Hunter Association
"Tap, tap, tap..."
The rhythmic sound of fingers drumming on the desk echoed in Vice-Chairman Pariston's office.
"To think even this didn't work..." he murmured thoughtfully, his expression unusually calm, devoid of the usual fake smile.
"Netero was completely unharmed~"
Nasubi Hui Guo Rou wasn't the only one connected to Beyond—Pariston was also involved.
Thus, Netero's survival against the plan left him somewhat troubled.
Yet, apart from regret, he felt a hint of relief.
Had their long-standing rivalry made him sentimental?
Would he actually miss the old man if he died just like that?
After all, what he loved most was this kind of struggle, using it to make the other despise him—it gave him a sense of accomplishment.
In the entire association, the only one capable of engaging in such a battle with him was Netero.
Ging could barely be counted and Cheadle half at best.
Looking at it this way, perhaps he should even thank Akira?
As the vice-chairman of the Hunter Association, Pariston naturally knew all the details of this Chimera Ant incident.
It could be said that this Chimera Ant incident was essentially resolved by only one person.
That person was Akira!
Had Akira not been present, the entire Chimera Ant incident would likely have unfolded exactly as they had anticipated.
But Akira's involvement caused the plan to deviate from its intended course.
Most crucially, it was the strength Akira had revealed this time!
"Akira~ It seems I've always underestimated you." Pariston murmured with a distant look in his eyes. "I must have some incredible luck to have provoked someone like this and still be alive."
Ever since he receive the report on this operation, Pariston couldn't help but be stunned by the power Akira had displayed.
It was absolutely terrifying!
The strength this man possessed far surpassed that of the top fighters across the six continents!
How on earth did he create those monstrous Nen beasts?
At this moment, he felt nothing but gratitude for still being alive and it only reinforced his resolve never to provoke Akira again.
He loved stirring trouble, but he also knew when to hold back.
If he didn't know the opponent's strength, that was one thing—but knowingly provoking someone this terrifying would be no different from suicide.
"Still, while Netero survived, he no longer wants to continue as chairman." Pariston mused.
"That's something I didn't expect. Maybe his battle with the Ant King changed his perspective?" He continued, "For them, this should count as one of the few pieces of good news. For me, though, it's just whatever."
The "them" Pariston referred to were the masterminds behind this Chimera Ant incident.
Though they failed to use the Chimera Ants to kill Netero, his resignation as chairman was still a decent outcome.
As long as Netero stepped back from the frontlines and no longer led the Hunter Association, they could consider leaving him alone.
As the former strongest in the world, Chairman Netero's influence was too immense—so much that even the V5 nations were unwilling to tolerate it.
Pariston thought Netero's voluntary resignation was actually a brilliant move.
If he hadn't stepped down willingly, it would have invited endless probing and targeting from other nations.
At that point, Pariston would have had to propose Netero's resignation on grounds of accountability himself.
The Chimera Ant incident had caused significant damage, devastating two entire nations.
The V5 and other nations could easily pin all the blame on Netero, making the public believe it was due to the Hunter Association's mishandling.
In that case, Netero would likely have had to resign anyway.
Now, having foreseen this future and with his own mindset changed, he simply chose to step down proactively.
The only thing was, this meant a new chairman would have to be elected.
In the past, Pariston might have been somewhat interested, but things were different now.
The time for their promised departure was drawing near—soon, he would follow Beyond to the Dark Continent.
"But, could i use this election to have one last good bit of fun before leaving?"
At this thought, a faint smile reappeared on Pariston's calm face—though it looked somewhat mischievous.
*****
Inside the Hunter Association's conference room, due to Netero's voluntary resignation, Beans had gathered The Twelve Zodiac to discuss the details of the election.
"Waaah, Chairman! Why do you have to resign?!" Ginta was sobbing, tears streaming down his face as he wailed loudly.
In the original story, he had cried when Chairman Netero died, though his grief wasn't as intense this time.
The other Zodiac members around him were also saddened, unable to understand why the Chairman had chosen to resign.
Most of them had joined The Twelve Zodiac out of admiration for the Chairman.
If the Chairman was no longer here, what was the point of them staying?
"Enough, Ginta. Stop crying—you're acting like the Chairman has died" Cluck frowned, trying to calm Ginta down a little.
She sat right next to Ginta, the one most affected by the crying, finding it truly grating to her ears.
"Still no sign of the Rat? Even Ging showed up." Monkey Saiyu rested his hands behind his head while glancing at Ging seated to his right.
"What do you mean, 'even'?" Ging crossed his arms, clearly displeased with Saiyu's remark.
"Want me to kill you?" He refused to be lumped in with someone like Pariston.
That said, the other Zodiac members were genuinely surprised Ging had actually attended this time.
After all, Ging was notorious for skipping meetings, acting more like an outsider than a member of the Twelve Zodiac.
At most, he'd send someone to place a red panda plushie with the character "Ging" written on it as a stand-in for his presence.
Creak—
The doors swung open, revealing two figures at the entrance.
"Hohohoho, it seems I'm not the last one to arrive after all?" Chairman Netero strode lightly into the meeting room, followed by his secretary, Beans.
This meeting had been called by him, intending to discuss better election methods with the Twelve Zodiac.
At the same time, he knew many of the Zodiac members might resist electing a new chairman because of him, so he needed to clarify things.
But no matter what, this time he was determined to resign as chairman.
It was about time this old man enjoyed some peace and quiet.
To emphasize his resolve, Netero was even dressed in plain athletic wear today—instead of his usual blue-and-white chairman robes.
"Chairman! Why don't you want to continue as chairman anymore?" Ginta, seeing Netero appear, became even more emotional and hurriedly addressed him.
"Hohoho, I'll explain once everyone is here." Netero took his seat at the head of the table, subtly glancing at the empty Rat chair with a faint smile.
Knock knock.
Right then, two knocks sounded at the door—Pariston had arrived.
"Ah, my apologies. I was handling quite a few matters earlier and ended up running late." Pariston spoke with exaggerated sincerity, though in reality, he had just been muttering to himself in his office, not busy with any official work.
When his eyes landed on Netero at the head of the table, a glint flashed in Pariston's gaze before he took his seat.
"Tch." Kanzai spat in disdain, curling his lips in open displeasure at Pariston.
That fake smile of his was nauseating every single time.
"Hohohoho, now that everyone's here, I shall make my official announcement." Netero stroked his newly grown beard as he spoke with a smile.
"I, Isaac Netero, hereby resign as Chairman of the Hunter Association."
To him, this wasn't a bad thing—it was a liberation.
The expressions of several in the room shifted slightly.
Even though they had mentally prepared themselves beforehand—hearing the chairman say it outright still made them feel an involuntary pang of sorrow.
"I'm getting on in years, and I often find myself struggling with the duties of the chairman. It's time to elect a new one."
At this, several of them wore skeptical expressions.
Chairman, just look at yourself—full of vigor and vitality.
Where exactly are you "struggling" ?
Netero was well aware of it himself, but he didn't care—or rather, none of that mattered.
What truly mattered was his stance.
His attitude towards resigning was the only thing of importance.
"Chairman, do you really want to step down?" Cheadle adjusted her round-framed glasses, her expression grave as she asked the question.
But deep down, everyone already knew the answer.
"Yes, this old man has truly decided to retire." Netero nodded, extinguishing the last flicker of hope in the Zodiacs' hearts.
They knew Chairman Netero better than anyone—once he made a decision, there was no changing it.
No amount of persuasion would sway him.
After his battle with the Ant King, he had no regrets left.
He had fought to his heart's content.
That was why, even after recovering, when Akira asked if he wanted a rematch, he refused.
He had fought enough.
Coupled with factors involving the V5 and other nations, he ultimately chose to resign and enjoy the lazy life of an old man.
"I see…" Cheadlemurmured in response.
"Ah~ everyone, I've had a wonderful idea!"
"Since the Chairman is voluntarily resigning, shouldn't it naturally fall to me, the Vice-Chairman, to succeed him?"
Pariston "suddenly" came up with this " brilliant idea," raising a finger in exaggerated realization.
At first glance, he resembled the boss from the "I don't eat beef" meme.
In truth, Pariston was deliberately provoking them—he knew this would incite extreme disgust among the Zodiacs.
But he loved this feeling of being despised.
Sure enough, the moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
The Zodiacs all turned their gazes toward him.
Their eyes burned crimson, like bloodthirsty beasts ready to tear Pariston apart and devour him whole.
Except for Ging, who sat there calmly, every other Zodiac radiated murderous intent.
Gel (Snake Zodiac) forcefully channeled her Aura into her arm, transforming it into a massive serpent wreathed in sinister Aura.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, the serpent extended rapidly, stretching like a rubber glove with spring-like coils.
It stopped right in front of Pariston's face.
Staring at the serpent flicking its tongue inches away, Pariston's expression stiffened slightly before reverting to his usual smile.
"Stop joking around!" Gel snapped coldly, her serpentine pupils gleaming with a chilling light.
"No one would ever let you become Chairman! Much less hand you the position without an election!"
If Pariston dared say another unreasonable word, she would absolutely let the serpent strike!
Seeing this, Ginta and the others smirked in satisfaction—Gel had voiced their exact thoughts.
There was no way they would let Pariston succeed as Chairman!
"Ahem, Gel, stand down." Netero coughed twice, signaling for her not to go too far.
"Yes." Gel shot one last glare at Pariston's fake smile before retracting her serpent arm.
"My, how terrifying~" Pariston theatrically clutched his chest, putting on an exaggerated display.
"I've gathered everyone here today for three main matters." Netero brushed past Pariston, who was still putting on an act, ignoring him as he continued with the serious matters at hand.
"First, to announce my resignation as Chairman. Second, to discuss the distribution of merits regarding the Chimera Ant incident. And finally, to jointly discuss the election rules."
"Akira undoubtedly made the greatest contribution during the Chimera Ant incident." Netero spoke solemnly.
"One could say that without his presence, I wouldn't be standing here speaking right now."
"Considering Akira is already a Triple Star Hunter—the highest rank possible—it's difficult to further elevate his title. Therefore, I've decided his reward will be the privilege to select any three treasured items from the Association's collection."
The Hunter Association housed many rare treasures, also referred to as "Aura Tools."
The Association assigned numerous missions, and other factions could also post tasks here.
Typically, mission rewards came in the form of Jenny/money.
But for top-tier Nen Users, wealth wasn't a pressing need.
The reason they still willingly took on Association missions, aside from raising their star rank, was largely for the Aura Tools stored within the Association.
After years of collection, the Hunter Association had amassed quite a few valuable items that would pique the interest of most powerful individuals.
Most could be gifted to others, though a few Aura Tools were sealed away due to their malevolent nature.
Given that Akira lacked neither fame nor money, this was the best reward Netero could think of.
From what intelligence suggested, Akira seemed particularly intrigued by rare items—especially those with unique effects.
Naturally, none of the Zodiacs objected to Chairman Netero's proposal.
Especially Pyon, who would only ever complain that her man's reward was too small.
She also felt immense pride in Akira—it was thanks to his help that their beloved Chairman had survived.
Seems I'll have to thank Akira properly when we get back~
Pyon rested her chin on her hand, gaze drifting as thoughts of Akira filled her mind.
Her pink eyes shimmered with anticipation.
Meanwhile, Pariston remained uncharacteristically silent, tacitly accepting Netero's announced reward for Akira.
This surprised Kanzai and others, given how he'd try to cause trouble during the last meeting.
Only sharper minds like Ging and Cheadle roughly understood.
He must be afraid of Akira! Too scared to provoke him again.
Ging glanced at the suddenly "well-behaved" Pariston and curled his lip in mild disappointment.
Had Pariston made another snide remark about Akira, he could've record it.
Then Pariston would've surely regretted it.
Ging completely understood Pariston's retreat—Akira's strength was downright terrifying.
No sane person who valued their life would dare cross him.
"Next, regarding Morel, Knov and the others." Netero continued speaking.
"Though their contributions pale in comparison to Akira's, we cannot deny their efforts..."
Their rewards mostly aligned with the original timeline, with one exception—Morel.
He was promoted from a One-Star Sea Hunter to Two-Star, unlike the original Three-Star elevation.
After all, in the original timeline, Morel had single-handedly slain multiple Chimera Ant Squadron Leaders and later confronted Shaiapouf alone.
But now Akira had taken over most of his work, so naturally, he didnt gain too much credit this time.
"Next is the matter of the rules for electing the new chairman." Netero concluded.
"I have only one requirement: all hunters must participate in the vote, with a turnout rate of at least 95%. The rest of the rules can be decided by everyone present here."
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