Fortunately, both parties showed some restraint... well, mostly thanks to Ronnel's strong intervention.
Morel, Knov, and their disciples exchanged subtle glances, pretending as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
And so, time passed—minute by minute, second by second.
Earlier, the doctor's soft but urgent voice could be heard from inside the ward. But gradually, that tension faded, replaced by a gentler, almost cheerful tone.
The members of the Zodiacs waiting outside raised their eyebrows at the change, exhaling quietly in relief.
It seemed nothing had gone wrong this time.
Ginta kept his eyes on the scene inside, watching Ging closely, alert for anything that went beyond simple medical attention. But once Ging began the actual treatment, Ginta looked away.
With Doctor "887" present, there wasn't much to worry about. Ging might have been using Nen to assist the treatment, but Ginta didn't care to pry into someone else's technique~
He just didn't feel quite right about it, that's all.
...
Time ticked on. Finally, when a soft cry of relief came from the doctor inside, the Zodiacs knew: the treatment had worked—and the outcome was good.
Their expressions turned serious, even a little tense, all eyes on the door as it slowly creaked open—
"The treatment's done."
Ging stepped out, stretching lazily and speaking in that usual laid-back tone of his~
"What's the result?" Cheadle asked immediately.
"It went well. The old man should wake up soon. As for the technical stuff, ask the doctor inside~"
He thumbed toward the ward, then nodded at Ronnel.
Without another word, the two turned and walked off.
They came and went just like that. No drama, no fuss.
The remaining Zodiacs members stood in place, watching them go with mixed expressions before quickly setting those thoughts aside and rushing into the ward.
...
Outside, along the hospital road—
"How'd it go?" Ronnel asked.
"Just like we thought," Ging replied. "He's gonna live. His injuries can be healed. But that worn-out body of his? It's never going back to how it used to be~"
He paused a beat, then added:
"He'll still be able to move around normally, won't be stuck in bed, and his aura and mental faculties are intact. Just... not as strong as before~"
"That's a little cruel, but still... it's the best outcome we could've hoped for," Ronnel said with a sigh.
Way better than how things went in the original timeline—where the Ant King tore off a limb and a leg, and Netero had to blow himself up with the Poor Man's Rose.
"By the way, I found something during treatment. It was in the old man's body."
Ging dug around in his coat before tossing Ronnel a small object.
"A Rose?" Ronnel caught it without thinking. It looked just like the miniature Poor Man's Rose bombs he'd acquired.
It had to be the one Netero had embedded in his heart.
"What do you plan to do next?" he asked as he pocketed it.
"Well, Netero's obviously not going to continue as chairman. Pariston's bound to make a move. A full Zodiacs meeting is inevitable~"
Ging looked at him seriously.
"And there's the Kakin Empire. With the Dark Continent news going public soon, I need to make some early preparations."
Ronnel nodded. "As for me, there's nothing pressing right now. If anything does come up, it'll be about a month from now."
He suddenly paused.
"What's wrong?" Ging asked.
"Nothing," Ronnel said casually. "You go ahead. I've got something to deal with."
Ging shrugged. "Alright. If you need help, just give me a call~"
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?"
Ronnel watched Ging disappear down the road, then turned to look back at the hospital. A glint flickered in his eyes...
The Zodiacs were rarely all gathered in one place. Wouldn't it be a shame not to squeeze some benefit out of this golden opportunity?
He smirked to himself—and suddenly turned his gaze in a particular direction.
...
Meanwhile, in the Vice Chairman's office at the Hunter Association headquarters—
Pariston sat at his desk, fingers tapping a slow rhythm on the tabletop, a calculating gleam in his eye.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
After a brief pause, the line connected.
"What's up?" Beyond's voice came through.
"Ronnel and Ging showed up. Netero made it through," Pariston said.
"Heh. Tough old man," Beyond replied nonchalantly.
Pariston could hear the disinterest in his tone and asked, "So, you're still waiting?"
"Just a bit longer," Beyond said after a moment. "Once the old man's awake and rested a few days, I'll go talk to him~"
"Understood," Pariston replied.
The call ended with a soft click.
Pariston leaned back in his chair, murmuring to himself:
"Would you rather chat than put the chairman to death?"
...
Beyond had a self-imposed restriction: as long as Netero lived, he wouldn't set foot on the Dark Continent.
Pariston knew that well. He also knew Beyond's core belief—he'd never risk killing Netero, not even for the sake of progress.
In fact, he'd even issued a direct warning to Pariston not to plot any assassination attempts against Netero.
Not that Pariston cared all that much.
But he didn't know how Beyond's allies in the Kakin Empire saw it.
If things soured between Beyond and Netero, the King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou might be more than happy to clear a path.
For all Pariston knew, that man's assassin might already be on the move—no need to wait for any diplomatic fallout...
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)