NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Thoughts of Death, Thought Tools!
"Who the hell is this?"
Gluttony, usually composed, was now filled with frustration and confusion.
The situation had spiraled out of control in ways Gluttony hadn't anticipated. His original mission, a simple task with the promise of a private reward, had turned into a nightmare.
"Could the Shen Dojo really have someone this powerful protecting them?"
"Impossible!"
"If such a person existed, why would they have let the entire Shen Dojo fall into ruin in the first place?"
"Could it be Carlisle?"
"Unlikely," Gluttony muttered. Carlisle was a weakling, hardly capable of provoking anyone of real consequence.
The more he thought about it, the less sense it made. He had arrived in high spirits, expecting an easy assignment. Now, despair crept into his heart.
Carlisle couldn't help him.
He himself was being pushed to the brink. If he couldn't find a way to turn the tide, he might meet his end in this city.
"Damn Specialists and their sneaky techniques," he growled. "Using beasts to fight while hiding in the shadows—how utterly cowardly!"
Just then, a rock hurtled toward him. Gluttony dodged it, but the distraction gave Raiken an opening.
"Whip!"
Raiken's arm transformed into a water whip, cracking sharply against Gluttony's body. The impact left a deep dent in his flesh.
Gluttony snarled, eyes locking onto Raiken. He prepared to lunge but was interrupted by yet another rock, hurled with deadly precision by the Killer Queen.
Gluttony's massive body twisted to dodge, but frustration burned in his chest.
"This can't go on," he thought bitterly. "At this rate, they'll wear me down and finish me off."
He quickly devised a plan.
"The new Nen beast… That spirit beast is the real problem. If I can take her out, other will be easier to handle."
Making his decision, Gluttony braced himself, enduring another strike from Raiken's whip. Then, with startling speed for someone of his size, he darted toward the Killer Queen.
The Killer Queen stood her ground, hurling another stone at Gluttony. He deftly sidestepped, closing the gap.
In moments, he was upon her. His monstrous jaws opened wide, ready to devour the Killer Queen whole.
Half of her body disappeared into his gaping maw—
Snap!
Raiken clapped his hands together.
In an instant, the Killer Queen and a nearby rock switched places.
"What?!"
Gluttony's eyes widened in disbelief. He had seen Raiken's swapping ability before but hadn't anticipated it could work this way.
"How can a spirit beast have such a complex ability?!"
Before he could react further, a silent explosion erupted inside his mouth.
The force tore through him. Chunks of flesh flew in all directions, and the parts of his body that weren't obliterated by the blast were still heavily damaged.
The Killer Queen, now stabilized, didn't waste a moment. She picked up another rock.
Throw. Explode.
Another rock.
Throw. Explode.
Raiken stood beside her, letting her unleash her relentless barrage.
Gluttony's life force weakened with each successive blast. The regenerative power of his flesh was failing. Regret flooded his mind.
"If only I hadn't gone… If only I hadn't devoured Carlisle… Maybe I could've escaped instead of getting tangled up in this mess."
His body finally collapsed. His thoughts, filled with despair and confusion, faded into nothingness.
Elsewhere, Kaizen observed the surveillance feed.
The Nen aura belonging to Gluttony had vanished. Only Carlisle's faint signature remained, flickering like a candle about to be extinguished.
Carlisle stirred slightly, his blurry vision catching sight of Raiken and the Killer Queen standing over him.
"Is that… Kaizen?"
He recognized the Killer Queen. They had crossed paths before in Heavens Arena.
"How can this be?" Carlisle's voice trembled. "How did Kaizen get so strong?"
"Or is it not him?" he wondered. "Maybe it's an ally… but why would Kaizen help Lina?"
He shook his head weakly. "Lina means nothing to him. None of this makes sense."
But Carlisle had no more time to dwell on it. His life was tied to Gluttony's through their Nen. With Gluttony's death, Carlisle could not survive.
As his consciousness faded, bitterness filled his final thoughts.
"Why wasn't my life better?"
"Lina… I hate you. I curse you. I curse you!"
With those words, Carlisle died.
But something ominous stirred within his broken body. His hatred, his regret, his unresolved thoughts—they didn't dissipate.
Kaizen frowned as he watched the dark mass emerge from Carlisle's corpse.
"A Post-Mortem Nen… A Thought of Death."
The black shadow coalesced into a humanoid form, its aura dripping with malice.
Raiken and the Killer Queen immediately tensed.
But the Thought of Death paid them no attention. Its gaze was fixed elsewhere. Without warning, it flew toward Heavens Arena.
Kaizen's eyes narrowed in understanding. "Its target… Lina."
With a thought, he recalled Raiken and the Killer Queen into his aura.
He turned and rushed to the next room, throwing the door open.
Inside, a young girl looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Kaizen?" Nina asked hesitantly.
But Kaizen's focus was elsewhere. The Thought of Death had already entered through the window, its killing intent filling the room.
A white bear, Nina's beast, roared and stood protectively in front of her, its fur bristling.
Kaizen stepped between Nina and the shadow.
The figure took on Carlisle's twisted visage, his hatred clear as he glared at Nina.
Kaizen clenched his fists, feeling the familiar stirring of the cursed bone embedded within him.
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