Chapter 54: Mission

"Death row prisoners?"

Kaizen paused as he reviewed the task details.

The job targeted five individuals—all death row inmates who had escaped from maximum-security prisons. The client? The prison officials themselves. Kill or capture, either would suffice.

Each target was worth 100 million Jenny.

"The prison must have failed to hunt them down on their own, probably multiple times," Kaizen muttered. "No choice but to put bounties on the dark web."

If the reward was this high, the fugitives likely had mastery over Nen—or at least, they must have passed the Hunter Exam. Kaizen knew that the mortgage for a Hunter License was also 100 million Jenny.

"Still, they shouldn't be at the level of the Phantom Troupe or the Shadow Beasts." He glanced at the mission details again, calculating his odds. "If I tackle them one by one, it shouldn't be a problem."

"My edge lies in intelligence. And they don't know a thing about me."

Kaizen made up his mind. "First, I'll get some intel from Milluki and see how close I can get. Then I'll decide if it's worth taking them down."

He wouldn't act recklessly. Both the Zoldyck family rules and Kaizen's own nature leaned toward caution.

Kaizen called Milluki on his phone.

"...0612..."

He gave Milluki the details of the dark web post and the commission number. On the other end, Milluki sat at his computer, munching on potato chips as he accessed the job database. A few keystrokes, a press of the Enter key—

Milluki's carefree expression froze.

"Are you serious, Kaizen?"

Kaizen frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You're sure you want to take this mission?" Milluki's tone shifted to something closer to genuine concern, a rare occurrence.

"I am. Just pull up the intel for me. I'll assess the situation myself."

Milluki hesitated. "Alright... Give me two days."

"That's fine."

Two days later, Kaizen received an email with the details of the escaped convicts. Shortly after, his phone rang.

"I found the locations of three of the targets," Milluki informed him. "The other two... their whereabouts are still unclear. I'll need more time to track them down."

Milluki added, "I've also gathered what I could about their abilities—at least what's publicly known. There's a chance they might have hidden skills, though. Be careful."

Kaizen nodded. "How much do I owe you for the info?"

"Eight million Jenny," Milluki replied. "And if I manage to find the other two, I'll charge you an extra two million. But if you locate them before I do, you're off the hook."

"Deal."

Milluki's voice softened. "And, Kaizen... don't die, alright?"

The line went dead.

Kaizen stared at his phone, brows furrowing slightly. Milluki wasn't exactly known for emotional outbursts, but that farewell had felt... odd.

In the original plot, Kaizen knew Milluki's relationship with Ilumi, Killua, and Kalluto wasn't particularly warm. Yet, even Milluki seemed to care. Family ties ran deep within the Zoldyck family, after all.

Kaizen glanced toward the window.

"Grandfather Zeno... Could he really be in this city on a mission? Or is he here, watching over me in secret?"

That thought lingered. "It's not impossible."

He shook his head, pushing away the distracting idea.

"I still need to get stronger." His gaze hardened. "Once my second Nen Beast manifests, my physical abilities should rise again—just like what happened with Killer Queen back then."

"If I can reach that level, maybe I'll finally step into the 'C' class Silva talked about."

Kaizen opened the email from Milluki and scrolled through the files.

Target 1:

Fransky – A brute with the ability to scale smooth, vertical surfaces hundreds of meters high. His body is extremely durable, and small-caliber bullets have little effect on him.

"This one must be an Enhancer," Kaizen mused, recalling Uvogin from the Phantom Troupe. Uvogin had also been an Enhancer, with skin tough enough to withstand bullets and even rocket launchers.

"But Fransky doesn't seem as tough as Uvogin." He tapped his finger against the desk thoughtfully. "Small-caliber bullets won't work, but larger rounds might. And a rocket launcher would definitely do the job."

Target 2:

Cole – His body has been heavily modified, giving him a brutal edge in combat. Cole is adept with both melee weapons and firearms, making him more dangerous than Fransky.

"I can't say for sure if Cole's a Nen user," Kaizen muttered, narrowing his eyes at the report. "Most Nen users don't rely on heavy body modifications... unless they're rookies experimenting with weird abilities."

He sighed. "If Cole is a Nen user, I'll have to be extra careful."

Kaizen leaned back in his chair, considering the intel.

"Three targets confirmed, two still out there."

His mind raced with possibilities. "If I eliminate one of these three, the others might come out of hiding... I could use them as bait to lure the remaining fugitives."

It was a calculated risk, but Kaizen thrived in situations like this. He picked up his phone, dialing Milluki again.

"Any luck on the other two?"

"No clue yet," Milluki answered, frustration evident in his voice. "I'll keep digging."

"Alright. I'll move forward with these three for now." Kaizen's voice was calm, determined. "If I get the others on my own, I'll let you know."

"Just... watch yourself," Milluki warned.

Kaizen smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not planning to die anytime soon."

With the mission set, Kaizen stood and stretched, looking out the window once more.

He knew this mission was dangerous—but that was exactly why he had taken it. The stronger the opponent, the greater the opportunity to improve. And Kaizen had no intention of staying weak forever.

--------------

+100 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub