"Yes, my lord."
The ten men—all newly anointed—knelt as one, accepting the title Vega had bestowed upon them. No longer just foot soldiers or team leaders, they were now the Ten Commandments of the Pengellet family.
Each of them held deep within their hearts the same unspoken oath: to be the Pengellet family's unbreakable shield and unstoppable sword. To stand at the very top of the underworld beneath Vega's banner.
"Kevin," Vega called calmly.
"Yes, Master," Kevin responded immediately, stepping forward and bowing respectfully.
"I've long seen your loyalty and contribution to the Pengellet family," Vega said with a chuckle. "So from this day forward, the Ten Commandments will serve under your command."
"You'll be the First Commandment," Vega said, placing a hand on Kevin's shoulder with expectation in his voice.
Kevin didn't hesitate. He dropped to one knee and lowered his head.
"Master, I—no, we—the Ten Commandments, will lead the Pengellet family to the pinnacle of the underworld."
Vega nodded with approval and said, "I believe you. We're finally on the right path. The Pengellet family will rise—and the Monroe family and their fellow Elders will be the stones we step on."
A glint of seriousness flashed in Vega's eyes.
"But to ensure that, I need to increase your power. All of you… especially you, Kevin, are still too weak."
The weight in Vega's tone made Kevin's expression turn solemn. Vega wasn't speaking out of arrogance—he was being brutally realistic.
The recent ambush by the Phantom Troupe, the assassination attempt by Silva Zoldyck—these weren't isolated events. It was clear now that the Ten Elders had unleashed every asset they had to eliminate him.
While Vega was strong enough to contend with these threats himself, the rest of the Pengellet family wasn't. Even Kevin and the newly formed Ten Commandments were helpless in a direct confrontation.
And if any of them fell, Vega knew the enemy would exploit that weakness to shatter his focus and resolve.
The Phantom Troupe, in particular, couldn't be ignored. Those lunatics bore a personal grudge and had no scruples. And should the Zoldycks catch wind of their movements, they might use the chaos to attempt another assassination from the shadows.
Vega knew the Zoldycks wouldn't stop unless two things were true: either the job was canceled by a client even more powerful than them—or the target was someone so monstrous, even they dared not face him. Like Chairman Netero.
But Vega wasn't Netero. Not yet.
So the pressure fell on him to find a solution—to rapidly increase Kevin's strength without endangering his life in the process.
He considered enhancing Kevin's Flame Gauntlet again. But then quickly dismissed the idea.
The stronger the gauntlet became, the more Nen or stamina it consumed. Kevin's body might be in good shape, but it wasn't suited for forced Nen awakening through raw strain. If he pushed his aura nodes open by force, it might kill him outright.
What he needed was something else—an enhancement that strengthened the body and aura without overwhelming it. Something that could be used directly, or fused into the flesh without backlash.
Vega racked his mind, flipping through ideas and memories. Then suddenly—inspiration.
A powerful artifact came to mind. One with the ability to grant wishes, enhance strength, and even bring people back from the dead.
The Shikon Jewel.The Jewel of Four Souls—from Inuyasha. Even a fragment of it could exponentially increase someone's power.
It was perfect.
Closing his eyes, Vega focused, projecting the image into his mind. He visualized the fragment clearly and began channeling his Nen to manifest it, drawing from his experience points.
His mental energy poured out like a tide, and experience points drained rapidly.
A translucent crystal began to form.
But as it emerged, Vega felt his body weaken and his aura flicker. The full version was simply too powerful. Even a simplified replica strained his resources.
Realizing the danger, he scaled it down—manifesting only a fragment of the Shikon Jewel instead.
It worked.
The fragment pulsed softly in his hand, exuding a subtle, enchanting glow.
But the moment Kevin's eyes fell on it, Vega saw a frightening change.
Desire.
Kevin's expression twisted, his pupils dilated, and his body instinctively leaned forward—yearning to seize it. To possess it.
Vega immediately clenched the fragment in his hand and used his Nen to suppress its aura, cutting off the artifact's seductive presence.
Kevin blinked, then slowly returned to his senses.
Vega exhaled slowly.
So it really is that dangerous…
Just a fragment, and it could already infect the mind with obsession. He could only imagine the chaos if the full jewel was ever created. Wars would break out just to claim it.