Whoosh!!
In the next second, Pariston's figure disappeared.
And in the office where he had just stood…
Boom!!
A violent surge of aura exploded, blowing apart the entire office, turning everything inside into fragments!!
"Oh my, as expected of a member of the Hunter Association's Zodiac Twelve. You really do have some skill."
From the shattered, smoke-filled office, a figure slowly walked out, carrying a faint smile: "And you're even the head of the Zodiac Twelve, the Rat. That makes your strength even more impressive."
"It seems this job we have taken on this time is going to be quite the difficult and challenging one."
Zeno Zoldyck smiled lightly while stroking his beard and looking toward Pariston, who had appeared elsewhere.
Pariston: "..."
With deep, calm eyes, Pariston gazed at Zeno, who had suddenly attacked him: "So your target this time… is me, correct?"
Pariston quickly understood the situation.
A top assassin from the world's number one assassin family appeared in his office, the destroyed room, and the words Zeno had spoken upon arrival… Everything was perfectly clear.
Someone had paid an astronomical amount to hire these two top assassins in the world to assassinate him, with his death as their mission objective.
Within the Hunter Association, there were indeed many who disliked him, hated him, or despised him.
Even among the Zodiac Twelve, several members openly showed irritation and malice toward him.
But none of them were obstacles to Pariston.
He was confident he could easily handle their hostility.
But to hire the world's top assassins to take his life in a nearly no-mercy, no-survivors manner...
Pariston asked himself: despite being widely disliked within the association, the only person who would resort to such an extreme method, the only one determined to kill him at all costs, there was really no one else except that man in the Vice-Chairman's office.
And Pariston was so certain because…
"Well, I have the exact same thought about you, after all."
Pariston murmured quietly in his heart.
He, too, wished that guy in the Vice-Chairman's office would die sooner!
If someone like Pariston were given such an opportunity, he would not hesitate to choose to put Luke to death.
But in reality, if one wanted to hire the Zoldyck Family to assassinate Luke, the cost involved would not be a small sum.
On one hand, in terms of status, Luke is the Vice-Chairman of the Hunter Association. To act against him, one would have to consider the severe repercussions from the Hunter Association and the V5 if the assassination succeeded.
On the other hand, Luke's own strength is undoubtedly formidable. Not to mention, he also possesses many incredible inventions.
Strength combined with status, plus the aftereffects of an assassination…
Although Pariston is not short of money, spending such a large sum would still be a heavy blow.
Moreover, he is a spy planted inside the Hunter Association by Beyond Netero. Most of the funds he acquired within the Hunter Association are taken by Beyond Netero to recruit highly suitable members for future expeditions to the Dark Continent.
Many in Beyond Netero's team joined for money. That's why, when Ging Freecss found Beyond Netero's base and asked to join them, hoping to become the second-in-command of the team after Beyond Netero, the other members were immediately wary, alert, and hostile toward Ging Freecss.
Until Ging Freecss said he could give them twice the amount that Beyond Netero had given them, the atmosphere instantly shifted. The almost frozen hostility quickly dissipated.
When a man without a chin from Beyond Netero's team tentatively asked Ging Freecss if he was serious, and Ging Freecss confirmed it and asked for his bank account, the amount, twice the agreed sum with Beyond Netero, was immediately transferred.
This instantly changed the team's attitude toward Ging Freecss.
Indeed, in this world, money is a very effective tool, often more effective than Luke's inventions.
For Ging Freecss, who possesses presidential-level authority and wealth, money is just one of the many trivial accumulations at his disposal.
Similarly, hiring the Zoldyck Family's current and former heads to jointly assassinate or attack one of the Hunter Association's high-level Zodiac Twelve would require a massive expenditure.
"Only the Vice-Chairman, who can extract enormous wealth from Ambrossa every year, could make such a move."
Whether due to purpose or financial capability, Luke was, in Pariston's eyes, the prime suspect.
In fact, it wasn't even a matter of possibility; he was almost certainly the one.
"But these are secondary; the most important thing now..."
Pariston looked at the two top assassins of the era in front of him, whose aura was rising to its peak. The ever-present smile on his face slowly faded at this moment.
"First, think carefully about how to survive."
Even with his considerable experience and wisdom, in the face of absolute strength... He felt an immense pressure like a mountain.
Although Pariston is a Triple-Star Hunter, in terms of strength, he is not the strongest in the Hunter Association, nor among the Zodiac Twelve.
In terms of raw power... It's better to first think about survival. As for subsequent matters, those would have to wait until this crisis was over.
Boom!!
In an instant, Silva Zoldyck and Zeno Zoldyck swiftly took action. The headquarters of the Hunter Association plunged into the heaviest shock and turbulence in its history.
Time flew, and a year quickly passed, bringing the story to 1996.
During this year, many significant events occurred around the world. The most notable was that the Hunter Association suffered attacks and assassination attempts from the Zoldyck Family.
Even a high-ranking member of the Zodiac Twelve was not spared.
This once again sent chills through observers outside. If the Zoldyck Family dared to provoke the Hunter Association headquarters, they were truly fearless.
No wonder they became the world's top assassin family; given the right price, they would take on any job. For any assignment or target, they would act.
This further enhanced the Zoldyck Family's reputation, making more people recognize their true nature. Awe and a sense of mystery enveloped the family even more.
As for the outcome of this assassination attempt... According to rumors, it was Chairman Netero, present at the headquarters, who personally intervened.
He saved the targeted member's life, forcing the Zoldyck Family's action to cease.