C-Rank Ant Division Commanders already surpass most ordinary Nen users. Non-elite Hunters and even the highly talented members of the Phantom Troupe would be completely unable to deal with them.
What's more, what appeared before them was... an endless, boundless legion of C-Rank "Crazy Lice"!
"Hoho... It seems I'll have to get serious." At this time, Netero was at the peak of his life. This trip to the Dark Continent was for two reasons: one, accepting the request of the Kukanyuu Kingdom to search for [Triaqua]... and two, and most importantly... Netero wanted to challenge his limits, venture into the Dark Continent, and spar with even stronger masters!
"Here they come!" Linne held her pot as a shield in one hand and her ladle as a sword in the other, her gaze fixed intently on the front. Beside her, Zigg was at ease, tilting his head to look at Roy. "Young man, aren't you going to run?"
The appearance of the Sandworm had already scared many people witless. Some had just managed to calm down when they saw the gigantic lice covering the mountains and fields, opening their sharp mouthparts and charging over with a thunderous rumble. Those with weaker mental fortitude rolled their eyes back and fainted on the spot. However, would running solve the problem?
The ship they landed on had long been smashed by the Sandworm's tail. Otherwise, where would the "dinghies" and "rudders" have come from?
Ultimately, people must face reality. Roy remained silent, extending his right hand to materialize an Asauchi, gripping it firmly. Instead of retreating, he advanced, charging directly toward the swarm of lice, raising his hand to unleash a soaring slash wreathed in flames!
Great-Grandfather had reminded him this morning, 'The greatest truth is the simplest.' The young man had a belly full of ideas he hadn't yet been able to implement. He chased after his slash, being the first to rush into the swarm of lice, drawing his sword and cutting!
"Hoho... He's quite impatient."
"Isn't that commendable courage?"
"I actually think... the young man's swordsmanship is pretty good..."
Netero, Linne, and Zigg exchanged a knowing glance. One radiated the light of the Buddha, one held a pot and ladle, and one displayed a hand blade. They followed closely, charging into the swarm of lice. From a high-altitude perspective, they each formed a distinct line, separated clearly.
"Clang..."
'Such a hard shell!'
Roy's single strike aimed at a Crazy Louse's head produced a sharp clang, like chopping into fine steel reinforced with [Ken]!
The blade violently rebounded, almost slipping from his grasp, but Roy quickly flipped his wrist mid-air and held it steadily again!
He inwardly clicked his tongue. Each of these lice was no weaker than the Pig-headed Men like Sajin and Gordian he had encountered in the Hunter Exam illusion. Perhaps... they were inferior in intelligence, but merely relying on their thick shells fully coated in [Ken] to charge ferociously was something that would be difficult for an average Nen user to withstand...
"Arthropod insects typically have weak points in their abdomen and mouthparts. If you can't cut through the shell, try elsewhere."
Zigg pierced a louse's head with a [Snake Charmer] reinforced with [Ken], then backhanded to summon several [Biscuit Soldiers] wearing horned helmets, carrying greatswords, and sporting long, bushy beards. They ducked low to the ground and plunged directly into the lice's abdomens, followed by several shrill, agonizing cries...
Seeing this, Roy fell into thought. A swamp suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and in a flash, he sank into the ground. This made Zigg, Netero, and Linne, who had been paying attention to him, narrow their eyes, slightly surprised.
Spatial-type Nen abilities are rare...
Netero smacked one louse away with a palm, then kicked another that tried to bite him from the side. After that... his 'fists', 'palms', 'elbows', and 'legs' completely ignored the lice's hard shells. Relying purely on brute force, he carved a bloody path through the swarm!
Looking back at the young man's direction... Roy was progressing even faster than he was. Relying on [Swamp Space] to move secretly underground, and using [En] to track the lice's positions, he was like the [Biscuit Soldiers], deliberately targeting the soft underbellies of the swarm. He would pop up, stab one to death, and then disappear. Compared to the 'Enhancer' 'Strongest Human' who only knew how to 'fight head-on,' he was saving both time and effort, having successively stabbed six or seven to death in no time. [PROMPT: LIFE ENERGY +5 +5 +5... (NOTE: NON-INTELLECTUAL SPECIES), LIFE ENERGY HALVED...]
"This guy is simply the bane of these shelled magical beasts," Linne said, using her iron pot to send one louse flying. She then used her ladle to smash the mouthparts of another louse attacking her, keeping a sliver of her attention constantly on Roy. A glittering light flashed in her beautiful eyes.
"Hiss..." White blade in, red blade out. Wherever the swamp appeared, the 'God of Death' was at work... Zigg was closest to Roy, seeing more clearly than Netero and Linne that the young man's stabs seemed to be taking a shortcut, yet there seemed to be a deliberate consideration between each strike, indicating that he... was thinking!
Perhaps it was the Zoldyck's innate sensitivity, or maybe it was because they were both 'Conjuration' types and understood each other better than other types... Zigg's feeling was correct. Roy was thinking and also experimenting...
He was trying to combine [Swamp Space] and the [Sword] to create a swordsmanship technique unique to himself... Since [Scorching True Intent] combined with the [Sword] and [Ken] could merge into Zanka no Tachi... and [Magnetism] combined with the [Sword] and [Ken] could merge into [Gravity Blade · Rising Dragon]... there was no reason why [Swamp Space] and the [Sword] couldn't combine. In the midst of his contemplation, the young man's 'trickster' slaughter finally incurred 'public wrath'!
Accompanied by a world-shaking roar from the Sandworm... the moment Roy reopened the swamp, dozens of lice suddenly curled into a ball, collectively burrowing into the swamp with him. [EARTH ESCAPE SHARING...]
[SYMBIOTIC LENDING...]
As the host, the Sandworm seemed capable of lending its innate Nen ability to the Crazy Lice. Seizing the opportunity of Roy's underground escape, it lent one of its innate Nen abilities, [Earth Escape], to the Crazy Lice, driving them to submerge underground after Roy. They immediately curled into balls, protecting their vulnerable abdomens, with their thick shell plates coated in 'Ken' standing erect like sharp knives, grinding toward Roy!
The swamp closed up and instantly vanished...
The ground was empty, with no sign of the young man. Zigg frowned, raising his hand to conjure a [Mace], a weapon 'exclusive' to the two-headed giant according to the game notes, with a "+50% damage boost against enemies." He swept it horizontally in a full circle, shattering the heads of countless Crazy Lice.
He then cast [En] around himself, penetrating the ground, and searched for the young man's trace, buying himself a little time.
"Hoho... The young man isn't that fragile, Zigg... focus." Netero's Buddha-fists, moving faster than the speed of sound, sent one enemy flying after another. Covered in blood, he glanced over, saying quietly.
He casually raised a palm and slapped away several Crazy Lice that were trying to sneak attack Linne from behind. Linne's twin pigtails swayed with the palm wind. She held her ladle, her other hand on her hip, and took a breath. "Spatial-type Nen abilities are rare. It's right for Zigg to cherish talent. In the future... we might have to rely on that young man."
Running away when you can't win has always been Linne's primary survival principle, which she keeps constantly in mind to remain active on the elite front line of Hunters. She wasn't here like Netero to challenge her limits. This trip, aside from seeing the legendary [Triaqua], which can turn into any liquid, was most importantly about... searching for [Ingredients]!
For a senior Gourmet Hunter, nothing is more important than [Eating] and [Ingredients]. "It's a pity the young man hides his abilities so well. If I had known he had this skill earlier, I would have cooked more dishes to establish a good relationship with him..." Linne lamented inwardly.
Beside her, Zigg suddenly said, "It's not too late now."
His Nen [En] penetrating the ground seemed to have discovered something. Immediately after, Netero and Linne felt a sensation and turned their heads to look—
The ground burst open with a boom. Dozens of Crazy Lice were skewered like candied haw on a stick by an infinitely extended katana, which was then planted in the ground like a flagpole. An invisible, terrifying aura emanated from it, forcing the surging Crazy Louse army to slam on their brakes and fall into silence!
"What kind of move is that?" Linne swallowed, looking up at the hundreds-of-meters-long katana that stretched into the sky. She teased Netero, "That looks more powerful than your Buddha-hands."
Of course... the Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva has a hundred hands, and while the long sword is long, there is only one. In terms of sheer numbers, Netero undoubtedly held a huge advantage. Moreover... the swamp reappeared, and the young man clumsily climbed out of the ground, clearly unable to maintain the sudden extension of the 'hundred-meter long sword' due to the massive consumption of Nen.
The sword retracted, returning to its Asauchi form. He plunged it into the ground, supporting himself, and began to gasp heavily for air...
"Bang... bang... bang..." The Crazy Lice lost the support of the long sword and fell to the ground powerlessly...
Zigg was the closest to Roy and the only one using [En] to capture his current state. Therefore, he saw more clearly than Netero and Linne that the young man seemed to have combined his [Nen ability] and the [Sword] to create an incredible sword technique!
"What is the name of this move?" He looked at Roy with admiration, repeating Linne's question, asking for Netero and for himself.
Curiosity drives humans to deepen their understanding of each other.
Roy propped himself up with the short sword, recovering his Nen, and replied, "[God's Spear]."
"Utilizing the 'extensibility' of [Space] to lengthen the blade, shooting it out like a spear without warning..."
Zigg savored the name, then praised, "A good name."
The 'Conjuration' type's 'wild imagination' is indeed unparalleled by other Nen types.
Indeed, as Zigg said... with the prerequisite of intentionally trying to merge [Swamp Space] and the [Sword]...
Roy, operating under the major premise of 'borrowing' first, then 'imitating,' and finally 'creating,' immediately thought of Nobu and his Nen ability... [Four-Dimensional Mansions]...
In the future, during the Chimera Ant Extermination, Nobu used 'setting up entrances,' 'creating mansions,' and 'controlling the mansion keys' to open doors at will and pull people in, highlighting the 'flexibility' of [Space].
It was a pity that Roy knew he was not Nobu. His Nensha object was the 'Sun' and not 'Space,' so his understanding of 'Space' was obviously not up to Nobu's level. However, this did not stop him from trying to utilize one aspect of 'Space'—'extensibility'...
He turned the sword into a spear to deliver a vicious blow to the Crazy Lice!
The fact that the Crazy Lice were scattered at his feet was proof that he had not taken the wrong path.
"You've done well, but..."
A heaven-shaking roar came through... The halted Crazy Lice 'woke up'...
Accompanied by the Sandworm's personal tail strike!
Zigg stepped forward, gripping his mace, protecting the young man behind him. He took a deep breath and said, "The big one is coming!"