ROAR...
The giant wolf-dog bared its teeth at Ryker, foul saliva dripping from its jaws.
SWISH!
Mike, the Zoldyck watchdog, struck first!
Its massive claw swept horizontally in an instant.
Ryker leaped lightly to dodge. The spot where he stood a second ago was gouged out, leaving a trench over a meter deep. A giant tree behind him was snapped like a twig.
"As expected of a creature from the Dark Continent's edge. Much stronger than the magical beasts I've met before. And your traits... very interesting."
"With your intelligence, you should understand me. Show me what you've got, or you won't get another chance."
Ryker landed and spoke calmly.
[DING! You have entered combat with Giant Dog Mike.]
Mike was clearly provoked. It lunged forward.
BOOM!
Ryker simply raised his hands, left and right, and caught the massive claws directly.
The ground beneath him shattered like exploding ice, crackling under the pressure.
If Gon and the others were here, they would be stunned.
The sheer power of this beast was immense.
[Monster Strength] (Gold)!
A familiar trait. Ryker had it too. But the base stats mattered.
Mike was a top-tier beast from the Dark Continent's borders. Its physique far exceeded humans and ordinary magical beasts.
Plus, [Super Senses] (Gold) made it the undisputed guardian of the Zoldyck estate.
But now, Mike's giant eyes flickered with disbelief.
This tiny human wasn't crushed into a meat pancake.
Instead, the feedback from its claws felt like hitting a nail. A sharp, stinging pain.
ROAR!
Mike understood Ryker's taunt. It had the [Wisdom] trait.
Its muscles rippled like water, expanding. Under its sleek black fur, veins bulged like steel cables. The pressure intensified.
Mike's eyes turned blood red.
ROAR!
A powered-up claw swept toward Ryker again.
The air screamed. The ground turned to tofu. The wind pressure alone sliced through nearby trees.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion. Dust clouds rose.
Mike growled in satisfaction. With full power, even a solid block of steel would be flattened.
But as the dust settled, Mike froze.
Ryker was unharmed.
He had stopped the steel-like claw with just his left hand.
But Ryker's left arm was glowing red-hot. His sleeve had exploded, revealing skin that looked like burning iron.
Why?
Mike's simple brain couldn't process it.
Ryker tilted his head and grinned, showing white teeth.
"Tch..."
A stream of white steam escaped his mouth.
[Divine Strength] (Red) activated.
Like a super-engine revving inside him, every muscle and cell entered a new state.
"Nice power. But not enough. You're just a mixed-blood from the edge. I hope to see a purebred Dark Continent creature one day. Maybe soon!"
Ryker smiled.
Seeing that smile, Mike's fur stood on end.
The aura radiating from Ryker triggered a primal memory deep in its genes.
A memory of the Dark Continent. A memory of fear toward the apex predators of that hellish land.
Mike wasn't born there, but its blood remembered.
AWOOO!
Mike howled and turned to run!
It was terrified!
This human looked normal, but his aura screamed "Predator."
If it didn't run, it would die.
BOOM!
The moment Mike turned, Ryker moved.
His legs stomped the ground, creating a sonic boom.
Supersonic Punch!
Mid-air.
Ryker's fist, glowing with searing red light, smashed into Mike's skull.
He used the technique he copied from Netero. Maybe not 100% perfect, but close enough.
A tiny fist against a giant body. A toothpick hitting a mountain.
Visually, it was absurd.
But the result was a nightmare.
CRACK.
A dull thud.
Mike didn't even have time to scream. The sound of its skull shattering echoed like firecrackers.
Its head exploded into a mist of blood.
The massive body crashed down like a falling skyscraper, knocking over a row of trees before sliding to a halt.
Blood gushed out. The headless corpse twitched once, then went still.
[DING! You defeated Giant Dog Mike.]
[Auto-looting traits...]
[Acquired: [Black · Giant Creature] (Gold), [Monster Strength] (Gold), [Super Senses] (Gold)!]
[Auto-fusing traits...]
A heavenly sound.
Energy flooded Ryker's limbs. Every cell cheered.
Ryker landed. Steam rose from his body as he cooled down from Divine Strength mode.
[Monster Strength] (Gold) fused into [Divine Strength] (Red)!
His physique strengthened further. The duration of his full-power mode increased.
If he absorbed enough, maybe he could push the Red trait to Black!
[Super Senses] (Gold).
Effect: Drastically enhances hearing, smell, vision, etc.
Ryker felt his senses sharpen. Especially smell and hearing.
He could hear movements hundreds of meters away.
This was a beast trait, but now it was his.
Even without En (Nen radius), he had a similar detection range.
[DING! [Spider Sense] (Purple) detected. Compatible with [Super Senses] (Gold). Auto-fusing... Progress increased.]
Nice! Fusing compatible traits was the way to go. Pushing Gold to Red would take time, but it was a start.
[DING! Host is not a magical beast. Destroy [Black · Giant Creature] trait?]
"Wait. I looted a Dark Continent trait?"
Ryker paused. "System, if I use this, will I grow fur or lose my mind?"
[System: All negative effects are removed during extraction. This trait will grant the Host the "Aura of the Dark Continent" and slight stat boosts, but will not cause physical mutation into a giant beast. Aura can be toggled on/off.]
Perfect.
"Use it! Don't destroy it. Keep the aura off for now."
Ryker decided.
This was a rare drop. Before the Chimera Ants arrived, finding Dark Continent traits was nearly impossible.
It might even serve as a "ticket" or pass if he ever went to the Dark Continent.
In the distance.
Gon and the others were anxious. They heard the explosions and roars.
"Brother Ryker might be in trouble! That thing sounded tough!" Gon worried.
"We can't help. Leorio, you and Gon stay here. I'll check," Kurapika frowned.
"I'm coming too!!" Gon insisted.
"It's done. Come over. Interested in magical beast BBQ? I heard this dog is from the Dark Continent. Might be tasty."
Ryker's voice drifted over.
"Huh?! Brother Ryker! Are you okay? You... you killed that giant wolf-dog? It was big as a mountain!"
"Amazing!! If he's standing here, he won."
"BBQ? Sounds good!"
Gon and the others ran over. They saw Ryker standing there, his sleeve torn and his fist slightly charred, but otherwise unharmed.
Then they saw the corpse.
They were stunned.
The headless mountain of a dog lay there. Its fur was so tough that ordinary knives couldn't cut it, yet its head—the hardest part of a wolf—was obliterated by a fist.
The shattered ground and fallen trees told the story of a cataclysmic battle.
Meanwhile.
Inside the Zoldyck Estate.
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