The Root of the Problem X A Deal

Netero's exclamations continued.

The tone was filled with undisguised reminiscence and heaviness.

"Then, the problem arose."

His voice suddenly turned deep and became unusually serious, and the childlike look on his face also subsided considerably.

Before that, traveling to the Dark Continent was always a closely guarded adventure by a very small number of top experts. The risks were so high that it was practically impossible, and the success rate was almost zero.

Even if many Hunter x Hunter are aware of its existence, the immense risk is enough to extinguish the interest of most people.

Because few people return.

To the vast majority of people, this was a suicidal act, without a doubt.

"Due to various information Blockade and deliberate suppression, the general public, including most Hunter x Hunter, has an extremely vague understanding of the Dark Continent, generally believing it to be nothing more than a vague legend or a terrifying myth conjured up by our ancestors."

Kevin knew a thing or two about this background.

After becoming Hunter x Hunter, although you have access to relevant information, it is limited to those who already have a strong interest in it and are willing to spend a lot of effort to uncover the truth.

Ordinary people?

They barely even had a chance to hear about it.

"However, my sharing that time was like throwing a blazing spark onto an extremely dry prairie."

Netero's voice carried a hint of indescribable complexity.

Because he came back.

They brought various insights, as well as some small souvenirs.

It was a bizarre and unimaginable region that could never be found in human society.

It will completely ignite people's curiosity.

Not to mention that Hunter x Hunter are all people who like to act according to their own preferences and desires.

It instantly ignited the long-suppressed interest and fervent desire for adventure in the hearts of many top Hunter x Hunter within the Association.

"In an instant, a large number of Hunter x Hunter with considerable strength and full of aspirations began to flock to the forbidden gate, like moths drawn to a flame, attempting to cross that forbidden gate and reach the Dark Continent."

Wouldn't that mean we're doomed?

Upon hearing this, Kevin instantly understood.

"But Kevin," Netero's gaze suddenly sharpened like a hawk's, locking onto Kevin, "You know very well just how dangerous that place is. It's a Jedi where even beings like us could be crushed at any moment."

Kevin nodded heavily, a shadow of lingering fear flashing across his eyes.

Of course he knew, he knew it deeply.

To be honest, if it weren't for his incredible luck that he accidentally landed on the edge of the Resentful Eater Snake's territory, he would have been lucky.

And he received a certain degree of "protection." When he first stepped into the eerie realm of "Rain of Time," he had already turned into a pile of unknown bones, leaving not even a trace.

Therefore, those who return are not only powerful, but also possess absolute luck.

Of course, ultimately, it was precisely because of the existence of the Resentful Eater Snake that he was thrown by the "Gate" into that relatively safe area—there is a cause for every effect.

Even so, this reduced the Danger Level of exploring the Dark Continent to a theoretically "acceptable" level, yet he still narrowly escaped death several times, hovering on the Gate of Hell.

If we were to barge in unprepared and recklessly, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Even now, as Kevin begins preparing for his next exploration, his greatest confidence still rests on his subtle yet powerful connection with the Resentful Eater Snake.

There is at least one safe habitat.

"So," Netero's voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible hint of sorrow, "Not a single Hunter x Hunter who embarked on that journey with dreams and passion returned. Not even a single valuable message was sent back."

Simply put, death is meaningless.

"The Hunter Association's elite forces are beginning to wither away at a visible rate under these circumstances. They are the backbone of the Association and a precious asset to human society."

With little change in the population base, the number of members in the Hunter Association usually remains within a relatively stable range, fluctuating by no more than a hundred people.

However, this "Dark Continent Fever," unintentionally ignited by Netero, has been like a plague, directly causing massive and meaningless losses among the Association's elite.

Every departure means the Association permanently loses several valuable core members, and this loss is entirely without return; no information, resources, or experience can be fed back.

In just a few years, such enormous losses have severely drained the Hunter Association's vitality and damaged its very foundation.

"The Hunter x Hunter of the Association are undoubtedly the elite talents of human society and the leaders in their respective fields."

"Letting them die in such a meaningless, moth-to-a-flame process is an enormous loss that I absolutely cannot accept and an inescapable responsibility."

"Therefore," Netero's tone became resolute, filled with unwavering determination, "I used my influence, and the undeniable, all-consuming terror of the Dark Continent as the most compelling evidence, to unite the V5 nations and jointly promote the Blockade policy."

V5 had clearly also experienced the pain of losing its own elite talent, as well as the extreme fear of various potential "disasters" that might be brought back. The two sides hit it off immediately, and the Blockade policy was quickly established.

Kevin fell into a deeper silence.

The core reason was actually an angle he had never seriously considered.

He had always believed that the main driving force behind the Blockade was V5's fear and apprehension about the "disaster" of the Dark Continent contaminating human society.

As it turns out, the deeper and more direct reason is actually protective, to prevent the elite talents of human society from engaging in such meaningless and destructive consumption and Sacrifice.

Human society is ultimately people-oriented.

Even the top decision-makers at V5, who are high above and skilled in calculation, cannot bear the situation of a large number of top talents dying in vain with no results, and not even bringing back any useful intelligence.

This doesn't align with any logic of self-interest.

Fundamentally, this is a huge losing proposition with no positive returns whatsoever.

Even for the so-called "preparation for the future," there is no such reckless and suicidal approach to preparation.

Therefore, the "four elements" proposed after the Blockade policy was established are essentially an extremely stringent screening mechanism.

Those who can spend a long time and a lot of effort to acquire these four elements in order to travel to the Dark Continent, such as Ging Fuglits, have a convincing level of determination, ability and preparation.

You can't stop this kind of person, no matter how hard you try.

But at least, this "four-factor" barrier can stop the vast majority of those who are "suicides" acting solely on momentary impulse.

Humans are impulsive at times.

Are there any other questions?

Netero's voice interrupted Kevin's thoughts.

He chuckled, stood up, and like a child, bounced around a couple of times, loosening his joints and making soft cracking sounds.

The heavy topics they had just discussed seemed like mere warm-up chatter; a pure, eager light rekindled in his eyes—the most primal desire for battle.

He could clearly feel that long-lost feeling of peak performance was gradually returning, which made him somewhat impatient.

However, Kevin completely ignored his rekindled Fighting Spirit, remaining seated cross-legged on the ground with a slight frown, seemingly still processing the mind-blowing information he had just received.

Hearing Netero's urging, he pondered for a moment before slowly raising his head. His deep gaze, almost tangible, was firmly fixed on the seemingly carefree but actually far-sighted old man before him.

"Old man," Kevin's voice was unusually calm, yet carried a penetrating power, "You should be able to foresee what the world will be like after you die, right?"

"You've thought about all of the chain reactions that would inevitably happen because of your disappearance, the potential chaos and power vacuum, haven't you?"

Netero stood up straight, and his not-so-tall figure appeared exceptionally upright and resilient in the rising sun.

It's like a mountain that has weathered many storms.

He met Kevin's all-seeing gaze, nodded calmly, his eyes showing no confusion or fear, only a clear and lucid look.

He could certainly deduce this result, and even see further than Kevin.

But so what?

If victory is achieved and the Ant King is eliminated, there's naturally no need to worry about what happens afterward.

If we fail—we're already dead, why think about what happens after we die?

It's impossible to put all the pressure on this old man.

And----

"You brat," Netero's mustache twitched again, his tone feigning anger, "Have you already sentenced me to death?"

Kevin ignored his protests as if he hadn't heard them.

"Well then," Kevin's lips suddenly curled into a meaningful smile, his eyes gleaming with an indescribable light.

"How about we make a deal? A deal you absolutely can't refuse."

"Trade?"

Netero raised an eyebrow, his white beard trembling slightly, revealing a hint of genuine curiosity.

He knew Kevin wasn't one to speak without reason.

Don't you want to—

Kevin's voice was deep and alluring as he spoke slowly.

"Are you ready to face this ultimate battle, the one you've been waiting for your whole life, with your most perfect, peak performance, without holding back and with unbridled passion?"

"A battle that will ignite your passion and truly push you beyond your limits?"

These words were spoken.

The atmosphere between the two instantly became extremely quiet, and even the mountain breeze seemed to stand still for a moment.

Netero whirled around, his sharp gaze undisguisedly fixed on Kevin, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of unbelievable ecstasy.

"Do you have suitable methods?"

Netero's voice carried a barely perceptible urgency.

He guessed almost instantly that Kevin's ability to say such a thing must be due to some kind of drug that could help him briefly return to his peak.

As a true world-class powerhouse who has explored the path of Nen ability for countless years, Netero possesses a profound understanding of the essence and limitations of Nen ability that is unimaginable to ordinary people.

The world of Nen ability is full of wonders, with all sorts of abilities, some even sounding incredibly powerful: resurrection, Create Space, controlling time, avoiding death, predicting the future—

But Netero knew perfectly well one ironclad rule:

The more extraordinary the Nen ability, the more stringent its limitations become, making them unacceptable to ordinary people, and potentially leading to a price even more severe than death.

The law of conservation of energy is manifested in another form in the world of thought.

For example, the so-called "Rejuvenation Potion".

It's not that it doesn't exist, but rather that such a thing is inevitably accompanied by enormous, unbearable limitations.

For ordinary people, it may be an invaluable treasure.

However, for someone like him whose Life Energy has already reached a certain extreme peak, forcibly rewinding time could very well mean a decline in life, a collapse of his realm, or even irreversible damage, which would be a losing proposition.

Why was the hope of "Longevity Rice" highlighted in "New Continent Chronicle"?

It is precisely because, according to the book, this miraculous rice is a powerful supplement of pure external Life Energy.

It doesn't involve time reversal or rule distortion; instead, it operates in the most direct and domineering way.

Use purely external, vast Life Force to fill and extend the upper limit of lifespan.

This is what is known as "the power to make bricks fly," which is fundamentally different from objects constructed through Nen ability that possess various distorted rules!

Therefore, even though he knew beforehand that Kevin's Nen ability was that of a "pharmacist" who could concoct various magical potions from ingredients, Netero never expected that Kevin could come up with anything to solve his problem.

Because in his preconceived notion, Kevin's drug must have its limits and unacceptable side effects.

But now it seems—that's not the case?

Based solely on Kevin's absolutely confident gaze and words, Netero's mind was already racing Lightning Speed countless guesses, almost completely deducing the possibilities of Kevin's Nen ability.

However, faced with the undisguised probing light in Netero's eyes, Kevin suddenly changed the subject.

"Before we bring out anything, let's settle things a bit, shall we? Facing a creature as powerful as the Ant King, which is beyond imagination, you want to engage in a pure martial arts battle with him? To be honest, I'm also interested in that."

Kevin's gaze sharpened and became open. "After all, my future goal is the Dark Continent, and I will inevitably have to face all sorts of powerful and suffocating creatures."

"The Ant King can perhaps be seen as an extremely valuable advance rehearsal."

"Oh?" Netero's eyes gleamed even brighter. "So you're going to show me your hidden tricks now? No more hiding them?"

This is not surprising, just as he himself also harbored the ultimate trump card, "Hundred-Type Guanyin - Zero Hand".

Kevin nodded, readily admitting, "You'll see some things during the sparring later. But just like you hid a bomb, I've also left something behind."

As he spoke, Kevin deftly took a slender glass tube from a specially made medicine pouch at his waist.

The tube contained a viscous liquid that emitted an ominous dark green fluorescent glow, and it also seemed to contain tiny...

The black, fluffy substances, resembling living things, were slowly wriggling.