Chapter 158 : Destination Kakin Empire!!

Crouching inside a dark, mossy tree hollow, Kurapika waited for a long time. Finally, he heard footsteps approaching, followed by a familiar voice.

"Kurapika, come out. It's me."

Germain had returned… but why so quickly this time? 

Kurapika pushed aside his confusion, grabbed the can containing his Scarlet Eyes and his suitcase, then crawled out of the oval-shaped hole, which resembled a dried betel nut. The green world outside came into full view.

He first saw Germain's figure, then noticed the unfamiliar man standing behind him. Kurapika couldn't hide his surprise.

"This man is called Saiyu," Germain, said, straightening his messy collar. "We'll be traveling with him for a while."

Kurapika pursed his lips, his mind full of questions.

Not long ago, Germain had hidden him in the tree hollow, saying someone was following him. Kurapika had wisely followed orders, using "Zetsu" to conceal his presence.

Germain had quietly retraced his steps, and Kurapika had expected a big confrontation. However, instead of a battle, Germain brought this man back.

Saiyu, noticing Kurapika's distrust, smiled and pulled out a piece of paper from his coat, offering it to Kurapika.

"This is the information we've gathered about the locations of the 'Scarlet Eyes'—four pairs in total. I'm sure this is something you need. This is a gesture of goodwill."

Kurapika's eyes widened, his lips trembling at the words, but he didn't take the paper immediately. Instead, he looked at Germain.

"Take it," Germain nodded.

Kurapika reached out with slightly shaking hands and took the paper. As expected, it listed four names, along with their occupations and locations.

He read the occupations aloud softly: "Lawyer, musician, investor, pastor... Heh, heh…"

Kurapika let out a few bitter chuckles, a sign of his deep disappointment in human nature. Then, he turned toward Saiyu and bowed slightly.

"You're welcome," Saiyu waved dismissively. "After all, we're in this together."

"We're not in a partnership yet," Germain corrected, reminding Kurapika, "I only agreed to go to the Kakin Empire with you."

"Yes, yes," Saiyu nodded with a smile.

Germain hadn't agreed to fully cooperate with Beyond Netero for three reasons.

Firstly, most Chinese people would have difficulty working under a man named "Beyond" due to a homonym in the Chinese language. Though it wasn't Beyond's fault, it was just hard for them to accept.

There are Chinese speakers in this world. Germain wondered if anyone else had thought of the inappropriate curse the name "Beyond" sounded like when spoken aloud.

Secondly, once the cooperation starts, Beyond will likely take an absolute dominant position. Even if Germain replaces Pariston as the second-in-command, he will still be under Beyond's control.

Germain didn't want to lose control, at least not yet.

Thirdly, Chairman Netero and Beyond, as father and son, represent two different approaches to exploring the Dark Continent.

Chairman Netero's approach is the "Elite Squad Mode."

Beyond's approach is the "Large Group Sweep Mode."

This isn't just a father-son dispute; it's also a clash between two ideologies.

Right now, Germain is leaning towards Chairman Netero's "Elite Squad Mode."

To put it simply, Beyond's "Large Group Sweep Mode" relies on using human lives to test the waters and find ways to deal with the "Five Major Calamities."

Honestly, this is a viable approach, but it would lead to many deaths.

Germain's cold-bloodedness was reserved for his enemies, not for innocent people who had no ill intent toward him.

This is also why Chairman Netero was strongly against Beyond's return to the Dark Continent. Chairman Netero even placed "shackles" on his own son, sacrificing his life to do so.

These "shackles" are something that even a "Nen Exorcist" can't undo.

And this "shackle" could be the cause of the future Chimera Ant Invasion Incident.

However, despite disagreeing with Beyond's methods, Germain still planned to contact him.

Beyond likely has a lot of valuable information about the Dark Continent, so even if their approaches differ, they could still exchange information.

At this point, Germain spoke to Kurapika: "You're already on the Mafia's wanted list. For now, stop searching for the 'Scarlet Eyes' and come with me to the Kakin Empire."

Kurapika glanced at Saiyu cautiously, then nodded and said, "Understood, teacher."

Saiyu, with his hands on his hips, looked at the master and disciple and smiled, "That's great, everyone's satisfied."

So, their destination changed to the Kakin Empire, and another person joined the team.

Over the next period, they began to cross the Yorbian Continent, where the city of Yorknew City is located.

This time, they didn't take any airships, trains, or buses, spending most of their time traveling on foot.

While Germain was guiding Kurapika in his training, Saiyu had already explained the reason for this approach.

"This time, you've really angered the 'Ten Dons.' Most of the dark world's Mafias have become active, blocking almost all the entrances and exits of transportation facilities."

"Not only that, they've already contacted the Zoldyck family, hoping to get Mr. Zeno and Mr. Silva to come after you."

Saiyu said this while observing the master and disciple duo.

Yet, Germain remained calm, and Kurapika kept practicing with his eyes closed. His aura ("Nen") only fluctuated at first, then returned to normal.

What a terrifying pair, Saiyu thought. I can already see another Germain in the making.

Secretly astonished, Saiyu continued speaking.

"The Phantom Troupe arrived at the Twin Cities the afternoon after the Twin Bridges chase. The Ten Dons have fully invested their resources in them."

"Their tracking method is rough and direct."

"My informant says one of the women among them likely has a 'Nen' ability to search memories. They're interrogating anyone who might've had contact with you."

"As for how much the Phantom Troupe knows about our location, that's still unclear."

"Given this situation, I have a suggestion: how about we kill everyone we meet on the road and temporarily bury them to block their pursuit?"

"Monkey" of the Hunter Association's Twelve Zodiacs proposed a bloody plan that didn't fit his status.

"Alright," Germain nodded, turning to look at Saiyu. "Let's start with you."

"Hey, hey—" Saiyu raised his hands in mock surrender. "Aren't we companions? Even if only temporarily, we're still companions. Besides, you need me on the way to the Kakin Empire, right?"

"Do I really?" Germain shook his head. "You've probably contacted Beyond at least once. He knows I'm heading to the Kakin Empire."

"So even if you die, once I arrive in the Kakin Empire, someone more capable than you will contact me quickly. It won't interfere with the meeting."

What a sharp guy... Saiyu gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "Haha, just kidding. We're all companions here. Let's keep moving."

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