How long does it take for a pleasant surprise to turn into pure terror?
One only needed to look at the smile currently frozen on Isabell's face to find the answer. If those words had come from anyone else, she might have dismissed them as a joke or a deliberate tactic by a competitor to scare her off. But coming from Allen, she immediately felt her heart begin to thud uncontrollably against her ribs.
Isabell knew all too well that the young Hunter standing before her was not the type to joke about such matters. If she weren't completely unable to swim, she might have actually run to the deck and dived into the ocean to swim back to the harbor. Having survived the horrific experience of nearly being tortured to death and eaten, she possessed a far stronger survival instinct than most ordinary people.
After a brief, heavy silence, she looked up and asked in a low whisper, "Where is the danger coming from? How can I avoid death?"
"I have two suggestions for you," Allen replied without hesitation. "First, stay as far away from the Princes as possible, as they are the embodiment of danger themselves. Second, stay in your room on the second deck. If you can, lock yourself inside and don't come out. If you do both, you'll have a high probability of surviving to the end."
Whatever the case, this woman had once sold him a rather exceptional ability, one that continued to be useful to this day. Whether out of respect for that ability or the strange twist of fate that brought them together again, he wasn't going to stand by and watch her die in this brutal succession war.
"Does this involve Kakin's internal power struggles?" Isabell was no "damsel in distress"; she deduced the truth almost instantly.
Allen nodded meaningfully. "Exactly. Honestly, if you pay attention to the hull structure and the personnel arrangements of the Black Whale, you should be able to guess at least part of it. Besides, do you really think that luxury yacht at the very top is just to highlight the Royal Family's status? No, it's the final insurance policy, meant to allow the King and the victor of this internal struggle to escape safely in an emergency. That's all I can tell you for now. For the rest, the less you know, the better."
"Damn it! If I'd known, I never would have accepted that guy's invitation!" While Isabell complained, she didn't forget to glance out of the corner of her eye at the Eighth Prince, Sale-sale.
It was obvious that her road to success hadn't been as simple as she'd made it sound; she had clearly used her beauty as a weapon. Sale-sale was a man obsessed with hedonism, wine, and women; he never turned down a beauty. Anyone who could satisfy his erratic and perverse desires was guaranteed a satisfactory reward.
Noticing this, Allen sighed softly. "It really wasn't easy for you to get to where you are today, was it? Regardless, cut your ties with him immediately. Otherwise, not even God could save you."
Isabell gnashed her teeth and nodded. "I will! Also... is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Hmm… if you get the chance, look for information regarding the 'Urn.'" Allen hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to utilize the woman's close relationship with the Eighth Prince. After all, the Succession Contest had only just begun; there shouldn't be too much danger in the next two or three days.
"The Urn?" Isabell looked visibly stunned.
"Yes. The Urn. An object created through a Nen ability. All the Princes used it to perform a ritual before boarding. Sale-sale definitely knows about it, so just keep your ears open," Allen explained casually.
"Nen again? Fine, I understand. But you'd better not get your hopes too high; my relationship with Sale-sale isn't as intimate as you think." With that, Isabell feigned composure. Wearing a faint smile, she turned and walked straight back toward the Eighth Prince.
Watching her retreating figure, Kite asked in an uncertain tone, "Do you think she can actually find the intel we need?"
"I don't know. But I do know that Prince Sale-sale is likely a relatively easy breakthrough point. Besides... I never place my hope in others."
As the last word left his lips, Allen activated Shaiapouf's ability. He split off a miniature version of himself, no larger than a honeybee, and let it fly silently through the crowd to slip into Nasubi's coat pocket.
"That's..." Kite's pupils dilated sharply at the sight.
"Ah. This is the ability of Shaiapouf, one of the Chimera Ant Royal Guards. Although I'll be discarding it soon, it's perfect for the current situation. Just wait; before long, all of Nasubi's plans and conspiracies will be laid bare before my eyes."
"That ability of yours to steal others' powers at will is a total violation of the rules," Kite remarked with strong envy. "It's practically cheating."
"No, you're wrong. The real rule-breaker was the Ant King. He only needed to eat a piece of a Nen user's flesh to instantly acquire their ability. If I'm not mistaken, you should have a similar capacity now, shouldn't you?" Allen countered with a knowing look.
"It's less of an ability and more of a side effect of the Chimera Ant genetic structure. However, mine isn't as powerful as the King's; I can only plunder a bit of aura from opponents during battle." Kite made no attempt to hide the truth, speaking of her capabilities openly.
"What about your original ability, Crazy Slots?" Allen asked, curious.
Kite shook her head with a bitter laugh. "I don't know. Maybe it vanished, or maybe I just couldn't inherit the previous Nen after switching bodies. I've been developing a new Hatsu recently, so I might not be of much help in a direct fight."
"Don't worry, leave the fighting to me. I've already secured top-level authorization from the V5. If necessary, I can wash the entire first deck in blood and make the Kakin Royal Family vanish from history forever," Allen declared, his face cold and his words thick with the scent of blood.
"I'd prefer it if it didn't come to that. If possible, we should dispose of that dangerous Urn without alerting anyone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to head down to the third deck to meet Ging, and bring back that Pregnancy Stone for you."
With that, Kite donned her favorite hat and exited the banquet in the most inconspicuous way possible. Since they had only recently left the port, the hatches leading to the lower decks hadn't been sealed yet. This was the best time to see her teacher; any later, and she might find herself locked out.
Watching Kite walk away, Allen whispered in a voice only he could hear, "Dispose of the Urn without alerting anyone? Don't be naive. If we cause even a tiny bit of damage to it, we'll trigger a massive chain reaction. Cast aside your illusions and stay ready for battle, that is the only true resolve of a Hunter."