Two days later—
"I've arrived."
A message was sent to Ron's phone. It was from Illumi. He had disguised himself as a regular staff member within the underworld Mafia and infiltrated Aurean.
Not long after, another message arrived.
"This is the location of Experimental Base No. 2."
Ron opened it—attached was an image, a map with a red marker. He handed it to Chii. Since Chii already possessed a top-down layout of Aurean, it was easy for her to compare and confirm.
"This is indeed the previous location," she said.
But that alone wasn't enough. This information wasn't sufficient to access Experimental Base No. 2's network from where Elita currently was. What Ron needed was someone inside the base to send out internal data.
"Elita's phone signal seems to have entered Base No. 2."
........
Half a day later, chaos broke out in Aurean.
When Illumi saw members of the Underworld Mafia heading his way, he almost thought his cover had been blown. But the next moment, he realized they weren't coming for him—they were chasing someone else. Illumi stayed calm, blending into the crowd of underworld agents.
The one being pursued was a young man, not especially powerful, but skilled in evasion and concealment. However, this was Aurean—he was eventually caught. Still, in a hidden spot unknown to others, a phone was quietly transmitting data outward. It was sending information about Experimental Base No. 2 that the young man had managed to gather.
...........
A woman approached Morena.
"Lady Morena, information from our undercover agent has been received through our secondary channel."
There were two ways for undercover agents to send back information. The first indicated they were still alive. The second implied they had already met with misfortune.
"I understand. Hand me the data. Also, when you return, make sure No. 3's family is well compensated."
"Yes, Lady Morena."
After receiving the intelligence, Morena immediately passed it on to Ron.
Ron opened the email.
Ron opened the email and quickly scanned its contents. It stated that the reactivation of Experimental Base No. 2 had begun a long time ago, and not only had it been restarted, it had already shown progress. The team involved wasn't just a single individual but a fully organized group. The name of the leader stood out clearly—Park.
That name was very familiar to Ron, because he had seen someone named Park before—the very same Park who now resided in the grasslands area of Sumas's space. He was the illegitimate son of Oster, Minister of Sahelta, and Oster's most successful experiment.
Park's existence confirmed the success of Oster's experiments. Had it not been for Ron's intervention, Oster might already have become an S-rank Nen user, fully integrated into the upper ranks of the Sahelta Union. As Ron saw that name, a hypothesis formed in his mind:
"Could it be... Oster?"
Park was still safe inside Sumas's space—there was no chance he had joined the Underworld Mafia. But Oster, based on Ron's deductions, had likely survived the events that unfolded in Sahelta. He still held value. The royal family of Sahelta had never cared much for individual lives and wouldn't have executed Oster just to appease the public. That made it entirely possible that Oster had escaped.
In this world, there were very few people who had the knowledge and capability to restart Base No. 2. Over the years, Ron had visited many regions, and among those involved in this type of experiment, only Dandins and Oster had achieved notable success.
...............
.......
.
Thanks to the opportunity created by Undercover No. 3, Illumi successfully infiltrated Base No. 2. Using a terminal within the facility, he sent an email to the address Ron had provided. Ron immediately instructed Chii to begin hacking, then sent Illumi a message:
"It's done. The situation is more dangerous than expected. Withdraw immediately."
Illumi didn't hesitate—he left at once.
Moments after he vacated the area, a figure appeared where Illumi had just been. It was a middle-aged man. He glanced around, his gaze flickering.
"Was it just my imagination?"
He looked into the distance.
This time, no matter the cost, he was determined to succeed. Attaining the level of an S-rank Nen ability user was no longer a mere aspiration—it had become an unshakable conviction. Failure was not an option. When the moment came, all those who had once stood against him would pay the price:
Sotan, the royal family of Sahelta, the Zoldyck family, and the Hunter Association.
His eyes burned with hatred. In his view, there was nothing wrong with what he had done—after all, it was merely the deaths of a few commoners. What did that matter?
Those who opposed him—whose hands among them were free of blood? Some had more deaths on their conscience than he did. Was what he studied considered forbidden? What were "forbidden techniques," anyway? Merely a term used by the powerless to comfort themselves.
"I was just a step away from success. The experiment with Park was already a success."
"All I have to do now is replicate it."
A woman walked over to the man.
"Lord Park, the Ten Dons request your presence."
The man nodded.
"I understand."
He headed toward the meeting chamber. Soon, several screens lit up on the wall—ten in total—each displaying the face of one of the Ten Dons.
"Park," one of them addressed him.
The middle-aged man slightly bowed his head, performing a formal gesture of respect. But in truth, he regarded the Ten Dons merely as tools. For someone who had once held the position of Minister in Sahelta, the Ten Dons meant little. What was the Underworld Mafia compared to that? Back then, they were nothing more than insignificant worms.
But now, Oster needed their support—he needed the Underworld Mafia's resources. He needed the Ten Don's backing to continue his experiments. Once he succeeded and became a true S-rank Nen user, there would no longer be any reason for him to maintain this façade.
"Do you have results from your research? According to your promise to us, the progress should be substantial by now."
"We want to see tangible outcomes."
Their voices rang out in succession. A shadow flickered across the middle-aged man's eyes—the tone of the Ten Dons irritated him greatly—but Oster forcibly suppressed his discontent and responded with respect:
"Honored Dons, I have already produced preliminary results."
The Ten Dons' eyes lit up.
"What results? Show us."
"Please wait a moment."
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