"So… what do we do now?"
After separating from the Shadow Beasts and parting ways with the Phantom Troupe, Xiang Nan and Owl checked into a hotel in Yorknew City.
With support from the Zatobi family, the Ten Dons weren't paying attention to them.
The Mafia's focus was entirely on the Spiders—after all, even the Shadow Beasts had been wiped out.
In the hotel room, Owl looked at Xiang Nan and repeated his question.
It was the morning of September 2nd.
After learning who Xiang Nan really was, Owl figured there was no reason for him to get involved in the war between the Spiders and the Ten Dons. Neither of those sides could compare to what Xiang Nan truly represented.
"You should head back to the military zone. Get used to the environment and meet the rest of the organization."
Xiang Nan looked out at the bustling city.
"Oh, and there's someone in the organization named Omokage. He used to be with the Phantom Troupe. But he's not like you—he's the same as the Spiders. A future casualty. You'll understand when you meet him."
"We'll resume the Shadow Beast experiment after things settle down here in Yorknew."
"Was that stuff you said last night about the multiverse… true?"
Owl didn't push. He walked to the door, then turned to look at Xiang Nan.
"Can I be part of it? Honestly, I didn't join you because of your background. The Padokean military doesn't appeal to me. I'm not afraid of being silenced or anything—after the Shadow Beasts' defeat, my existence isn't important anymore. I accepted your offer because of you. I like you. The underworld feels more natural to me."
"I understand."
Xiang Nan glanced at him.
"But not yet. You're not ready to face the Spiders. The multiverse conflict is brutal. The Phantom Troupe barely meets the threshold to even participate. You need time to grow. You're different from them. The Troupe are criminals—disposable. That's why I can use them. But you're part of Pandora's Box. You're not someone I can sacrifice."
"So in your eyes, I'm more important than the Spiders?"
"That's right."
"They're dangerous. Be careful."
With that, Owl walked out.
…
Xiang Nan wasn't lying.
Out of all the characters he'd met, Owl was the only one he genuinely felt comfortable around and respected.
He didn't need to constantly be on guard.
Say what you want about the Shadow Beasts—that they were arrogant, overconfident—but they were loyal.
To the Ten Dons and to their own.
They didn't betray.
Of course, Xiang Nan and the undercover Phinks were exceptions.
Owl's personality had already shown itself. He let the Spiders wipe out the Beasts because he believed Xiang Nan was more worthy of loyalty than the Ten Dons.
People like that didn't exist in Owl's world.
Very few had more power or leadership than the Ten Dons. The ones who did were presidents or rulers of powerful countries—people who would never acknowledge someone like Owl.
But Xiang Nan was different. He was a military powerhouse in Padokea, but acted like someone from the underworld.
Owl respected that.
It looked like Xiang Nan chose him.
But the truth was, if Xiang Nan hadn't met his expectations, he would've been dead the night before.
Even if Xiang Nan hadn't made a move, Owl wouldn't have stuck around.
This was mutual.
It helped that Xiang Nan had approached Owl while the Shadow Beasts were still alive, showing his power and worth. That earned Owl's approval and made things go smoothly.
Aside from the experiments, Xiang Nan thought, Pandora's Box finally has a true leader. That's going to save a lot of effort.
Owl was the one he chose to lead the organization in the future.
He had the skills. And more importantly, he could be trusted.
Their bond was already established.
Owl had made it clear that his loyalty wasn't to the Padokean military—it was to Xiang Nan himself.
If Xiang Nan needed it, Owl would handle any task.
Even betraying the Republic of Padokea wouldn't be a problem.
But betraying Xiang Nan? Never.
Xiang Nan had seen it coming.
Even though Owl led the Shadow Beasts, he clearly wasn't happy with certain members.
He just never said anything.
He probably thought the Ten Dons' killing machines were too stupid.
Getting wiped out by the Spiders so easily...
Sure, the Spiders' strength surprised him. But he accepted the outcome.
…
Beep-beep.
Xiang Nan's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen and quickly understood.
Mia was staying close to Ten Don Eddy, using her position to monitor the Nostrade family.
The Shadow Beasts' annihilation had made the Ten Dons increase the bounty on the Spiders. Several Nen users from the Nostrade family were already killed last night, including Dalzollene.
Their hotel location had also been changed—Kurapika's doing, most likely.
He knew that after Uvogin escaped, he'd come back for revenge.
The fight between them was inevitable.
Meanwhile, Gon and the others were still trying to make money in Yorknew.
They'd been arm wrestling on the streets since last night to earn cash.
They'd probably already run into Shizuku and her group.
If things went as expected, Gon and Killua would join tonight's Mafia bounty operation targeting the Troupe.
All these storylines were overlapping, and Xiang Nan—right in the middle—was feeling the pressure.
When Kurapika kills Uvogin tonight, I need to be there. But I can't show up directly. I'll wait until he buries the body, then revive it…
Xiang Nan frowned in thought.
His Nen could push his medical skills to unbelievable levels, but it still wasn't enough to bring back the dead.
To pull that off, he'd need Altana energy.
Timing was key.
Uvogin couldn't be dead for too long.
Given Uvogin's strength and vitality, a short delay should still be okay.
But there was a big problem.
With Uvogin's personality, even if he was revived, he'd absolutely go after Kurapika.
And now that he knew Kurapika's identity, there was no chance he wouldn't tell the rest of the Troupe.
And with the Troupe's mindset, anyone who poses a serious threat to their members has to die.
Kurapika would be marked.
No one gets to live.
It's their rule.
I need to figure out a way around this... Do I reveal myself to Kurapika?
Honestly, it wouldn't matter that much.
He's one of the protagonists, and as long as I'm not killed by an intruder, a "natural" death in the main world won't affect my mission progress.
But the storylines will shift. That's not good for players.
And if I do reveal myself, Kurapika will tell Gon and Killua.
If that happens, I won't be able to stay close to the main cast anymore.
It's not a huge deal, but the butterfly effect could spiral out of control.
Gon has Ging behind him.
Killua has... Alluka.
Damn.
Those two paths and their resources—I was planning to use them.
If those relationships go bad, things could get really complicated.