Chapter 159

Sayu's mouth twitched involuntarily; a bad feeling crept up his spine.

"Master…"

Kastro stood in place, waiting for Morin's instructions.

He had already prepared himself to engage in a fight with Sayu if necessary.

"Let me teach you something new today," Morin said, patting Kastro's shoulder.

"Sometimes, resolving disputes doesn't always require fighting."

Morin pulled out an object from his pocket. "Because, at times, fighting might not be the most effective way to deal the maximum blow to an opponent."

He turned to Sayu, tossing the item lightly in his hand and smiling. "I have a question for you."

"…What's the question?"

Sayu's wariness grew as he eyed Morin carefully.

"What's your relationship with Beyond?"

The moment the words left Morin's lips, Sayu's expression shifted sharply.

Pariston's usual smirk faltered for less than a second before returning to his face as if nothing had happened. Using his peripheral vision, he shot a discreet glance at Netero.

Netero, however, continued to calmly stroke his beard, showing no outward reaction.

Beyond?

The Zodiacs, including Biscuit, were baffled. None of them had ever heard this name before.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Sayu replied coldly, his gaze returning to normal with remarkable speed. "I've never heard of anyone named Beyond."

"There's no need to deny it so hastily," Morin said with a calm smile, raising the item in his hand—a [Truth Sticker].

"This thing ensures that your answers are honest. I'd suggest sticking it on and trying again."

A tool that ensures honest answers?!

Sayu's face betrayed no emotion, but his heart lurched in alarm.

"What a joke! How am I supposed to know what that thing does?" Sayu sneered. "What if you stick it on me, manipulate me, and make me say something inappropriate?!"

"That's simple~" Morin's smile didn't waver. "There are plenty of people here. We can have someone else volunteer to test it out and verify its effect, can't we?"

"Perhaps Mr. Beans would be a suitable candidate to help us out."

"And besides…"

Morin's eyes grew sharper, a hint of danger flickering within them. "Whether or not you're being controlled and whether your words are truthful—I believe everyone here is capable of telling the difference."

Damn it!

Sayu gritted his teeth.

Morin's words had cornered him, leaving no room to retreat.

The atmosphere grew tense and awkward.

"Enough. Leave."

Netero's calm voice suddenly broke the stalemate.

"Chairman?!"

The room was filled with confusion as everyone turned to Netero.

With a faint smile, Netero explained, "Go back to him. Tell him to stop these little schemes. I'm looking forward to seeing him take that step forward."

The "him" Netero referred to was Beyond—his son.

Some things didn't need to be spelled out explicitly. With a bit of intuition and observation, one could infer the truth.

And with the situation in the room, coupled with Morin's evident confidence in his knowledge…

If Netero couldn't piece it together, he'd have wasted his 100+ years of life!

In the middle of the room, Sayu remained silent after hearing Netero's words.

Finally, he bowed deeply to Netero.

There was no point in denying it further. The more he argued, the worse he would look.

After casting one last, deep glance at Morin, Sayu leapt away with a series of swift movements, disappearing from the meeting hall in seconds.

The remaining Zodiacs looked at each other, exchanging confused glances.

They had no idea what had just happened. It felt like Netero, Morin, and Sayu had been speaking in riddles.

Of all of them, Cheadle was the most perceptive. She glanced at Ging and Botobai before silently committing the name "Beyond" to memory.

"Beyond, huh?"

The other Zodiacs also etched the name into their minds—it was a name even Chairman Netero paid attention to.

Biscuit, on the other hand, looked as if she were about to explode with curiosity, staring intently at Morin.

If it weren't for the important matters still pending, she might have started interrogating Morin on the spot.

As for Kastro, he gazed at Morin with newfound admiration.

One conversation from Morin felt like a profound lesson.

Even though Morin's words made sense, Kastro knew he didn't have the same incredible tools as his master. He couldn't handle situations like Morin could.

But the principle was something he firmly remembered.

"Master Morin, you're amazing…"

Here's the translation tailored to Hunter x Hunter style:

Netero's hearty laughter echoed through the room. "Alright, despite a little hiccup, the overall outcome remains unchanged."

"Well then, let's get down to business."

Netero's gaze shifted slightly between Morin, Botobai, and Ging, and his grin grew even wider.

"The Five-Warrior Selection! My role? A criminal, perhaps~?"

With the still-confused Zodiacs trailing behind him—excluding Ging and Botobai—Netero led the group into a medium-sized conference room.

The room was already prepared with a long table and chairs—the very space where the Zodiacs would frequently meet in the original timeline.

As they entered, the Zodiacs took only a brief glance around before their attention was drawn to the far end of the room.

Their eyes locked onto a figure seated calmly in a chair.

"Slurp."

Zeno Zoldyck, with his signature embroidered robe, reclined casually with his feet propped up, sipping tea as if he had all the time in the world.

"A Zoldyck?!"

Every Zodiac member froze in shock, their gazes sharpening.

Some of them had never encountered Zeno before, but his distinctive attire and demeanor were unmistakable.

The emblem on his chest, emblazoned with "One Kill a Day," made his identity crystal clear.

"Isn't that the former head of the Zoldyck family?"

The group stared silently at Zeno, who lounged at ease, exuding confidence.

For someone like him to appear here so openly, it was clear he had nothing to fear.

The only way an assassin like Zeno could freely walk into the Hunter Association…

The Zodiacs instinctively turned to Netero.

Only under Netero's orders could something like this happen.

"Yoyo~ You're early," Netero said, hands clasped behind his back as he walked forward with a smile.

"When the chairman of the Hunter Association calls, how could I not take it seriously?"

Zeno responded with a wry smile, making a lighthearted joke.

His gaze flickered briefly over Pariston and the others before nodding slightly. "You've gathered some decent talent in the Hunter Association."

But when Zeno's eyes met Kastro's, his movements faltered ever so slightly.

Then, spotting a familiar yet slightly different face behind Kastro, his eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

"It seems your eyebrows have grown back,".

Morin, who had just entered, immediately noticed Zeno, an old acquaintance.

After a year apart, the elder assassin had returned to his usual composed, lethal demeanor.

"Yeah, thanks to you," Zeno replied flatly, clearly uninterested in further conversation.

Despite his terse response, the brief exchange only deepened the Zodiacs' curiosity.

Their gazes darted between Zeno and Morin.

There was undoubtedly a story between these two—something significant enough to warrant such an interaction.

Cheadle and Mizaiastom silently came to the same conclusion.

Biscuit, on the other hand, was practically squirming with curiosity, as though a cat had gotten to her.

Since the conclusion of the Zodiac selection, it felt as though secrets had been popping up everywhere.

And her disciple, Morin, seemed to be at the center of it all—mysterious, enigmatic, and impossible to read.

"Yoyo~?"

Netero, who knew a bit about their shared history, simply chuckled without elaborating.

"This time, calling in Zeno from the Zoldyck family and Kastro's master was for a personal matter—an old man's whim."

"As for why I called you Zodiacs here, it's purely to serve as witnesses."

Netero spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Cheadle: "…"

Mizaiastom: "…"

They suddenly felt that Netero had formed the Zodiacs solely to entertain himself.

If they'd known the term "tools," they would have felt it applied perfectly here.

"I've brought Morin and Zeno together for a spontaneous selection of sorts," Netero announced as he made his way to the head of the table and slowly took his seat.

The other Zodiacs exchanged glances before silently taking their places as well.

Biscuit found herself a spot on a nearby couch, her curiosity burning brighter than ever.

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