Ron's attention wasn't on Jīn but rather on Wild Dog and Lizard, his expression subtly puzzlement.
"The strength of these Shadow Beasts seems weaker than I expected," he murmured.
Ron's only prior knowledge of the Shadow Beasts came from the original storyline, leaving him to estimate their power based on limited information.
First, the Shadow Beasts were the elite team of the Underworld Mafia, directly under the Ten Dons' command. They could be considered the top Nen users within the criminal underworld, though it's unknown if there might be others even stronger.
Second, several Shadow Beasts shown in the original story had physical deformities, which made Ron suspect they could be recruits from the Sky Arena's new competitors. After all, Sky Arena's new competitors are the likeliest Nen users to have physical disabilities.
Lastly, there's their performance against the Phantom Troupe.
While the Shadow Beasts' record was unimpressive, it wasn't entirely worthless. For instance, Rabid Dog managed to catch Uvogin off guard with his speed and bit off a chunk of his flesh. Porcupine's needles pierced Uvogin's skin, and Worm managed to pull Uvogin's arm underground. If the four of them hadn't wasted time talking, they might have actually killed Uvogin.
Following the Zoldyck family's philosophy, Ron always overestimated his opponents' abilities until proven otherwise. He initially assumed that the Phantom Troupe members in Yorknew were primarily A-rank, with the top ones being A-level and others hovering around B-level. He categorized the Shadow Beasts as a general B-level Nen user.
Nen users at the same level can vary widely. For instance, the four A-rank members of the KUTE weren't remotely a match for Zeno and Silva, despite also being A-level.
If Uvogin was A- or B-level, then it was reasonable to consider the Shadow Beasts as B-level too. But after observing Lizard and Wild Dog, Ron realized that their aura was barely at C-level—on par with the Seven Deadly Sins and Ron himself.
Of course, the Shadow Beasts were somewhat stronger than the Seven Deadly Sins. However, Ron was confident that at his level, there wasn't anyone stronger than him.
In other words, Lizard and Wild Dog weren't his equals.
"If Gluttony learned the truth, what expression would he make?" Ron mused. "The strength of the Shadow Beasts he admires so much is actually beneath mine."
Ron withdrew his gaze. "I wonder where these two rank among the Shadow Beasts in terms of power. If the other Shadow Beasts are at this level, then the Phantom Troupe in Yorknew may not be as formidable as I thought."
While Nen rankings are important, they're only one aspect of a Nen user's combat strength. This was something Ron had come to realize, especially after observing Chii.
Given the same level of aura, both Baki and Chii are C-ranked Nen users, but if they were to fight, there's no question about the outcome—Baki would win because he's a combat-focused Nen Beast, whereas Chii is a technical support-type.
The same applies within the Phantom Troupe. Shalnark's role was similar to Chii's in information gathering, while Kortopi is more of a pure support type. Then there's Shizuku, who fell in the middle.
That said, Shizuku wouldn't be joining the Troupe in this world; Ron wasn't interested in preserving the original storyline's members. He had his own plans for Shizuku's talent and abilities.
It was, after all, in Shizuku's best interest. If she joined the Troupe as in the original storyline, she might end up killed by Hisoka in some bathroom.
"Kortopi's aura reserve is considerable, enough to replicate many large objects," Ron noted. "But his actual combat abilities are much weaker."
Jīn felt his body starting to go numb, the sensation spreading outward from the wound left by Wild Dog's bite. Clenching his teeth, he charged toward Lizard. His mind was racing.
Wild Dog is too fast; there's no way I can catch him. My only option is to target Lizard instead.
Jīn was confident that his ability would turn his opponent into a human bomb. No matter how strong Lizard's defence was, once detonated, it would be in pieces.
Facing the oncoming Jīn, Lizard looked indifferent, hands still in his pockets. Just as Jīn was about to reach him—
A thick, green liquid shot from Lizard's mouth, hitting Jīn squarely in the face. Immediately, Jīn felt a searing, corrosive pain. His skin began to dissolve in an instant—eyes, nose, mouth, ears—all vulnerable areas severely affected.
Disoriented and nearly blind, Jīn covered his face as he stumbled forward. Lizard sidestepped, easily dodging him.
Ron's brow furrowed slightly. "Disgusting ability… but it's strong. It pierced through Jīn's defensive aura."
Of course, Jīn's lack of caution contributed to the outcome; he hadn't anticipated Lizard's method of attack. However, it still showed the power of Lizard's offensive capabilities.
Wild Dog darted past Jīn, tearing off another chunk of flesh. Jīn, who had previously overpowered everyone, was now being toyed with by Wild Dog and Lizard.
"Impressive, Shadow Beasts! Absolutely crushing Jīn!"
Ron observed the conversations around him, gaining a clearer understanding of the Shadow Beasts' status within the Underworld Mafia.
Though they were both combat-type Nen users at C-rank, Jīn was clearly outmatched by Wild Dog and Lizard. Even with comparable aura levels, Ron was certain he could defeat them.
With Jīn's collapse, the skirmish at the armoury finally concluded. Ron instructed Chii to cease her cyber attack on the armoury's network.
The effort had increased his Observer's mastery by five per cent.
"At this rate, if I visit three more restricted areas for further observations, I'll be able to absorb fifty per cent of the Underworld Mafia's traits—halfway there."
"Reaching one hundred per cent completion might take less time than I anticipated."
Ron returned to the Greed Manor. The next day, Greed arrived back.
"Greed-senpai," Ron greeted, earning a smile from Gluttony.
"I've heard about your recent exploits. Congratulations on passing the test; you're officially a candidate for the Seven Deadly Sins. You also performed admirably in the armoury mission."
Numerous Nen users had been sent to the armoury, and Jīn's counterattack claimed several lives.
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