Ryker stood amidst the dissolving corpse of Bourbon, the system notifications chiming in his head like a symphony.
Double critical hit.
Luck is my best friend.
Because he plundered multiple related traits from the same target, the fusion efficiency was 100%. A standard Blue trait broke through directly to Purple.
Trait: [Beast Mastery] (Purple)
Effect: You possess a supernatural talent for taming most beasts. Innate aura of intimidation against animals. Control effectiveness scales with your spiritual/mental strength.
This is the real treasure, Ryker thought.
Bourbon was an idiot. He used this god-tier talent to run a snake circus. It was like using dynamite to light a birthday candle.
Ryker focused his mind.
He sensed the bees hovering nearby—Ponzu's bees.
He targeted one.
Obey.
Buzz.
The bee shuddered, then snapped to attention.
It zoomed forward, responding to his mental command like a drone.
First-person view mode? No, just control for now.
The range was about 2 kilometers.
"Strong," Ryker muttered. "The weaker the animal's mind, the easier it is to control. Once branded, they obey even if I stop focusing."
If he found a [Mediumship] or [Sense Sharing] trait later, he could turn every bird and rat on the island into a surveillance camera.
For now, he could just brand every predator in the jungle and create an army.
Ponzu retched again, but her eyes were shining.
She had won. Or rather, she had been carried to victory by a monster.
The Amori Brothers, however, were pissing themselves.
Literally.
The youngest brother had wet his pants.
Bourbon killed people with poison snakes. That was scary.
Ryker turned people into goo. That was demonic.
And just moments ago, they had insulted him. Called him a dog.
Now, their spines felt like ice.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Without needing a prompt, the three brothers dropped to their knees in perfect synchronization.
Then they started banging their heads on the ground.
"Lord Ryker! We were wrong! It was my mouth! I'll slap it! Brother, slap me!"
"I said it too! Second Brother, slap me!"
"What about me?"
"Slap yourself! Lord Ryker! We surrender! We'll pay! Take the money!"
They were broken.
Offending other candidates meant losing the exam. Offending Ryker meant losing your molecular structure.
"Oh?"
Ryker turned slowly, his face expressionless. He just looked at them.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
The brothers slapped each other harder. Teeth flew out. Blood sprayed. They were almost stripping naked to show submission.
They swore they would never take the Hunter Exam again. This wasn't an exam; it was a horror movie.
"Kind lady! Miss Ponzu! Please! Beg for us! We have an 80-year-old mother!"
"I have a two-month-old baby!"
"Please! Mercy!"
They turned to Ponzu, wailing.
Ponzu looked conflicted, but she shook her head.
"You offended Lord Ryker, not me. It's his decision."
"Lord Ryker!!"
"Get lost," Ryker said, bored. "Vanish from my sight in 10 seconds."
The brothers froze, then scrambled up like startled rats.
They didn't run toward the extraction point. They ran toward the ocean.
They would rather swim back to the mainland than spend another second near Ryker.
Ryker wasn't a serial killer. He grew up on Whale Island. He killed when necessary, or for profit. Trash like this wasn't worth the XP.
"Ponzu. Grab the badges."
[Deep Jungle - Hidden Observer]
"Hehe. Your fruit seems ripe. Are you going to harvest it?"
Illumi spoke mechanically, watching Ryker from the shadows.
"Not yet... not yet perfectly ripe," Hisoka moaned, his face flushed. "His Nen is still too weak. I want to taste him when he reaches his peak... that is the dream..."
"He might break your teeth when that happens," Illumi warned.
"Dying by his hand... wouldn't that be bliss?" Hisoka shuddered with pleasure.
[Extraction Point]
For a while, no one approached the clearing. Or rather, they approached, saw Ryker, and hid like Hisoka.
Ryker was about to go hunting when he heard familiar voices.
"Ryker-bro!!"
Gon ran out of the trees, waving.
Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio followed.
"Ryker-bro! Do you have enough points?" Gon shouted. "We have two extra!"
"Uh..." Ryker blinked.
Two extra?
Damn. The protagonists are efficient.
"I'm good," Ryker smiled. "Glad you guys made it."
Behind a nearby tree, Hanzo wiped sweat from his bald head.
Phew. Close one. I didn't want to fight Ryker. If I went out there, he might have charged me an entrance fee.
Other candidates hiding in the bushes relaxed.
"ATTENTION ALL CANDIDATES! THE FOURTH PHASE HAS ENDED! PLEASE PROCEED TO THE EXTRACTION POINT IMMEDIATELY!"
The loudspeaker blared across the island.
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the jungle.
The nightmare was over.
They didn't have to worry about the Demon King farming them for XP anymore.
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