"System. Status report."
Ryker's gaze sharpened as he felt the vast, surging ocean of power within him.
[ Total Traits: 125]
[ Lightning Core Energy: 120% (Overload State)]
[ Dark Continent Power: Awakening]
[ Warning: Core stability declining. System load critical]
"So it's starting already…"
The thought passed through his mind, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.
The battlefield around them remained in ruins.
A suffocating dark aura still lingered in the air.
Gon, Killua, and Biscuit regrouped at his side, their expressions tense.
"That thing just now… was it an apostle of the Dark Continent?" Gon asked.
"It was." Ryker nodded. "Its power operates under a rule system we still don't fully understand."
"Then what's the plan?" Killua frowned, electricity flickering across his body. His instincts had sharpened even further through the battle.
"We figure out the nature of this 'Dark Continent Power' first," Ryker said, eyes fixed on the slowly stabilizing space ahead.
"Otherwise, we'll keep getting dragged into a reactive fight."
At that moment—
The System pulsed.
A new alert rang out.
[ Unknown signal detected: Origin — Dark Continent Core]
[ Signal strength: Extreme]
[ Parsing…]
Ryker immediately locked onto the source.
A projection of light unfolded before him.
An ancient rune circle appeared, its structure warped and unstable.
At its center—
A crystal glowed with a deep, eerie blue light.
"What is that?" Biscuit frowned. "Looks like some kind of ancient relic."
"A fragment of the Dark Continent's core," Ryker said, voice low.
"It could be the source of that power… and the key to breaking its rules."
At the same time—
The distant rift trembled again.
A denser, more violent surge of darkness began to gather.
"They're not done yet," Killua muttered.
Right on cue—
Shadows poured out from the rift.
Massive figures.
Their bodies were wrapped in corrosive black Nen, their eyes filled with raw hatred.
"Dark Spirit Tribe," Ryker said coldly.
"Prepare for combat."
They lunged.
Fast.
Predatory.
Intent on devouring everything in their path.
"Spread out and hold the line!"
Ryker's plunder system activated instantly.
"Wrath of the Thunder God: Domain Expansion!"
Lightning erupted outward, forming a crackling field that suppressed the incoming horde.
His eyes locked onto the largest of the creatures.
"Plunder target—confirmed."
The System chimed.
A bolt of lightning shot forward like an arrow, striking the target dead-on.
The Dark Spirit howled.
Its black Nen was forcibly stripped away, its form destabilizing as it began to collapse.
[ Plunder Successful: Dark Spirit — Corrosive Breath]
[ New Trait Unlocked: Corrosion Domain — Dark Spread]
[ Total Traits: 130]
Ryker moved without pause.
Defending.
Plundering.
Optimizing.
Each cycle faster than the last.
"System. Integrate Corrosion Domain. Reinforce Nen defense."
[ Defense +40%]
"They're getting stronger," Biscuit said between breaths.
"But so are your traits."
"It's the only way forward," Ryker replied, unwavering.
"Only constant plunder lets us turn this around."
Then—
The darkness in the sky detonated into a blinding flare.
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