"Finally ready to reveal your hand? Let's see how many strange abilities you've got stored up!" Ronnel smirked, his mouth curling upward beneath the human-skin mask.
"In hand-to-hand combat, I may be at a disadvantage…"
Flip, flip, flip…
The sound of pages turning abruptly halted on a specific page.
Swish!
In an instant, several darts manifested in Chrollo's free hand.
"Pain Dart!"
Pressing the darts into his arm and ankle where Ronnel had previously struck, Chrollo's pain instantly multiplied, causing his eyes to twitch slightly. Simultaneously, the darts seemed to enlarge, infused with powerful Nen, prompting Ronnel to raise an eyebrow.
Nen: Pain Dart
Effect: By intensifying his own pain, the potency of the manifested dart increases significantly. If pain is inflicted by the opponent, the dart's accuracy rises one Grade, giving it a 100% chance to strike the part responsible for the pain.
Restrictions: Amplifies self-inflicted pain; for combat use only.
Chrollo, not hesitating, hurled the darts charged with heightened pain toward Ronnel.
Whizz, whizz!
Seeing the darts, Ronnel wisely chose to dodge instead of blocking, easily sidestepping the oncoming attacks.
As Ronnel evaded the powerful darts, he closed the distance to Chrollo.
However, a strange thing happened—a dart that had missed suddenly veered midair, homing in on his right fist.
No matter how Ronnel maneuvered, the dart relentlessly pursued his hand.
"A 100% hit rate? Seems like my luck's not holding up today," Chrollo quipped with a subtle smile.
Finally, realizing he couldn't avoid it, Ronnel braced himself. His right hand, imbued with Nen, intercepted the dart, resulting in an intense clash of energy that sent shockwaves through the room, cracking the stone floor.
"Impressive darts."
As Ronnel handled the Pain Dart, Chrollo quickly flipped to another page featuring a dogskin-like plaster.
Chrollo quickly applied two stickers to his throbbing arm and ankle. As soon as they adhered, the pain vanished.
Nen: Pain Relief Patch
Effect: Instantly eliminates pain; the stronger the pain, the faster the relief, though other negative conditions like injury or poison remain unaffected.
With the pain dulled, Chrollo resumed flipping through his book, preparing for his next move.
Meanwhile, Ronnel, now separated by the dart's force, prepared to re-engage.
Thud!
Chrollo stomped down, and instead of a sharp sound of impact, the stone floor softened beneath his feet, transforming into clay!
Utilizing the rebound, Chrollo quickly retreated, manipulating the clay-like ground to attack Ronnel.
Nen: Turquoise Clay
Effect: Allows the Conjurer to turn stone into malleable clay, which can be shaped and controlled.
Restrictions: Only affects stone.
Observing the malleable clay, Ronnel could discern the Conjurer and Emitter qualities of the ability. Though useful for support, it wasn't particularly threatening.
With a punch reinforced by Nen, he broke through the clay barrier easily.
The book pages turned once more, and a sly grin crossed Chrollo's face.
"Time for the real fight!"
Two massive, ghostly white fish appeared, their tails swaying as though they were swimming through water. Covered in spikes and armed with razor-sharp teeth, they immediately locked onto Ronnel with their predatory gaze.
"Indoor Fish…? Clever," Ronnel remarked, noticing the gate now sealed with clay. With the dart marks around the door, he began to understand Chrollo's intricate strategy.
"First, lure me with darts, making it look like an assault aimed at me. Then, as the darts stayed near the gate, you switched to the stone-to-clay ability…"
"As the darts vanished, their lingering aura remained by the door, which you then turned into clay to seal the room, creating the perfect confined space."
Chrollo's elaborate plan was now in motion. With the room transformed into a battlefield designed to trap Ronnel, the next phase of their deadly encounter was ready to unfold.
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