By evening, Oboro was alone, leaning back on the sofa, the entire room shrouded in darkness.
Outside the window directly facing him, the lights of the palace square flickered.
His gaze was heavy as he reflected on the encounter with Beyond.
Their Nen strength was roughly equal, but there was a clear difference in physical quality… just like when Netero fought the Ant King Meruem, they could only suppress with Nen but couldn't break through defenses. Flesh and vitality are directly linked to mental strength.
Of course, the gap in physical body between him and Beyond wasn't as obvious… but he still had a disadvantage.
In this battle, Oboro hadn't yet used Eck's ultimate move, Temporal Rift, because reinforcements appeared. With Beyond having arranged his men in advance, Oboro wasn't sure if Gray Guo's forces would also join in… so, for safety, he decided to retreat first.
After all, with Kakin's national strength, deploying some special scientific weapons wasn't difficult.
Beyond also had hidden cards he hadn't used… continuing to fight would be pointless.
"Sir… your injuries…"
At this moment, David knocked on the door and entered to remind him.
"It's fine, don't worry," Oboro waved his hand, signaling him not to mind.
Hearing this, David said nothing more, turned around, and closed the door.
The family's medical staff only briefly treated Oboro's wounds. Because his injuries were too severe—although the knife wounds on him had previously healed—they hadn't fully recovered. The doctor's advice was to send him to a specialized hospital for treatment and rest for a long period.
"My chances of winning are slightly better…"
Oboro lay on the back of the sofa, looking at the dim ceiling, murmuring.
Saying "a little better" was actually… not much.
If he could control the power of the soul, causing damage and manipulating Beyond's spirit, he would be safe… but unfortunately, the related Nen ability involving the Houshou (Hammerstone) hasn't been developed to that level yet. His methods against King Benjamin rely on the target's unguarded mind and require prolonged contact with their soul.
Before Beyond could counterattack, it was still quite difficult to leverage the advantage of controlling the soul.
It's not enough… he needs to keep developing.
Oboro was wrapped in bandages, with scars extending from his shoulders, still faintly aching.
Inside the wound, remnants of Beyond's Nen… still eroding his flesh and blood.
The opponent's Nen ability, the slash of sword light they wielded, was no simple matter…
To recover completely, he needed to eliminate the Nen… first, have a Nen remover extract the residual Nen from his body, then wait for recovery.
But Oboro wasn't worried, because he possessed the attribute of Life Steal. In the coming days, as long as he inflicted enough damage, he could absorb a certain proportion of health points, accelerating healing… As for the residual Nen, it had no additional rules—only Beyond's personal will could counteract it.
Otherwise, he would really need to find a Nen remover.
The Kakin Empire's royal power couldn't be moved for now…
Fortunately, there was still Prince Benjamin. Part of his soul was still imprisoned in his lantern, meaning Oboro could sense everything happening around Benjamin through the soul link! Nasbi Gray Guo could abandon one of the Eight Kings and a princess, but Prince Benjamin was different. He was one of the outstanding princes, holding some military influence.
Oboro didn't believe Gray Guo would dare to ignore Benjamin's death like he did with the other two kings.
"Among the humans of this era… the strongest in body…"
Oboro mumbled.
Compared to Netero and Maha, Beyond was still relatively young… his physical strength hadn't declined much. Having this level of strength exceeded Oboro's expectations, but it was understandable.
Because, fundamentally, Oboro knew nothing about Beyond's true strength.
It wasn't revealed in the original story either.
Apart from the first two, Oboro couldn't think of anyone else who could surpass Beyond.
He had seen Ging Freecss, including the Dragon of the Twelve Zodiacs, Bort Baire, but their combat focus wasn't on physical strength, just like Zeno Zoldyck.
After pondering, Oboro concluded that Beyond's body was indeed the top among humans today.
Oboro's own flesh and blood talent was also extraordinary—Netero had admitted it himself… but compared to Beyond, he was still a step behind. Without the additional attributes granted by his abilities, he couldn't fight Beyond head-on, only relying on clever tricks.
"Let's wait and see… I'll let you live a little longer…"
A cold light flashed in Oboro's eyes.
His main body's growth had stagnated, but his strength… had no upper limit.
As long as his attributes kept stacking, he could soon surpass Beyond… with a thick armor of flesh and blood defense, plus the strength of his Nen, there was a big feast waiting for him ahead.
Chimera Ants!
Not only Beyond, but also Kakin!
This time was just a temporary pause, not the end.
At least, Oboro had gained a preliminary understanding of Beyond's strength.
Next time, it would be the time for the kill.
...
Time slowly passed.
Two months later, deep in a mountain forest.
Several black figures swiftly moved through the woods, heading toward a certain direction.
Soon, on a high branch, one figure stopped, supporting himself with one hand on the tree trunk, gazing into the distance.
A few kilometers away, the lush trees trembled and roared as if shaken by an earthquake, stirring up dust and dirt.
The howls and screams of monsters could be heard.
"Hm… found him, he's there."
This person was Menchi.
She pointed in a direction, then turned to the few teammates behind her and spoke.
"Still hunting monsters… The captain's strength has become unimaginable. In the entire Hunter world, there probably isn't anyone who can threaten him now. Why is he still doing this? Is it just warm-up?"
Anthony combed his flamboyant hair and smiled.
"Earlier, I heard he got some injuries in Kakin…," Fante, holding a rolled cigarette, said solemnly, "It shows that there are still some powerful beings in this world we don't know about… The captain is strong, but not enough to look down on the entire human world."
"No! To me, the captain is the strongest!"
Lita's eyes sparkled with admiration as she shouted excitedly.
"…Hunters… aren't invincible. Kakin is so powerful… maybe they used some kind of… banned large-scale military weapon from the international community…" Gabvich stammered.
"Indeed, that's possible. Otherwise… I can't think of anyone besides the chairman who could hurt him," Anthony stroked his chin, pulling out a comb and tidying his hair.
He cared a lot about his hairstyle.
Over the years, their team had transformed. Menchi was now a two-star Hunter, and the four of them had long become one-star Hunters.
Their strength, experience, knowledge of the Association, and understanding of the human world had all greatly improved since the beginning.
Their appearances had also subtly changed, though their personalities remained the same… but their mature, capable aura and resolute eyes clearly showed they had become seasoned hunters.
"Let's go."
After speaking, Menchi vanished into the tree trunk.
The others immediately followed.
Soon, they arrived at the battlefield.
They saw Oboro, dressed in a suit, sitting on the corpse of a rhinoceros-like, massive, spiky purple beast.
Menchi was the first to step out from the shadows of the trees, waving to Oboro from above.
A greeting.
"Captain!"
Lita followed, loudly saluting Oboro.
The usually calm and composed Fante nodded in acknowledgment.
Gabvich was still shy and timid…
Anthony was the most lively, running ahead to circle the beast's corpse, marveling.
"How is it?"
Seeing his teammates, Oboro didn't exchange pleasantries. He jumped down from the beast with a smile, looking at Menchi, the temporary team leader.
"About what you judged," Menchi threw him a camera.
Oboro caught it and started watching.
Inside, there were recordings from several people.
It was the footage of the current incident in the Federation, which the outside world was still unaware of.
"Really, you don't need to report to the Association? This isn't just ordinary serious… Those ants are far beyond human life forms—they're definitely alien species! And they reproduce extremely fast… There's probably a large ant nest inside, feeding on humans to reproduce… Moreover, these ants have clear hierarchical levels—higher levels mean greater danger."
"But, we only did some reconnaissance at the edge of their activity, following your orders, without venturing deeper…"
Menchi crossed her arms and leaned against the beast's corpse, looking at Oboro.
She hadn't even told Bisky about this… After years of growth, she was now certain about her relationship with Oboro—comrades fighting together.
And she also knew that when she first joined the team, Oboro had guessed her purpose for appearing. There must have been shadows of Bisky behind her, but he had never exposed her.
The growth she brought to her teammates was real.
Although in the past year or two, Oboro hadn't led the team due to personal matters, without his help in laying the foundation, they wouldn't have achieved what they had today.
Menchi believed that, with her previous abilities, becoming a one-star Hunter was already the limit.
According to the rules of the Hunter Association, a one-star Hunter must have made significant achievements in their field, but the actual strength required wasn't that high.
To become a two-star Hunter, one must personally train apprentices capable of becoming star-level Hunters… like Anthony and the others.
Oboro credited her for this achievement—an immense favor.
Moreover, through Netero's connections, Oboro also facilitated her entry into the Association's management, though not at the level of the Twelve Zodiacs, she had gained some influence.
This was the normal Hunter's promotion process.
But it didn't apply to Oboro, who enjoyed special privileges.
As for whether Oboro's suggestion to consider going to the Dark Continent in the future was wise, after a period of deliberation, the five's answers remained unchanged—they would follow Oboro.
For this reason, apart from Menchi, their chosen specialties were also aimed at preparing for the journey to the Dark Continent.
Feelings are feelings, bonds are bonds… their growth under Oboro's guidance was visible to the naked eye.
The footage played on the camera showed bloody scenes of ants devouring human remains and humans fleeing, screaming… Oboro watched for a while before turning it off.
"Seems not many…"
Oboro smiled.
"If we follow your timeline, this number is already terrifying. According to my investigation, as their population structure becomes more complete, their reproductive speed will exponentially increase over time. In less than half a year, it could double again… Don't forget, they started with only one queen."
Menchi said.
"Why?"
After her words, she added a serious question, staring intently at Oboro.
Although she chose to stand with him and hide this matter, as a Hunter, she still felt responsible… the sooner the authorities realize the danger, the better to handle.
Otherwise, more people would die.
The others looked over as well.
She needed Oboro to give a reasonable explanation.
"Chimera Ants are a conspiracy between Pariston and another person… Their goal is to overthrow the chairman. This aligns with my plan, because I want to become the chairman of the Hunter Association. Also, although I now have the ability to bypass V5 and the Passage of Transcendence to secretly go to the Dark Continent with you, that's not a legitimate way… because you always have to come back. A one-time expedition to the Dark Continent and establishing yourself there is just a pipe dream."
Oboro didn't hide anything. He looked at his teammates and said frankly, "Over the years, looking at the entire human history, generation after generation of strong people, including the armies of various kingdoms, could only manage to wander at the edges of that continent. If we go, we need time to adapt and understand its biological chains and rules… at minimum, it would take years, even decades… and that's optimistic."
While speaking, Oboro led the others away.
"Just look at Netero… he went to the Dark Continent when he was young, and now he's over a hundred years old."
"Huh?"
Gabvich looked confused. "Captain… you mean… even if… we can… survive, we wouldn't have that much time to waste…"
"Human life energy diminishes with time, and the peak period doesn't last long… if it takes too long, strength will inevitably decline."
Menchi also chimed in.
"No… one person has done it. He should still be alive, and should have already crossed the 'Gate' into the core of the Dark Continent."
"Was that the guy you mentioned before, the one called… Ging Freecss?"
Anthony raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"Lived hundreds of years? Do humans have that kind of lifespan?"
Vante couldn't help but ask.
"Under normal circumstances, no. But the Dark Continent is extremely special. That land is filled with unimaginable primal forces that nurture all kinds of life… including a plant called the Longevity Rice. Eating it can replenish vitality and extend lifespan… In other words, if you have enough ability to digest this rice, you can live forever. Isn't that amazing?" Oboro described like telling a story: "The five great disasters that humans encountered from the Dark Continent are actually tied to five great hopes. Longevity Rice is one of them… These secrets are known to V5, but they haven't been made public, for fear of provoking some countries' greed, which could cause the treaties they've made to lose their binding force. Human greed is not to be underestimated."
"Wow… that's incredible."
Anthony exclaimed in shock.
Since they had decided to go to the Dark Continent together, Oboro also shared his knowledge about it.
"Ability to digest?"
Menchi realized there was an easily overlooked premise in Oboro's words.
"Exactly."
Oboro, hands in his pockets, walked under the shade of trees. "Among the conditions for going to the Dark Continent, why does it include the ability? Simply put, it's about energy mismatch… The Dark Continent is a higher-order existence compared to the human world. Humans born and raised in this source-poor world have their energy inherently limited—very tiny… like fireflies. Meanwhile, the life forms on the Dark Continent are super-primordial matter. Don't be fooled by its small size; the nutrients it contains—its energy—is enough for digestion only if you have enough strength."
"So, to go to the Dark Continent, you need to train… strive to become the strongest on this barren land, earning a ticket to join their food chain. Because of the energy mismatch, their life forms are also different… Don't judge by your common sense—on that continent, some unknown creatures' energy levels and danger aren't judged by their appearance…"
"In short, once you go, you'll understand…"
Oboro spoke casually.
"Where did you learn all this?"
Menchi asked curiously.
"Captain, I feel… like you've been to the Dark Continent before."
Anthony swallowed nervously.
"No… how could I have been there? I just know a little more information than you all."
Oboro smiled softly.
"What's going on with the Kakin Empire?"
Menchi shifted the topic.
"Compared to Beyond Netero… I fought him once. He's very strong—no wonder he survived the Dark Continent."
"Beyond Netero?"
A few people were surprised by the surname.
"The chairman's son. The association doesn't know about him yet, except for Pariston and Linne, the most senior elders."
Oboro explained.
"…"
"Your injuries?"
"Already healed… but, to eliminate the residual Nen on his wounds, I spent nearly two months doing so."
Oboro sighed.
During this time, he mainly hunted monsters to heal his injuries.
Now, the soul of the monster had little room for strengthening.
And he was further developing his Nen abilities…
Enhancing Hammerstone's effects.
"It seems that person is indeed extraordinary…"
Vante exhaled a smoke ring and said solemnly, "This is the first time in years I've seen you speak so highly of someone."
"Maybe we should go again? Take him out?"
Anthony looked eager, "Although I don't know the point of killing him… but since he's a troublemaker, there's no reason to keep him alive."
"You going will only cause trouble. Do you think you're qualified to fight someone who can hurt the captain?"
Menchi sarcastically retorted.
"Don't say that… we're not the same as before. We don't know what will happen if we really fight…"
Anthony was already used to Menchi's sarcasm, making a clicking sound.
"Exactly, I don't know if killing the chairman's son will provoke the old man to strike back… Captain, you're really bold! Your relationship with Netero is already quite delicate… if his son gets killed by you, aren't you afraid the old man will come after you?"
"Hah."
Oboro also chuckled.
The others didn't know much about Beyond, just some superficial impressions, and thought this was all very mysterious, leading to their judgments.
"After a while, once I really kill him, you can observe Netero's reaction."
Oboro said calmly.
This made a few of them slightly change their expressions.
They knew Oboro was confident because… he had a solid grip.
"This kind of show… I can't miss it!"
Anthony whistled excitedly.
____________________
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