Chapter 68: Decent

In less than ten minutes total, several corpses lay scattered across the area, limbs askew. Each one bore a lethal injury strikingly similar in nature—a thin, razor-sharp scalpel incision. A couple of them had their limbs or necks violently snapped by Xiang Nan as well.

The only survivors were three individuals—two men and one woman.

At this moment, a blond female soldier was on her knees at Xiang Nan's feet, panting heavily. Drops of sweat as large as beans poured down her face, splattering onto the ground.

The intensity was just too great…

The battle's intensity was too high… Xiang Nan's attacks, true to his identity as a doctor, felt like precise surgeries, directly targeting vital points. Originally, out of the eight who remained, three of them tried fighting Xiang Nan at once, but after some were taken down, the remaining five joined forces to surround him.

It was useless… The Nen abilities they were so proud of were riddled with weaknesses in this man's eyes.

Once they started displaying their techniques—after just a few moves—he would pinpoint those weaknesses. Then it was a pure, brutal crush by his superior combat skills.

Under the suppressive aura Xiang Nan released, their condition had already been severely compromised. Their minds were unstable, to say nothing of properly using their Nen abilities and techniques. Though they did manage to hold out for a short while, the overall situation was still one-sided: they were schooled mercilessly by this man.

Mulling it over, the woman slowly lifted her gaze from Xiang Nan's black leather military boots and looked up at that figure towering in the sunlight—though that figure still seemed dark and grim, like a god of slaughter. Her pupils trembled, brimming with despair.

Unbeatable…

"Among you all, your trio's level happens to be the best—by 'best', I mean that during your fight with me, your use of Nen was somewhat appropriate. You actually thought a bit about the battle dynamics and how to analyze the situation. You at least had some spark of intelligence."

Standing with his back to the sun, Xiang Nan spoke calmly.

"But you still don't meet my standard… Originally, I intended to eliminate all of you, but the truth is, you're Nen soldiers cultivated with considerable resources by the army—assets of our military. Killing every one of you would probably make the leadership feel bad. And I see a little potential, a shred of hope in you three."

As he spoke, Xiang Nan withdrew the menacing aura he'd been releasing.

"From this day forward, the special forces unit that trains Nen on behalf of the Republic of Padokea's army will be under my management. I'll be your direct superior—indeed, your only leader. The organization's name shall be 'Pandora's Box'. The first mission I'm assigning you is: for one full year, go to Heaven's Arena and compete in the matches there. Build up your experience fighting other Nen users, discard that arrogant 'military honor'… In the world of Nen, the strong devour the weak. Everything is decided by strength, not by rank."

Xiang Nan stood with both hands in his coat pockets, issuing his orders.

"I hope you understand two points. First, secret, state-level Nen-user units exist among various nations, and they're certain to compete in private."

"This is effectively a national-level showdown, bound to be more intense than any outside skirmishes, definitely beyond anything Heaven's Arena can offer. Above you stand the so-called 'national-level Nen users' that this country must have."

"Those folks are the true powerhouses! Yet, unfortunately, due to Padokea's geography—surrounded by the sea on all sides—there's almost no geopolitical friction."

"You've barely sensed any pressure from other countries. Consequently, the environment for your growth is lacking. The nation's real top-tier fighters number maybe one or two, and they're likely not even affiliated with the military. So you've lived fairly easy lives. You're lucky you all survived this long… but that luck is also your tragedy."

"If it had been any of the other continents or bigger states—especially smaller nations prone to conflict—with your capabilities, you'd likely have died on earlier missions already. Though in your eyes, my strength might appear fearsome, the intensity of our fight likely still can't match the level of a national-scale Nen showdown… You've got a huge gap to cover."

"Second, a Nen user's talent, growth rate, and other factors are all tied to the environment."

"The weaklings you despise—Heaven's Arena's so-called 'nobodies,' those underground Nen users—they live amid intense pressure that forces them constantly onward."

"Perhaps Heaven's Arena is kinder, but underground society is a stark example: mafia syndicates, constant clashes among various factions and gangs, endless trickery and collusion… These conditions force Nen users to consider not just the battles themselves, but external factors such as ambushes, group tactics, or elaborate traps."

"The more complex the setting, the more brainpower is required. So whether it be cruelty, bloodshed, or tactical cunning, those living 'down below' are far more adept and, indeed, are closer to the core 'food chain' of real Nen. Far more than any of you."

"You—your Emission-type technique lets you create an 'invisible' extra limb or foot during an attack, giving you a double strike. But basically, it's like having a third arm or a spare leg."

"However, your combat mindset is flawed, relying solely on the might of your ability and overlooking your physical attacks. Consequently, if the threat your body poses is weak, your opponent is free to watch out for that secondary strike."

"As for you, your Nen ability… I don't want to judge it. You did at least use your brain a bit, but your aura is obviously Enhancement-type, yet you set it up like Manipulation. You're completely wasting your natural endowment and 'capacity.' The technique you developed contradicts your own aura attributes—a lazy and half-baked idea."

Turning his gaze at the woman still kneeling on the ground, Xiang Nan continued:

"You, however, have a decent concept behind your ability that matches your fighting style. The only real problems are lacking experience in live combat, a weaker physique, insufficient aura, and so on."

Seeing Xiang Nan's cold assessment, the woman dropped her head in dismay.

"That's all."

And with that, Xiang Nan flicked his coat, turned, and walked away without hesitation.

"First stop, Heaven's Arena… There, at least you'll grasp how laughable you truly are."

He didn't even greet the senior officers, leaving just like that.

Because this wager he made was obviously in his favor—he had easily won.

Hence, the military naturally would honor the prior agreement.

Meanwhile, watching from the sidelines, a few of the higher-ups had fervent expressions. They'd undoubtedly realized Xiang Nan's genuine "value." They'd seen fresh hope of producing truly formidable military Nen users.

Comparatively, the so-called "trash" Xiang Nan had eliminated didn't concern them too much now.

There's a price for everything—and now they'd be willing to pay it for Xiang Nan's plan!

Knowing that, prior to today, they had assumed how fierce this deathmatch might be—after all, Xiang Nan was facing an entire squad of Nen soldiers alone. Yet the real scene was something beyond their imagination, a single-sided slaughter. It made them realize how vast the gulf could be between Nen users—numbers sometimes meant nothing.

A lion is a lion… House dogs remain but dogs, no matter how many you have.

"Everyone here—do not utter a single word of what happened today. If anyone dares to reveal even half of it, I'll see to it that they—and everyone connected to them—vanish from Padokea forever!"

Unable to mask his excitement, one of the senior officers slammed the table and roared, forcibly maintaining a stern demeanor.

~~~

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