Hunter Association
Even from its exterior, it was clearly extraordinary—a towering office building.
At its summit was the Hunter Association distinctive emblem, resembling two interlocking X.
This was a place countless people dreamed of joining.
Though it housed many lower-skilled "Association Specialists" They still belonged to a world apart from ordinary people.
On this day, the Hunter Association—where people fought tooth and nail to enter—welcomed group after group of visitors.
There were elite representatives sent by V5, leaders dispatched by global underworld organizations and high-ranking members of the Hunter Association itself.
They had gathered here to witness the announcement of a major event.
***
In a corner of the Hunter Association, A tiny hole suddenly appeared out of thin air then rapidly expanded outward from its center.
In the blink of an eye, it grew from an imperceptible speck to an opening large enough for a person to pass through effortlessly.
Peering through the hole revealed a vast white world.
The edges of the opening were lined with glass-like fragments, faintly pulsing with streams of tiny green digital code.
The sight alone exuded an air of profound mystery.
This was the passage connecting the real world to the digital world!
"Seems we've arrived."
Akira stepped out first, surveying the surroundings before speaking calmly.
Menchi followed closely behind, emerging after Akira, and couldn't help but marvel.
"To travel from Gourmet Paradise to the Hunter Association in such a short time..."
"Without experiencing it firsthand, I'd have found it hard to believe."
After receiving Chairman Netero invitation, the two hadn't set off immediately, waiting instead for the appointed day.
"Akira? And Menchi?"
Just as they were about to seek out Chairman Netero, a clear voice called out from nearby.
"Oh, Gel! Long time no see."
Recognizing the familiar voice, Akira turned to see Gel, whom they'd met at Gourmet Paradise.
Her presence here made sense—after all, Gel was one of The Twelve Zodiac.
"What's this about?"
Gel pointed at the closing inter-dimensional passage, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she asked softly.
How was this possible?
"Oh, this is a passage connecting the real world to the digital world."
Seeing Gel puzzlement, Akira gave her a brief explanation.
As understanding dawned, Gel expression shifted from confusion to astonishment.
Such a thing was actually achievable?
As a member of The Twelve Zodiac, she'd heard of the digital world and knew many secrets.
But this was her first time hearing of someone using it to travel between locations.
Not to mention Akira accomplished this through his own Nen beast.
Didn't that mean most places across the six continents were freely accessible to Akira?
This was something Gel truly hadn't anticipated.
After such a long separation, the first scene of seeing Akira again gave her such a shock.
"Akira... you're really amazing." After a long pause, Gel finally spoke slowly.
What she really wanted to say was that Akira was a monster.
Akira and his companion were also quite surprised, not expecting to run into a friend right after arriving—quite a coincidence.
"You're here for that matter too, aren't you?" Gel blinked and asked softly.
Nearly all the unfamiliar faces appearing at the Hunter Association today were likely here for that very reason.
"Actually, I don't even know what this is about. Chairman Netero invited me."
"He said I was the main character of this event and had to come?"
Akira recalled Chairman Netero phone call. From his tone and words, it seemed like good news?
How did he become the main character?
"Main character, huh..."
"Looks like you're the replacement this time." Gel murmured under her breath.
Realizing the two weren't fully informed, Gel proceeded to explain the situation in detail.
The major event turned out to be related to the "Selection of the World Top Five Nen Users."
The World Top Five Nen Users was a list established many years ago.
As the name suggested, it referred to the five most powerful Nen Users in the world.
Of course, this only accounted for public figures—whether there were other formidable individuals in the shadows remained unknown.
The five were:
The current Chairman of the Hunter Association, former holder of the title "World's Strongest," Chairman Netero.
Known as the "Wanderer," the Two-Star Ruins Hunter and member of The Twelve Zodiacs (Boar), Ging.
The Three-Star Terrorist Hunter, also a member of The Twelve Zodiacs (Dragon), Botobai.
The oldest active hunter in the association, a senior figure among Gourmet Hunters, Linne.
Born into the world's foremost assassin family, the Zoldyck Family, Zeno Zoldyck.
However, only a select few knew that Zeno wasn't truly one of the Top Five.
The title was essentially held in proxy by him.
The actual fifth member was Zeno grandfather, Maha Zoldyck.
With the exception of Linne, who was severely ill, the other four possessed S- class level strength.
The title of World's Top Five Nen Users was well-deserved.
The gathering this time was to announce the new generation of the World's Top Five Nen Users.
Initially, people weren't clear about the specifics.
But based on Akira earlier words, Gel surmised that Akira would be replacing one of them.
Given Akira strength, being named one of the World's Top Five Nen Users would be more than fitting.
In fact, he had long since surpassed them as the undisputed strongest in the world.
"So they want me to become one of the new Top Five?"
Now Akira understood why Chairman Netero called him the main character this time.
Though to outsiders, this position might seem like a tremendous honor, to Akira, it was just another title—nothing more than an empty label.
As for who he'd be replacing, Akira had a rough guess.
Probably Linne?
Afflicted by illness, even after recovery, Linne still suffered lingering effects, making her unfit to retain the position.
This could also serve as repayment for Akira kindness, hence the decision to step down and let Akira take the spot.
"Hey, Akira."
On their way to the meeting room, Akira also ran into Biscuit Krueger heading the same direction.
It hadn't even been a few days since they last parted and here they were meeting again.
"Bisky-senpai, did you manage to obtain [Blue Planet] in the end?" Menchi asked with a smile. Back on Greed Island, Biscuit had told them she was determined to acquire [Blue Planet].
"Hohoho, of course I got it" Biscuit replied with an air of pride, even taking out the gemstone to show off.
True to its name, [Blue Planet] was a dazzling, perfectly spherical gem that emitted an icy blue glow. It was said to be a one-of-a-kind gem composed of rare elements scarcely found in the universe.
This reminded Akira of the "Liquid Ore," one of the Seven Great Beauties of the World. Both were extremely rare minerals with similar icy blue hues.
Perhaps when designing this card, the creators had drawn inspiration from the Liquid Ore appearance.
"If Bisky-senpai approves of it, then it must truly be well-crafted" Akira remarked.
As the group gathered to admire the gem, Ging happened to spot them and joined the conversation.
"Hey Akira, oh and hello old lady!"
"Did you just say 'old'?" Biscuit expression instantly changed as she fixed Ging with a sharp glare.
If looks could kill, Ging would have been riddled with holes.
"Haha, no, no" Ging chuckled nervously, waving his hands in denial.
"How unusual for you to actually attend a meeting" Gel commented with genuine curiosity, her tone suggesting this was as rare as the sun rising from the west.
She couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen Ging. Despite holding the same position, they rarely crossed paths.
"I happened to be free, and since Akira the main attraction, I thought I'd show some face" Ging said, patting Akira shoulder with exaggerated solemnity.
No sooner had he spoken than Ging recalled Akira earlier words in front of Gon and his expression darkened.
"Akira, were you really planning to make Gon meet me? You nearly gave me a heart attack—Old P wasn't even going to let me go back."
"Nah, just wanted to mess with you a bit" Akira replied.
***
As the group walked away, their voices gradually faded.
In the corner where Akira and the others had been standing, a mafia member in a standard suit and oversized sunglasses leaned against the wall, typing furiously on his phone.
His message was addressed to none other than Pride, formerly of the Seven Deadly Sins and now one of the Ten Dons.
Recalling how effortlessly Akira had bantered with Ging, Gel and the other Zodiac members, the mafia man couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Could Boss Pride... really stand a chance against someone like that?
***
"Seems like some little rats have taken an interest in you" Ging suddenly remarked after they'd walked some distance.
"Want to deal with them here?"
The comment might have seemed cryptic to outsiders, but everyone present was highly skilled.
The rodents lurking in the shadows thought they were well-hidden, but in truth, they were all under the group watchful eyes.
They simply hadn't bothered to acknowledge them.
"No need. We'll round them all up soon enough" Akira replied, shaking his head.
A deep sense of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
I wonder how much experience points Pride can bring me after becoming one of the Ten Dons?
Nowadays, Akira couldn't even be bothered to call them humans anymore, simply referring to them as experience points instead.
A few days ago, right after Chairman Netero phone call, came the call from Earthworm.
After becoming one of the Ten Dons, Pride personal strength and the scale of his forces had been growing day by day.
His power increased continuously every day.
This finally reignited Pride confidence, prompting him to plan a second round of revenge against Akira.
Having successively killed four members of the "Seven Deadly Sins," Pride had long harbored deep hatred for Akira.
Most crucially, killing Akira would allow him to wash away his past humiliation.
At that time, utilizing his Nen ability could greatly enhance his strength.
Not to mention, Akira was already quite renowned, especially for his "legendary" status at Heavens Arena, which was practically household knowledge.
If Akira could die at the hands of Pride, his already formidable strength would reach new heights!
So, to summarize the information in one sentence: Pride was preparing to make his move!
The representative sent by the world mafia this time was one of Pride subordinates.
"A clean sweep, huh... Looks like the community is about to be shaken up again soon" Ging mused, his eyes subconsciously glancing at Akira, who remained unfazed.
He was well aware of the grudges between Akira and the "Seven Deadly Sins."
From slaying Wrath and Envy at the Moros Ruins...
To the "Seven Deadly Sins" seeking revenge, only for Greed and Gluttony to meet the same fate.
Thus, four of the "Seven Deadly Sins" had been eliminated, turning the group into a joke.
Their leader, Pride, had instead collaborated with the world mafia, transforming into one of the prestigious Ten Dons.
Had his wings grown strong enough to attempt revenge again?
Unaware of Pride Nen ability, Ging simply assumed Pride was someone who held grudges.
As a criminal, such a personality was hardly surprising.
In truth, Pride motive for targeting Akira was primarily to enhance his own strength.
There was one thing Ging didn't voice aloud.
When the time came, it likely wouldn't just shake their community—the impact might exceed his expectations.
After all, Pride had become one of the Ten Dons. If the mafia wasn't careful, perhaps...
But none of that concerned him anyway.
After some thought, Ging slightly furrowed brows relaxed again.
With Akira strength, there was no need for him to worry.
Even if Akira provoked the entire Six Continents, he could probably handle it effortlessly.
Speaking of which, Akira wasn't just incredibly powerful—his Nen beasts were each more formidable than the last.
Each possessed unique special abilities.
This would be immensely helpful for exploring the Dark Continent!
It seemed he'd have to ask Akira about his plans. When the time came to venture into the Dark Continent, he absolutely had to bring Akira along.
With Akira alone, he could match an entire team of well-equipped experts with diverse Nen abilities!
From the information gathered so far, Akira Nen beasts included, but weren't limited to, abilities like healing, teleportation, curse removal, storage... and more.
They could do without anyone else, but Akira was a must!
What Ging didn't know was that while he had his eyes on Akira, others were also eyeing him.
They wanted to recruit him for their own teams.
***
Before long, the group arrived at the designated meeting room.
Only then did Akira realize that shortly after arriving at the Hunter Association, a crowd had inexplicably gathered around him.
Originally, it had just been him and Menchi. Then Gel and Biscuit joined, followed by Ging.
Now, the five of them were marching toward the room in a grand procession.
To outsiders, every member of this group was extraordinary.
It could be called a heavyweight lineup.
Even the least renowned among them, Menchi, held the title of "the youngest One-Star Hunter in the Hunter Association."
It was worth noting that compared to the number of non-star hunters, star-ranked hunters were exceedingly rare—each one an elite.
As they filed into the conference room, Akira realized it was far more spacious than expected.
It could be considered a large-scale meeting hall.
Inside, a scattered group of around twenty people had already gathered.
The total number likely amounted to several dozen.
They could be broadly divided into two categories:
The first consisted of high-ranking officials from various factions, such as The Twelve Zodiac of the Hunter Association, V5 officials and nobles and leaders of global underworld syndicates.
The second category included independent hunters with notable titles.
For instance, Biscuit Krueger and Menchi belonged to this group. Akira even spotted a few familiar faces among them.
Like Morel, who was holding his large smoking pipe—though he refrained from smoking indoors.
At this point, he hadn't yet participated in the Ant King extermination mission, so he was still just a One-Star Sea Hunter.
After the Chimera Ant incident, he would be promoted to a Triple Star Hunter.
All these individuals had gathered in this conference room for one purpose: the announcement of the new generation of the world top five Nen Users!
The spacious hall featured a long rectangular conference table with enough seating for many.
However, only those with significant reputations could sit, while those of lesser standing had to remain standing behind their associates.
Roughly half were seated, and the other half stood.
"Hohohoho, has our protagonist finally arrived?"
"Come, take a seat."
Chairman Netero gently set down his teacup and beckoned to Akira with a smile.
He had already reserved seats for them in advance.
Upon closer inspection, Akira noticed even more familiar faces seated beside Chairman Netero.
First was Linne, whose complexion had improved considerably, gazing at him with a kindly expression.
Akira guess had been correct—Linne had personally requested Netero to step down and make way for him.
Clearly, compared to her, Akira was far more qualified to take this seat.
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