116 Chapter 110: Empty Vault!
Blasting through the corridors toward the vault, the Phantom Troupe immediately headed to open it up.
However...
"Huh, It's empty?"
Uvogin exclaimed, his voice echoing off the walls.
The rest of the group crowded around, disappointment written on their faces.
"This is a letdown," Franklin remarked as he shot a glance at Shalnark, "Now what?"
Shalnark furrowed his brow, deep in thought, "Ideally, we'd track down where they moved the goods, but..."
"Argghh! Please, please... No..."
Shalnark's contemplation was cut short by a desperate cry that echoed through the room. He whirled around to see Feitan dragging a man in a black suit toward them.
The man seemed to be one of the auction staff.
Feitan dumped him in the middle of the group and said, "Found him cowering in the corner. He must know what's going on, right?"
The man's face contorted in terror as he glanced at each person before him.
A warmth spread down his legs as fear overwhelmed him.
Meanwhile, in the hall...
Silva regarded Raymond with a furrowed brow, surprised to see him standing firm after his powerful blow.
"He can take my punch now?"
Recalling their previous encounter, Silva remembered how Raymond's hand had trembled despite his stoic demeanor.
He knew his punch had hurt him then.
However...
This time, there was no sign of discomfort from Raymond as Silva observed the gaping hole created by Raymond's kick.
His eyes widened slightly as he considered, "Has he increased his Nen output?"
He distinctly remembered Raymond's efficient way of concentrating just enough Nen in his attacks and mostly dodging to defense.
With Raymond's approach, Silva was confident that he could usually inflict some damage on his opponents given his superior raw strength.
But now, the lack of reaction to Silva's attack suggested something different.
"He's changed," Silva concluded, his mind racing with questions, "He uses his Nen a bit more extravagantly now..."
What had transpired during their time apart?
Could Raymond have significantly increased his Nen capacity in such a short time?
But such a thing was impossible!
However...
Silva immediately shook his head, dismissing these thoughts as futile.
Dwelling on the impossibility of Raymond's sudden power surge would not help him in the current situation.
Taking a deep breath, he refocused his attention on Raymond. Without hesitation, Silva's form blurred as he vanished from sight.
"Hmm?"
Raymond swiftly evaded Silva's kick, but his relief was short-lived as he sensed Zeno closing in from behind.
"Do you guys have no shame? To think you'd gang up on me..."
With a click of his tongue, Raymond sidestepped and leaped back, creating distance between them.
"What are you talking about..."
Yet, Zeno's smirk hinted that he had anticipated Raymond's move as he continued, "...We're Zoldyck! Raymond Celestia!"
Zeno channeled his Nen into his palm as a surge of energy gathered, igniting in a powerful blast aimed at Raymond.
"...!"
As Zeno unleashed the full force of his aura blast, the ground shattered beneath him.
The energy surged forward, hurtling towards Raymond with devastating force, shattering everything in its path.
"Shit, that sure is gonna hurt.."
Raymond's mind raced as he sought a way to evade the impending attack.
With swift reflexes, he drew his trusty kitchen knife and hurled it towards Zeno's palm, where the energy was concentrated.
"...!"
Zeno's eyes widened in shock as the knife pierced through the aura blast, disrupting its trajectory right in the middle.
The aura swirled around the knife, creating a gap in the deadly onslaught.
Seizing the opportunity, Raymond darted away, narrowly escaping the destructive force unscathed.
"He's a smart one, huh?"
Zeno couldn't help but marvel at Raymond's quick thinking and agility.
With a swift motion, he slapped the knife away, the sound of impact echoing through the hall as it collided with the ground, creating yet another crater amidst the countless others that dotted the battleground.
"He sure lives up to his reputation. He's actually so skillful..."
Raymond couldn't help but be impressed by Zeno's swift and precise movements, even in the midst of battle.
But there was no time to dwell on admiration.
As Silva's figure loomed overhead, Raymond's mind raced with possibilities.
"Now, what should I do about this..."
Silva's palms crackled with energy, each orb pulsing with power.
"You can't stop this like you did before, Celestia!"
He taunted, unleashing the orbs towards Raymond with a booming laugh.
"Haha you're right..."
Raymond chuckled in response.
"But you know what, I'll just dodge..."
With lightning reflexes, he leaped away just as the orbs made contact with the ground.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion followed, tearing through the building and leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
After the explosion, only the front half of the building remained standing, the back half utterly destroyed by their fierce battle.
Raymond recalled Silva was able to survive his own attack a while back during their last fight.
"Incredible, he survived that explosion back then?"
As he watched the destruction unfold, Raymond felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Despite the danger, he couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement, his smirk widening as sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Kekeke..."
"...!"
However, Raymond's attention was abruptly diverted by a chilling laugh, causing his eyes to widen in alarm.
"This isn't the time to marvel at your opponent's moves, youngster!"
Zeno's laughter echoed through the chaos.
Raymond swiftly turned to the side, only to be met with a terrifying sight...
A massive Chinese dragon constructed of purple aura crackling with lightning as it roared toward him.
Caught mid-air, he had no means of evasion.
"...Damn, this is gonna hurt," he muttered, kicking the air to propel his body in the same direction as the oncoming dragon.
Simultaneously, he gathered his Nen, enveloping his body in a protective aura just before the attack made contact.
The impact sent Raymond crashing through the remaining half of the building, completely demolishing it with a deafening roar.
As the dust settled, onlookers outside caught sight of Raymond's figure hurtling towards the building on the opposite side, like a projectile caught in the jaws of a dragon.
As Raymond's body collided with the neighboring building, the electricity in the area flickered and died, plunging the surroundings into darkness and adding to the eerie atmosphere.
"Shit, is that a dragon?"
"...And someone's in its jaws!"
"Isn't that the young man?"
"...It's Raymond Celestia!"
As the crowd erupted into murmurs and exclamations, reporters scrambled to capture the moment, their cameras flashing rapidly as they realized the significance of this unexpected turn of events.
They came to report the news about Raymond Celestia's first-ever public appearance and got exactly what they wanted!
Their hearts pounded with excitement as they realized this was the moment they had been waiting for—the chance to break the biggest story of their careers.
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