Chapter 165: The Power of the Dark Continent
"What is that?" Gon exclaimed. Within the light, a tall figure gradually emerged. He was draped in a black robe, red flames burning in his eyes, his entire being exuding endless pressure.
"The Guardian of the Dark Continent," Riku's voice was solemn. "The real enemy is here."
The appearance of this guardian caused the atmosphere of the entire battlefield to suddenly become even more oppressive and dangerous. Riku took a deep breath, gathering all his lightning, preparing to meet this even more cruel test.
"The power of the Dark Continent... I will use Infinite Trait Plunder to shatter its rule shackles!"
The figure of the Dark Continent Guardian gradually became clear. He was a tall man surrounded by black-red Nen flames. His eyes were scorching like purgatory, and the aura exuding from his body almost burned and distorted the air. With every step he took, the ground seemed to be burned by raging flames, releasing a blazing oppressive feeling.
Riku held his breath and concentrated. The Infinite Trait Plunder System within his body issued a series of alarms, prompting that he was about to enter an extreme combat state.
"System, initiate 'Extreme Fusion Mode', activate all traits!" Riku formed seals with his hands, and his Nen fluctuations surged abruptly.
[Extreme Fusion Mode Activated] [Total Traits: 135] [Core Lightning Core Energy: 130%] [Dark Continent Power fully fused; system load approaching limit]
Lightning danced wildly around Riku. Lightning and data streams intertwined, as if heaven and earth were cheering for him.
The Dark Guardian slowly raised his hands. A pitch-black rule barrier burning with red light slowly unfurled, like an endless cage of flames, enveloping the entire battlefield.
"This is the heart of the Dark Continent, you cannot escape the shackles of the rules!"
The rule barrier extremely distorted the flow of Nen, attempting to suppress Riku's Nen fluctuations and system energy.
"Infinite Trait Plunder System, activate 'Rule Reversal: Abyssal Seal'!" Riku roared in anger. The newly acquired "Rule Reversal: Dark Fragment" trait within his body burst with light, attempting to break through the barrier's restraints.
The dark barrier shook violently, layers of cracks appearing, but it remained unbreakable.
The Guardian snorted coldly. With a wave of his hand, several scorching black-red flames transformed into sharp blades, flying rapidly toward Riku.
Relying on the super-anticipation of "Phantom Mirror Consecutive Breath," Riku instantly dodged and took the opportunity to launch a counterattack.
"Thunder God: Ultimate Final Chapter!" The giant lightning sword transformed into a blade of light, sweeping toward the Dark Guardian.
The Guardian took it head-on with a giant flaming palm, erupting with a deafening fiery explosion. The Nen fluctuations of both sides intertwined, and space seemed to be torn apart.
"Your trait power is getting stronger, but this is your limit." The Guardian sneered, killing intent fully revealed in his eyes.
"The true limit is yet to come!" Riku's gaze was firm. The lightning sword in his hand suddenly grew larger, slashing down with an even sharper strike.
Simultaneously, the system continuously and automatically plundered the residual rule fragments and Nen remnants around the Guardian.
[Successfully Plundered: Dark Guardian - Rule Remnants] [Trait 'Rule Reversal: Abyssal Seal' strengthened] [Core Energy increased to 150% (Extreme State)]
"Take this!" Riku let out a low roar, unleashing the ultimate skill of his fused traits.
"Thunder God: Endless Sanction!"
Lightning energy condensed explosively throughout his body, forming a long lightning sword that pierced heaven and earth. Carrying the infinite power to destroy everything, it slashed toward the Dark Guardian.
The Guardian's expression changed drastically. He tried his best to resist, the black-red flames transforming into a thick shield.
"Boom!"
The two extremely strong energies collided, releasing an earth-shattering roar, shattering the surrounding void, and the energy fluctuations swept across the entire battlefield.
Massive cracks appeared on the dark barrier, and the Guardian's figure shook, revealing fatigue.
"I can't let him strengthen anymore!" The Guardian roared in anger, concentrating his entire body's power to launch his final ultimate move.
Countless dark tentacles abruptly appeared behind him, wrapping frantically towards Riku.
"The Guardian's ultimate bind!" Gon shouted nervously.
Quick of eye and deft of hand, Riku instantly utilized the newly plundered trait "Chaos Domain: Suppression," activating a Nen domain to counter the dark tentacles.
The tentacles were torn apart by intense Nen, but they also dragged away a significant amount of Riku's power.
"System, fuse 'Chaos Domain', activate 'Trait Extreme Eruption'!"
[Trait Extreme Eruption Activated] [All trait attributes increased by 50%]
Lightning flared brilliantly all over Riku's body, his battle intent erupting like a volcano. All plundered traits transformed into an indestructible force at this moment.
"Thunder God: Extreme Final Chapter!"
The lightning transformed into its final form as a giant sword, carrying the power of the system's extreme fusion, slashing toward the Dark Guardian with overwhelming speed and might.
The Dark Guardian resisted with all his might, but was still knocked back dozens of meters by this strike.
His shield shattered, and the rule energy within his body flowed away rapidly.
"This... is impossible!" The Guardian revealed a look of terror.
"Your rules, ultimately, cannot stop the power of infinite traits!" Riku pressed closer step by step.
The Guardian's phantom began to crumble, turning into countless rule fragments scattering in the air.
"System, plunder all of it, complete trait fusion limit!" Riku shouted loudly.
Finally, the Guardian's body completely dissipated. The rule remnants within his body turned into points of light and were absorbed by Riku one by one.
[Ultimate Trait 'Dark Continent Core Rule' acquired] [Trait Fusion reached max level: 140 traits] [System Status: Overloaded, but stable]
Riku took a deep breath, feeling the powerful energy surging within him.
"Finally... I've grasped the power of the Dark Continent." "But this is just the beginning." He looked toward the gradually closing rift in the distance, secretly vowing: "The Infinite Trait Plunder System will guide me to break all rules and conquer the Dark Continent!"
The Dark Guardian was defeated, and the rift to the Dark Continent began to slowly close. However, the aura on the battlefield did not calm down because of this. Riku felt the intense resonance of countless traits within his body; each one seemed to be whispering, guiding him toward deeper secrets.
"These traits... they seem to be more than just power, more like a key." Riku's gaze was firm as his finger lightly touched the Lightning Core on his chest.
Gon stood aside, his eyes shining: "These powers... will they lead us into an even deeper crisis?"
"Exactly," Riku said in a deep voice. "The Dark Continent is absolutely not as simple as it appears on the surface. The Guardian is merely the first threshold here."
Suddenly, Riku's trait system issued a warning sound, and a bizarre fluctuation rapidly invaded the surroundings.
"Warning, unknown dark rules are awakening, power is abnormally massive!" The system prompt sounded icily.
"Quick, prepare for battle!" Riku ordered, while quickly deploying plundering skills.
The darkness deep within the rift surged again. A black shadow, even more massive than the Guardian just now, slowly rose, resembling a towering mountain, its body surrounded by bizarre patterns intertwining darkness and light.
"The true ruler of the Dark Continent," a cold smile curled at the corner of Riku's mouth. "It seems the strongest enemy has finally appeared."
The nerves of the warriors all around were taut. The stagnant air was mixed with the confrontation of lightning and darkness, as if heaven and earth were waiting for the eruption of this earth-shattering final battle.
"Infinite Trait Plunder System, Extreme Fusion Mode, activate again!"
A dazzling light exploded from Riku's body. The power of all traits converged into an endless sea of light, sweeping toward the Dark Ruler.
The two powers collided fiercely in the center of the battlefield. The void cracked, and heaven and earth trembled.
Riku said coldly, "Prepare to face the true Dark Continent."
The Dark Continent Ruler slowly condensed its complete form. Deep shadow patterns flowed over its body surface, and ancient, cold light flashed in its eyes. Its appearance instantly made the battlefield atmosphere turn heavy, the oppressive feeling as heavy as a mountain.
Riku felt the Lightning Core within his body vibrate violently; the trait system was doing its utmost to maintain his consciousness and bodily balance. The surrounding Nen fluctuations were ruthlessly devoured by the Dark Ruler; it seemed even the energy between heaven and earth was attracted to it.
"The power of endless traits, before me, is nothing but an ant!" The Dark Ruler's voice was low, carrying an irresistible majesty.
Riku smiled faintly, his figure flashing like lightning, and responded softly, "An ant can also destroy a giant tree."
Instantly, lightning erupted all over Riku's body. Dozens of traits streaked across the air like meteors, crashing directly into the Dark Ruler.
The two sides collided, lightning and shadows tangling into a violent storm, space continuously twisting and deforming.
"Thunder God: Ultimate Flash Strike!" Riku shouted loudly. A lightning blade, condensing the power of countless traits, transformed into a sharp weapon and slashed towards the Dark Ruler's chest.
The Dark Ruler crossed its hands, summoning a barrier of nothingness to block the attack, but cracks began to appear on the barrier's surface.
"Impossible..." The Dark Ruler was shocked, unable to ignore the sudden surge in Riku's power.
"Continue plundering! Absorb everything!" Riku chanted in a low voice. The system automatically identified and absorbed the residual power of the Dark Ruler's barrier.
[Successfully Plundered: Shadow Barrier Remnants] [New Trait Unlocked: Shadow Reversal] [Number of traits reached 145]
The Dark Ruler grew furious, releasing even stronger shadow fluctuations, attempting to devour all of Riku's power.
But Riku activated "Rule Reversal: Abyssal Seal" and joined forces with "Shadow Reversal" to counterattack.
Nen and lightning instantly intertwined into a vortex. The intense light made the Dark Ruler's figure sway.
"Final strike, Thunder God: Extreme Final Chapter!"
Riku condensed all his lightning into ultimate sword aura, carrying the power of countless traits to slash at the Dark Ruler's core.
"Boom!"
Heaven and earth shook violently, and the light swallowed the entirety of the Dark Ruler's figure.
When the dust settled, the Dark Ruler had completely dissipated, disintegrating along with that endless darkness.
Riku panted, the trait energy within his body reaching an unprecedented peak.
"The Dark Continent... its true power has finally been mastered by me."
However, deep in the distant void, an even older, more powerful existence was quietly awakening.
"This is only the beginning..." Riku's gaze grew even more resolute.
The collapse of the Dark Ruler was like the calming of a storm, and the battlefield returned to brief tranquility. But Riku knew deeply that this was merely the turbulence on the surface of the Dark Continent; the true challenges were still waiting deeper within.
The Infinite Trait System within his body issued a low warning. The energy of the core Lightning Core continuously surged, as if a strong calling was about to burst forth.
"Gon, Killua, Biscuit, take a rest. It might be even more dangerous next," Riku said in a deep voice, his sharp gaze sweeping toward the not-yet-fully-closed void rift in the distance.
"Your feeling is very accurate." Gon's eyes were solemn. "That shadow aura just now... I could feel a deeper level of terror."
Riku nodded. The trait list within his body continuously refreshed, and a brand new prompt appeared:
[Warning: Unknown ancient trait awakened, affecting core stability] [Suggestion: Find the 'Source of Shadow' to stabilize the system]
"It seems we must venture deeper into the Dark Continent to find that 'Source of Shadow'." Riku's eyes were firm, lightning dancing on his fingertips. "Only then can I completely control this power and not be devoured by it."
Everyone quickly reorganized their equipment, preparing to step into that mysterious and dangerous dark rift once again.
However, right at that moment, a low vibration suddenly transmitted through the air, like the roar of a primeval behemoth.
An even more massive and mysterious figure slowly emerged. Its body surface was covered with countless ancient runes, exuding a palpitating oppressive feeling.
"That's... a legendary existence of the Dark Continent!" Biscuit exclaimed.
Riku analyzed calmly. The trait system within his body automatically locked onto the target and rapidly initiated detection:
[Target Identification: Ancient God of Shadow, Naraku] [Level: Far Exceeds Guardian] [Power: Extremely Unknown]
"Naraku..." Riku muttered to himself. In ancient legends, this name represented chaos and destruction.
"It seems the true Dark Continent is only just beginning to reveal its true face." Riku clenched his fists, the Lightning Core once again releasing incandescent white light.
"Are you ready?" he asked his companions beside him.
Gon, Killua, and Biscuit all nodded, their eyes full of fearless determination.
In the center of the rift, that Ancient God of Shadow slowly reached out a giant palm, carrying irresistible force, and blasted directly toward Riku and the others.
Riku condensed the power of countless traits to meet this apocalyptic attack.
"Infinite Trait Plunder System, go all out!"
The ultimate duel of light and darkness was about to unfold once again.
The giant palm of the Ancient God of Shadow, Naraku, was like an abyss where the night swallowed everything, smashing toward Riku and his companions. The air was distorted by the powerful Nen shockwaves, the ground instantly cracked, and the surrounding space seemed to freeze in this instant.
Riku's Lightning Core released incandescent white light. Lightning danced wildly, converging into a giant sword shining with electric light to meet the attack.
"Thunder God: Extreme Demise Slash!" he roared. The lightning sword slash and Naraku's giant palm collided fiercely, erupting with a deafening roar.
Shockwaves swept in all directions, rocks shattered, and the air was filled with ear-piercing crackling sounds.
Naraku's body was massive, and the dark aura within its patterns grew even denser, as if every breath could swallow the light between heaven and earth.
"Damn it, this guy's power far exceeds my imagination!" Alarm bells rang loudly in Riku's heart.
Simultaneously, the system rapidly analyzed the structure of Naraku's power, attempting to find a breakthrough point.
[Ancient God-level Nen structure detected] [Weakness Analysis: Core energy surging unstably] [Suggestion: Concentrate attacks on the core energy to break the guard]
"Scatter and surround, concentrate firepower to attack its core energy!" Riku commanded his teammates while nimbly dodging Naraku's fierce attacks.
Killua executed Godspeed lightning attacks, his blade flashing with electricity, precisely cutting at Naraku's defenses. Gon used his invisibility and speed advantage to distract the Ancient God's attention. Biscuit continuously protected the team with Nen shields, supporting their damage output.
Riku looked for opportunities in the gaps, and the plunder system began to operate actively.