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Chapter Title: Into the Heart of Shadows
"I've always wondered… with so many people and so many strong fighters coming out of Meteor City, how has no one ever tried to take it over?"
Kai muttered to himself as he stood atop a rusted tower, gazing over the sprawling chaos of Meteor City.
According to official records, the area covered by Meteor City was comparable to that of the Republic of Rabin—approximately 6,000 square kilometers. Its population? Over 10 million.
An entire hidden world, living off scraps.
A land this vast, with such a large population… by any logic, it shouldn't be ignored. Even if it's just a massive landfill surrounded by barren deserts, with no natural resources and an unforgiving environment—this was still Meteor City.
And in the world of Hunter x Hunter, there exists a unique resource—Nen.
In a place like this, where survival is earned and the weak perish, powerful individuals are born constantly.
By all reasoning, this place should never have been left alone.
"Officially abandoned, but secretly controlled by the Council of Elders. They turned Meteor City into a human resource bank... dead men, black ops soldiers, human experiments... all of it."
A network of invisible hands, compromising and scheming from behind the scenes. The major world powers came to a silent understanding. Everything was divided—by quota, by need, by price.
And everyone got what they wanted.
---
But then, Kai arrived—and shattered the system.
As long as no one disturbed the flow of profit, Meteor City remained nothing more than a trash heap. A no-man's land. Even if someone detonated a Poor Man's Rose in the middle of the slums, people would simply admire the colors in the sky like fireworks.
But now...
"If this situation leaks... the big players won't stay silent."
"Even if just a tenth of them act, we won't be able to resist," said Machi, her brow furrowed.
They had less than twenty Nen users under their control.
And most of them weren't loyal.
Over 90% would run the moment things got ugly.
Only four of them could be trusted completely.
As for Chrollo Lucilfer and his group, they had left immediately after eliminating the Council of Elders in Zones 3 and 4. Not a word. No goodbyes.
Given Chrollo's intelligence and access to information, there's no way he didn't understand the threats Kai and the others would face.
His silence said everything: he had no intention of taking control.
Or maybe… this was a test.
> "If you can't even manage this much, then get lost. You're not qualified to stay."
Kai fell into deep thought. But then, a smile crept across his lips.
"We're not entirely without allies."
"Allies?" Machi and Nobunaga exchanged surprised looks.
"Leave that part to me," Kai said, confident. "Judging from the Council's last communication cycle, we still have two to three months. Let's use that time to settle the groundwork."
With the plan set, Kai contacted Aruba—to get updates and to arrange for some trustworthy reinforcements.
Their earlier attack was too devastating. Many of the Council's elites had been wiped out. The local population couldn't replenish that kind of force quickly.
They needed to transition. Fast.
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Ten days passed in a flash.
Thanks to the deduction ability of his Nen-based [Virtual Reality] system, Kai restructured Meteor City's administration at an astonishing pace.
He didn't look like a ten-year-old anymore—not even close. His body, enhanced by Gourmet Cells, had already broken through normal limits.
And it wasn't just him.
Putting aside the battle-hardened veterans like Nobunaga and Uvogin, even Machi—just slightly older than Kai—was developing rapidly, physically and mentally, under the influence of Kai's supercharged food.
Looking at the xiaolongbao—now full and rounded—Kai felt deeply satisfied.
"Mmm… excellent growth."
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"Are you really going there, Kai? Won't it be dangerous?"
Machi looked worried.
"Relax. Those people only care about money, not politics. Besides… you know my Nen. Once I reveal my strength, they'll treat me like a VIP."
Kai grinned. To him, it felt more like a vacation.
Machi tried to argue, but Nobunaga raised a hand and stopped her.
"Kai knows what he's doing. We just need to hold the fort here."
"Besides, the Zoldyck family's been around for a hundred years. Their reputation is clear—they never break the rules."
Kai threw a grateful glance at Nobunaga.
That's right. His destination—the Zoldyck estate.
The most feared assassin family in the world. Their home stood atop Kukuroo Mountain, in the Daukusu region of the Republic of Padokea. Just a clear photograph of any family member could fetch a bounty of over 100 million Jenny.
They'd take any job—for the right price.
Their motto: money over morals.
"Just wait for my good news."
Waving casually, Kai ran off into the distance before Machi could stop him. He knew that if he hesitated, she might try harder to talk him out of it.
Still, something about her had changed. Under his influence, Machi had started to open up. She used to keep everything bottled inside.
But now? She spoke her mind.
> This Machi… isn't so bad after all.
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Five days later...
Inside a guided tour bus—
"Please disembark here. This is the territory of the Zoldyck family, the most famous assassin clan in the world," the guide announced. "Everything you see belongs to the family. This is private land. Outsiders are forbidden beyond this point."
"You're allowed to take pictures—from here only."
Kai stepped off the bus and looked up at the legendary Trial Gate.
The [Trial Gate]—the only official entrance into the Zoldyck estate. Seven doors, each heavier than the last.
First door: 2 tons.
Second: 4 tons.
Third: 8 tons…
And so on.
There was no key. To enter, you had to push the doors open yourself.
Of course, you could try sneaking in elsewhere.
But then you'd meet Mike, the Zoldyck family's terrifying pet—an enormous beast trained to kill intruders on sight.
Only those who entered through the gate were spared its wrath.
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"Young man," a voice said. "Wanna give it a try?"
The speaker was Zebro, the gatekeeper. Bored and smiling. Teasing tourists was his only real fun these days.
No one ever succeeded. But they all tried anyway.
Kai nodded. "Sure."
He slipped off his coat and stepped forward.
A group of tourists immediately crowded around, intrigued.
"Wow, he's so thin. Can he even move that thing?"
"He looks like a twig. No way he's stronger than me."
"Doesn't matter—no one's ever opened it. I heard it's just for show."
"Yeah, it's probably fake."
Still, everyone watched.
Kai stepped up to the gate, placed both palms on the cold iron surface…
Took a deep breath—
And shouted:
"OPEN!!"
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