HxH: Apex Predator

In a barren desert, a straight highway cut through the emptiness, with a single bus traveling along its stretch.

Ryker sat by the bus window, staring outside with boredom as he recalled the scene when he asked Silva for money before leaving.

"Because you've been nurtured by the family and haven't completed any missions before, your disposable funds are zero.

However, here's ten million Jenny for you—it's the deposit from the client.

If you fail the mission, you'll need to return this amount in full, and any expenses incurred during the mission will come out of your own pocket."

"This time, the target is in a small remote city with a population of about ten thousand.

The mission's difficulty doesn't seem too high, but the travel time is really dragging things out. Silva gave me just enough time to complete the mission."

"When will I ever have the freedom to act on my own? By my calculations, Milluki should be born soon. Hopefully, that'll divert some of Silva's attention.

And my ability… I've been relying on the system to earn points for upgrades."

"After all, who in their right mind would grind it out manually when external tools are available? This isn't a game—dying here means you're dead for real."

Over the years, while Ryker had mastered and trained his "Emit" ability, he hadn't developed any specific ultimate moves. Instead, he focused on perfecting the other foundational techniques: Zetsu, In, Gyo, En, Ken, Ko, and Ryu.

However, his Ryu still lacked speed, and the duration of Ko wasn't as long as he would've liked.

For now, Ryker's main offensive technique was a standard Nen bullet, enhanced with reinforcement. It had no additional properties, and its range and power were average—at least by the Zoldyck family standards.

Some might ask, "Why would a reinforcement-type fighter rely on Nen bullets instead of close combat?"

The answer was simple: "Beyond seven steps, the gun wins. Within seven steps, the gun is both faster and more precise."

This mission was also a chance to test his abilities further. He had already decided to develop a Nen Beast. If he could fight without showing his face, that would be ideal.

In a world where even divination was real, curses likely existed too. Preserving his life was paramount.

Ryker contemplated his future plans while gazing at the window's reflection. The glass mirrored a black mask—his own.

Yes, a black mask.

Ryker believed that assassinating a target required maintaining anonymity. Despite being reincarnated, his lawful citizen mindset from his past life lingered. To him, killing still felt like a crime.

As a result, he'd quickly procured a full-face black mask, leaving only his eyes visible, and added black sunglasses to cover his Sharingan.

This eccentric outfit had caused the bus driver to initially mistake him for a robber. However, Ryker's height, childlike voice (at six years old), and purchased ticket convinced the driver otherwise.

After a four-hour journey, the bus finally reached its destination. Ryker disembarked and immediately headed toward the villa where his target was located.

An hour of running brought him close to the target's location. Keeping a safe distance, Ryker observed the villa and its guards.

"From the looks of it, the guards around the house are ordinary people—no Nen users. There are eight guards outside, paired off in groups of two to cover each direction."

"The interior is unknown. If there's a Nen user inside and I use En, I'll alert them. On the other hand, if there aren't any, using En doesn't matter since these guards can't touch me anyway.

So, two options: sneak in to locate the target for a clean kill, or silently eliminate the outer guards first before searching inside."

"But as an assassin, it's not just about completing the mission. I need to ensure my identity remains a secret. Perfect infiltration is key.

Hmm… I'll choose option three."

Ryker suddenly surged forward, charging at the front gate guards at lightning speed. Before they could react, he struck one with a knife-hand blow, sending the man's head flying backward.

It took two seconds before the second guard realized what had happened. Panicking, he opened fire.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

In his frenzy, the guard emptied his entire magazine at Ryker. However, Ryker stood still, watching as the bullets bounced harmlessly off his reinforced body.

Ryker had two reasons for his inaction: one, to let the guard attract the rest of the security team; and two, because his system had just reacted for the first time, awarding him two points for "exorcism."

[AN: Exorcism is the system's term for elimination, from the anime "The Outcast"]

'Seriously? Only two points? That's beyond pathetic.'

In no time, the remaining guards swarmed the area, guns drawn and aimed at Ryker. The villa's indoor guards had also joined, forming a circle around him, ready to turn him into swiss cheese.

Misinterpreting Ryker's stillness as fear, the guards lowered their guard slightly. A middle-aged man, likely a sub-leader, stepped forward.

"Who are you? Who sent you? Speak now, and maybe I'll grant you a quick death."

Ryker ignored him and asked, "Are you in charge here? Is your boss, Pawa, inside?"

"Seems like you don't understand your situation, kid. I'll make you regret being born."

"No need to waste time. I'll go find him myself."

Before the man could react, Ryker moved. His body blurred as he executed techniques blending the Snake's flexibility and the Whip's speed.

In mere moments, the ground was littered with corpses. Severed limbs and blood painted the scene red. Only two figures remained—Ryker, standing tall, and the middle-aged man, kneeling in terror with wet trousers.

"I ask, you answer."

"Y-yes! Of course! I'll tell you everything. Just spare me!"

"Is Pawa inside?"

"Yes, he's inside—with his two daughters, three sons, grandson, and daughter-in-law. A guest from the Hall family is also visiting—a subordinate family of the Genovese clan. Rumor has it he's very strong, possibly a Nen user.

They're here to inspect a new facility—a large underground flour factory being funded by the Hall family. Our boss was ordered to oversee its construction in the desert nearby."

'A Nen user? My luck's really that bad? First mission, and I run into this? Then again, this is an opportunity to test myself—and to see how many points exorcising a Nen user earns.'

Having made up his mind, Ryker adjusted his plan. He'd face the Nen user head-on.

As Ryker walked toward the villa, the kneeling man became the latest addition to the pile of corpses.

"Even the smallest fry has value. A perfect assassin leaves no trace. Perfect infiltration achieved—flawless!"