Chapter 59: No. 001
V5 maintained a strict secrecy policy regarding any information or intelligence about the Dark Continent, forbidding outsiders from accessing it.
"This Kurta clan book could be troublesome... The best approach is to use the Yakuza's power to hire real linguists to analyze it. If that doesn't work, capture a Kurta clan member... and then contact Kurapika."
If they contacted V5 too hastily, leaking the book's information could endanger both Haze and the Kurta clan.
"Hmmm... should I try infiltrating V5...?"
The next day, in a small city on the outskirts of the Luxon region, Haze sat in a corner café, sipping coffee and watching people pass by, deep in thought.
His goal in becoming one of the Ten Dons was to gain access to V5. Having his own people inside the organization would make it much easier to become a Hunter—or do anything else in the future. Most importantly, it would grant him freedom from restrictions. However, true influence wasn't something an ordinary V5 official could achieve.
If V5 were that easy to infiltrate, then powerful and capable people like Bi Yangde, Pariston, or even the Chairman himself wouldn't be so constrained.
In fact, Haze (Haze) already had a plan—much like the Kanjin Empire's: force V5 to lower its status and absorb them... becoming V6.
But to accomplish that, they would first need to own a nation—a large, influential one. Then...
"Developing a country..." Haze chuckled bitterly, rubbing his temples. "Not exactly a simple joke."
It would be ten—or even a hundred—times harder than joining a gang or becoming one of the Ten Dons. The time and effort required would be unimaginable.
"For now, forget it."
"Let's start by building connections... get some contacts," he thought, and called David.
He ordered David to gather a list of V5 officials and try to win them over using the Fields family's identity—no matter their rank.
After hearing this, David immediately understood Haze's intentions. He also explained that planting a spy inside V5 wouldn't be easy—it would likely be a long, drawn-out process. Especially since, as a mafia organization, they lacked a stable standing. If their actions were discovered by higher-ups, it could cause serious trouble.
At first, they could only focus on ordinary workers within V5 doing basic jobs.
Haze decided to trust both his and Fieldslily's abilities. With the Fields family's influence, they already had the tools to reach out to those contacts. As for time—Haze could wait.
Once a certain level of status and power was achieved, money stopped being everything. Still, leveraging mafia resources and manpower could help minor figures inside V5 manage personal affairs—a useful advantage.
Everyone has selfish desires and hidden motives. Once a network is established, you can choose to support smaller figures and climb up together.
David also mentioned Hisoka—who had only stayed at the palace for a week before leaving.
After hearing all this, Haze hung up. This was the benefit of leading a faction: he didn't need to worry about every detail and could focus fully on his own training. In that sense, his year in the mafia had been a wise choice.
"It's about time... The Hunter Exam's coming. First, let's join the Association."
Finishing his coffee, Haze smiled faintly and stood up.
The past two months had been relatively peaceful. Aside from the incident with Hisoka, his mood had lightened significantly—a sharp contrast to his days in the mafia. He had nearly mastered his breathing technique; while not perfect, it was quite proficient. His energy and stamina had greatly improved. Overall, it was probably the most relaxed period he'd had since arriving in the Hunter world.
Becoming a Hunter, however, would surely mark another busy chapter.
It would be exhausting.
After all, growing stronger was never easy.
The 281st Hunter Exam was held on the Yubian continent. All applicants had to pass several preliminary rounds before reaching the final selection site. But Haze already knew where it was:
A small town near the Gordo Desert, called Bungi City, not far from Youkexin.
How did he know? He had called Wing and asked him to contact Biscuit. They didn't speak directly, but Biscuit told Wing to pass along that—even though Haze could easily become a Hunter with his skill—rules were rules, and they couldn't be broken. She rambled for a while before finally giving him the address.
When Haze left Heaven's Arena, Biscuit assumed he would take the Hunter Exam and even informed Chairman Netero about it. But then... the boy vanished, and no one heard from him again.
Later, the Guild Chairman informed her that Haze had joined the mafia and become one of the Ten Dons—a major underworld figure.
These weren't exactly secrets. On the Hunter website, anyone with enough money could access all sorts of information—but that only covered public history about the Fields family. Once Haze became one of the Ten Dons, information about him became far harder to obtain.
First, the mafia deliberately erased any data on the Ten Dons for protection. Second, the cost of gathering intel on someone at that level was astronomical.
Of course, that only applied to ordinary people. For individuals like Netero or Zoldyck, the mafia wasn't exactly V5—so secrets were inevitable.
The Fields family had risen to fame rapidly, and Haze rarely appeared in public. The current head was David.
Thus, Haze's past remained murky. The family was clearly intent on erasing all traces of his existence. With David now among the Ten Dons, Haze would likely become completely invisible within a few years—known only to a select few.
From Biscuit's tone, as relayed by Wing, she seemed quite displeased with Haze's time in the mafia—considering it a waste. She clearly hoped he would join the Hunter Association soon. Otherwise, the old woman wouldn't feel at ease.
That was what Wing had told him, anyway.
However, Haze was more concerned about... Netero.
Was that old man watching him?
Wing, sensing the tension, suggested that Haze (Haze) call Biscuit personally to discuss it.
Unexpectedly, Haze just thanked him and hung up.
"..." Wing could only sigh.
Then, Haze boarded a spacecraft bound directly for Bungi City.
The Hunter Exam had already begun. Once it started, the venue remained open to the public—it couldn't be sealed off.
"I should be the first one here," Haze muttered.
Under the blazing sun, he stepped out of the terminal, loosened his collar, and smiled faintly.
His attitude was audacious.
Even though Biscuit had emphasized not breaking the rules, Haze didn't care.
Playing around with "a bunch of elementary school kids" sounded boring.
Bungi City was incredibly small—no larger than two or three towns—and even the terminal building looked plain. Its proximity to the Gordo Desert made the heat sweltering. Few tourists came, and by noon the streets were completely empty.
After just a few minutes of walking, even he began to feel scorched by the sun...
But within half an hour, he found his destination—a small amusement park still open for business.
The owner, a balding middle-aged man, was slumped over the ticket counter, fanning himself lazily.
Business was clearly dead—no one at the entrance.
Haze knocked on the glass.
"The ticket prices and rides are listed up there—take a look," the man said drowsily, barely opening his eyes.
"I need a code. I'm here for the Hunter Exam," Haze said.
The man's expression instantly changed; he sat upright and stared at him.
The Hunter Exam... the Association had only just begun the preliminaries... This guy—
"Yeah, I passed the prelims. There's no official guide, but I figured this was the spot," Haze said, adjusting his sunglasses with one finger, revealing his eyes as he winked. "Otherwise, how else would I know where to come?"
"..."
Meanwhile, somewhere else, Biscuit sneezed inexplicably.
After a few seconds of tense silence, both Haze and the middle-aged man spoke in unison:
"Enter—Pavilion Hall 3!"
"Thanks," Haze said casually.
The man suddenly tossed something at him. Haze caught it midair—it was a badge.
No. 001.
"Good luck," the man said as he watched Haze enter the amusement park. Rubbing his chin, he muttered, "There's something off about that guy..."
But what could he do? The Hunter Exam had no explicit rule requiring a guide. Usually, anyone who found this place had already cleared the final prelims.
It was, however, the first time he had ever seen someone arrive this fast.
From the preliminaries onward, even without missions, examinees had to hurry.
Meanwhile, Haze entered Hall 3.
It was empty—lights on, cool air inside—but nothing else.
He had only come to take a look. Since there was still time before the exam officially began, he could come back later. No need to wait around.
Just as he turned to leave—
"Ahem..."
A voice echoed from within the hall.
Someone was there!
Haze's pupils narrowed sharply, instantly alert.
He hadn't noticed them at all.
(End of Chapter)
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