Especially with abilities like "Bites the Dust."
"And then, there's also the possibility of additional Nen Beasts."
"If I absorb the qualities of Heaven's Arena, what kind of Nen Beast would that result in?"
Just then, a shadow shot out from the forest, lunging toward Ron. Without hesitation, Ron extended his hand.
He crushed its throat instantly. The creature was a dangerous animal, resembling a wolf. After its neck was broken, it convulsed a few times, then went still, collapsing to the ground with blood pooling from its mouth.
As Ron continued onward, other dangerous creatures emerged, beginning to feed on the fresh corpse he had left behind.
Exiting the forest, Ron locked eyes with a massive guard dog whose head rose at his approach. They exchanged a brief glance, and Ron gave a small nod. Mike, the loyal watchdog of the Zoldyck Estate, turned his gaze away respectfully.
Reaching the side gate, Ron opened it and stepped out.
There stood Zebro, one of the Estate's gatekeepers.
"Master Ron, are you heading down the mountain?"
Zebro replied, "Master Ron, there should be a tour tram coming this way soon. If you don't mind keeping your identity low-key, you could take the tram down the mountain."
Ron raised an eyebrow, then nodded in agreement. His identity wasn't exactly a secret, and after the exhausting battles with the three Estate butlers, his Nen and physical stamina had taken a toll. Walking down would drain him further, so he saw no reason to refuse the tram. And if anyone questioned his presence, he could simply play the part of a typical challenger to the Zoldyck Estate—a common enough sight.
At that moment, two figures approached from a distance. It was an older man and a young man, glancing first at the estate gates and then at Ron and Zebro.
"Are you two here for a challenge as well?" the young man asked.
Ron blinked in surprise.
Zebro chuckled and shook his head. "Not me."
"Then, who are you?" the young man pressed.
"I'm the gatekeeper of the Zoldyck Estate."
At this, both the young man and his elder companion narrowed their eyes slightly, surprised.
"And the kid?" the elder asked.
"He's not with me," Zebro replied, sidestepping any association with Ron and thus keeping Ron's true identity under wraps.
The young man gave Ron a careful once-over. "That young? Did he come to challenge the Zoldycks, or is he just a tourist who missed the scheduled tour tram?"
The older man shook his head. "Regardless, this is no place for a kid. He should keep his distance."
"Yes, Master," the young man replied.
Approaching Ron, he said, "Kid, move back. We're about to have a little fight here, and I'd hate for you to get caught in the crossfire. Stand over there; it'll be safer."
Ron considered it and complied, moving to where the young man had pointed, then turned back to watch the scene unfold.
In truth, Zebro's behavior seemed almost a bit like baiting them. But, technically, he wasn't doing anything wrong. After all, he represented the Zoldyck Estate, and these two had come as challengers. Although, from what Ron observed, they seemed to be decent people, at least in terms of their character.
Ron gave a small hand signal to Zebro.
"Teach them a lesson, but don't take their lives."
Zebro, understanding Ron's signal, gave him a nod and stripped off his jacket, revealing his powerful, muscular frame. He then assumed a fighting stance, directing his gaze at the elder and the young man.
Seeing this, both the elder and the young man grew serious, their expressions tense as they charged forward.
The next moment, both of them were sent flying backward.
Ron knew that neither the elder nor the young man could be a match for Zebro. Though Zebro was "just" Mike's cleaner, he was still a member of the Zoldyck Estate, capable of opening the Testing Gates and achieving at least the 200th floor at Heaven's Arena. However, Ron hadn't expected the elder and the young man to fall so quickly. He hadn't realized they would be this weak.
Pfft! The young man spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, unconscious. The elder wasn't in much better shape, but he managed to struggle to his feet, lifted the young man over his shoulder, and hurried down the mountain path without sparing even a second's glance back at the Zoldyck Estate.
Ron looked up the path to see a tour bus approaching, filled with passengers. The driver, after parking, didn't get out. Instead, he rolled down his window, took out a cigarette, lit it, took a long drag, and blew a thick cloud of smoke out the window, flicking the ash outside.
A guide exited the bus, leading a group of tourists toward the front of the Zoldyck Estate, explaining various points of interest as they walked. Ron silently slipped into the crowd of tourists, blending in unnoticed. He had already suppressed his aura, entering a state of Zetsu, concealing his presence entirely.
The driver watched the tourists dispassionately. Once, long ago, he'd been fascinated by this place too, but after so many trips, the novelty had worn off. People were like that.
Several tourists reached the front gate of the Zoldyck Estate, testing it by pushing, but it wouldn't budge an inch; their normal human strength was far too weak. Zebro observed them but didn't interfere.
"Alright, folks, it's time to head down the mountain," the tour guide announced. "If we wait much longer, the road down will be tricky to navigate."
The tourists slowly filed back onto the bus, Ron quietly blending into the group. A few voices began to murmur with curiosity:
"This Zoldyck Estate is impressive! Even the walls and gates are unlike anything I've seen."
"But I have a question," one person remarked.
"How come the Zoldyck Estate openly reveals its location and even allows it to become a sightseeing spot? Isn't that risky for them?"
"Well, wouldn't it be dangerous for them if people tried sneaking into the Estate?"
Several tourists nodded, evidently sharing the same curiosity. After all, this was the infamous Zoldyck Estate. Given the estate's size, there was bound to be a fortune within its walls. And with the Zoldyck family's reputation, surely there would be no shortage of challengers.
The Zoldycks were, after all, renowned as the world's greatest family of assassins—a title that many individuals and organizations would covet. With that title came numerous assassination contracts, high-quality jobs from elite clients.
"Because they're strong enough to handle it!"