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136 HxH: The Strongest Assassin
🕑 Added 2024-11-22 06:02:01 +0000 UTC"What should I do?"
"Train hard. Focus on honing your skills during this time. Once you're ready, I'll recommend you to the reserve team," Greed replied.
Kaizen nodded. "Thank you."
After a moment's pause, he hesitated before asking,
"Do you know anything about Carlisle's standing among the world's underworld organizations?"
"Carlisle?" Greed frowned, his expression darkening.
"He's a small fry. I don't know much about him. If you're looking for information, you'll need to ask Carlisle's teacher. But let me warn you—he's a peculiar and dangerous person. Under normal circumstances, it's best to stay away from him unless you have no other choice.
"And for that little girl's sake, don't take unnecessary risks. Even if you're determined, wait until you've passed the reserve team assessment before making any moves."
Kaizen settled into Greed's manor.
Three days later, Kaizen was taken to a base.
The base appeared to be a desolate ruin. But its decrepit appearance was deceptive.
Dozens of people had been brought here.
"Your task is simple," a voice declared.
"Survive. For one month.
"In a month's time, the doors will reopen.
"Those still standing will pass the assessment."
With that, a loud boom echoed as the doors slammed shut, enveloping the area in darkness.
Kaizen sensed that they were being watched. The assessors weren't entirely leaving things to chance.
Despite this, Kaizen felt no fear. Compared to the other participants, his strength was leagues ahead. Even while concealing the full extent of his abilities, he had little to worry about.
"This month will be a good opportunity to refine my mastery of observation-based Nen techniques," Kaizen muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Altan and Raiken had arrived in Lian City. Hidden in the shadows, they carefully avoided drawing attention to themselves.
Lian was one of the world's major underworld hubs. Its streets were teeming with people, though most of them posed no immediate threat.
Nen users, however, were a rare breed. As long as Altan and Raiken kept their abilities under wraps, they wouldn't attract suspicion.
Raiken focused on gathering intelligence. Their primary objective was to map out the power dynamics within Lian and identify the Nen users of interest.
The automaton-like nature of Kaizen's beasts made this easier. Once given a general directive, they moved independently, requiring little input from Kaizen. This level of autonomy was incredibly rare, even among Nen users.
Kaizen knew of no one else with beasts as versatile as his own.
Still, his knowledge of the world had limits. The original narrative of Hunter x Hunter left much untold, including Meteor City's darker secrets and the intricate workings of the Seven Deadly Sins within the underworld hierarchy.
Even the Phantom Troupe and the Shadow Beasts—characters shrouded in mystique—were barely explored in the original. The Seven Deadly Sins, being of lesser renown, were even more obscure.
In a dimly lit conference room, three individuals sat before a screen: Arrogance, Lust, and Greed.
The figure on the screen was one of the Ten Dons, their leader.
Lust, visibly agitated, clenched her fists. "My lord, are we truly letting this go? Four of us—Gluttony, Laziness, Jealousy, and Anger—have been killed. Are we supposed to simply move on?"
Her frustration wasn't born of camaraderie but rather her personal ties to Jealousy and Wrath.
The Don's expression remained impassive. "The Wilhelm family has overstepped its bounds. Gluttony and Laziness failed during their mission, but pursuing this matter would bring unnecessary conflict with the Heavens Arena.
"The arena's higher-ups have already taken action. It's not in our interest to escalate things further."
He paused, his voice growing colder. "Besides, can the world's underworld organizations even match the power of Heavens Arena?
"That place is a gathering ground for elite Nen users from across the globe. Even if we dominate in numbers, their Nen specialists far outclass ours.
"Confronting them over the deaths of a few subordinates is not worth the risk.
"Do not mention this again."
The three nodded silently, though Lust's expression betrayed lingering anger.
"One more thing," someone added. "The Shadow Beast membership has been expanded from ten to twelve. Two positions are now open. Any of you may compete for them."
The air in the room shifted. Lust, Arrogance, and Greed exchanged glances, their eyes burning with ambition.
Among the underworld, becoming a member of the Shadow Beasts was a coveted honor—a mark of ultimate authority and skill.
Ten days into the assessment, Kaizen sat cross-legged, observing the progress displayed on a crystal orb.
The indicator had reached 10%, but the rate of advancement was slowing.
"The key to refining my observational Nen lies in variety," Kaizen mused. "I need to explore different environments, not remain in a single place for too long.
"But this underworld setting provides unique opportunities. Although the Zoldyck family doesn't have formal ties to the underworld, I can still learn much by infiltrating on my own."
He sighed, standing up. "It'll take time, but hopefully less than what the Hunter Exam or Greed Island required."
As he wandered the ruins, his gaze fell on a wooden box lying in the dirt.
Supplies, he thought.
The assessors must've scattered these throughout the area. Even the strongest Nen user couldn't survive a month without food or water.
Suddenly, movement caught his eye. A shadowy figure lunged at him, a blade glinting in the dim light.
Kaizen smirked. "Killer Queen."
His conjured beast intercepted the attacker, engaging them in a brief but fierce struggle.
Kaizen seized the moment, sidestepping to his opponent's flank. With a swift, precise motion, he struck.
Thud.
The blade in his hand found its mark, and his adversary crumpled to the ground.
"Amateurs," Kaizen muttered, wiping the blood from his blade.
