---
"Time's up!"
Chrollo stood up and said, "Let's go!"
All the Spiders were instantly alert. This time, the target was formidable.
Unlike previous enemies, everyone had taken the day to ensure they were in peak condition. A slight misstep or lapse in readiness could easily tip the balance in a life-and-death battle.
Thoughts are strange—there's no guarantee one can always fully unleash their strength.
Readiness matters.
If one's mental state is off or other factors come into play, it might be impossible to summon even a fraction of their true power. On the other hand, with unwavering determination and a strengthened resolve, one could even surpass their usual limits.
This is the essence of Nen!
---
**In the suburbs, nestled among the mountains.**
A convoy advanced steadily, led by a black armored vehicle, followed by seven riot-proof armored vehicles. Though these were not war machines, they were equipped with heavy machine guns, sufficient to handle most threats. This wasn't a battlefield—there was no need for actual war armor.
Behind the armored vehicle was a reinforced off-road vehicle, carrying soldiers. Several additional armored off-road vehicles trailed behind, along with large, armored trucks.
Above, seven armed helicopters hovered in formation, maintaining vigilant air support.
"We're approaching the mountainous region. The terrain here is narrow. Please proceed as quickly as possible!"
A bespectacled man aboard one of the helicopters, who looked more like a teacher than a soldier, surveyed the rugged terrain below with unease.
"This place is perfect for an ambush," he murmured.
A soldier standing nearby overheard him and laughed. "An ambush? Are you joking? Do you think all of this is just for show?"
He gestured toward the convoy and the helicopters. "There are two battalions of soldiers here. Unless a country wants to declare war, no one can steal anything under this kind of protection!"
The soldier hesitated, then added, "By the way, who are you, anyway? You look more like a teacher or a lawyer. What are you doing in this convoy?"
The bespectacled man smiled faintly. "I... am a professional Hunter."
"Professional Hunter?"
The soldier shot him a dubious glance. The man didn't look particularly strong. Could he really be a Hunter? The soldier mused to himself that if someone like this could become a Hunter, maybe he could get a Hunter license too—it didn't seem that difficult!
Adjusting his glasses, the man pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Teacher, we've arrived at the location you mentioned. It's indeed ideal for an ambush. Whether this mission succeeds depends entirely on this next stretch of road."
The convoy's path through the mountains was the most vulnerable point. If they managed to pass it unscathed, they'd reach the city, where an airship would transport the cargo to the national capital.
Once airborne, any attempt at theft would be virtually impossible. The national capital had deployed extensive armed forces, making an assault there unthinkable.
The bespectacled man hung up the phone and sighed.
"Relax, Mr. Hunter!" The soldier next to him clapped his shoulder reassuringly.
---
**Dang dang dang…**
Suddenly, gunfire erupted. The helicopters' windows shattered under a hail of bullets. One of the pilots slumped forward, shot dead, and the helicopter spiraled out of control, crashing into the mountainside.
The bespectacled man steadied himself, ready to jump from the helicopter if necessary. But before he could act, his eyes widened in shock.
Through the cracked glass, he spotted a figure leaping from the mountains—a nearly 100-meter drop!
The figure radiated a brilliant glow of Nen energy, dazzling like a falling meteorite.
"Super Destruction Fist!"
**Boom!**
---
Uvogin, who had fallen from the sky, landed directly on an armored vehicle below with a deafening crash.
With just one punch!
The sheer force of his strike caused the armored vehicle to crumple like paper, the overwhelming Nen wave tearing through its steel plating. The resulting shockwave rippled outward, obliterating rocks and soil in its path.
Within moments, the road was unrecognizable. A deep crater, over 20 meters in depth, now scarred the terrain. The explosion had displaced armored vehicles, trucks, and debris, scattering them like toys.
Dust and smoke billowed into the air, blanketing the entire area in chaos.
Above, one of the helicopters that had crashed into the mountainside erupted in flames, thick smoke pouring out. Yet, the bespectacled man had managed to leap out before the impact, landing safely.
As he adjusted his glasses, his gaze locked onto the scene before him, his expression frozen in horror.
"This level of destruction..."
"What kind of ability user could produce such power? Even for an Enhancer, this is beyond reason!"
As a Nen user himself, the bespectacled man understood the terrifying strength required to cause this devastation.
"Monster!"
There was no other word to describe the individual who had unleashed this attack.
Machine gun fire still echoed through the air. Of the seven helicopters that had been in formation earlier, only two remained airborne, barely avoiding enemy fire. The others spiraled downward in a cacophony of destruction.
Buzz! Buzz!
The ground trembled beneath his feet. Massive boulders began to roll down from the mountainside, their thunderous descent adding to the chaos.
Within just ten seconds, the convoy had been reduced to utter disarray.
Even if they wanted to retaliate, the soldiers didn't know where to aim. The attackers were still nowhere to be seen.
Dodging one of the tumbling rocks, the bespectacled man's phone suddenly rang. He answered it hastily, his voice trembling.
"Teacher, are you still alive?"
"I am," came the calm reply. "But it looks like things aren't going too well on your end."
"The situation is bad, teacher! The number of enemies might be far more than we expected!"
"More?"
The voice on the other end chuckled lightly. "Not quite. There are only two."
"Two?"
The man with glasses froze in disbelief.
Was this a joke? Could two people really annihilate an entire convoy within seconds?
"They're both top-tier Nen users," his teacher continued. "One of them is an Enhancer—you've already seen what he's capable of. His destructive power is immense. The other is an Emitter, and he's just as terrifying!"
The bespectacled man tightened his grip on the phone, listening intently.
"The Emitter is using something like nen bullets. They're strong enough to pierce the armor of armed helicopters. Both of them are extremely dangerous!"
"Nen bullets?"
If his teacher hadn't said so, the bespectacled man might have thought they were under fire from a heavy machine gun. But to think an Emitter's ability could achieve this level of firepower—it was unthinkable.
To cultivate such precise and destructive Nen techniques, these two had to be monsters in human form.
"Wing, the situation is bound to worsen!"
The voice over the phone warned, "The rolling rocks are creating obstacles, rendering the army nearly useless in this narrow terrain. Against Nen users of this caliber, there are likely more than just these two. Be careful, and don't get yourself killed!"
The bespectacled man's heart sank at the thought.
---
Meanwhile, in the opposite forest, Rocky observed the scene unfold. He had witnessed every detail of the past ten seconds, his sharp eyes noting the devastation. His attention, however, lingered on Wing.
"Is he someone you know?" Kite asked, standing beside him.
Rocky's lips curled into a slight smile. "I'd say so."
---