Chapter 167: Mr. Magician, Can You Perform That Marvelous Trick Again?
Aura? Impossible!
Hisoka should be truly dead!
Machi stared in astonishment at the aura continuously rising from Hisoka's "corpse," suddenly considering one possibility.
Post-mortem Nen?
Thump-thump-thump—
A powerful heartbeat resonated.
Hisoka, who had been a lifeless corpse moments before, miraculously revived, springing to his feet. He turned his explosion-ravaged face toward Machi and greeted: "Hey Machi, I was completely dead just now, right?"
"Mhm... completely dead."
"Is that so? Hehehehehehe!" Upon receiving confirmation, Hisoka's face broke into a delighted smile. "Well, fighting someone of Chrollo's caliber under highly favorable conditions for him made victory nearly impossible. Reality can be so cruel!"
"Sigh... take this as a lesson. You should be more careful about choosing opponents and battlefields in the future." Still unaware of the severity of the situation, Machi looked at Hisoka and said, "Sit down, I'll stitch you up."
"No need, it's fine. I can handle it myself."
Then, right before Machi's eyes, Hisoka used his Bungee Gum ability to reconstruct his severed limbs and employed Texture Surprise to restore his explosion-damaged skin and facial features.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared completely unchanged from before the incident.
"Seems my services aren't needed anymore. I'll head back first." After witnessing Hisoka's miraculous performance, Machi turned to leave.
The next instant, she suddenly sensed an aura behind her. Just as she prepared to react, Hisoka completely restrained her, his Bungee Gum adhering all her limbs together before firmly pinning her against the surrounding walls.
"Could you deliver a message to the Phantom Troupe members? From now on, whenever and wherever I encounter any of them, I'll fight them to the death on the spot!" Hisoka's ghostly voice whispered by her ear.
"Don't... don't joke around! I'll kill you right now!"
Machi's face twisted into a ferocious expression, her entire body radiating terrifying bloodlust. Yet Hisoka remained completely unfazed, watching her struggle with a triumphant smile.
"So that means you agree."
"Stop! Come back here! Release this! I'll kill you!"
"Quite an impressive trick. Could you perform it again?"
Just as Hisoka was about to turn and leave, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
"Mord! What are you doing here!"
Hisoka and Machi spoke simultaneously upon seeing the newcomer.
"Got bored waiting for departure, thought I'd come take a look. Pity I arrived too late." Mord's face showed slight regret before he continued. "But at least there's still an impressive trick to watch."
Pointing at Hisoka, Mord said: "That post-resurrection trick of yours—can you perform it again?"
The moment he finished speaking.
Hisoka suddenly sensed an overwhelmingly intense killing intent. Reacting instantly, he launched his playing cards toward Mord without hesitation.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The cards infused with Nen Ability pierced through the air, instantly penetrating Mord's afterimage before embedding themselves in the distant wall. The incredibly hard stone wall might as well have been tofu against Hisoka's cards, with the entire card sinking deep into it.
"This is your final chance to activate your Post-Mortem Nen."
Though Hisoka clearly heard Mord's voice, he found his body completely immobilized. The surrounding time seemed to have frozen. The next moment, he could only watch helplessly as Mord's right hand pierced straight through his chest.
Crimson blood gushed forth, splattering before Machi.
Shock filled Machi's eyes.
She knew that Chrollo had only managed to defeat Hisoka after extensive planning and by borrowing abilities from other Troupe members.
Yet this man before her had killed Hisoka with just one move?!
Staring at his face, she felt utterly unfamiliar with him.
Was this really the same brat who used to follow her around in their childhood?
Since joining the Phantom Troupe, Machi hadn't seen Mord again. Their reunion had been in Yorknew's abandoned district, where Mord summoned heavenly lightning to execute her companion right before her eyes.
Though he had seemed powerful then, he hadn't felt undefeatable.
This was their third meeting.
As she looked at Mord, deep despair welled up within her. She suddenly felt she might never be able to avenge her fallen comrades in this lifetime.
Mord turned to look at Machi, the scene feeling somewhat familiar.
Hisoka's situation reminded him of the scene in Journey to the West where Sun Wukong immobilized the seven fairy maidens.
"Well, we meet again, Machi-nee," Mord said with a laugh.
"Just kill me!" Machi shouted.
Mord paid no heed to Machi's desperate plea for death, instead turning to observe Hisoka lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
He wanted to see if this miraculous magician could still surprise him.
Unfortunately, the great magician failed to walk off the stage alive this time.
The Post-Mortem Nen didn't take effect this time.
Mord had originally wanted to study the principles of Post-Mortem Nen up close, but that now appeared impossible.
"Mord! Did you hear me? I told you to kill me!" Machi shouted at Mord.
"Return to your sister and live your life properly."
Mord clapped his hands and walked away.
The weak couldn't even choose their own manner of death.
....
Mord had brought Kurapika aboard precisely to delegate all responsibilities.
Subsequent tasks like identifying moles and arranging personnel to contact various princes—Mord participated in none of these matters.
During the period before the voyage departure, he was researching something extremely novel.
His reasoning was: since Ging could learn roughly seventy to eighty percent of any striking-type ability after seeing it just once, theoretically anyone should be able to learn any Nen Ability. After all, Hatsu was merely a method of using aura.
As long as one understood the usage method and circulation pathway of aura, they should be able to perfectly replicate another's Nen Ability.
The only limitation was talent.
Coincidentally, the Nen Abilities of those Kakin Empire princes were quite interesting. Thinking about it this way, those two months aboard the voyage ship wouldn't be so boring after all.
Days passed one after another until the appointed day finally arrived.
At Kakin Empire's largest port, the Sanyadoru Port, crowds gathered densely like black clouds—all people preparing to travel to the new continent aboard the Black Whale.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"This day has finally arrived! Humanity advances toward greater development!"
"Greetings to all witnessing this great history!"
"From this moment onward, everything you experience will be recorded in history. Yes, you are history itself!"
As the host's words faded.
The first to move was the airship carrying King Hui Guo Rou, which flew directly toward the Black Whale. Then came the airships carrying the princes and VIP guests.
Finally, ordinary passengers boarded the Black Whale via sea ferries.
The scene of 200,000 people boarding the Black Whale appeared extraordinarily spectacular.
Some directly called it the modern version of Noah's Ark.