"Sorry, did I not make myself clear earlier? Please wait. The passage still isn't open yet."
The tall, thin man who had blocked Ronin and Vanessa earlier had seen Ronin emerge from underground. When he realized what had happened, he let out a short, mocking laugh.
So what if the guy was a Nen user? That didn't mean shit here.
He could tell from their body language that these two weren't here to play nice, but he didn't give a damn. Standing in the middle of the passage and keeping everyone else out took real backbone, and he had it.
Ronin had no interest in talking.
The tall man was a Nen user who had already mocked him once. Ronin wasn't about to waste words or give him any courtesy.
He stepped forward and drove a clean punch straight into the man's stomach.
Ronin's movement wasn't particularly fast, but the tall man still couldn't dodge it. His lanky frame folded like a shrimp, the impact folding him in half with embarrassing force.
"You people are too slow," Ronin said, voice calm and flat. "I'm going in now."
The entire blocked section went quiet.
A moment later, someone stepped forward, clapping slowly. It was the tall man's companion. Shorter than the first guy—maybe five-foot-four at most—but built solid and compact. His eyes moved over Ronin once, then settled on Vanessa, lingering on the Rock Mercenary Group insignia on her shoulder. His expression grew noticeably more cautious.
"Friend, what should I call you?" the shorter man asked. When neither Ronin nor Vanessa answered, he didn't look embarrassed. He just kept talking. "If you're here to help clear the passage, you're more than welcome. If you're here to start trouble, though… Brennan isn't afraid of anyone."
As he spoke, his aura flared. He was ready to fight if that was what Ronin wanted.
Ronin felt a spark of genuine interest.
He liked fighting people who could actually put up a decent struggle. It sharpened his skills and gave him something real to enjoy. The shorter man's stance told him everything he needed to know.
Come on then. Hit me. Once you're done, maybe I'll let you through. Otherwise, stay out here and wait like everyone else.
Ronin blurred forward.
One moment he was standing several steps away. The next, he was right in front of Brennan, fist already driving into the man's gut with the same simple, brutal motion.
Brennan tried to block.
He failed.
The punch lifted him clean off his feet and sent him flying backward. He hit the ground hard, blood already trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Ronin didn't even glance back. He and Vanessa simply kept walking.
Two opponents dropped in quick succession. The quiet display of overwhelming strength made the rest of the blockers instinctively give ground. Every step Ronin and Vanessa took forward, the others took one back.
Soon they had nowhere left to retreat.
"Let them through," Brennan called out as he pushed himself up. He looked rough, but the look in his eyes was the careful, calculating stare of a man who had just realized he was out of his depth.
Ronin gave a low, humorless chuckle—not at Brennan, but at the tall man still curled up on the ground.
Brennan let them pass, but he followed close behind. He wanted to see exactly what these two planned to do with only the two of them.
Even if they reached the blockage, what could they actually accomplish? The passage wasn't open yet. Their only real options were to cooperate or try to clear it themselves. And with just two people—even if one of them wore the Rock Mercenary Group badge—Brennan wasn't about to roll over.
If Muir had shown up with the full squad, Brennan would have backed off without hesitation. But one regular member? He wasn't giving that kind of face.
If they wanted to waste their time digging, he was happy to watch. He didn't believe for a second that two people could hold the entrance against everyone else once the way was clear.
Ronin had already guessed Brennan's line of thinking.
He didn't care.
He had no intention of doing the hard work just so everyone else could waltz in behind him. If he had to open the passage himself, he would use Earth Style. That way even after he went through, the others would still need to dig their own way in. It would buy him the time he needed to explore without an audience.
They walked a little farther. The sound of pickaxes and shovels grew louder. Brennan's team was still working on the collapse, hauling out loads of broken stone and dirt.
"Cooperation is the smartest way to explore ruins like this," Brennan said from behind them, voice steady again. "With your strength, I'm willing to make concessions."
He thought he had Ronin's plan figured out.
Showing off power was just a negotiation tactic. Brennan could admit the man was strong—possibly strong enough that even Brennan's entire team couldn't take him head-on.
But that didn't matter.
There were plenty of ways to kill someone in this world. Frontal combat was rarely the smartest choice. Poison. Assassination. Curses. Plenty of options worked better against close-range fighters.
Ronin didn't answer.
He could feel the ill intent rolling off Brennan now—thick enough that it carried clear killing intent underneath.
The man really might be stupid enough to try something.
Ronin finally stopped walking.
The passage ahead was completely buried under rubble. The only people still working were ordinary laborers without Nen. A few supervisors stood nearby, wrapped in basic Ten, watching everything.
One of the supervisors met Brennan's eyes the moment the man appeared. A silent exchange passed between them.
Ronin turned to Vanessa.
"If I kill someone here, will it cause problems for the mercenary group?"
Vanessa understood immediately. She shook her head. "No."
The moment the word left her mouth, Ronin's gaze locked with Brennan's.
Brennan's body went rigid. His eyes glazed over, unfocused.
A kunai flashed from Ronin's hand and buried itself deep in Brennan's chest before Vanessa could even react.
The sudden violence froze the supervisor in place for half a second. Then he stepped back quickly, widening the distance, his aura shifting from Ten to Ren as he dropped into a defensive stance.
Even now, he couldn't understand why Brennan hadn't moved.
The kunai hadn't been that fast. Brennan should have been able to dodge it easily.
Instead, the blade had gone straight through his heart.
Ronin glanced at the supervisor once, then looked away. He had no interest in killing anyone else right now.
Brennan had released killing intent toward him. That meant he should have been ready to die for it.
This was also a message.
Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys.
The rest of them could dig all they wanted.
Ronin and Vanessa were going through.