"Hello?"
By the end of January, Oboro was working on the subsequent development of Thresh's thought-removal ability, while simultaneously training several of Menchi's teammates.
One day, he received a call from an unexpected person Cheadle, one of the Twelve Zodiacs.
"What's up?" Oboro asked.
He sat cross-legged on a thick branch, overlooking the forest below that was shrouded in ghostly fog. From time to time, he could hear the screams of Anthony and Rita. This forest had completely become Oboro's domain. He could sense every blade of grass and every tree within the thick mist. Through Gabwich's telepathic ability, he controlled both him and Menchi to hide in the darkness and launch surprise attacks on Anthony and the others.
They worked in pairs, switching between offense and defense.
When Oboro outputted his Nen to the maximum, the fog's erosion and shielding effect on others' aura became more obvious, thereby dulling their five senses.
The enemy is in the dark and we are in the light. In this situation, unknown dangers would be simulated.
This exercise trained the teammates' alertness, including their intuition and sixth sense essentially a trial course for the Dark Continent expedition.
This was all Oboro could do. After all, his understanding of the Dark Continent also came from his previous life.
I've never set foot on that land in my life, so in terms of real experience, I'm definitely not as knowledgeable as Beyond and Netero.
Through mental communication, Oboro relayed the next sneak attack plan to Gabwich and Rita, while smiling and addressing the person on the other end of the phone.
"Oboro, as a three-star hunter of the Association, you must return immediately! The situation is urgent," Cheadle said in a deep voice.
"I heard "
Before Cheadle could finish speaking, Oboro interrupted: "The Chairman was captured by a group of people, and many staff members were killed and injured during this year's Hunter Exam. Has the other party made any demands?"
"Not yet. However, in just over half a month, many of our members who were on missions outside have been attacked by them The other party seems quite familiar with our Association's operational model. According to the information we've gathered, this group appears to be connected to the Association's past history but they're not the criminal hunters who were previously expelled from the Association." Cheadle's tone was cold.
"In more than half a month this is all you've discovered?" Oboro rested one hand on his thigh and spoke mockingly.
"You !" Cheadle was furious at his tone.
"Don't worry, the old man isn't in danger. He's Isaac Netero, after all Besides, the enemy's target for revenge isn't the Association, but V5! Their leader is called Jed, the former head of the Hunter Association's underground organization. He won't take the Chairman's life easily What he wants is to make the old man reveal the truth that was concealed back then. As long as the Chairman refuses, he won't die for the time being though he might endure some torture."
Oboro explained this with a joking tone.
"You knew?!" Cheadle was shocked.
"Not only do I know, Pariston must also be aware of their origins Let's ask him to solve it. I'm very busy now." Oboro replied and was about to hang up.
"OBORO!!!" Cheadle yelled angrily from the other end.
Oboro pulled the phone a meter away from his ear
"Although you're a three-star hunter, you're still under the Association's management. I have the right to issue orders to you! Nothing is absolute. Now the Chairman is in danger, and other Association members have been kidnapped with their fates unknown You must return and cooperate with us to resolve this matter!"
"Well it seems Pariston isn't going to bother with this." Oboro understood the situation clearly. As Netero's opponent, seeing the Chairman stuck in such a predicament was likely a scene that Pariston was happy to witness.
"He asked you to come to me, didn't he?" Oboro said lightly.
Cheadle remained silent, which Oboro took as confirmation.
"Aren't you Twelve Zodiacs a little too useless? It was a wise decision for me not to join you in the beginning" Oboro smiled, completely disregarding Cheadle's self-esteem and feelings. "This is obviously a good opportunity to demonstrate your abilities to consolidate the Zodiacs' prestige within the Association, but in the end, you just handed it over to me! This isn't acceptable It's truly worrying to think of the Association's management rights in your hands."
"I don't particularly care about power, but now I have to reconsider. If an opportunity arises in the future, why not let me be the Chairman? I feel I would do a great job, at least I could properly train your abilities Otherwise, your business capabilities and management status are poorly matched."
"Oboro, that's enough!" Cheadle said coldly. "We just want to minimize this incident's impact as quickly as possible. This concerns the Chairman himself, and we need to avoid further complications."
"Don't be so stubborn."
Silence fell between them.
"If you can rescue the Chairman, I might consider nominating you as a candidate for the next Chairman at some point in the future. After all you've been eyeing the position for a long time, haven't you? Isn't this your goal?" Cheadle finally stopped beating around the bush and spoke bluntly.
"Finally figured it out?" Oboro didn't deny it.
His plan had been uncovered by Ging Freecss and Pariston long ago, but the Twelve Zodiacs remained in the dark. After all this time, Cheadle, as the Zodiacs' strategist, had finally deciphered his intentions. From this perspective, the woman still possessed an excellent mind.
But compared to the other two, she was far inferior.
Cheadle offered the Chairman candidacy to motivate Oboro because she believed that as long as Netero lived, Oboro would never have a chance.
She had no idea what was happening in the outside world.
"It's understandable that Pariston didn't intervene and just hid aside to watch the spectacle. If the Chairman were truly in danger, Ging would also appear. In other words, you shouldn't worry at all. Have you considered the Chairman has been arrested, but V5 hasn't made any statement and is letting the Association handle it on its own. Why is that?" Oboro prompted.
"Oboro, if you don't return to the Association immediately, we will jointly write to the higher-ups requesting an exceptional cancelation of your membership in the Association!" Cheadle threatened.
"Do you think that would be effective?" Oboro laughed loudly.
Cheadle remained silent.
"Alas Pariston was just toying with you by suggesting you contact me."
"Really since you're so pitiful, I'll be kind enough to help you this time." Oboro sighed softly, then hung up the phone.
He immediately withdrew his telepathic ability, causing the mist in the forest below to suddenly dissipate. The training ground became visible again.
"Team Leader?" Seeing this, the group who had been training in combat quickly approached Oboro's location, wondering what had happened.
Oboro jumped down from the tree and clapped his hands. "I need to return to the Association."
"About what?" Menchi inquired, remembering something.
They had also heard about the recent unrest within the Association which had caused quite a stir. After all, Netero had been captured, and the enemy had sent one of their operatives to break into the Association's headquarters, where he was publicly burned to death. A video of Netero's imprisonment had been played as well.
Although the outside world remained unaware the enemy's declaration of war had made the hunters uneasy.
Oboro had told them not to worry, that this was just a minor incident that would soon be resolved that Netero would return safely.
Now, it seemed the Twelve Zodiacs had finally intervened.
"Didn't you say we shouldn't worry about it?" Anthony glanced at Oboro.
"Netero is bound by some kind of oath and restriction this ability comes at the cost of self-sacrifice, meaning there's a time limit. If the Association doesn't reveal the truth about the 'Shadow' before time runs out, they might actually kill him. And V5, the real culprit, is just watching the show watching the old guard vent their anger on the Hunter Association. They truly don't take the Hunter Association seriously at all"
Oboro ran his fingers through his hair. "The old man can't die yet. Although the probability is very small, it's not impossible If he really gets into trouble, the coming events will be more complicated without him facing the Ant King one-on-one"
Oboro had already shared some of his predictions with his teammates, though he presented them as mere conjectures.
His knowledge of the Chimera Ants surprised Menchi and the others, but it only strengthened their trust in him.
So many incredible things had happened around Oboro that everyone had grown accustomed to his extraordinary insights.
"Even if you don't intervene, can't the Association handle it?" Menchi raised his eyebrows. "Is this organization called Shadow very powerful?"
"They're just mediocre all rotten fish and shrimp, except for Jed The Association could definitely handle it, but Pariston has obviously done something that has left the Twelve Zodiacs helpless. That man enjoys such disgusting games He seems quite pleased watching others grow anxious and angry."
Oboro curled his lips. "That's all I'll go now and be back soon."
With that, Oboro waved his hand and walked away.
"Is there something wrong with that vice chairman's brain? He's also an Association member. He watches the Association fall into danger and actively undermines it what benefit does he gain?" Anthony spat.
"Rats just like to hide in the dark and gnaw on things everywhere" Fant remarked lightly, taking a drag from his cigarette.
Oboro agreed to step in, but not for Cheadle's sake though there was some element of favor involved.
When he first joined the Association, Oboro wasn't certain whether the characters from the movie would appear but he later discovered clues about Netero's efforts in establishing the Hunter Association, with some details obviously erased.
This occurred during the Association's early days Now only traces remained, as Netero's famous achievements all happened later.
For the Hunter Association to reach a certain status, it needed international recognition, which meant the Association's rise couldn't bypass various countries' governments. This necessitated dealing with politicians and once government involvement became necessary to officially recognize the hunter system, obstacles inevitably arose.
The Hunter Association's ascent was inseparable from V5's support and backdoor connections. This explained why the Association now followed V5's instructions If Netero wanted hunters to attain social status and various rights and benefits, he had to bow his head.
Promoting such an organization, even with V5's endorsement, was far more challenging than one might imagine.
Given that the Fells family controlled numerous governments, many countries weren't actually under V5's control.
In those early days, facing international obstacles that V5 couldn't openly resolve the organization "Shadow" was born.
When Oboro realized this, he suspected Jed might appear
Initially, he considered recruiting Jed and his followers. After all, these people harbored intense hatred for V5, potentially serving as a trump card or surprise weapon. But Oboro had abandoned this idea, realizing the bloodline of Jed and the other "Shadow" descendants was worthless
In terms of ability, except for Jed who showed some promise, the rest were merely trash.
Moreover, they were too few Especially after the Fells family unified the world's criminal organizations, Oboro realized that Jed and his group might not pose as much danger as the Phantom Troupe, let alone threaten a country They merely appeared intimidating.
Oboro now understood the true power dynamics of this world more thoroughly.
Humans were social creatures, and what was truly terrifying was the nation-state a massive ethnic organization.
In comparison, the reappearance of the 'Shadow' was merely a faint flame rekindled.
However, Oboro remained interested in the energy of their grudges Plus, eliminating these people would allow him to collect souls and black mist, essentially earning a bonus.
That Cheadle woman was indeed quite pitiful.
At the Association's headquarters building, Cheadle put down her phone, clenched her fists, and looked frustrated.
The phone call had undoubtedly humiliated her, making her face flush with anger and helplessness.
Because what Oboro said made sense
She genuinely didn't want to contact him unless absolutely necessary.
Whether it concerned Oboro or Pariston, Cheadle had initially planned to handle this matter with her own abilities, but unexpected restrictions appeared everywhere, preventing her from making arrangements or issuing orders without encountering obstacles.
The number of people she could mobilize was severely limited.
Cheadle knew Pariston was behind this leaving her with no choice but to call Oboro.
Her concern for the Association outweighed her personal feelings.
They couldn't continue like this, or the impact would grow increasingly severe.
Additionally, she was genuinely worried about the Chairman's safety. Even though Oboro claimed nothing would happen, she remained concerned.
In the end she still had to rely on Oboro.
"How did it go? Did he agree?" Gail, sitting opposite Cheadle, observed her expression and asked.
"Yes." Cheadle lowered her head and replied softly.
A glimmer of tears appeared in the corner of her eye beneath her glasses.
Crying
The harder someone works and the higher their self-expectations, the more uncomfortable they feel when reality falls short of those expectations.
Cheadle was undoubtedly one of the strongest members among the Twelve Zodiacs.
"Actually you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. As long as the situation is handled properly, everything will be fine" Gail noticed Cheadle's emotional state, propped her chin on her hand, and said softly: "The Association belongs to all its members, and the burden should be shared by everyone You don't need to carry it alone."
"But if it were any of them, they would handle this better than me." Cheadle looked at her partner with reddened eyes.
"Not necessarily. Everyone has their strengths, and people handle situations differently. For you, results might not be immediately apparent and may take time, but once completed, everything ends safely. As for Oboro and Pariston they might resolve this turmoil quickly, but what about the consequences?"
Gail smiled slightly. "Don't be sad, you have your merits I believe everyone can see your abilities."
"Thanks" Cheadle was encouraged by these words and regained her spirit.
"That guy Ging has absolutely no interest in management and has been missing for years. Although his personality is also quite difficult in my opinion, if we only considered ability, he would be the best candidate if the Chairman ever stepped down! But considering other factors, he's not even qualified."
"Hehe" Gail smiled.
"Honestly, if Oboro and Pariston had no ulterior motives, I would support either of them But the problem is they have their own agendas and rarely consider the Association itself. To them, the Association is just a toy Once in power, they might abandon the Association and everyone for their personal interests! I absolutely cannot let them succeed, I must protect everyone"
Cheadle spoke with a sense of justice.
However, halfway through her speech, her pupils suddenly contracted as she recalled what Gail had just said.
Everyone's approach is different.
"Oh no!"
"What's wrong?" Gail was startled.
"Oboro He might not return to headquarters but go directly to confront the enemy!"
After this realization, Cheadle hurriedly dialed Oboro's number again.
But the line was busy, and no one answered.
"That reckless bastard!" Cheadle cursed angrily.
"From what we know about him, he's an extremely calculating person. He must be confident in his solo approach Let's leave it to him. Moreover, I suspect he knows the enemy better than we do"
Gail's expression was bewildered.
"But even the Chairman"
"Although I can't say I like Oboro, nor do I hate him you must admit one thing: he accomplishes what he sets out to do People who become his enemies generally don't fare well Just look at Pariston and you'll understand. Thinking about it now Saiyu's death must have something to do with Pariston."
Cheadle took a deep breath and calmed herself down.