Genthru's expression instantly twisted. His benevolent smile froze, and he forcefully tried to pull his hand away.
But to his absolute shock, the teenager's grip was like a vice made of hardened steel. Despite Genthru's considerable physical strength, he couldn't move his arm a single millimeter.
This kid's physical strength is absurd! Genthru cursed inwardly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Genthru forced his polite smile back onto his face. "The Bomber is a menace to everyone on this island! Why would you accuse me of being him?"
"Yeah! What are you talking about?!"
"Lord Genthru has been nothing but kind to us! He even explained the game mechanics and warned us about the Bomber! You're just jealous of him!"
"Let go of him right now, kid!"
"He's biting the hand that feeds us! Genthru was just trying to help!"
The surrounding rookies, completely brainwashed by Genthru's charismatic facade, immediately turned on Ryker.
Even Gon and Killua looked worried. They trusted Ryker completely, but right now, it looked like Ryker was attacking the only helpful veteran in the game and inciting the wrath of a fifty-man alliance.
Nickes, the scruffy alliance leader, quickly stepped forward to defuse the situation. But before he could even open his mouth, Ryker smiled and casually lifted his arm.
With zero effort, Ryker hoisted Genthru completely off the ground by his wrist. He swung the lanky man upward like a ragdoll, preparing to smash him face-first into the cobblestone courtyard.
Damn it! How does this kid have so much power?! If he slams me down, I'll be crippled, if not killed! Genthru panicked.
His grand master plan was falling apart. He had intended to plant his Countdown bombs on every single player in the alliance, hold them hostage, and force them to farm the remaining cards for him. With dozens of players working under the threat of a synchronized detonation, clearing the game would have been guaranteed.
But his plan was only half-finished. He hadn't tagged everyone yet, and this random teenager had just effortlessly shattered his disguise.
For Ryker, analyzing Genthru was almost comical. The [Bomber] trait was undeniably powerful, but its activation conditions were incredibly tedious. You had to say the word "Bomber," physically touch the target, and then fully explain the bomb's mechanics to them for the explosive to properly arm itself. All of this "Good Samaritan" acting was just a convoluted way to fulfill his Nen vows and turn the rookies into his cattle.
Unfortunately for Genthru, he had run into a transmigrator with a System that could literally read his character sheet.
Left with no other option, Genthru abandoned his disguise.
He grit his teeth, focused his aura into his trapped hand, and whispered the activation phrase for his secondary, instantaneous explosive ability: Little Flower.
"Release!"
BOOOOOOM!
Just as Ryker was about to smash him into the ground, a deafening explosion erupted at point-blank range between them.
The crowd gasped in horror as Ryker was completely engulfed in a blinding sphere of fire and smoke. The concussive force of the blast violently tore Genthru from Ryker's grip, sending the blonde man flying backward.
The sudden, brutal explosion left everyone utterly stunned.
"Brother Ryker!!!"
"It's the Bomber!"
Gon and Killua's minds went blank. Their hearts hammered against their ribs as the image of the rookie who had been blown in half just hours ago flashed through their minds. They couldn't bear the thought of Ryker suffering the same gruesome fate.
The surrounding players turned completely pale. Panic and terror rippled through the courtyard. The Bomber—the legendary serial killer—was real, and he had just detonated a bomb right in front of them! No one knew who might be next.
"Huff... huff..."
Genthru skidded across the ground, sliding nearly forty meters before coming to a stop. His right sleeve was entirely shredded, and his arm was bleeding heavily from the kickback of his own explosion.
But he was alive. And more importantly, he was free.
"Genthru?! What... what just happened?!" Nickes yelled, staring at his long-time partner in absolute horror and disbelief. "Why did he call you the Bomber?! And why did he just explode?!"
The rookies also realized the terrifying coincidence. The moment Ryker accused Genthru of being the Bomber, an explosion occurred. Even though they were naive, they weren't stupid. Every single person in the courtyard subconsciously took several steps back, putting distance between themselves and the blonde man.
"Heh... hehe... HAHAHAHAHA!"
Genthru covered his face with his uninjured hand, his shoulders shaking as a low chuckle escalated into a full-blown, maniacal laugh.
The warm, polite mentor vanished. His face contorted into an expression of pure, unadulterated sadism and arrogant contempt.
"HAHAHAHA! I was planning on playing the nice guy for a little longer, but I suppose the jig is up!" Genthru mocked, spreading his arms wide.
"Yes! I am the Bomber! I wanted to keep up the act, but since that dead kid figured it out, there's no point in hiding it anymore!"
Genthru sneered at the terrified crowd. "And since I'm feeling generous, I'll let you all in on a little secret: I've already planted my bombs on the majority of you!"
"Bullshit! Only an idiot would believe you! My brother died because of you! Go to hell!"
A veteran player roared in anger, utilizing a movement spell to blur out of existence. He instantly reappeared directly behind Genthru, two poisoned daggers aimed perfectly at the Bomber's throat.
Genthru didn't even look back. He just snapped his fingers.
"Release."
KABOOM!
The veteran player detonated in mid-air. Blood, bone, and internal organs rained down from the sky like a macabre shower. The man's headless, mangled corpse hit the floor with a sickening thud.
The courtyard plunged into absolute, terrified silence.
The players' faces turned ashen. It was real. He really was the Bomber, and he could kill them with a single word.
"Y-You... you're not..." Nickes stuttered, his worldview completely shattering. The man he had trusted and built this peaceful alliance with was a psychopathic mass murderer.
"You're all just a bunch of naive, pathetic sheep," Genthru laughed cruelly. "To me, you're nothing but cattle. And unfortunately for you, my Countdown bombs are already active. Their timers are directly linked to your heart rates. The faster your heart beats—say, from fear or panic—the faster the timer runs out. When it hits zero... Pop. You end up like my friend back there."
Genthru's eyes swept over the paralyzed crowd. He had complete control. He hadn't managed to tag all the rookies yet, but the ones he missed were too weak to matter. He had all the veterans, including Nickes, firmly on his leash.
"Damn you! This is unforgivable! You tricked all of them!" Gon yelled, his fists clenched in pure fury. Because Ryker had intercepted Genthru's hand, neither Gon nor Killua had been tagged.
"This isn't what we wanted! We just wanted a peaceful way to clear the game!" Nickes cried out, suddenly realizing a heavy, ticking Nen construct had materialized on his own chest.
Genthru grinned. It was a slight deviation from his plan, but the result was the same. He would force these cattle to gather the remaining cards, take the cards for himself, and then detonate them anyway. He wasn't stupid enough to leave a hundred vengeful Hunters alive.
But as Genthru continued to laugh, he noticed something strange.
The expressions on the players' faces were changing. They weren't looking at him with paralyzing fear anymore. Instead, they were staring past him. Looking directly behind him.
Behind me? Genthru frowned. What are they looking at? The two corpses?
He slowly turned his head.
His breath caught in his throat.
Standing amidst the fading smoke and the bloody remains of the PKer... was Ryker.
He was standing perfectly upright. Aside from his jacket and shirt being blown to shreds, there wasn't a single burn, scratch, or drop of blood on his skin. It looked as if the point-blank Nen explosion had simply washed over him like a warm breeze.
Impossible! Genthru's mind screamed.
He had detonated Little Flower at point-blank range! Even a Master Enhancer would have lost a limb! But this kid didn't even have a scorch mark?!
In the back of the crowd, a beautiful young girl with blonde twin-tails and a frilly pink dress watched the scene with wide, sparkling eyes.
Incredible! Simply incredible! Biscuit Krueger whispered to herself, an excited smile playing on her lips. He didn't use any defensive Nen abilities! He tanked a high-density Transmutation explosion using pure, unadulterated physical durability! I think I've just found the most physically flawless human being I've ever seen!
Oblivious to the ancient martial arts master drooling over his physique, Ryker calmly patted the soot off his ruined shirt.
"Sigh... how incredibly rude. Throwing explosives around without any warning," Ryker said, his voice terrifyingly calm as he locked eyes with Genthru. "You ruined my clothes. Have you considered how you're going to compensate me for this?"
Genthru felt a primal, instinctual terror grip his spine.
It was like watching a corpse crawl out of its grave. He refused to believe his ability had failed.
He must have used a one-time defensive Spell Card or a magical item! Genthru rationalized frantically. There's no way a human body can survive that! Items like that are ultra-rare; he definitely doesn't have a second one!
"I'll compensate your mother!" Genthru roared, abandoning all pretense and charging directly at Ryker. He focused maximum aura into his hands, preparing to blow Ryker's head off with a full-power Little Flower.
But as Genthru sprinted forward, Ryker vanished.
So fast! Genthru's brain couldn't even process the movement.
The speed vastly exceeded any movement Spell Card in the game. And Ryker hadn't even opened his Binder! This was pure, unassisted physical speed.
Ryker reappeared directly in front of Genthru, casually side-stepping the glowing, explosive hands.
"You really don't have any manners," Ryker smiled, his eyes completely dead. "I suppose you'll just have to pay with your life."
Ryker lightly tapped his fist into Genthru's stomach.
BOOOOOOM!
A visible, concussive shockwave erupted from the point of impact. Genthru folded in half, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as blood violently sprayed from his mouth. He was launched backward with such devastating, catastrophic force that a visible Mach ring formed around his body as he tore through the air.
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