"Alright, I understand."
The next day, Oboro hung up the phone.
He received news that Killua and Gon had gone to Kakin Empire in order to reunite with Kurapika.
Another reason was naturally the auction at Greed Island.
"Interesting."
Oboro curled his lips slightly, his eyes full of intrigue.
In the original story, the plot involving Greed Island and the tycoon Battler took place in Yorknew City.
But now, it had shifted to the Kakin Empire.
On one hand, it was because of Kurapika; on the other hand, Oboro had to think about Ging Freecss.
With Ging's abilities, he could easily gauge Gon's growth curve, and also figure out what Gon and Killua had obtained from Meruem after returning to Whale Island, and make arrangements accordingly.
"Marilyn Corporation."
Oboro murmured.
Unsurprisingly, in the original work, it was this company that commissioned Yorknew's auction house to handle the auction… but now, it had moved to the capital of Kakin.
During this time of year—roughly August or September—each of Yorknew's major auction houses would host grand events. Participants weren't limited to just the ten elders. Currently, the Fels family had already controlled a global black market, and they were still leveraging the newly appointed ten elders to auction some collectibles at Yorknew.
It was also an opportunity for them to promote their status and reputation.
However… the game equipment for Greed Island had not appeared as scheduled.
"Are they hiding from me? Or…?"
He and Beyond had caused chaos in Kakin, and this matter probably couldn't be concealed from Ging Freecss. Ging should also know about Gon's relationship with him.
Gon and a few other characters' growth points had been deliberately altered by Ging.
"Maybe… it's also for Beyond."
Oboro rotated his phone.
For now, the one who understood his strength best was definitely Beyond.
Because he had just fought Beyond in a fierce battle, Ging wanted to deepen his understanding of Beyond's methods, and Beyond was the best entry point.
In other words, Ging himself might now be in Kakin.
As for Kurapika, the Fels family had been paying close attention.
Kurapika had joined a mid-tier mafia family within Kakin, and within just a few months, had gained the trust of the boss through outstanding performance… though he hadn't yet contacted the royal family, given the current situation, it should happen soon.
Because the auction held by the Kakin royal family this time was sponsored by Marilyn Corporation, the developer of Greed Island.
And Marilyn was one of Ging's partners. To attract a large number of attention to this auction, the company had brought out many valuable items… It was said that many world-famous wealthy individuals had rushed over.
Their influence completely overshadowed this year's Yorknew auction publicity.
The mastermind behind it was none other than Ging.
Additionally, for the princes of the royal family, this was also an opportunity to make connections with influential figures from around the world and strengthen their own factions.
So, all of them would appear.
It's important to note that the most powerful eldest prince, Benjamin, was now in a life-and-death situation. For the other princes, this was a rare opportunity to rise with the momentum.
They could also use the auction to engage with the royal family and understand the truth behind the Fels family's defeat in Kakin's capital some time ago.
And… it was also about creating momentum to provide Gon with an environment for growth.
"You probably wouldn't team up with Beyond, right? If you team up with him… might as well team up with me…" Oboro smiled.
Ging would never cooperate with someone like Beyond, even if he approached him, he wouldn't associate with Beyond.
The main goal was probably to understand his abilities.
"No way, Captain! I can't hold on anymore…"
Anthony's exhausted voice came from the side.
He was soaked in sweat, collapsing on the ground, with a somewhat frightened look at the swirling ghosts around him. The mental energy he had expelled had long since disappeared.
"Is this all you've got… and you still want to go to the Dark Continent?"
Oboro snapped back to his senses with a faint smile.
He was currently conducting special training with several team members.
"This is too hard…"
Anthony looked at the others—except for Menchi, the other three teammates had already collapsed, panting heavily.
Only Menchi was still stubbornly holding on, maintaining her mental training state.
Meanwhile, the woman was surrounded by countless ghost shadows, with ghostly roars and screams ringing in her ears. The impact on her mental state was enormous… Under such circumstances, maintaining a steady mental energy flow was extremely difficult.
"Keep going… we don't have much time left."
Oboro slowly got up and walked over.
"Stop complaining. At least… the crises I've simulated are all predictable. When we reach the Dark Continent, the dangers you face will be much more secretive… and less likely to be detected."
Oboro no longer paid attention to Kakin.
Let Ging Freecss and Beyond cause trouble… for now.
He was only waiting for the chapter of Chimera Ants to begin.
King Nasbi Gray Guo, as expected, did not contact the Fels family. Oboro had underestimated his determination… he even abandoned the bloodline of the eldest prince.
...
Time passed quickly… and soon, it was the time for the new Hunter exam.
A large number of candidates gathered from all over the world.
The Hunter Association's management called Oboro, asking if he could serve as an examiner again.
He refused.
Without his intervention this time, just like in the original story, only Killua would ultimately become a Hunter.
Gon and Killua had already entered the game—Greed Island.
And Ging Freecss would be joining them.
The auction at Greed Island, whether held in Yorknew or Kakin, would definitely involve Ging, because the old lady was after the gemstone.
It was unrelated to the two protagonists.
So, they would inevitably meet.
An interesting point was that during the auction, Prince Chenny Donihi of Kakin and Prince Ruz Loth of the Seventh Prince clashed, causing quite a stir in the capital, with signs of escalating into war. Neither prince fought directly, but their behind-the-scenes mafia organizations were engaged in a fierce battle… namely, the Ayiya family backing Prince Chenny and the Gasha family backing Prince Ruz. Gon, Killua, and Leorio also got caught up in this.
Because Kurapika's behind-the-scenes mafia was actually affiliated with the Gasha family.
Previously, the Fels family had caused a reshuffle in the underground world of Kakin… affecting some local mafias, though not very obviously. After the Fels family failed to seize the royal power, Kakin's empire silently and swiftly eliminated all mafia forces related to the Fels family… leading to the rise of many native mafias with new survival opportunities. Among them, three families with ties to the royal family were the main players.
Currently, the three biggest mafia groups in Kakin were the Ayiya family, the Shiwou family, and the Gasha family.
They respectively represented Prince Ruz, Prince Chenny, and Prince Ruz.
From this perspective, Kurapika was trying to leverage the current mafia forces to gain the Gasha family's attention, join the camp of the Seventh Prince, oppose the Fourth Prince, and thus regain his clan's Red Eyes.
He probably wouldn't become a bodyguard for the Seventh Prince as in the original.
Of course, Oboro didn't care much about these matters… Ging's goal had been achieved.
Gon would definitely gain the expected growth from this incident… The royal family's internal strife and conflicts, though eventually subdued, also marked the beginning of the succession war.
Perhaps, Nasbi Gray Guo had already informed the princes about the Egg Ritual in the jar… and Ging Freecss had also successfully met with Prince Benjamin.
Yes, through the soul link, Oboro clearly sensed that Ging, under the guise of being hired, appeared in Prince Benjamin's bedroom one day, claiming to be there to treat Benjamin.
Of course, in the end… it still failed.
But understanding Benjamin's injuries also meant Ging knew part of Oboro's abilities.
The soul!
"Your soul is split, but it's not fatal… it's just gradually consuming your life force. The only way to recover quickly is to find the instigator!" At that time, Ging said to Benjamin.
But he shifted his tone: "I have a way to keep you alive, but even if I cure you, your body won't be the same… The soul, or energy, is also part of life. As long as your basic flesh and spirit remain, they can be nourished and adjusted gradually. The only difficult part is… time. Rebuilding the soul is unimaginably difficult, and it will take a very long time."
At that time, the prince was already emaciated, barely surviving by receiving nutrients through numerous tubes, with no strength left to speak.
He responded with a look to Ging.
Benjamin knew about the succession war… once he was cured, the war might have already ended, and the throne could have changed hands.
What was the point of him still being alive?
Moreover, he might have already died prematurely…
So, in the end, Ging left.
But the Kakin royal family had gathered many people—Ging was the only one who claimed to have a way to cure Benjamin.
"The soul…"
Oboro still vividly remembered Ging's gaze as he left the room, looking back at Benjamin.
Ging had already figured out… this kind of soul ability came from Hero's Island, and it was too similar to a certain game character—Thresh!
Oboro even knew that Ging had detected the existence of his hidden consciousness.
It seemed that Ging was communicating with Benjamin, but in fact… some words were being spoken directly to himself.
Ging had insight that Oboro was deeply developing the abilities related to Thresh and his background.
After all, he was also a veteran player of Hero's Island.
But even if he was seen through, Oboro didn't care much. The background information about Thresh was hidden, and even if Ging tried to analyze it, it wouldn't be complete.
Moreover, it was just Thresh…
Some things… had already become too late.
Oboro only had a rough understanding of the events happening in Kakin. He hadn't paid too much attention.
His main focus was still on his team members.
Conducting hellish training with Menchi and others.
Now it was January. By early April, the hidden threat of Chimera Ants would be exposed to the public.
And that… would be a feast for him.
____________________
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