Reborn in HXH: I Plundered Infinite Traits

Regarding the Phantom Troupe, Riku wasn't particularly interested in every single member's trait abilities.

He still needed to save his Lucky Star for specific designations.

There were some he didn't care much for, like Nobunaga.

The ability this guy possessed was quite simple. Although it was considered very decent strength for others, to Riku, it was somewhat of a useless, 'chicken rib' ability.

So, he just conveniently disposed of him. Not to mention, the guy had delivered himself right to his doorstep.

Since there's a path to heaven he refuses to take, and no door to hell but he insists on entering, he couldn't blame Riku for it.

[Ding! Automatically plundering System Traits: [Enhancement Type Talent] - Gold, [Iaijutsu] - Double Gold!]

[Ding! You possess [Enhancement Type Nen Grandmaster] - Red. Automatically absorbing traits of the same type. Trait progress has increased.]

A voice as beautiful as the sounds of nature rang out in Riku's mind.

Simultaneously, a massive influx of information and memories regarding Iaijutsu flooded his mind.

Nobunaga's most presentable skill was naturally his Iaijutsu. It was a swordsmanship ability that had consumed almost half his life's effort.

But now, it had all been a wedding dress made for his enemy, Riku.

A Double Gold-level technique!

As long as he held a sword, the current Riku was a master swordsman on par with Nobunaga!

It was quite a decent trait.

However, in reality, Riku wasn't particularly keen on things like swordsmanship. He had found that as his overall strength improved in all aspects, ordinary weapons could hardly withstand the limits of his power!

Only... the physical body!

Becoming the king of close combat and achieving sanctification through the flesh was the true path he should tread.

Of course, having too many skills is never a burden. A Double Gold-level ability, whether a technique or a talent, was considered an absolute treasure anywhere you put it. He had no reason to discard it.

So, he naturally kept this ability in reserve, just in case he ever needed it.

The only slight regret was that Nobunaga's En hadn't dropped!

In his memory, within the Troupe, it seemed only this Nobunaga's En was outstanding. But... it was only a freaking four-meter radius!

That was basically just the attack range of his katana.

In the later stages... compared to someone like Neferpitou, whose En covered several kilometers, it was like an ant in front of an elephant, frighteningly insignificant.

Moreover...

Riku already possessed Nen En!

His En was far superior to Nobunaga's.

If the two of them fought one-on-one, the opponent probably would have been shocked by the range of Riku's En. Unfortunately, he ended up enjoying a scaled-down version of Riku's White Lightning Nuclear Explosion instead.

At the very least, he was a man who had tasted a mini-ultimate move. His life was complete!

Currently, Riku's En also exceeded a seven-hundred-meter radius, having been copied from Zeno back then.

Compared to a small fry like Nobunaga, his strength was not just a little bit greater.

A player of Nobunaga's caliber could only be considered T2 tier in the Hunter world.

He hadn't even reached T1, let alone T0.

So, this outcome could barely be considered satisfactory.

However...

In the ruins of the valley.

The smoke and dust gradually cleared, but at this moment, all the team members were in an incredibly sorry state.

Nobunaga, who had been closest to Riku, was missing both his arms and his entire lower body. His upper half looked as if it had been severely scorched. He lay on the ground, completely and utterly dead.

No one dared to imagine that Nobunaga, Troupe member number 3, who had been chatting animatedly with everyone just a few minutes ago...

Was just gone!

Blown to death by the opponent!

Feitan, Franklin, Machi, Shizuku, Shalnark, and the others hadn't been blown to bits on the spot because they were slightly further away. But they too looked extremely miserable and had suffered serious injuries.

Franklin had taken the worst of it. In the split second of the explosion, this guy had shielded everyone from the majority of the blast.

Right now, Machi was administering emergency treatment to him.

"Nobunaga..."

At this moment, everyone's mood was depressed and suppressed to the absolute limit.

Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine that what started as a punitive expedition against that guy would result in the loss of two team members in such a short amount of time.

This was an unprecedented and catastrophic loss since the Troupe's founding.

"Lunatic! That guy is definitely a lunatic! Nobunaga... is dead!! Feitan, Shalnark! Everyone!"

Franklin's back was severely burned, and his internal organs had suffered significant damage as well. He growled, losing a bit of his emotional control.

No one could believe it. A comrade they had joked around with, a comrade who had experienced countless life-and-death situations alongside them, had just died in an instant.

Even just a few minutes ago, they all still believed this was nothing more than a farce, something they could easily resolve.

They hadn't expected the slap in the face to come so quickly.

"That guy... has the ability to create clones! The one that exploded just now wasn't his real body, just a clone."

Feitan's clothes were in tatters, covered in scorch marks. He squeezed the venomous words out from between his teeth.

His ability was Rising Sun!

It could produce a similar effect, perhaps even more terrifying in terms of damage and range than what they had just experienced.

But he never anticipated that the opponent would choose such a bizarre method—directly self-destructing.

Damn it!

Damn it!!

This was all his fault. If he had been a little more vigilant, Nobunaga wouldn't have died, and Uvogin wouldn't have been taken away!!

"Our injuries aren't fatal. The situation has become extremely complicated now. This guy is simply too terrifying; we have to inform the Boss," Shalnark said in a deep voice.

Machi was busy healing, Shizuku stood dumbfounded in place with empty eyes, looking completely broken.

Kortopi was still in a daze.

He felt... that the events of today were simply a nightmare.

During the day, Pakunoda died. Now... Nobunaga is dead, and Uvogin has been captured...

Who's next?

...

In a dimly lit ruin somewhere.

"Don't worry, I naturally trust you, Hisoka. Once they catch the mastermind, everything will be revealed."

Chrollo wore a confident smile, appearing calm and composed.

Hisoka remained silent. His severed right arm had been restored...

Or rather, he had forcefully attached a living person's right arm, then wrapped it in Nen for disguise. It looked just like his own hand, but it still felt different to use.

To truly have it exactly as it was before, he would probably have to wait for Machi to return. That woman would definitely extort a hefty sum from him.

"Boss... Nobunaga is dead..."

Suddenly.

The voice of the other Troupe members came through Chrollo's earpiece.

"Nobunaga? You did well. Just capture that guy. If Nobunaga could defeat him... wait? What did you just say?"

Chrollo cut himself off mid-sentence. The smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by a rare look of utter shock.

Usually, as the leader, every single one of his decisions was considered absolutely correct by all members.

It was almost as if he possessed an aura of invincibility.

He, too, possessed absolute confidence in himself.

But the hint of shock that had just appeared on his face greatly damaged that image.

Hisoka furrowed his brows slightly. This was the first time he had seen Chrollo, the leader, make such an expression.

He had also vaguely heard the voice just now.

Nobunaga died in battle!?

Tsk, tsk, tsk, interesting. Things are getting more and more interesting...

To think that guy could actually secure a counter-kill while under siege by the Phantom Troupe. For an ability of that caliber, it was indeed exceptionally outstanding.

"Explain the situation in detail!!"

Chrollo's voice was freezing cold, a vicious glint flashing intermittently in his eyes.

Normally, he appeared gentle, refined, and polite—a true gentleman who always wore a faint smile.

But when his true reverse scale was touched, he finally bared his fangs.

No one was allowed to harm his team members. Not even the team members themselves were allowed to harm each other; this was the most fundamental requirement when the team was first formed.

Yet now, within a single day, two members had successively died in battle.

This was an absolutely unforgivable hatred.

The ones on the call were Feitan and the others. They gave a detailed recount of the battlefield situation.

And then stated the result.

Nobunaga dead in battle, Uvogin taken prisoner!

My God!

What kind of talk is this?

Anyone who didn't know better would think the Phantom Troupe were the victims!

They were all A-Class wanted criminals, for crying out loud!

Furthermore, Shalnark even sent back some photos from the battlefield.

Upon seeing the photos, Chrollo's expression turned incredibly grim.

Nobunaga... only his lower half remained!

He was brutally killed by the opponent's self-destruction. And the other members present weren't much better off; they looked extremely pitiful, like survivors who had just narrowly escaped a bomb blast.

And Uvogin had been captured!

They had even managed to snap a photo of Riku!

"To think... it would be such a young kid. This is likely the greatest loss we've suffered since the Troupe was formed."

Chrollo spoke expressionlessly, but his voice was chilling to the bone.

"It's him?"

Hisoka's eyes flickered, visibly surprised.

He had caught a glimpse of the photo on Chrollo's phone.

"You know him?"

Chrollo frowned. In that instant, he even slightly suspected whether Hisoka had conspired with this guy to deliberately ambush the Troupe.

But the thought vanished in a flash. He trusted his intuition more.

Hisoka had no motive for the crime!

"Riku! His strength... could it really have reached this level?"

Hisoka found it hard to believe.

The last time he encountered Riku was during the Hunter Association Exam. The feeling the opponent gave him was merely that he was improving very rapidly and had decent strength.

Even during that exam, he was confident he could kill him. It was just that the fruit wasn't ripe yet—too green—and he simply didn't want to harvest it.

But now, looking at the photo sent by the team, he realized that the guy who had just killed two Troupe members was actually one of his fruits.

"You know him?"

Chrollo asked in a deep voice.

Hisoka understood that the other party already suspected him, so he straightforwardly laid bare everything he knew regarding Riku's information.

Of course, he still held back some crucial details.

"A young kid from Whale Island, who managed to grow to such a realm within six months. If I'm not mistaken, his talent is absolutely sufficient to rival Netero, the man hailed as humanity's strongest combatant."

Chrollo took a deep breath, digesting the relevant information Hisoka provided.

"It seems... I misjudged him back then. This kid... is probably the sweetest of all my fruits!!"

Hisoka murmured in his heart, a perverse flush coloring his face.

He had only one goal.

Beat Riku to death, or be beaten to death by him!

Either outcome was enough to bring him to a climax of excitement.

"Boss!! Nobunaga is dead! Pakunoda is dead!! Uvogin's status is unknown!! Boss, we have to get revenge!!"

Franklin's furious roar came through the earpiece.

The sounds of other members arguing also followed. Clearly, there was a huge division of opinion among everyone regarding this decision.

If it were any other opponent, this situation would absolutely never occur.

But the combat prowess Riku displayed today was simply too terrifying.

He obliterated Uvogin with pure strength!

And wiped out Nobunaga with a self-destruction!

If the opponent pulled that off again, none of the remaining members present had absolute confidence they could survive.

"For now, come back."

Chrollo remained silent for a few seconds before finally speaking slowly.

"But Boss!! If we go back now, we'll completely lose track of that guy! Nobunaga and Pakunoda are dead!! It's all because of that brat!"

"And Uvogin!! His status is unknown right now; we have to go find him."

"Right! We must find Uvogin, and then we'll skin that little brat alive and pull out his tendons! We'll make him regret ever crossing us!!"

...

Franklin was the first to object, and the other members were equally furious.

Chrollo's voice instantly turned icy: "Then, does any single one of you have absolute certainty that you can defeat this monster?"

His words instantly silenced everyone.

Even if Nobunaga and Uvogin were strong, now... they were both gone...

Phinks probably couldn't do it either, and Feitan... it was uncertain.

"All of you, come back. Everything will be handled. I will personally go find him."

Chrollo slowly stood up, his gaze colder than it had ever been.

After saying that, he directly hung up the phone without waiting for the other members to reply.

He understood.

His decision was the team's decision.

"Hisoka... come with me. It's time for you to prove yourself."

Chrollo glanced at Hisoka.

Other than Hisoka, he didn't believe the other members of the team needed to take this kind of risk.

But there was something Chrollo didn't know.

The moment these Troupe members endured the damage from Riku's self-destruction, their fates were sealed; there would be no second outcome.

Because...

Every single one of them was now tainted with the residual mark of lightning.

In Riku's field of vision, they were clearly marked, just like a radar.

The best way to wipe out a nest of rats is to place down poisoned bait, let the rat carry it back, and then... all the rats will be dealt with.

This was a dungeon exclusive to Riku. A smart hunter would always choose the smart approach.

A few kilometers away from the valley.

Riku stood on a high vantage point, his eyes glowing as he watched the Troupe members slowly retreating.

Their retreat was incredibly well-hidden, but in Riku's perception, they were as conspicuous as a candle flame in the dark night.

The range of his lightning mark was... the active range of the Lightning Nen Beast!

Fifty kilometers!

As long as they didn't exceed this range... they would be perceived by Riku!

"Go on, go on. Enjoy the little time you have left; you must cherish every single day."

"Because you guys are going to die one by one, every single day."

Riku smiled.

Meanwhile, in the distance, a few figures were rapidly approaching.

☆☆☆

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