Chapter 185 A Battle Where Retreat Is Forbidden
Beyond was like a younger version of Netero.
Though exceptionally skilled in martial arts, he lacked the lifelong dedication and ascetic training that Netero had maintained for decades.
Because of that, he could never reach Netero's level.
As long as Nen remained tied to one's spirit and mind, there would always be a gap between them in terms of Nen mastery.
The same applied to Haze.
However, Haze deliberately weakened the influence of his spirit over his Nen because he knew he could never train as relentlessly as Netero.
For that reason, he wanted to transform his original Nen ability into the three types he now possessed.
His current Nen, which collected souls, could passively strengthen him.
There was no need to temper one's will to an extreme degree.
He… had taken a shortcut.
Among those fighting here, Beyond's physical body was by far the most monstrous.
Netero had been old by then.
Take that last strike, for example:
Haze could have used Nen to neutralize and defend, but the sheer impact of Beyond's physical power would have amplified Haze's Nen to its limits.
Without the armor and body-tempering techniques he had accumulated, Haze would have lost at least an arm.
Beyond could judge physical strength and so could Haze.
But Beyond was likely mistaken…
Because Haze's current physical attributes didn't include attack range, critical hit rate, armor, or other stats.
Those were additional abilities.
The massive ghostly mist descended again, engulfing the area.
Beyond attempted to sweep it away with his sword… but this time he failed.
First, his Nen control had become less fluid Haze's pressure point manipulation was taking effect.
Second, one of his hands was numb, preventing him from gripping the sword with both hands and reducing his strength.
Crucially, Haze increased his Nen output, causing a slight transformation in the sea of fog.
The mist, previously formless, now seemed liquid, heavier…
And even the ghosts floating around Beyond, whose faces had been vague, suddenly appeared clear like living people.
Boom!
Even so, Beyond's sword movements were still lightning fast.
Huge inverted arcs of black aura carved through the thick fog, temporarily opening wide empty spaces…
But only enough to try to locate Haze.
Haze's presence had vanished entirely from his perception.
En!
The changes in the ghost mist made using Nen even harder, but Beyond still expanded his En outward, covering a radius of one hundred meters.
He realized that although Haze could attack at range, the distance was limited to about ten meters.
Even if the fog dulled his senses, it couldn't completely block Nen his En remained effective.
And one hundred meters was far beyond Haze's attack range.
If Haze appeared, Beyond would sense it instantly.
There was also a limitation to such ranged attacks.
When Haze had severely injured Beyond's arm earlier, the technique used required physical contact.
"In other words… if it involves variations and complex techniques including Nen abilities… it can't be fired at range. That kind of method requires simplicity.
A simple attack method is the only one that remains effective at a distance."
Beyond understood.
He swung his sword fiercely.
From above, the scene was terrifying.
A colossal black shadow, born from his thoughts, towered within the sea of mist, raising and lowering its sword again and again.
Each strike unleashed a terrifying shockwave that sent the thick green fog surging.
Ghostly figures nearby couldn't even approach they scattered instantly under the immense pressure, dissolving into spirals of aura.
"Using the unchanging to counter endless change…
He thinks that within the fog's range, nothing can escape my perception."
One hundred meters away, Haze stood in a horse stance and took a deep breath.
His eyes pierced through the fog, focusing on a specific direction.
Suddenly, the sound of a heartbeat filled the air like an engine revving up.
The frequency rose steadily, the pounding becoming deafening.
He had pushed his breathing technique to its extreme, overloading his body.
Forcing the heart to pump blood at dozens of times its normal rate within seconds...
This was a form of self-inflicted injury.
And it could have serious consequences.
Since learning this breathing technique, Haze had never used it like this always gradually, letting his body adapt little by little.
He had only used it briefly during his training with Netero before the Hunter Exam…
Haze's expression changed.
A terrifying surge of blood-heat flooded his body, his pupils turning bloodshot instantly, veins bulging across his forehead.
Every muscle swelled and expanded.
The heat radiating from his body distorted the surrounding light and air.
"Step…"
Haze's lips moved. He took one step.
The moment his foot landed, the ground caved in, forming a crater two or three meters wide, hurling mud and stone into the air.
"Open… Dragon Spine…"
As he spoke, the bones in his body seemed to expand, crackling loudly.
Especially his back his spine roared like thunder.
"Divine Fist!"
He clenched his right fist and let his arm hang at waist level.
Against an opponent like Beyond, even with attack range, ordinary movements wouldn't injure him much less while he had En active.
It wasn't that Haze's ranged attacks were useless or unrelated to Enhancement.
It was simply…
Haze's level wasn't yet high enough to kill a monster like Beyond instantly.
He could kill previous Phantom Troupe members, though.
This was a matter of raw strength.
Once his Nen advanced far enough, he could deliver a killing blow to Beyond.
Therefore, he needed to penetrate Beyond's En and, before the man could notice or react, cross one hundred meters at unimaginable speed to close the distance.
Like a normal human facing a bullet:
He can see the muzzle but he cannot dodge.
"Seven-Star Shift."
This was a footwork technique Haze learned later from the system and rebuilt through experience.
One step generated speed; Seven-Star Shift shortened the distance.
With an explosive crack, Haze vanished from his spot…
This time it wasn't Flash Flash couldn't be used continuously.
But the power he unleashed felt identical.
Where Haze disappeared, a wave of earth several meters high erupted, the ground unable to withstand his force…
His speed was so great that even his shadow seemed to vanish, leaving a vacuum through the ghost mist.
"He's there!"
Standing within the fog, Beyond sensed the movement before Haze attacked his hearing was incredibly sharp.
In the Dark Continent, even the smallest mistake could mean death.
"Ha!"
Beyond felt a chilling sensation of danger…
A terrifying creature was rushing toward him!
He laughed deeply.
His heart tensed to its limit.
He swung his massive sword in one hand, releasing all his power in a downward slash.
A direct hit!
His intuition wouldn't fail him!
Time seemed to slow.
He saw Haze a bolt of lightning bursting through the mist and charging at him.
He saw Haze's twisted expression, his unnatural body condition.
He understood…
This kind of attack meant the destruction of one's own blood and body.
"You really are insane!"
(End of chapter)