Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

To control more than one target simultaneously, Manipulators usually have to rely on relatively simple commands. That's the general limitation of Manipulation-Type Nen Abilities.

However, because Zombie Mushroom required more stringent conditions to activate, its control was notably precise.

However, controlling hundreds of targets at once would still be difficult for Dove to do, even with the optimization of Zombie Mushroom.

After sacrificing three artificial creatures, Dove attempted to command the creatures to surround Law. But due to the lack of precision in his control, he missed two prime opportunities to surround him.

"Damn it!"

Losing track of Law's movements, Dove ground his teeth in frustration.

The forest canopy was far too dense, so even though the moonlight was bright, the flying-type creatures couldn't take advantage of it.

With no way to pinpoint Law's exact location, Dove had no choice but to spread out his forces again and narrow the perimeter.

In the following half hour, seven more artificial creatures were lost. And no matter how they tried to encircle him, Law slipped through like an eel.

The defensive power that the artificial creatures were proud of meant nothing against the blade-wielding Law, which was also the fundamental reason why the encirclement was difficult to be effective.

How could they hold him off if one slash was all it took to deal with them?

In less than an hour, ten artificial creatures had been eliminated. Feeling the sting of the loss, Dove decided to change tactics. He lowered the overall search pressure, paired the creatures in teams of two, and assigning human allies to join the hunt.

This shift in strategy forced Law to stop striking as freely as before. Instead, he hid in the shadows, quietly observing the creatures' movements. Like a patient hunter, he refused to make a move unless the opportunity was just right.

"Hmm?"

As he was hiding in the leaves, Law's expression suddenly changed and he dropped down from the tree..

Several flying knives came from the darkness and stabbed into the place where he had just been.

'Have I been discovered...'

After Law landed, he quickly scanned his surroundings, quickly assessing the situation. In the blink of an eye, he picked a direction and bolted.

While the artificial creatures were powerful due to their ability to use Nen, they shared one fatal flaw: they didn't know how to suppress their Aura.

This flaw was exactly why Law had been able to take down so many in such a short time. After all, the creatures' unchecked Aura lit them up like lamps in the darkness, allowing Law to identify their positions with ease… selecting ideal targets and slipping through gaps in their formations.

Dove was aware of this issue too, but he had overestimated his creations, and underestimated Law's solo combat prowess.

Following the trail of Aura, Law calmly navigated a path through the search net.

After running about a kilometer, he abruptly stopped and slashed at incoming projectiles. With a sharp clashing sound, sparks burst in the air.

Three figures in black uniforms burst from the shadows and charged at Law.

'Not just three.'

Law swung his blade, sending out three arcs of flying slash at the oncoming enemies, then immediately turned and sprinted in another direction without checking the outcome.

He had the power to kill these opponents outright, but if he stayed too long, he risked getting surrounded.

If his enemies were just second- or third-rate Nen Users, he could have taken them on head-on. But each one of these attackers was strong, so getting trapped in a pincer attack wasn't an option, as the risk was too great.

The three Nen Users narrowly dodged the flying slash, and when they saw Law turn around and run away, they all chased after him angrily.

Meanwhile, the two who were hiding in the dark also appeared and began coordinating the next ambush.

As Law ran, he scanned ahead. He could feel the Aura fluctuations from the artificial creatures in almost every direction, but there was one direction where he could sense no Aura fluctuations at all.

'They're turning the mutants' flaw against me, funneling my path...'

That direction should have been deliberately left by the other party, just like the few Nen Users who were ambushing him just now. There were probably more Nen Users lying in ambush up ahead.

Artificial creatures didn't know how to use Zetsu, and the Aura covering their bodies is neither too strong or weak, at a level between Ten and Ren in intensity.

By sensing the Aura fluctuations radiating from the artificial creatures, Law was able to track their positions, pick off isolated targets, and choose the best escape route after each strike.

However, the enemy began using this to their own advantage, treating the beasts like chess pieces.

They placed them in several positions, leaving only one path free of creatures. They then placed several Nen Users, who used Zetsu to conceal their Aura, at this position for ambush.

After Law deduced the other party's tactic, it was naturally impossible for him to follow the other party's plan. He suddenly turned in a direction and went to the right.

The creatures had now been reorganized into pairs, and the distance between each group was noticeably shortened. This was an adjustment made to prevent Law from picking them off one by one.

However, every artificial creature is different and their strengths vary.

Just as Law exploited their constant Aura fluctuations to locate them, Dove exploited that same flaw to predict where Law might try to break through.

Both sides were maneuvering around the creatures' weaknesses.

However, the advantages this shortcoming brings to Law are not limited to discovering their location.

After understanding that the artificial creatures can only release their Aura blindly and do not know how to control it freely, Law can also judge the strength of the artificial creatures through this point.

For example, now, there are ninety artificial creatures glowing like lanterns in the dark night. They are divided into 40 to 50 small squads scattered throughout the area. The glow intensity of each group is different, some brighter, some dimmer.

If Law didn't want to be forced toward the 'dark zone' with hidden ambushers, he'd have to strike the weaker lights instead.

Determining the appropriate target through the fluctuations of their Aura, he headed towards the two weakest monsters in the entire formation.

Those were two creatures that were relatively smaller in size, and the Aura they released was also weaker than that of the other targets.

Law approached at lightning speed and swung his sword to cut one of the creatures in half, while the other creature reacted quickly and pounced towards Law.

Caught in the brief transition between attacks, Law narrowly dodged the creature's charge, halting his offensive momentarily.

After taking two steps back, Law kicked his feet and sprang forward again, charging the second creature head-on.

When Law swung his sword to chop the creature, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

The Aura fluctuations that were originally scattered around not only did not rush here, but retreated instead.

'Why aren't they trying to surround me while they've got the chance? Why retreat?'

With this question in mind, Law chopped the second monster into two halves with one slash.

Five seconds, that was the time the two creatures were able to delay Law, and judging from the distances between the other creature groups, five seconds was enough for them to rush over. But now...

Before he could ponder it further, a blinding white light flared behind him!

"Huh?"

Law had no idea what was going on, so he subconsciously used his Domain to protect his body.

A moment later, a massive explosion engulfed him.

The two creatures that were cut in half by his sword but not yet dead had turned into powerful bombs!

In an instant, the blast shattered the ground, sending a tidal wave of fire through the dense forest. The explosion left behind two small mushroom clouds rising into the sky.

Law was caught at the heart of the blast. Although he used his Domain to protect himself in time, the extremely powerful explosion caused the ground to collapse, causing him to fall into the ground to an unknown depth along with a torrent of shattered rock and debris.

Outside the blast zone, Dove looked at the two small mushroom clouds, sneered, and led his team towards the center of the explosion.

He didn't bring many bombs with him, but he stuffed two of them directly into the stomachs of the two weakest creatures, and the command to trigger the explosion was: when they were cut in half by a slash!