"I don't actually need to be afraid of the Phantom Troupe."
"If the Phantom Troupe really dared to attack the Zoldyck family, it wouldn't have just been Chrollo making a move after Uncle Silva killed one of their members."
"When a plan fails, you cut your losses and move on."
...
In a flash, Kaizen arrived at the shipwreck site.
"En!"
Centered on Kaizen, his En spread out in all directions, encompassing everything within his perception.
He gave it a moment's thought before issuing another command.
A figure materialized—it was Sasuke Uchiha.
Under Kaizen's order, Sasuke dove into the water, searching through the sunken ship's cabin.
The so-called treasure meant little to Kaizen, but since he was here, he might as well play along.
Before long, Sasuke surfaced, holding a golden urn.
"This should be enough."
...
Two elderly men sat at a table, examining the salvaged artifacts brought by examinees.
"This is decent. Worth 800,000 Jenny. You get a second-class cabin."
"This one's worthless. Go back and find something better."
"Excellent. Worth three million Jenny. You earn a first-class cabin."
Kaizen approached the table.
"Not bad. Worth 400,000 Jenny. You get a second-class cabin. Here's your key."
"Thanks."
Kaizen took the key and headed toward his assigned room.
...
Inside, he found two beds—both still unoccupied. He chose the one by the window, set his belongings down, and lay back to rest. A floating crystal ball hovered into view.
The progress indicator read close to forty percent.
"Because of Netero's request, I've been given an extra role as a proctor for the examinees."
"I might as well take advantage of this to gain some progress."
...
Time passed.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Kaizen glanced over and discreetly stored a few items into his Sumas space—mostly food he had taken out earlier.
A shadow approached.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and upon seeing Kaizen, the visitor froze for a moment.
"Kaizen?"
Kaizen immediately noticed the forced smile on Kurapika's face. After a brief greeting, Kurapika's mood visibly darkened, as if something was weighing heavily on his mind.
A golden gecko-shaped pendant dangled from his hand.
Without a word, Kurapika set down his bag, sat on the bed, and fell into silence.
...
Another knock.
"Kurapika, you in there?"
Leorio's voice.
Kaizen glanced at Kurapika, who remained silent.
"Leorio, come in."
The door opened again.
"Kaizen? Huh, didn't expect you two to end up in the same room. This place isn't bad. My room's bigger, but way too hot."
Leorio turned to Kurapika.
"You okay?"
Kurapika shook his head but didn't speak.
Kaizen followed Leorio's gaze to the pendant in Kurapika's hand.
"That pendant… it's related to the Kurta Clan, isn't it? He must be remembering something painful."
Kurapika tightened his grip until his knuckles turned white. A drop of blood welled up where his fingernails bit into his palm.
"I'm fine," he said finally, looking up. "Thanks."
"What happened back then… it's done. No matter how much I dwell on it, nothing will change. What I can do is focus on retrieving every last one of my people's stolen eyes."
"And I will kill the ones responsible for their suffering—every last one of them."
"But being consumed by the past helps no one."
"I know exactly what I have to do."
"Right now, I need to pass the Hunter Exam and become a real Hunter."
"Only as a Hunter will I have the freedom to act."
Kurapika turned to Leorio. "Go back, I'll be fine."
Leorio hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But if you need anything, you know where to find me."
"Thanks."
After Leorio left, Kurapika released the pendant from his grip. Blood stained its golden surface, creating a disturbingly vivid contrast.
He stared at it.
...
"Kaizen, do you know about the Phantom Troupe?"
"Yeah."
Kurapika's expression darkened further.
"They're the ones who massacred my people. They're ruthless monsters. If you ever run into them, stay as far away as possible."
"Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."
Kaizen hesitated.
He knew the real truth behind the Kurta Clan's extermination.
But telling Kurapika now wouldn't help him—it would only bring more pain. His revenge against the Phantom Troupe was already set in stone.
And besides, compared to the likes of Mimbo and the Kakin Empire, even Meteor City seemed small.
"Kurapika, has Hisoka approached you about this?"
"Hisoka?"
Kurapika frowned.
"I see. So he hasn't contacted you yet."
Kaizen continued, "Hisoka is the Troupe's Number 4."
Kurapika's pupils shrank.
A murderous aura surged from his body.
"Calm down. Let me finish."
Kurapika gritted his teeth and forced himself to listen.
"Yes, Hisoka is a member of the Phantom Troupe… technically. But he's not a true member. He infiltrated them for his own reasons. The timing doesn't match with the Kurta Clan's massacre."
"In other words, Hisoka wasn't involved."
"If you really want to take down the Phantom Troupe, you should consider working with him."
Kurapika's eyes narrowed.
Kaizen's words weren't a revelation—the eventual alliance between Kurapika and Hisoka was inevitable.
All he was doing was accelerating the process.
Hisoka's recent actions had put Kaizen on the Troupe's radar, and that was something he needed to keep an eye on.
But beyond that, Kaizen was simply returning Kurapika's earlier warning.
And he had a feeling this was just the beginning.
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