"How... how are you doing this?" Genthru wheezed, forcing the question through the excruciating pain racking his body.
As someone intimately familiar with bombs and explosives, he could not fathom how his opponent, who clearly wasn't using any advanced Nen techniques and was relying solely on basic Ten for defense, could perfectly withstand the instantaneous fire, shockwaves, and vibrations of such a massive explosive barrel.
"It's simple! It's about faith in the 'Art of Explosion'! If you truly love explosions, if you cherish the momentary flash, the roar, and the destruction from the bottom of your heart, you won't be harmed. Come! Let us bathe together in even more violent detonations and enjoy this fleeting brilliance!"
Allen deliberately adopted a fanatical expression. He reached into his backpack once more, pulled out two bundles of Hi-Explosive Bombs, and ignited the fuses without a second thought.
It had to be said that the various bombs, grenades, and gadgets crafted through Engineering were arguably the most entertaining and joy-inducing professional tools for a player.
"No! No! No! Let me go! Let me go, you lunatic!"
Watching the fuses on the Hi-Explosive Bombs burn shorter and shorter, Genthru began to struggle like a madman. He even tried to sever his own arm several times just to escape.
But in the face of Allen's superhuman reflexes, all his efforts were futile.
Finally, a blinding red glare and a thunderous blast swallowed them both once again.
As the acrid smoke gradually cleared, Genthru's mind finally snapped. Not only was the majority of his skin shredded by the blast, revealing charred bone, muscle, and viscera beneath, but he was also curled into a ball, twitching and wailing for mercy like a terrified child.
"I was wrong! I'll give you all the cards! Please! Spare me! I truly regret it! I shouldn't have provoked you... I shouldn't have killed all those players!"
"You were wrong? Tell me, when your victims begged for mercy, did you spare them?" Allen asked, staring directly into his eyes.
"N-no..."
Instantly, Genthru realized his final fate. A profound terror filled his gaze.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that after blowing so many people to bits, he would one day be blown to death himself. In this moment, he finally understood the agony and despair felt by the victims he had tagged with Countdown.
Allen nodded meaningfully. "Exactly. You didn't. So tell me, why on earth do you think you should be the exception? A person must take responsibility for their actions. When you choose to kill, you must be prepared to be killed. This applies to you, and it applies to your two companions. Since you love murderous explosions so much, then repent for your sins amidst the most violent blasts."
With that, Allen unhurriedly produced several more Hi-Explosive Bombs and used Nen threads to stitch them directly onto Genthru's mangled body.
Having finished his work, he sat down calmly to wait for Baise to finish her fight. He intended to have her control this man, force him to summon his Binder, and then loot every card inside—especially the Doyen's Growth Pills (B-30).
Meanwhile, several hundred meters away, the battle between Baise and Bara was drawing to a close.
To be precise, it could no longer be called a battle; it was a total equipment field test and one-sided abuse.
Under the massive Agility boost provided by her gear, Bara couldn't keep up with Baise's speed or reactions. He now lacked a single patch of intact skin; blood seeped continuously from the gashes carved by her claws, leaving him looking as if he had been dipped in a vat of gore.
Due to the massive blood loss, his movements grew sluggish. He even suffered brief moments of clouded consciousness. It wouldn't be long before he collapsed into hypovolemic shock.
"It seems the test ends here. If you pass out, taking your cards might become a hassle."
With those words, Baise blurred forward. She slid to his side, swung her razor-sharp claws, and directly severed the tendons in his ankles.
Slash!
Blood sprayed instantly.
"AAAAAAAH! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
The intense pain drove the naturally violent Bara into a final, mindless frenzy. As he lost his balance and fell, he swung his arms wildly, trying to grab the woman in front of him.
But before his dull nerves and muscles could respond, Baise caught his chin and smiled. "Don't struggle. Let me end your pain with a sweet kiss."
As the last word left her lips, Baise pressed her lips to his.
In less than a second, the man underwent a complete transformation. He knelt on the ground, making the pathetic whimpering sounds of a devoted sycophant. Soon, he obediently summoned his Binder and handed over every single card he possessed.
"Only Spell Cards? It seems the important designated cards aren't on him."
As Baise tallied the loot, Bodoro walked over from the distance, carrying Sub. Sub's head had been beaten out of shape, and he was clinging to his last breath. Bodoro asked somewhat helplessly, "Can this one still be controlled?"
"Hmm, he seems to still have some consciousness. It should work."
Baise knelt to check the unlucky man's status and gave a confident nod. Roughly two minutes later, Sub also laboriously summoned his Binder and "voluntarily" surrendered all his cards.
When the two dragged their half-dead opponents back to Allen, they were momentarily taken aback by Genthru's horrific state.
The "Bomber" was literally covered in strapped-on bombs. He was shivering and twitching uncontrollably, his eyes devoid of reason, filled only with the primal fear of death, fire, and explosions.
"What did you do to him?" Baise asked tentatively.
"Nothing much. I just gave him a live demonstration of exactly what he did to others. Just as I expected, his mental fortitude and will are quite fragile. He broke completely after only two explosions." Allen shrugged innocently.
In the world of Hunter x Hunter, Genthru was likely the one with the weakest willpower among Nen users of his caliber. One could tell by his two developed abilities that he rarely fought enemies of equal strength; he spent most of his time "noob-stomping" or backstabbing.
Consequently, when faced with an opponent of the same level, or someone far stronger, he lacked the resolve and courage to gamble his life.
"What a pathetic and miserable fool. Though, in a way, he got exactly what he deserved."
Baise sighed softly and stepped forward to complete her task.
After a quick sorting, Allen finally held the coveted Doyen's Growth Pills (B-30). According to the card description, one bottle contained 100 pills, and each pill increased the user's height by one centimeter. This meant even if he finished the whole bottle, he would only grow one meter taller.
Hmm...
Should I take them now?
Or wait until I've cleared the game and taken them out of this world?
Allen fell into a moment of indecision. Although his original plan was to take them immediately to bump his height from 170cm to 180cm, now that clearing the game was imminent, taking them out to decide the exact dosage seemed like a better option.