Chapter 164: The Summoner of the Dark Continent
Riku quickly released several "Plundering Shadow" clones to distract the opponent's attention.
The Dark Summoner roared, unleashing endless black tentacles intertwined with rules, frantically sweeping at the clones.
"Thunder God's Judgment: Continuous Slash!"
Lightning wrapped around Riku's hands as he rapidly charged at the phantom's main body, his sword aura tearing through the void.
With a crack, the phantom snapped, scattering a massive amount of Dark Rule fragments.
Riku swiftly plundered them, and the system prompted:
[Successfully Plundered: Dark Rule Fragment] [New Trait: Rule Reversal - Dark Fragment] [Trait Fusion Increased by 30%]
Brilliant light flashed in Riku's eyes. This trait would greatly weaken the enemy's rule suppression ability.
"Continue!"
The Dark Summoner glared angrily, its black tentacles transforming into sharp blades that slashed straight down.
Riku spun sharply, executing "Phantom Mirror Consecutive Breath," nimbly weaving through countless afterimages to dodge the attacks.
"So this is the power of the Dark Continent... It cannot be underestimated."
"System, fuse 'Rule Reversal - Dark Fragment' to strengthen the shield."
[Shield strength increased by 50%]
The dark tentacles scraped across the shield, emitting a piercing screech of friction, but the shield did not break.
Riku used this split second to counterattack.
"Thunder God's Roar: Bursting Lightning Strike!"
Several bolts of lightning pierced the void, heavily damaging the Dark Summoner's core area.
The phantom staggered back several steps, revealing an expression of disbelief.
"To actually be able to contend with the power of rules..."
"This is the power of the Infinite Trait Plunder System!" Riku sneered.
"Come, accept my final trial!"
With a wave of its hand, the Dark Summoner called forth several giant dark spirit entities. Their auras were tyrannical, seemingly capable of swallowing all Nen.
"Killua, Gon, careful!"
Riku stepped sideways to open up their formation, preparing to plunder again.
He knew that only by continuously plundering stronger traits could he face the true power of the Dark Continent.
"Infinite Trait Plunder System, give it to me!"
Several dark spirit entities were knocked down, and Riku quickly deployed his plundering skills.
System notification sounds rang out consecutively:
[Successfully Plundered: Dark Spirit Entity - Breath of Chaos] [New Trait: Chaos Domain - Suppression] [Number of traits surged to 120]
"My traits are getting stronger and stronger."
The Dark Summoner's face darkened, roaring in fury: "You think you can stop me with these?"
"I'm not just going to stop you, I'm going to reverse this!"
Riku concentrated his mind, unleashing the ultimate skill of his fused traits:
"Thunder God: Unlimited Sanction!"
A lightning tornado erupted around him. Lightning and dark power collided fiercely, twisting space itself.
Boom!
A shockwave swept across the arena. The Dark Summoner was knocked back, exposing a flaw.
"Now!"
Riku charged rapidly, his lightning condensing into an ultimate blade that he ruthlessly slashed down at the Dark Summoner.
A trace of fear flashed in the Dark Summoner's eyes as it struggled to use the power of rules to defend itself.
However, Riku's trait fusion strength had already broken through its limits; this strike was extremely destructive.
The blade light tore through the void. The Dark Summoner's figure instantly split apart, turning into countless dark fragments and dissipating.
"System, plundered target confirmed."
[Dark Continent Summoner - Ultimate Rule Fragment] [Trait Fusion Increased by 50%] [Unlocking 'Dark Continent Power' Advanced Mode]
Riku felt the energy within his body expand drastically, as if he had touched a higher law of the world.
He knew that this battle was only the first step toward the core of the Dark Continent.
With the dissipation of the Dark Summoner, the trait system within Riku's body suddenly erupted with an unprecedented fluctuation of power. That "Dark Continent Power" advanced mode was like a raging tide in the abyss, rapidly swallowing his Nen core and plundering system.
"System, status report!" Riku's eyes were sharp as he felt the magnificent ocean of energy within his body.
[Total Traits: 125] [Core Lightning Core Energy: 120% (Overloaded)] [Dark Continent Power: Awakening in progress...] [Warning: Core stability decreasing, system overload]
"Looks like I need to be more careful moving forward," Riku thought to himself, though an even denser fighting spirit burned in his gaze.
All around them was still that ruined battlefield, the air thick with a stifling dark aura. Gon, Killua, and Biscuit gathered around, their eyes similarly filled with vigilance.
"Was that guy just now an apostle of the Dark Continent?" Gon asked.
"That's right," Riku nodded. "His power belongs to the rule system there, an existence we have not yet fully understood."
"Then what do we do next?" Killua frowned. Electric currents flowed along the surface of his body; the battles had honed him to be even sharper.
"We must first uncover the secret of the 'Dark Continent Power'," Riku said, staring at the gradually calming space. "Otherwise, we will only fall into a constantly passive situation."
At that moment, the system suddenly vibrated, and a new voice prompt sounded.
[Unknown signal detected: Originating from the Dark Continent Core] [Signal Strength: Extremely High] [Analyzing...]
Riku immediately aimed at the signal source. A virtual projection of light and shadow mapped out in front of him, revealing a blurry image.
It was an ancient rune circle with twisting light. Embedded in the center was a crystal flashing with a faint blue luster.
"What is this?" Biscuit frowned. "It looks like some sort of ancient relic."
"A fragment of the Dark Continent's core," Riku's eyes were solemn. "It might be the root of that power, and also the key for us to break the dark rules."
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the void rift in the distance, an even denser dark aura condensed.
"The enemy isn't finished yet!" Killua's voice was low.
Sure enough, immediately following that, several dark shadows poured out from the rift. They were massive in size, their bodies wrapped in corrosive black Nen, their eyes full of hatred.
"Dark Spirit Race!" Riku shouted in a low voice. "Prepare for battle!"
They lunged forward at extreme speeds, wanting to devour Riku's group.
"Scatter and resist!" Riku yelled, while the plunder system automatically activated.
"Thunder God's Roar: Domain Expansion!"
Lightning exploded around him, forming an energy barrier that temporarily suppressed the incoming Dark Spirit Race.
Riku's eyes were sharp. With a shift in thought, he quickly locked onto the largest of the Dark Spirit Race.
"Plunder target, activate!"
The system's chime rang out abruptly. A bolt of lightning shot out like an arrow, instantly hitting the target.
The dark spirit roared as the black Nen on its body was stripped away and gradually disintegrated.
[Successfully Plundered: Dark Spirit Race - Breath of Corrosion] [New Trait Unlocked: Corrosion Domain - Dark Spread] [Number of traits surged to 130]
Riku plundered while resisting. His speed grew faster and faster, and his trait fusion became increasingly exquisite.
"System, fuse 'Corrosion Domain' to strengthen Nen defense."
[Defense increased by 40%]
"They are getting stronger," Biscuit said between pants. "But your traits are also growing rapidly."
"It's our only hope," Riku's eyes were firm. "Only by continuously plundering can we reverse the situation."
Right at that moment, the dark aura in the void abruptly erupted with a blinding light.