"So, you think you've got me cornered?" Kevin asked.
"Ha, you wouldn't think..." The hoodlum had just opened his mouth when Kevin shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"Li..." The hooded man reacted the quickest and was about to warn the others, but it was already too late.
Kevin's speed was astonishing. His target was clear, and he had already launched his attack first.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of the bandaged man.
From the beginning, the bandaged man stood in the lead position, making it easy to deduce that he was likely the strongest of the three.
Moreover, the ability shown in his information was also the most troublesome.
Kevin had even judged him to be a 『Manipulation System』 user based on that information.
Taking down the controller first was never a problem.
Since it was a sneak attack, the most troublesome opponent should naturally be dealt with first.
"So fast!"
That was the first thought that flashed through the bandaged man's mind.
As a Nen user, his reaction speed was not slow.
When Kevin suddenly rushed toward him, the bandaged man had already instinctively begun to defend.
But it was already too late to dodge.
A large amount of bandages shot out from his collar. They seemed to have been wrapped around his body beforehand, and now they rapidly overlapped in front of him, forming something like a shield.
Kevin gathered Nen, exerted force, and threw a punch.
The moment he reached the bandaged man, he swung a fierce hook.
"Bang!"
A loud explosive sound echoed out. The tremendous impact sent dust rising into the air, instantly obscuring the entire scene.
"What kind of power is that!"
Seeing this, the hoodlum quickly darted to the side and couldn't help shouting in shock.
This level of power was simply unimaginable.
Is this something a human could do?
While retreating, he pulled a pair of twin swords from behind his waist. His eyes remained fixed on the dust-filled area ahead, afraid of missing any movement.
"Where are you looking?"
Kevin had already appeared beside him.
The instant he threw his punch and struck the opponent, he had already rushed toward his second target, using the exploding dust as cover.
With the help of the surprise attack and the dust cloud, he circled to the hoodlum's blind spot.
The hoodlum's eyes widened. In that moment, it felt as if his heart had stopped beating.
"Get lost!"
Although sudden fear surged in his heart, his movements did not slow.
The machete in his right hand drew a silver arc as it slashed fiercely toward Kevin.
"Clang!"
A crisp metallic sound rang out as if the blade had struck steel.
The hoodlum turned his head, and the sight before him made his eyes widen in disbelief.
"Impossible! You actually blocked it with your body!"
The hoodlum's Nen ability was called 『Dancing Arms』. It could greatly strengthen his hands, increasing their power, speed, flexibility, and control. It could even reinforce the weapons he held.
Perhaps he didn't know the concept of Ren, but based on his needs, he had already mastered this technique.
However, his confident slash felt like it had struck a solid metal wall when it hit Kevin's arm.
It did not move at all.
The impact even produced a metallic sound.
Kevin swung his right arm.
The weapon reinforced with Ren instantly shattered, breaking into several pieces that scattered across the ground.
"A Strengthening System user, huh," Kevin said as he threw his left fist forward.
Seeing this, the hoodlum quickly raised the blade in his left hand to block.
His Nen ability had indeed provided excellent reinforcement to his hands, allowing him to react instantly in such a situation.
He had a strong premonition.
If he failed to block this punch, he would never get another chance.
"Bang!"
Another thunderous explosion sounded.
The blade could not withstand the force and shattered.
The broken fragments were driven forward by the punch and embedded themselves into the hoodlum's body.
His entire chest instantly caved in.
The hoodlum was blasted away like a cannonball, smashing into the ground before sliding across it and carving a long trench.
Blood stained the ditch.
Clearly, even though he had blocked the attack, he had not escaped unscathed.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Sharp sounds of air being cut came from the side.
Even without looking, Kevin relied on his keen senses and quickly crouched down, easily dodging the attack.
Two throwing knives whizzed past his ears. One almost grazed his cheek.
Fortunately, the hexagonal Nen protective layer on his face blocked it, producing a crisp sound as the knife bounced away.
After dodging, Kevin casually caught one of the throwing knives and immediately threw it back with force.
"Whoosh!"
The knife sliced through the air, drawing a dazzling silver arc.
"Bang!"
Like an armor-piercing bullet, it slammed into a large tree, blasting a fist-sized hole through the trunk.
The tip of the blade even protruded from the other side.
The hooded man, who had barely dodged the attack, broke out in cold sweat.
"Damn it! What kind of monster are you!"
He roared loudly, his previous relaxed attitude completely gone. Only fear remained.
Suddenly, the hooded man swung his arms several times toward Kevin before turning and running without hesitation.
Several throwing knives flew out, each wrapped tightly in Nen.
To Kevin, however, they were only distractions.
The real danger lay in the nearly invisible Nen bullets hidden among the knives.
This was an application of Emission-type Nen. The daggers served as cover for deadly attacks concealed within them.
These attacks were aimed at the directions an opponent would normally dodge toward.
Kevin had seen through it from the very beginning.
"Monster. He's a monster!"
The hooded man screamed in his heart as fear drove him to run faster.
He desperately tried to escape this terrifying place.
The reason the three of them fought together was because their abilities complemented one another.
The hoodlum appeared thin and weak, but his body was extremely tough, and he was highly flexible in weapon combat.
He could restrain opponents effectively, buying time even if he couldn't defeat them.
The bandaged man, who took the lead, could control the bandages wrapped around his body.
Although they looked fragile, they were incredibly tough and played a major role in both support and control during battle.
Their attacks were flexible, varied, and powerful.
As for the hooded man himself, he specialized in accurately throwing knives and firing Nen bullets from a distance.
He could harass the enemy and seize the chance to deliver a fatal blow.
This tactic had worked countless times before.
But today, they had encountered a monster who completely crushed them.
The hoodlum might not have clearly seen what happened, but the hooded man had witnessed Kevin blow the bandaged man away with a single punch.
Judging from that impact, the bandaged man probably would not get up anytime soon.
As for the hoodlum, who had the strongest close combat ability among them, he was completely helpless in front of Kevin.
Two or three moves were enough to send him flying.
The difference in strength was absolute.
This was an enemy he simply could not fight.
So the hooded man chose to run without hesitation.
He only wanted money to enjoy life, not to die here.
"Whoosh!"
Another sharp sound of air cutting through the wind came from behind.
"How is this possible? Dodge! Dodge!"
He screamed desperately in his mind, trying to control his body to evade.
But fear and panic made him lose control.
All he could do was run forward blindly.
He suddenly remembered something his Hunter father once told him.
"Facing a beast, turning your back and running means death."
A sharp pain pierced his back.
The dagger he had thrown earlier was now deeply embedded in his back. Even the hilt had sunk halfway in.
With a dull thud, the hooded man collapsed onto the ground.
His vision blurred. His body felt weak.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Kevin slowly walked over and crouched down in front of him.
"I'm a kind person. But I won't show mercy to people like you.
Alright. Close your eyes obediently.
Just remember not to do this kind of thing in your next life. There are plenty of other things you could learn. Why choose to be a gang thug?"
After speaking, Kevin dragged the hooded man's body back to the earlier battlefield.
He lined up the three bodies side by side, searched them, and found a cell phone on the bandaged man.
"Where are the car keys? I hope they didn't leave them in the car," Kevin muttered. He planned to use their vehicle to reach the airport later.
He picked up the phone, briefly checked through it, and found the information he needed in the recent call records.
After thinking for a moment, Kevin edited a message and sent it.
『Hehe, I'm coming for you.』