Kaizen had invited Wendy to visit the Zoldyck family estate.
From an emotional and strategic perspective, Wendy would naturally extend an invitation for Kaizen to visit Fiora in return.
With Wendy as a guide, gaining insights into the Fiora royal family would be much easier for Kaizen. Even if Wendy didn't suggest it herself, Kaizen could subtly steer the conversation in that direction, leaving her with no choice but to agree.
"Alright, it's settled then," Wendy said with a smile. "I'll accompany you to Zoldyck Manor first. Later, I'll take you to Fiora. There are so many fascinating sights, beautiful landscapes, and delicious foods I want to show you."
"Sounds good," Kaizen replied with a nod.
The two continued living in the small wooden cabin. Their days followed a routine—split between training and preparing for their next steps. They waited for the arrival of the Hunter Association representatives, who would join them to address the situation in the Taris Kingdom.
In the meantime, Kaizen received classified information through Altan, details only he was privy to.
Within the chaos of the Taris Kingdom, there was a splinter group—a secretive cluster that included Ito Xius and the Nen practitioners who had escaped from Taris. Kaizen pieced this together from the escapee list, Ito Xius's mobile contact directory, and intercepted text messages.
"This means," Kaizen mused, "that after completing my mission in Taris, if the Observer's Will progress still hasn't reached 100%, I can track down this group."
...
Ten days later, the Hunter Association representatives arrived.
Kaizen's phone buzzed.
"Kaizen? It's us. We've arrived," came a voice over the line.
"Got it. We're at No. 64," Kaizen responded.
Not long after, a figure appeared at the gate.
It was a woman with strikingly long black hair, large, piercing eyes, and a figure that was both elegant and commanding. Her slightly dark complexion and the cold, snake-like aura she exuded made her presence hard to ignore.
Kaizen and Wendy met her at the door.
"Kaizen? Wendy?" the woman asked.
They exchanged glances, confirming her identity.
"Let me introduce myself," she said. "I'm Gel, also known as Snake among the Twelve Zodiacs of the Hunter Association. I'm leading the team handling the Taris Kingdom mission."
Kaizen immediately recognized her. Gel was renowned as a Poison Hunter and a skilled coroner and pharmacist. Her expertise in dealing with death made her a natural choice for this mission, especially since the rogue Nen users in Taris were known for their deadly abilities.
"Are you available to discuss the mission now?" Gel asked, her piercing gaze fixed on them.
"Of course," Kaizen replied, sharing the details Dominica had provided earlier.
Gel's expression grew serious. "This situation is more complex than I anticipated. We need to act quickly. What's your plan—stay here, leave, or join us?"
Kaizen glanced at Wendy before answering. "Dominica suggested we act together with you."
"Understood," Gel nodded. "You'll accompany us, but you must follow my orders and refrain from wandering off. The Nen practitioners from Taris are extremely dangerous—you've seen this firsthand."
"Got it," Kaizen agreed.
"Let's go. My team is waiting at the town's exit."
Gel led them to the outskirts, where her four disciples awaited. The group was diverse, though Kaizen didn't recognize any of them.
Gel introduced them briefly before turning to the group.
"From now on, we act as a team. Let's move out."
The team quickly set off, heading toward the back mountain. Despite the rugged terrain, they moved with remarkable ease, a testament to their training.
As they traveled, Kaizen studied Gel's disciples. Among them, one had reached an A-level rank in terms of Nen ability, two were at B-level, and the youngest was at C-level—the same as Kaizen and Wendy. However, all of them were older than the two of them.
Gel herself exuded an aura stronger than all her disciples, marking her as the most formidable of the group.
This small team was well-prepared for a mission of this magnitude. After all, dealing with Taris's rogue Nen users required exceptional skill and coordination.
Kaizen recalled Hisoka's evaluations of the Twelve Zodiacs during the Hunter Chairman Election. Hisoka had scored them based on combat prowess, with varying results:
Cheadle (Dog) scored 90 points.
Mizaistom (Ox) scored 85 points.
Pyon (Rabbit) scored 77 points.
Pariston (Rat) scored 95 points.
Kaizen understood these discrepancies stemmed from their unique roles. Combat-focused hunters like Pariston naturally scored higher than intelligence or research specialists like Pyon.
Gel's skills as a Poison Hunter, however, seemed perfectly tailored for the dangers awaiting them in Taris.
------------
+285 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub