Chapter 145 – March 18
Haze wasn't worried about Hisoka's ability to survive the crisis his attention was entirely on Kurapika.
When it came to Kurapika's Nen ability, Haze had no intention of altering its development; the original concept was already brilliant a technique meant to kill the Phantom Troupe.
All he could do was slightly reduce the side effects through "Vows and Restrictions"… but even that barely helped.
The price Kurapika had to pay was far too high, impossible to outwit or evade.
The main problem was time.
If he had enough time as he did when creating The Treasure Game of the Eternal Dreamers, refining it over years to gradually minimize the drawbacks he might've been able to reduce the risk in proportion to the power obtained.
The original author once said that in the source material, only Kurapika and Gon had Vows and Restrictions.
Both sought explosive power in a short burst.
That was fatal.
Even Haze, a transmigrant with nearly complete knowledge of Nen, was powerless to fix that.
Because of his existence, Kurapika's Nen awakening had been accelerated.
Haze forcibly opened Kurapika's potential using Nen, awakening him. Then, instead of letting Kurapika figure it out through trial and error, he directly transmitted the original concepts and logic of Nen into his mind aided by the unique power of the Scarlet Eyes.
And Kurapika was exceptionally intelligent… he understood instantly.
Now, he was giving it his all.
"Hisoka hasn't called," Haze mused, smirking as he looked at his phone in a secluded valley. "That means he's rejoined the Phantom Troupe. As expected… even I might have trouble dealing with this. That guy's good at acting. Moritonio was right he's got some insight."
Looking toward Kurapika meditating in the distance, he murmured, "So… what will you do next?"
The image of Chrollo surfaced in his mind.
From this point on, Hisoka and he would have no communication.
With Chrollo's intellect, he would never completely lower his guard around Hisoka. Outwardly, he might act friendly, but he would observe carefully for a long while before trusting him.
In other words, if Hisoka showed even the slightest weakness, he'd be in grave danger and Hisoka would surely realize that too.
Haze knew nothing about the Troupe's future plans. Hisoka's information from before the Hunter Exam was limited… and Chrollo always had a Plan B.
However, one thing was absolutely inevitable, no matter what plan they enacted:
The Field Family headquarters.
"Let me think… it must be the Zoldycks," Haze muttered with a faint smile.
Besides Hisoka, Illumi was also participating in this Hunter Exam something Chrollo would've never imagined.
And Hisoka wouldn't tell him either.
Time passed slowly. One month later…
The Spider never hunted recklessly and this time, their target was none other than the Field Family.
After infiltrating the Republic of Padokia, the Troupe spent time gathering intelligence on the Field Family's structure and influence, striving to know everything before making their move.
But during this period, a shocking event shook the entire underworld:
David, the former head of the Field Family, abdicated. His successor was Cheko.
To most underworld bosses, this was expected. David was aging, his strength fading; his only heir, Field Lily, was disabled and unable to take over.
Haze, meanwhile, had long since vanished from public view deliberately kept out of sight by the Field Family from the start. Few remembered him now.
Cheko, an elder of the Field Family and one of the architects of its rise, was loyal despite his shameless nature. David had groomed him carefully in recent years, so his ascension seemed legitimate.
However, the veteran members knew the truth Cheko wasn't the true leader. David still held the reins.
That alone wouldn't have caused such a stir.
What truly shocked everyone was that the Ten Dons of the underworld personally attended Cheko's ascension proof of the Field Family's enormous influence.
Even the old Haze had never achieved such prestige.
And the Ten Dons knew why they'd come: because of that man Haze.
From the beginning, there had been only one true master of the Field Family.
Not David. Not Field Lily.
But the young man who had single-handedly transformed the organization Haze.
The Ten Dons had never imagined the Field Family could grow so rapidly under him. Their territories spanned numerous nations, often facing countless shady problems but thanks to the Field Family's involvement, those issues were solved swiftly.
Even in official circles and foreign domains, the Field Family seemed to maintain quiet connections and influence.
And with Hero Island, which had recently become a worldwide phenomenon and a new form of gambling and entertainment for the criminal elite, the perception of the Field Family's power grew even stronger.
Compared to them, other families seemed to exist on a completely different level… yet the Field Family's roots still ran deep in the criminal underworld.
Thus, when they received an invitation from the Field Family, the Ten Dons had no choice but to attend personally.
Once the news spread, the Republic of Padokia's cities began to shift. Mafia activity filled every street and alley, day and night.
Not just the Ten Dons but every major underworld figure had arrived.
The coronation of the Field Family's new patriarch had become a global spectacle.
Inside a hotel, the Phantom Troupe gathered.
Hisoka sat lazily on the bed, flipping through a deck of cards, uninterested in the discussion.
Shalnark calmly went over the information he'd gathered:
"That's the gist of it. In other words, we're not just dealing with the Field Family but the entire underworld leadership, the Ten Dons. I've also compiled data on other well-known families and bosses."
"Placing a puppet in charge this quickly suggests the Field Family is getting impatient," said a man with a blue birthmark across his face. "Maybe they want to consolidate their influence among governments or solidify their underworld base. Are they facing trouble securing control?"
That man was Quartz, now the fifth member of the Phantom Troupe replacing Phinks.
A native of Meteor City, Quartz was one of the most gifted Nen users in recent years, trained by the city's elders.
He'd joined the Troupe shortly after Phinks' death even before Hisoka's return.
At first, he was still under the elders' command, but after certain agreements with Chrollo, they let him go.
Meteor City's internal politics were notoriously complex, with constant power struggles between its elders. For Quartz to stand out, he needed not only strength but also exceptional intellect.
His joining the Troupe said enough about his abilities.
He was a Specialist, and a very unique one.
Chrollo had chosen him for reasons that ran deep.
"This just got a lot harder," Machi said coldly.
Indeed dealing with the Field Family alone was one thing.
Dealing with the entire mafia was another.
Franklin's death still carried the shadow of the Shadow Beast.
"It's harder, yes but also good for us," Chrollo smiled. "We can wipe out all Ten Dons at once. The Field Family may have changed structure and operations, but at heart, they're still a gang. Once the Elders are gone, they'll be crippled… And this proves Haze has no idea we're here."
He looked at Feitan.
"This time, you can kill as much as you want."
"…I'm looking forward to it," Feitan replied coolly.
It was reckless if Haze had known of their presence, he wouldn't have sent the Ten Dons to their deaths so easily.
That meant Haze likely wasn't involved in the Field Family's recent activities.
The entire Troupe was assembled a truly terrifying sight.
The Field Family had every reason to feel untouchable.
After all, who would dare cause trouble in front of such power?
The Spider would.
The other side underestimated their madness.
"Time?" Chrollo asked, raising his eyes.
"March 18 an auspicious day," someone replied.
"The day of the Field Family's grand ceremony," Chrollo said with a smirk.
"From now on, no one leaves the hotel. Pakunoda and I will act alone."
"Understood."
Hisoka's deck of cards fell onto the bed with a soft thud.
He stared out the window, thoughtful.
"I can't wait…" he whispered, "to give them a grand funeral right at the height of their joy."
Chrollo snapped his fingers and laughed.
"David, Cheko, and that Field Lily they're mine," Feitan muttered coldly.
"Not the Shadow Beasts? I thought you hated them most," Chrollo asked, surprised.
"That trash is yours. I only want to kill the ones closest to Haze."
Feitan, Franklin, and Chrollo had all infiltrated the Field Family once. They knew:
If David and Field Lily died, even if Haze lived the family was finished.
Unless Haze abandoned the Hunter Association and returned to the underworld to reclaim control, there would be no recovering from it.
Otherwise there'd be no more hiding in the shadows.
(End of Chapter)