Chapter 141: The Spider's Meticulous Preparation
"The Field family has been training Nen users for years, but… their members haven't joined the underworld en masse. Instead, they've been assigned elsewhere," said the Swordsman as he took out a prepared item ... a portable console ... and handed it to his comrades.
"Pakunoda and I investigated and discovered a very popular game called Island of Heroes. It's beloved by both adults and children, largely thanks to its masterful marketing. In this game, players can choose different heroes with unique abilities. As they progress through the levels, they face other bosses ... who are also heroes, just from opposing factions."
"After defeating the final boss, a hidden message appears… In his dying words, the boss mentions the word 'Nen'. Of course, ordinary people wouldn't notice, but as Nen users, you definitely would."
"What's the connection between these two things?" asked Lev, his face wrapped in bandages.
"This game truly exists ... and it's a business owned by the Field family. It's highly likely that its creator is none other than Haze himself. As for the Nen users the Field family employs, most of them have been drawn into this game… I already confirmed it earlier."
The Swordsman smiled and said, "I've already finished the game for you on the consoles I gave you, and saved the file right when the final boss dies. When he speaks his last words, try activating your Nen."
Following his instructions, the others complied.
As the screen displayed the dialogue between the protagonist and the final boss, their Nen activated ... and suddenly, a string of coordinates appeared from the console, hovering in midair before their eyes.
A few seconds later, it vanished.
"These coordinates mark the entrance to Hero Island, located in a private maritime zone of the Republic of Padokia. This sea zone also belongs to the Field family ... the entrance is a small base built above the ocean," the Swordsman explained.
"It's strange… To obtain these coordinates, you need sharp Nen sensitivity; otherwise, once the game ends, even if you activate Nen again, the data won't reappear. In other words, only someone with strong Nen can access it. Also, when creating a character, the player's information is automatically bound to that console. You can delete your account and start over, but you'll never receive the message again. In short ... it's one person, one console. The same Nen can't be used to activate another console. Each of your accounts was created by me, and my Nen is already registered ... it can't be used again. You'll have to do it yourselves."
He spoke eloquently. "I suspect this was designed to test the player's aptitude and Nen quality."
"Moreover… even though the Field family hides themselves well, thanks to Pakunoda's abilities, we uncovered a few secrets. They've established connections with several national governments. Haze's ambitions are enormous… Naturally, we didn't attack directly to avoid detection. We just made brief contact ... and used Pakunoda's female identity to our advantage."
"So, our plan this time is to sabotage the game?" asked Feitan, frowning.
"No," said Shalnark. "Island of Heroes is currently the Field family's largest industry ... their biggest source of income. Even with the Ten Dons' positions, it's difficult for a single family to maintain influence at the national level. That shows how important this game is to them. Its defenses must be formidable, possibly housing powerful experts. We don't understand its internal mechanics, and entering recklessly could lead to severe restrictions."
"Therefore," he continued, "before we strike directly at the Field family, Nobunaga and Uvogin will destroy those maritime bases ... the entry points to the game ... to draw their attention and drain resources. Meanwhile, we'll infiltrate their headquarters, Haze's palace. Once the attacks begin, Haze will be forced to choose between protecting his base or his game. With the Zoldyck assassins blocking his escape route, his threat level will drop significantly."
Shalnark's analysis was sharp and convincing.
"When do we move?" Feitan asked coldly.
He'd wanted to wipe out the Field family long ago, but Chrollo had restrained him. After all these years, his patience was wearing thin.
"Wait until the Hunter Exam ends," Chrollo replied calmly. "First, if Hisoka's identity is exposed, Haze won't let him leave alive. Their lack of connection means we're not under surveillance ... making the operation safer. Second, Hisoka's successful return will increase our chances. If Haze reacts to Hisoka, it means he's been watching us all along ... and the operation will be aborted immediately."
Feitan's veins bulged, his eyes cold ... but this time, he didn't argue.
After speaking, Chrollo turned to Shalnark. "Are you sure you and Pakunoda weren't discovered?"
Information this critical wasn't something common people could know. That meant the contacts Pakunoda had made were members of the Field family's inner circle.
"Completely undetected," Shalnark assured. "The guy's name is Cheko. He used to serve old man David. How should I put it ... he's awful. Mentally unstable, physically weak, basically a fool. He abuses his position in the Field family, indulging in every vice imaginable… Otherwise, we'd never have reached him. Still, David seems to value him highly ... he's been chosen as the next head of the Field family and a future member of the Ten Dons."
"That must be Haze's plan," the Swordsman muttered.
"He's clearly a puppet," said Machi, her intuition sharp. "With the Field family's resources, the underworld can't contain their scale anymore. The gap between them and the other Ten Dons is massive. Are they trying to shift all their energy toward controlling governments?"
"But why choose such an idiot?" someone asked.
"Cheko has one strength ... absolute loyalty. He's been loyal to the Field family since Haze took over. He's one of the survivors."
"The Field family is now focused on Island of Heroes and political influence. The mafia side no longer matters to them. That gives us an opening ... this is the perfect time to strike! That's why the leader summoned everyone here, and why Pakunoda and I could investigate so easily."
"No matter how powerful one person's abilities are, their energy is limited," said the Swordsman. "As the mastermind behind the curtain, Haze will inevitably make mistakes trying to control everything remotely. The Field family's flawless operations are thanks mainly to David ... and above all, to that woman, Field Lily. But perfection doesn't exist. The moment we find a weakness, we'll bare our fangs, inject our poison ... and even if we can't kill this giant, we'll at least drain its life force."
Within the Phantom Troupe, it was often the Swordsman who spoke on Chrollo's behalf during strategy sessions.
Clap!
He clapped once. "Alright, let's set aside the Field family for now. Even if we don't meet Haze directly in this operation, just in case… I'll share what we've learned about him."
"In recent years, even while acting separately, Pakunoda and I have pursued every bit of information on Haze. The lesson we learned last time was too painful ... we can't repeat it."
" Haze first rose to fame in Heaven's Arena. Although the Field family used various means to erase his records, I managed to recover some!"
He smiled proudly. "Many people came into contact with him there. Two Hunters, Wing and Biscuit Krueger, were particularly close to him ... both extremely powerful, especially Biscuit. There's probably a direct link between them, so we avoided approaching to prevent exposure. Instead, we sought other witnesses."
"After Haze reached the 200th floor, some of his opponents died ... but others survived. It was because of his feats that Heaven's Arena changed its rules. In short, his influence drastically reshaped how fighters developed there."
"Even in the early days of the underworld, during the rise of the Field family, some veteran shadow operatives saw and heard things about him. No secret stays buried forever. Based on an old videotape and my analysis with the leader, regarding Haze's Nen ability ... let me explain."
Everyone listened with grave expressions.
"His Nen ability, The Treasure of the Eternal Dreamer, is a materialization type ... one that manifests games into reality and applies them to himself. According to those who fought him or witnessed his battles, he split the concept of materialization into multiple functions, developing them ingeniously. Based on what we know, the leader and I have deduced the following aspects: summoning, abilities, hidden and invisible equipment enhancements, and…"
Time passed slowly, and before they realized it, night had fallen. The Swordsman continued analyzing Haze's combat methods and Nen level in meticulous detail.
When he finished, everyone's faces were filled with shock.
"That's right," Chrollo said with a faint smile. "In short, from our perspective, he's a monster without weaknesses. That's how he managed to defeat Phinks so easily."
He chuckled quietly, observing his comrades' reactions. "Still, he's just one man. Unlike the Zoldycks ... multiple monsters acting together. It's different. We'll take our time with him. There's no need to rush. We'll have our chance."
The Zoldyck family had also slain the first eight members of the Phantom Troupe.
When they died, Chrollo had been the first to react, chasing after Silva ... but the difference in power was overwhelming. He could only watch as Silva departed gracefully.
Since killing Chrollo wasn't part of Silva's contract, the matter ended there.
Still, both sides left lasting marks on each other.
To the Phantom Troupe, Haze was just one man. The Zoldycks, however, were a collective of unparalleled monsters.
They still had a chance to exact their revenge on Haze.
After that incident, the Troupe began collaborating with the Zoldyck family, and Chrollo established contact with Illumi during those dealings.
When facing an utterly indestructible existence, the Troupe's first choice would always be retreat.
But Haze… hadn't reached that level yet.
(End of Chapter)