A three-on-three fight. Numerically, it looked even, but in reality, this was a battle with no suspense.
Ron, Illumi, and Machi—each of them had emerged from countless life-or-death struggles. They were elite killers among killers. The two Dons and the needleman standing across from them had only acquired strength thanks to the ark's cards.
It was like Ron's group were battle-hardened mercenaries wielding guns, while the other side were three children holding the same weapons.
"One each," Ron said, and as soon as the words left his mouth, all three rushed forward.
"Rhythm Echo!" A dozen afterimages appeared as a bomb silently rolled to the feet of one of the Don. By the time the man noticed, it was too late.
Boom! ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noⅴelfire.net
A massive explosion sent one of the remaining Don flying into the air. Ron gave him no chance to recover, closing the distance in an instant. He drove a punch directly into the man's abdomen.
The Don's body slammed into the wall. Another bomb dropped at his feet.
This explosion caused even more serious injuries.
Illumi had drawn several nen needles. While his nen abilities were limited and he couldn't use them as intended, he didn't need to—he simply used the needles as physical weapons. Even without nen enhancement, if a needle struck a vital point, it could cause devastating damage.
Machi faced the weakest opponent, the needleman, who hadn't even adapted to the card's power yet. He wasn't a match for Machi at all, and it was only a matter of time before she completely overwhelmed him—there would be no surprises.
A spray of blood erupted from one Don's throat as he fell. The remaining Don panicked and no longer dared to fight. He turned and dashed toward another door, throwing it open and hurling himself through.
But this was no path to survival. If it had been, the Ten Dons would have used it long ago. This man was simply desperate, acting on instinct.
Ron followed immediately. "Nen Bullet: Lightning!"
The lightning-charged nen bullet struck the fleeing Don squarely. Electricity surged through his organs, killing him instantly. A powerful nen user might have been able to withstand it, but once he left the ark, the Don reverted to the state of an ordinary human—his card-granted abilities vanished. As a mere human, he had no chance against Ron's attack.
Ron looked down at the card in his hand. "That door can be used to leave the ark, but leaving strips away the card's power. After that, the card transforms into a functional card whose only purpose is to return instantly to the ark—directly to the second floor."
He held the card and silently activated it. "Return to the ark!"
Ron felt a force envelop him, and in the next instant, as if a spatial tunnel had opened, he was back on the ark's second floor.
"Seems I was fortunate this time," Ron mused. "One of the new Ten Dons needed to pass the elimination process to reach the second floor; otherwise, figuring out the first-floor rules would have been much more troublesome. But now it's all over. All the Ten Dons are dead."
Illumi and Machi looked over at him. Ron explained, "That door allows us to leave the ark. Once outside, the card's power fades and it becomes a conjured object with a single function: it can instantly return the marked person to the ark's second floor."
He paused. "Illumi, Machi, let's all head outside. I have something to do."
Neither asked questions. The three stepped out together.
Once outside, Ron raised his head to look at the massive ark, then closed his eyes. "Ren!"
An immense, overwhelming aura burst from Ron, as if he were refining and concentrating all the nen within him. Even the surrounding space seemed to ripple under the pressure. The ground beneath his feet sank as a terrifying force spread outward.
Illumi watched him, a trace of complexity flashing in his gaze.
"Ron is already this strong? During the Hunter Exam, I didn't really know his level. Ron fought Hisoka then, but that was just a brief exchange—neither went all out. I didn't see their fight at Heaven's Arena, but I heard about it. At that point, I already suspected Ron's strength exceeded my own… but I didn't expect him to be this powerful."
"Maybe… he's already stronger than Father. I wonder how he would compare to Grandfather," Illumi thought, sighing inwardly. "Ron's talent truly is astonishing—it's no wonder Great-Grandfather values him. I wonder if Killua could ever reach this level someday."
Machi, too, reacted strongly when she saw the total extent of Ron's aura. Her pupils contracted sharply. "So strong! This isn't a normal A-rank nen user at all. Uvogin, Feitan, even the boss—they don't compare."
"What terrifying talent… at this age, to have reached this level—what kind of innate potential is this? It's unimaginable. A monster!"
If other nen users aura was like a lake, Ron's nen was an ocean—vast and overwhelming.
Ron opened his eyes and silently asked, "Sumas, is it enough?"
A moment later, he received a positive answer, and he smiled. "If it's enough… then let's begin."
What Ron planned to do was simple: to have Sumas envelop the ark entirely—in other words, to have Sumas devour the ark itself. Once Ron had a card and could supply Sumas with sufficient nen, Sumas could accomplish this. It was a pleasant surprise for Ron.
An immobile nen entity like the ark didn't hold much value for Ron alone—he wasn't a major power. The last time with Morena had proven that point well.
But if Sumas could devour the ark, everything changed—it would become something of real worth to Ron.
Illumi and Machi took positions on either side, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. If anything happened, they would act preemptively to ensure Ron was not interrupted.