Beyond Netero's physique was extraordinarily burly, and his demeanor was unabashedly bold and unrestrained, making it immediately obvious that he was an Enhancer.
If Moses had been present and witnessed Beyond's appearance and attire, he would've instinctively associated him with the historical figure in his previous life, Guan Yu.
Not only because the long, flowing beard that reached his chest, but also because he was wearing clothes in a very ancient Chinese style.
From the topknot tied with a traditional headband, to the wide-sleeved, belted robe, to the jade pendant hanging from his waist...
However, Beyond was Netero's biological son. Even with the large, X-shaped scar running across his nose, there was still a noticeable resemblance between them.
At this moment,
Beyond, who was wearing a loose robe, smirked slightly as he stared at the Chimera Ant that were 'transported' here by his subordinates.
This Chimera Ant, who was inexplicably sent here, was one of the many Chimera Ant Officers that luckily escaped the 'extermination operation'. (T/N: In the original work, this alligator is a Squadron Leader, but he is just an Officer here.)
His name is Ishak, a Chimera Ant with mainly alligator and wild boar genes.
But since he has an alligator head, it is obvious that the proportion of alligator genes in him is higher.
"You… Who are you?!"
"Where… is this?! How did I get here?!"
Faced with the questions raised by Beyond, Ishak had no intention of answering, but fell into deep confusion.
In his memory, there was no trace of him coming to this place.
He only remembered that he left NGL and then successfully crossed the ocean to another continent.
In order to accomplish this feat, he had even abandoned his Squadron Leader.
After all, traveling with a large group will only attract attention, while traveling alone can better cover one's tracks.
As it turned out, there was nothing wrong with his decision.
His plan had been to find a secluded place where he could rebuild his forces in secret.
But he never thought that he would come to a strange place inexplicably, and in front of him, a human with a strong Aura stood.
He desperately wanted answers, so much so that Beyond's question didn't even register in his mind.
"You're really noisy..."
Beyond stared at Ishak and sighed, "Can't you just answer my question first?"
"Question? What question?"
Ishak blinked in confusion.
Immediately, as if he sensed danger, his slit-pupiled eyes contracted sharply, and the scales covering his body tensed as he instantly shifted into combat mode.
Whoosh-
In an instant, a torrent of Aura emerged from Ishak, but there was no intention of gathering or compressing it. He only allowed the Aura to flow wildly.
From this performance, it is clear that he didn't know about Ken.
Beyond calmly observed Ishak's actions as he released his Manifested Aura to the maximum extent possible.
He didn't expect that just a slight release of his killing intent would cause Ishak to react so violently.
This inevitably led him to a troubling thought:
'Have I overestimated this Chimera Ant in front of me that has human genes mixed in its body?'
"Please don't tell me you're an Officer. That would just be depressing."
Beyond raised his right hand casually, and his Aura, which was as vigorous as his vitality, changed from moving to still in the blink of an eye. The precision of his control was nothing short of masterful.
If this man was truly an Enhancer...
Just this level of control alone was enough to demonstrate his mastery and skill in Nen, are undoubtedly at the pinnacle.
Moreover, judging by the state of his Aura, the degree of its silence and subtlety was actually comparable to Netero's
In fact-
Beyond was one of the world's top five Nen Users.
Feeling the shift in Beyond's Aura, Ishak instinctively leapt backward.
It wasn't that Beyond's Aura was particularly overwhelming, but it carried an unmistakable sense of danger.
So, under that primal warning, Ishak reacted purely on instinct.
'This human... what on earth is going on?!'
Ishak stared warily at Beyond, who had merely raised his hand casually.
The Aura that always gave Ishak a sense of safety did absolutely nothing to suppress the tidal wave of dread pouring toward him.
Seeing that Ishak still hadn't given him a straight answer, Beyond decided he'd had enough.
"Ugh, question-and-answer games are such a pain."
Beyond shook his head slightly, and the next second, his rugged face, which is marred by a savage scar, suddenly lit up with the gleam of battle-lust.
To face a strong opponent was thrilling.
To face a weak one meant holding nothing back.
Every thought, every impulse, every move -
Should be unleashed without a hint of hesitation or regret!
Beyond suddenly grinned, and his right hand, which was raised to his chin, suddenly clenched into a fist.
Whoosh-
The air itself seemed to ripple.
Beyond's figure distorted and dissolved like the moon's reflection on water, broken by the ripples of a sudden wave.
Then…
Just as quickly,
the ripples stilled.
Beyond reappeared right in front of Ishak, just like the reflection of the moon reassembling in a now-calm pool.
With hist clenched, he struck.
A visible spiral of white Aura coiled around his knuckles, launched directly at Ishak.
But even though this punch has extraordinary momentum, the speed was very slow.
In fact, it was just a speed of normal punch.
Ishak was originally shocked by Beyond's 'shatter-and-restore' style dash, and now, he watched this punch come at him, which is as slow as a droplet forming on a stalactite.
He could see it gather, see it fall… without feeling the slightest pressure from the speed alone.
It didn't seem threatening in the slightest.
And yet, Ishak could feel the danger radiating from that punch like a roaring wave.
'I can dodge it… I can dodge it!!!'
Ishak didn't have time to ponder why the punch felt so dangerous despite its speed and immediately tried to retreat out of Beyond's attack range.
"Huh!? My body… won't move?!"
But when Ishak was about to take action, he was shocked to find that he could not move his body.
'No, wait… it's not that I can't move… I'm being pulled in…!!!"'
Ishak quickly recognized the difference between being unable to move and being sucked over.
But it was too late.
Before Ishak could come up with a countermeasure, Beyond's fist, which is neither fast nor slow, had already reached his chest.
'If I can't dodge… then I'll block it!!!'
Ishak's eyes widened. Although the strong sense of crisis that was coming at him did not cause him to lose his composure, it definitely threw off his rhythm.
Still…
He was barely able to mobilize his Aura to reinforce his defense.
Immediately, Ishak's Aura gathered in front of his chest at a speed visible to the naked eye, trying to withstand Beyond's fist under such circumstances.
As the suffocating tension peaked in their clash, Beyond silently observed Ishak's attempt to reinforce his chest with Aura.
'Pathetic.'
That was Beyond's verdict with a single glance.
If his punch hadn't been so deliberately slow, how could Ishak have made it in time with the speed at which he mobilized his Aura for defense?
But this is also the result Beyond wants to see.
At this moment, Beyond's fist, which was supposed to hit Ishak's chest, suddenly blurred, leaving afterimages in its wake.
And in the blink of an eye, it redirected straight for Ishak's face.
Splurt-
The fist, packed with devastating force, smashed directly into Ishak's head, instantly obliterating his skull and spraying blood and bone backward in a grisly arc.
Beyond calmly retracted his fist, turned on his heel, and strode toward the corridor connected to the guest room.