Chapter 18: Ability Intimidate and Toxic Hand

The boy before him was likely not merely a Nen user, but also highly sensitive to 【Nen】.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have detected Luo Ge hiding in the shadows using 【Ten】 without prior knowledge.

Luo Ge frowned, his tone cold as he said, "It's just smelling something even more foul in the stench of a garbage dump."

A flash of scarlet passed through Jem's eyes, and at the same time, an expression of excitement uncontrollably appeared on his face.

He could confirm with certainty that this kid possessed no small talent, which meant killing him would bring even greater satisfaction!

Jem had two hobbies.

The first was killing people.

The second was killing geniuses.

Especially those geniuses who had not yet grown!

Unfortunately, this mission was not to kill, but to capture alive.

However...

It should be acceptable to break a few limbs during the capture process, right?

As his emotions grew more intense, Jem's pale complexion gained a touch of redness, and the Nen energy on his body surface became active.

An indescribable pressure erupted from within Jem, shaking the surrounding dust into floating motion.

This was one of the basic Nen techniques, 【Ren】.

Simply put, it involves releasing the Nen energy within the body in a single burst, which can exert pressure on the opponent's aura.

Luo Ge's expression remained unchanged; he merely narrowed his eyes slightly, observing carefully.

The expressions of the two women beside him became even more grim.

They had never seen such an aura on anyone other than Luo Ge.

Shizuku held Machi's hand, shook her head, and said with a gloomy expression, "Machi..."

Seeing this, Machi, unwilling to accept it, sighed in her heart, her eyes filled with worry for Luo Ge.

Although reluctant to admit it, they currently lacked the strength to intervene in this battle.

All they could do was stay far away and not cause trouble for Luo Ge.

Jem paid no attention to the two women walking away; he simply stared at Luo Ge.

Because his target was only Luo Ge.

Luo Ge, meanwhile, was wondering where this person had come from.

Did he just want to kill him because he happened to pass by?

That was not impossible, because this was the Phantom Troupe's home, the Meteor City, where there were many madmen.

Judging by his recent behavior, his mind was indeed troubled, so although the probability was low, this possibility could not be ruled out.

However, Luo Ge still leaned towards there being a reason for this.

A Nen user in the outer ring of Meteor City was quite rare; perhaps he came from the inner ring?

Seeing Jem poised to strike, Luo Ge cast the thought aside.

At this moment, Jem and Luo Ge locked eyes; both knew clearly that this battle had only two possible outcomes.

One of them must die!

Jem suddenly stomped the ground, causing the dilapidated muddy earth to burst open into a crater.

His figure shot forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, charging straight at Luo Ge, his sickly eyes staring fixedly at him.

The Nen energy on Luo Ge's body surface rippled, transforming into a beam of white light, and he retreated to the right at even greater speed.

General-type Skill — Flash of Lightning!

Jem's attack missed completely; his feet scraped against the ground, producing a grating friction sound before he stopped.

His sharp eyes glanced toward Luo Ge on the other side, revealing a trace of astonishment.

He dodged?

How is that possible!

Could this kid's speed be faster than his?

Judging by the level of Nen energy on this kid's body surface, he was obviously not as powerful as Jem, after all, Jem had been in contact with 【Nen】 for many years.

Luo Ge on the other side also realized this issue; the madman's strength was clearly superior to his.

He was not surprised by this.

Although he was a born Nen user, he had only trained by himself for one month, which could not compare to those Nen users who had cultivated for years.

The reason he was able to forcibly shift a step just now relied on the effect of 【Flash of Lightning】.

【Flash of Lightning】: Move with the speed of lightning before one can cover their ears; it guarantees a first strike.

This was the unreasonable nature of Pokémon skills, or rather, the unreasonable nature of skills in games.

Utilizing this effect, no matter who he encountered, he could always strike first.

Jem's expression changed several times, and he then planned to launch another attack, but Luo Ge would not let the opponent act freely.

Luo Ge suddenly widened his eyes, instantly emitting an aura of immense authority that made Jem's face turn pale.

Jem's fighting spirit also subconsciously weakened by a few degrees.

Ability — Intimidate!

【Intimidate】: Intimidate the opponent, causing them to feel the urge to retreat and reducing the power of their attacks.

In reality, abilities differ slightly; this is equivalent to an active skill that Luo Ge must use voluntarily.

In the next instant, Luo Ge repeated the same tactic, his figure flashing as he charged at Jem, intending to launch a surprise attack.

His not-so-large fist gathered dense Nen energy, increasing its power several times over, while a trace of purple light appeared.

Ability — Toxic Hand!

【Poisonous Hand】: Upon contact with the opponent, there is a 30% chance to poison them.

Facing an enemy stronger than himself, Luo Ge had confidence in victory.

He relied entirely on the skills and traits he possessed!

"Bang!"

A rebounding force surged back; Luo Ge felt as though he had struck a solid steel plate, shaking his hand until it hurt.

His Poisonous Hand landed directly on Jem, forcing him to stagger back several steps, yet it inflicted little damage.

This was because the Nen aura on Jem's surface also provided protection, capable of neutralizing attacks.

This was a battle between Nen users, where Nen aura held immense importance.

Possessing Nen aura meant possessing both offense and defense.

Jem frowned deeply, realizing he could not continue like this, or he would truly capsize in a ditch here.

Immediately, a surge of Nen aura appeared on his hand, rapidly shifting its form into the shape of a small knife.

The blade was not long, only slightly longer than an ordinary fruit knife, yet it was exceptionally sharp.

Moreover, its surface glowed with a scarlet bloodlight, as if perpetually soaked in blood, radiating a bloody intent everywhere.

This was Jem's Nen ability—【Blood-Drinking Blade】.

【Blood-Drinking Blade】: A blade materialized from Nen aura, extremely sharp, capable of cutting through rock.

If it strikes a living being, it absorbs the blood within that being to heal its own wounds.

Drawbacks:

One, the absorption effect works only when striking a human; otherwise, it is merely a sharp blade.

Two, one must kill a person every day; the Blood-Drinking Blade must absorb blood daily, or it will absorb its own blood.