Peter fumbled with his words for a long time before he managed to explain things clearly.
He wasn't very old, and since he had spent most of his time in the old garbage zone, he rarely interacted with others. His social skills were underdeveloped, making him struggle to string together coherent sentences.
The elder, already impatient, called over a Nen user whose ability could enhance communication. With that ability in effect, Peter's speech became clearer.
"Alright," Peter began. "I met Mr. Parker in the old garbage area. He took me along with two other people."
"He called those two. They were strong."
"When we were about to leave the old garbage area, a mountain collapsed, and a giant cockroach appeared."
"The old man fought it. He killed the big one. But there were smaller ones too."
"Mr. Parker killed some of them as well."
"After that, we went to the new garbage zone, where we ran into a strange guy. He was terrifying."
"The two adults fought him, but neither could win."
"Mr. Parker told me to run. He gave me a direction to follow, then ran the other way himself."
"I came here to deliver his message to you."
The elder narrowed his eyes. "What message?"
Peter inhaled, then said the word that made the elder's pupils shrink in alarm.
"Kuto."
The elder's expression darkened.
The name Kute Gang of Thieves carried weight. Even among the Hunter Association's S-rank criminals, the Kute Gang stood out. They had a reputation for killing many powerful individuals and attacking some of the most secure organizations.
"They're dangerous," the elder muttered to himself. "The two adults Peter mentioned must be members of the Zoldyck family."
His gaze sharpened.
"Zeno Zoldyck is no weakling. Yet if the Kute Gang are holding their ground against them... their strength must be far beyond the rumors."
The elder's mind raced.
"Why would they come to Meteor City? Are they here for the Zoldycks—or is there something else at play?"
He exhaled deeply.
"Parker shouldn't have known the name Kuto unless it was fed to him. Which means... the Zoldycks knew. And that giant cockroach…"
His face turned grim as a realization struck him.
He rushed back to his office and pulled out several documents, rifling through them.
"Just as I thought."
Meteor City was traditionally divided into four zones: the old garbage area, the new garbage area, the chaotic area, and the elder district. But to the elders, it was divided further into twelve regions, each controlled by a different elder. Every elder ruled their zone like a king and kept meticulous control over the population and events within it.
Except now, something wasn't right.
One of the regions hadn't reported anything in quite some time. And reports from neighboring areas mentioned noticeable population drops.
The elder returned to Peter, his tone sharp. "How big was that cockroach?"
"Big as a hill," Peter replied.
The elder clenched his jaw. A cockroach that size couldn't be a mere creature—it had to be something worse.
A disaster.
Disasters were known to manifest under extreme conditions, and even though Meteor City's harsh environment rarely produced monsters, this time was different.
"Those thieves... they must have provoked the disaster deliberately."
The elder's fists tightened. "For a disaster to fully manifest here, millions would have to die."
His voice dropped into a growl.
"The Kute Gang... What a disgusting bunch. They're treating my people like fuel."
To the elders of Meteor City, everything within its borders—whether land or people—belonged to them. The elder's eyes gleamed with cold fury.
"These are all my assets," he muttered.
He stormed out of his office. "Pass my orders! Send a strike team to where the Kute Gang were last seen. Shoot them on sight. And bring Parker back."
One of the men hesitated. "But, sir... if even Zeno Zoldyck retreated from them, can we really stand a chance?"
The elder shot him a withering glare.
"So what?"
"No matter how powerful they are, they're still made of flesh and blood. Guns, bombs, shells—those will tear them apart. And besides, we have Nen users."
"Zeno Zoldyck only retreated because that's what assassins do. They don't fight meaningless battles or take unnecessary risks."
"But we're different. This is our territory."
The elder's voice hardened.
"The Kute Gang dared to run wild on my land. That is unforgivable."
With that, the elder's command took effect. A convoy of more than a dozen trucks rolled out from the elder district, packed with heavily armed men and Nen users—an elite strike force.
The elder watched them from atop the wall.
In truth, he knew that sending ordinary soldiers and Nen users against the Kute Gang might be futile. The best option would have been to summon the Wild Beast—the most formidable enforcer among the twelve elders.
The Wild Beast specialized in dealing with high-level Nen users, the kind of opponent only someone with elite strength could face head-on.
But the elder had another motive for holding back the Wild Beast. If the Kute Gang had come for some treasure or valuable resource, he didn't want to share it with the other elders.
Once the Wild Beast got involved, the spoils would be divided twelve ways, leaving the elder with only a fraction.
However, if his own soldiers captured the prize... it would belong to him alone.
"I have plenty of men and plenty of guns," the elder mused to himself. "Even the Kute Gang can't escape a full-scale assault."
His gaze remained fixed on the departing convoy, a grim smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
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