At the coastal fortress, one of the boundaries between the Hunter Association district and the V6 zone stood a large steel gate that opened from both sides.
Several soldiers stood solemnly in front of the gate.
To avoid misunderstandings and conflicts, Chairman Netero, wearing wooden clogs, walked toward the gate while pulling out a hard invitation card from the wide sleeves of his robe.
"This is an invitation from your commander."
Netero held the invitation high, showing it to the soldiers, then pointed to the people behind him.
"We have been invited to attend tonight's banquet."
"Please show me the invitation."
A tall soldier, whose brows were always furrowed, took the invitation and examined it for a while.
He then glanced at the group before immediately saluting.
"Sorry, Chairman Netero, we all know you, but we have to carry out the routine inspection. After entering the banquet, you will undergo a second and third, more thorough check."
"We understand and accept."
It was no surprise that the V6 side was so strict with inspections.
The Hunter Association was full of Nen users, and no matter how many times they checked, some might still slip through.
Their methods of hiding weapons were incredibly varied and clever.
The difference between Nen users and ordinary people was vast, so it was necessary to stay vigilant—especially since so many Nen users gathered in the Hunter Association.
The V6 zone also had many Nen users, but compared to quality, they didn't match the Hunters.
A little caution was always a good thing.
With a rumble, the gate swung open on both sides, revealing a wide avenue.
At the end of the avenue was a bustling hall filled with voices.
Germain, Shizuku, Bisky, and Morel followed Chairman Netero's steps as invited guests, heading toward the heart of the V6 district.
They were very familiar with this place, having often traveled here before.
Only now, it was under V6 control.
After this, they split into male and female groups and, as expected, underwent two more inspections in separate closed rooms.
When everyone gathered again, Morel couldn't help but shift slightly in the suit he had finally managed to put on.
His sturdy frame stretched the suit almost to the breaking point.
"Quite a variety of styles," he muttered quietly.
"In reality, these checks don't mean much to Nen users who are even a little stronger."
For example, among those present, Chairman Netero was an Enhancer, and Bisky was a Transmuter — both living weapons in their own right.
Germain and Shizuku, who specialized in Conjuration, came equipped with their own weapons.
The only one truly limited was Morel from the Manipulation category — he couldn't bring his large pipe into the venue.
But that was about it.
Morel himself was very strong; his Nen foundation was excellent.
Bisky wore a princess-like dress, resembling rose petals, making her look like the daughter of some noble or big business family.
"It's mainly for peace of mind," Bisky replied.
"No one wants another big chaos to happen again. The V6 army has to show those fat cats something."
Germain also wore a black suit, but it looked far more imposing than Morel's — almost like it was tailor-made.
In fact, it was tailor-made.
He rarely used the specialized version of his "Light Illusion" ability, transforming his clothes into a perfectly fitted suit.
Shizuku mostly wore casual clothes.
Bisky had bought her several nice outfits, including dresses, but none suited today's occasion.
So, she had to borrow an evening gown from the female members of the Hunter Association.
In the end, she got this purple evening gown that highlighted her extraordinary charm.
While everyone dressed so formally, Chairman Netero still wore his usual long-sleeved robe, with no intention of wearing formal clothes.
Not only did Chairman Netero refuse to wear formal attire himself, but he also deceived everyone else.
He said that everyone had to wear formal clothes to the party, and that included himself.
But when it was time to leave, everyone realized they had been tricked by him.
Among the group, only Morel, who was forced to wear a very ill-fitting suit, complained.
The others didn't mind much — after all, it was just a party.
The real event would come after the party.
As they entered the party venue, everyone immediately felt a very different atmosphere from the past few months at the coastal fortress.
There was joy, satisfaction, arrogance, and prejudice in the air.
In recent months, the Hunter Association had mainly focused on securing the basic living needs for the coastal fortress survivors.
They had strictly limited most extravagant entertainment.
Small celebrations were acceptable, but large parties or balls were basically impossible — such events were a waste of precious resources.
At the same time, the coastal fortress housed people from all social classes.
Gathering them together for a common celebration was quite difficult.
If the party invited only one class, it would create a strange situation — the upper floors indulging in luxury while the lower floors felt oppressed.
Since such problems could arise, the Hunter Association simply decided not to hold such events.
Now, only days after the V6 reinforcement troops took over the coastal fortress, they were holding a grand party for the nobles and wealthy elites of the entire fortress.
This party was actually a consolation and compensation from the V6 forces to those nobles and elites.
Through this party, they wanted to declare to the coastal fortress and beyond that the status of these nobles and elites remained as firm as ever.
The upper class was still above, the lower class still below — there was no question of reversing that order.
The Hunter Association's previous efforts to eliminate the lower class and their refusal to grant privileges made the upper class very uneasy.
However, at that time, those upper-class figures' safety depended on the Hunter Association, and with Princess Oito and Mr. Steiner "fighting hard" for them, they endured in silence.
Now, with the V6 reinforcement troops stationed there, everything was different.
The elegantly dressed crowd, who not long ago had no choice but to accept the rationed food of the coastal fortress and appeared rather disheveled, had now transformed completely.
Each person had regained their former noble demeanor.
They walked slowly, spoke with gentle smiles, and gathered in groups, forming circles like delicate bubbles floating through the evening party.
Many noticed Chairman Netero and his companions; their expressions shifted slightly but quickly returned to normal as they nodded politely in greeting.
Yet, no one approached them.
"Tch," Bisky voiced his displeasure. "These people are already picking sides again. Looks like, old man, you haven't really won much popular support these past few months."
"They're not about popular support, nor did I intend to buy it," Chairman Netero grinned, his hands hidden inside his flowing sleeves, resembling a serene Maitreya Buddha.
After a while, someone did arrive upon hearing the news — it was Steiner, the commissioner from the International Travel Permit Office.
Steiner adjusted his glasses and exchanged polite greetings with everyone. Then, he cast a peculiar glance toward Germain and the others.
He already knew these four Nen users, who had not only stopped Beyond's expedition team but also brought back two kinds of "hope."
Even having witnessed Germain and his team's skills firsthand, Steiner was deeply surprised.
Being a non-Nen user himself, Steiner's understanding of their abilities was like his vague knowledge of the world's three great mathematical conjectures — he knew they were formidable but lacked clarity on the details.
Despite this, he could not comprehend how Germain and the others had managed to retrieve the "Herb for All-illnesses" and the "Greedy Dragon Crystal."
Countless people had repeatedly failed in the Dark Continent, including Chairman Netero himself.
Yet these four alone had claimed victory, which was simply unfathomable.
Still, with the "Herb for All-illnesses" and the "Greedy Dragon Crystal" right before him, Steiner had no choice but to believe.
It was then that Steiner realized how little he truly understood these Nen users, especially their core member — Germain.
Perhaps the world of Nen users had already undergone a profound change, and it was only now, as outsiders, that they were beginning to feel the heat of summer.
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