"Hello?"
It was late January. Oboro was simultaneously working on the subsequent Nen removal development for Thresh's abilities and training his teammates, Menchi and the others.
Then one day, he received a call from an unexpected person.
Yorkshire, one of the Twelve Zodiacs.
"What is it?"
Oboro sat cross-legged on a thick tree branch. The forest below was shrouded in a ghost fog, and occasionally, shrieks from Anthony and Rita could be heard. This forest had completely become Oboro's domain. He could sense every blade of grass and tree within the dense fog, and through Gabvich's telepathic abilities, he manipulated himself and Menchi to hide in the shadows and launch surprise attacks on Anthony and Rita.
They were paired up, taking turns in offense, defense, and evasion.
When he outputted his Nen to its maximum, the fog's corrosive and shielding effects on other Nen energies became more pronounced, thereby diminishing others' five senses.
The enemy was in the dark, while they were in the light. In this situation, it simulated unknown dangers.
This could train his teammates' alertness, intuition, and sixth sense…
It was a preliminary course for the Dark Continent…
Oboro could only do so much. After all, his knowledge of the Dark Continent also originated from his past life.
He had never set foot on that land in this life, so in terms of real experience, he was certainly no match for Beyond and Netero.
Oboro mentally informed Gabvich and Rita about the next surprise attack plan, while smiling and asking the person on the phone.
"Oboro, as a Three-Star Hunter of the Association, you must return immediately! The situation is urgent…" Yorkshire said solemnly.
"I've heard…"
Before the latter could finish, Oboro interjected, "The Chairman was captured by a group of people, and many staff members were injured during this year's Hunter Exam… Did the other party make any demands?"
"Not yet, but in just over half a month, many of our members on missions have also been attacked by them… The other party seems to be quite familiar with our Association's operational model. According to the information we've gathered, these people seem to be related to the Association's past history… but they are not rogue hunters who have betrayed the Association." Yorkshire said coldly.
"Half a month… and you've only investigated this much?"
Oboro rested one hand on his thigh, his tone teasing.
"You!"
Yorkshire was angered by this remark.
"Don't worry, the old man is not in danger. He is Isaac Netero… Moreover, the enemy's target for revenge is not the Association, but V5! The leader is named Jed, the former leader of the Hunter Association's underground organization. He won't kill the Chairman easily… What he wants is for the Chairman to publicly reveal the truth that was concealed back then. As long as the Chairman doesn't agree, he won't die for now… though he might suffer some torture."
Oboro explained in a joking tone.
"You know?!"
Yorkshire was shocked.
"Not only do I know, but Pariston must also be aware of the other party's origins… Find him to resolve this. I'm very busy right now."
Oboro replied and was about to hang up the phone.
"Oboro!!!"
From the other end, Yorkshire's angry shout came.
Oboro pulled the phone about a meter away from his ear…
"Although you are a Three-Star Hunter, you are still under the management of the Association, and I have the right to issue orders to you! Not everything is absolute. Now that the Chairman is in danger, and other members of the Association have been abducted with their whereabouts unknown… you must return and cooperate with us to handle this matter!"
"Hmm… it seems Pariston isn't going to intervene."
Oboro understood… and it made sense. As an opponent.
Netero being in trouble was something Pariston would gladly see.
"He asked you to find me, didn't he?"
Oboro said nonchalantly.
"…"
Yorkshire remained silent, implicitly admitting it.
"Are you Twelve Zodiacs a bit too useless? It was a wise decision for me not to join you from the start…" Oboro said with a half-smile, completely disregarding Yorkshire's pride and feelings, word by word. "This is clearly a great opportunity to showcase your abilities… to consolidate the prestige of the Twelve Zodiacs within the Association. Yet, in the end, you're just handing it over to me! This won't do… I can't rest assured leaving the Association's management in your hands."
"I don't have any ambitions for power myself, but now I have to consider it. If there's a chance in the future, why not let me become the Chairman? I feel… I would do a very good job, at least I could train your abilities… otherwise, your business capabilities and management status are not well matched."
"Oboro, that's enough!"
Yorkshire said coldly. "We just want to minimize the impact of this incident as quickly as possible. It concerns the Chairman himself, and we need to avoid any further complications."
"Stop being stubborn."
"…"
"If you can rescue the Chairman, I can consider nominating you as a candidate for the next Chairman at some point in the future. Anyway… you've had your eye on the Chairman position for a long time, haven't you? Isn't this precisely your goal?" Yorkshire stopped beating around the bush and spoke directly.
"Finally figured it out?"
Oboro did not deny it.
His plan had been seen through by Ging Freecss and Pariston from the beginning, but the Twelve Zodiacs were still in the dark. After so long, Yorkshire, as the strategist of the Twelve Zodiacs, finally understood what he wanted. From this perspective, this woman did possess an excellent mind.
However, she was far inferior compared to the other two.
Yorkshire used the Chairman candidacy to get Oboro to act because she believed that as long as Netero was alive, Oboro would never have a chance.
She was completely unaware of the external situation.
"Pariston isn't intervening and is just watching from the sidelines, which is understandable. If the Chairman were truly in danger, Ging Freecss would have appeared. In other words, you don't need to worry about it. Have you ever thought about why V5 hasn't made any statement even though the Chairman has been captured, and they're letting the Association handle it themselves?" Oboro prompted.
"Oboro, if you don't return to the Association immediately, we will jointly submit a petition to the higher authorities to revoke your membership status as an exception!" Yorkshire threatened.
"Do you think… that would be useful?"
Oboro chuckled.
"…"
Yorkshire.
"Sigh… Pariston asking you to find me was just him playing a trick on you."
"Really… seeing how pathetic you are, I'll kindly help you out this time."
Oboro sighed lightly and hung up the phone.
Then, he retracted his Nen ability, and the ghost fog in the forest below gradually dispersed.
The area returned to visibility.
"Captain?"
The few people still training in combat saw this and quickly approached Oboro's location, wondering what had happened.
Oboro leaped down from the tree and clapped his hands. "I need to go back to the Association for a while."
"For that matter?"
Menchi seemed to have thought of something.
They had also heard about the recent turmoil in the Association… it had caused quite a stir. After all, Netero had been captured, and the enemy had sent an underling to infiltrate the Association headquarters and immolate himself in public, broadcasting footage of Netero's imprisonment.
Although the outside world didn't know about this yet… the enemy's declaration of war made the Hunters feel uneasy.
Oboro had previously told them not to worry, that this was just a minor incident that would pass quickly… and Netero would return safely.
Now, it seemed… the Twelve Zodiacs had stepped in.
"Didn't the Captain say we didn't need to worry about it?" Anthony glanced at Oboro.
"Netero is restricted by some kind of vow and restriction… but this ability comes at the cost of self-sacrifice, meaning it has a time limit. If the time runs out and the Association still hasn't revealed the truth about the 'Shadow' from back then, the other party might really kill him. And V5, the actual culprits, are just watching from the sidelines… watching the old guard of the era vent their anger on the Hunter Association. They really don't take the Hunter Association seriously at all…"
Oboro rubbed his hair. "The old man can't die yet. Although the chances are small, it's not absolute… If something really happens to him, that grand play later, without him fighting the Ant King one-on-one, it will be troublesome…"
Oboro had told his teammates some of the situations he had foreseen.
Of course, he presented them as speculations.
Menchi and the others were surprised by Oboro's knowledge of the Chimera Ants, but mostly believed him.
Too many unbelievable things had happened to Oboro; they were all used to it.
"Even without you stepping in, the Association should be able to handle it, right?"
Menchi raised an eyebrow. "Is this organization called 'Shadow' very powerful?"
"So-so. Just a bunch of trash. Except for that Jed… The Association can definitely handle it, but Pariston clearly did something to make the Twelve Zodiacs unable to stand on their own within the Association, leaving them helpless. That guy just loves doing such disgusting things… He seems to enjoy watching others worry and get frustrated. He's happy about it."
Oboro pouted. "That's all for now… I'll go first. I'll be back soon."
With that, Oboro waved his hand and walked away.
"Is that Vice Chairman out of his mind? He's also a member of the Association. Seeing the Association in danger, doing something that harms the Association… What's in it for him?" Anthony spat disdainfully.
"Don't rats like to hide in the dark and gnaw on things everywhere…"
Vante exhaled a smoke ring and said lightly.
...
Oboro agreed to step in.
Not for Yorkshire… although, there was a tiny bit of factor of returning a favor.
Originally, in his plan when he first joined the Association, Oboro was unsure if the movie characters would appear… but he later learned about Netero's achievements in developing the Hunter Association, and indeed found some clues.
Some parts had clearly been erased.
It was during the early stages of the Hunter Association's rise… Now, with traceable evidence, Netero's famous achievements all happened later.
You must know that for the Hunter Association to achieve a certain status, it must gain international recognition. This means… the rise of the Hunter Association could not bypass the governments of various countries. Thus, the Association inevitably had to deal with politicians… And once it involved political power, issuing documents, implementing, and recognizing the Hunter system by various countries would inevitably face obstacles.
The rise of the Hunter Association was inseparable from V5's support and backdoor connections. This was also one of the reasons why the current Hunter Association followed V5's orders… To have a certain social status and secure various benefits and rights for Hunters, Netero had to bow his head.
To implement something, even with V5's endorsement, it was far from easy.
Judging from the Fels family's control over national governments, many countries… were not under V5's actual control.
In the early days, when facing international obstacles, V5 couldn't solve them openly… Thus, the organization 'Shadow' came into being.
When Oboro realized this, he guessed that Shadow might appear…
His initial thought was to recruit Jed and the others under his command. After all, these people hated V5 intensely and could be kept as a trump card or a surprise force. However, Oboro no longer had this idea, because Jed and the descendants of those few 'Shadow' bloodlines were not very useful…
In terms of abilities, except for Jed, who was more outstanding, the rest were just cannon fodder.
Moreover, their numbers were too small… especially after the Fels family unified the world's black market, Oboro realized that Jed and the others, let alone shaking a country, might be far less dangerous than the Phantom Troupe… They just looked intimidating.
Oboro now had a clearer understanding of the true power in this world.
Humans… are social creatures, and what is terrifying… is the nation.
It is a vast tribal organization.
The reappearance of 'Shadow,' compared to that, was just a weak flickering flame.
However, Oboro was more interested in the energy of curse… Moreover, by dealing with these people, he could collect some souls and black mist, which could be considered extra income.
That woman Yorkshire was indeed quite pitiful.
...
At the Association headquarters building.
In the conference room, Yorkshire put down the phone, clenched her fists, and looked indignant.
She had undoubtedly been humiliated by the phone call, which made her face flush red and feel powerless.
Because Oboro's words made sense…
She really didn't want to contact Oboro… unless it was absolutely necessary.
Or rather, both Oboro and Pariston, from the beginning, Yorkshire had intended to handle this matter on her own. But she hadn't expected that she would be restricted everywhere and unable to act freely. Many people within the Association, using various excuses, prevented her from finding loopholes to make arrangements or issue orders.
The number of people she could mobilize was very limited.
Yorkshire knew it was Pariston's doing… In her desperation, she finally called Oboro.
Compared to her personal feelings, she cared more about the Association.
It couldn't go on like this any longer; otherwise, the impact would only grow.
Another point was that she was genuinely worried about the Chairman's danger. Even though Oboro said he would be fine, she was still uneasy.
In the end… she still had to rely on Oboro.
"How is it? Did he agree?"
Gel, sitting opposite Yorkshire, asked, looking at her expression.
"Mhm."
Yorkshire lowered her head and replied softly.
A hint of tears welled up in the corners of her eyes beneath her glasses.
She cried…
The more hardworking someone is, and the higher their expectations for themselves, the more painful it is when reality falls short.
And Yorkshire was undoubtedly one of the most ambitious members of the Twelve Zodiacs.
"Actually… you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. As long as the matter is handled properly, isn't that enough…" Gel, seeing Yorkshire's emotions, rested her chin and said softly, "The Association belongs to all its members, so the burden is naturally shared by everyone… You don't have to carry it alone."
"But… if it were them, they would do better than me."
Yorkshire, with red eyes, looked at her partner.
"Not necessarily. There are many ways to be good. Everyone handles things differently. For you, it might be difficult to see immediate results and require a longer time, but once the matter is resolved, it will end smoothly. As for Oboro and Pariston… they might be able to resolve this turmoil in the short term, but what about the consequences?"
Gel smiled slightly. "Don't be sad. You have your strengths… I believe everyone sees your abilities."
"Thank you…"
Encouraged by these words, Yorkshire regained her spirits.
"That guy Ging has no interest in management whatsoever and is never seen for years. Although his personality is also quite bad… in my eyes, in terms of ability alone, if the Chairman were to step down one day, he would be the best candidate! But it can't be helped, considering other factors, he doesn't even meet the minimum standard."
"Heh heh…"
Gel chuckled.
"Actually, if those two guys, Oboro and Pariston, didn't have ulterior motives, I would support either of them… But the problem is that they both have their own agendas and are unlikely to consider the Association itself. To them, the Association is just a toy… Once they gain complete control, they might abandon the Association and everyone else for some cause! I absolutely cannot let them succeed. I must protect everyone…"
Yorkshire said with a strong sense of justice.
However, halfway through, her pupils suddenly constricted as she recalled Gel's words from earlier.
Everyone's way of doing things is different.
"Oh no!"
"What's wrong?"
Gel was startled.
"Oboro… he might not return to headquarters, but go directly to the other party!"
After saying that, Yorkshire quickly dialed Oboro's number again.
But the phone kept showing a busy signal, and no one answered.
"That bastard, he's being too reckless!"
Yorkshire cursed angrily.
"Based on our understanding of him, he's a very meticulous person. If he dares to go alone, he must have his reasons… Leave it to him. Also, I think his understanding of the enemy seems to be above ours…"
Gel's expression became enlightened.
"But… even the Chairman…"
"Although I don't particularly like or dislike Oboro… there's one thing you must admit. What he sets out to do, he will accomplish… His enemies generally don't have a good outcome… Look at Pariston. Thinking back on Saiyu's death… it's definitely related to Pariston."
Yorkshire took a deep breath and calmed down.
____________________
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