Chapter 7: Gun x Limitless

In fact, in the twelve years of being a sorcerer, this was the first time Saruto had laid hands on ordinary people.

Reflecting silently... on the ethereal sensation he felt on his fist just now, his thoughts surged like a tide.

In analogy, it was like a track and field athlete passionate about sprinting, taking only a few meters of steps before the referee blew the whistle to stop, giving him a feeling of incomplete satisfaction...

Unfulfilled...

Saruto didn't derive any pleasure from that punch just now, but instead, he felt a sense of regret, leaving him with a look of melancholy.

"This guy... is too weak."

Looking at the bald man lying outside like a pile of rotten meat, Saruto evaluated him in such a way.

The punch just now.

In order to avoid fatalities, Saruto didn't use his full strength, only gathering a very small portion of his curse energy, and the force of the punch was only half, yet its power was still full.

Inside the noodle shop,

A black-clad man finally regained his senses, his face full of fear as he shouted loudly at Saruto:

"Who... who the hell are you?!"

As he spoke, the man tightly gripped the crowbar in his hand, trembling uncontrollably in his hands, feet, and mouth.

After all, just now's scene, I believe that anyone with a brain could see that the other party was definitely not an ordinary person.

A martial artist? A psychic?

Or even a monster disguised as a human.

Regardless of which specific existence it was, it was obviously not the kind of guy that they ordinary people could deal with.

Silence...

Saruto withdrew the curse energy attached to his fists and the soles of his feet, calming down the scattered aura around him.

At this moment, he couldn't simultaneously use curse energy and maintain the "entangle" state of his aura. The more he concentrated on using curse energy, the more scattered his aura became. The opposite was also true.

If he could maintain the "entangle" state while maintaining higher-level techniques and simultaneously attaching the strengthening effect of curse energy, combined with the attraction effect of the technique, he believed that the power of his fist might be comparable to a small missile.

"But unfortunately, I am a materialization and transformation type... Strengthening type combat mode is not the direction I am studying.

How to develop 'Nen' into the form I need is the key to becoming stronger.

Not... fists."

Saruto clearly understood his own advantages and didn't think too much about it.

He regained his senses and coldly swept his surroundings, saying indifferently:

"Names... are meaningless to you."

"No one would actively introduce themselves to someone of lower status or weaker strength.

Of course, I don't want to know your names either. Because in my eyes, you are just a bunch of small fry."

After speaking, Saruto glanced around and said to the remaining four people from left to right:

"I'll give you two choices..."

"Either run now and never come back to cause trouble again.

Or fight together, I'm too lazy to waste time..."

At these words, one of the black-clad men beside Saruto showed a fierce expression and gritted his teeth:

"Kid, don't push your luck!"

He didn't know when he had a gun in his hand, and at this moment, the muzzle was already aimed at Saruto's head, with his finger also on the trigger.

There was almost no hesitation.

The man pulled the trigger, making a crisp sound.

"Bang————"

Accompanied by the flash of the muzzle, a copper-colored bullet wrapped in a cloak of fire formed a red-yellow streak in the air.

The bullet flew towards Saruto's head.

At such a close distance of only two meters, it can be said that everything happened in an instant.

Even their facial expressions hadn't had time to change, and the outcome of the event had already occurred.

However... the current outcome.

Was beyond everyone's expectations.

Only to see, the fire of the bullet began to dissipate, its speed slowing down as if it were moving through a thick quagmire, just like it had fallen into an invisible quagmire.

It stopped about fifteen centimeters to the side of Saruto's head, unable to move any further.

Everyone could clearly see the bullet's trajectory with their naked eyes.

Until the teenager raised his hand and pinched the bullet floating in the air between his fingertips.

Then everyone reacted.

It wasn't that time had slowed down...

But the bullet had stopped.

...

"How did you do that?!"

The man who fired the gun, his arrogant demeanor completely vanished, shouted in fear.

"Have you heard of the 'Achilles and the Tortoise' paradox? The principle is the same..."

Saruto asked with a smile.

By cutting off the moment of "bullet impact," everything else in time would slow down, and no matter how hard the bullet tried, it would only get closer and closer to the target but never truly hit.

This was one of the effects of his "Limitless Technique," called the "Infinite" technique.

Using himself as the target of the technique, covering his body with the technique itself, could make everything trying to approach him slower and slower as the distance closed.

Until it stagnated like it did now.

However, although the bullet couldn't make contact, Saruto himself could actively touch the target.

It was a very rascally effect.

Saruto, in front of everyone, exerted the curse power overflowing from his fingertips to pressurize the bullet floating in the air.

Easily, he pinched the bullet between his fingertips.

And dropped it on the ground casually.

"Monster!!"

The scene in front completely shattered the psychological defense of the man who fired the gun, and he couldn't help but scream.

As his feet moved unconsciously backward, the gun in his hand also fell to the ground with violent convulsions of his hands.

"Clang," it fell to the ground.

...

Although he was the victim.

But at the moment, everyone's expression made Saruto feel like he was the aggressor.

"It was the bullet that moved first..."

Saruto looked at the man who was retreating, but didn't think much about it.

With a calm face, he walked forward, picked up the gun on the ground, and twisted the barrel into a spiral shape using the same method.

"Why don't you guys leave yet?"

"Or... do you want me to take action?"

Saruto's cold voice seemed to be a death knell.

It touched the nerves of the several people who were tense to the extreme.

Several black-clad tough guys heard the words and ran away, each of them wishing they had a few more legs, and almost forgot about the bald man lying not far away.

Seeing that the few people didn't run far, Saruto didn't forget to stand at the door, using both hands as a megaphone to shout loudly at them:

"Remember! Don't let me see you guys again!!"

"Otherwise..."

Saruto didn't finish his sentence, just twisted the gun in his hand into a ball with curse energy again, making as loud a noise as possible.

Leaving all the room for imagination to the

fleeing few.

...

Back at the noodle shop,

Saruto looked as if nothing had happened, glanced at the stunned Mardo in the shop, and apologized:

"The door... I'll compensate for it, but it will take a few days."

Saruto opened his eyes at some point and looked at the old man with clear eyes.

Upon hearing this, Mardo finally recovered slightly from the shock just now.

The old man looked at the blue pupils in front of him and muttered to himself:

"So you're not blind..."

To be honest, after witnessing such a bizarre scene just now, it would be impossible not to feel fear in one's heart.

However, thinking that the other party had stood up for him, coupled with the calm expression of the other party at the moment, the feeling of fear was diluted to some extent.

The expression on Mardo's face seemed to have a lot to say, but when he opened his mouth, his voice got stuck in his throat and couldn't be squeezed out.

He originally wanted to inquire about the boy's true identity.

But after some thought, he decided to let it go.

This kind of thing, even if he knew it, wouldn't be good for him.

Thinking of this, Mardo just smiled and said:

"Your noodles are getting cold... I'll make you another bowl."

After speaking, he turned and walked towards the kitchen.

But Saruto reached out and stopped him, shook his head, and asked instead:

"More importantly than this... those guys just now, who are they exactly?"

Mardo was silent for a moment and explained:

"Those are thugs from the mafia."

"But... it's more accurate to say that they are some street thugs working for the higher-ups, responsible for collecting debts and doing some dirty work."

"Including human trafficking?" Saruto didn't forget what those guys mentioned.

"That's right." Mardo nodded,

"They find some homeless people or those who owe money but can't repay it every year and sell them at auctions, or even engage in organ trafficking."

"I borrowed a lot of money from them a few years ago to treat my wife's illness.

But unlike others, with my condition, they would have a hard time squeezing anything else out of me.

What's left... is just this shop, which is worth their trip."

Mardo looked at Saruto:

"But, after you took action just now, they probably won't come again for a long time.

Those guys from the mafia, each one of them holds grudges, and you're highly likely to be targeted.

So, after finishing this bowl of noodles, you'd better leave here as soon as possible."

After saying that, Mardo turned and walked towards the inner compartment, leaving a sentence:

"I have a few valuable things here, wait for me a moment..."