The Red Dragon turning into an egg was undoubtedly a headache for Allen. Fortunately, the monsters and bosses within the instance operated on fixed mechanics and lacked true sapience, so her absence didn't negatively impact the progression of Blackwing Lair.
After looting the gold and spoils dropped by the corrupted Vaelastrasz, the team continued their advance toward the next objective.
While Allen was single-mindedly focused on conquering the raid, eight men and women dressed in various eccentric outfits were gathered in an abandoned warehouse far away in the lawless zone of Meteor City.
They were none other than the newly formed "New Phantom Troupe."
Indeed. After the original Phantom Troupe led by Chrollo Lucilfer had been completely wiped out, the Elders of Meteor City had used a recommendation system to once again recruit a group of highly capable Nen users.
The woman leading them was Sheila, codenamed "Pigeon." Although she personally preferred pulling strings from the shadows rather than standing in the spotlight, a suitable candidate for the role of leader hadn't been found yet. Consequently, she had no choice but to step up for the time being.
Looking at these dangerous individuals from Meteor City, whose eyes betrayed not a single shred of fear regarding death, Sheila took a deep breath. In a voice tinged with authority, she spoke. "I trust you all understand what the reconstruction of the Phantom Troupe signifies, and the weight of the responsibility you now carry. I won't waste words. I'm here to announce our first mission as a group."
"Hold on, Leader. I heard the previous Phantom Troupe was wiped out by a guy called the Grim Reaper. Shouldn't we be looking for revenge?" questioned a young man with heavily developed upper-body muscles.
"Exactly! I wasn't particularly fond of Chrollo's lot, but they were residents of Meteor City nonetheless. As per tradition, that Blacklist Hunter must pay for his actions," a teenage girl with short black hair chimed in.
"Revenge? Hmph! If you want to seek death, be my guest. Just don't drag the rest of us down, and certainly don't drag down the Troupe. Grim Reaper Allen is not an opponent you people can handle!"
Sheila clearly hadn't expected to encounter such trouble during their very first briefing. Her eyes flared with anger and frustration. She had underestimated the fierce sense of identity and companionship shared by the residents of Meteor City.
Meteor City was not the chaotic land of "survival of the fittest" that many outsiders imagined. Quite the contrary. Under the rule of the elected Elders, the security within the residential areas was actually quite good.
If it weren't for this internal cohesion, the events of ten years ago would never have happened. Back then, a resident was wrongly convicted; after his innocence was proven, all thirty-one people involved in the case, including the police, prosecutors, judges, witnesses, jurors, and lawyers, were liquidated.
The method of liquidation was for thirty-one Meteor City residents to walk up, shake hands with the targets, and smile as they blew themselves up along with their victims.
Not one person flinched. Not one person feared dying that way. They simply accepted the mission and completed it with their lives. In an environment run purely on the "law of the jungle," it would be impossible for so many people to be willing to die so gallantly for the sake of "Meteor City."
Through that series of insane suicide attacks, Meteor City firmly established its dignity. From then on, no one dared to look down upon these residents who lacked nationality or any proof of existence.
"You think we aren't his match?" the short-haired girl demanded, her brow furrowed.
"Obviously. Grim Reaper Allen is already the strongest Nen user in the human world. Based on his performance in the Chimera Ant extermination, even if you all attacked together, you wouldn't last five seconds. So don't be stupid; there are plenty of elderly, weak, and disabled people in Meteor City counting on you for support," Sheila replied sarcastically.
Sometimes she really didn't understand what went on inside the heads of these Nen users born in Meteor City. Was it just garbage?
"The strongest?" The muscular youth looked skeptical.
"Yes. Even the formerly invincible Netero died in battle, yet Allen single-handedly killed over thirty Squadron Leaders, five thousand soldier ants, hundreds of Officers, two Royal Guards, and the King who stood at the pinnacle of Chimera Ant evolution. Don't even dream of avenging those fools in Chrollo's group; you have zero chance. Furthermore, from now on, everyone is strictly forbidden from killing innocents at will. I can't guarantee he won't come knocking again to wipe out this new Phantom Troupe as well. Remember, this is not a joke; it's something that could happen at any moment."
Sheila's tone was harsh and full of warning. To rebuild the Phantom Troupe, she had gone to great lengths to convince the Elders and gather these unruly individuals. If they provoked Allen and got wiped out again, it would be a very long time before they could find suitable replacements.
"Alright. We get it. Let's talk about the mission," a small man in a formal suit sitting in the corner said, raising his hand to stop the other members from pressing further.
He could sense that their nominal temporary leader was genuinely enraged; pushing her further would only backfire. Besides, they had already gathered quite a bit of information from that brief exchange.
Seeing that the group was no longer fixated on revenge, Sheila finally breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled a photograph from her pocket and tossed it onto the table. "Here. Take a look. This is the target of your first mission."
"You mean... kill him? But aren't we a band of thieves? We should be stealing gold and silver! Killing people is more in the Zoldyck Family's line of work, isn't it?" a hulking man with a two-handed greatsword on his back asked, scratching his chin in confusion.
"No. Not killing. You're to rescue him from where he's being held," Sheila quickly corrected him. "Of course, to provide cover, there happens to be a vault nearby. You can go ahead and rob that while you're at it."
"Rescuing someone? That sounds even more ridiculous! Who is this guy?" the small man in the suit asked, squinting his eyes.
"Pariston Hill! Former Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association. But right now, he's just a prisoner under investigation and detention." Sheila made no attempt to hide the truth, openly revealing the identity of the man in the photo.
"Wow! A big shot! If I had to guess, the rescue is only the first step, right?" the girl with short black hair asked with a playful smirk.
Sheila nodded without hesitation. "Congratulations, you guessed right. Rescuing him is just to win his trust. After that, you will follow him to Kakin to investigate exactly what the royal family and Beyond Netero are plotting."
"And our reason? As a band of thieves, on what grounds do we join them?"
"Simple. Just say you have your eyes on the treasures of the Kakin Royal Family and are looking for a chance to pull off a massive heist. Don't worry, Pariston won't care too much about that. His relationship with the Kakin Royal Family is less like allies and more like mutual exploitation."
"In that case, let's get moving."
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