Chapter 115: Refuse!#1
A month later, in the ruins
Haze was accompanying the Sori Group, excavating and preserving artifacts.
He had already eliminated two of the three teams operating within the restricted zone. The final group the one that had progressed the furthest simply withdrew upon noticing Haze's arrival.
Haze didn't stop them.
Or rather... it was difficult for him to stop them.
The last group consisted of five exceptionally skilled individuals two of them were national-level Nen users. Even for Haze, defeating all of them alone would have been difficult.
Nen was always a challenge...
He could have tested them with Ike's ultimate attack Spatial Rift.
However, one of the opposing members possessed a Nen ability that allowed teleportation, resulting in only a brief encounter before vanishing right before Haze's eyes.
They even had an escape plan prepared.
Overall, the progress achieved by Haze and his team far exceeded the Sori Group's expectations.
After eliminating the rebels surrounding the ruins, Haze officially joined the Sori Group, using his knowledge of classical Chinese to help translate ancient texts.
There were no books in these ancient ruins… All the texts and images were carved into stone and wood. However, due to the passage of time, many of the wooden carvings had rotted and become unrecognizable.
Even so, Haze's participation proved invaluable to the Sori Group.
The older the ruins, the closer they were to the truth about humanity's migration from the Dark Continent to the Island on the Lake. Before human society formed a proper system, many of these early texts resembled pictographs similar to those passed down by the Kuruta and Bozwa peoples.
"Is that... a demonic beast?"
The next day, Haze murmured under his breath as he brushed aside thick vines covering the outer walls of the ruins, examining the faded murals beneath.
Not far away, teams of people were hauling artifacts out of the ruins valuable treasures and collectible relics, including long-sealed coffins.
These ruins appeared to have once been a small royal palace, home to a bloodline of humans who escaped from the Dark Continent. The translated texts and imagery scattered across the stone statues suggested that this race had a close relationship with magical beasts even possessing knowledge and customs related to breeding them.
In humanity's earliest days, besides the human ancestors who fled from the Dark Continent, numerous magical beasts also existed. Some, weaker than the Dark Continent's reptiles, couldn't survive there and eventually made their way to the island on the lake.
In a sense, just like humans, they too were driven out by that land.
This pattern also applied later to the Chimera Ant Queen.
Today, magical beasts still roam the human world, scattered across the continents.
Some are even as intelligent as humans. For instance, the Zoldyck family's butler resembles the magical beast Chiriko, who once guided Gon and his friends to the Hunter Exam.
Haze had also encountered many magical beasts over the years.
Magical beasts were like the wild animals of the Dark Continent the lowest rung on the food chain. Those who escaped into human lands were effectively cut off from the cycle of life, unable even to integrate.
These creatures from the Dark Continent were far stronger and far more diverse than their human-world counterparts.
After generations of dilution, their danger had likely become less pure than before.
Different environments nurture different forms of life.
"In general... the first humans and magical beasts who migrated were practically the same," Haze said quietly, brushing dust off the wall.
Suddenly, his tone grew more cautious.
Magical beasts…
His passive abilities Absolution and Infernal Curse had no effect on ordinary people. But what about magical beasts? While there were many hidden Nen users scattered throughout the human world, he couldn't simply go on a killing spree. Now that he was a Hunter Association member, he had to restrain himself both because of the Association's Ten Rules and the watchful eyes of the old man.
Even without the Association's supervision, Haze found it difficult to kill every Nen user he came across.
His previous plan had been to visit "supply centers" like Heavens Arena and Ging Fulix's Greed Island… His Island of Heroes was untouchable attacking it with bloodshed was out of the question.
He still relied on those "players" to keep the "game" going.
However, even if he annihilated those places, the amount of souls and black mist he could harvest would be limited. There weren't many strong ones left!
Judging by his passive ability effects, the stronger the target, the more valuable their death. His attack range had now expanded to 20 centimeters, with a 7% critical hit rate. Based on his ability power, his Nen quality had increased by 10%, and his physical defense had significantly improved.
All of this came from two-star Association missions dependent on the enemy's strength. But such missions weren't always available, and their targets didn't always remain within reach.
Therefore...
The effects of souls and black mist increased or decreased based on the target's strength that is, their vitality. Ordinary humans, including beasts, didn't fall within that range. So... what about monsters?
Monsters should be able to...
Even if they couldn't compare to Nen users, their numbers were vast. With gradual accumulation, it would eventually lead to a qualitative change.
That could resolve his immediate crisis.
Otherwise, Haze might have to find a way to spark international conflicts forcing V5 to clash with certain nations and deploy large armies allowing him to eliminate the losers.
Though difficult... it wasn't impossible.
The Field family had been infiltrating government agencies across several countries, establishing contact with royal families. As their cultivated personnel rose through the ranks, they gradually became members of radical factions capable of manipulating political power to incite conflict and achieve their goals.
There was more than one country like East Godot on the continent.
Moreover, V5's relationship with the United Nations was unstable as seen in the recent ruins incident. While they appeared united, internal conflicts festered beneath the surface. Similarly, though V5's foundation was inscrutable, there were many indirect ways to restrict such an organization.
For example, the later KanGing Empire and Beyond's maneuvers influenced global opinion and trends, forcing V5 to concede.
Sometimes, raw military power wasn't enough to trigger a conflict.
Of course, all of this relied on the principles of national unity and international cooperation.
Individuals and small factions including the Hunter Association simply couldn't compete with V5, nor did they have the right to negotiate with it.
The Hunter Association's operating model meant it was essentially a subordinate, non-governmental organization, where each member followed their own agenda... with deeply tangled backgrounds.
Only an official government could rival it at least at the national level.
From this, it was easy to see why Yang De was the smarter one.
He had grasped V5's weakness.
"Find an opportunity to test it…"
Haze smiled.
If magical beasts could serve as "raw material" for his growth, he'd be one step closer to his ultimate goal.
Fifteen days later, Haze's research with the Sori Group concluded, and he returned to the Association.
He led his team once again on a two-star mission and as expected, just like before, it caused a major stir.
In just two months, they had completed an extremely difficult mission an astonishing display of efficiency.
Notably, during the mission, they apparently encountered a two-star criminal Hunter who had violated the Association's rules.
The six-person team had no stars among them and two were newcomers to the Association. Most importantly, the client's feedback was flawless.
Haze and the others submitted their reports to the relevant Association departments, explaining the mission details. The management recorded the information and evaluated everyone's contributions.
Naturally, Haze's contribution index ranked highest, earning him bonus points for professional ability.
After several years, he had returned to action with yet another resounding success.
This battle made Haze famous throughout the Association.
It also reaffirmed an unspoken rule among the other Hunters
Those "favored" by the Chairman were never easy to deal with.
Immediately afterward, Haze accepted a one-star mission, taking Menchi, Rita, and Anthony with him to begin work.
Feitan and Gebwich were still recovering from their injuries full recovery would take time.
…
(End of chapter)