Chapter 166: Let's Welcome Destruction Together! (Third Complete Update)
A quarter of an hour later, Tamsin returned to the palace after finishing his call.
His gaze toward Haze was incredibly complex.
Beep beep beep
At that moment, Haze's phone rang it was an unknown number.
"Mr. Haze," Tamsin said, stepping closer and pointing at the phone.
Haze answered.
"I'm the head of the V5 Committee my name is Josh. I'll keep this brief… my only request is that you make those politicians under your control stop this madness at once. Tell them to stop causing ... "
Click.
Before he could finish, Haze hung up.
Silence followed.
Beep beep beep beep.
Haze's phone rang again.
"Sit down. Don't get nervous," Haze said gently to Tamsin.
The latter sat down again, visibly anxious. For those who worked in V5 ... or for a large portion of the world's population Haze's personal strength and power were irrelevant. They didn't find him intimidating or dangerous… even someone as powerful as Chairman Netero had to obey the orders of V5.
What truly terrified this group was not strength, but influence.
The ability to shake the human world itself ...
That was real power.
That was what they feared most.
The TV screen continued broadcasting. After a long while, the ringing finally stopped and silence returned.
Then, ten minutes later, the phone rang again ... from a different number.
Haze lifted it to his ear and said calmly, before the other side could speak:
"It doesn't matter who you are. You have no right to negotiate with me. Send them."
He hung up again.
Tamsin, standing nearby, began to sweat coldly. He knew exactly who Haze meant ...
the highest-ranking leader within V5, one of the heads of the five great superpowers ...
giants atop the human world.
The V5's response was swift ... they were racing against time to contain the damage caused by the simultaneous press conferences across multiple nations. If not stopped quickly, what started as mere public statements could escalate into something far worse.
Right now, only one of the leading nations had spoken up ...
but what if a king or prime minister intervened next? That would be catastrophic.
To establish a nation and hold territory meant, at the very least, maintaining a degree of unity. If a supreme leader made a statement, the entire nation ... from the elite to the common people ...
would see V5 as the enemy. Few would stay rational; the masses would side with their ruler.
For now, this was still limited to public opinion and social upheaval ... it hadn't yet turned into all-out war. But even without actual combat, the political and economic repercussions involving multiple nations would be devastating for V5 and the other major powers.
Once war between nations begins, the military-industrial complex inevitably comes into play ...
including nuclear weapons.
After all, things like the Poor Man's Rose could be mass-produced… many countries on the continent were capable of manufacturing them. Even if V5 had hidden trump cards left, a large-scale release of basic nuclear weapons would annihilate the human world.
At that point ...
no one could escape.
Then a different phone rang ... neither Haze's nor Tamsin's.
It was David's.
The old man answered, spoke briefly, and then hung up. "Sir… your guests have arrived."
Unbelievably fast!
That was the might of V5.
From the moment Haze had brought Tamsin to watch the televised conference to now, only thirty minutes had passed… V5 had received the message and reacted in under twenty minutes.
Haze had issued his ultimatum only fifteen minutes ago ...
and now their representatives were already at the Field family headquarters.
Technologically impossible ...
unless Nen was involved.
"Go greet them," Haze said.
David bowed and left immediately.
Tamsin looked uneasy; it was clear that whatever was about to happen was far beyond his control.
"Mr. Haze, I'll go too," he said, bowing and following behind.
Soon after, led by David, a diplomatic team of about twenty people entered the hall before Haze.
Everyone present had stern expressions and exuded authority. Their competence was far above Tamsin's; each held a significant position within V5.
These were the true core executives of the organization ...
a sign that the world's leaders were truly alarmed.
The man at the front approached Haze ( Haze) with utmost respect, offering his card and speaking directly:
"We're here to serve your needs."
Haze took the card, expression unreadable.
This man ... Bruce ... was the same V5 executive who had uncovered the Field family's plans.
He had come in person.
"Mr. Haze, I apologize, but due to the current chaotic situation and the sensitive nature of your identity, those gentlemen cannot come to the Field residence themselves… however, you can communicate with them another way," Bruce said, glancing at a woman behind him.
The woman stepped forward, releasing her Nen aura and activating her ability ...
an antenna materialized in her hand.
She attached it to her head and moved to the center of the hall.
In an instant, her eyes locked onto Haze, her Nen flaring as a massive screen appeared midair.
The dark projection flickered, then brightened ...
revealing several blurred figures seated around a round table.
Only their silhouettes were visible, their appearances hidden.
They looked mysterious… powerful.
And clearly, they too could see Haze sitting calmly on the sofa.
"So it's you… the one who doesn't let anyone sleep peacefully at night," one of them scoffed.
"Now that we've seen each other, what do you want to say?" asked a woman's voice.
"Nothing much," Haze said with a faint smile.
"I just wanted to inform you that from now on, my Field family and every gang in the human world will receive national-level privileges and priority treatment within V5. I want one of your entry passes for this event."
"…"
The figures on the screen fell silent.
Then one of them slammed the table furiously.
"Are you mocking us?! Don't think that just because you've played a few tricks, we can't crush you! We could still erase every country you've touched ... and wipe out the scum of your organization along with you! You think you can threaten us? Foolish!"
Before he could finish, another voice interjected:
" Haze, regarding the Black Tide incident ... we can pretend it never happened. You can unify every criminal organization in the world, and we can choose not to interfere. However… at certain social levels and in important operations…"
"You'll still have to obey our directives and agreements. That's our bottom line ... our final concession."
Haze chuckled, stepping forward with an icy gaze.
"Don't embarrass yourselves with your pathetic act. I don't need V5 to make any announcements or follow your usual procedures. All I want is an entry pass ... national-level qualifications. We can keep it between us; no need to go public. It'd only make you look ridiculous."
"My Field family is the royal bloodline of this empty land… and I, the king of this crownless realm. We haven't stripped away your fig leaves to expose the truth to the world ...
that alone gives you face. Don't overestimate yourselves. You're the ones who ... "
Good cop, bad cop ...
a classic routine.
"…"
As soon as he finished, everyone in the room fell silent.
Not only the leaders on the screen, but even the V5 members present ...
everyone except David ... were frozen.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
"The discussion is over," one of the leaders finally said coldly.
"Prepare to die."
Haze stood up slowly, his expression calm.
"No… not just my death," he said softly.
"But the death of destiny itself."
"I'm sure you can kill me ... no doubt about it."
"But my death… will drag countless others down with me."
Even though the world's gangs were not yet unified,
the Field family had enough influence to stir chaos ... to plunge every city into violence.
"I'll manipulate public opinion, inflame emotions, make them pin every crime on you. I'll have countless politicians accuse you, exposing your hypocrisy bit by bit. I'll incite wars between nations ... turning the world into a grand symphony of explosions and fire!"
"I'll transform this entire world into hell. Even after my death ... my will, my vision ... will live on! I'll carve an unerasable scar into the pages of human history!"
"You… you're a monster!"
"A demon!"
"This is inhuman! You're dragging hundreds of millions of innocent people into this!"
The leaders were shaken. None of them knew the full extent of the Field family's reach ...
how many nations they controlled, how many powerful figures were involved,
or whether what they were seeing was only the beginning.
"Since you've investigated me," Haze said with a grin, his eyes gleaming with madness,
"you should already know ... I'm not normal. But then… how many 'normal' people are there in this world?"
"Come on ... let's begin the war."
"I can't wait to ignite the glorious prelude to the world's annihilation with my own life. It's perfect."
"Let's welcome destruction together."
Haze spread his arms, a look of bliss on his face.
To him, those words sounded like a farewell ...
a vivid, painful kiss to the world before dying.
At that moment, no one doubted him.
Judging from his expression and his aura ...
he meant every word.
Cold. Icy.
Seeing this, both the V5 leaders on the screen and the executives in the room realized one thing ...
The man before them… was insane.
His words alone chilled their blood.
They couldn't even begin to imagine the chaos his madness would unleash upon the world.
He… was no longer human.
(End of Chapter)