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"What else is there to say? It would've been fine if we hadn't made a move. But now that we have—and five of our own, including Mad Dog, are dead—we have to keep hunting that guy down, or we lose all face."

"Exactly. We can't hide the deaths of Mad Dog and the others. If we pull back now, it'll look like we're nothing but talk. That guy—Alex—has to be eliminated."

"But the fact that he managed to kill five of the Yin Beast already proves how dangerous he is. The Yin Beasts are already our strongest armed force. Even if we send Owl and the others after him, there's no guarantee they'll succeed. We might just rack up more casualties."

"That's right. And don't forget that V5 is keeping us on a tight leash. Just forming the Yin Beasts was pushing it. If we suffer more losses, those higher-ups may decide to replace us with someone else. They're already watching us."

"To the outside world, we're the all-powerful Ten Elders, but to those really in control, we're just tools—used when needed, tossed away when not. That's exactly why we have to keep ourselves strong enough that they won't dare look down on us."

"So what? You're saying we give up the chase to preserve our forces and prepare for V5?"

"No. We do need to be cautious of V5, but don't forget the vultures under us. There are plenty who'd love to take our place. We still need to maintain our deterrent power. With the Yin Beast already taking a hit, we can't afford another failure. But there are other ways to handle Alex."

"Like placing a bounty in the underground market? A secret hit? That's actually not a bad idea."

"Exactly. Money talks. We may not be able to recruit more Nen users due to V5, but there's nothing stopping us from using our wealth to lure independent hunters. And if there's one thing we've got, it's cash."

"Good. Then it's settled. Issue the bounty through the underground. Make it clear it's from us. As long as Alex is eliminated, our influence will remain intact."

The Ten Elders quickly reached a decision. Once that was done, the man hosting the video meeting hung up and contacted Owl, ordering him and the remaining four Yin Beast members to stand down and withdraw.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of a small town in the Dentola region…

An off-road vehicle sat parked beside a pile of rubble. Alex had led Mia, Shiba, and Dilumon into the ruins after leaving Kukulu Mountain.

Rather than immediately leaving the Republic of Bartokia or the Dentola region, Alex chose this spot—secluded and far enough away—to collect the rewards from the completed [Trial Gate] achievement.

"Mia, this Gravity Ring is for you."

After using his danger-sensing ability to ensure the area was safe, Alex claimed the [Gravity Ring] reward from the system and materialized it from his storage space. He handed it to Mia with a calm smile.

This was the third Gravity Ring he had obtained.

The first was his own, and the second was used on a rotating basis between Shiba, Mia, and Dilumon. It was currently Shiba's turn to use it, so Alex gave this third one to Mia.

He had already explained the [Trial Gate] achievement and its rewards during the journey, so Shiba and Mia were not surprised.

"Alright, I'll keep it with me for now," Mia said softly, smiling as she slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand, mirroring how Shiba wore hers.

"We've got three now," Shiba mused. "One more and everyone can have their own."

If Dilumon weren't part of the group, the current three would be enough. But now, even with this new one, they were still one short. And since Dilumon could also grow stronger through training, it deserved one too.

During their last resting period, when Alex wasn't using his own ring, he had let Dilumon borrow it for strength training.

"If we get another chance, we might find a fourth one," Alex said, reaching out to gently rub the top of Dilumon's head as Mia held it in her arms.

"It's fine, Master. I'm not in a hurry," Dilumon replied with a cheerful purr, clearly enjoying the affection.

Due to their spiritual bond, Dilumon's connection to Alex was even deeper than Mia or Shiba's. And just like them, it had some understanding of the system—though it only knew it as a special kind of "Nen."

Alex chuckled at Dilumon's response and moved on to claim his next reward: [Blood Bodhi].

Just like before, he received five of them.

After some thought, he kept two for himself and handed one each to Shiba, Mia, and Dilumon.

Truthfully, his need for increased potential energy had decreased. Between the immense reserves provided by his Yin Seal and his 100% cellular development, he was already brimming with Nen capacity.

Still, progress was progress, and he wasn't about to waste a chance to grow stronger. So, he took two for himself and distributed the rest among the others.

Once everyone had received their [Blood Bodhi] pills, Alex stood guard while the others sat down to absorb the energy in peace.

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