HxH: Apex Predator

The defeated lackey lay sprawled on the ground, watching Ryker vanish into thin air before his eyes.

Confirming Ryker was gone, he began desperately crawling back in the direction he'd come from, leaving a chaotic trail of blood in his wake.

Meanwhile, the two individuals who had tried to escape earlier found themselves abruptly blocked by a familiar spatial vortex. Ryker's figure materialized before them.

"Leaving so quietly after enjoying the show? That doesn't seem very polite, does it?" Ryker said with a calm but menacing tone.

One of the duo, trying to reason their way out, responded quickly, "Our target was the leader of that trio, and you've already incapacitated him.

We've kept our hands off you entirely. While we admit we're not your equals, if we fight to the death, you might not walk away unscathed either.

So perhaps it's best we go our separate ways. Fighting here benefits no one."

However, Ryker had no intention of letting them leave. His powers, and the nature of his abilities, were secrets he couldn't afford to let spread. Without a word, he launched his attack.

Five minutes later, Ryker stood victorious, two more subjects added to his experiment pool.

Satisfied, he returned to where the skirmish began, only to find that the injured leader of the trio had managed to crawl over a hundred meters in the brief time he'd been away—a testament to the man's sheer will to live.

But Ryker wasn't about to let any of his test subjects escape. He needed their lives for his experiments and wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

After dealing with the remaining survivor and cleaning up the scene, Ryker activated his Kamui ability, transporting himself back into his dimension to begin his tests.

..........

Shortly after Ryker's departure, a familiar figure arrived at the battlefield. It was Silva. He activated his En ability, scanning the area meticulously.

"No residual nen aura… Considering what I saw during the fight, it's likely a space-type ability.

Given he can freely enter and exit, he probably uses it to trap opponents. Judging by his methods, he seems to prioritize capturing targets alive—likely for experimentation."

"And his ability to move through this space… the limits of its range are still unclear.

"Based on his initial 'Water Divination' results, this ability should be tied to his latent potential, meaning there may be at least five other abilities to account for. Interesting…"

..........

Back in his dimensional space, Ryker was deeply immersed in his experiments. Excitement coursed through him as he worked on his captured nen-users.

Half a day later, Ryker's testing was nearly complete. Out of the eight subjects, only one remained—a weakling he had deliberately kept alive to test his Blue Hand's effects on memory.

Ryker had initially hoped to modify the subject's memory and release him back into the world to observe the results.

Unfortunately, his lack of finesse turned the man into a mentally impaired wreck, unable to perform even basic functions. Disappointed, Ryker dealt with the final subject and began summarizing his findings.

........

The 'Red Hand' primarily targeted physical aspects, including life energy. In simpler terms, it allowed Ryker to modify the body.

However, his lack of expertise became a glaring issue. It was as if he had access to the most advanced surgical equipment without the knowledge of a skilled surgeon.

For instance, while attempting to repair one subject's legs, Ryker realized he lacked a deep understanding of human anatomy, a deficiency that severely hindered his progress.

He resolved to study further and conduct more trials to improve his control.

The 'Blue Hand', meanwhile, proved even trickier. The strength of the target's resistance significantly impacted the effectiveness of the ability.

A subject with a strong will or high nen proficiency made even basic memory reading a challenge. Altering memories required tremendous nen energy, and Ryker found that his current capabilities were far from sufficient.

He had yet to test the ability on ordinary people, but his initial results suggested it would require significant refinement.

As he reviewed his findings, Ryker couldn't help but feel the road ahead would be long and grueling. Experimenting and perfecting the use of his "Twin Hands" would demand both time and effort.

After disposing of the remains of his test subjects, Ryker returned to the Zoldyck estate using Kamui. He wanted to ensure the corpses didn't rot within his dimension and create further complications.

...........

*Whoosh!*

Back at the estate, Ryker emerged from a spatial vortex into his room, taking a moment to soak in the familiar surroundings.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him—a surprising sentiment, considering the torment he had endured in this very home. Shaking his head, he dismissed the unwelcome emotions, chalking them up to fatigue.

After settling in, Ryker contacted the butler and requested food while instructing them to inform Silva and Kikyo of his return. The butler informed him that Silva was currently away, but Kikyo was en route.

Meanwhile, aboard a distant airship, Silva received word of Ryker's return.

........

"From Heaven's Arena to Kukuroo Mountain in half a day… No, he likely spent a considerable amount of time dealing with those captured nen-users. The exact travel time is unclear.

"But if he moved directly from the battlefield to the estate, that would mean he crossed more than half the continent.

Even if all the time was spent traveling, that's still impressive. His short-range spatial movements also seem remarkably fast."

"I suppose I'll need to test his limits firsthand. Only then can I decide the appropriate level of missions for him." Silva's thoughts churned as the airship carried him homeward.

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