[The Jungle]
Illumi made a grasping motion with his hand.
Twitch.
Normally, any target hit by his Nen needles would become a puppet instantly.
But Ryker kept walking.
Ineffective?
Why?
My aura is active. The needles are embedded.
Why isn't he stopping?
Illumi frowned—or tried to, but his broken face just spasmed.
He tried to pull the strings again. Control!
Nothing.
"What are you looking at? Trying to say hello to daddy?" Ryker grinned savagely.
His muscles tightened like steel cables.
[Iron Tank] (Gold)!
[Absolute Will] (Red)!
[Divine Strength] (Red)!
Are you kidding me?
Ryker had slaughtered hundreds of demonic boars to stack his armor. He had Netero's Red-tier willpower.
Illumi's little sewing needles couldn't even tickle his nerves, let alone override his brain. Netero could control his own muscles to close severed arteries; Ryker could reject foreign aura through sheer grit.
"Too small! Your needles are too small!" Ryker roared.
Explosive Step.
Charged Heavy Punch.
His right fist glowed red-hot again.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Illumi.
The air screamed.
Ryker exerted so much force that his muscles swelled, snapping the needles embedded in his skin and launching them outward like shrapnel.
Illumi's face finally changed.
BOOM!
A catastrophic explosion.
A heatwave rolled through the jungle like a bomb blast.
This punch was even more violent than the first.
Trees snapped. The ground shook.
Illumi was launched like a ragdoll. He flew fifty meters, smashing through two thick tree trunks before crashing into the dirt, leaving a bloody trail.
Smoke rose from Ryker's fist. The red glow faded.
"Weakling!" Ryker spat toward the dust cloud.
[DING! You have defeated Illumi Zoldyck.]
[Rolling for Copy (10%)...]
[Trait: [Strong Luck] (Purple) triggered! Luck Resonance!]
[Copy Successful! Acquired: [Lethargy] (Green)...]
[DING! [Strong Luck] Double Tap Triggered! Bonus Roll!]
[Forced Copy Successful! Acquired: [Taijutsu] (Gold)!]
Gold!
Ryker's eyes lit up.
Awesome!
[Strong Luck] is broken! A Double Tap?!
It was just a Purple trait, but its utility was god-tier. It turned a trash roll (Lethargy) into a jackpot.
Trait: [Taijutsu] (Gold)
Effect: Mastery of Zoldyck-style martial arts. Silent movement, rhythm echo, joint manipulation, and lethal efficiency.
Knowledge flooded Ryker's mind. Decades of torture training, muscle memory, and assassination techniques became his instantly.
Ryker walked to the end of the trench.
There was a hole in the ground.
Illumi had used [Burrowing] to escape. There was blood on the rim.
"As expected of a Zoldyck. Even running away is stylish," Ryker sneered.
You couldn't beat me today. You'll never beat me now.
Ryker picked up the badge Illumi dropped.
#301.
Score: 6 points.
Mission Complete.
He pocketed the badge.
Now to find Hisoka...
Fighting Hisoka would be harder. Illumi lost quickly because he underestimated Ryker (using 30% power against 100% power) and was handicapped by his disguise. Hisoka wouldn't make that mistake.
Plus, Hisoka didn't rely on manipulation needles. Bungee Gum was a trickier beast.
Wait. Where's my radar?
Ryker realized he had left Ponzu behind.
She's probably waiting at the boat.
He turned to leave, glancing at his shredded right sleeve.
[Divine Strength] was too powerful for normal clothes. His jacket was in tatters, revealing his ripped physique.
I need a spatial inventory trait. Or stretchier clothes.
[The Shore]
Several groups of candidates had disembarked.
Ponzu stood by the gangplank, trembling but steadfast.
She hadn't received orders, but she knew her role: Tool.
Tools waited for their masters.
BOOM.
A distant explosion echoed from the jungle.
"Damn! What was that? A bomb?"
"Are bombs allowed?"
"No way. None of us brought explosives."
"Wasn't that where Ryker went?"
"Forget it! Run! If we meet whatever made that noise, we're dead!"
The candidates scattered into the woods, ignoring Ponzu. She held a 1-point card; she wasn't worth the trouble.
"Ponzu! You haven't gone in yet?"
Gon and his group finally walked down the plank.
"I... I'm waiting for Ryker-sama," Ponzu stammered.
"I'm going ahead. Tell Ryker-bro I said hi."
Killua walked past, hands in his pockets.
He was here to test himself, not to be babysat. Relying on Ryker for the license defeated the purpose.
"Me too. Be careful," Kurapika nodded and vanished into the trees.
"Ah, geez. I'll go too then. Ponzu, aren't you coming?" Leorio asked.
"I... I have to wait."
"Fine. We'll wait with you for a bit," Gon offered.
"Gon, Ryker is probably deep in the jungle. If we want to find him, we have to go in," Leorio argued.
They waited a few minutes. Ryker didn't appear.
"We have to go, Gon," Leorio urged. "The island is big. We need time to find our targets."
"Okay..." Gon looked back at the jungle one last time. "Bye Ponzu! Stay safe!"
Gon and Leorio ran off.
The shore was empty.
Only Ponzu remained, standing alone on the sand, clutching her hat.
Read ahead with 30+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Authorizz