Kukuroo Mountain, elevation over 3,700 meters—yet it took Joey and Illumi less than ten minutes to scale it.
And that was without them even going full speed.
Illumi gave no reaction to Joey keeping pace with him.
The Zoldyck family gate loomed massive as always. Joey knew from experience: opening all the gates required superhuman strength. But as a guest, he didn't need to prove anything. Illumi simply pushed it open, and they walked in.
The old gatekeeper was too late to stop them—Joey and Illumi were already gone.
Joey had expected getting in wouldn't be hard, but this easy? It felt surreal.
"I'm not giving you a tour," Illumi said coldly. "Once you meet Great-Grandfather, I'll make sure you leave."
Joey didn't mind. He hadn't come here to sightsee.
Besides, he had no beef with the Zoldycks.
"By the way," Joey suddenly asked, "how much would it cost to assassinate a Kakin prince?"
"Minimum: ten billion. Depends on the target."
"Just ordinary humans. They're worth that much?"
"Not before. Now they are."
Illumi didn't elaborate further, and the topic ended there.
As they moved deeper into the compound, they entered a remote bamboo grove—not the main residence. Ahead stood a secluded wooden hut.
Just as they approached it, Illumi suddenly blurred and vanished.
Even Joey's En couldn't detect him.
That startled Joey—until he felt a presence rushing at him.
The Weather Beast appeared at his shoulder, whipping up a fierce wind in a three-meter radius. Leaves danced in the storm, revealing a vaguely humanoid silhouette speeding toward him.
Not Illumi.
Could it be… Zeno?
No. This was someone new.
Joey's storm-cloud aura crackled. Lightning split the air—striking the figure dead-on.
Simultaneously, he increased air resistance ahead of him, slowing the enemy like they were wading through molasses.
The figure stumbled, revealed now in full.
Short, wiry, spiky white hair—he looked oddly young, though Joey instinctively associated him with Killua.
This was clearly Zeno's father, the elusive Zigg Zoldyck—or as Joey remembered from the files: Jeg.
But more striking than his appearance was the thin layer of ice covering him.
Sunlight refracted strangely off it, distorting his outline.
Refraction-based stealth?
"Not a bad ability," Jeg admitted, and in the next moment, his aura turned frigid.
Joey's breath instantly steamed. The very air before him began to crystallize.
Transformation type.
He could convert aura into cold.
In response, Joey's stormfront reacted. Friction ramped up in the chilled air—and suddenly, flames ignited.
Small at first, they were quickly fanned into an inferno.
Jeg didn't advance. His eyes were on the pink feline-shaped Stand floating before Joey: Killer Queen.
Especially its right hand.
He sensed danger.
He backed off and dispersed his aura.
"Not bad. Linne sent you?" he asked. "Didn't expect that old bat to still care about things she shouldn't."
He straightened his back with exaggerated stiffness—almost as if pretending to be an old man.
"Follow me. I figured you'd come eventually," he added. "There's hardly anyone left in Mobius Lake who'll still talk about the Dark Continent."
That stopped Joey in his tracks.
"You know me?"
He followed Jeg, dispelling the storm, but kept the Weather Beast perched on his shoulder.
Killer Queen vanished, but Joey maintained his En, reduced to a 30cm radius.
Small enough not to bother anyone, but enough to react instantly to threats.
Jeg didn't comment on any of it.
Illumi reappeared, glancing once at the Weather Beast. He seemed curious, but not engaged.
Joey understood now: unless it involved Killua or a hit contract, nothing else held Illumi's attention.
He made a mental note: textbook bro-con.
"I get the feeling you're thinking something rude," Illumi said, tilting his head. A silver needle appeared in his fingers.
"Just your imagination," Joey replied, catching up to Jeg.
Jeg continued:
"The Gin-Gin's spores... they're everywhere in the Dark Continent. Many monsters have them growing right on their bodies."
Spores.
Joey had heard this word before.
He slung his backpack around and opened it.
Inside a glass box sat the chubby, living Ring.
"You mean this?"
"Exactly. A live one, too? Didn't expect that."
Jeg's eyes lit up—but so did drool from the corner of his mouth.
"But wait... your soul's foreign, isn't it? If you were pulled by a Ring, that one should be dead."
"I got it from Saheilta."
"Ah. That makes sense. They're the only ones reckless enough to use Rings indiscriminately. After five years of use, they ship people off to explore the Dark Continent."
"You mean… those Saheilta personnel are all disposable?"
"Yep. Anyone who uses a Ring gets spiritually tethered. Over time, their soul begins to mutate."
"For adults, resistance lasts seven to eight years. Then their soul becomes a new Weapon."
"The kind with round heads."
Joey immediately thought of those doll-like humanoids he'd seen in the manga. He'd assumed they were the Gin-Gin itself.
But now, it seemed they were merely shells—vessels for corrupted souls.
"The real Gin-Gin?" Joey asked. "Where is it?"
"Full name: Plant Weapon Gin-Gin. The original body is hidden in an ancient city."
"Gin-Gin" was more than a name. It represented two modes:
Silver-headed Guards — converted by prolonged exposure to a Ring.
Gold-headed Guards — created when a Ring's death summons a Weapon's soul to hijack a human body.
Joey mentally filed all of this.
He felt this trip had already paid off.
"Assassinating the Gin-Gin has been an open contract for years," Jeg continued. "I took it once. Never even saw the body—only fought the Guards outside the city."
"Saheilta has been trying to conquer it for years. But as long as spores are expelled, the Guards won't run out. Anyone who enters dies."
"If you want to avoid turning into one of them, there's only one option: infiltrate the city and kill the Gin-Gin."
An offer.
Joey didn't hesitate.
"Count me in. Just tell me what to do."
"Your soul's unique," Jeg said seriously. "You're the only one in decades to resist possession—even counter it."
"That means you're already halfway transformed. But with light disguise, you could blend in."
"My proposal: you take me and Illumi into the city. And together, we kill the Gin-Gin."
Even though Joey had guessed this was coming, hearing it still made his heart race.
After all, V5 ranked the Gin-Gin as B+ threat level, with an A-1 destructive capacity—worse than the Chimera Ants.
But it was also his only shot at freeing himself.
The Ring's transformation effect?
Likely a vow and restriction placed by the Gin-Gin.
Jeg's offer was a no-brainer.
Even if Jeg had other motives, Joey would accept. The benefit was undeniable.
Jeg seemed surprised by how quickly Joey agreed. He'd expected more hesitation.
But this decisiveness earned his respect.
So, for the next three days, Jeg briefed Joey and Illumi on the Dark Continent and the city housing the Gin-Gin.
The operation would begin after arriving. No point planning more until then.
If Joey died en route—or failed to even board the ship—then he wasn't worthy.
They needed someone with strength, skill, intellect, courage, and resolve.
The initial spar had tested Joey's strength.
The proposal tested his mind.
His resolve? Jeg already knew.
Joey had survived the Chimera Ant war.
Netero himself had told Jeg to watch this boy.
From the Ant war to the Sky Arena, Joey had shown rapid, relentless growth.
All of which would help—for the Dark Continent was merciless.
And the stronger Joey became, the better for them all.
After saying his farewells, Joey looked back at Kukuroo Mountain one last time—then set out for Kakin.
He knew Jeg was holding back info.
The four-hundred-kilometer trek to the ancient city?
Unexplored.
Saheilta's forces in the Dark Continent?
Unknown.
What kind of disguise would help him bring Jeg and Illumi into the city?
Still a mystery.
Those details would come later.
Joey wasn't worried.
He had his own preparations to make.
Ging had hinted at a future collaboration—meaning their paths might converge.
Yet Beyond Netero clearly wanted to forge a new path into the Dark Continent.
That path? Might circumvent the city entirely.
In that case, massive groups might end up traversing the forest around Mobius Lake.
That forest?
Was Saheilta's territory.
How much had they mapped?
How much did they know of the city?
These were intel priorities once Joey arrived.
Because if they killed the Gin-Gin only for Saheilta to claim the victory?
That would be unacceptable.
Joey mulled all of this, flipping through his notebook—already stuffed full of notes.
He was headed to Kakin now, but not as Joey.
Not as Fox, the Sky Arena fugitive.
His new identity was forged in the Republic of Padokea, the nation with Heaven's Arena.
A place where might makes right.
There, money and power opened all doors.
Joey bought a vineyard, some land—and became a Padokea investor.
His reason for going to the Dark Continent?
Looking for profitable opportunities.