Chapter 74 : The Bozwa Tribe's Death Squad
Two days later, Haze's team was finally complete.
In the plaza before the Firth Family Palace, Haze and five others were ready even his personal spaceship was docked nearby.
Now… only Hisoka was missing.
"Too slow…"
Haze frowned at his phone.
His subordinates were helping load tools and supplies.
Additionally, Haze planned to use the Mafia's influence to build a small base near the entrance of Eastern Gudo to maintain communication with the outside world. After all, once inside Eastern Gudo, the group wouldn't be allowed to bring any technological devices including cell phones.
Of the six, two were Nen users hired by the Mafia family and personally selected by Haze for their practical Nen abilities.
They were the best among the mediocre.
In pure strength, they were still far inferior to Mondel, the current captain of the Firth Family's security unit.
The other three consisted of:
Dama, a hacker a bespectacled girl who looked like a top student, only seventeen years old. Introverted and timid, she was in charge of gathering and transmitting information, mainly contacting the association and researching the Bozwa tribe before entering the country. She had joined purely for money, forced by circumstance.
Pingsen, in charge of logistics, had vast experience in wilderness exploration and was also a medic. He looked like a mercenary, but was extremely capable.
Dangeri, a key figure in the team. He had been to the Eastern Gothic Republic and was familiar with its internal conditions. An expert in environmental and climate research, he had once been a tour guide, well-versed in tribal languages and culture a true professional.
A proper team required diverse talents.
For long missions and expeditions, the most vital member was the one who loved good food everyone had to eat.
Due to time constraints, Haze couldn't afford to be too picky.
Just then, a black sedan finally arrived and stopped in front of them.
The door opened, and Hisoka stepped out slowly.
His gaze met Haze's the latter dressed neatly in a dark suit. Their eyes locked.
"Haze time no see," Hisoka said with a grin.
Though several years had passed, there was no sense of unfamiliarity between them. Even for Haze, it didn't feel like a long separation time had passed too quickly.
But the aura Hisoka emitted especially the look in his eyes made him realize that besides aging, the man had become even more unhinged.
Even after knowing him so well, Haze could never grow fond of him.
He had no idea what Hisoka had been through all these years nor did he care.
"Let's go."
Haze pointed expressionlessly toward the parked spacecraft and turned to ascend the ramp first.
"Seems you haven't changed much… except the smell…"
Hisoka murmured hoarsely, eyes narrowing with hidden amusement.
The seven boarded the ship one by one, and the spacecraft slowly lifted off bound for the Eastern Gothic Republic, leaving Bartokia behind.
The private spacecraft was small, with limited space, yet luxuriously furnished.
Dama and the others immediately got to work, discussing mission details in a side room, not daring to waste a single moment.
Their current employer was a Mafia boss the pay was enormous, and any mistake could mean death.
Haze and Hisoka entered the dining lounge together and sat at a table.
A maid brought them juice.
"You joined the Hunter Association?" Hisoka laughed.
"Yes," Haze replied simply.
"Is it… interesting?" Hisoka teased.
"It's fine. Lots of strong people. If you're interested, you could join too," Haze said casually.
"With your personality, you wouldn't ask me lightly. So… you might actually die on this mission. Taking such a huge risk and mobilizing so many people means… once it's done, the reward must be massive! What's the payoff?"
"I don't even know," Haze said flatly.
Hisoka leaned in with a grin. "You can't fool me. The only thing that ever drives you is power blind, obsessive power. Just like when you trained day and night back in Gram Park…"
"You came even though you knew that," Haze muttered coldly.
"I'm afraid you'll die," Hisoka said, smirking. "After all, only I'm allowed to kill you."
"Don't be naïve. You wouldn't stand a chance now."
Haze's eyes were icy and calm.
"Heh…"
That look so familiar.
Hisoka's smile grew playful. This was the Haze he remembered.
He had stayed in the Firth residence for a few days and heard of Haze's exploits in recent years, especially in Heaven's Arena. From Lily Firth's descriptions, Haze sounded like a warm, approachable person.
But back in Gram, at the Moritonio Circus… Haze had always been distant, tense, and ice-cold. Why? Because he radiated an oppressive aura one that seemed to hang above, ready to crush you at any moment.
Even Hisoka, an outsider, could feel that same pressure now.
Cold. Merciless.
That was the real Haze.
No disguise could change it and it only confirmed how dangerous this mission truly was.
While they talked, Dama entered nervously with her laptop.
"Captain… all paperwork with the Association is complete. We can enter directly after landing. Also, I found a clip a deleted segment from a Gothic Eastern TV broadcast. They wiped the rest, but this file remained."
Haze had ordered them to call him Captain, not Boss.
The other four joined as Dama played the video.
The screen showed soldiers from the Eastern Gothic Republic slaughtering Bozwa tribesmen in a forest a brutal massacre.
The shaky camera footage came from a war reporter, lasting barely twelve seconds before cutting to black.
"What's that?" asked Kanji, the team's telepath, who had noticed something strange.
Haze raised a hand, rewound the video to the last frame, and froze the image.
A dark figure appeared midair falling rapidly.
Judging by its attire, it was a member of the Bozwa tribe.
But the problem was the figure was clearly dead.
The head was missing. Organs had spilled from the abdomen.
How could a dead body move with such force and speed?
Haze turned to Dangeri.
The man spoke immediately: "Eastern Gothic is a dictatorship. The regime exists only to fulfill the selfish desires of the monarch, oppressing and exploiting the people. When I visited before, I learned that to maintain the capital, the ruler forced countless civilians into unpaid labor anyone who resisted was executed on the spot."
"The monarchy is hereditary. Each new ruler is worse than the last. But tribes like the Bozwa are small and remote hard to locate. A massacre this large likely means an irreconcilable conflict with the army."
"Eastern Gothic also has rich mineral resources… maybe—"
"You're saying the Bozwa settlement might sit atop a deposit the kingdom wants to exploit?" Haze asked.
"Exactly," Dangeri nodded.
But that wasn't the core issue.
The mission wasn't about the politics or the conflict it was about identifying the hidden threat posed by the Bozwa tribe.
"So under what circumstances can a dead man still fight?"
Haze looked to Hisoka.
"I suppose you're thinking what I am," Hisoka replied, smirking faintly.
Things like this… could only be explained through Nen.
(End of Chapter)