Chapter 133: Pigman General's Evolution x Rivaling the Ant King
Nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds was Botobai's fastest clearance time. And that was an achievement he'd only managed by taking a direct hit from the [Pigman General]'s axe.
Although the boy hadn't cleared it yet, just enduring for ten minutes—and looking like he'd last even longer—was enough to prove a great deal.
"Hey," Geru looked at Botobai seriously, "One hundred million Jenny for a vial of that Zoldyck's blood. How about it?"
His reputation is well-earned. "Poison resistance" was no longer Geru's top research priority. More than "testing poisons," she was now interested in Roy's blood! Geru had seen plenty of outstanding people, but to be as outstanding as this Zoldyck... it was beyond her comprehension. Her intuition told her Roy's blood was something special.
"Get it yourself. That is, if you don't want to die." Botobai, ever the straight shooter, gave a warning that couldn't be clearer. The woman was becoming obsessed with her "research." If that silver-haired man was here, he'd probably kill her on the spot.
"Researching everything will be the end of you." The Dragon crossed his arms, his face hidden, and glanced at Gotoh, who was looking their way. He snorted.
Eleven minutes... twelve... Time flew. All the other candidates had left.
In the barbecue restaurant at the entrance, the two old men sipped their tea, the hall behind them now empty. Bean stood meekly between them, refilling their cups. The grill master behind the counter didn't dare breathe too loudly, terrified of disturbing the two "VIPs." He was sharp enough to know who his "patrons" were, and he often brought over fruit platters and snacks.
Thirteen minutes... fourteen...
Inside the illusion.
After finishing off Sagin, Roy stepped on his corpse and charged Dathos. As the [Scout], the Pigman responsible for reconnaissance was the smallest, his "Aura Output" weaker than the [Berserkers] Sagin and Gordan. The panel read: [Aura (Output/Potential): C (10/100,000)]. He was clearly the easiest to take out. Roy understood the principle of picking the weakest target first.
"Dong... dong... dong!" Gordan, sensing Roy's intent, coordinated with the [Rogue] Valen's thrown mace. He unleashed a "Barbarian Charge," swinging his five-meter-long broadsword at Roy's head. A sonic boom exploded! He had activated his own Nen ability... [Heavy Strike: Half-Moon Slash]!
Unlike the hand axe, which excelled at vertical chops, the broadsword was all about horizontal sweeps, covering a wider area. In a group fight, one sweep could inflict massive damage to a wide cone of enemies—clearly superior, but also more costly in terms of Nen.
The "crescent-shaped slash" arrived almost instantly, catching up to Roy. At the same time, the mace came from the side, and Dathos fired a volley of arrows from the front. Roy, caught in mid-air with no foothold, had already planned for this. 'It doesn't matter if I die, as long as I can take out the [Scout] Dathos before I do. This 'Re:' won't be a waste.'
The boy's face was grim but calm. He forced all his aura nodes open, and in 0.01 seconds, his Ren exploded, converting entirely into [Magnetism]. He formed a milky-white magnetic field to interfere with the incoming broadsword and mace, and held his training blade pointing down...
He used [Phantasmal Sword] without hesitation.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Phantasmal Sword: Mirrored Sun Kagerou!"
Drip... The sound of a water drop echoed. Ripples spread from Roy, instantly enveloping Gordan, Dathos, and Valen. The Pigmens' large, copper-bell eyes glazed over for a split second, as if seeing a red sun rise from the sea. They knew something was wrong and tried to shake off the illusion, to swing their weapons, to follow through...
But one instant is an eternity.
"AARGH!" Gordan and Valen, snapping back to reality, stared in horror as the boy, dual-wielding "Crimson Blades," plunged them deep into Dathos's chest. The blades burst from his back, extinguishing his life.
[Notification: "Swordsmanship" +50... "Life Energy" +9...]
Whoosh! The Half-Moon Slash, just a fraction of a second too late, cut off Roy's escape route. But Roy, knowing he couldn't dodge, didn't even try. He turned and grinned at Gordan, just as his own head was sent flying. He watched the furious Pigman roar and charge his "corpse." Then, he closed his eyes, and the connection severed.
The "memory" "saved" at "Fifteen minutes, twenty seconds," the moment of Dathos's death.
Splash. Waves crashed against the shore.
In Roy's world of cognition, specks of light gathered, reforming his human shape. He had exited [Re: Game of the Dead]. Roy had once again used the "Dark Continent Gate" to "re-spawn" on the soft sands of the Sea of Cognition. He touched his neck, which Gordan had just lopped off. Good, still there. He let out a long breath.
First, he checked his panel, confirmed Dathos's nine points of "Life Energy" were secured, restored some mental energy, and climbed to his feet. Conjuring his training blade, he dived back through the "fissure" of the "Dark Continent Gate."
This time, he took out the [Rogue] Valen right in front of Gordan.
[Notification: "Swordsmanship" +50... "Life Energy" +10...]
The "memory" "saved" at "Seventeen minutes, thirty-eight seconds," the moment of Valen's beheading.
Five were now down to three, leaving only Gordan and... the big one in the deep forest!
'Why isn't it doing anything? Why is it just letting its kin die?'
After several bouts with Sagin, Dathos, and Gordan, Roy knew these Pigmen weren't mindless. On the contrary, they were skilled at coordinated attacks. They had emotions, they felt rage, and the roars they made, while incomprehensible, were a form of "language." Like the Kiriko, they were an "intelligent species."
So, while Roy fought Gordan, he kept one eye on the forest, terrified the main boss would suddenly intervene. But it never moved. It just watched coldly as Sagin and Dathos were killed.
'Is it... disdain?' Roy thought, collapsing on the sand in his Sea of Cognition. 'Does it think I'm too weak to bother with?' That... stung.
He laughed at himself and pushed the thought aside. He rested, then went back through the "Dark Continent Gate." This time... he was taking Gordan's head!
Twenty minutes, twenty seconds... [Notification: "Swordsmanship" +50... "Life Energy" +12...]
It took three minutes. Without Sagin, Dathos, and Valen for support, Roy stood on Gordan's massive corpse, his blade plunged into its mouth, having shredded its windpipe and taken its life.
Whoosh... A mountain wind blew from the dense forest, rustling the boy's hair. "Five" became "four," and now, only one remained.
Roy leaned on his cane sword, his training blade circling him, and looked into the deep forest. "Are you coming out, or do I have to come find you?"
Silence. Then...
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Giant footfalls shook the ground. Roy narrowed his eyes. A massive shadow, nearly ten meters tall, pushed aside the giant trees and walked out. A chain as thick as a man was coiled around its neck, linked to an axe and a flail. It looked down at Roy, its human-sized eyes flashing red.
[Magical Beast Encyclopedia... Recording...]
[Pigman General]
[Aura Output: C+ (99,950/100,000)]
[Potential Aura: C+ (99,950/100,000)]
[Evaluation: C+ (No weaker than an average Ant Squadron Leader)]
(Note: Known Aura Quantities: Youpi: 400,000+. Avg. Squadron Leader: ~100,000. Neferpitou/Shaiapouf: 200,000-300,000)
Roy's eyes flashed. He instantly judged... this [Pigman General] was in no way inferior to Uvogin at his peak! He summoned his training blade, his vigilance at maximum. He knew how strong Uvogin was—he'd wiped out half the Shadow Beasts on his own. If not for Kurapika's Vow and Limitation, turning himself into an "Anti-Spider" weapon and using his Scarlet Eyes to activate [Emperor Time] and [Chain Jail]... the outcome would have been uncertain.
"Gurarara... The elders forbade me from eating humans... I must thank you... for killing them for me..." The Pigman General opened its mouth, its tusks like an elephant's, speaking in a strange, garbled tongue.
Roy frowned, gripping his blades, coating them with 'Searing Essence' as they glowed red, searching for an opening. But the Pigman General ignored him, bent down, grabbed the recently deceased Valen, and crunched down, biting half its head off.
?
Chew... chew... Valen's remains were messily devoured. Then... Dathos. Sagin. And finally... Gordan!
[Notification: Pigman]
[Racial Talent: Writhing Hunger]
[Note: As long as they draw breath, they are plagued by hunger. Cannibalism strengthens them. Eating other species restores aura and grants information, including "Nen Abilities".]
"ROAR!" After devouring the three, the [Pigman General] roared, its aura changing in an instant!
[Notification: "Pigman General" is... evolving...]
[Pigman Overlord]
[Aura Output: B (10,000/1,000,000)]
[Potential Aura: B (999,999/1,000,000)]
[Evaluation: B- Rank Magical Beast. Upper Limit B+. Directly rivals the Ant King.]
The string of notifications was like a death knell, screaming at Roy to run.
Roy: "...So, I'm fighting the Ant King now?"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He had just overcome his fear, his fighting spirit rising... when his consciousness suddenly lurched.
His head was smashed to bits by the General's flail.
Twenty-one minutes, fifteen seconds. The "memory" "saved" at the moment of his death.
☆☆☆
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