The Dark Hunter team in Keke City was in complete disarray. Chaos engulfed the scene, and Kaizen was the only one left standing.
"The situation got completely out of control."
"Wendy and I were also hunted down."
"The enemy was incredibly strong."
"But it should be fine now."
"Achilles-sama has arrived."
Ralph fell into a long silence, his thoughts swirling. Then suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
"Lilith—are they okay?"
"Ordinary citizens should be fine, but you should check on them yourself."
Ralph bolted up and ran off in the direction where Lilith and the others had last been seen.
Not long after, Achilles returned, dragging a corpse behind him. The lifeless body of a slightly obese middle-aged man was barely recognizable—mangled beyond recognition from severe injuries before his death. Achilles tossed the body at Gaunt's feet.
"Any survivors?"
"Found one."
Kaizen spoke up. "It's Ralph—the man Dominica-sama brought back from Taris. He was dead, but he was revived thanks to the monster that had invaded his body."
Achilles glanced at Gaunt, his gaze unreadable. "I see."
"I've already contacted the Dojo of Beasts. New recruits will arrive soon to form a new Dark Hunter team. For now, let's leave Keke City—there's nothing left for us here."
Back in the capital of the Fiora Kingdom, Kaizen took a long bath, letting the water wash away the stench of blood and exhaustion. Afterward, he collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Before leaving Keke City, Kaizen, Ralph, and the others had reunited. Lilith, Haji, Hassan—they had all survived. Ralph was visibly relieved.
With the arrival of new Dark Hunter team members, Ralph decided to stay with the unit. What happened in Keke City had been an unexpected incident. Even if a larger conflict erupted between the Fiora Kingdom and the Mimbo Republic in the future, Keke City wouldn't be the battlefield.
The pay for the job had been good, making it easy for Ralph to support his team.
As for Rosgel's head, Achilles remained silent, and Kaizen didn't pry. This was a matter between the Fiora Kingdom and the Mimbo Republic. It had little to do with him.
Wendy, however, was in a low mood. She had barely set foot in Keke City before she received news of Ina's death—and then saw Ina's body with her own eyes. Not long after, another familiar face was gone.
The death of a stranger and the death of someone you know—those were two entirely different things.
Allie, on the other hand, was almost entirely ignored. While Rosgel had played a key role in the incident, Allie was nothing more than a background player. Kaizen saw no reason to acknowledge her unnecessarily.
"With everything in Keke City wrapped up, my time in the Fiora Kingdom is coming to an end."
Kaizen's gaze turned to the floating crystal ball before him. The progress bar read 85%. The remaining unexplored locations in the capital would easily push it past 100%—it was just a matter of time.
"Wendy, do you want to go out and clear your mind?"
She hesitated briefly. "Alright."
The two stepped out of the Dragon Dojo, with Kaizen subtly steering the conversation toward his next destination.
Time passed. The progress on Kaizen's crystal ball inched closer to completion.
Of course, it wasn't just about absorbing aura. Kaizen had also been gathering information on Red Trang. He had Altan scour the internet and leverage his intelligence network. The data collection was nearly complete.
Not that Kaizen had every last detail on Hong Trang—but he was reaching the point of diminishing returns.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Kaka's number.
"Hello?"
"Kaka-sama, it's me—Kaizen."
Kaka's voice held a note of surprise. "Kaizen? Didn't expect you to call. What's up?"
"Are you with Senior Gel right now?"
"No, the teacher is out on business."
"Could you give me Senior Gel's number?"
"Sure, no problem."
Kaka rattled off the number, and Kaizen jotted it down before making another call.
"Gel-sama, it's Kaizen."
"Kaizen, what do you need?"
"Do you have Mizaistom-sama's number? I have intel on the gang he's investigating and want to pass it along."
"Give me a second."
A moment later, Gel relayed the number.
Normally, the Zodiacs' contact details were private, not something easily given away. But Kaizen was different.
Gel was well aware of Kaizen's identity—a member of the Zoldyck family.
The Hunter Association and the Zoldycks had a long-standing relationship, thanks to Netero's ties to the family. That connection made things easier.
Kaizen dialed the number.
"Who is this?"
"Mizaistom-sama, this is Kaizen. I have information on Red Trang."
At the mention of that name, Mizaistom's interest piqued.
"Where are you?"
"I'm still in the Fiora Kingdom."
"I'll come over, but it'll take a few days."
Kaizen hesitated. "Mizaistom-sama, how about meeting at Heavens Arena? I'm already preparing to leave Fiora."
"That works too."
"I'll contact you once I arrive."
"Got it."
Three days later, Wendy accompanied Kaizen to the airship station.
"Wendy, goodbye."
As departure time approached, Kaizen stood and walked toward the boarding gate.
"Goodbye," Wendy said, waving.
A figure followed closely behind Kaizen—Tessia.
Once aboard, Kaizen found a seat by the window. Tessia, gazing outside curiously, remained silent. Kaizen, meanwhile, fixated on the floating crystal ball in front of him. The progress had finally reached 100%.
"No Nen users aboard this airship."
"Then... this is the perfect place to create my sixth nen beast."
As night fell and darkness engulfed the sky, Kaizen found a quiet lounge, locked the door, and sat down.
He closed his eyes.
"Begin."
Immediately, he felt his aura surging into the crystal ball at a rapid pace, just like before...
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