Book 7: Chapter 20: The Assignment |
“Baise, do you like Qin Lun?” Melody watched the beautiful woman whose delicate brows were knit together, looking full of internal conflict, and laughed.
“I… how could I possibly like that guy?” Baise was startled and blurted out her rebuttal.
“Hehe, you know I’m a Music Hunter. My ears are sharp. Especially late at night, I often hear unusual sounds.” Melody gave the gorgeous Baise a teasing wink.
“That… was an accident.” Baise couldn’t help but blush, shooting a flustered and annoyed glance at Melody. “It was all because I was trying to get justice for you that I ended up being taken advantage of by that petty thief.”
“He’s from Meteor Street. Maybe… he’s not right for you!” Melody said to Baise seriously.
“Hmph, that guy left this morning without so much as a goodbye. I don’t care about him!” Baise’s gaze became distant, completely unaware that her words contradicted themselves.
After a long silence, Baise turned away, lonely, and said quietly, “Melody, promise you won’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
“Hmm!” Melody nodded in agreement.
Just as the two were silent, sounds came from outside. Kurapika and Basho were back. To Baise and Melody’s surprise, however, both men looked exhausted, as if they’d been through a big battle.
It was their first time realizing how difficult their BOSS, Neon, could be. Although Neon wasn’t high and mighty, the eldest daughter of the Nostrade Family had too strong an urge to play. And the sheer amount of things she bought made it feel like moving house. They had flat-out terrified two powerful Hunters.
“Now I understand why Squala and Shachmono run off like scared rabbits whenever they hear they have to accompany the BOSS shopping,” Basho said while cracking his knuckles, his face twisting in annoyance.
“Huh?” Just as Basho complained, Melody suddenly turned her head, looking towards the room where Miss Neon was.
“Melody, what’s wrong?” Kurapika, knowing Melody had incredible hearing, made his eyes flash and asked cautiously.
Before Melody could answer, they quickly understood what had happened. Loud crashing sounds suddenly erupted from Neon’s room far down the corridor.
They were guards of the Nostrade Family themselves, and their rooms weren’t far from Neon’s suite. Plus, the Nostrade Family had rented out nearby rooms; they were the only guests on this floor. The noise unmistakably came from Neon’s room.
“Did something happen to the BOSS?” Everyone’s expressions changed. They hurriedly rushed out of the living room towards Neon’s room.
However, just as they reached the hallway, they saw Dalzollene duck his head out of Neon’s room and scurry out. The captain of the Nostrade Family’s guard now sported a large bump on his forehead, looking utterly disheveled.
“Captain, is everything alright?” Kurapika vaguely guessed the cause and quickly fought back a smile as he asked.
“No, nothing. Come with me!” Dalzollene winced as he touched the bump on his head, signaling helplessly for everyone to follow him.
Arriving in Dalzollene’s room, the four found the other members of the guard team – Ivanov, Rinshan, Shachmono, and Squala – already gathered.
“Ahem, you all know the BOSS is a fortune-teller,” Dalzollene’s expression grew serious. “Actually, before those three Shadow Beasts arrived, several bosses had already commissioned divinations from the BOSS. Their Divination Poems all predicted the same dangerous sign, indicating that a group of very strong attackers would strike at this Auction.”
“At the time, we didn’t know exactly who the attackers would be,” Ivanov added beside him. “It wasn’t until those three Shadow Beasts arrived that we inferred the existence of the Phantom Troupe from the prophecy poems.”
“Because of this unexpected threat, I requested that Mr. Light cancel our participation in the Auction. However, you all know the BOSS is a Body Collector. She absolutely must win several specific human specimens at this Auction, so Mr. Light refused my request.” Dalzollene gave a bitter smile.
“Captain, that’s too dangerous!” Kurapika frowned.
Although the young man desperately desired revenge against the Phantom Troupe, he didn’t want to put Neon in harm’s way. The eldest daughter of the Nostrade Family could be willful, but she had a kind heart. After spending time together, everyone had grown fond of this BOSS, treating her like a little sister.
“Heh, Miss Neon won’t attend the Auction. Mr. Light refused my request, but he also didn’t allow Miss Neon to attend personally. He ordered us to watch over the BOSS here. The bidding at the Auction will be handled by us.” Dalzollene said with a grave expression.
“So that’s why earlier…” Everyone caught on, smiles appearing on their faces.
“You’ve gotten a taste of the BOSS’s temper. She threw a huge fit; she’s asleep now!” Dalzollene rubbed his forehead, which still throbbed faintly from his ordeal in Neon’s room.
“Captain, if we must attend the Auction, we need to plan carefully!” Kurapika pondered, eyes glinting with a barely perceptible red light that only Melody beside him noticed.
“Right. The Princess Mummy, the Scarlet Eye, and the tissue containing the DNA of the singer Cela are items the BOSS demands. The Princess Mummy appears at the Auction tomorrow night. We must secure it at all costs.” Dalzollene’s gaze was resolute.
“However, we can’t neglect security,” Dalzollene mused, then commanded the group. “The Auction starts at 9 pm tomorrow. Rinshan and Basho, you’re on back door surveillance. Kurapika and Melody, the front door. Ivanov, Baise, and Shachmono handle the actual bidding participation. Squala and I will stay with the BOSS. Any other questions?”
Everyone shook their heads. Dalzollene lived up to his role as Captain; his assignments were sensible and thorough. Each of the three groups operating outside included a combat-specialized Hunter. The front and back door assignments included Rinshan and Melody, two support Hunters with super-sharp senses.
Whether for fighting or rescue, this basically achieved the best composition possible for their team.
“Additionally… because the Underground Auction is highly secret and requires absolute trust amongst bosses, there are no security cameras,” Dalzollene added specifically. “Be careful not to start fights with anyone. It could cause serious trouble. Any other questions?”
“Captain, since we know the attackers are the Phantom Troupe, what about those three Shadow Beast members…” Kurapika suddenly had a thought, raising another concern for everyone.
“The Shadow Beasts won’t actively seek to antagonize the Phantom Troupe. After all, they have some form of cooperation with Meteor Street. They can’t fully trust us just based on a few divinations.” Dalzollene sighed with resignation. “However, Mr. Light hinted that the Syndicate higher-ups do seem concerned. They’ve dispatched a Shadow Beast direct task force to protect the venue.”
After discussing the details, everyone dispersed, though their steps were noticeably less carefree than just two days earlier.
“What are you up to now?” Baise returned to her room, staring blankly out the window.
…
“Achoo!” Qin Lun sneezed several times, rubbing his nose in confusion. Since becoming a Law Body, he hadn’t caught a cold.
Shaking off the stray thoughts, Qin Lun looked around irritably. He was currently wandering the outskirts of Yorknew City, in an area that was once a residential district but now abandoned. Dilapidated apartment buildings and empty construction sites stretched all around.
Yin and Liza, thinking the young man was enjoying women’s charm, had taken his excuse to stay back at the hotel. In reality, Qin Lun had just used it to get rid of them so he could act alone.
Stuck between the Hunter Side and the Rogue camp, Qin Lun found the choice genuinely hard. He didn’t deny Baise was a factor drawing him towards the Hunters. Yet, his personal inclination was strong: he really wanted to see for himself the enigmatic Phantom Troupe and see who was better. It was just the undeniable strength of the enemy that made him hesitate.
However, the deciding factor wasn’t Baise, but Kurapika. During their morning match, Qin Lun sensed Kurapika was hiding an immensely powerful Nen Ability.
Kurapika was the only Hunter Side member revealed so far. Based on this, he likely had other companions. If they were even half as skilled as Kurapika, joining them seemed worthwhile.
Moreover, hints from the Main Quest suggested important Plot Characters had survived this event originally. If they could pull through, Qin Lun refused to believe his addition would make things worse for their side.
Qin Lun finally decided to gamble. Back during a Lieutenant Colonel-grade quest, he’d obtained the Sub-legendary Item – the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. This current mission’s difficulty was Lieutenant Colonel level again, and his powers had grown significantly. Didn’t he have the confidence to aim for even greater rewards?
More importantly, the Hunter Side had Neon, an unexpected advantage. With preparation against the unprepared, Qin Lun didn’t think he faced excessive danger. At worst, he could stick close to that handsome Kurapika. The young man seemed decent enough; he probably wouldn’t send allies into the meat grinder?
Qin Lun came to this deserted Abandoned District specifically not to avoid the battlefield. His goal was to find the Phantom Troupe’s camp before the Auction even started.
A group like the Phantom Troupe wouldn’t be too hard to track. They were S-Class criminals, with some members bound to be logged in the Hunter Association’s records. Now, with Yorknew City teeming with Hunters, they wouldn’t risk hotels. Their only option was a secluded, deserted place to hide.
Before the Auction officially began, they probably wouldn’t casually slaughter civilians either. With his Detection Aura and Clock Eye skills, Qin Lun had a chance – a small one, but one nonetheless – to find their temporary hideout. If scheming Qin Lun managed this discovery, the Phantom Troupe would inevitably pay a heavy price in the days that followed.