Survival in the Ruins: I can make everything evolve infinitely

Chapter 14: High-Speed Clash × Heart Drop Fist Listening

“Just now, I…”

Lorraine’s eyes shimmered with a trace of bewilderment.

Moments ago, he seemed to have… entered a different realm. In that instant, everything around him appeared to slow down—or rather, he suddenly sped up.

But how did he do it?

Lorraine was puzzled.

It felt as if he had tapped into some deep, hidden force within his body. Yet, now, as he tried to unleash it again, he couldn’t sense anything remotely close to that power—not even a trace.

“Did I fail to meet certain conditions?”

“Judging by the previous situation, it should require intense focus. No, perhaps it demands absolute concentration!”

As he recalled his earlier state, Lorraine began to form a hypothesis.

“Unbelievable…”

Netero, watching Lorraine lost in thought, couldn’t help but curl his lips into a grin. Despite having suspected this outcome earlier, witnessing it firsthand still left him astonished.

Yet, the upward curve of Netero’s lips unmistakably revealed his joy.

“Hey, kid, that move just now wasn’t bad. Want to keep going?” Netero beckoned Lorraine with a playful smile, eyes brimming with excitement.

“Bring it on!”

Without further hesitation, Lorraine responded.

Since he had achieved that state while playing Netero’s game, he believed he could rediscover it through the same game.

Holding his breath, Lorraine focused entirely, charging toward Netero with his right hand stretched out, aiming for the ball.

From earlier contests, Lorraine knew it was nearly impossible to snatch the ball from Netero’s hands. Therefore, his new objective was to swat the ball away.

In a sense, knocking the ball out of Netero’s hand could still be considered a form of victory.

“Interesting!” Netero chuckled, firmly gripping the ball. He had already discerned Lorraine’s intent but didn’t mind. This time, however, he took things a bit more seriously.

For instance, he no longer limited himself to using just his left hand and right foot.

With a light step, Netero evaded Lorraine from the side. The ball looped behind him, dodging Lorraine’s outstretched palm and landing in his left hand.

Lorraine caught a glimpse of this from the corner of his eye. Without hesitation, he halted his forward momentum and twisted his waist to reach for Netero’s left hand.

At that moment, Netero’s right hand intercepted, slapping Lorraine’s arm aside.

But Lorraine didn’t stop. When one hand was blocked, his other hand quickly darted toward the ball. Yet, like a serpent, Netero’s right hand shifted seamlessly, using his elbow to block Lorraine’s advance.

A slight step back placed Netero behind Lorraine, his right arm extended to push Lorraine away.

Though Lorraine hadn’t trained in martial arts, his upgraded physique granted him exceptional balance and flexibility.

As he fell backward, he planted his hands on the ground, using the momentum to kick toward the ball with his right foot.

“Such flexibility…” Netero silently praised.

After this brief exchange, he had roughly gauged Lorraine’s capabilities—his attacks were wild and unrefined, similar to that other boy. Purely relying on physical prowess.

Yet, bodies differ. If Gon embodied primal explosiveness, Lorraine’s was the epitome of near-perfect balance.

“A physique too perfect to be humanly achievable. But what astonishes me the most…” A glint flashed in Netero’s eyes as he countered Lorraine’s kick with a well-timed block.

“You’re still far from your limit. Keep pushing!”

Anticipation surged within Netero.

“What a tough old man.”

Despite his relentless attacks, Lorraine remained unfazed.

After all, this was normal. Succeeding easily would’ve felt wrong.

Fixating on Netero, Lorraine shut out all distractions, directing every ounce of his attention toward the ball.

As his concentration deepened and his exchanges with Netero intensified, Lorraine found himself slipping back into that mysterious state.

Watching Netero’s slowly curling lips, Lorraine realized he had re-entered the ultra-high-speed state.

This time, he was aware of it.

“Extreme focus is the key!”

Lorraine verified his hypothesis.

Then…

He launched an attack—not at the ball, but directly at Netero.

The moment Lorraine moved, that elusive deep force emerged, propelling him to astonishing speeds.

Against Gon or Killua, Lorraine would’ve held a decisive advantage.

But this was Netero—the world’s strongest human!

Just as Lorraine initiated his strike, Netero, previously sluggish in Lorraine’s eyes, suddenly matched his speed.

In an instant, they clashed dozens of times.

Their sheer speed created afterimages, leaving Killua and Gon stunned.

This wasn’t Killua’s illusionary speed; it was raw velocity—so fast their eyes couldn’t track the movements, only catching faint snapshots of collisions.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Gon’s wide eyes reflected shock, while Killua’s mind screamed in disbelief.

He knew Lorraine’s abilities—decent but nothing extraordinary. Serious effort would’ve been enough to defeat him.

But now…

Watching their blurred punches and palms, Killua doubted he could keep up.

“Monsters!” Killua’s mind reeled.

Seconds later, Lorraine trembled mid-clash, snapping out of the state, only to be sent flying by Netero’s block.

Yes—flying from a mere block.

Though to Gon and Killua it appeared fierce, it wasn’t a real fight. Lorraine was attacking wildly, and Netero was effortlessly blocking.

Upon exiting the state, Lorraine’s speed faltered, leading to his defeat.

Despite being flung, Netero’s precise control ensured Lorraine was unharmed.

But exhaustion overtook him. Attempting to stand, Lorraine ultimately lay down, gasping for air.

Yet, fatigue didn’t matter. His heart raced with excitement.

This wasn’t a fluke—it lasted seconds, enough time to recognize the ultra-high-speed state.

“Heart Drop Fist Listening!”

In the Hunter world, this phenomenon occurs during high-level duels, creating a temporal distortion. Masters might even hear each other’s thoughts.

Lorraine hadn’t reached that level. His state resembled slowed perception before death—a compression of time akin to Netero’s “Prayer State” after years of disciplined training.

Of course, Lorraine still had a long way to go before reaching Netero’s level.