As Oboro entered the prison, he saw some Association members imprisoned there.
Many had been severely tortured… unfortunately, they were already dead.
Killed prematurely…
Jed's doing.
After sensing the deaths of Gaki and Shura, there was no longer any need to keep these hostages.
With the most important Netero in hand, everything else could be negotiated.
As for his subordinates, he could still capture a large number of them using curse energy.
Oboro delved deeper, finally seeing the source of the terrifying resentment energy—a white-haired man with his back to him.
At this moment, the man was holding a teenager with the same hair color high in the air in one hand.
Killua.
Killua was completely enveloped in resentment energy, his limbs trembling and twitching.
It was clear that his consciousness was resisting the negative emotions of the resentment energy… not wanting his mind to be corrupted.
Killua's spirit was also very resilient, not falling victim to manipulation as quickly as other Nen users.
Oboro arrived just in time; otherwise… if he had been a moment later, Killua might have died.
In the adjacent cell, Netero sat cross-legged. Upon seeing Oboro, his expression relaxed.
"I'm in your debt."
He said softly.
In a tone he had never used before.
No longer relaxed.
After all, this matter involved the 'ugliness' of the Association and was related to his past experiences.
"Be careful."
In Netero's opinion, Jed was still quite dangerous.
The outside world was unclear how long it had been since Jed's resurrection.
And Jed could continuously absorb resentment energy to enhance himself… coupled with the uniqueness of curse energy, even Oboro needed to be vigilant.
Also, due to the nature of resentment energy, even if Oboro destroyed the vow that restricted Netero's abilities and kept him in a state of undeath, it would be useless.
It was temporarily impossible to break Netero's restraints.
Oboro withdrew his gaze from the Chairman and looked at Jed, then turned and walked out directly. "It's too cramped to fight here. Let's go outside."
He was issuing a challenge.
Oboro knew Jed's character as a plot character.
Arrogant and overbearing.
"Heh heh…"
Jed tilted his head slightly, one eye looking at Oboro's confident expression, and let out a cold laugh, throwing Killua away fiercely.
Too young… He was a top-tier powerhouse who had lived in the same era as Netero.
Regarding Nen, regarding Nen abilities… Jed knew them all too well.
He had made significant contributions to the rise of the Hunter Association.
Jed was very willing to teach the Oboro before him a lesson!
He wanted even more to destroy the 'rescuer' that Netero had pinned his hopes on…
With that thought, he followed Oboro's footsteps.
"Jed…"
Before he left, Netero called out.
Jed glanced at his old friend.
"What we did back then, the true meaning wasn't about us… or the Association, but about these juniors who died by your hand. They are the future hope of the Association. Although Oboro is not a good representative, you can see in him… the value of our existence in the early days."
Netero appeared serious.
However, his only response was Jed's cold gaze.
"Yes… you are the only one who benefited."
"The current Association has no reason to exist anymore. I will destroy it with my own hands."
With those two sentences, Jed walked away.
Netero closed his eyes with a complex expression.
...
Outside the prison, littered with corpses.
Oboro stood first in the swirling snow curtain…
After a moment, the door behind him was pushed open, and Jed walked out.
"Oboro, your name?"
Jed questioned.
"Mhm."
Oboro turned around and said indifferently, "You don't need to remember my name. You're going to disappear anyway… What's the point?"
"I can see you're not the same kind of person as Netero… It's quite surprising that someone like you managed to join the Association."
Jed glanced at the scattered limbs and frozen blood around them, with a mocking expression. "Back then, Netero's ambition was to strengthen the Association. His goal was not to recruit companions like you… The ideal Association he envisioned should not have people like you."
"Reality and dreams are two different things."
Oboro replied calmly, not in the mood to bicker with Jed, and directly said, "Your current body is a manifestation of some curse energy ability, right? What's strange to me is that if it were a single ability manifestation, it shouldn't have independent consciousness… So, you have a soul."
"Of course, some special abilities also come with this effect."
Oboro changed his tune slightly.
In his memory, on the Black Whale in the original work, the Tenth and Eleventh Princes of Kakin were inseparable. After the Tenth Prince died, the Guardian Nen Beast's ability 'Symbiotic Bond' was triggered, transforming from a Guardian Nen Beast into the appearance of the Tenth Prince before his death, possessing independent consciousness and thought.
It was a form of evolution… by Nen ability after death.
Nen Beasts themselves were a type of ability.
Oboro was not entirely sure whether this was the self-operation of Nen ability after death, or an effect that occurred only in a specific environment, such as a ritual barrier.
And the reason Oboro was interested in Jed was that the ghosts he controlled, through the development of his abilities, also possessed simple individual consciousness, with a hint of the feeling of Nen after death…
He amplified the residual will of life from each soul.
But without a physical form, if curse energy could make ghosts more like real undead… that would be great.
His trip was not in vain.
Furthermore, the existence of a soul… meant that Jed could drop loot after death.
"I am me… a living being with flesh and blood."
Jed said word by word.
"It's confirmed…"
Oboro suddenly smiled. "Your soul is derived from resentment energy, a product of pure darkness, a massive negative emotion… It's just imitating 'you,' but it's not your true soul!"
At this point, Oboro's eyes lit up.
A fake!
"In other words, curse energy can be used to create a soul core… Although it's fake, it still possesses the original driving force, governed by the will of the dark side, making it indistinguishable from the real thing! Just like those walking dead whose minds have been corrupted. However, the resentment energy you possess belongs to a higher-level energy entity."
Resentment energy seemed more suitable than Nen for developing Thresh's abilities.
"Great… you're simply the best experimental material!"
Oboro's tone became emotional, slightly excited.
Experimental material?
Jed narrowed his eyes.
Oboro's arrogant tone made him feel insulted.
In his mind, even Netero had never been so arrogant when facing him…
Boom!
The next second, heaven and earth changed drastically.
Endless black resentment energy surged out, covering the entire space occupied by the prison base.
Instantly, Oboro felt as if he were in a pitch-black realm where he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.
He was instantly swallowed by the black torrent.
"You… want to die so badly?"
Jed looked at the ground, which had been completely scoured by the resentment energy, and spoke ferociously.
Happy Festival~
Wishing everyone a good meal, a full stomach, and a good night's sleep.
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