Chapter 187: Temporarily Withdrawn
Although Haze was in better condition than Beyond, his opponent was far from cornered he likely still had several trump cards hidden.
Continuing the battle now would undoubtedly become a life-or-death struggle.
And then, suddenly, a group of Nen users appeared. Only about a dozen…
But enough to tip the balance.
Nen abilities come in many varieties, and some special ones are extremely difficult to guard against.
In this battle, Haze did not hold overwhelming advantage over Beyond.
Therefore, he didn't dare take unnecessary risks.
Before the reinforcements arrived, he released a massive wave of ghostly figures, expanding the range of the Phantom Mist to obscure vision and weaken the enemies' perception.
Beyond, in his current state, could no longer pierce through the mist with his sword as easily as he had at the beginning.
His wounds were too severe his other hand still hadn't regained feeling.
Bang!
A terrifying flash of light burst out, and Haze dodged instantly.
His figure vanished into the sea of mist.
Gone.
Meanwhile, Beyond's accomplices leapt into the dense fog, charging toward the source of the sound… but were blocked by a thick wall of phantom figures.
These specters had no physical form, and lacked Beyond's mental stability causing strong fluctuations in their emotional state and disrupting their composure.
Beyond wanted to pursue…
But in the end, he gave up.
Inside the mist, Haze could see everything clearly.
Every movement of theirs was exposed to him.
Catching him now was nearly impossible.
Besides, Haze's condition was better than Beyond's.
If they had surrounded him from the start, when Haze was more injured earlier, they might have had a chance.
But now… it was too late.
After a while, several Nen users arrived next to Beyond. Their expressions froze when they saw his injuries.
They did not expect them to be this severe Haze had truly injured Beyond to this extent.
"Where is he?"
one of them asked.
"Gone…"
Beyond replied in a low voice.
The mist began to disperse, slowly turning back into Nen energy.
Their vision cleared instantly.
Looking around, they realized that only their group remained Haze had vanished.
One of them withdrew their Nen, and the masks covering the others collapsed as well.
It was a technique used to hide their identities from Haze.
"Why didn't we set traps earlier…? It would've given us so much more time. Why did we have to come in person?"
one complained, frustrated by Haze's escape.
They should have been able to control that variable Haze.
But Byant had not prepared any traps.
"With our abilities, extra traps wouldn't have helped… Besides, we're only relatively safe near the battlefield. If we're too far away, we probably wouldn't survive."
someone explained when Byant stayed silent.
With Byant present, at least they could contain Haze.
Without him, they would only be throwing their lives away.
They couldn't even use Nen in a way that threatened Haze.
"Will he leave the Kakin Empire?"
A woman frowned.
"It seems the Field's family's plan to seize control of the royal family has undoubtedly failed… Will he accept that?"
"With those wounds… he won't recover soon. If it were me, I'd definitely flee first. No one can guarantee the Kakin royal family won't strike now. If the borders are sealed, even with support from the gangs, it'll be difficult to manage."
"And if this comes to light, the repercussions for the Field's family will be huge…"
"Don't overthink it. These things don't concern us. They're matters for the king."
Meanwhile, in the palace, sitting leisurely while drinking from a golden cup, Nasby Grey Roast received a report from his subordinates.
Two maids stood by his side, gently fanning him.
"Failed…"
Grey Roast sighed.
His plan had been excellent: use Beyond to lure the Field's family into his camp… so they would obey his commands.
This would strengthen his faction's momentum and power making V5 uneasy and allowing his plan to proceed smoothly.
If everything else failed, they could simply kill Haze to eliminate the threat.
Either way, it wouldn't be a loss.
No royal soldiers would be harmed.
Based on his assessment of the Field's family's strength, even if Kakin won a war against them, the losses would be considerable.
Now, only one prince and one queen had died…
A remarkably cheap price.
Their losses were minimal.
But he had not expected Beyond to fail…
The only reason he allied with Beyond was because he valued his power and status
the son of Isaac Netero, chairman of the Hunter Association.
More importantly, father and son had both returned alive from the Dark Continent.
That alone was leverage.
Proof to convince outsiders of the "New World."
Only the words of those who had been there held weight.
Moreover, Beyond could use the Netero name to exert influence.
"This is troublesome…"
King Nasubi tapped his chubby fingers on his forehead, deep in thought.
"Kill that woman… she's useless now."
After a moment, the king gave the order.
"Yes."
The subordinate accepted and turned to leave.
King Nasubi was referring to his lover the Field's family's seductress.
Nasby already knew her identity.
He had used her as bait to lure the big fish Haze.
But now that the fish had escaped…
the woman no longer held value.
"Your Majesty, the crown prince wishes to see you…"
After a moment of silence, a servant reported.
Haze's defeat meant the Field's family had failed to gain any advantage in Kakin and Prince Benjamin's intentions were now fully exposed to his father.
King Nasubi knew the prince only wanted to explain.
"Tell him not to worry. This matter has nothing to do with him,"
Nasby replied, refusing to meet his son.
He rose from the throne, the two maids following as he slowly left with his hands behind his back.
"Yes."
After leaving the palace, Haze immediately used teleportation to return to the Field's residence.
David was frightened by his appearance.
It was the first time he had seen Haze so seriously injured.
He also learned what had happened in the Kakin Empire.
For the first time… their plans always flawless until now had run into a wall.
Fortunately, Haze was able to escape Kakin.
Otherwise, if the royal family had taken any action, David dared not imagine the consequences.
The Field's family didn't have much control over Kakin's criminal organizations much less in the royal capital.
"The battlefield is under the palace's jurisdiction, so Rice De could infiltrate his people beforehand. But we couldn't…"
Inside the hall, Haze sat on the sofa.
Medical staff busily tended to his wounds.
Field's Lily was also present.
"Should we stop? The Kakin Empire is very important to us, but it's not something we absolutely cannot give up… We already have momentum as a family; there's no need to force Kakin. It's far too dangerous."
the woman in the wheelchair advised gently.
"I thought we could use Kakin to pressure V5 soon…"
Haze didn't explain further.
"Kakin's national strength is unmatched across the continents except by V5. There's no substitute… Otherwise, we might settle for something weaker."
David sighed.
"Let's set that aside for now…"
Haze said calmly,
"That king, Grey Guo Rou, is truly cunning… and ruthless."
"Still, the crown prince Benjamin's life is in my hands… I want to see what he chooses."
(End of Chapter)