But before Ryker could even attempt to activate the newly acquired interrupt skill, the Vanguard's aura violently surged!
Several massive, blood-red fissures cracked open across its chest, arms, and head. Countless scarlet, fluid-like tendrils poured out of the fissures like ruptured fiber-optic cables, rapidly weaving together in mid-air to form a distorted, screaming face!
"The third core... is hidden inside its Nen 'Exoskeleton'?!"
A completely insane hypothesis flashed through Ryker's mind: The Vanguard's true core wasn't a structural point on its physical body. The core was the parasitic "Exoskeleton Will" that was currently possessing the physical manifestation!
"System! Can you track that structure?!"
[The "Eye of the Bizarre Construct (Unstable)" can be activated for a single use.]
[Initiate activation?]
"Do it!"
A horrific, blood-red light instantly flooded Ryker's left eye!
Through his pupil, the fabric of the illusory space around the Vanguard was completely deconstructed. The internal architecture of the blood-shadow expanded before his vision like a three-dimensional wireframe blueprint.
And there, Ryker saw it. The third core.
It was a microscopic "circuit" hidden deep beneath the Nen-grid matrix inside the Vanguard's head.
"If I don't finish this now, it's going to launch another slaughter-wave."
Ryker instantly compressed every single plundered trait inside his body, violently packing them directly into his Lightning Core! The System chimed furiously:
[Ultimate Technique Initiating: "Lightning Rend: Divine Majesty Mirror-World Fall"]
Ryker threw his head back, an apocalyptic storm of lightning-flame erupting from his body. An overwhelming, mountain-crushing momentum surged through his veins. Behind him, the phantom of the Thunder God mutated, growing four arms, as six rings of pure Nen began to slowly rotate behind its back!
"Sever the Nen! Shatter the Soul! BREAK!!!"
The four-armed Thunder God phantom dove downward with world-ending force! Carrying the compounded, critical-strike power of over a hundred plundered traits, Ryker drove his fist directly into the front of the Vanguard's head!
KABOOOOOOOM!!!
The space around the impact point completely and utterly collapsed!
The blood-flames violently twisted and contorted before shattering into a billion fragments of dying Nen-light. Like ash caught in a hurricane, the Vanguard's structure scattered and faded into the void.
The System went absolutely frantic:
[Target "Dark Vanguard" completely annihilated!]
[Third Core destroyed successfully!]
[Plunder Successful!]
[Acquired Trait: EX-Rank — Domain Guide: Dark Sacrificial Authority (Single-Use Only)]
Absolute silence returned to the arena. The twisted, blood-red rift in the sky slowly sealed itself shut.
Ryker stood alone in the center of the devastated ruins. His Lightning Core trembled slightly as the final System notifications slowly populated his vision:
[Current Plundered Traits: 102]
[System Level upgraded to: Lv.4]
[Unlocked Expansion Feature: Trait Armament — Soul Core Fusion]
And at that exact moment, deep within the subterranean abyss of Greed Island, the true, slumbering source of the Dark Continent's Nen... opened its eyes, turning its gaze upon Ryker for the very first time.
Ryker let out a slow, steady breath. A low, freezing chuckle escaped his lips.
"The Dark Continent... So, you've finally noticed me?"
The air in the ruined arena was unnervingly still, as if all the violence and chaos of the past hour had been forcefully suppressed to its absolute limit. However, Ryker knew perfectly well that this was merely the dead calm before the true storm.
The void above had completely cleared. The Vanguard's silhouette was gone. The System notifications played in his mind like background music:
[Target "Dark Vanguard" completely annihilated.]
[Plunder Successful: EX-Rank — Domain Guide: Dark Sacrificial Authority (Single-Use Only)]
[Current Plundered Traits: 103]
[System Level upgraded to: Lv.4]
[Unlocked Expansion Feature: Trait Armament — Soul Core Fusion]
It was this new expansion feature that entirely captured Ryker's attention.
He was already thoroughly accustomed to the standard trait-plundering loop. But this new [Trait Armament — Soul Core Fusion] mechanic signaled a massive, qualitative breakthrough in the System's capabilities.
"Soul Core Fusion?" Ryker murmured softly.
The System hadn't provided a detailed tutorial yet, but a strange, abstract power was already quietly circulating through his veins. His instincts told him this was not just a simple buff to his existing fusion engine. This was an entirely new energy-channeling paradigm—a mechanic that might finally allow him to push his plundered traits far beyond their original, programmed limits, fundamentally altering their nature.
He didn't have the luxury of overthinking it right now. He slowly raised his head, turning his gaze back toward the sky.
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