Ron nodded. "For a Nen user, personal strength is important, but gathering information and intelligence is just as crucial. In this area, I'm lacking. My initial plan was to find someone with those skills for the future team I'd form—like how Shalnark fits into the Phantom Troupe. But now, with Chi, there's no need for that anymore."
"Chi's network intelligence capabilities surpass everyone else's. There's no firewall Chi can't break, and her search abilities are stronger than any computer in this world. To put it simply, anything with a trace on this world's network, Chi can find."
Ron began calculating in his mind. "Currently, in terms of overall strength: In close combat, there's Hanma Baki. With his enhanced Nen abilities, he's much stronger than before and certainly not weak. For ambushes, traps, and sneak attacks, Killer Queen's abilities are incredibly well-suited. In network intelligence, Chi is at the top. With my Nen Beasts and my own abilities, I'd say I have a fairly well-rounded team."
"The only thing I'm lacking now is long-range combat ability. Simply relying on my Nen projectiles isn't enough. And the ability to gather real-world intelligence, since Chi only handles intelligence in networked environments."
Ron's thoughts shifted, and Hanma Baki, Chi, and Killer Queen vanished, but he didn't leave the room. Instead, he focused intently on sensing the changes in his own body.
The appearance of a new Nen Beast always brought some form of feedback to Ron. Killer Queen was . Hanma Baki was . And Chi was no exception. He could feel that his aura had significantly increased again, much faster than what he could achieve through regular training.
"Before, I'd barely reached the level of a C-rank Nen user. Now, I've firmly reached that level, and my aura far exceeds that of others in the same rank. I can summon Hanma Baki and Killer Queen at the same time without my aura holding me back—it's like having multiple C-rank Nen users at my side. With my abilities, few in my rank could be my match."
Ron left the room. By now, Zeno's selection process was also nearly complete. Ten boys and girls stood before Zeno.
"Grandpa Zeno, are you done?"
"It's done," Zeno replied with a nod.
"I'm almost finished on my end too," Ron said. "This large recruitment event has given me quite a few insights. Staying in Meteor City any longer won't serve any purpose."
"Will you return to the Zoldyck Estate with me?"
Ron shook his head. "I'll stop by the Sky Arena first. I'll return to the estate after my year-long agreement with my great-grandfather ends."
The two were about to leave when a girl approached them. She had shoulder-length black hair, wore black-rimmed glasses, and looked a bit absent-minded. Dressed in a black sweater and simple jeans, she appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old. A name came to Ron's mind.
"Shizuku. Member number 8 of the Phantom Troupe."
But now, Shizuku wasn't yet a member of the Phantom Troupe. In the original story, she joined only after Silva killed the original member number 8 of the troupe. In this world, that event hadn't happened.
"Grandpa Zeno, may I take this person with me?" Ron pointed at Shizuku.
The girl before him looked almost exactly like the Shizuku from Ron's memories, just a younger version. In the original story, Shizuku was in her twenties when she first appeared. Ron wasn't entirely sure if this girl was her, but taking her wouldn't do any harm.
"Go ahead," Zeno replied, glancing briefly at Shizuku.
With eleven figures following them, Zeno and Ron boarded a bus arranged by the Elders after Zeno paid for the right to take these individuals away. As the engine roared, the bus departed from Meteor City. Ron sat, contemplating the next Nen Beast issue.
"Earlier, I considered participating in the Hunter Exam to absorb its traits. With my current abilities, passing should be no problem. But now, it seems just taking part in the Hunter Exam might not be enough for the Observer's extreme focus to fully absorb its traits."
"Absorbing the traits of Sky Arena or Meteor City wasn't easy. What about Greed Island?"
They arrived at a small town and then traveled by car to a nearby city. It wasn't until they boarded an airship that Ron and Zeno finally parted ways. Zeno, along with a few apprentice butler candidates, headed back to the Zoldyck Estate, while Ron was headed to the Sky Arena.
On the airship, Shizuku sat next to Ron, curiously watching the scenery outside. Ron had confirmed her identity—she was indeed the original member of the Phantom Troupe from his memories. First, her appearance was an extreme resemblance, and second, her short-term memory loss often led her to forget recent events, requiring her to use a notebook to remember things.
"Sir, what kind of place is the Sky Arena?"
"Call me Captain," Ron said. "The Sky Arena is a place where many fighters gather. Once we get there, you'll understand. By the way, we have another companion in the Sky Arena. She's a girl, a bit younger than you."
Franklin glanced at Pakunoda beside him. Soon after, Shalnark joined them, and a vast ruin came into sight. It wasn't the remains of a building but rather a ground scarred by intense battles, completely destroyed.
"Is this where they fought?" Pakunoda frowned.
"With this level of destruction, their strength must not be underestimated," Franklin nodded. "After all, they defeated the disasters and the Mad Beast."
Although they hadn't fully gauged the KUTE group's strength, they were well aware of the power of the Mad Beast group. To be honest, in terms of overall strength, the three of them together weren't even comparable to one member of the Mad Beast. If they had to face the KUTE, they would likely lose—unless they had a pre-planned strategy.
"The strength of the KUTE members likely reached our leader's level," Shalnark analyzed. "Among us, only the leader, Finks, Uvogin, and Feitan could rank among the top in the Mad Beast. Especially the leader; given a few more years, he could even surpass the Mad Beast's leader."
"In that case, the Zoldyck Family and the Hunter Association member who defeated KUTE are probably much stronger. Even our leader couldn't take them on right now. We must proceed cautiously in any future encounters."
Pakunoda's eyes flickered. "The Zoldyck Family? The world's number one family of assassins?"
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