There was a pre-planned action: to strike alongside other infected during Kakin's landing ceremony, wreaking havoc in the crowded queues.
Therefore, before the landing ceremony arrived, every perpetrator remained low-key, except for the man with narrow eyes, whose ability was more unique.
That narrow-eyed man was named Daemon, the one controlling the black snakes to commit murder.
His ability was the only one among all perpetrators that could plunder 'experience points' before the landing ceremony began. His current level was 57, nearly ten levels higher than Sodom's 48.
The two usually stayed close, so Sodom knew all Daemon's experience came steadily and surely. Every life taken was done under completely risk-free circumstances.
This made him quite envious, even harboring a bit of jealousy deep down.
He sometimes wondered why his ability couldn't be like Daemon's?
Lately, watching Daemon lie still every night, easily reaping experience points while others couldn't act, his envy was turning into jealousy.
Yet, despite being jealous, he could only watch as Daemon steadily gained the experience of ninety-nine lives daily, pulling further and further ahead.
Apart from that, he could do nothing.
Until now, he accidentally discovered Sheila alone.
'A Nen User…'
Sodom's lips trembled slightly, looking somewhat pale.
This was a physiological change he experienced when excited, something he couldn't control voluntarily.
'If I kill her, my level will surpass Daemon's. And being close to level 60, I'll definitely gain the most during the landing ceremony.'
Fragmented, cold killing intent brewed in his chest.
Within Sodom, the scale representing choice gradually tilted towards killing intent.
If not for Daemon, perhaps he wouldn't have entertained any thoughts about Sheila.
Everyone has their own social circles, and sometimes they can't help but be influenced by others within the circle.
That was Sodom's situation now.
Envy and jealousy towards Daemon's gains, the widening level gap…
Various reasons led him to finally choose to take a risk.
He would finish off Sheila, gaining a large amount of experience from a Nen User!
If talking about action-takers, Sodom definitely deserved a place.
Once his idea was set, he acted without hesitation, taking a sneak attack approach, throwing three poisoned darts towards Sheila's back.
Each dart was coated with potent venom. Enhanced with Emission-type Nen, their flight speed was extremely fast, and the sound of cutting through air was erased.
[Silent Blade]
This was Sodom's Nen Ability. By imbuing thrown weapons with Nen, it could increase their flight speed and power, erase the sound of cutting through air, and cause almost zero commotion.
Sheila didn't hear the sound of the darts cutting through air behind her, but after discovering Sodom, she had been secretly observing him using a small mirror.
When Sodom threw the darts, she directly dropped the inconvenient axe, then evaded the darts.
Seeing Sheila dodge, Sodom was slightly surprised. However, before attracting outsiders, he wouldn't easily give up such a large amount of experience.
The distance between them wasn't far to begin with. After his attack missed, Sodom, instead of maintaining his 'ranged attacker' identity, pressed towards Sheila.
There was another key reason he targeted Sheila.
That was, he could vaguely sense whether an enemy posed sufficient threat to him. This vague, uncertain feeling was similar to a woman's intuition.
However, he trusted his sense for judging an enemy's strength greatly. Thus, it became a sort of reliable ability.
Before acting, he observed Sheila for a while, concluding she wouldn't threaten him. That was also why he dared to press forward.
'This person is skilled in close combat? So the earlier darts were a feint?'
Sheila stabilized her posture, then saw the unfamiliar Sodom charging straight at her with considerable speed.
She didn't consider why the other wanted to attack her. To avoid this fight with minimal cost, her choice was exceptionally simple: flee, and scream at the top of her lungs to attract surrounding people.
But just as she prepared to do so, she swallowed the scream halfway.
Because she saw Ging and an ugly-faced man approaching from another direction.
Slide step, backward leap, rapid retreat!
Immediately, Sheila performed skilled evasive movements, effortlessly dodging Sodom's series of attacks.
This showed her foundational martial arts weren't weak. Possibly because she didn't want a meaningless fight, she had considered avoiding combat after Sodom attacked.
After a series of rapid attacks missed, Sodom was somewhat stunned.
He never expected the seemingly frail Sheila could execute such crisp, decisive movements.
Next, he didn't continue fierce attacks. Like Sheila, he rapidly retreated.
He also noticed Ging and Law, who had just arrived. For safety, first create distance, forming a triangular situation with the others.
Ensuring he retreated to a safe range, Sodom observed Ging and Law.
'Ordinary people?'
In Sodom's eyes, he only saw a wisp of naturally dissipating Aura above the two men's heads… a phenomenon seen in ordinary people who hadn't opened their pores.
Of course, some Nen Users excelled at disguising themselves as ordinary people, easily fooling other Nen Users.
Before Sodom could consider this possibility, he saw Aura emanating from Law and Ging.
"…!"
Sodom's face immediately twitched, sensing intense danger.
He saw Ging release extremely powerful Aura, while the other person was less imposing, even seeming not strong.
'The left one is okay, but the right one… too dangerous!'
Sodom's gaze fixed tightly on Ging, standing on the left. His heel slightly shifted backward, already considering retreat.
Law looked at the wary Sodom and calmly said, "This is a perpetrator?"
Ging replied, "I'm not sure, but the probability is high."
Law nodded. "Let me test."
"Okay."
Ging's sharp gaze immediately locked onto Sodom, making the latter's resolve waver.
The so-called test, of course, referred to killing the perpetrator.
As soon as Law finished speaking, he quickly walked towards Sodom.
Currently, he was still sealed; the Manifested Aura he could wield was quite limited, not even capable of a complete Ken.
But…
Sodom's heartbeat inexplicably quickened.
'Why?'
'This ugly-faced man walking towards me… his Aura wasn't strong, so why did he feel afraid? And the other man was extremely dangerous.'
'No, I need to leave here quickly!'
As thoughts raced, under immense pressure, Sodom made a rather fatal move.
He turned and fled at the fastest speed!
Then, Law, walking quickly, aided by minimal Aura but powerful physique, rapidly closed the distance, piercing Sodom's vital spot from behind with one strike.
'Wh-what?!'
Sodom couldn't react before death. In less than a moment, he lost his life force.
Law withdrew his hand from Sodom's back, then checked the countdown displayed by the White Smoke Font. No change.
'It seems this so-called experience point game doesn't affect the White Smoke Font's countdown.'
Law wasn't disappointed about this. Suddenly, he noticed changes in Sodom's corpse.
The moment he died, the Aura covering Sodom inexplicably vanished… a normal phenomenon, as death was like closing the Aura Nodes.
But immediately after, a thin layer of Aura seeped out from within Sodom's body, like blood…
'Huh?'
Noticing this, Law immediately crouched, placing his clean right hand on the corpse.
Instantly, the White Smoke Font presented an option: absorb or not.
'Strange, this Aura doesn't seem like lingering resentment.'
Law felt suddenly perplexed… it was his first time encountering this situation.
But since the White Smoke Font gave a choice, he wouldn't hold back, directly choosing to absorb.
Afterwards, the Aura within his body didn't increase, but… the countdown actually decreased.
'What exactly was going on?'