Chapter 109: Group Ambush X Trap

The forest was silent under the cover of night. Two Nen users stood hidden among the trees, communicating only with silent glances. One motioned for his companion to rest while he kept watch. His companion nodded and jumped onto a branch to take a nap, while the other continued his vigilant observation of their surroundings.

The silence was shattered in an instant. Two black shadows burst from the darkness, one pressing her hand to the ground, causing the shadows of the tree to twist and grow. The branches twisted like ropes, binding the sleeping Nen user before he could react. At the same time, the grass beneath the tree erupted, spreading rapidly toward the alert Nen user.

The guard reacted in a flash, leaping up to dodge the attack. But before he could shout a warning, another figure fell from above, striking him in the back. He crumpled silently as his body was quickly enveloped by the waving grass. Hanzo quickly descended and broke the man's neck with a precise motion.

Up in the tree, Anthony materialized next to their bound target. He grabbed the man's throat with one hand while using the other to force the enemy's eyelids open, forcing him to make eye contact. Anthony's face transformed as his ability activated, dark lines etching across his skin, his complexion darkening until he appeared demonic, his pupils distorting unnaturally. After a few seconds of sustained eye contact, their target's expression went blank, his struggling limbs falling limp.

"Where are the rest of your team?" Anthony demanded coldly.

"They all left, heading southwest," the man murmured through slack lips.

"When did they leave?"

"Half an hour ago."

"Why did they leave you two alone?"

"The boss said lately there are strong hunters outside the restricted area, targeting people like us. He ordered us to stay behind as guards to check for danger before following to the designated hiding place" "How many people are there and what are their abilities?"

The man revealed everything in detail. Once Anthony had his answers, he dispatched the target efficiently. He transmitted telepathically: "Captain, four remain in their group. They left thirty minutes ago, heading southwest. They seem to have anticipated our attack. Two reinforcement types, one emission type and one specialization type. Their abilities are" "Understood," Oboro replied from his position. "Stay here, I'll follow them. We'll be beyond Menchi's range, so communication will be cut off. I'll return as soon as it's done. If you have to move, leave markers."

"Yes, sir."

Rita descended from the tree and withdrew her ability. Beyond communicating with plants, she could manipulate their growth and shape for offensive purposes. Looking at the bodies, she wiped nervous sweat from her face. Before joining this team, she'd never killed anyone directly. Her previous work had always been in support roles, using her abilities from a safe distance. But things were different now. These Nen users were far more dangerous than her previous opponents - a single mistake could be fatal. She had to adapt to the Captain's protocols.

With only six team members, hand-to-hand combat was sometimes unavoidable. After all, her abilities diminished with distance. In the past week alone, they'd eliminated countless targets. Anthony, Hanzo and even young Menchi seemed to have gotten used to killing. Due to the limitation of their abilities, Anthony, Hanzo, and Gabwich took care of most of the direct eliminations. So far, Rita had remained an indirect supporter. Menchi's kill count was also low.

She'd taken up mercenary work to earn money for her impoverished village, to improve their lives. The Fells family had offered her an irresistible salary, largely due to her impressive resume. Both she and Menchi were in it for the money. Hanzo and Rita had different motivations. As for Gabwich, Rita wasn't quite sure.

Gabwich emerged from the shadows with Menchi and looked at the bodies. "We found another one over there. He's been dealt with." He tucked his pristine kitchen knife into his waist pouch.

"Captain, this is out of my range," Menchi reported after a careful scan.

"That's all right. We'll wait here," Gabwich replied casually, massaging his temples.

After a week of operations, they'd almost eliminated all rebels outside the restricted area. Oboro had personally handled almost 90% of the eliminations, and the strength he displayed had astounded the team. They now understood why he'd accepted this two-star mission so easily. Truth be told, without coordinated teamwork, none of the Nen users they'd faced could stand up to them one-on-one. For support specialists like Rita and Menchi, the odds of survival alone would have been pitiful.

Meanwhile, Oboro bounded through the forest, leaping from tree to tree as he followed the faint scent trail. Soon, he spotted two targets moving silently through the cover of night. His speed instantly exploded. He crushed a tree trunk under his paws and dove like a cannonball toward his prey. The Nen users spun at the sound, raising their defenses, but it was too late; Oboro's falling kick shattered half the skeleton of the leftmost target, sending him flying. The second man managed to react, but lasted barely thirty seconds before the reinforcement user fell.

Oboro frowned. "Only two reinforcement types. Where are the others?" Anthony had reported four targets.

Suddenly, Oboro's eyebrows raised. A shadow materialized behind him, arms wrapped around him in an iron grip. Impressive, a true master. The timing was perfect. As soon as the attacker made contact, the Nen's stone plates materialized over Oboro's body, trapping him as the enemy's arms tightened with crushing force.

"No sneak attack?" Oboro remained calm, analyzing. "You think you can't break my defense, or that a rash attack might backfire, so you use your ability to buy time. A specialization type? There should also be an Emission user" "Hurry!" his captor shouted.

A woman appeared in front of Oboro, her hands crossing in elaborate patterns. The space between her palms warped to form a mirror-like surface. Ripples spread across it as a blurred figure stepped through a featureless copy of Oboro's exact form.

"Interesting," Oboro mused, somewhat surprised. No reinforcements after all? Anthony's information couldn't be wrong. The observation ability was successful. His captor released him immediately and retreated to a safe distance, as if every second of contact had been terrifying. The woman's scent was familiar, she must have watched him from a distance before.

This replica requires extensive observation and data collection before the mirror can reflect my true self,' Oboro realized. 'This was a trap. Those two were bait.

Suddenly, lights blazed through the dark forest. Under their harsh glare, figures emerged from the shadows, more than ten of them.

"We finally caught him!" A yellow-toothed man holding a lamp glared at the stone-bound Oboro.

"You've been quite busy lately, constantly killing and cleaning up various factions. You must be temporary employees of the Sori Group, right? New faces, never seen you before." The Sori Group was overseeing the current excavation site.

"Be careful," another warned seriously. "This is dangerous" The group spread out and surrounded Oboro.

"Did you think we'd just let you keep killing us? How naive!" Yellow Teeth's expression turned wild.

A hiding ability, that's why I couldn't detect them. They're all strong, but not strong enough to hide from me naturally. Several factions working together to ambush me. Oboro's gaze swept over the gathering. He had acted alone because he feared no trap or ambush. His confidence was not unfounded. Beyond testing his own limits, this mission was meant to train his teammates and improve their coordination. Rita and Menchi in particular needed growth CRACK!

Yellow Teeth opened his mouth to speak, but the stone binding Oboro suddenly shattered. In a blur of movement, Oboro appeared in front of him and their eyes met. Yellow Tooth's expression froze in horror.

"I can't keep up!" the woman who had created the clone cried out in horror. She couldn't normally understand that once a clone manifested, it could at least slow down any target, regardless of their strength. That was the most broken aspect of her ability. Even though the preparation took time, success was almost guaranteed once the cloning was complete.

Oboro's cold gaze met Yellow Teeth's for a moment before he moved with lightning speed. The man's neck snapped like rotten wood, his lamp-bearing body toppling backwards. In the next breath, Oboro appeared in front of the woman. His blow split her body in half and sent her flying into the sky. Her confidence in her abilities meant nothing in Oboro's eyes, she was garbage. Not because of her ability, but because of her weakness. When she died, her clone vanished instantly.

Oboro could tell that the replica was manifesting itself by collecting data. The more complete the information gathered, the stronger and more accurate the copy. But the woman was clearly no master of observation or analysis. Her ability had potential, but she'd never learned to use it properly. Typical of those who couldn't control their own power.

"Impossible!" someone shouted as two deaths occurred in an instant.

Oboro's Nen exploded outward, a ghostly mist spreading through the forest at twice its previous range. Feeling his overwhelming power, several faces changed. The weaker ones trembled, their fighting spirit crumbling.

This aura, where did that monster come from?