The success of the first Molten Core run brought the small team closer together. Bodoro was 100% loyal, willing to lay down his life without hesitation. Baise's thoughts were more complex. Initially, she joined Allen out of a survival instinct after seeing the cruelty of the Phantom Troupe. But as she gained benefits and saw her strength skyrocket, her instinct turned into genuine admiration.
Humans instinctively admire the strong. Whether it's the elite in any field, the best will always have followers. Allen wasn't a tyrant; he listened to advice and shared the spoils generously. Even the bounties from the Shadow Beasts and the Phantom Troupe were split three ways. In Baise's eyes, such a generous leader was one in a million.
Working together, the head of the Black Dragon Princess, Onyxia, soon became part of Allen's collection. Baise even managed to use her kiss to briefly control two Onyxian Warders, plugging the whelp pits by herself and halving the dungeon's difficulty.
Unfortunately, the dragon head couldn't be turned in at Stormwind for the Onyxia Tooth Pendant or the famous "Rallying Cry of the Dragonslayer" buff.
During the raid lockouts, Allen went home for a few days. He told selective stories about the Hunter Exam and his experiences over the past six months, introducing his two companions. Seeing his youngest son become a Pro Hunter with reliable friends, Agostino felt much more at ease.
By early October, Allen had completed three runs each of Molten Core and Onyxia's Lair. He decided to leave home once more. His target: the strongest Nen user in humanity, Chairman Netero.
Of course, he might have to add the word "former" to that title now. Netero was old; his physical stats and aura were in a state of continuous decline.
HP: 4308
MP: 3345
Strength: 52
Agility: 491
Stamina: 263
Intellect: 127
Spirit: 110
With almost a full set of Purple Epic gear and the double-scaling from his talents, "Survivalist" and "Lightning Reflexes," Allen's HP and Agility had reached staggering heights. His Agility was on the verge of breaking the 500 mark.
This meant that in combat, most enemies' movements appeared to him as if they were slowed down by several, or even a dozen, times. In daily sparring with Baise and Bodoro, neither could touch the hem of his clothes or even see his movements. His neural signaling to muscle contraction had clearly surpassed the limits of the human body.
Feeling the power in his young body, Allen clenched his fist and whispered, "After all this learning, training, and plundering... I finally have the right to challenge the peak. Old man, let's see just how fast your 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva really is..."
As he spoke, his airship began its ascent toward the Hunter Association Headquarters.
As soon as Allen left Yorknew City, the Hunter Association, thousands of miles away, received word. Because he didn't hide his tracks, Cheadle, who had been monitoring him, was the first to deliver the news to Netero's office.
"Chairman! He... has arrived!"
"What?!" The old man, who had been calmly sipping tea, accidentally crushed his cup. His eyes flashed with a searing light. "Hahaha! Has the challenger I've been waiting for finally prepared himself? How many days until he lands?"
"Three days! And I'm not the only one watching his movements," Cheadle reminded him sternly.
"That's to be expected. Go prepare a field. I'm sure many people will come to watch. Also, I need to stretch my limbs and get into state."
Netero stood up, tossing his documents to an assistant.
"Chairman, you aren't young anymore. Do you really need to do something so dangerous?" Pariston interjected with a feigned tone of concern.
"Of course! I'm not ready to give up and hand my seat to the youngsters just yet," Netero replied with a double meaning. He was well aware of the Vice Chairman's schemes but chose not to expose them, curious to see what the man would cook up. To Netero, facing an unknown conspiracy was just another form of competition.
Pariston, knowing the Chairman better than most, smiled and nodded. "Understood. In that case, I'll take charge of the guests and maintaining order."
"Yes, I'll leave it to you."
Netero immediately changed into activewear and began systematically activating his body's cells, which he usually kept in a semi-dormant state to slow aging.
On the other side, Pariston notified Beyond via phone. Beyond dropped everything and took a private airship to the headquarters. He wasn't the only one; many masters who heard the news rushed to the scene, afraid to miss this destined duel.
When Allen stepped off the airship, he felt countless gazes on him. There were familiar faces like Silva, Zeno, and Illumi Zoldyck, as well as total strangers. One thing was certain: every single one of them was a master of Nen.
The sheer volume of aura made the red dragon Vaelstrasz salivate. To this gluttonous dragon, Nen users were food, and their aura was the flavor. Fortunately, she remained in a void state without permission; otherwise, her drooling would have disgraced the reputation of the Great Aspects of Azeroth.
"So many people. It seems this battle is attracting quite a lot of attention," Bodoro said, his voice laced with unhidden envy.
"Of course. Look over there, most of the Zodiacs are here, along with the Zoldyck assassins," Baise added. As a veteran hunter, she recognized the major players immediately.
Allen, having expected this, said calmly, "Let's go. We'll greet Chairman Netero first, then decide on the time and place."
Before they could take more than a few steps, a man with short golden hair appeared—Pariston. He greeted them with a forced, warm enthusiasm.
"You must be Allen the Grim Reaper. I am the Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association, 'Rat' of the Zodiacs. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard nothing but your great achievements in fighting crime these past months. Seeing you today, your reputation is well-deserved!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Vice Chairman Pariston Hill," Allen replied, his lips curling into a playful smirk.