"Oboro!!"
"I know you're there!"
"You can hear my voice, right?"
In a bedroom, a very weak Benjamin lay on the bed, shouting angrily with a resentful expression.
But given his current physical condition, he was like someone gravely ill who had been bedridden for a long time. His voice was faint and not loud.
Because part of his soul had been cut away and imprisoned, his body grew increasingly weak over time… To this day, he even needed servants to help him with basic tasks like eating and relieving himself.
This was something that a proud Benjamin could not accept.
Every day, he drifted in a daze, sleeping for over ten hours, with even less time remaining to stay alert.
He couldn't take it anymore.
He could feel his vitality slipping away, so… for the past half month, he had been calling out to Oboro.
However, the latter had not responded at all.
"I followed your instructions, arranged a meeting with Salise and the Queen! Your plan failed, and it has nothing to do with me. I've already promised you I would do what I agreed… give me back my soul!" Benjamin repeated the words he had said countless times before.
In the past two months, the royal family had recruited a large number of Nen users, including various types of Nen removers… but unfortunately, none of them worked.
They couldn't cure his condition.
Even if not removing Nen, some healing-type Nen abilities seemed unable to restore him.
There was a Nen master, also an expert in Nen removal, who examined his injuries and said one thing: "Prince, the injuries you've sustained, strictly speaking, are not caused by some ability being used against you. Instead… part of your soul has been taken away. The soul is the most fundamental energy of life. To heal this, you must find someone who is also developing Nen with a focus on the soul, and who has a certain level of skill… In plain terms, abilities that act on the soul, whether they are Nen removal or healing abilities, will have no effect unless they meet these conditions."
After leaving this statement, the expert left under Benjamin's unwilling gaze.
The soul.
Abilities related to the soul…
Benjamin himself was a Nen user. He knew very well that the more profound and intricate the development of Nen abilities, the greater the difficulty.
This meant that most people wouldn't waste time and effort trying to set their Nen abilities to do things they couldn't possibly accomplish.
Because they would inevitably fail.
Therefore, finding someone whose Nen abilities are related to the soul is even more difficult than finding a Nen remover.
Ordinary people lack the capability to develop such mysterious Nen powers.
In the human world, there must be some extraordinary Nen users, but finding them takes time… and Benjamin simply cannot afford to wait.
If Oboro doesn't respond to him…
He might really die.
After shouting for a while longer, the prince, exhausted and unable to support himself, sank into a deep sleep.
"Your Majesty."
At this moment, several personal guards who had been protecting Benjamin all along heard someone entering the room and turned to look.
They saw it was the king himself, who saluted in turn.
"Are those people from yesterday still helpless?" Gray Guo, with his hands crossed behind his back, slowly stepped forward, staring at his pale-faced son on the bed.
Over time, Benjamin had become much thinner, completely losing the vitality of his former self.
The guards shook their heads at the king.
"Hm…"
Gray Guo's expression remained calm, without urgency or panic. Instead, he raised a hand to stroke his chin, as if lost in thought.
He didn't say much and turned away.
...
"Absolutely useless!"
Elsewhere, at Beyond's residence.
A hunter, wearing a pair of white gloves, was applying his Nen ability to press rhythmically on Beyond's abdomen.
However, the twisted, whirlpool-like wound on Beyond's stomach showed no signs of healing under the influence of Nen.
The person couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
After so long, Beyond's abdomen looked completely different from normal flesh and tissue.
It was like it had been torn apart by a high-speed drill.
The entire stomach was still a dark purple.
This Nen healer, who was treating Beyond, couldn't imagine what kind of injuries had caused such a condition.
"Ha ha ha ha… that was an extraordinary beast, after all. Removing the wounds he tore open isn't that easy!" Beyond sat upright with his sword in hand, propped on his thigh, grinning.
In the room, besides Beyond, there were also his private squad members—around thirty or so.
Some of them had arrived in Kakin only after he and Oboro fought.
He called these people because they couldn't judge whether the Fels family would continue to attack the Kakin royal family… more people, after all, couldn't be a bad thing.
"The wound from that punch doesn't look big… but if it was on other creatures, forget bones—probably even the flesh and blood would be shattered into pieces! For us, we'd die on the spot and disappear!" A white-clad man with a rope tied around his waist approached and bent down to examine Beyond's wound, marveling. "As expected of you! Only someone like you, who was punched by him, would be left with such a small scar on your body…"
He was praising Beyond.
"Isn't the damage and the surface wound disproportionate?"
Another person also stepped forward and added.
"Exactly. It looks small to our eyes, but in reality, it's because the person being attacked is him…" The white-clad man who spoke first nodded, pointing at Beyond. "His tough flesh makes this attack seem like it could be healed with Nen abilities. However… if you want to truly repair it, using Nen to offset this wound would take most people years, even a decade or more. Healing it instantly is impossible."
His words caused a moment of silence in the room.
"Don't worry…"
Beyond waved his hand confidently, exuding dominance. "The Nen residuals from Oboro aren't left behind. It's just that the destructive power of that punch was too great… He was aiming for pure power! To defeat me head-on in terms of physical strength! In a short time, I can recover from this injury with my rich Qi and blood, but there might be scars…"
"You monsters, you're not human!"
Someone couldn't help but marvel in shock.
"Those who are recognized as qualified to go to the Dark Continent… are all freaks at the top of our world. No need to be so surprised."
"However, within the Hunter Association, Oboro has rarely shown his strength or completed any missions lately. Because of his status as a Three-Star Hunter, everyone knows he's powerful… but how powerful exactly, outsiders don't know, and he remains very mysterious."
"Indeed, even now, most people's impression of his Nen abilities and level… is still based on what they knew from a few years ago."
"I never expected…"
"After so long, the Fels family still hasn't made a move. They must have given up on coveting the Kakin throne, right?"
They were aligned with Beyond's camp. The reason Beyond could rally them was partly due to money and promises, but mainly because these hunters present weren't content with silence—they had ambitions to explore the Dark Continent.
Although they weren't as powerful as Beyond or Oboro, who had the personal restriction of Chairman Nitoro, as long as Nitoro existed, they dared not act rashly.
So, their goals were aligned.
The chairman must step down.
Then, using Kakin's strength, they would tear open the V5's defenses… Initially, only a few would go, but once the lead was taken, the gap would only widen. Sooner or later, all of them would set foot on that land.
To them, Beyond's experience in the Dark Continent was invaluable… and they could leverage that to reduce casualties when they went.
Therefore, before the world announced anything, the Kakin royal family couldn't afford to have any accidents.
Even if that cunning old king Gray Guo used this opportunity to make them the vanguard and clash with the Fels family, it didn't matter.
"Let me remind you."
At this moment, a woman with messy black hair, covering her face, suddenly spoke. "Based on my investigation, the Fels family has unified several underground gangs across multiple continents and stabilized their control. They've also re-elected the ten elders… but the news hasn't spread yet."
"Additionally… there's a very interesting phenomenon."
"The gangs involved in the V5 countries have seen a surge in business over the past half month, mostly large projects… except for the gangs within Kakin and some isolated, more secretive countries, the rest have been infiltrated by them."
"V5 has given the Fels family a free pass… are the gangs that powerful now?"
Someone was stunned.
In the past, gangs were widespread, but they couldn't interfere with national economies. Their businesses were mostly small and insignificant, especially compared to the big powers of V5.
Now, they're sitting at the table!
Unbelievable.
"Hahaha."
Beyond laughed loudly, mockingly. "It's just the tricks used by the powers controlling V5… giving the Fels family a few sweet treats. With Oboro's intelligence, he can see through it…"
"Pariston sent a message saying Oboro already knows about the Chimera Ants… and our plan. But it seems he has no intention of informing the association… Clearly, he's also waiting for Nitoro to step down so he can take over as chairman. Right now, judging from his reputation and supporters within the association, he's the most formidable contender."
"What should we do?"
The speaker looked at Beyond.
"Let him! If he wants to be it, then let him!"
Beyond said easily. "With his personality, becoming chairman… I believe he definitely doesn't want to be controlled by V5."
"The Hunter Association's system needs reform… in this regard, he's the best candidate."
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