NOVEL WEB Chapter 29: How Does He Know?
The aura of Nen that surrounds a user often reflects their thoughts and emotions through its fluctuations and manifestations.
Similarly, the strange and diverse abilities of Nen users tend to mirror their personalities and life experiences. This connection is deeply intertwined, almost inevitable.
Conversely—
When Nen becomes a prominent force in one's life, it amplifies the user's traits, both virtues and flaws, along with their moral compass.
The kind become kinder, and the wicked grow more malicious.
For Nen users who disregard human life, they feel no moral resistance in treating others as mere insects.
A prime example of this from the original story is the individuals affected by Morena's "Love Serenade."
Their singular objective was murder.
For them, killing brought no emotional disturbance—not even a flicker of hesitation.
In their eyes, human lives…
…were nothing more than points to level up.
The presence of Nen solidified their worldview and actions, making their beliefs and practices unshakable.
In such a system of power where morality often eroded, most malicious Nen users operated without limits or boundaries.
The opponent standing in the arena before Moro, openly exuding killing intent, was undoubtedly one of those bloodthirsty types.
Such individuals…
Once awakened to Nen, almost always manifested abilities designed for destruction.
Moro didn't care about Tagore's personality or past. He had no interest in questioning why his opponent behaved this way.
He only confirmed one thing:
The moment Tagore revealed his murderous intent, he had already defined this match as a fight to the death.
Without uttering another word, Moro, following the referee's cue, moved to his designated position.
Then, Moro unleashed his Nen to its fullest extent, the energy around him flickering like gentle flames.
On the opposite side, Tagore made no attempt to conceal his pure killing intent, channeling it directly into his Nen aura.
The resulting oppressive atmosphere profoundly affected the referee.
As an ordinary person with no knowledge of Nen, the referee felt as though an invisible force gripped his throat. Words failed him, and sweat poured down his face in an instant.
Were it not for his professional duty, he would have turned and fled.
Tagore, with his menacing aura, felt like a tiger baring its fangs, ready to maul anyone nearby without discrimination.
"Referee, I believe you heard what Tagore just said," Moro said calmly.
"For his proposal of a deathmatch, I accept. This match is now a fight to the death, and your presence as a referee is no longer required."
"Al-alright…"
The referee, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, hesitated only long enough to look at Tagore for confirmation.
Without even glancing at him, Tagore coldly spat, "Get lost."
The referee fled the ring without delay.
Commentary Booth
The lively, young female commentator, having received an update, exclaimed excitedly:
"What?! Moro and Tagore have initiated a deathmatch! This means the fight is now a life-or-death battle, with no rules to restrain them. Only one person will leave this arena alive—victory depends solely on the death of the other!"
Her voice reverberated throughout the venue.
The already exhilarated audience, upon hearing the announcement, had a primal instinct awakened within them. They roared wildly, the intensity of their cheers almost shaking the ceiling.
On the Arena
As the referee left the ring, Tagore wasted no time launching his attack.
With his fists raised in a defensive posture, he took quick, measured steps toward Moro, closing the limited distance in the arena rapidly.
Once within range, Tagore, brimming with confidence, skipped any probing attacks and aimed a sharp punch directly at Moro's face.
The air whistled with a sharp crack as the punch tore through it, his fist moving so fast it left only an afterimage.
Moro, fully on guard, swiftly dodged backward, avoiding the strike while choosing a defensive stance to observe Tagore's attack patterns.
Yet, in the blink of an eye—
An invisible force struck Moro's face.
Thud!
A dull impact echoed.
Recoiling from the hit, Moro's cheek rippled with a visible wave of energy, like a jellyfish in water. His retreating steps turned into a stumble.
"Nen... extended."
The moment Moro felt the hit, he saw Tagore's outstretched fist radiating Nen, which unexpectedly extended outward in an instant.
It was this extended Nen, like a physical fist, that landed a heavy blow on his face.
From the sensation of the hit, Moro realized this was no ordinary manipulation of Nen.
If it had been a standard manipulative attack, the force wouldn't have been so overwhelming given their comparable Nen defense levels.
The Nen carried an additional property: impact force.
It's a transmutation ability.
Steadying himself with his right foot, Moro tried to regain balance.
Meanwhile, the arena erupted in chaos.
The spectators couldn't discern the intricacies of Tagore's punch but could see the clear outcome: Moro, despite dodging, had been hit.
This visible result reaffirmed Tagore's reputation as "The Sonic Fist."
On the Arena
After landing his first hit, Tagore gave Moro no time to recover. With small, quick steps, he pressed forward again.
Just as Moro regained his footing, Tagore closed the gap and unleashed another killing-intent-fueled punch aimed at Moro's upper body.
Faced with Tagore's relentless onslaught, Moro made an unexpected move: he allocated most of his Nen to his legs instead of reinforcing his upper body's defenses.
Tatatata—!
With a sudden burst, Moro pushed off the ground with his toes, leaping lightly backward like a gazelle. As his heels touched down, he twisted sharply, propelling himself sideways in a swift arc.
Tagore's consecutive punches sliced through the air.
By the time he reacted, Moro had already maneuvered to the other side of the arena in a graceful half-circle arc.
Tagore halted near the edge of the platform, frowning slightly.
He had cornered Moro just moments ago and felt confident in his ability to land a finishing blow. Yet, Moro's footwork allowed him to escape.
In the Audience
A woman with long ponytails, who had been defeated by Moro during the preliminaries, suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief.
"How does he know… my Gazelle Step? And… it's so fast!"
The footwork Moro had just executed was a technique she had used during her earlier match with him.
But she never expected to see Moro replicate it here.
What shocked her even more was that his execution was far beyond hers, in both speed and explosiveness.
Her disbelief deepened.
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