A week passed, July came to an end, and August began.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, turning the city where the Hunter Association's Headquarters was located into a blazing furnace. The stiflingly hot air made it slightly hard to breathe.
The city was economically prosperous, surrounded by towering skyscrapers. Below, the streets were jam-packed with traffic, and pedestrians hurried along, their busyness written all over their faces and movements.
The Hunter Association's Headquarters was one of the tallest in the city, with its distinctive emblem prominently displayed on its facade.
Today, Netero had finally returned, and Sanbica also returned with him.
She had made significant contributions during their mission, and it was highly likely that she would earn a Single-Star Hunter Rank based on her achievements this time.
Netero had finally freed himself from his busy schedule, but just when he returned, Law was ready to leave the Hunter Association's Headquarters.
In the quiet room, Law and Netero knelt on tatami mats. On the table between them were two drinks and a strange square box, which was the item created by Ghost Lady's Post-Mortem Nen, the Surprise Box.
"You sneaked off to Demon Island?" Netero picked up his cup with his toes and drank the juice through the straw.
"Yeah." Law said.
Netero set the cup aside and sighed softly. No matter how great the threat of the unknown, it could never stop adventurers from seeking it out. This was something that remained unchanged across all eras.
"Were the [things] on the island successfully eradicated?" Law asked.
Netero glanced at the Surprise Box on the table and said, "The assembled dead mass was dealt with."
When he heard this, Law understood that Netero was referring to the giant fleshy monster created by the Surprise Box. However, he didn't mention the Void, which suggested that the Void remained a troublesome existence for the government.
"The Void is still there, isn't it?" Law said.
Netero nodded silently and said, "The military suffered heavy casualties trying to deal with the Void. I also engaged with it briefly and found that they have no weaknesses."
No matter what kind of offensive attack was used, it couldn't harm the Void in the slightest. Even if Netero used almost all his Aura in one attack, when it hits the Void, it was no more effective than bullets.
This was because even bullets could easily tear apart the bandages on Void's body, so no matter how powerful the attack enhanced by Nen was, it was fundamentally no more effective than a bullet.
"Then let me give you some information."
Law picked up the cup and drained the remaining drink in one go, indicating that he was ready to leave.
"Oh?" Netero looked at him.
"The Void is immune to physical damage, but its mental defenses are weak. Even slightly stronger Post-Mortem Nen can affect them." Law put down the cup and told him what he knew.
"Are you sure?" Netero raised his eyebrows slightly.
Law nearly rolled his eyes and said unhappily, "Believe it or not."
Netero chuckled and absentmindedly stroked his beard.
"Whether it's about destroying or controlling it, the key lies in the mental aspect." Law looked at Netero, his expression suddenly becoming extremely serious, "The problem is, if we tell the government about this information, the outcome will undoubtedly be the same, and they'll try to control it."
"Since there's a way to control it, those in power will never pass up the opportunity. They won't even consider the potential dangers the Void poses."
Law was reminding Netero of one thing, which was to consider the government's usual practice.
Should all the information be handed over, or should some be withheld to ensure the government focuses on eliminating the Void rather than trying to control it?
Anyone with a bit of sense would realize that the Void's threat level was at least A+. If not handled carefully, it could destroy all of humanity. And beings like the Void were commonplace in the Dark Continent.
V5 understood this better than anyone, but they were willing to take enormous risks to obtain the scarce resources unique to the Dark Continent.
If they knew that it was possible to control the Void, the outcome was obvious.
"I know what to do."
Netero has been dealing with the world's top leaders for many years, and even without Law's reminder, he knew how to handle this.
"My business here is pretty much done. I'll be leaving in two days." Law stood up and picked up the Surprise Box.
Netero's gaze suddenly fixed on the Surprise Box. It was Law's spoils of war and he had no right to claim it. And because it was Law, he wouldn't insist on taking it. Otherwise, he'd never let anyone else walk away with the Ghost Lady's legacy.
Noticing Netero's gaze, Law hugged the Surprise Box tightly and said seriously, "This is mine."
Netero smiled wryly upon hearing this, then straightened his expression and said, "Are you interested in making a deal with me?"
"What kind of deal?" Law asked. He thought Netero wanted to use a deal to get the Surprise Box back, but there was no way he would agree to it.
"I know you will definitely go to the Dark Continent in the future. My condition is that you can only set off for the Dark Continent after I die." Netero said.
Before Netero could even mention the benefits, Law flashed to the door in an instant. He waved at Netero and said, "Respected Chairman, goodbye."
After saying that, he opened the door and slipped away.
If it weren't for Linne, he might have followed in Ging's footsteps and been tricked by Netero.
He knew that Netero would die at the hands of the Chimera Ant King Meruem in ten years, which meant that if he agreed to Netero's conditions, he could gain some unknown benefit and only have to wait ten years.
However, after he integrated into this world as an outsider, how could he let Netero meet the same fate again?
He would try his best not to influence the plot after Gon sets sail, then focus on preventing Meruem's birth. If luck was on his side, he might even be able to eliminate the Chimera Ant Queen directly.
Under that premise, if he agreed to Netero's condition, he'd have to wait decades before Netero actually kicked the bucket, right?
On the tatami mat in the quiet room, Netero stared at the closed door and let out a regretful sigh.
When it came to knowledge about the Dark Continent, if not for Linne's interference, he would most likely have been able to convince Law to accept the condition.
That wasn't just a verbal agreement, but a Nen limitation implanted into his body, just like the one he had placed on his son, Beyond.
Unfortunately, the possibility of Law accepting such a condition was extremely low.
On top of that, Netero still owed Law a favor, and that was the real issue.
'Why did I have to be so impulsive back then? Just for a bit of fun, I had to make that bet with Law…'
Even if he found some leverage in the future to persuade Law, the deal still wouldn't go through, because Law can completely exercise that one favor to get whatever he wanted anyway.
With that unused favor still hanging over his head, Netero really couldn't think of any way to make Law agree.
'What a shame…'
Netero lowered his head slightly and idly played with the cup.
He really hoped that either Law or Ging would accept his condition, and then he'd do his best to live as long as possible… just long enough for the two of them to grow impatient and challenge him with the intent to kill.
This is Netero's real purpose. The limitation he imposed on Beyond were actually based on this intention too. On one hand, it was to stop Beyond from going to the Dark Continent, and on the other hand, he wanted to push Beyond into trying to kill him.
He was well aware of the potential threats from the Dark Continent, but he also knew that nothing could stop true adventurers.
Therefore, he came up with a solution to satisfy both parties, and set a limitation on his younger generation, who had infinite possibilities, that 'only after his death can they go to the Dark Continent'.
The meaning behind it was simple: You want to go to the Dark Continent? Okay, then come and kill me.
Netero used a righteous excuse to mask the desire he had always harbored, that is, to fight with powerful individuals, similar to the death fight in the Heavens Arena!
However, out of the three he had his eyes on, both Law and Ging rejected him, while Beyond acted like he was patiently waiting for him to die, with no intention of killing him to speed up his journey to the Dark Continent.
He wondered if this would be the greatest regret of his life.
If possible, Netero truly wished Beyond could just kill him already.
This is Netero. At his age, what else was there left to pursue? Nothing but a grand, all-out battle that would showcase the culmination of his lifetime's training, even if it ended in death.
Unfortunately, he had no idea when that battle waiting in the future will finally come.