Chapter 310 : Classic Netero-Chairman Game!!

The group filed out of the Lantern Teleportation Hall, walking through the vintage underground corridor while chatting enthusiastically.

As they passed by the Research Institute, where machines beeped and buzzed, Knuckle casually remarked,"Joining your team has kept us ridiculously busy these past few days."

"For example, we had to spend a lot of time in the Research Institute, going through and studying your findings."

He pointed toward the Research Institute and said to Jerman, "Staring at corpses floating in containers for hours isn't exactly enjoyable."

The usually silent Shoot unexpectedly added,

"But what really drove Knuckle crazy was the sheer amount of text in the Archive."

"I did NOT go crazy!"

Knuckle's face turned a little red as he retorted, "But… those stacks of documents are as tall as mountains, and the text is as tiny as mosquito legs."

"The only things that gave my eyes a break were the occasional illustrations and the curated photos in the albums."

Their footsteps echoed on the spiral stone staircase like a steady drumbeat.

At the front of the group was the ever-polite List, who carried himself like the castle's butler or a personal attendant—though his youthful appearance made that impression feel slightly off.

With a sharp snap of his fingers, the deliberately dim, antique-style lighting on the spiral staircase instantly shifted to plain white incandescent light.

Dwun scratched his head in frustration.

"Come on, List, you totally ruined the atmosphere! Do you know how much effort I put into creating that warm candlelight effect?"

"Why not just use real candles or regular light fixtures instead?"

List smiled faintly, making it clear he had never really approved of wasting so much time and effort on an overly vintage lighting aesthetic in the first place.

"In the setting, this place is supposed to be an ancient castle!" Dwun argued.

List had no intention of continuing the argument with Dwun.

"Where are Chairman Netero, Granny Linne, Morel, and Razor?" Germain easily noticed the missing people in the group.

"Razor is in Soufrabi, the seaside city."

Dwun scratched his messy, unkempt hair.

"Greed Island is currently in its beta testing phase, so Razor can't leave right now."

List smiled and added, "He recently recruited 'Wolfman' Welfin under his command. At first, he didn't notice anything, but now he realizes Welfin is an ambitious guy."

"Razor needs to keep things under control, stop the pirates from acting recklessly, and also watch out for Welfin trying to challenge his authority."

"Can he handle it?" Germain asked, though he didn't actually doubt Razor's abilities.

"No problem."

List stepped forward, pressing a switch on the wall before turning back to the group.

"We've checked a few times. Welfin has become completely obedient under Razor. 'Wolfmen' are naturally paranoid, but a little pressure from Razor is enough to keep him in line..."

A deep rumbling sound echoed behind List. The underground door slowly slid open, revealing a bright hall decorated with elegant furnishings.

The entrance to the underground room was hidden inside an unremarkable room on the first floor of Limeiro Castle. Once the door closed with another heavy rumble, it became an ordinary-looking fireplace again.

"Granny Linne is taking a nap. We didn't want to disturb her rest. Chairman Netero and Morel are in the training room."

List answered all of Germain's questions about the missing people.

"What are they doing in the training room?" Germain still felt like something was missing from the explanation.

"Obviously, they're playing the classic Chairman Netero game."

Knov lightly pressed his fingers against his soft hat, not wanting his bald head to shine under the sunlight. Self-punishment was one thing, but becoming a laughingstock was another.

"Sometimes, we can't tell whether Chairman Netero gathered the Zodiacs for the sake of the Hunter Association or just for himself."

"As everyone knows, one of the Zodiacs' duties was to keep the old man active, giving him a reason to stretch his muscles and stay in shape."

Knov spoke in a teasing tone about Chairman Netero, but everyone knew he deeply respected him.

It was precisely because of this respect that he knew many interesting stories about Netero—this was just one of them.

"Aside from that, the Zodiacs also serve as a demonstration of their strength, giving younger Hunters a glimpse of what true power looks like."

"The younger Hunters in the Association?" Germain asked.

List had already stepped forward, pushing open the room's doors to reveal a T-shaped hallway outside.

"Your disciple, Kurapika, along with a Hunter named Melody, arrived on the island a few days ago. By the way, your disciple successfully obtained his Hunter License."

Kurapika and Melody?

Germain was slightly surprised—so they were on Greed Island too.

As for Kurapika obtaining his Hunter License, Germain wasn't particularly shocked. This was the level he should be at by now.

As the group walked down the corridor lined with elegant oil paintings, List continued speaking.

"Kurapika knows about the Dark Continent, but Melody, Meleoron, and Ikalgo don't."

"Those three haven't been granted permission to learn about the Dark Continent yet. Right now, they all think you're simply out on a Hunter mission."

"Technically, that's not entirely false… but if we all disappear at once, it might cause unnecessary trouble."

"So, Chairman Netero and Morel used the excuse of a sparring match to lure Kurapika, Melody, and the others over to watch. They're in the training room now."

During his brief trip to the Kakin Empire last year, Kurapika had already heard fragmented bits of information about the Dark Continent from the others.

Before this, he had only vaguely known that there was a vast world beyond the Six Continents—just like knowing that an endless universe existed beyond Earth.

However, as his journey as an "Rookie Hunter" progressed and he encountered more and more "Nen users," he gradually realized how terrifying that place truly was.

The "Nen users" who had fallen by his hand or forced him into bitter battles had never even considered challenging the "Dark Continent."

Once again, Kurapika became dimly aware of the gap in strength between himself and Germain.

"Now that he has officially become a professional Hunter," List asked, "how much do you plan to involve him in our affairs?"

"That depends on his own choices," Germain replied.

"Whether he works on 'Greed Island' or takes on 'Hunter assignments' outside, the 'Dark Continent' is still too early for him right now."

"Looks like he didn't pass his teacher's 'final test,'" List teased. "This reminds me of Ging and Kite's past."

"Kite spent many years before earning Ging's recognition. I wonder how long it will take Kurapika?"

Germain thought for a moment before answering, "Perhaps not too long. There is something that only he can accomplish."

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