On Mobius Lake, Several large ships sailed across the sea.
Their considerable speed left long ripples in their wake.
These vessels were the latest technological advancements from the Six Continents, capable of long-distance travel with high security.
Since the plan began, despite facing multiple crises, the ships continued to traverse the ocean unimpeded.
A considerable number of soldiers were aboard, each performing their duties according to their roles.
These were the advance ships carrying Zigg and the others, tasked with paving the way for the support fleet.
After passing the first island, they had already scouted four islands in succession.
The creatures they encountered included giant mosquitoes, black-spiked gorillas, enormous mantises, walking trees...
Clearly, the deeper they ventured into Mobius Lake, the more formidable the creatures became.
Their abilities also grew increasingly bizarre.
This kept everyone on edge, wary of letting their guard down against anything.
Originally serving as reinforcements, Netero, Morel, and others had now become permanent fixtures aboard the ship.
In addition, two more individuals had joined the crew.
...
On the Hunter Association's ship,
Crunch!
"How about it, old man? Want one too?"
The man grinned at Netero, holding a fruit with a large bite taken out of it, flashing his silver teeth.
He wore a brown robe, his head wrapped in layers of white cloth, with a few stray hairs peeking through the gaps.
At first glance, his appearance gave off a disheveled, almost vagabond-like impression.
But upon closer inspection, it was clear that Ging's clothes were clean—not dirty at all.
Contrasting with his attire was his youthful face and exceptionally sharp eyes.
This was Ging Freecss!
Unlike Netero and the others, he had only recently boarded the ship.
His method of arrival, however, was the same—via the support fleet's vessels.
After returning to the Six Continents that day, Ging first took some time to rest.
He thoroughly digested the insights gained from his experiences.
Then, he tried seeking out new adventures—or rather, things worth exploring.
Yet, after experiencing the Dark Continent, he could no longer find anything on the Six Continents that piqued his interest.
In the past, certain ruins and relics had posed a challenge to him.
But after visiting the Dark Continent and witnessing its wonders, these things now seemed like child's play.
They were utterly insignificant.
His standards had been raised.
The Six Continents could no longer satisfy his ambitions.
And so, his desire to return to the Dark Continent was reignited.
Ging was someone who would never be content with the status quo, constantly pushing forward.
Considering the extreme difficulty of the Dark Continent, even with prior experience, he wouldn't dare set foot on that land without Akira by his side.
As it happened, he had also heard about Akira's Virtual Continent Project.
The Dark Continent might be beyond his capabilities, but the Virtual Continent was something he could handle.
So, it was only natural that he joined the advance team, becoming one of its top combatants.
"Hohoho, no thanks. This old man has no appetite."
Netero glanced at the fruit Ging had bitten into, smiling faintly, though there was an unmistakable hint of disdain in his tone.
After responding to Ging, Netero resumed amusing himself in the room.
In his hands, he held a cluster of black spheres.
These black spheres writhed and squirmed in his grasp, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
Each sphere was about the size of a ping-pong ball, and there were roughly a dozen of them in his hands, jostling against one another.
Clearly, they were alive—living creatures.
[Mad Fleas]: Round in shape, their bodies covered in sharp spines capable of piercing even steel.
Possessing only the most basic intelligence, they would launch ferocious attacks on any creature marked by their blood.
Their jumping ability was extraordinary, allowing them to leap dozens of meters high with ease, and their speed was terrifyingly fast.
Their weakness was water—contact with it would severely restrict their movement, drastically slowing them down.
...
These were creatures Netero had discovered on the previous island.
After studying them, he found that they were an exceptionally unique species of flea.
Upon their first encounter, many had been attacked, some even sustaining grievous injuries.
Because they were just that fast.
Those at A-rank couldn't even perceive the [Mad Fleas]' movements.
Only those approaching S-rank or with particularly unique Nen abilities could manage it.
For S-rank powerhouses, they posed little threat.
Still, Netero found them quite amusing.
A fine way to pass the time during leisure hours.
Not only were they fast, but they were also hard to squash.
At the very least, they were far more entertaining than dodgeball.
After dismissing Ging, Netero casually smeared a bit of yellowish blood on his hands.
In the next moment, he scattered the fleas in his grasp, sending them flying in all directions.
Yet, in an instant, the fleas rebounded off the walls and lunged back toward Netero's hands.
In that brief moment, they had completed a series of actions—launching, ricocheting, and attacking— all at a speed so horrifying it defied belief!
Thud! Thud-thud! Thud…
In an instant, the room was filled with the sound of fleas rebounding off the walls.
Under the force of their leaps, the metal walls clanged and dented.
After days of this, the room's walls were already riddled with visible dents.
For a moment, the air was filled with the afterimages of the Mad Fleas.
Though there were only a dozen or so, their extreme speed made it seem as though there were thousands upon thousands of them.
Ging, holding a fruit resembling an apple, ate nonchalantly while keeping an eye on Netero from the corner of his vision.
After days of this, he had grown accustomed to the sight.
Sometimes, when the mood struck him, he'd even join in and give it a try himself.
Netero, at the moment, was clad in a thin athletic T-shirt.Although it wasn't his favorite T-shirt, this would make it easier for him to move around.
After consuming [Nitro Rice], along with the increase in lifespan came an improvement in physical fitness.
Like withered wood meeting spring, his bodily functions returned to their peak condition from years past.
With some time to adjust his state and wearing his favorite T-shirt, he could achieve even greater progress.
Reaching S+ level in a short time wasn't impossible.
It could be said that the two strongest individuals in the advance team were both gathered in this room.
Netero's tiger-like eyes flashed with a gleam of sharp light as his body began swaying rapidly back and forth like a roly-poly doll.
His movements resembled someone doing the twist dance.
Yet it was precisely these motions that allowed him to perfectly evade the attacks of over a dozen [Mad Fleas].
This was an unbelievable outcome.
Because his hands were stained with traces of [Mad Flea] blood, the fleas had gone berserk, completely ignoring Ging who was watching from the sidelines, and instead focused all their attacks on Netero.
When they missed, they would kick off the walls to attack Netero from different angles, determined to defeat him.
However, the ideal was plump while reality was bony.
Even going all out, the [Mad Fleas] couldn't land a single hit on Netero.
They couldn't even graze his clothes.
"Hohoho, is this all you've got?"
"It seems even toys need to be replaced after prolonged use."
Netero chuckled, then swung his hands forward—his thickly calloused palms clenched into fists.
In the next moment, using barely any Aura and relying almost entirely on physical strength, he punched each flea.
Bang! Bang! Bangbangbang...
When his fists connected, the fleas crashed as if hitting a mountain before being sent flying back.
Louder collision sounds echoed through the room.
But the nature of the game had changed.
Earlier, Netero had been playing "dodgeball."
Now he was playing "boxing."
...
Outside on the deck, two old rivals were conversing.
"Tell me, was there really any need for you to join the advance team?"
"I can't understand why they'd agree to let someone like you aboard."
Cheadle adjusted her glasses, looking at the man beside him with undisguised disdain.
The man wore a uniquely styled suit, predominantly orange-yellow with some stripes.
Orange-yellow being a warm color naturally put people at ease, subconsciously generating goodwill.
Paired with the wearer's "standardized" smile, strangers would typically assume he was easygoing—a helpful "good person."
But only those who had known him long enough to see his true nature understood.
His surface was all an act.
To put it bluntly, he was like a pervert wearing human skin.
Even though human himself, he still wore different "human skins."
This man was Pariston.
He was one of the two who had boarded the ship.
He and Ging had joined the advance team together.
Pariston elegantly held a teacup, wearing his exaggerated smile as he said:
"Is that any way to treat an old friend?"
"I'd think you'd be happy to work with a former colleague again."
Cheadle curled her lip and mocked him.
"...Not at all."
"I'd feel much more at ease without you around."
"I think you should know one thing."
"Previously, due to Chairman Netero's preference, you became the vice-chairman, outranking me in position."
"But now it's Chairman Akira in power. I'm the current vice-chairman and also the designated vanguard team leader."
"So you'd better not have any sneaky ideas, especially anything that might interfere with Chairman Akira's plans."
"Otherwise, I have full authority to have you executed on the spot."
As she finished speaking, a glint flashed in Cheadle's eyes, making her imposing aura even sharper.
Pariston remained silent, merely lowering his eyelids slightly.
As longtime rivals, he knew perfectly well that Cheadle wasn't lying.
She meant every word.
If he really did anything inappropriate,
Cheadle would absolutely make sure he boarded the ship standing up and left it lying down.
Pariston placed his teacup on the table and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
At the same time, he toned down his usual somewhat altered smile and said with slight seriousness:
"You can rest assured about that."
"I would never do anything detrimental to, or that might interfere with, Akira's plans."
"Not just because I'm unwilling subjectively, but even for the sake of my own life, I wouldn't do such things."
"My main reason for boarding this ship is similar to Ging's—to experience more challenges."
"However, there's one point where I differ from him."
At this, the corners of Pariston's mouth curled slightly as he said softly:
"I've found something even more interesting!"