040 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"Following the expert team and Beyond... he must have some intel—routes, conditions, something—on the Dark Continent."

Ronnel glanced at Chrollo, who was seated with a hand covering his mouth, deep in thought.

"If there's any crucial update, I can warn you in advance. No need to stumble around in the dark. Besides, you know my phone's a little special—it works even without signal~"

"I agree with Ronnel's point," Shalnark said after a brief pause.

Franklin and Bonolenov both nodded slightly from the side. Machi looked at Ronnel but said nothing.

As for Kortopi, whose presence was barely noticeable, and the Zoldyck brothers—who rarely chimed in during discussions—they kept their silence.

"Alright then. We'll act independently of Ronnel," Chrollo concluded, lowering his hand.

Phinks looked a little disappointed hearing that, but he still respected the leader's judgment. After all, this choice benefitted the Spider. It wasn't something worth burning spider coins over.

"Cool. If anything comes up, I'll contact you right away~"

Ronnel gave a casual wave and exited the cafeteria swiftly.

...

By the time he reappeared, he was already in the room with Pariston. 

After confirming the rendezvous point and chatting briefly, Ronnel made his way to the top floor.

He was curious to see if Beyond's jailbreak was going smoothly~

On the top floor, in a luxurious prison suite—quiet and detached from the chaos and cheering below—everything felt unnervingly still.

"Hey hahaha! I told you—I'd leave the moment I got here. No one can stop me, shackles or not."

Beyond flexed, snapping the last of the investor restraints placed on his body. Without hesitation, he left the room.

"When I made my move, I bet you were just getting picked by the old man to play his little game~"

He gave one last glance to Kanzai and Saccho, who lay unconscious nearby, and muttered something before vanishing down the corridor.

...

"Three guards initially... then cut to two because of the emergency staffing issues?"

A particle clone floating in the air observed the scene.

"Even without direct orders, Beyond's men at the lower levels started agitating the crowd. They knew exactly what kind of chaos to create—just enough to distract the Hunter Association. Now they're too busy to tighten security on Beyond's side."

"Impressive coordination~" Ronnel couldn't help but admire it.

Beyond's team had made his escape dramatically easier, orchestrating a chain reaction that undermined the Association's control at a crucial moment.

Now, with Beyond out, unrest brewing below, and orders from both V5 pouring in... the Hunter Association was in for a headache.

And at that very moment, Nasubi announced the landing ceremony for the New World and declared a new Kakin king.

He intended to be the first man to set foot in the New World.

With tight coordination between the Kakin Royal Family and the Hunter Association, things managed to stay orderly—at least on the surface.

By the time the Association realized what had happened, Beyond was long gone.

And all they could do was grit their teeth in frustration.

But this wasn't over.

V5 had already issued orders: track Beyond down and capture him on the Dark Continent.

The real confrontation would begin there.

...

The landing ceremony itself went off without incident.

Nasubi publicly declared that the Dark Continent was now officially integrated into the global map and passed the throne to the seventh prince—Luzurus.

After all, he was the only remaining adult prince. If a child had taken the throne, Kakin—one of the world's V6 nations—would've been mocked on the international stage.

Luzurus had a decent character and was capable of protecting Kakin's family interests. Besides, he had a personal connection with Ronnel and respected his interests. It was, all in all, a solid outcome.

The other nobles in attendance, realizing the high-ranking princes were missing, quickly got the hint. They clapped and cheered without complaint.

But none of that had anything to do with Ronnel.

...

Before the throne transfer, Ronnel found Queen Oito and quietly said goodbye.

"Thank you for your company and protection along the way. Truly, thank you."

Queen Oito wiped her eyes, though tears kept streaming down her cheeks.

She bowed again and again, her gratitude overwhelming. The parting made Bill beside her choke up with emotion.

These past two months had been intense and terrifying in so many ways~

Kurapika had already left, now focused on work with the Hunter Association. Ronnel didn't bother to go looking for him.

After parting with Oito, Bill, and the others, he went to meet with Luzurus to discuss next steps.

Then, after leaving a clone behind, he followed the trail Ging, Pariston, and the rest had marked toward the designated meeting point.

...

After all, the so-called "New World" wasn't the actual Dark Continent.

It was a controlled zone—safe, even. That's how V5 and Kakin could justify bringing so many ordinary civilians along.

As Ronnel moved through the vast open plains, the wind howled past him. A gray-black hare darted through the tall grass nearby.

He felt like one of those wild animals running across in a nature documentary.

If a couple kangaroos hopped out right now, it'd feel just right.

He chuckled inwardly and kept walking, paying no mind to the strange fauna and flora appearing around him.

There might be some scattered resources out here, but compared to the real Dark Continent...