"Could it be..."
Ronnel's eyes flickered as he gazed at the last two glowing clusters inside his spatial inventory.
"The method for cultivating resentment."
When he opened one of the light clusters and absorbed its contents, the realization dawned on him.
"Just as I thought."
With a structured method to cultivate resentment, the condensed energy of resentment and the abilities of these two Jeds finally had a purpose.
Perfect. Everything aligned.
Ronnel turned his attention to the fifth light cluster.
"How to create the Resentment Infection Potion."
The Resentment Infection Potion?
He rubbed his chin, recalling details from the original events.
In the source material, after Jed defeated all the Floor Masters of Heavens Arena, he injected them with a potion infused with resentment, infecting each one with its corrupting influence.
Not only did they lose their sanity, but their strength also skyrocketed.
And every single one of them obeyed Jed's will without question.
Of course, the potion had its flaws.
Ronnel remembered the battle in the control room.
"Shura and Kurapika fought, and because Kurapika didn't fully understand the nature of resentment, Shura managed to inject him with the potion.
"Although Kurapika showed signs of being infected, his sheer willpower prevented him from succumbing completely. He endured it without losing control, let alone falling under Jed's influence.
"In other words, this potion's infection rate isn't absolute. If the target is unconscious, the transformation is swift and unavoidable.
"But if the target has an indomitable will, resistance is possible, making the infection process much more difficult."
Mulling over the intricacies of the potion, Ronnel pressed the light cluster to his forehead, absorbing its knowledge.
Such a potion would be incredibly useful for interrogation—or for handling situations that required more... delicate solutions.
Knocking someone unconscious and injecting them with the potion would ensure absolute obedience. How convenient.
There was no reason for Ronnel to ignore such a practical tool.
After committing the recipe to memory, he turned his attention to the "Resentment Power Cultivation Method" and absorbed its contents as well.
After all, the infection potion relied on resentment as a key component. Understanding its cultivation and refinement was essential.
As for actually practicing resentment-based abilities himself...
Well, that was another matter entirely. Ronnel had no intention of becoming like Jed—an existence caught between human and specter.
Even if cultivating both Nen and resentment granted unparalleled strength...
In the end, Jed was defeated by Gon in a single punch.
That's right. One punch.
It was almost laughable. The infinitely powerful Jed, taken down just like that.
Officially, the explanation was that Jed had exhausted himself fighting Netero, and at that moment, Gon had a unique surge of power—a fusion of Nen, resentment, and an unwavering will, granting him the strength to land a decisive blow.
A flimsy justification, to say the least... No wonder many fans considered the movie to be nothing more than glorified fan fiction.
But if someone was passionate enough to create a film like that, pouring their heart and soul into the story, wasn't that devotion something to be admired?
Sure, the production and release raked in box office profits, but that was Neon's money. It had nothing to do with us.
Ahem. Back on topic.
With the knowledge of the two light clusters absorbed, the remaining three lay dormant in his spatial inventory, perhaps never to be used again.
For the next few days, Ronnel busied himself with refining the infection potion according to the formula in his mind.
During this time, Gon and Killua sought him out to say their farewells.
Following Ging's arrangements, they would now be training under Kite to learn what it meant to be real Hunters.
"I've spent plenty of time watching Zushi's matches," Gon admitted.
So far, Heavens Arena had yet to release an official statement regarding the tournament's status. Additionally, with Zushi still recovering from his injuries, it was clear he wouldn't be competing again anytime soon.
With no reason to linger, Gon and Killua decided to move on and continue their training.
Speaking of Ging... the man had sent Ronnel a message right after he had settled the Jed incident and returned to the 251st floor.
"Since you've handled everything, I don't need to bother going there."
Such an infuriatingly typical Ging response.
It was exactly the kind of thing that made people want to punch him in the face.
However, the timing of his message revealed something interesting—it meant that Ging had been monitoring the situation all along.
With a master hacker like Ickshonpe on his side, it wasn't difficult. After Shura's death and the subsequent collapse of his control, it would have been effortless for Ickshonpe to track the unfolding events.
After Gon and Killua left, Kurapika also departed without a word.
Leorio, on the other hand, stayed behind, doing everything he could to assist in Zushi's medical treatment.
Although most of Zushi's injuries were superficial, full recovery would take time.
More importantly, both Ronnel and the ever-observant Bisky suspected that Leorio's true reason for staying had less to do with Zushi and more to do with the unresolved outcome of the tournament.
Rumor had it that he had placed quite a hefty bet on the results...
And so, life gradually returned to normal.
As time passed, public attention began to shift.
The Shadow Organization was now officially labeled a fanatical criminal group by both the V5 and the Hunter Association, their primary goal being to undermine the Association itself.
Although the Black Report still fueled skepticism, the deliberate efforts of both institutions successfully redirected the public's focus.
Once again, all eyes turned toward Heavens Arena and the unresolved conclusion of the martial arts tournament.
Two dominant voices emerged in the ongoing debate.
One faction argued that, due to the unprecedented attack on the tournament and the subsequent inability of competitors to resume their matches, the event should be canceled altogether.
"There will be no champion."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)