Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 49 (Patreon)

Chapter 49: All Victorious

To increase the volume of Qi within his body, Luo devoted an hour each day to Nen manipulation training, followed by Ren practice, pushing himself until he had completely exhausted his Qi.

Once the Qi was depleted, his body would be left utterly drained.

Luo trained to the point of collapse, then rested for a few hours before joining Uvogin and others in the Junkyard for live combat training.

Training without concern every day indeed enhanced Luo's strength, but such a method inherently bore certain risks, unbeknownst to him.

The risk was not from overusing Qi. On the contrary, daily Ren practice that exhausted his internal Qi could slowly increase his maximum Qi capacity.

The real risk came from the animosity with Kure and Cook. Engaging in such rigorous training daily, if they decided to strike, it might offer them a chance to overpower him.

However, Luo was so engrossed in enhancing his strength that he overlooked this detail. Fortunately, no troubles came his way, which was a stroke of luck.

Regardless of injuries, live combat training proceeded every day without fail.

Such an almost insane training regimen was essential to mold a true warrior.

Luo was well aware that in this world, strength was the only foundation for survival, making him even more fervent than Uvogin and the others.

Initially, Uvogin and the others sought strength to avoid the helplessness they felt against Cook. Once they surpassed the ordinary, becoming strong became their goal.

The aim was initially just to become strong, but later it shifted to defeating Luo.

In July, the training records were as follows:

Luo: 62 wins.

Uvogin: 31 losses.

Nobunaga: 31 losses.

Over the course of the month, despite rapid improvements, Uvogin and Nobunaga could not secure a win against Luo, always ending up outclassed.

From starting without landing a single hit to managing several strikes in a fight, they still couldn't alter the outcome.

Uvogin and Nobunaga fought with all their might in each battle but never won, fueling their desire to grow stronger.

Nobody likes being constantly defeated, even if it meant achieving just one victory against Luo.

Chrollo Lucilfer and Pakunoda occasionally visited them during training but had no intention of joining.

Come August.

Machi finally chose Nen threads as her Nen ability, a correct decision.

Playing with threads was her innate talent. Choosing a Nen ability that aligned with this talent allowed her to unleash its full potential.

In July, Uvogin and Nobunaga were Luo's primary sparring partners. With Machi joining the training battles in August, Luo adjusted the training regimen at the beginning of the month.

Instead of exclusively facing Uvogin and the others, he let them spar among themselves as well.

Nobunaga was particularly pleased with this change.

Though he dearly wished to defeat Luo, in every battle, Luo rarely counterattacked, leading to Nobunaga's defeat from exhaustion, a humiliation he didn't enjoy despite the rapid improvement it brought.

After the change, Luo continued to fight in turns against the three, adjusting the number of battles based on their condition.

Regardless of the day's total battles, Luo invariably emerged victorious.

Even if the training intensity of Uvogin and the others was high, Luo's was higher, contributing to his unbroken streak of victories.

Setting Luo aside, among the three, Uvogin had the most wins, followed by Nobunaga, with Machi, due to her later awakening of Nen abilities, being the weakest and thus ranked third.

Perhaps spurred by Luo's undefeated record, their growth rate, already rapid, continued to climb, especially Uvogin, who became increasingly adept at integrating Qi with physical movements.

As Luo's victories piled up, approaching a hundred, Uvogin and Nobunaga became desperate, fixated on a single thought.

It didn't matter if Luo reached a hundred wins; they were determined to secure a victory before he achieved this milestone.

August 22, 1985.

Uvogin faced what he considered the most nerve-wracking moment of his life. If he lost today's training battle, it would mark his hundredth defeat at Luo's hands.

"Are you ready?"

Luo asked, smiling at a slightly tense Uvogin.

The ever-enthusiastic fighter had, in nearly a hundred battles, acted as though he was unfamiliar with defeat, demonstrating a fervent desire to overcome Luo with each encounter.

After a loss, if still in good condition, he'd eagerly challenge Luo to another match, which Luo would accept regardless of his state.

Now, with 99 losses, the situation was different.

99 and 100.

A subtle yet significant difference.

Off to the side of the clearing, Nobunaga and Machi stood watching.

"If I lose to Luo four more times..." Nobunaga sighed in despair, sympathizing with Uvogin inside the ring.

Machi, indifferent, had joined the training battles later and had only lost to Luo twenty-six times, lacking the deep concern Nobunaga and Uvogin felt. Of course, she imagined she wouldn't feel great if she reached 99 losses either.

Inside the ring.

Uvogin took a deep breath, calming his slightly nervous emotions.

In usual battles, he never knew what nervousness was, but today's fight held significant importance, making him inevitably anxious.

"Luo, just a heads-up."

Uvogin clenched his fist, stating seriously, "The Nen I've just developed is infused in my fist, which I call 'Super Destructive Punch.' If it hits you directly, you could die!"

Upon hearing this, Nobunaga and Machi were startled.

Luo also paused for a moment, aware of the Super Destructive Punch's terrifying power, Uvogin's signature skill. Had he secretly mastered it?

"The power of this move is uncontrollable, and it shouldn't be used in training battles, but... I'll use it in the upcoming fight," Uvogin said, his previously nervous expression now replaced with seriousness.

Uvogin was earnest, his words sincere.

Nobunaga and Machi understood immediately.

"What are you joking about? This is just a training battle," Nobunaga called out directly.

Uvogin ignored him, focusing solely on Luo, indicating that unless Luo agreed, he would not resort to such a dangerous tactic, despite his desire to win.

"Are you an idiot?"

Luo stared at Uvogin with a deadpan expression, chastising, "You're revealing your Nen before we even start."

Luo knew how desperately Uvogin wanted to win. If Uvogin hadn't disclosed this information, he might have indeed caught Luo off guard, given the move's danger.

However, Uvogin chose to reveal it because the stakes were high.

For Luo, Uvogin's safety was more important than the competitive spirit embedded deep within them.

Luo recognized this concern.

And there it was, Luo's typical catchphrase for them.

Nobunaga and Machi grimaced. "Are you an idiot?" In battles, whenever they made an outrageous mistake, Luo would scold them with these words.

"So, no objections then?"

Being called an idiot didn't bother Uvogin, who grinned, his Qi swirling around him, forming a steady aura.

"Bring it on. This time, I'll also use Nen."

Luo responded seriously. If Uvogin was to use the Super Destructive Punch for the first time, Luo would also, for the first time, use God's Hand against Uvogin.

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