Chapter 40: Nen Cannot Be Universalized
On the surveillance monitors:
Babimyna stood motionless, hands behind his back as if standing at attention. Meanwhile, Dago and his team were far less composed. Some sat in frustration, others angrily kicked and punched at the inscriptions within the Ferris wheel cabin.
Allantril pressed the intercom button. "Stop kicking it. If you break it, you'll have to pay."
"It's you?!"
"Hey! What's going on here? Let us out!"
"What did you do to us?"
"Why are we forcibly put into Zetsu and unable to use our Nen?!"
Dago and his team shouted at the intercom, their frustration palpable. It wasn't unreasonable. Being forced into Zetsu—especially passively—made them even more vulnerable than ordinary people. At least regular people had a faint aura as a natural shield. Stripped of Nen, they were defenseless, with no sense of security at all.
Babimyna glanced at the corner surveillance camera, his expression unchanging.
Ignoring their complaints, Allantril held the intercom button. "I'm sure you're aware that in recent years, rumors about the treasure of the True Martial King have resurfaced, prompting many to come to this island on a wild goose chase. As you've seen, there's no treasure here. I don't want any more disruptions. You're all Nen users, so you should understand why certain artifacts in the tomb cannot be made public."
He paused before continuing, "So, when I count to three, all storage-capable devices on you will be automatically wiped."
Releasing the button, Allantril watched as the monitors displayed the hunters' stunned reactions. Dago and the others looked at the cameras in disbelief before their blood boiled, angrily gesturing and silently cursing.
Turning to Haru and the others, Allantril said, "You should delete any material on your phones as well."
"No problem," Menchi nodded.
Allantril added, "Alternatively, we can provide curated materials, focusing on the relics unrelated to Nen. That should suffice for your assignment."
"Sounds good," Haru agreed. "But I have a question."
"What is it?"
"I don't own a phone."
Allantril laughed, "That's an easy fix. Our company has a tech division. Since fate brought us together—and because Little White seems to like you—I'll gift you each one of our latest models."
Even Menchi, who wasn't short on money, looked pleased. Haru merely shrugged.
Shizuku's curiosity took over, and she asked, "What exactly is the treasure of the first King of kakin?"
"The first king…" Allantril leaned back in his large office chair, hands clasped. "Hugo Hui Guo Rou, the legendary king from 400 years ago, is remembered as the man who nearly unified the Azian continent. But…" He paused for effect. "Based on our findings, Hugo didn't just intend to unify one continent. He aimed to unite all six continents of the known world."
Haru, already deeply intrigued by the Dark Continent, remained unfazed. Shizuku, as usual, looked blank, while Menchi's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Though," Allantril added, "it would be more accurate to say he planned to unify the six continents."
Menchi, exasperated, said, "Allan, you're scaring us! So, it was just his ambition?"
Allantril shook his head. "Not just ambition. From fragments we've uncovered, Hugo made thorough preparations and could have acted at any time. Ging himself said that if Hugo had truly set his plans in motion, success was inevitable. In other words, if he had, we'd all be Kakin citizens today."
"That's… incomprehensible," Menchi muttered, struggling to process the scale of such a statement. "It feels so far removed from reality."
Shizuku tilted her head. "Why didn't he follow through, then?"
"No one knows," Allantril said. "What we do know is that, on the brink of action, he abruptly abandoned his plans."
Haru quipped, "And that's why he locked himself in a tomb to scrawl cryptic nonsense on the walls?"
"Possibly," Allantril replied.
"So much for a glorious ending."
Haru thought, recalling the odd murals and frantic scrawlings Hugo had left behind.
His thoughts were interrupted by the monitors displaying Dago and the others, their frustration evident even through the screen.
---
"Was that necessary? Was that really necessary?!"
Finally released from the Ferris wheel cabins, Dago and the others, their eyes bloodshot, grumbled under their breath. Haru, Shizuku, and Menchi arrived just in time to witness their state.
"Did Allan send you the curated material?" Menchi asked, shaking her phone. "We got ours. Relax, it's more than enough to finish the job."
"That's not the point!" Dago snapped. "Our phones had personal data on them, and now it's all gone!"
"Yeah, it's unacceptable!"
Seeing their half-hearted rage and hesitant complaints, Haru couldn't help but laugh. Against a hunter like Allantril—also a billionaire—what could they really do? They were helpless, their insults deflating into quiet grumbles.
In stark contrast, Babimyna remained calm and composed. He turned to Haru and the others. "Where did you go?"
It was clear they had found another exit from the tomb.
Haru casually replied, "Oh, Allan was kind enough to invite us for a chat about the Hunter Association's history. But what's past is past—no point revisiting it."
Menchi raised an eyebrow. Though Haru wasn't lying, something about his tone made her doubt him.
"Let's go claim our reward," Haru said cheerfully. "Shizuku, come on."
"Reward?" Dago muttered. "Why do you make it sound so cheap…"
"Don't call it a reward—it's our payment for services rendered…"
Even as they grumbled, Dago and his team begrudgingly followed. Babimyna lingered for a moment, then glanced back.
High above, Allantril stood by his office window, holding a glass of wine. He raised it slightly in acknowledgment.
Babimyna's expression remained unreadable as he turned and left.
---
Allantril swirled the wine in his glass, lost in thought.
Why did Ging believe Hugo's unification of the six continents would have been inevitable?
Because Hugo's grand plan was to universalize Nen across Kakin, creating an unparalleled nation with an invincible army of Nen users.
Given Kakin's might as a nation, coupled with the military technology of 300–400 years ago, universalizing Nen could have made unifying the world feasible.
But at the critical moment, Hugo abandoned his plans, destroyed most of the evidence, and descended into near madness in his final years.
This was the mystery Allantril and Ging had pondered during their expeditions to ancient ruins.
---
"Why is it so hard to understand?" Ging had said, his tone dismissive.
Back then, Ging had been in his early twenties, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
"Because he couldn't universalize Nen," Ging had said simply.
"That's it?" Allantril had asked, skeptical.
"That's it!" Ging had replied with a laugh.
Allantril had frowned. "But why? Why couldn't Nen be universalized?"
Ging had shot him a lazy look. "If you can't figure it out, don't bother trying."
"Master." Allantril had fixed him with a steady gaze.
Ging had shrugged, turning toward the horizon. "The answer's simple. Boring, even. That's why I don't feel like explaining."
He'd turned back, wind tugging at his scarf. "Allan, those with the right perspective will easily reach that dull conclusion."
---
"Seriously, a king capable of uniting six continents, and even Ging believed it?"
As they headed back to Sloane's residence, Haru pondered. Hugo's so-called preparations were likely centered on universalizing Nen. Was that the missing piece?
(End of Chapter)