently...
As the boy endured the pain of stat point allocation, pillars of blood energy, one after another, perfectly timed, bloomed in the sky above the ancient castle.
[Prompt: "Life Energy" -200... Physique +200...]
[Prompt: "Faith Power" -200... Physique +200...]
[Prompt: "Faith Power" -200... Physique +200...]
[Prompt...]
Hum...
Hum...
Hum...
One wave after another arose. Feeling that he could endure it, Roy continued to add points... He immersed himself selflessly in observing his body's condition, listening to the panel's prompt sounds playing continuously by his ears like ringing bells... completely forgetting that there were guests at home!
One pillar, two pillars, three pillars... A pillar of blood energy bloomed every so often...
Others didn't feel it. For Zoldyck butlers and maids like Luca, they only felt that there seemed to be a bit more wind today, gusting intermittently, which was actually quite cool...
Little did they know, decades after Zzigg's death, Netero, who had finally gained a rare opportunity to visit the Zoldycks, bore a solemn expression. As the corners of his eyes twitched wildly and imperceptibly, he smelled the pillar of blood energy and looked deeply toward Roy's bedroom. Finally, after the fourth "pillar of blood energy" bloomed, and without waiting for a fifth, this Chairman of the Hunter Association, the immediate superior of all Hunters worldwide, and the officially and publicly recognized "Strongest Human," quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Casting a sidelong glance at Zeno, he slightly raised his chin, gestured with his mouth toward Roy's bedroom, and said: "Is this how he usually trains?"
Zeno: "..."
For a moment, silence descended.
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