Inside the core, dark energy raged in violent resistance. But Ryker's trait power surged like a predatory beast, steadily eroding its foundation.
"Gon! Killua! Cover me!"
"I'm pulling everything into the core—full plunder!"
His voice cut through the chaos. The three moved instantly. They held the line. Dark tendrils and crushing Nen waves surged forward, but Gon, Killua, and Biscuit intercepted them without yielding an inch.
At the center, Ryker stood unmoving. The System descended into deep operation. Trait energy flooded inward. Lightning erupted around his body, intertwining into a storm of pure force. He looked like a god of thunder brought into reality.
Then—
[ Plunder Complete ]
Something changed. A new trait formed within him.
[ New Trait Acquired: Abyssal Heart — Dominion Authority ]
Silence. Then power. Absolute. Unprecedented.
Ryker felt it instantly — control. Not over a fragment. But over the core itself.
"Now…"
"The fate of the Dark Continent…"
"…is mine to decide."
He tightened his grip. The Abyssal Heart's chaotic energy stabilized, then bent. Submitting. Becoming part of him.
The Thunder God's Judgment Blade ignited with blinding brilliance, illuminating the ruined battlefield.
For the first time, the darkness receded. But not completely.
From the distant sky, a low growl echoed. Cold. Ancient.
From deep within the fractured horizon, something else was awakening.
"This is only the beginning…"
"The real darkness hasn't arrived yet."
Ryker stepped forward. Blade in hand. Advancing toward deeper unknowns.
The Abyssal Heart's power surged within him, the blade radiating divine light across the battlefield. The oppressive darkness weakened, but never vanished.
Then, the air changed. A distant roar echoed again. The temperature dropped. Even space trembled.
"Everyone—stay sharp," Ryker warned, raising his defenses. "That's not a normal enemy."
Killua's eyes narrowed, lightning flickering across his body. "You're right… this feels different."
The rift split wider. Darkness poured out like a tide. Then, they formed.
An army. A vast legion of shadow soldiers clad in obsidian armor, each wielding black spears infused with dense Nen. Their presence alone shook the battlefield.
"So it begins…"
Ryker's voice lowered.
"The true forces of the Dark Continent are mobilizing."
From the front of the legion, a figure stepped forward. Massive. Armored. His helmet was pitch black. His eyes — endless abyss.
"We are the vanguard of the Shadow Legion."
His voice was like a roar from the underworld.
"I am the Warden Blade King—Astaroth."
"The Abyssal Heart has awakened."
"The Dark Continent will reclaim dominion over all."
"You cannot stop the tide."
Dark energy surged from his spear, condensing into razor-like black lightning.
Ryker didn't flinch.
"The Infinite Trait Plunder System is already online."
"No matter how deep the darkness goes…"
"We'll break through it."
The battlefield ignited. Thunder met shadow. Explosions tore through the air.
Gon, Killua, and Biscuit spread out, forming a tight combat formation — defense and offense in perfect sync.
At the center, Ryker advanced. Traits activated in rapid succession. Lightning and shadow fused into devastating force.
[ Trait Fusion: Thunder God — Umbral Burst Slash ]
[ Effect: Extreme destructive output with dark Nen corrosion ]
The blade fell. A massive arc of lightning-shadow energy slammed into Astaroth, driving him back several steps.
But the Warden Blade King only smiled.
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