Even after being thoroughly suppressed and beaten by Morrow, Beyond didn't feel much anger or resentment.
In his worldview, victory or defeat between individuals was like a mere interlude, occupying only a small part of the bigger picture.
Such matters weren't even worth investing too much negative emotion in.
But the news of Sawa, Pariston, and Saiyu's deaths nearly sent Beyond's emotions spiraling out of control.
Because Sawa, Pariston, and Saiyu were the core members of his renewed challenge to the Dark Continent, indispensable cogs in his team.
Losing them would drastically reduce the expedition's margin for error.
And a low margin for error meant a sharp increase in the failure rate.
How could Beyond not be enraged?
This wasn't just about a temporary gain or loss; it touched upon the lifelong dream he had painstakingly planned for decades while lying in wait.
The team member who came to report the situation couldn't help but feel a jolt of fear upon seeing Beyond's expression, which resembled a volcano on the verge of eruption.
He had followed Beyond for many years, but this was the first time he had ever seen him react this way.
The room was suddenly plunged into a dead silence. The air seemed to freeze, and a heavy atmosphere began to spread without a sound.
Sensing Beyond's almost-erupting fury, the member unconsciously held his breath.
A moment later, with astonishing self-control, Beyond suppressed his nearly rampaging emotions.
He forced himself to calm down and looked at the member by the door, his voice icy.
"When were Pariston and Saiyu killed?"
He didn't ask about Sawa.
There was no need to.
He himself was responsible for Sawa's death.
He had been overconfident, believing his experience and ability were enough to resolve the crisis at the critical moment.
But in the end, he had underestimated the power of Morrow's Emission ability, letting Sawa take the fatal blow for him.
Hearing Beyond's question, the member quickly replied, "Just over an hour ago. Someone broke into the election assembly, assassinated Mr. Pariston in public, and then, despite being surrounded by the Zodiac Twelve, forcibly killed Saiyu. That person is incredibly strong. Even the Zodiacs working together couldn't stop him."
"..."
Beyond fell silent at his words.
He didn't need any evidence to conclude that the assailant was undoubtedly Morrow.
Targeting only Pariston and Saiyu was tantamount to openly declaring his identity.
No, to be more precise, it was like shoving his identity right in Beyond's face, filled with provocation.
At this thought, the suppressed anger in Beyond's heart began to stir restlessly again.
He didn't actually care that the Stone Wall team had been completely wiped out in East Gorteau.
That team's role was originally to provide frontal firepower suppression.
And it wasn't difficult to find replacements for that type of Nen user in a short amount of time.
If there was one praiseworthy feature of the Stone Wall team, it was their firepower amplification system built on synergistic abilities.
This was the fundamental reason Beyond had chosen them in the first place.
But this alone wasn't enough to make them irreplaceable.
So when Beyond heard about the Stone Wall team's annihilation, he had felt regret at most.
In contrast, the roles of Sawa and the others were far more critical to the team.
In the exploration and survival on the Dark Continent, it was often the mechanism-type abilities, not simple frontal firepower, that played the core role.
Leaving aside Pariston and Saiyu, just Sawa's unique Specialization ability alone was something Beyond might not find a suitable replacement for, even if given another ten years.
The room fell into a brief silence once more.
After composing himself, Beyond waved a hand at the member by the door.
The man immediately understood. He knew that even with Beyond's broad-mindedness, he could never get over the deaths of Sawa and the others in a short time.
He quietly exited the room, leaving Beyond to his solitude.
But Beyond didn't need to be alone to think.
Not long after the member left, he set off for the tallest building in the palace.
He was going to see the King of Kakin, Hui Guo Rou.
If, before learning of Sawa and the others' deaths, Beyond's intention in borrowing the Sword of Good Omens, one of the three sacred treasures, was merely to completely remove the Limitation Netero had placed on him... then, he now had an additional motive for his visit.
He believed Hui Guo Rou needed to have a basic understanding of the "current situation."
—--
A long while later, in a magnificent hall, Beyond met the stately Hui Guo Rou, who sported a long, thin mustache.
As the sovereign of Kakin, even in a private setting, Hui Guo Rou naturally exuded the dignified air of someone in a high position.
This was the result of long years at the pinnacle of power, of merging his environment with his own aura.
To use the terminology of the Kukan'yu Kingdom, this was the embodiment of successfully cultivating one's aura.
In fact, any Nen user who sat on a throne long enough would naturally develop this kind of bearing.
In a sense, this could be considered a subtle manifestation of one's aura.
Hui Guo Rou watched Beyond approach and slowly put down his wine glass.
Nothing that happened in the palace escaped his notice.
So, before Beyond had even stepped into the hall, Hui Guo Rou already knew what had transpired.
Beyond strode up to Hui Guo Rou but didn't speak. Instead, he suddenly looked at a short, middle-aged man in a black suit standing beside Hui Guo Rou.
That was Hui Guo Rou's confidant.
Even so, Beyond did not want an "outsider" to overhear a single word of the coming conversation.
Hui Guo Rou observed Beyond's reaction and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Nugui, you may leave."
"Yes."
Nugui bowed to Hui Guo Rou, then walked past Beyond and straight out of the room.
Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did Beyond speak in a deep voice, "Several core members of my team have been killed, and the problem with Netero hasn't been resolved. Our plan... may not be able to start on time."
"You didn't come all this way to see me just to tell me that, did you?"
Hui Guo Rou let his portly body sink into the sofa and looked at Beyond's rugged face, which bore a striking resemblance to Netero's. Without waiting for a reply, he continued in a flat tone, "Are you asking for my help?"
"It's not about help."
Beyond shook his head decisively and said bluntly, "But I need to borrow the Sword of Good Omens. The unstable factor affecting my team can be set aside for now, but the Limitation Netero placed on me must be removed as soon as possible. That is the key to initiating the plan."
"Heh..."
Hearing that Beyond wanted to borrow a regalia, the corner of Hui Guo Rou's mouth twitched. He raised his eyelids slightly and said, "The Sword of Good Omens did indeed play a key role in the Shinrinkan Incident thirty years ago, but you should be well aware of the price for using it."
"Kakin does not lack for sacrifices."
Beyond looked directly into Hui Guo Rou's eyes, his tone flat yet profound. "You claim to have transitioned from a monarchy to a democracy, but the only thing that has ever truly changed is the surface, isn't it?"
On the surface, the democratic image Kakin presented to the international community had indeed been useful on many occasions.
In the shadows, however, the monarchical nature of this country had never changed.
Otherwise, it would not have given rise to a being like Morena during the Carne Levare.
Just as Beyond said, the only thing that ever truly changed was the surface.
The reason Kakin needed this disguise was merely to conform to the international situation.
In Hui Guo Rou's view, the stability of royal power was inextricably linked to the long-term continuation of the nation.
The proof that supported his view was the three sacred treasures that determined Kakin's national destiny.
The Seed Urn, the Lotus Anchorite, and the Sword of Good Omens.
These three regalia were relics left behind by the past monarchs of Kakin; they were Nen tools formed from Post-Mortem Will, possessing strange abilities.
The Seed Urn was a ceremonial urn that could bestow abilities upon the participants of Kakin's succession contest. Each seed produced from the urn represented a Guardian Spirit Beast with special abilities, a Nen Beast.
The Lotus Anchorite was a divine body that could protect the succession contest. Its ability involved a spatial barrier, and under specific environments or conditions, it could exert an incredibly powerful, rule-based ability.
The Sword of Good Omens was a treasured sword to be inherited by the next monarch. It was a vessel of great fortune and the key to Kakin's prosperity.
But its great fortune was built upon countless sacrifices.
And these so-called sacrifices were living human lives, counted in the tens of thousands.
The Shinrinkan Incident of the past triggered no fierce conflicts and resulted in no casualties, which is why it was also known as the most peaceful revolution in history.
But the Sword of Good Omens had played a key role in this transformation.
This meant that, buried beneath this so-called most peaceful revolution, were countless unknown sacrifices.
Hui Guo Rou pondered for a moment, then said faintly, "Borrowing the Sword of Good Omens was not within the scope of our original 'agreement.'"
"Nitro Rice, the ultimate secret to longevity."
Beyond suddenly uttered this legendary name.
Hui Guo Rou's eyelids lifted slightly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes as he looked at Beyond.
A food for longevity... for the King of Kakin, such a thing was not essentially a necessity.
Beyond said solemnly, "This is my additional condition. I will bring you back at least one Nitro Rice. Perhaps you don't need it now, but no one can predict the variables of the future. If you wish for Kakin's national destiny to continue for a long time, having a Nitro Rice on hand as a strategic reserve is never a bad thing."
"That does sound somewhat reasonable."
Although Hui Guo Rou said this, his face showed no sign of being moved.
It seemed that longevity, the fervent pursuit of most humans, held little attraction for this king who sat at the pinnacle of power.
After all, the continuation of Kakin's national destiny... had always been built on a foundation of sacrifice.
The passing of each king was an important contribution to Kakin.
Longevity, in contrast, lost its core meaning.
And as a regalia closely linked to Kakin's national destiny, whether to lend the Sword of Good Omens to Beyond still required careful consideration.
The tens of thousands of sacrifices, on the other hand, were not that important.
After all, in a vast nation, there was no shortage of lives as insignificant as dust, lives not worth a second thought.
Thoughts swirled in Hui Guo Rou's eyes, but he still gave no clear answer.
Beyond appeared extremely patient, not at all worried about being refused.
His greatest leverage was Hui Guo Rou's intense desire to leave his mark on history.
For the monarch of a great nation whose "time was running out," there was nothing more important.
Beyond was certain that Hui Guo Rou would eventually agree to his request...
—--
Kakin Capital.
Fourth Prince Tserriednich, for once, was not indulging in the bustling nightlife of the metropolis, but had returned to his residence in the capital.
Due to the intervention of certain external forces... the trajectory of this prince's life was quietly shifting.
He had come into contact with the existence of "Nen" ahead of schedule.
In the original story, he was not supposed to truly touch this power until after Kakin's "Black Whale" had set sail, at which point he would display a talent even more astonishing than Gon's and Killua's.
Now, the trajectory of fate had already changed.
The only thing that remained unchanged was Tserriednich's extraordinary talent, which could not be measured by common sense.
In less than a day... the Prince has already completely mastered the technique of 'Zetsu', and his proficiency is still rapidly improving.
The Nen user responsible for teaching Tserriednich was a man named Loff, a graduate of a military academy.
However, he had another identity.
A child cursed by Beyond from the moment of his birth.
Of course, Loff, whose life had been predetermined since birth, was completely unaware of this.
Among the many offspring pawns Beyond had arranged, only a very small number had noticed this truth.
Because these children were cursed from birth, the influence of Nen forcibly opened all their aura nodes.
Out of a biological survival instinct, these infants spontaneously learned the technique of "Zetsu" while still in their swaddling clothes.
Only by doing so could they prevent the continuous loss of their potential aura.
Therefore, for as long as Loff could remember, he had already mastered the technique of "Zetsu."
In his mind, this ability was like an innate talent.
However, in pursuit of a higher realm, Loff still consciously honed his control over "Zetsu."
But in the process, he discovered that further improvement was no easy task.
Especially the part that required precise control over every single aura node in his body, without the slightest lapse for an extended period.
To reach this state, Loff had spent nearly eight months.
But at this very moment, he was witnessing a monster that defied all standards.
Tserriednich was concentrating on closing all the aura nodes in his body, savoring the strange sensation of Nen flowing and surging within him.
This unprecedented experience put him in a particularly joyous mood.
It was as if, after living for so long, he had finally found an irreplaceable toy.
Nearby, Loff, dressed in a black suit, maintained a straight military posture, his gaze silently sweeping over the smile that was gradually spreading across Tserriednich's lips.
The Prince isn't even concentrating, yet he can still reach this level... Could it be that this isn't even his limit?
Realizing this, Loff couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.
Compared to the monster before him who defied all logic, the talent he had once been proud of now seemed so mediocre.
—--
East Gorteau.
Outside a civilian house, Morrow stood, pausing.
In his consciousness space, he looked at the King, who wasn't the least bit anxious.
"After all this time, you've never once rushed me. Aren't you worried at all that I'll go back on my word?" Morrow asked.
The King glanced at him and said with conviction, "You won't."
"..."