"You don't need to worry about that—we don't have a plan anyway."
Pariston's grin grew wider.
"Beyond will make his own way to the mainland and link up with us there. That's all."
"Well, whatever. At least this way, I don't have to keep hiding in the Association or constantly adapting to changes. It's actually kind of relaxing…"
He paused, then narrowed his eyes at Ging's back.
"You bastard. Are you even part of the Hunter Association? Get lost already!!"
"That's where you're mistaken," Ging said lazily, dropping the game controller and turning around to face Muherr. "I'm a free man now. I go wherever I want. Honestly, I prefer working with Beyond at this point."
He tilted his head slightly and added,
"Beyond believes a real adventure only counts if we bring something back from it. That's the only difference between him and me. Besides, he can get me proper clearance for the journey—so of course I'm not going to do anything too reckless."
"If your goal is to help Beyond regain his freedom, I'm happy to lend a hand," he continued, his tone firming, "but I can't leave Pariston to his own devices."
He turned his eyes to Pariston, who was still smiling.
"Because what he's planning is a grand act of destruction—dressed up in the name of his twisted brand of love."
"So yeah… the reason I came here is simple: to support Beyond, and to keep Pariston in check. Can you accept that?"
"No."
Muherr's tone was flat as he placed his hands on his hips, staring down Ging.
"Oh, calm down!" said Usame, the fisherman in the apron, stepping forward to defuse the tension. "Ging really isn't with the Association anymore!"
"Huh?" Muherr blinked at him. "Didn't you hate this guy when he first showed up a few days ago?"
"Also, what about that guy named Ronnel? The one Boss Beyond used to give special treatment to. Didn't he show up with Ging? Where is he now? I wanna see him~!"
"Easy," Usame said, taking a breath. "Yeah, I hated him at first. Still do, kinda. But after spending some time with him… you start to see he's the kind of guy we need on our side."
He looked sincerely at the others.
"He's a real asset to the team."
When Ronnel's name came up, Usame's expression shifted. His thoughts wandered back to what had happened just days earlier. That face, those words, his aura—it was all still so vivid.
"We can't wait any longer!"
Before he could say more, one of the large men who had come in with Muherr—a towering figure clad in black—cut him off.
"We answer to one person. Beyond. As long as there's no impact on the chain of command, we don't care who's number two."
He raised his voice.
"Pariston or Ging—one of you stays, the other leaves. Decide. Now!"
...
Ging let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.
"So it's a three-way choice, huh?"
"Nope," Pariston said, the smile deepening on his lips. "It's four."
"Huh?!" The three large men frowned, confused by the exchange.
"It's rare for Ging to show such sincerity. I really didn't expect someone to suddenly show up and throw a wrench in things~"
Pariston's voice was light, but Ging opened his eyes just in time.
"The third option is: You get out!"
"And the fourth," Ging added calmly, "is you die."
Ging and Pariston voiced their stances in succession.
The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Hunter Association headquarters—
Mizaistom Nana and Kurapika were organizing the list of examinees who had passed the most recent Hunter Exam.
Yes. Kurapika.
Just like in the original timeline, he had joined the Zodiacs and taken the vacant Rat seat left by Pariston.
It was strange—Kurapika, a Hunter with no prior involvement in the Association's upper ranks, suddenly becoming one of the Twelve Zodiacs.
But in truth… Ronnel played a part in that, too.
After Ginta helped stabilize the Association's chaotic post-election state, he immediately began scouting for elite Hunters who could fill the missing seats in the Zodiacs.
With the V5 pressing for an expedition to the Dark Continent, the Association needed top-tier talent to match.
The plan was to deploy no more than 200 Hunters to the Dark Continent. That might not sound like much, but with the Association's current active count sitting under 400—many of whom were non-combat support—it represented a massive mobilization.
Sending that many into the unknown meant the Association's strength across the Six Continents would be stretched dangerously thin.
Which is why they needed someone with real battle strength, proven leadership, and serious prestige to hold things down in their absence.
After several rounds of consideration, they put forward Morel—fresh from the Chimera Ant campaign.
With unanimous support from the remaining Zodiacs (even Kanzai), and Morel's own begrudging acceptance, he officially took the position of Boar.
While Cheadle and the others journeyed to the Dark Continent, Morel would co-manage the Association with Beans.
Of course, Morel still had the heart of a Hunter, full of curiosity and ambition. When he first heard rumors about the Dark Continent, he was tempted.
He wanted to go.
But when he found out that even the Chimera Ants—who had pushed the Association to its limit—were just B-rank threats in the Dark Continent…
And that even more terrifying creatures existed there, ranked A and above…
That adventurous spirit of his cooled off immediately.
He decided to wait.
Let's see how this first wave goes, he thought. If it's not a total disaster, I can always bring my two apprentices along later.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)