Chapter 41: Lust and Sloth
Netero had met many people from Meteor Street before. Most of them were drawn to the underworld, their eyes hardened by a lifetime of struggle—filled with nothing but indifference and cruelty. It was a product of their environment. But Larry was different. His clear, unwavering gaze carried none of the bitterness or malice of Meteor Street's children. "He's… a pure one." That much was evident from Pyorn's report on his actions.
Netero had read it over and over again. To be honest, when he first saw it, even he was shocked—so much so that he had accidentally yanked out a few strands of his precious beard. He had been a Nen user for longer than most had been alive, yet even he had never encountered someone with so many rare abilities—let alone someone with such overwhelming strength.
Through the floor-to-ceiling window, Netero gazed at an eagle soaring through the sky. Behind it, a flock of smaller eagles followed in its wake. A sharp glint flickered in his eyes. Excitement. For a warrior of his generation, it had been far too long since he'd found a truly worthy opponent. But now— One had finally appeared. "Hohoho..." A hearty, expectant laugh echoed through his office.
The bean-faced secretary standing at his side dabbed at his cold sweat with a handkerchief. All this talk of someone being "stronger than the chairman" was not something he wanted to hear. But seeing Netero's expression, he took another glance at the report on the desk and quietly memorized Larry's name and face. After all, Anyone who could make the chairman react like this was no ordinary person.
Pyorn didn't have to wait long. Soon enough, Botobai, her reinforcement, arrived at the Solvren Ruins aboard his Nen- vehicle.
The moment Botobai saw Pyorn standing outside alone, his thick brows furrowed, and a wave of bad premonitions rushed through his mind. In his experience, this kind of scene usually meant one thing—He was too late. He immediately assumed the worst—that the two hunters accompanying Pyorn had been killed, and that the Seven Deadly Sins had spared her only to avoid provoking the Association too much.
His logic was sound. If Larry hadn't been there, Satotz and Pyorn would have been in serious danger. But, ironically, if Larry hadn't been there, they wouldn't have even made it that far. Without his ability to purge Nen curses, the two wouldn't have been able to reach the cave in the first place.
Without him, they wouldn't have encountered Wrath and Envy at all. Instead, they would have simply scouted the ruins, found the Dead Aura still intact, and reported back to the Association. There would have been no battle, no life-or-death struggle—just a routine investigation. Fate had a strange sense of humor.
Noticing the grim expression on Botobai's face, Pyorn quickly explained everything— Detailing every event from start to finish. By the time she finished, Botobai finally understood. The crisis had already been resolved. His targets were already dead. And the malevolent Aura of the Solvren Ruins, It was completely gone. As if it had never existed. At that moment, he finally connected the dots. The mysterious surge of Aura he had sensed earlier—the one that had suddenly erupted and then vanished, It wasn't natural. It had come from Larry's Nen beast.
Though difficult to believe, Pyorn had no reason to lie. And when Botobai finally ventured into the ruins— He saw it. The battlefield. The destruction. The pits, the unnatural sand dunes, the shattered terrain— Every trace confirmed Pyorn's words.
Then, after careful examination, he confirmed the identities of the deceased. There was no doubt about it. The bodies belonged to Wrath and Envy—two of the Seven Deadly Sins. And the one who had defeated them? Larry.
After a brief discussion, Satotz and Pyorn made their decision. They would attribute all the credit to Larry. A joint decision, made without hesitation. And as a hero, Larry remained completely unaware of the Hunter Association's plans to reward him. At that moment, he was simply enjoying a massive feast in a Solvren City restaurant, Oblivious to the storm his actions had created.
In the days that followed, The Hunter world was once again thrown into chaos. First, news broke that the Dead Aura in the Solvren Ruins had disappeared. Then, the shocking revelation, Two S-rank criminals, Wrath and Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins, had been killed.
The last time something like this had happened It was when the Dead aura of Karym Ruins were wiped out. And just like before—The culprit was the same person. Larry. His name spread like wildfire. The mystery behind the Karym Ruins incident was finally revealed.
It wasn't some natural event. It wasn't some unknown force. It was the work of a single Nen user. And that revelation shook the entire Hunter world. Many were in awe. Some were shocked. But others— Others were skeptical. After allm A Nen user who could purify Dead Aura? A Nen user who could defeat two S-rank criminals single-handedly? It sounded too far-fetched. Too unbelievable. But regardless of what anyone thought… One thing was clear. Larry's name had entered the spotlight.
Deep in the northern Eurubian continent, within the borders of the Saheltah United States, stood a city known for its debauchery and excess—Gramgaslan City.
In a dark, narrow alley, the stench of garbage and fresh blood lingered in the air. Puddles of filthy rainwater reflected the dim glow of streetlights. Signs of a recent fight were evident—overturned trash cans, shattered glass, and streaks of blood smeared across the walls. Yet despite the carnage, a group of people stood motionless in the alley.
At the very front, two figures stood out. A man and a woman. The woman had striking features and a curvaceous figure, clad in a revealing light-pink gauze dress that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Even through the fabric, one could see the faint glow of aura emanating from her body. Beside her, the man—despite appearing completely healthy—was lying flat on a stretcher, unmoving. His limbs didn't even twitch. As if he couldn't move a single muscle.
The woman stared at her phone screen, the dim light illuminating her sly smirk. Then, she parted her lips, her voice sultry yet commanding, "Sloth, we should head back. Something's happened."
The man on the stretcher remained still. Not a single muscle moved. For a moment, it seemed as though he hadn't even heard her. "Huh…?"A low, sluggish grunt. That was all he said. As if speaking even a single word required too much effort.
The woman barely reacted. She was used to this. Instead, she signaled for the men standing nearby to pick up the stretcher. The two figures were none other than Sloth and Lust—members of the infamous Seven Deadly Sins. Like Wrath and Envy, they often operated together—but unlike the former pair, their relationship was different.
Wrath and Envy stayed together because of their similar temperaments and shared interests. But Sloth and Lust? Their Nen abilities complemented each other in a way that defied normal logic. If someone were watching from the shadows, they would notice something disturbing. All the men surrounding Lust had dull, lifeless eyes. A clear sign of being controlled. And if Larry had been there, he would have recognized something even more shocking.
All of them—every single man in that alley—were A-rank Nen users. Yet despite their strength, their only purpose right now was to carry Sloth's stretcher. With quiet, synchronized footsteps, Lust and her group disappeared into the alley's depths. Moments later, the street returned to silence.