"Doesn't Haze want to join the Twelve Earthly Branches?"
Of course he does.
But not yet.
Once he officially becos one of the Twelve Branches, he'll gain the authority and influence to achieve his broader goals.
He'll gain access to elite circles and classified information.
The Firth Family's plans are only beginning to take shape, and the first results may take ti to bear fruit.
Connections alone aren't enough.
As the leader of the Firth Family, Haze needs to expand his personal influence.
He doesn't just want a seat among the Twelve Earthly Branches…
He wants to beco the next Chairman.
Higher status ans greater freedom freedom from the constraints of V5.
In short, it all cos down to power.
nchi set down the phone and glanced sideways. She had overheard Haze's conversation with the Chairman.
She was a little surprised that Haze had refused the offer to join the Twelve Branches… but she also understood.
Though Haze had only completed two official missions since joining the Association, his skill and reputation had already spread throughout the Hunter world.
"Why did you refuse?" nchi couldn't help but ask.
Their current mission was to protect a crucial museum. Rumors said a powerful group intended to destroy it.
The conflict was part of a larger power struggle among the country's elites, reaching deep into political circles.
Of course, none of that concerned them their job was simply to protect the museum.
Haze had selected this mission carefully, not chasing a professional star-level mission.
He chose sothing difficult yet manageable, a mission that required patience.
He wasn't in a hurry for now, his focus was on training his team.
Completing the task would still look good on everyone's records, even if it didn't count toward professional ranking.
With Haze in charge, things had gone smoothly so far.
"The fact that the Chairman called ," Haze murmured, standing on the museum rooftop, eyes scanning the horizon, "ans it's not the right ti yet.
Otherwise, knowing his temperant, he wouldn't have bothered asking he would've just made the decision."
"Huh?" nchi blinked in confusion.
"I'm not the only candidate," Haze continued. "If I'm right, Kanzai is one of them. Compared to him, my advantages aren't so obvious.
If I joined the Twelve Zodiac's now, I'd face hostility from the others. That tension would poison the team's atmosphere."
He folded his arms. "Of course, the Chairman and I wouldn't care personally. But once word gets out, opposition will spread within the Association.
Even if I pretend not to care, the backlash would stain my reputation I'd beco a hated symbol of favoritism."
nchi frowned. "But… you don't care what people think. So why worry about that?"
Haze smiled faintly. "You've heard of Pariston, right?"
"Of course," she said.
"I'm guessing… he'll vote for ."
nchi blinked, sensing hidden aning. "So… you're on bad terms?"
"His aura disgusts ," Haze said flatly. "If this eting was a vote, he'd manipulate it easily.
And if I actually got the Tiger seat thanks to him, it'd brand as his puppet.
Even if I achieved great things later, I'd still be seen as the man who owed his success to Pariston.
The Tiger seat would beco a gilded cage.
I'd never rise further I'd be stuck as just another Branch mber, a na with no power."
nchi's blood ran cold.
"The Chairman knows this," Haze went on calmly. "He's using this round as a warm-up a shield.
So when the next opportunity cos, the others won't object.
By then, my record and achievents will make my appointnt undeniable."
He smirked. "A delicious trap, isn't it?"
nchi shivered half from Pariston, half from Haze himself.
The way Haze analyzed everything, it was as if he already knew what was happening back at headquarters.
How could he deduce so much from just a short conversation with Netero?
"Pariston…" Haze's eyes darkened.
He needs to be eliminated, he thought.
nchi regained her composure. She realized once again people at Haze's level weren't normal humans.
Only monsters could compete with monsters even intellectually.
If it were her, she would've already fallen into Pariston's trap… and probably thanked him for it.
"But once the Twelve Zodiac's are set, it's hard to replace them unless sothing unexpected happens," she said thoughtfully. "When will there be another chance?"
Haze shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Even if it takes a few years, that's fine. I only care about results not the process."
A few years? nchi frowned. Why did Haze sound so certain the Twelve Zodiac's would change again soon?
Nearly a year passed.
Haze led his five-person team through mission after mission, tirelessly stacking up achievents.
They accepted high-level contracts when possible, or suitable ones when not.
To others, Haze's team seed like workaholics machines.
But their effort paid off: the Association's task completion rate soared that year, and its public reputation improved dramatically.
Under Haze's leadership, nchi and the others grew imnsely stronger.
Through constant high-pressure missions and expert guidance, they evolved becoming 1-Star Hunters.
Then Haze disbanded the team temporarily, sending them off on solo missions to develop independence and form new partnerships through the Association's internal platform.
His next goal: improve his professional rating.
Experience-wise, he was already 2-Star material, but his professional rits lagged behind.
Helping newcors and specialists complete missions would boost that and strengthen his network within the Association.
After all, the Hunter Association was a web of relationships, not just power.
Even Ging Freecss had proven that point.
anwhile, several Nen users trained by the Firth Family were sent to Hero Island.
Others passed the Hunter Exam and joined the Association all part of Haze's broader plan.
But that wasn't enough.
He still needed to hunt monsters another essential task.
Killing them yielded "souls" and "black mist," though the probability was lower than killing Nen users.
Still, the numbers made it worthwhile a hidden treasure trove.
Preliminary estimates: he'd need about a year to complete all three goals.
With that settled, Haze resud his tireless work.
anwhile...
On the eastern coast of the Republic of Bartokia, a disheveled man stood by the sea.
Far off, dozens of mafiosi had cordoned off an area, guarding it with heavy weapons.
Luxury cars arrived one by one, unloading gang leaders who boarded a gleaming ferry anchored offshore.
"I never thought soone could create such a realistic ga world… amazing."
Ging Fulisi smiled faintly as the sea breeze brushed his face, tipping his hat.
He had stumbled upon valuable information
a new "closed beta" ga called Hero Island, open exclusively to criminal syndicates across the six continents.
To enter, one needed mafia ties.
Naturally, Ging planned to infiltrate it.
He was curious how did this "Hero Island" differ from Greed Island?
The connection to the underworld was clear.
Only powerful figures perhaps the Ten Dons could create such a phenonon.
And Ging knew the mastermind: Haze.
No one else, not even the other Dons, could have pulled this off together.
He'd never t Haze before despite being a veteran Hunter, Ging rarely visited headquarters.
Haze's appearances were equally scarce, so their paths had never crossed.
But Ging had heard plenty.
If Netero had taken such an interest in the man, he had to be extraordinary.
With that thought, Ging approached the gathered mafiosi.
Hours later, the ship departed.
Disguised as a gangster, Ging wandered through the cabins.
When they reached a certain area of the sea, the gang leaders stayed aboard while their Nen-using subordinates transferred to smaller yachts one after another.
Ging listened to their chatter.
It was just like Greed Island only Nen users could participate.
Each clan entered teams of five a gambling-style competition that had captivated the cri world.
The bosses on board rely awaited word of their subordinates' victories or losses.
This difference in structure led Ging to theorize: the technology here wasn't as advanced or refined as Greed Island's, but it was still impressive.
And yet… his curiosity grew stronger.
He left the ship quietly.
After so ti, he spotted two small islands ahead Hero Island's location.
Rowing closer on a stolen inflatable raft, he saw a small offshore base where Nen users were teleported into the ga in flashes of light.
"Entering the ga this way… not bad," he murmured.
He planned to sneak in through the base.
Unfortunately, he didn't have access to the closed beta.
When the island's outline finally appeared in the distance, he hesitated.
"This… could be tricky. I might have to force my way in."
Gulls circled overhead, fish churned in the water all controlled by Nen.
They weren't natural creatures but part of a defensive barrier.
Their sheer numbers were staggering.
Clearly, multiple users had developed Nen specifically for the ga's protection system.
No blind spots.
If he advanced, he'd trigger every alarm.
And that was only the outer defense there would be plenty more inland.
Ging sighed, scratching his head.
He could try to slip through using Nen, but this level of security combined with high-tech sensors made it almost impossible.
The mafia had no shortage of money, manpower, or tech.
Unlike Greed Island, this ga seed built for defense, designed to prevent infiltration or tampering.
That was just what Ging could deduce.
Knowing Haze, there were surely even more hidden safeguards.
"Forget it," Ging muttered. "Since it's a closed beta, the public one can't be far off. I'll wait."
He sighed again, paddling away under the fading light.
A wasted trip.
Monts after turning back, a patrol boat spotted him one of the mafia's private security forces.
These were private waters, owned by the Firth Family.
No trespassing allowed.
"This… is gonna be a pain," Ging muttered, smirking.
(End of Chapter)
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