Not only could he rely on the vibrations of aura to accelerate the flow of nen in his body, allowing it to swiftly concentrate on any desired location for reinforcement and protection, but this ability could also be considered an advanced upgrade of the high-level nen technique Flow (Ryu).
When these vibrations wrapped around his arms in combat, they enhanced the offensive power of Ko to deliver even more devastating blows.
Beyond offense and defense, the power of vibration could also minimize the damage received and reflect the force back at the opponent.
Morin's fists had already encountered the overwhelming strength of Botobai's reflected power.
In addition, Botobai's vibration abilities extended beyond combat. He could use them for detection, healing, and a variety of other applications.
It was an ability that was truly versatile in every sense of the word.
By combining attack, defense, and counterattack, this comprehensive use of vibrations significantly enhanced Botobai's mastery over nen, solidifying his reputation as a powerhouse rivaling Netero himself.
"Cough, cough... Looks like I've lost," Botobai muttered, his internal organs trembling as he adjusted the frequency of his aura to help his body recover.
"I've already employed my full ability, maximizing its potential in both defense and counterattack," he said in a low voice, analyzing the outcome of their battle.
"And yet, you remained perfectly at ease, not only neutralizing my counterattack but doing so without using any of your own abilities."
Botobai took a deep breath before continuing.
"They say you can never truly determine the outcome of a fight until the very last moment."
"But even before this fight began, I had a premonition..."
"I knew there was a high likelihood I would lose—and it seems my prediction was accurate."
He shook his head with a wry smile.
"Even with my nen capacity and aura output, I can't surpass you. Adding your ability into the equation, I had no chance at victory."
"Perhaps I'd have ended up like Ging Freecss, unable to avoid being instantly defeated by you," Botobai said ruefully.
He understood Morin's nen abilities well, knowing that Morin possessed a vast arsenal of strange and varied tools with unpredictable effects.
While Botobai was aware of this, the rest of the Zodiacs, who had overheard Botobai repeatedly referencing Morin's "ability," grew increasingly curious.
They had no idea what Morin's nen ability was, and Botobai's cryptic remarks left them itching for answers.
Even Ging, who nodded in agreement with Botobai, didn't clarify anything.
The Zodiacs felt like they were going crazy.
Seriously, what's with these people who only tell half the story? Don't they know it's infuriating?
For world-class nen users, their abilities were paramount, and this was exactly what Cheadle and the others were desperate to know.
Yet Botobai refused to reveal anything about Morin's ability, and Morin himself gave no indication of his capabilities, leaving the Zodiacs feeling thoroughly unsatisfied.
Of the five individuals about to be named as the world's strongest nen users, they only truly understood Botobai's vibration ability.
Netero's ability was somewhat known to them as well.
But as for the others—Morin, Zeno, and even Ging—they were all mysteries.
How do you even evaluate the strongest nen users when you don't know what their abilities are?
Among the Zodiacs, only two other people besides Ging and Botobai knew about Morin's ability—Kanzai and Cluck.
Both had personally witnessed and experienced the power of Morin's tools during the Hunter Exam.
The two exchanged a glance, tacitly agreeing not to divulge anything.
After all, it was a serious breach of etiquette among nen users to casually disclose someone else's abilities.
Even so, Morin didn't mind whether people knew about his ability. His nen abilities were so unique that even if others knew about them, they couldn't truly grasp the range or consequences of his tools.
Without knowing what tools he possessed or what effects they held, understanding his abilities was meaningless.
Botobai knew this all too well.
Despite Morin giving him a brief moment to prepare, Botobai was still beaten into a corner, coughing blood, while Morin remained completely unscathed.
With the outcome of the battle decided, Botobai saw no point in continuing a futile fight.
Even Botobai's acknowledgment effectively ended the debate over Morin's strength.
"Yoh-ho-ho~!"
Netero finally stepped forward, laughing heartily as he spoke.
"Well, then, I suppose there are no further objections?"
He glanced around the room.
Indeed, there were none.
After seeing Botobai, one of the strongest among them, defeated so thoroughly, none of the others dared to challenge Morin.
"In that case, I shall now announce the results!"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Netero cleared his throat and assumed an air of authority.
"After careful selection by yours truly, I present the world's five strongest nen users, henceforth known as the World's Five Greatest Nen Users!"
He scanned the room, noting everyone's varied expressions—Botobai quietly seated, Ging grinning as he gave Morin a thumbs-up, Kastro gazing at Morin with admiration, Biscuit puffing out her chest with pride, and Pariston smiling enigmatically as usual.
Zeno, attempting to remain inconspicuous, was already planning his swift exit as soon as Netero finished speaking.
Netero chuckled before listing the names:
"They are Zoldyck assassin Zeno, three-star terrorist hunter Botobai, two-star ruins hunter Ging, and..."
He paused, his gaze landing on Morin.
"...Toolmaster Morin!"
Thus, the World's Five Greatest Nen Users were officially announced.
And the title of "Toolmaster" became inseparably linked with Morin's name, a reputation that would soon spread throughout the Hunter and nen user communities.
Although the selection was informal and lacked any official documentation or rewards, the impact it would have was anything but trivial.
With the selection concluded, Netero moved on to assigning tasks to the Zodiacs, matters that no longer concerned Morin.
After briefly speaking with Biscuit, Morin left the meeting room and spotted Zeno preparing to leave.
"Hold on a moment," he called out to Zeno.
"What is it?" Zeno asked.
Zeno abruptly turned around, his expression calm but his tone laced with vigilance as he asked, "What do you want?"
As an assassin, his natural sense of caution, coupled with Morin's intimidating presence, made him unwilling to expose his back.
"No need to be so tense. I don't mean any harm this time."
Morin waved his hand dismissively, a smile on his face. "As long as your family doesn't target me, I'm not dumb enough to provoke a legendary assassin clan."
"I'm sure your family feels the same way, right?"
Zeno spoke in a low voice, "What are you trying to say?"
"Give me a contact number for your Zoldyck family's commission line," Morin said, extending his hand. "In case I need to hire your services in the future, it'll be easier if I have direct access."
"Is that all?" Zeno glanced at Morin's outstretched hand.
"You don't have some invisible tool in your palm, do you? Or some device that requires a handshake or a gift to activate its conditions?"
"Would I really need such elaborate tricks if I wanted to deal with you?"
Morin chuckled, shaking his head. "You assassins are sure vigilant."
"Come on, we're both on the list of the world's five greatest Nen users. Even if you don't consider that bond, at least give some respect to Chairman Netero. It wouldn't look great if, right after he announced the list, I knocked one of you off it."
Zeno fell silent at this statement.
Morin's reasoning wasn't that he couldn't defeat Zeno, but rather that he didn't want to embarrass Netero. In other words, if Morin wanted to eliminate him, he could do so at any time.
"What an unsettling young man," Zeno muttered, shaking his head.
He reached into his sleeve and retrieved a small slip of paper with a phone number written on it, covered in a thin layer of Nen.
"This is my personal number. You don't need to go through the official Zoldyck family line. Just contact me directly."
He stroked his beard and added, "Considering our past encounters and the fact that we're now in the same league, I can offer you a 30% discount if you place a commission."
"A 30% discount? How generous!"
Morin glanced at the number, memorized it, and carefully tucked the paper away.
Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him, he asked playfully, "By the way, I've always wondered about something."
He met Zeno's gaze, his smile deepening.
"What if I commissioned your Zoldyck family to kill one of your direct relatives? How would your family handle that?"
Zeno's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Morin's amused expression, noticing no trace of deceit.
"Such an interesting and unsettling fellow..."
He sighed, his gaze growing sharp for a moment before returning to calm.
Meanwhile, the announcement of the "World's Five Greatest Nen Users" had already started to spread.
Morin, now widely known as the "Toolmaker," had his name and title etched into the minds of many.
And for many others, one question kept resurfacing: "Why is it always that guy?"
Read Advanced Chapters at:
[email protected]/ChakraMaster