Gelman raised his head and surveyed the three people who had suddenly appeared in his room.
As the three Shadow Beasts sensed his intent through the Nen Energy he released, they couldn't help frowning.
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"This guy... This killing intent... Is he serious?"
"We three Shadow Beasts have blocked every way out, and Bat has our companion tied up. He can't come help."
"But there's not a trace of hesitation on his face. Does he really think he can handle all three of us alone? What an arrogant, conceited idea!"
For a moment, the expressions on Worm, Leech, and Owl's faces were quite something.
On a world-wide scale, they certainly weren't among the very strongest Nen users, but neither were they weaklings who could be killed at will.
Otherwise, the Ten Dons wouldn't have hired them as members of their direct combat force.
They hadn't felt this kind of blatant sensation of being treated like prey in many years. It was both familiar and strange.
That experience of simply saying they were Shadow Beasts and watching their opponents' legs turn to jelly did absolutely nothing to Gelman.
"He really is a lunatic from Meteor City," Worm said. "Leech, Owl, don't give him a chance. Sick Dog and Porcupine probably got done in because they tried to take him alive."
"Got it," Leech and Owl replied in unison.
The three of them charged at Gelman simultaneously from three different directions, moving in perfect coordination.
Gelman rose to his feet. He didn't underestimate his enemies; instead, he carefully considered which Shadow Beast to take down first.
His mind was an intelligence bureau with clearly organized files. Ever since fighting Porcupine and Sick Dog, he had already pulled up what he knew about the Shadow Beasts.
Worm was most likely an Enhancer. He could burrow underground, and if necessary, sever parts of his body to survive.
Leech was most likely a Manipulation System user. He could control the leeches he raised inside his body and make them burrow into other people. By laying eggs in great numbers, they could damage their victims' bladders, causing such agony that they died.
Owl was a Conjurer. He could conjure a gray cloth that could contain anything it wrapped around, living or dead, and release it whenever he wanted.
Gelman's greatest advantage wasn't his Nen ability, but this valuable intelligence. It meant he wouldn't die to a "first encounter" attack, and could prepare a counter in advance.
Of course, having information didn't mean he was guaranteed to win a fight.
The simplest example was that he knew Chairman Netero's and Zeno Zoldyck's Nen abilities, but that knowledge was almost meaningless because the gap in their raw strength was too great.
He knew Netero's and Zeno's moves, but he couldn't dodge them. That was Gelman's situation.
The Shadow Beasts before him were different. In a one-on-one fight, Gelman would most likely beat any of them. Against all three at once, he had to be cautious.
Gelman was thinking about a great many things, but in reality, only an instant had passed.
"Whoosh!"
Worm suddenly released a huge amount of aura. He came on aggressively, choosing a head-on assault. Striding forward, he swung a fist at Gelman's cheek like a meteor hammer.
Most likely a feint. The hotel floor's layout doesn't give him room to use his ability, so he's releasing a lot of Nen Energy to make it look like he's leading the attack.
Gelman made his judgment in an instant.
Even so, Worm's feinting punch was dangerous. Gelman had to dodge it.
Gelman twisted aside, evading the fierce punch, and watched the other two Shadow Beasts out of the corner of his eye, looking for their tells.
Leech vomited a huge mass of twisted, bloated leeches from his mouth. His palms were covered in sticky yellow slime, and he threw a handful of the fat worms with each hand at Gelman.
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Leech's ability was most dangerous when the leeches were inside someone's body.
But to enter Gelman's body, they would have to get in through his mouth, nostrils, ears, anus, or a wound. Otherwise, they could only cling to his skin and suck his blood.
So Leech isn't the core of their tactical attack, either. Gelman made his second judgment.
Worm and Leech had launched the first attacks to distract Gelman and make him lower his guard against the last one.
Gelman swung his Hunter Robe to block the writhing leeches, then conjured a Flamethrower without hesitation. Its nozzle was aimed at Owl, who had quietly crept up behind him.
Worm and Leech drew his attention from the front while Owl captured him with his gray cloth. It was the safest strategy.
According to the intelligence Gelman had gathered, he was also a Conjurer who could conjure strange weapons like a Meat Saw and a Blunderbuss. He specialized in close combat and had no medium- or long-range attacks.
That had allowed Owl to approach without trouble. If he could successfully wrap Gelman in the Great Cotswold Scarf, he could restrict his movements.
Whether or not Gelman could escape the Great Cotswold Scarf, the moment he lost his sight and couldn't move his arms and legs freely would be enough for the three Shadow Beasts to decide the outcome.
But Worm, Leech, and Owl hadn't expected Gelman to suddenly conjure a weapon that wasn't in their intelligence.
"Fall back!" Worm shouted, his face changing. He made the call without hesitation.
Without knowing what the weapon was, retreating for the moment was the best option—even if their opponent was only bluffing.
Leech stopped in his tracks at Worm's warning.
Owl, however, was too close. The gray cloth had already unfurled and was about to cover Gelman. It was too late to retreat.
"Damn it!" He gritted his teeth and steeled himself, bringing the Great Cotswold Scarf down.
But after realizing that Worm and Leech were feinting, Gelman had kept a wary eye on Owl's movements. He immediately dodged backward, putting distance between them.
Once he was far enough away that the Great Cotswold Scarf couldn't reach him, Gelman aimed the Flamethrower in his hand at Owl and unleashed a wide spray of flames.
This was his medium- and short-range attack.
The flames caught Owl's clothes and the Great Cotswold Scarf. The tongues of fire became his "new clothes."
Owl cried out in pain and hurriedly dispelled the Great Cotswold Scarf. Then he rolled on the ground, trying to smother the flames.
To cover for Owl, Leech had no choice but to throw another batch of fresh, bloated leeches he'd spat out. They rained down one by one, looking utterly disgusting.
Gelman simply pulled his Hunter Robe up over his head. He ignored the leeches completely and kept attacking Owl.
Without an existing opening to crawl into, the leeches posed little threat. They were just disgusting when they stuck to his skin.
Compared to Leech, Owl's Great Cotswold Scarf was the Nen ability that posed the greatest threat to Gelman. He had to deal with it first.
He covered his head with his Hunter Cloak and pointed the Flamethrower at Owl, who was rolling around on the floor in a miserable mess. Once again, he unleashed a Flame Snake.
At the same time, a sharp crack came from under Gelman's feet as the floor split open. A strong arm grabbed his leg.
Gelman looked down and saw Worm's pointed head poking through the opening. He had burrowed up from the floor below and picked the perfect moment to strike from underneath.
Worm's fingers tightened, yanking Gelman straight down. With a bang, the opening was forced wider, and the two of them fell through to the floor below.
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