A Banquet in Hell

In Prince Benjamin's room.

King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou stood by the bed, looking expressionlessly at his son, who was now unrecognizable compared to a few months ago.

At this time, the eldest prince was still unconscious. Benjamin could only stay conscious for three hours a day.

Based on his vital signs, experts concluded that Benjamin had about two more weeks to live.

"Come out... I know you're here."

Hui Guo Rou calmly.

It's like talking to someone.

"Haven't you always wanted to speak to me in person?"

Inside the house, there was no one else besides him and a few private soldiers.

The air was quiet.

There was no response.

After waiting for a full minute, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared.

Benjamin, whose body was covered in tubes, emitted wisps of eerie green smoke from his body. Then, a soul emerged from his body and floated above him.

That blurry, ghostly face looked down at the obese, composed ruler of the country.

Then, the demon mask trembled and uttered a voice from Oboro: "I thought... you could really hold your temper and abandon your own son."

The private soldiers standing nearby changed color slightly upon seeing the familiar ghostly creature.

"..."

Hui Guo Rou also remained silent.

"He has good potential... right?"

"If he can emerge victorious from the Seed Urn Ceremony, he might become an outstanding national leader in the future. Compared to your other sons, he certainly has the ability to lead Kakin to greater heights." The ghost floated in front of Hui Guo Rou, swaying back and forth.

This scene made the private soldiers particularly nervous.

"Speak your terms."

Hui Guo Rou showed no fear whatsoever, as if he were unafraid that the ghost before him might cause him any harm or attack.

"You probably don't need me to grant you the qualifications, right? After all, you're capable of doing it yourself. It's just that you can't convince V5..."

Hui Guo Rou calmly, "Smuggling and going through the proper procedures are two different things... Even if you come back alive from the Dark Continent afterward and minimize the Omokage, as long as you return to the human world, you will definitely be targeted and restricted by V5. It will be almost impossible to go a second time."

"Therefore, our plan regarding the hypothetical New Continent is also in your favor... How about this, I'll give you a qualification to board my ship and enjoy the same treatment as royalty. Of course, all of this is based on the premise that we join forces... As for the royal government, you shouldn't even think about interfering; we can cooperate. Moreover, once the New Continent is successfully constructed, as one of the pioneers, you can also use the power of the Fills Family to get a piece of the pie. No matter how you look at it... you won't lose out."

"Hehehe..."

The ghost chuckled, "Extraordinary... Judging from your performance, every king selected through the Seed Urn Ceremony is no ordinary person. Indeed, it has made Kakin increasingly powerful... This makes it twice as difficult for external forces to eliminate or weaken the foundation of your country."

Hearing Long say this, Hui Guo Rou smiled, seemingly quite pleased with the former's praise.

Smiling.

"However, you can fool V5, but you can't fool me... You know better than anyone how terrifying the Dark Continent. Kakin doesn't even want to go there. You just want to find some islands near the Dark Continent, tell the immigrants that those are the so-called Dark Continent, and create a hypothetical New World. Your real purpose is to blackmail V5... You've created a breach, taking control of a resource transit point between the Dark Continent and the human world. You know very well that this breach will widen in the future. Human adventurers who want to explore the Dark Continent for a long time will inevitably need such a place, and you've seized this crucial point..."

" By Beyond is the one who truly wants to explore the Dark Continent ...you are not."

"Furthermore... the true principle behind the Succession War of the Seed Urn Ceremony is raising Gu poison, right?"

When Long controlled the soul and whispered the last words into Hui Guo Rou's ear, the fat man suddenly lost his smile.

"Using the flesh and blood of other royal families to nourish the chosen one—does it increase the chosen one's aptitude, strength, or talent? Everyone is merely a target to be devoured and absorbed... And the chosen one—is it the prince... or you?"

"..."

The room was completely silent.

Hui Guo Rou glanced at Rihan and the other private soldiers first, then waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

The private soldiers were shaken, feeling as if they had heard some unbelievable information, but noticing the king's cold gaze, they quickly left one after another.

The conversation between the king and Oboro that followed was not something they could hear... Even this little bit of information could cost them their lives.

"So wary, it seems my prediction came true..."

"The ghost mocked."

Long clearly remembers that on the Black Whale in the Dark Continent arc, Hui Guo Rou prepared fourteen coffins.

Fourteen princes participated in the Seed Urn Ceremony, which deviated from the rules of the ritual. The purpose of the ceremony was to select the best heir; in other words, if thirteen princes died, who would be left...?

Long guessed that it was prepared by Hui Guo Rou for himself, or perhaps for the prince who was ultimately left behind.

Once the ceremony selects an heir, the successor will become the new king of Kakin without the ceremony taking place, meaning that Hui Guo Rou will die immediately.

Alternatively, the final chosen person and the Hui Guo Rou (a derogatory term for someone of inferior status) will compete through some additional ritual to see who is more outstanding.

The one who survives becomes king.

Those who die are placed in coffins.

In other words, Gu also includes Hui Guo Rou.

There are fifteen people in total. His challengers must first win among the princes before they are qualified to duel with him.

Oboro experienced rituals and felt their power... The birth of this ability revolves around a will and a purpose.

The goal of the Seed Urn Ceremony is to make Kakin strong and invincible.

In this situation, it doesn't matter who becomes king; anyone who is more capable will do.

Whether he will personally kill all his sons to solidify his position, or be overthrown by the new king... depends on everyone's actions.

Of course, it's not necessarily true that a scene of father and son killing each other will happen. Perhaps after the ceremony, a certain prince will stand out, and the Hui Guo Rou will automatically 'disappear'.

This possibility is relatively small.

In the original work, Kurapika is one of the main characters, and the fourteenth prince he protects is likely to be the final winner. However, the fourteenth prince is just an infant. If Hui Guo Rou dies, how could such a person become the ruler of a country and control the entire Kakin? Perhaps, the biggest winner is Hui Guo Rou himself.

"Is it the ability to absorb your own flesh and blood? You're ruthless..."

Long let out a mocking laugh.

The eldest prince Benjamin, possesses exceptional abilities. If, as Oboro conjecture suggests, he were to be used for raising Gu (a type of insect), then his death would be a great waste for the Hui Guo Rou. Even if it's not used for absorption, it would inevitably become nourishment for the Seed Urn. You see, the power of the spirit beasts born from the Seed Urn ... cannot appear out of thin air. Having been passed down for so long, it must need something to constantly feed it. Even the strongest Post-Mortem Nen will gradually be worn down over time... replenishment is absolutely necessary.

The ones eliminated in the ritual are the nutrients that will soon be consumed by the Seed Urn ...

These are the two modes of raising venomous insects.

"Go ahead and tell me, I can compromise and try my best to meet your demands..."

Hui Guo Rou's tone softened.

Although he smiled again, Oboro still caught a hint of unease hidden in his eyes.

"I once disrupted a certain ritual. No matter how powerful the ritual rules and forces are, they all have weaknesses... I really want to try and see if I can destroy the Seed Urn of your Kakin Empire. This is the foundation of your nation. If the Seed Urn is gone, what will become of Kakin?"

The vague answer was irrelevant to the question.

The fourteen princes of the Kakin Empire each have very distinct personalities... In Oboro's eyes, they are similar to the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Virtues.

The seven deadly sins are vividly embodied in the princes, while the seven virtues are less pronounced, though some clues can still be gleaned from them.

The Hui Guo Rou finally changed color.

If it were anyone else, Hui Guo Rou wouldn't take such a threat to heart.

However, Oboro, as one of the strongest Nen user in the human world, and with experience in disrupting rituals... coupled with his background and methods, made Hui Guo Rou wary and unable to ignore him.

"I've lost interest in playing any tricks with you. Now you want to negotiate with me... don't you think it's... too late?"

"Don't even think about going to the Dark Continent... neither you nor him..."

"I will come back to find you again..."

"I have already prepared a feast for you in hell..."

After the ghost finished speaking, it let out a sharp roar at the Hui Guo Rou face, its appearance ferocious.

Then, it flew back into Benjamin's body.

Not long after the strange phenomenon disappeared, the medical equipment placed next to the bed emitted a piercing alarm.

The equipment's electronic display showed... Benjamin had no heartbeat...

Hui Guo Rou suddenly felt a sense of lingering fear.

Oboro... what are you going to do?