Like wild beasts eager to devour Hisoka, six parasitized Nen users charged out from the Bozwa tribe simultaneously. Their explosive bursts of Nen made them appear almost as fast as Hisoka himself.
Lance—also clearly using his Nen ability—was the first to reach him, stepping forward to intercept.
He extended his massive hands toward the man whose cheeks were painted with teardrops and stars beneath his eyes—a classic clown's makeup.
His arms moved at an incredible speed, his powerful fingers leaving afterimages that cut through the air with a chilling sound.
But his grasp failed.
Hisoka vanished from Lance's sight.
He slipped past his opponent and launched himself toward the other parasites, choosing and prioritizing his targets instantly.
From a single glance, Hisoka could tell that Lance, empowered by his Nen ability, temporarily possessed the greatest combat strength.
Being caught by him would be dangerous.
So first—deal with the weaker ones in the way.
He moved like a phantom, dodging the flurry of attacks from the five n. In that sa instant, he drove a card straight into one of their skulls.
As the telekinetic energy of the remaining four shifted—preparing to activate their Nen abilities—Hisoka pulled on the aura threads already attached to them, twisting their movents violently.
Their limbs snapped at grotesque angles.
The four parasitized Nen users tangled together in a mass of "gum," drawn toward each other and losing their balance.
At that mont, Hisoka appeared among them like a ghost.
With a flick of his wrist, he cut the cards in his hand through the air—four clean arcs—and four heads flew off, falling to the ground.
It all happened unbelievably fast—in less than twenty seconds.
To Hisoka, they were nothing more than toys.
Even alone, the gap in strength was overwhelming.
The difference between ordinary Nen users and true masters was imnse.
Let alone those controlled by insects, whose minds had been erased—
Even if they were fully conscious, six of them together could hardly pose a threat to him.
Their fundantals were far inferior, and Hisoka would never give them a chance to activate their abilities.
Still, it was undeniable that losing their intelligence had drastically weakened their overall power.
A battle between Nen users relied heavily on thought and focus.
Lance turned and charged again.
Before he could reach Hisoka, several of the corpses suddenly lunged at him like sacks of flesh.
Lance struck them down with brutal punches—but between those blows, Hisoka found an opening.
Just as Lance sent one body flying, Hisoka appeared right before him—smiling.
With a swift movent of his hand—he decapitated Lance.
Afterward, Hisoka slowly turned around to face Haze, who had been watching in silence.
Exactly one minute had passed.
"What are you so proud of?" Haze asked coldly, watching his expression.
They were only brainless zombies being cut down.
An ordinary person might have been astonished by such a feat—
For instance, Kanji, standing nearby, stared at Hisoka in disbelief.
But to Haze, this was rely a basic skill.
If Hisoka couldn't handle that much, there was no reason for him to even compete.
Besides, the battle wasn't over yet.
Bang!
A second later, while Hisoka stood still, two massive arms like iron gates suddenly seized him from behind.
The strength was terrifying—Hisoka struggled but couldn't break free.
His eyes narrowed.
Crack…
The tightening arms squeezed harder, creating intense friction and bending his own arms backward—almost to the point of snapping.
Looking up, Hisoka saw the face of his attacker—none other than Lance, decapitated monts ago.
He had been cautious, alert for possible resurrections—
But he hadn't expected this.
Lance's movents were smoother now, his ntal energy amplified once more.
The intensity of his aura had skyrocketed.
Bang!
Another headless corpse rushed in, taking advantage of Hisoka's restraint, and smashed him across the face.
Hisoka's hair flew wildly; gashes appeared on his cheeks.
In an instant, several more corpses surrounded him, attacking in a frenzy.
For a mont, Hisoka beca a living target—
and Haze approached slowly, lifting a hand as if holding a ga controller, speaking in a calm but loaded tone:
"Haven't you realized during this ritual?
The insects are evolving…
I thought soone with your insight would've noticed by now."
Haze's gaze shifted from the besieged Hisoka to a distant Bozwa tribesman who had taken his own life.
That man had sacrificed himself to strengthen the six parasitized humans—
but his effort had failed.
anwhile, one of the decapitated corpses grabbed Hisoka by the hair, lifting his bloodstained face and exposing his pale neck.
A shard of bone jutted from the corpse's arm, shaping itself into a sharp blade aid straight at Hisoka's throat.
"You're truly… wicked~~"
Even in that critical mont, Hisoka showed no panic.
Ignoring the bone blade descending toward him, he t Haze's eyes with a mocking smile.
His wounds were severe, several areas of his skin scorched—
the mark of another corpse's ntal power.
Just before the bone blade could strike, the massive hands gripping him suddenly released, and Hisoka crouched down, dodging the fatal blow from above.
At the sa ti, Haze moved like a tiger through the remaining enemies—
A divine punch!
The force of his fist tore through a corpse's chest.
He followed it with several more strikes—flesh and blood bursting apart—then caught two insects midair, crushing them effortlessly between his fingers.
Hisoka counterattacked as well.
This ti, Haze used one of his innate abilities—enhanced by runes of Precision and Domination, increasing his power exponentially.
Among his summoner-type skills were Flash and Healing.
Their combined assault left the remaining corpses utterly helpless.
Within monts, they were completely annihilated.
The battle was over.
Even without Haze's intervention, Hisoka could have escaped—
During the beating, he had already activated his ability, performing an ergency "adjustnt."
Haze glanced at the bloodied Hisoka but didn't mock him again.
He said nothing—
and for the first ti, Hisoka's face showed an awkward, almost unnatural expression.
He licked the blood dripping from a cut on his cheek and said with a low chuckle:
"After knowing you for so long… I just realized—you're pretty sly yourself."
"You were careless," Haze replied calmly.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't just carelessness.
Hisoka had simply missed one crucial piece of information—
he hadn't analyzed that the insects were evolving.
Haze activated Healing.
A faint green light rose from his body, radiating vitality—
but Hisoka was not enveloped by it.
Haze frowned. He had intended to heal Hisoka.
Yet the effect failed.
That ant—Hisoka wasn't recognized as part of the sa team.
That guy…
Haze understood then.
Even now, Hisoka harbored a hidden "purpose."
Even if he showed no killing intent or hostility at the mont,
the system itself rejected him.
With that thought in mind, Haze turned away.
Though Hisoka was injured, he could still move and wasn't in any serious danger.
The three of them continued onward.
After crossing the lake, they entered a lush green region where the terrain grew less rugged—rolling hills of varying height, dotted with wildflowers and even patches of cultivated land.
It was clear they had reached the living territory of the Bozwa people.
They were drawing ever closer to the tribal base.
Moreover, no more parasitic creatures appeared along the way.
"Those six Nen users must have been the Bozwa tribe's greatest defense," Haze thought.
The Donggudo army also had Nen users, but most were assigned to suppress artillery or munitions.
Their overall number was limited.
Even if so had been parasitized, they were likely sent to the front lines—like the enhanced soldier they'd seen before.
The tribe's true goal was the King.
Undoubtedly, the Bozwas would prioritize eliminating the participants first.
"It's been several hours since we entered the mountains… It's nearly dark.
The battlefield—stretching from the Sawtooth Mountains to the surrounding region—must still contain so parasites under Bozwa control.
So are probably nearby.
So why haven't they attacked us?"
He pondered deeply.
"Could it be… they're letting us in on purpose?
Because we're only three, and they don't see us as a threat?"
Haze raised his eyes to the dimming sky.
The sun was sinking behind the peaks.
A strange tension gripped his nerves—
a faint, uneasy premonition.
Regardless, their infiltration had been a success.
The Bozwa tribe's base was almost in sight.
Within the forest, they saw stacks of stones arranged deliberately—piles upon piles, clearly remnants of tribal culture.
The wind blew stronger.
The trees swayed, whispering in the dark.
Haze stopped.
Up ahead, where no trees blocked the view, stood a bare hill—like a vast stone fortress.
The mountain had been hollowed out, filled with caverns and tunnels, resembling a gigantic beehive.
At its base stretched a wide plain—
once vibrant, dotted with stone houses and intricately carved statues.
It must once have been a paradise—lush and beautiful.
Now, the land was barren, scarred by war.
Even the mountain's caves had partially collapsed.
Many of the nearby houses and statues were damaged to varying degrees.
The devastation was clear.
They had arrived.
This… was the Bozwa Tribe.
"No one?" Kanji asked in surprise, scanning the area.
Could it be that the Bozwa who had just died was the last one?
"They're probably hiding in those caves…
It's obvious—they don't want us here."
Hisoka's gaze drifted over the dense network of caves along the mountainside as he spoke.
"They haven't shown themselves.
They're not preparing for defense.
They're… too open."
Haze's eyelids twitched.
The pressure around them thickened.
"They're that confident…?
This feels wrong…"
The Bozwas' calm, almost inviting attitude toward them—
gave Haze a deep, uneasy feeling.
(End of Chapter)
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