"It's really troublesome!" Old K grumbled as he faced the shirtless young man across from him.
"This space ability is incredibly frustrating!"
When it came to raw power, Old K undoubtedly had the upper hand over the young man. Despite both being A-level nen users, as Zeno had pointed out, the disparity among A-level users could be even greater than that between A-level and ordinary Nen practitioners.
Yet, the young man's ability was quite the cheat. He could swap places with Old K's Nen beast with just a clap of his hands, making it nearly impossible for Old K to keep track of his movements.
"I'll have to give it a shot," Old K thought, channeling a massive amount of aura that coalesced around him.
A second Nen beast manifested, allowing both beasts to attack simultaneously. This significantly hindered the shirtless youth's ability to maneuver, effectively forcing him to contend with three opponents at once, all of whom were formidable.
Gradually, the youth found himself being pushed back, the situation growing increasingly dire.
Meanwhile, the conflict between Old T and the bald butcher was less complex. One was a builder, the other a destroyer, it was a stalemate. Who would prevail depended entirely on who could outlast the other, and in that regard, Old T held the advantage. As an A-level nen user, the bald butcher's stamina paled in comparison to Old T's. If not for Old T's preference for extended battles rather than explosive confrontations, the bald butcher's endurance would have crumbled even sooner.
The situation for the two twins was particularly dire. The suited young man was a B-level Nen user but had exceptional combat skills and experience, often surpassing those with A-level Nen. This made it tough for Old O to gain any ground, especially with the white-haired boy aiding his opponent. The boy's Nen manipulation was enough to disrupt Old O's actions.
To make matters worse, Old O had lost an arm during his fight against Zeno and Kaizen.
Meanwhile, the escaped wild beast girl returned to Elders.
"Elder!"
"How is the situation?" the elder rushed out to meet her.
The elders could not afford to ignore this matter, it concerned the very strength of the Kute Gang of Thieves and a card known as Wild Beast in Meteor City.
"My lord, we are no match for the Kute Gang of Thieves," the girl reported. "Before I left, five members of the Wild Beast had fallen to the Kute Gang. The leader sent me to spread the word."
"We need more support."
The elder's expression shifted. "Even the Wild Beasts can't contend with the Kute Gang? Just how powerful are they?"
"You Wild Beasts are already the strongest power in Meteor City."
The girl hesitated. "Elder, can we call upon the Zoldyck family? They might be able to help."
"You mean Zoldyck?" The elder frowned.
The girl nodded. "If the Zoldycks could sever Old O's arm without any repercussions, it proves they have the means to deal with him."
"I'll need to consult with the other elders about hiring Zoldyck."
Bringing in the Zoldyck family wouldn't come cheap, and often having the funds wasn't enough. Beyond a certain price, the Zoldycks would demand something more enticing—something not easily covered by a single elder.
"This Kute Gang of Thieves is exceptionally formidable, who knows what demands Zoldyck might make?"
With a furrowed brow, the elder entered the conference room where twelve elders were in discussion. A consensus was reached.
"No matter the cost, we must confront the Kute Gang of Thieves. Otherwise, Meteor City might face dire consequences, far exceeding the fees for Zoldyck."
One elder stepped forward, picking up the phone and dialing a number.
Outside Meteor City, in a small town, inside a hotel…
"Grandpa Zeno, your phone is ringing."
Zeno nodded, picking up the call. "Hey. I understand. I can accept this commission, but I have a few conditions. If you can meet those, I'll agree."
After hanging up, Kaizen couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa Zeno, was that a call from Meteor City?"
"Yes," Zeno replied. "Meteor City suffered heavy losses against the Kute Gang of Thieves. Even their elite team, the Wild Beasts, took significant casualties, prompting them to seek external help."
"Wild Beasts?" Kaizen paused. That term was unfamiliar to him, he had only heard of Wild Beasts.
"There are twelve elders in Meteor City, and the Wild Beasts stand out among their ranks. They are the strongest Nen users there."
Kaizen frowned slightly. In the original narrative, the Wild Beasts had never been mentioned. When discussing Meteor City, the focus had always been on the junkyard, the Phantom Troupe. If the Wild Beasts were indeed that powerful, how did they measure up against the Phantom Troupe?
"However, at this point in time, the Phantom Troupe should still be in their developmental phase," Kaizen reasoned. Currently, members like Chrollo were not yet twenty, and others like Nobunaga, Feitan, and Uvogin were only in their early twenties, and the rest being mere teenagers.
They might not even have all thirteen members yet.
"Grandpa Zeno, did you agree?" Kaizen inquired.
"I'll only agree if my conditions are met," Zeno clarified. "At present, only two members of the Zoldyck family are suitable for this task: myself and Silva."
"And your great-great-grandfather is still in seclusion. His retreat is a priority over this mission. Thus, our Zoldyck family can only assign one person to handle the Kute Gang of Thieves."
Kaizen hesitated. "I remember you said before, Grandpa Zeno, that in a one-on-one confrontation with the Kute Gang of Thieves, you'd have a nine out of ten chance of winning. With Silva joining, you could take on at least two of them."
Zeno shook his head. "Kaizen, you're missing a crucial point. We're assassins. Our goal is absolute certainty. A nine out of ten chance simply isn't enough. When Silva and I face a Kute Gang of Thieves together, our odds need to be a hundred percent. Remember this, Kaizen, and keep it in mind for the future."
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