"Mm... he's here."
"You're really going alone?"
On the other side, Xiang Nan and Illumi noticed that Jogo and Hanami were quickly moving through the streets, heading toward the battlefield where Netero and Jed were fighting.
Xiang Nan and Illumi were talking on the main street, where the fire had slightly died down.
Illumi was staring at Xiang Nan.
They had just witnessed Jogo killing a fellow Hunter earlier.
Although Xiang Nan should be able to handle the cursed spirit, the opponent had five combat units in total.
Apart from Jogo, there was that strange special-grade cursed spirit with pale skin... it looked pretty strong too.
The most concerning part was that both of these cursed spirits had huge cursed energy reserves… their output levels were high.
They wouldn't be easy to deal with.
"Are you really sure you don't need my help?"
Illumi confirmed once again.
"If you step in, I'll have to worry about saving you... Since you want to join me, enemies at this level will become more common in the future. I have more experience than you. Just treat this as a learning opportunity... Just stay back and watch," Xiang Nan said, picking up his pace, leaving Illumi behind.
"Are you questioning my strength?"
Illumi said calmly.
"Take it however you want," Xiang Nan waved his hand, teasing.
Then, the two cursed spirits, who were already charging forward, suddenly sensed a powerful aura—or more accurately, a sense of danger.
Jogo and Hanami stopped in their tracks.
Jogo looked up and saw a figure walking toward them from the fiery ruins at the far end of the street.
The intense heat made the air warp under the night sky, and the sound of crisp footsteps on the stone pavement grew louder.
The figure raised both hands from a distance, as if surrendering.
"Haha... so you two are the ones who destroyed the city?"
A playful voice rang out.
Jogo's vigilant eyes watched as the shadow grew clearer.
It was a man dressed in a black trench coat and a black bowler hat, with an aristocratic aura. Even though he was wrapped in black fabric, one could still feel the power hidden underneath his clothing.
"Hey... Jogo."
Hanami crouched down next to Jogo and spoke quietly.
It was a warning.
"Yeah... I know what you're about to say."
"You see it, right?"
"Of course…"
The two special-grade cursed spirits could clearly sense the "aura" that the so-called Hunter was giving off—a kind of energy similar to cursed energy.
However, the aura surrounding the man was weak, almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person.
But they weren't so easily deceived.
Even though the man had concealed his energy, the moment he appeared, they immediately felt a real threat emanating from him... a pressure that they couldn't ignore.
It was instinct!
Moreover, the two didn't notice that besides the Hunter they had just killed, there were other figures in the vicinity.
"Don't be nervous... I mean no harm." Xiang Nan pulled out a cigarette and flicked it, lighting it with the sparks floating in the air.
He placed it in his mouth, standing about ten meters away from the two special-grade cursed spirits. He took off his hat and gave them a formal greeting.
"Jogo... Hanami, right? Special-grade cursed spirits... part of the same team as Geto and Mahito."
Xiang Nan glanced at them and smiled.
"A messenger?" Jogo responded.
"I'm not here to fight you..." Xiang Nan grinned, his eyes turning a little devious, intentionally dragging out the last word. "I'm here to surrender!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
At that moment, three black figures fell from the sky. As Jogo and Hanami were momentarily distracted, three cursed spirits—players from the Jujutsu Kaisen world—came after them.
"Surrender?"
Jogo and Hanami were stunned.
"Of course. I know how strong you two are, and I'm no match for you... rather than be killed by you, I'd rather join forces with you. After all, it's better to live than die. Who cares whether this world lives or dies as long as I survive?"
Jogo and Hanami looked toward the yellow-skinned cursed spirit.
Of course, negotiations with a messenger would be handled by another cursed spirit of their kind—it was more convenient.
The yellow spirit seemed to understand Xiang Nan's meaning: betrayal.
He wanted to become a spy for them, helping the cursed spirits defeat the players of the Jujutsu Kaisen world in the Hunter × Hunter world.
"How can I trust you?" the yellow-skinned cursed spirit sneered.
He didn't believe Xiang Nan would be so generous.
They had just arrived in the Hunter world and hadn't even had a real confrontation yet. This guy was already surrendering? Without even a battle or a defeat?
Plus, Netero was still around in Yorknew, so as players, they had no need to wave the white flag.
"This isn't a test... I'm serious," Xiang Nan said, his gaze now focused on the yellow-skinned cursed spirit. "Your mission is to clear out all the Association members in Yorknew, right?"
Hearing this, the yellow spirit's pupils narrowed.
"I can give you intel for free... As for why I'm defecting, it's simple. I can't survive here anymore, and I need your help," Xiang Nan said bluntly. "Netero's in Yorknew, but his situation is difficult. He can't deal with you right now. So if you want to complete your mission, the best plan is to take out everyone else except Netero... Then, if time permits, you can deal with Netero later."
"As a Hunter, I can help you..."
The yellow spirit let out a cold laugh. "Looks like you're a high-level player. Don't try to fool me with childish words."
"We both know how each other's worlds work... And since you know our mission, you're a member of the Association, and therefore, you're also a target. If we don't kill you, we can't complete the mission... Why would you surrender?"
Xiang Nan chuckled softly. "You should know that facing Netero head-on... there's no way you'll win. But with my help, it'll be a different story."
"You must be a first-clear team, right?"
Xiang Nan asked.
"!!!"
At these words, the yellow-skinned cursed spirit and his companions stiffened slightly.
"Don't be so surprised. Before you, there were other first-clear teams from the Hunters. You're not the first... If you want to farm resources in another world, the first thing you need is strategy points. You can't come back to the Hunter world unless your strategy points are over 20%. First-clear teams bypass that limitation, but strategy points are still crucial."
"And if you want to kill Netero to get lots of strategy points, that's going to be tough... But killing other, lighter targets will still give you a decent amount of strategy points if there are enough of them."
"Like... the Twelve Zodiacs."
"As for how I can help you with your mission…"