Ken Potter, who had been loudly howling in frustration, suddenly jolted.
All the hairs on his body stood on end, as if he were being watched by a deadly predator.
"Don't come any closer!!"
When he lifted his head and met Moarik's gaze, he was instantly terrified and started backing away.
Click.
His hand quickly fumbled for his handgun at his waist, loading it swiftly. He aimed the dark, ominous barrel directly at the seemingly harmless man before him.
"What did you just do?!"
With the gun in his hand, Ken Potter seemed to find newfound courage. He demanded loudly, "Never mind what you did..."
A flash of malice and cruelty flickered in his eyes. "It doesn't matter anymore. You can just die for me!!"
Sticking to the principle of "actions speak louder than words," Ken Potter decisively pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Flames burst from the muzzle as the dark barrel spewed fire, sending a volley of bullets raining toward Moarik.
At such a close range, any ordinary person facing this kind of firepower would find it hard to escape unscathed.
But that was only true for ordinary people.
"Still too slow."
With a casual tone, Moarik's figure vanished once again from everyone's sight.
"Even Killua at his current age could easily dodge bullets," Moarik continued. "Not to mention I've activated my Nen ability. Though the power rating given is only five..."
*[Power Evaluation: 5 Points]*
This isn't the score of a weakling with a power level of five.
This rating, provided by the "Unlimited Mystery Blind Box" Nen ability, is somewhat reminiscent of Hisoka's ratings for various Hunter Association members during the election arc for the new chairman of the Hunter Association.
Hisoka rated several of the hunters he encountered, including members of the Zodiacs involved in the voting.
The highest score, 90, went to Kanzai (Tiger), and the lowest score, 77, went to Pyon (Rabbit).
These scores were judged by Hisoka's personal standards.
There were other hunters with ratings of 10, 20, 30, 45, 50, and even as low as 2...
This prompted a sigh from Hisoka: "Even though they're professional hunters, is this really the best they can do?"
Even a person with a rating of two could pass the extremely challenging Hunter Exam, learn Nen, and become a professional hunter.
By comparison, Moarik's current power rating of five...
It still placed him above the majority of people.
At least, he's a bit stronger than some professional hunters from the Hunter Association.
"Where did he go? Where did that bastard run off to?"
The gun that had been spewing fire was now frozen in midair.
Ken Potter, still unrelenting, continued to pull the trigger frantically.
His eyes, bloodshot, stared at the empty ground where the bullets had hit, screaming in a frenzy.
"Just like before! Coward, trash, weakling!"
"If you've got the guts, come out and face me, show yourself..."
Click.
His yelling abruptly came to a halt.
With a crisp snap, Ken Potter's eyes widened in horror as he caught sight of the scene behind his own head.
"As you wish."
Moarik calmly wiped his hands and said flatly.
"..."
Ken Potter, with his neck twisted 180 degrees, opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.
Thud.
Like the beast he had recruited, he collapsed to the ground, following in its footsteps.
At least this way, they could keep each other company on the road to the afterlife.
"In the end, your master-servant bond remains intact," Moarik mused, looking at the two neatly fallen bodies on the ground.
"Compared to crushing throats, twisting a person's head around isn't very convenient," Moarik reflected on his actions. "Crushing a throat can be done with one hand, but turning a head requires two—though, with enough force, it could be done with one."
"Even Phinks preferred to use both hands to snap a neck, and there's a reason for that..."
As Moarik pondered his next move, with both the burly man and Ken Potter lying on the ground, the other gang members finally snapped out of their stupor.
Clatter!!
They all stepped back simultaneously, clearing a larger area around them.
"This guy..."
Everyone realized that the seemingly harmless, unthreatening young man before them was actually the most terrifying one.
"Is it over? Is it all over?"
Wright Nosra stared blankly at the scene before him, slightly dazed.
He truly hadn't expected that, just moments ago, his current mortal enemy—who had been alive and kicking, mocking and belittling him—would now be lying on the ground like a dead dog.
And thoroughly, never to rise again.
"Yes, boss, it's all taken care of."
Having reviewed the situation and decided that crushing throats suited his swift and decisive style better, Moarik walked over.
"Is there anything else? Or perhaps, is there any other cleanup needed?"
He asked, casually glancing around.
"Any other cleanup needed..."
Wright Nosra instantly noticed the wary gazes from the surrounding gang members.
Each of them looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, nervously placing their hands on their bulging waists, watching the two men with extreme caution.
They feared that one command from Nosra and one move from Moarik would spell their doom.
Judging by the young man's skill just moments ago, it seemed their current predicament was quite dangerous.
Had this one man surrounded them all?!