Chapter 65: Two Enhancement Systems
Phinks quickened his pursuit of Aldama, afraid the man might slip out of sight.
Haze followed lazily, facing the sun, not even bothering to hide his presence.
Even when Phinks became just a dark speck on the horizon, Haze remained calm.
Aldama didn't show any sign of fleeing either—he had already sensed Phinks' intent and was prepared to fight.
A battle to the death.
Clearly, this examiner was a cold, ruthless man.
Haze wasn't surprised that Knight had joined the Hunter Exam. After all, his role in the Phantom Troupe was that of second-in-command—responsible for gathering intelligence and serving as a brilliant strategist under Chrollo.
But Phinks' appearance was unexpected.
Having even one member of the Troupe with a Hunter License was already enough. The Meteor City group would always face natural restrictions in their operations and in how they obtained information. Hunter forums, black markets, and the mafia were their main channels.
Meteor Street was located on the Yubian continent—the same region where the exam was being held.
Using Meteor Street's connections, the Troupe's first targets after their debut were inevitably from the underworld.
Their plundering began there.
Though they came from Meteor Street, the Troupe wasn't controlled by it, so they had no real influence there.
Besides underworld syndicates, their victims included the wealthy and various collectors.
In short, their crimes hadn't yet reached the territory of the Firth family.
At this point, the name of the Spider was only starting to spread—it had yet to achieve its later infamy.
After becoming one of the Ten Dons, Haze had inquired about the Troupe.
Early on, they were cautious—their targets weren't especially dangerous, and they avoided fighting those clearly stronger than them. They prioritized safety.
Haze sensed that Chrollo was deliberately helping his members grow step by step.
After all, the group had only been formally established for a short time.
The original Troupe had just seven members.
Shizuku and Phinks joined later, though they had known each other since childhood.
The Spider wasn't ready to bare its fangs yet—it was still young.
But the nature of its members wouldn't change. As they grew stronger, they became increasingly unrestrained.
That was obvious from Phinks' recent behavior.
The Troupe had already attacked many mafia families across Yubian, using brutal, bloody tactics and leaving no survivors.
The Ten Dons knew of this, but hadn't taken them too seriously.
Still, if this continued… trouble was inevitable.
In just over two years, the Phantom Troupe would suffer a devastating blow.
That man—Silva Zoldyck—would make his move.
His target: Troupe member No. 8.
The client behind it was obvious.
Normally, when there were no missions, Troupe members acted freely—but usually in pairs, so one could watch the other's back.
They already had plenty of enemies.
Phinks and Feitan had been friends since childhood, though their relationship was… complicated.
Chrollo often went out with Franklin and Shikaku, while Uvogin liked to ride around with Machi, Phinks, and Feitan.
Their shared pastime: scavenging for valuables in the scrapyard.
That was why seeing Phinks and Shikaku together this time surprised Haze.
He had followed them out of curiosity—to see how far little Spider-chan had come.
The Troupe was still in its growth stage, and judging from Phinks' strength, Haze could roughly estimate the others'.
He had caused chaos everywhere, yet had never been caught or injured. The amount of information leaked about them was minimal. Clearly, Chrollo's leadership had guided the Spider's development with precision.
Haze knew Phinks had probably noticed him, but it didn't matter—he was only a spectator.
…
More than half an hour later, Aldama, cigarette in hand, stopped first.
A swirl of yellow sand rose from the burning desert.
He pinched the cigarette out with his fingers and turned slowly—his eyes locking onto the browless man closing in on him like a shadow.
Phinks rolled his shoulders, killing intent plain on his face.
"Have you chosen your grave?" Aldama asked calmly.
"You mean the Hunter Association?" Phinks sneered. "Don't worry, there won't be any evidence left after I kill you."
"Idiot." Aldama shook his head. "Any fight or even conflict between examiners is within the Association's expectations.
In other words—whether you kill me or I kill you, neither of us will be held accountable. This is just personal.
The question is—are you ready to die?"
"Of course," Phinks grinned, voice trembling with excitement. "I can't wait to hear you scream… I'll make sure you enjoy every second of it."
"To let you die clearly, I'll tell you this—
I'm a One-Star Crime Hunter of the Association.
When I first saw you and your friends, my instincts told me you were pure trash—reeking of crime and filth."
With a tearing sound, Aldama ripped off his black shirt, revealing a muscular torso.
He raised his arms, letting the fabric flutter in the wind.
"I've seen many reckless men like you," he said, smiling with bloodlust.
"But once they fall into my hands, they all end up obedient."
Phinks' eyes darkened. "Then I'm even more excited."
Just as the battle was about to erupt—Aldama's phone rang in his pocket.
He took it out and crushed it.
"You should've answered," Phinks muttered. "It might've saved your life."
"No need," Aldama replied.
Bang!
The next instant, both men lunged forward at once, their bodies colliding violently, scattering gravel in all directions.
"Interesting… Both are Enhancement types."
Meanwhile, Haze had arrived at the edge of the battlefield, shading his eyes from the harsh sunlight as he observed the two fighters. His eyes gleamed with interest.
A One-Star Hunter, huh.
Of course, the Association's star ranking didn't directly represent strength—it reflected a person's achievements and contributions in their field.
But even earning one star required considerable skill and experience.
Bang!
Less than a minute into their exchange, Aldama kneed Phinks hard in the stomach, making him spit blood, then sent him flying with a kick.
Aldama shot forward like a dark shadow, appearing above him midair, arms swinging down like a hammer—slamming into Phinks' back.
At the last moment, Phinks slashed upward with a knife-hand strike, aiming for Aldama's carotid artery.
Sensing danger, Aldama blocked instead.
Only then did Phinks roll backward and narrowly avoid serious injury.
Had that blow connected, he might've been gravely wounded—or dead.
"Well… both of them are Enhancers, but Phinks doesn't have the upper hand in aura.
Physically, he's not much stronger either.
And worst of all—his opponent has far more combat experience.
This will be a tough one…"
Haze smiled faintly.
This guy had hit a wall.
From Haze's perspective, both men were fighting cautiously but with killing intent.
Yet Phinks was clearly being overwhelmed.
The examiner was a seasoned fighter with a unique Nen ability—Phinks' punches rebounded with a "counter-shock" effect.
From Haze's experience, he could already sense the hidden danger behind this.
He wondered if Phinks had realized it yet…
The rebound effect wasn't real—it was a distraction.
Aldama's true ability, Haze deduced, was Absorption and Storage.
In simple terms: he could absorb his opponent's attacks.
The longer the fight dragged on, and the more hits he took, the greater the power stored within him—until he could unleash it all in a single, devastating blow.
Because many attacks Aldama could have blocked or dodged… he didn't.
Though the fight had only just begun, both sides had already revealed their clues.
Aldama was selectively taking damage.
Now, it was only a matter of which of the two would complete their analysis first—
and adjust their strategy accordingly.
On the battlefield, Aldama pointed mockingly at the slightly battered Phinks, a smirk of disdain spreading across his face.
(End of Chapter)
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