The relationship between the V5 and the Hunter Association is undoubtedly complex, containing both elements of mutual dependence and cooperation, as well as some open and covert contention.
Especially on the Association's side, ever since Netero, the strongest Nen user among humans, became Chairman, he has consistently worked to ensure that the Hunter community remains independent of politics and does not blindly follow the dictates of politicians.
It is precisely because of this difficult old man that the Nen ability game created by Ging Freecss, Greed Island, has been able to continue to this day without suffering any form of political scrutiny.
Otherwise, just the two items, "Angel's Breath" and the "Rejuvenation Potion," would be enough to drive the world's powerful elites insane.
While these card-based items likely have powerful Limitations and Vows attached—for example, their usage location is strictly confined to within the game, and only three cards can be taken out to the outside world after clearing the game—there are still loopholes to be exploited.
Therefore, the biggest problem with the appearance of the Essence of Life is not that it can restore youth, but that it possesses a certain degree of potential for mass production and distribution.
If the V5 truly believes that Allen can create Essence of Life by seizing the Aura of Nen users, they might directly approach him. They could then cultivate serious criminals into Nen users to serve as raw material for manufacturing the Essence of Life.
Even more seriously, they might sacrifice civilians from smaller nations, using human trafficking and smuggling to establish a terrifying, hidden black-market industry.
Netero had witnessed too much of humanity's greed and malice, and he did not want Allen to come into contact with these things prematurely.
He hoped that when Allen eventually stood before him, he could maintain that same serious, focused, and pure pursuit of strength.
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, Allen also began following his original plan, tracking down the wanted criminals marked on his map one by one and sending them into the Red Dragon's belly.
His frantic actions undoubtedly caused the B-rank and higher wanted criminals on the Hunter website to become deeply concerned for their safety. Some simply fled and hid in deep mountain forests, attempting to evade the pursuit of this terrifying 'Grim Reaper.'
That's right.
Since earning the nickname "Divine Arrow," he had acquired yet another moniker: "Grim Reaper."
This was because any wanted criminal who became his target not only had a one hundred percent capture rate but also a one hundred percent fatality rate, essentially the same as being marked by the actual God of Death.
Naturally, these scattering criminals also caused Allen considerable trouble.
In particular, a fellow named Allison chose to hide in a small cabin deep within a primeval forest, forcing Allen to waste seven or eight days just traveling back and forth through the sea of trees.
This was with the advantage of having the Charger mount for travel; without it, he couldn't have hoped to get out in less than one or two months.
And so, after a fierce effort lasting a full forty-eight days, ten B-rank wanted criminals and six A-rank wanted criminals were all apprehended.
The cocoons they transformed into after death all became food for Vaelstrasz's growth and evolution.
"Phew, it's finally over! I feel like we've covered half the human world on this journey," Allen remarked tiredly, lying on a park bench.
"Hahaha! You're right! We have indeed covered half the world. But similarly, we've gained a lot: whether it's wealth, reputation, or the experience gained from fighting Nen users," Bodoro laughed happily.
As he said, due to the continuous capture of over a dozen highly dangerous B-rank and A-rank wanted criminals in a short period, the Hunter Association had already elevated both their licenses to Single-Star Hunter status, and their total bounty earnings had reached over twenty billion Jenny.
Furthermore, engaging with different types of Nen users made the martial artist fully realize that he must be cautious, and then more cautious, in combat, lest he fall into an opponent's trap due to a lapse in attention.
He concluded that the upper three categories—Emitter, Enhancer, and Transmuter—usually preferred simple and direct ability development; one could usually guess their general nature after a quick glance.
However, the lower three categories—Conjurer, Manipulator, and Specialist—often strengthened their rules through Vows and Limitations, meaning their abilities were often the type that, once the conditions were met, could simply and unfairly secure victory.
Therefore, Bodoro developed his own set of combat principles.
When dealing with upper-category Nen users, he should try not to overthink things and simply exert his full power to crush the opponent.
But when dealing with the lower three categories, he absolutely had to disrupt the opponent's battle rhythm, and by no means allow the enemy to comfortably complete any prerequisite conditions.
Noticing the increasingly confident look in the martial artist's eyes beside him, Allen lifted his head, finished the juice in his can, tossed the empty can into a trash bin, and asked directly: "We still have about a month and a half to two months until the end of August. What do you think we should do next?"
"I don't know. But pursuing wanted criminals is definitely out. I'd bet a lot of people are watching us now. If we use our licenses to log onto the Hunter website, the information we browse will leak within minutes and be sold to the highest bidder. And any wanted criminals who realize they're being targeted will certainly try everything to hide in places with extremely poor accessibility," Bodoro sighed, helpless.
It couldn't be helped.
That was the price of fame.
In a way, their actions had indeed greatly deterred the activities of Nen criminals, so the reward of a Single-Star ranking was completely justified.
"No, you're wrong. We don't need to use our licenses to look up wanted criminals. Have you forgotten about Luna? She can perfectly use her Hunter license to look up information on wanted criminals, then simply send the map to us."
Saying this, Allen pulled out his phone and dialed the number of the woman he had only met once.
After a brief busy signal, Luna's voice came through the receiver from the other end: "Good afternoon! Great Scourge of Evil, Mr. Single-Star Bounty Hunter. Do you prefer I call you Grim Reaper, or should I stick to Divine Arrow? Or perhaps..."
"Stop fooling around! You know what I want," Allen interrupted impatiently.
"Hehe! Just kidding! Capturing sixteen B-rank and higher wanted criminals in forty-eight days, including a lunatic like the Mad Chemist who even gave the V5 headaches. Your action this time is even more astonishing than when you killed over a dozen Heavens Arena Floor Masters at once. Since you enjoy hunting powerful Nen users so much, I have a proposal. I wonder if you'd be interested in hearing it?" Luna asked in a slightly exaggerated tone.
"A proposal?" Allen narrowed his eyes, showing an interested expression.
"Stay right where you are. Give me ten minutes."
As Luna spoke these words, the vibration of a car engine starting, along with other miscellaneous noises, could faintly be heard.
Clearly, she was currently inside a vehicle, and a bustling, lively street was visible outside her window.
"Ok. No problem. I'll wait for you here," Allen gave an affirmative reply without thinking twice.
Based on their brief conversation, he could basically conclude that she had used a Nen ability to confirm his location, and the distance between them was very short. It was quite possible that Luna had been hiding in the shadows, trailing, observing, and monitoring him for the past month and change.
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You can read the ahead chapter on Patr-eon if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]