"Everyone! Stop!"
Ryker suddenly stepped in front of the crowd, blocking the path into the forest.
"Hey kid! Get out of the way!"
"Who do you think you are?"
"Wait... that's the guy who punched someone into orbit..."
"Uh... Mr. Ryker? What's going on?"
The candidates grumbled. Some, like the Wrestler Todo or the Blowdart User Geretta, fingered their weapons, annoyed by this delay. They wanted to hunt, not listen to a speech. But the memory of Ryker's earlier display of force—launching a man like a trebuchet—kept them from attacking.
They decided to listen. For now.
Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio looked nervous. Antagonizing 100 elite candidates was a bold strategy, even for Ryker.
"Ahem," Ryker cleared his throat. "I've heard about this forest. The 'pigs' the examiners mentioned aren't farm animals. They are highly aggressive Magical Beasts. For most of you, fighting them is a death sentence."
"So, I have a request."
Ryker smiled pleasantly.
"When you find a pig, do not kill it. Instead, call me immediately. I will personally subdue it for you."
"If anyone kills a pig without my permission... well, that means you didn't listen to my advice."
"And people who don't listen to advice..."
Ryker clenched his fist.
[Monstrous Strength] (Gold).
He didn't hit anyone. He just punched the ground.
BOOM!
The earth didn't just crack; it liquidated. A shockwave rippled outward, blasting a crater five meters wide and two meters deep into the solid earth. Trees nearby shook, shedding their leaves in fear.
The candidates turned pale.
Even the tough guys like Todo felt their bladders tighten.
That's... that's not human strength.
If that hit me... I'd be paste.
"Understood?" Ryker beamed.
"Y-yes! Absolutely!"
"Understood, Boss Ryker!"
"We will report all sightings to you, Boss!"
"Boss Ryker is so kind! He wants to protect us!"
The crowd flipped instantly. In the face of absolute power, submission was the only survival strategy. Suddenly, Ryker wasn't an arrogant kid; he was "Boss Ryker," the benevolent protector.
Of course, Ryker didn't care about their safety. He cared about the Kill Steals.
If these idiots killed the pigs, he couldn't farm the XP. He needed the Last Hit.
"Ryker... what are you doing?" Gon whispered, confused.
"You'll see," Ryker sighed dramatically. "I just can't bear the thought of innocent people dying in this forest."
"AHHH! BOSS RYKER! HELP!!"
A scream cut through the forest.
Everyone turned.
A candidate came sprinting out of the brush, screaming in terror. Behind him, the ground shook.
Rumble... Rumble...
A beast the size of a dump truck burst into view. It was pink, covered in muscle, and had a nose as hard as a battering ram.
The Great Stamp.
It plowed through trees as if they were matchsticks.
"HOLY SHIT! RUN!!"
"THAT'S A PIG?! IT'S A DINOSAUR!!"
"BOSS RYKER SAVE US!!"
Panic erupted. The candidates scattered like roaches. A few brave souls tried to attack it, but their weapons bounced off its hide. The pig trampled them without slowing down, turning them into roadkill.
It was a massacre.
"Run, Ryker! There's too many of them!" Gon yelled.
Behind the first pig, a dozen more appeared. A stampede. It was a wall of muscle and rage.
"You guys go! I'll handle this!"
Ryker's eyes lit up.
Name: Great Stamp
Traits: [Great Strength] (Blue), [Thick Hide] (Blue), [Reckless] (Green)...
[Great Strength] (Blue).
This was the lower-tier version of his [Monstrous Strength] (Gold).
Which meant... Fusion Material.
"Borrowing these!"
Ryker snatched two machetes from a fleeing candidate's belt.
While everyone else ran away, Ryker ran toward the stampede.
"He's insane!"
"He's going to die!"
Ryker met the lead pig head-on.
[Godspeed] (Gold).
[Zoldyck Arts: Silent Gaits].
He moved like smoke.
Slash! Slash!
Cross Cut.
The blades flashed.
The Great Stamp, whose nose could shatter boulders, suddenly split open. A perfect X appeared on its forehead—its only weak point.
Blood sprayed like a geyser.
[You have killed a Great Stamp.]
[Acquired: [Great Strength] (Blue).]
[System Note: Converting to XP for [Monstrous Strength] (Gold)... Progress Increased.]
Warmth.
Ryker felt a surge of power flood his muscles. It worked! Farming lower-tier traits boosted his high-tier ones!
"Next!"
Ryker dove into the herd.
He was a whirlwind of steel.
Slash! Another pig down.
Slash! Another.
When the cheap machetes shattered against the thick hides, Ryker didn't stop. He threw the hilts away and raised his fists.
BOOM!
He punched a pig in the face so hard its skull caved in.
CRACK!
He drop-kicked another, snapping its spine.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
The forest echoed with the sound of breaking bones and dying squeals.
The fleeing candidates stopped running. They turned back to watch.
Jaws dropped. Eyes widened.
It wasn't a hunt. It was an extermination.
One man. Barehanded. Dismantling a stampede of monsters that were chewing through armed Hunters moments ago.
Ryker was laughing as he fought.
[Acquired: [Great Strength] (Blue).]
[Acquired: [Thick Hide] (Blue).]
[Acquired: [Great Strength] (Blue)...]
The notifications scrolled by faster than he could read.
It was glorious.