Ok guys, it's the weekend. I'm going to upload a good amount of chapters while further refining a couple of advanced chapters on Patreon.
I also thought it would be cool if you could help me quit my job so I can focus more on translation.... well even if I don't quit, I just want to have more time for myself, and all this could happen by joining my Patreon. my goal is to earn around 600 USD, that's just enough for a guy who just left school and still living with his parents
if you guys think the prices aretoo high, I can take that into consideration and change it to a more considerable price.
well enough about that, here's your missing chapter, I TRIED MY BEST.
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Minutes later, Oboro wiped his hands with a handkerchief and left the hall. Over his shoulder was Charles. Though badly injured, his wounds were not fatal. A few months' rest would do. He had been lucky to avoid the slaughter.
Oboro didn't fear complications, but he despised entanglements. As much as he tried to keep his distance from people like Hisoka or Illumi, his goal was pure understanding and mastery of this world, climbing steadily towards his envisioned peak. In his former life, the world of the Hunters had fascinated him, filled with secrets to be discovered and experiences to be gained. But to advance alone, undistracted, proved to be a challenge.
Even someone like Netero wasn't immune. So was Ging, who became involved with Pariston after the Chairman's death.
"Consider it my initiation into the real world," Oboro mused as he carried the unconscious Charles from the mansion.
The power itself didn't interest him. Eliminating one of the Ten Dons would be simple, but Bert's explanation had illuminated the complexities of the Underground. The death of a Don didn't end their influence. New leaders would emerge, new Dons would rise. Without becoming one themselves, the threats would persist because the basic structure of the Mafia remained intact.
Among other concerns, being marked by the underworld created complications. Who wouldn't tire of constant harassment?
And while Illumi's solo assassination of the Ten Dons made the Mafia look weak, the reality was more complex. The underground's influence spanned continents and touched everything. When Illumi struck, the Phantom Troupe had divided their forces, and the Shadow Beasts were absent. Those Shadow Beasts, the Dons' elite guard, though eventually eliminated by the Spiders, possessed considerable skill.
Currently, Oboro doubted that he could defeat all the Shadow Beasts alone. However, dealing with a single Don seemed manageable.
The underworld worked according to established rules. A legitimate rise to the level of the Dons' authority would suffice. Though inconvenient, the Fells Family incident had revealed the fascinating aspects of the Underworld. Its Nen users proved more versatile than Heaven's arena fighters, like enhanced versions of his "proving grounds," offering new learning opportunities.
Moreover, achieving Don status meant controlling substantial assets that would fully support his future Hunter activities. The Mafia's intelligence networks and connections would deepen his understanding of the world.
Certain information remained restricted to select circles. He was particularly fascinated by V5. This UN-like governmental body fascinated him, but reaching them as a mere Hunter proved difficult. The Mafia offered a viable springboard.
Oboro remembered clearly how even the respected Netero deferred to V5 officials. While this was partly due to the Chairman's sense of Hunter responsibility and personal ethics, it showed that there were clear "power hierarchies" within the human realm, excluding the Dark Continent.
More resources meant fewer future obstacles. Ignoring external factors and claiming to be free to roam the world was pure fantasy. Absolute freedom required absolute ability.
He took an airship to Yorknew City, a thriving metropolis of the Padokean Republic. The Fells family headquarters was near Heaven's Arena. He checked Charles into a hospital. Survival alone was enough. When he woke up, he would understand the situation quickly enough.
"Maybe I should go see him," Oboro thought aboard the airship, sipping juice at the window.
He meant Illumi. Let the Zoldyck eliminate the Dons and save him the trouble. But he quickly dismissed the idea.
First, Illumi probably knew Hisoka by now, since he had introduced them originally. Second, the Dons would offer a substantial payment. And finally, why outsource what you could do yourself? Besides, the fact that Illumi knew his plans meant danger.
As he had analyzed, even if Illumi killed the current Dons, it wouldn't solve anything. Promotion remained impossible. The Mafia valued legitimacy and seniority and required one to be "family". The Fells family, being middle class, needed time.
Oboro had considered various violent approaches, but they proved impractical. The Mafia's membership was vast. Even if the Zoldycks tried to control them, assuming Illumi didn't use his needles, it would take forever to win their full loyalty. Kill the rebels? Impossible to eliminate them all.
Besides, administration involved countless tedious details. Although the Mafia operated in the shadows, they maintained a strong organizational identity. Of course, if Illumi used his needles, it would be a different story.
Besides, to people like Garu, neither the Hunters nor the Nen users commanded any particular respect, inspiring at most a fear similar to that of the Zoldycks. Most were considered mere hired muscle or useful tools.
Oboro had no patience for such positions. Thus, using the identity of the Fells family for rapid advancement proved most efficient. Time-efficient, too.
"Well." The thought made him massage his temples.
He sometimes oversimplified things, both with Nen and the Mafia.
"A time traveler's foreknowledge offers both advantages and pitfalls, not uniformly beneficial."
He finished his juice with a last sip, sighing softly.
Days later in Yorknew City, a heavily guarded hundred-meter tower stood proudly, even its entrance guards heavily armed. Everyone entering wore suits, their expressions stern. The atmosphere screamed "authorized personnel only.
This was the headquarters and residence of the Fells family. Above the fiftieth floor, access to the elevators required special clearance cards.
On the top floor, darkness shrouded a vast chamber. A woman in white occupied a wheelchair, one hand touching the glass as lifeless eyes gazed out at the bustling night city. Her features were similar to Garu's, though she appeared to be in her twenties.
Fells Lily, Garu's only sister.
Oboro stood a few meters behind her, studying her with his En. She remained unaware.
"Lower body paralyzed, blind," Oboro noted clinically.
Bert had mentioned Garu's sister.
He made his footsteps sound.
"Anyone there?"
The sudden sound didn't startle Lily. She tilted her head slightly, her voice calm.
Her brown eyes held no light.
"Garu is dead," Oboro explained.
"I know." The woman showed no grief, her voice soft.
Oboro's eyebrows rose. The presence of a stranger drew remarkably little reaction. These floors were the family's exclusive living quarters.
He was clearly an intruder.
"Are you here to kill me?"
Her question surprised him.
"No."
Oboro smiled.
"Did you kill him?"
"Yes."
He answered simply.
She didn't ask why, didn't scream or call for help, just remained silent.
"What now?"
"I will be the new head of the Fells family."
"If I refuse?"
Lily turned back to 'watch' the window.
"I'll find another way, though the consequences may be severe." Oboro spoke deliberately.
"Your father, the former head of the family, died recently, correct? The Fells made their fortune in casinos. Lucrative business, attracting many eyes. Your father's death and your condition resulted from attempted takeovers."
"Your brother did well. Though some assets were lost, he stabilized things, but never regained full strength. Whether you agree with me or not, I'm eliminating several family leaders. If news of your brother's death spreads, can you and the butler alone stop the circling wolves?"
Oboro joined her at the window.
"You're not mafia, are you?"
Her tone carried certainty.
"No."
Oboro's eyes narrowed. This woman far outstripped her brother in intellect.
"Oboro."
Suddenly, she spoke his name: "The one who won the fortune of our casinos."
He wasn't surprised. Garu had traveled to Tandon especially for him.
But now Oboro suspected that while Garu held the title, this blind, crippled woman really ran the family. Garu had been inconspicuous. But Lily, in a few sentences, had earned Oboro's "intelligent" classification.
"All dead?"
"Yes."
"None survived?"
"Unfortunately not."
"Then it seems I really have no choice."
The woman lifted her blind eyes and smiled softly: "May I ask why you seek Mafia leadership? Someone of your caliber doesn't need to."
"Well, reason." They talked like old friends.
Oboro thought, then said, "Your family doesn't interest me. I only need their resources temporarily."
"Use us."
She seemed to half understand.
"Does that bother you?"
"No."
Lily shook her head.
Oboro studied her and asked suddenly, "Don't you hate me?"
"Just sad. It's all fate."
After speaking, Lily added, "Could you describe the view? How you see it. I only hear sounds."
"Of course."
Oboro nodded.
"Thank you."