One of the top five Nen users in the world.
To Xiang Nan, Ging Freecss was an even bigger threat than Netero. Netero might be strong, but he was predictable—his personality and logic followed patterns you could read. Ging was the opposite: quick-thinking, impossible to read, and with schemes buried so deep you couldn't tell where he really stood.
Netero, despite his power, was past his prime—nowhere near half the monster he'd been at his peak. Ging, on the other hand, was in his prime years.
Bottom line… I'd lose.
That's what Xiang Nan told himself.
Illumi might be able to stall Kite, but beating him was another matter.
And Xiang Nan facing Ging one-on-one? His chances of winning were practically zero.
The real problem was that Ging already knew all about Xiang Nan's game with Pariston—the field conditions, the intel, even pieces of Xiang Nan's own ability set.
By keeping his own cards hidden, Ging could coordinate perfectly with Pariston—one operating in the open, the other in the shadows. Pariston soaked up all of Xiang Nan's focus, leaving Ging free to survey the entire board.
"Before I answer you," Xiang Nan said, locking eyes with Ging, "you answer me something first."
"This little interference of yours… does the old man know?" He was talking about Netero.
"What do you think?" Ging's voice was calm.
To Netero, they were just a bunch of mischievous kids making trouble.
"So… the old man's really dead set on protecting Pariston's ambitions, huh…" Xiang Nan said, his tone flattening.
Then, in a heartbeat, his gaze sharpened and his voice hit like a hammer. "Your proposal… I refuse."
His aura exploded outward, heavy and oppressive. "From this moment on… you're not leaving my sight."
"I know I can't beat you," Xiang Nan said with a cruel smile, "but stopping you from running off to save Pariston? That I can do. At the very least, I can keep you busy."
Ging's expression turned more serious. He'd been expecting that answer—it didn't surprise him.
There was never any real chance of a full-on fight. Forget Xiang Nan's background—his strength alone put him in a tier by himself among Hunters. Even Ging would have to take risks to kill him.
And no matter what Xiang Nan's motives were, he was still part of the Association—still a Hunter. This was his game with Pariston. Ging was just here to keep things under control, not steal the spotlight.
"Tch."
Ging ran a hand through his hair, looking annoyed. "I knew this was gonna get messy."
"Master," Kite said quietly.
"Don't bother," Ging said, holding him back. "He's probably like these Cursed Spirits—he's been to other worlds. His power isn't just Nen as we know it. Even I don't know all the cards he's holding."
Kite didn't argue.
"Here's the deal, Xiang Nan," Ging said, holding up a finger. "Neither of us moves. We just wait it out. I don't get involved, and neither do you."
Xiang Nan's aura eased a little. "So that's your real goal—pin me here so I can't push the situation any further."
"You could've warned Pariston and the others about the danger, but you didn't. Was that to keep him in check? That's the old man's idea too, isn't it?"
His eyes narrowed. "Fine. If you're so sure Pariston's gonna win, let's wait and see. The one who dies will be him."
That made both Ging and Kite react. Ging frowned slightly at Xiang Nan's absolute confidence.
As expected… the guy was even more dangerous than Ging had thought. The Chairman was right—Pariston should never have tangled with someone like this.
"You're not just here as the Association's representative," Xiang Nan went on. "You're also here for humanity. The old man's under V5 orders to uncover the multiverse's secrets—you're doing the same. Keeping me and Pariston from going too far is just a side job. You wanted Pariston's group to face the Cursed Spirits to see how top Hunters—especially those representing the Association—measure up on a battlefield like this, right?"
"You're using my actions and planning to gather intel by proxy…" Xiang Nan smirked.
"Pariston knows it too. That's part of why he came to Yorknew. You all think he and his team can handle the Cursed Spirits." His tone shifted, going dark. "You know it. I know it. The Chairman knows it. Pariston knows it best of all. We're all playing with open cards—but the winner will be me."
"Because you all have one fatal weakness."
His expression twisted into something feral.
Ging stayed silent. He knew exactly what that weakness was.
The unknown.
"The multiverse battlefield is full of too many variables. Knowing abilities isn't enough. The scraps you pick up in a fight are shallow. Without actually experiencing it, you can't touch the real secrets or key truths."
Before Xiang Nan even finished, the distant battle suddenly shifted.
A massive black sphere—like a cocoon—appeared in the sky. Ging's eyes narrowed.
Jogo had unleashed his Domain Expansion.
Xiang Nan didn't look back—he could already feel the crushing pressure.
The heart of otherworldly power wasn't the flashy moves or energy types, but the systems behind them—the mechanics that made them work. To dominate in the multiverse, you had to master far more than raw power.
Even geniuses like Pariston, Ging, and Netero could only chew through the unknown so fast. Because they weren't players. They didn't have the mindset of someone who'd lived another life before crossing over.
That was the unchangeable truth.
"Just like the Dark Continent," Xiang Nan said, meeting Ging's eyes. "The unknown is the most terrifying thing. Humanity needs to learn to respect it."
"The Yorknew incident made you think we and the outsiders were natural enemies, but that's not always true. On some levels, we're on the same side."
"I can use them to take out Pariston."
"Your intel is way too shallow. Everything you've gotten from the Nameless Town is just a rough sketch—it's nowhere near the real core of the multiverse."
"Get ready to plan Pariston's funeral."
Then his voice broke into a strange, almost deranged laugh.
"Ahahahahahaha!"
Both Ging and Kite felt their breath hitch.