However, this was to be expected. If they didn't possess such skill and capability, how could they have been appointed by the V5 to oversee the 713 Voyage Bureau and liaise with the Gatekeeper?
"Do you know of me?"
Morin wasn't particularly surprised that information about him had been leaked. Since he dared to show himself, he naturally had some psychological preparation. After all, these five individuals were not like those useless people outside.
In a high-stakes world like this, those who climb to high positions and wield real power often have stronger abilities and skills. It was just that the person who mentioned his name was the middle-aged woman, which made him glance over in mild surprise.
o o o
Noticing Morin's gaze, the plump middle-aged woman's face twitched. "I shouldn't have called out!" She instinctively glanced at the man with the square face in a military uniform, kneeling on the ground, sweating and clutching his severed left arm.
She couldn't help but shrink back, fearing she might end up like him, or worse. A tinge of regret flashed through her heart.
The reason she recognized Morin and was quick to call his name was rather amusing. As a high-ranking official of the Voyage Bureau, she naturally had to be familiar with the powerful figures of the Six Continents. Among them, Morin left a particularly deep impression. Because... Morin was handsome!
There were many strong individuals on the Six Continents, but few were good-looking. Among the world's top five Nen users, Netero and Zeno were immediately dismissed—two old geezers.
Botobai, with his opera mask face, was not appetizing at all. Ging Freecss, the rogue of the Zodiac Twelve, not only had a reckless and troublesome personality but was also scruffy. Although he was not bad-looking, his overall untidiness was quite off-putting.
Naturally, Morin, the last of the group, caught her attention. Of course, the main reason was that Morin's assets were impressive! His handsome appearance could easily charm a crowd of women. Especially with his mature psychological age, he was both a handsome young man and a mature, successful uncle—a lethal combination for young women!
Among men, he possessed the best traits from all age groups, making it no surprise he was popular with women. Otherwise, why do you think Morin had so many female companions and never had a mishap?
Any normal woman would be captivated by Morin, and this middle-aged, well-fed woman was no exception. Even if she held a high position, she was still a woman.
Morin's all-encompassing charm naturally attracted her. From that moment, she memorized Morin's appearance and information firmly in her mind. Not only Morin, but she also remembered his apprentice, Kastro, as well. After all, Kastro was also a rare handsome man.
These two, master and apprentice, were truly remarkable, both so handsome and dashing, leaving one quite entranced. Master and apprentice... slurp~! Even now, the plump middle-aged woman was still lost in these thoughts.
"I have a feeling you're thinking about something inappropriate," Morin's leisurely voice came, snapping her back to reality. Right! Now was not the time for such thoughts! Preserving her safety and life was paramount!!!
Not only the middle-aged woman, but the other V5 officials also realized this. Knowing the true identity of the other party, their situation immediately became perilous. The opponent was one of the world's top five Nen users!!!
A super strong individual at the pinnacle of the world! Not someone they could contend with!! Although the five of them were also Nen users and had a decent grasp of Nen, they were well aware of their own limits. Forget about fighting; they couldn't even use some advanced Nen techniques properly.
Most of their energy was spent climbing to high positions. With enough status and power, even the strongest Nen users had to follow their commands. Didn't Netero, despite being the world's number one Nen user, still obey V5's arrangements? The benefits of climbing up were far greater than simply honing Nen abilities.
They practiced Nen partly for self-defense and partly to understand the effects of Nen abilities, so they wouldn't be easily deceived by subordinates using Nen. Of course, the main reason was to use Nen to communicate with the Gatekeeper, which was the primary purpose of Nen for them.
---
Thinking of using Nen to fight against an opponent? That's overthinking it.
"So, now that you've discovered my true identity, how do you think I should deal with you?" Morin asked, his demeanor relaxed and a slight smile playing on his lips.
The group fell into a silent pause, the room suddenly quiet, with beads of sweat trickling down their faces. When Morin posed this question, the same answer flashed through the minds of all five individuals.
If they were in Morin's position and their identity had been exposed, they would undoubtedly eliminate everyone who had seen them, leaving no witnesses behind. Otherwise, once the dust settled, and if these people survived to report back to the V5, Morin would find himself without a foothold on any of the Six Continents!
Putting themselves in his shoes, they could already guess the answer. More sweat dripped down their foreheads. They had no doubt about Morin's capability to carry out such actions. According to the intelligence they had received from officials in Yorknew City, Morin was suspected to be a member of the world-class criminal group, the S-class criminal Phantom Troupe!
The Phantom Troupe... they were notorious killers who didn't bat an eye at murder! They had previously tried to trace Morin's origins but found no records, leading to the conclusion that Morin hailed from Meteor City. Coincidentally, the Phantom Troupe was also composed of individuals from Meteor City.
With their analytical skills, they had pieced together some theories. Before the Phantom Troupe rose to notoriety as the world's most feared criminal group, the most infamous S-class criminals were the Kude Bandits. And it seemed that the Kude Bandits were eradicated by Morin's apprentice, Kastro, right?
After the Kude Bandits were destroyed, Kastro was recognized for his achievements and became a One-Star Hunter, eventually ascending to a high-ranking position within the Hunter Association as one of the Zodiac Twelve.
As a result, the Phantom Troupe rose to prominence, replacing them as the world's most notorious criminal group. Merely eliminating the Kude Bandits allowed those connected to Morin in both the underworld and the legitimate world to rise to power...
One of them was a bounty hunter, opposing criminals; the other was a criminal group, opposing bounty hunters. They stood on completely opposite sides, yet were intricately linked, like the yin-yang symbol of Taiji, with black within white and white within black.
To reach this level, possessing such ability and the skill to manipulate situations at will, even seasoned experts in power struggles felt a sense of inferiority.
In their awe, they also felt a creeping sense of dread towards Morin. To manipulate the Hunter Association and the public, achieving his goals without arousing suspicion, everything seemed perfectly natural.
Most crucially, he managed to keep himself hidden in the shadows! No one knew of his existence or the role he played in these events! To remain behind the scenes yet stir up such a storm in the world!
If not for the recent turmoil in Yorknew City, they might never have discovered the connection between Morin and the Phantom Troupe. All they knew was that Morin was Kastro's mentor and one of the world's top five Nen users. Despite his immense strength and his apprentice's notable achievements, Morin himself had almost no reputation in the world! This was clearly abnormal!
From their perspective, honed in the shadows of power struggles, Morin was undoubtedly plotting something, secretly laying down a grand scheme! They didn't believe Morin was one of those reclusive masters indifferent to fame and fortune.
If he truly were a sage, why join the Phantom Troupe? Why position his apprentice in a high rank within the Hunter Association? And how did he himself become one of the top five Nen users?
None of them believed in this possibility; they were more inclined to trust their darker suspicions. Moreover, everything Morin had done aligned with their expectations. Even after confirming Morin's connection to the Phantom Troupe, they recalled an event from a few years ago that had caused quite a stir.
At that time, regarding the Kurta Clan massacre, the V5 initially planned to pin the blame on the Phantom Troupe. After all, they were criminals with the capability and without the power to dispute the accusation, making them the ideal scapegoat.
Initially, things proceeded as expected, with the media frenzy erupting worldwide. People were outraged, denouncing the Phantom Troupe, and the Hunter Association, alongside various mercenary groups, collaborated to capture the Phantom Troupe. Everything was unfolding according to their plan, or even better.
However~~~
To their utter shock, shortly after this media storm began, an unexpected upheaval occurred. Somehow, the truth of the incident was suddenly exposed across major influential media outlets worldwide.
It was revealed that the V5 had orchestrated the attack on the Kurta Clan and framed the Phantom Troupe! The public, recovering from their initial shock, realized they had been deceived. Boom!!!
The public's anger was ignited... The consequences were dire, and during that period, the V5 suffered immensely, akin to rats scurrying across the street.
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