"Forget it. When it comes to those people, it's better if I side with Kakin. I'm planning to withdraw from the Zodiacs for now."
"Without the old man in the Hunter Association, there's no reason for me to stick around~"
Ging said it casually.
Ickshonpe, sitting nearby, silently opened his game interface like none of it had anything to do with him.
To him, the Dark Continent wasn't nearly as fun as the games he lived in. That world outside? Completely irrelevant.
And Ging wasn't wrong. The moment Kakin publicly revealed its Dark Continent initiative, the Hunter Association got an emergency call from the V5.
Cheadle, who was still in the Association, answered it.
Because of Beyond's bold actions, Pariston immediately withdrew, leaving the long-suppressed Cheadle faction to finally rise and take control of the Association.
V5 didn't mince words. They issued a direct order: capture Beyond at all costs.
As for Kakin, V5 would handle negotiations on their end.
Just as Cheadle—now the acting chair of the Hunter Association—gathered the Zodiacs to discuss their next move...
Two bombshells dropped, throwing the entire Association into chaos.
The first was manageable: both Pariston and Ging officially withdrew from the Zodiacs.
Easy enough. Two out, two in. Most of the Zodiacs didn't like them much anyway.
But the second piece of news? That was the real shocker.
Beyond came in and surrendered.
Seriously. Right after broadcasting the Dark Continent plan live on TV, he just strolled into the Hunter Association HQ and declared he was turning himself in.
The Zodiacs were stunned. And cautious. Because this man wasn't just a headline—he was the storm behind it.
"Instead of making you come find me, I figured I'd show up myself."
Beyond smiled and waved cheerfully.
Then he was promptly tossed into the Association's highest-security holding cell.
He didn't resist at all.
"You don't have to worry about me escaping. I'm not going anywhere... at least not until I reach my destination~"
He laid back on the prison bed, closed his eyes, and rested.
But the line he left behind stuck with the Zodiacs.
"Until I reach my destination?"
Did he still think they were headed for the Dark Continent?
The Association was baffled—until more news from V5 arrived and sent another wave of disbelief through the ranks.
V5 had accepted the Kakin Empire's proposal. They merged into V6 and struck a deal to use a fabricated "Imaginary Continent" as the front for the Dark Continent—fooling the public in the process.
Kakin agreed... but with one condition:
Bring Beyond.
Once they reached the so-called "Imaginary Continent," Kakin would wash its hands of Beyond. Whatever happened to him afterward—whether he set foot on the real Dark Continent or V5 chose to act—was none of their concern.
At that moment, Cheadle finally understood what Beyond had meant by "reaching the destination."
And with her sharp mind, she also realized the meaning behind those four casual words:
"Let's go together."
"Kakin is hyping up the Dark Continent's promise. Nations across the globe are already preparing to make their move. Even within V5, the upper brass will push for an expedition."
"They won't care about the danger. Greed always wins."
"With that pressure building, V5 will have no choice but to send an official expedition."
"And naturally, the Hunter Association—being the ideal force for such a mission—will be expected to lead it."
Cheadle's hands tightened into fists.
There was no way out. If they refused to participate, it would raise suspicion. Things would get very complicated.
And if the V5 failed on their own expedition, they'd need a scapegoat.
That scapegoat would be the Hunter Association.
So at this point, they had only one option:
Take Beyond.Board Kakin's ship.Sail to the so-called "Imaginary Continent."
It felt eerily familiar. Someone pulling the strings from behind the curtain, manipulating the board while smiling all the while...
Pariston...
This whole outcome—every beat—was the result of Beyond and Pariston's countless strategic simulations.
They couldn't control V5's exact response, but they'd calculated a 60 to 70 percent success rate.
For a professional Hunter with a taste for danger, that was more than enough.
That's why Beyond had shown up so boldly—without fear, without backup, without a single excuse.
Because eventually, they'd all be heading to the same place. Instead of hiding from the Association and dodging pursuit, it was smarter to let them guard him themselves.
It made V5 less anxious. It gave Kakin room to maneuver. And for Beyond? A few weeks in a cell was a small price to pay.
Cheadle could guess what Beyond was thinking. But now that things had reached this point, she couldn't stop it.
Beyond definitely had a team waiting for him. Once they reached the New World, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to break him out.
In other words, the moment they stepped foot off that ship, the Hunter Association would face its first true threat.
No... maybe even on the ship.
The only upside?
Until they reached the New World, Beyond was locked up tight. No funny business.
So for now, Cheadle focused on the mission ahead—preparing to lead the Hunter Association into the Dark Continent.
She'd barely even settled into the role of Chairwoman, and the world was already demanding the impossible.
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)