What's up, guys? How are you all doing?
Just Chibaku monster here carrying good news to you all (Just those who are really interested).
I am currently in a phase where I am nearing being a full-blown translator/Editor for fanfictions and maybe some novels that I like that aren't getting attention.
I FULLY!! I plan to improve my Patreon standards for some of Webnovel's heavy hitters like BLEAM. Starting next week, my Patreon will be 70 chapters ahead of ALL!! Ongoing projects, and soon, I will be posting a new fic (Don't expect it to be this month though).
...
"I understand."
Oboro slowly put his phone back into his pocket after answering Hisoka's call, his movements deliberate against the backdrop of swaying grass.
Zeno and Silva noticed his subtle action, their expressions hardening instantly.
The man in the suit, who had been casually lying on the ground looking up at the starry sky, rose to his feet with fluid grace.
"You can't hold back anymore, can you? I knew you wouldn't just stand there," the old man Zeno snorted, tension visible in his weathered features.
"Such a beautiful night view," Oboro replied with a casual smile. "You two really don't know how to appreciate it," he continued, "The Phantom Troupe has already caused quite a stir in my territory. "It would be all right if you two decided to let me go now."
"No," Silva interjected firmly. "You can't treat him like an ordinary person. The Zoldycks have never failed. To be on the safe side, we must wait until tomorrow morning." His deep voice echoed as he watched Oboro release his aura.
At that moment, something changed.
Along with Oboro's hazy aura, something else came, a green mist that spread from his feet and spread across the ground like living smoke.
Silva and Zeno tensed. Since their first encounter with Oboro, he had never released his full aura. They had only observed his extraordinary physical strength with their eyes. But now, as his true power erupted, both assassins realized with a shock that they had still underestimated Oboro's strength.
If Silva's energy was an erupting volcano, then Oboro's aura, symbolizing the energy of life itself, was a tsunami rolling through the ocean currents. It surged with such turbulence that no words could adequately describe it.
It was even more terrifying than Zeno's own formidable vitality.
The old man's face grew pale with rage. He had never expected Oboro, an up-and-coming young hunter who had joined the Covenant only a few years ago, to possess such power.
At that moment, Zeno had the disturbing illusion that he was facing Chairman Netero directly. Though their auras were different in nature, the threat they posed was disturbingly similar.
The auras of all three men exploded wildly, colliding with the spreading pressure wave from Oboro.
The grass across the field rippled like water on a lake, blown by the fierce winds of their colliding power.
Zeno raised his hands defensively in front of him to block the raging wind. He opened his eyes in anger and fixed his gaze on Oboro.
"Dragon head fangs of vengeance!"
Zeno's roar tore through the night as he thrust his hands forward. His immense aura transformed into a giant dragon that tore through the ghostly mist and charged at Oboro.
At the same time, Silva vanished from his position.
In a flash, he appeared before a Mafia Nen user who had not yet regained his senses. With a single, brutal slash of his arm, the man's entire upper body was obliterated.
Meanwhile, Zeno's Mind Dragon slammed into the ground with devastating force, raising a cloud of dust and leaving a massive crater in its wake.
But Oboro was nowhere to be found.
When Zeno looked again, the scene before him had changed, shrouded in a chaotic, swirling green mist.
Ghostly figures kept emerging from the mist, their howls and roars attempting to launch mental attacks against the two assassins.
Zeno immediately deployed his En, spreading his aura to sense moving objects within range. At full power, his En could cover a radius of over 300 meters, more than a mile in diameter.
"Hmm?"
Zeno's expression changed as something unexpected happened.
His aura seemed to be unable to penetrate the miasma created by the ghost mist, greatly reducing its effectiveness. Even with his best efforts, the circle only extended to about a hundred meters. Trying to go further left him feeling exhausted, and progress became increasingly difficult.
"That mist" Zeno realized that this ghost mist must be one of Oboro's special abilities, designed to counter detection techniques.
With a thunderous impact, the ghostly figure still swaying in the mist before them dissipated, blown away by a terrifying gust of air as Silva stepped through.
He had efficiently eliminated the few remaining targets around Oboro's former position.
But in the blink of an eye, their primary target had vanished.
"Fan out!" Zeno ordered.
The two assassins exploded into action, diving deeper into the dense fog.
Father and son immediately went in different directions, each searching half of the area. Oboro's ability must have spread from him as the center. In other words, as long as the fog remained, he had to be nearby.
However, the old man had greatly underestimated the area the Ghost Mist could cover. At first, he thought it was two or three hundred meters, just beyond the compromised limit of his En. But after a burst of inhuman speed, they had covered nearly a kilometer, and the mist was still there. They still couldn't find Oboro.
In less than half a minute, Zeno and Silva had covered the entire semicircular area with a radius of over a thousand meters, a feat no ordinary human could accomplish.
Still, there was no sign of Oboro, which could only mean one thing.
The range of the Ghost Mist was more than a kilometer.
"Dragon formation!"
Zeno's eyes narrowed as he gathered his strength in an instant. He raised his hand and roared with primal power.
Massive waves of aura erupted, piercing the sky and forming several aura dragons in the air. As soon as these flying dragons appeared, they exploded like fireworks, raining down countless energy spheres like a curtain. The power of these spheres far exceeded that of ordinary artillery shells, and they fell in a dense pattern.
As they crashed into the sea of fog, the green mist and ghostly shadows melted away like spring snow under the sun.
The surroundings became visible again.
It was then that Zeno noticed a ray of light coming from a direction not far from him.
The corner of his mouth twitched as the realization dawned.
He sprinted towards the light.
After a few seconds, he arrived to find Oboro standing under the fluorescent glow, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face as he looked at the late Zoldyck.
"Sorry," Oboro said with casual confidence. "I have something to do elsewhere, so I won't be able to accompany you to enjoy the scenery. The starry sky here at night is truly spectacular. If you're not in a hurry to return, you might as well stay a little longer."
He looked at the solemn old man and added, "There is a first time for everything. If I don't tell anyone, outsiders won't know. The name of your Zoldyck family will remain unblemished."
As soon as he finished speaking, Oboro vanished in a streak of light and disappeared from Zeno's presence.
Barely two seconds after his departure, a powerful gust of wind announced Silva's arrival at his father's side.
"Both assassins stood in silence.
The mountains were completely silent, except for the occasional chirping of insects and birds.
"Gone?" Silva asked.
"Yes, let's go."
The fierce fighting spirit that had permeated Zeno's body suddenly vanished. He returned to his normal demeanor, just an old man who sighed deeply.
Failed.
This was the only mission failure in the history of the Zoldyck family.
But Zeno and Silva remained remarkably calm, showing no emotional turmoil.
Zeno said nothing more as he turned and walked away.
Silva followed.
"That beam of light just now, was that his ability too?" Silva asked as they walked home through the night. "He must have returned to the Fells' residence, which means it's a method of long-distance transportation. If this is also a manifestation of his Nen ability, how did he achieve it? What is the true nature of his power?"
"You're asking me?" Zeno replied with irritation. "Even if you asked Netero himself, he wouldn't know."
"Next time I have a mission with him, I'll call the one waiting at home" "Mm."
Silva nodded in understanding.
"Although the fog obscured him, his speed of movement was extraordinary. From what I have observed, his physical strength surpasses mine, perhaps even yours, Father? His endurance also surpasses mine." "He is also faster than me," Zeno reluctantly admitted. "In addition to his endurance, his Nen is as powerful as mine. It's just that his Nen ability is unusual and I was distracted for a moment, allowing him to seize the opportunity."
Zeno snorted in frustration.
"In a one-on-one situation, Father, are you confident you could kill him?"
"I can feel it. He's not quite at Netero's level, but considering his Nen ability, I'd say it's fifty-fifty."
Silva knew his father was serious, but he couldn't help but blanch when he heard this assessment.
Zeno wants to save face It's stated as a 50% chance of winning, but in reality, if a real confrontation occurred, his father would almost certainly be at a disadvantage.
"His contract must pay at least twice as much" "Yes.
"But how did he develop such power? Considering the information we received and his age, even if he started practicing Nen at a very young age, his advancement seems impossible."
"Don't overthink it. Just inform our employer."
"Understood."
Even though the mission had failed and had become a blemish on their perfect record, rules were rules. The Zoldyck family didn't really care about the failure, they were just unhappy about it.
"No answer."
After dialing Chrollo's number, Silva waited a while and found that no one answered.
"He's dead anyway, so there's no need to return the money." "Good."
The Fells family residence.
Each member of the Phantom Troupe stood transfixed, looking up at the light that was slowly fading above them.
And at the man who had suddenly appeared in front of them, standing on the dome of the palace.
A dense mist floated around him, spreading out to block the sky, causing the light to dim instantly.
Not only that, but as the fog rolled and stretched, wild wandering souls appeared one after another, filling the space between heaven and earth with their spectral forms.
The temperature seemed to drop to freezing.
Chrollo felt a chill pierce his heart.
The phone in his pocket rang, but there was no need to answer it.
On the roof of the hall, Oboro took a few steps forward, crouched down and looked at the figures below. Their faces stared at him in astonishment.
Especially Chrollo.
Oboro took a deep breath, the strong smell of blood filling his nostrils.
"You really killed a lot of people," he observed coldly. "How do you like playing with the toys I gave you for free?"
He took off his sunglasses and chuckled, the sound devoid of humor. "Everyone seems so interested. Do you mind if I join in?"