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055 (Vol 2) HxH: Tombbound Power
🕑 Added 2025-02-17 06:02:01 +0000 UTCI'm afraid Ronnel never imagined that a casual remark of his own would lead Chrollo to make so many assumptions, each one further from reality.
If he knew things would turn out like this, he would probably be just as dumbfounded.
Yet, Chrollo's intricate speculations ended up taking Ronnel off the suspect list entirely.
After all, the most well-hidden things are often the easiest to overlook.
He had already suffered a setback under Hisoka's deception, a lesson that should have made him more cautious. And yet, instead of heightening his vigilance, Chrollo convinced himself that such a thing could never happen twice.
To him, aside from Hisoka, every member of the Phantom Troupe was trustworthy.
Even Ronnel, once the most ignorant of them all, had now become a veteran member. Kalluto was the newest recruit.
Chrollo had complete trust in Ronnel.
Ronnel had studied Shingen-ryu martial arts and often conversed with Netero. Their relationship was close, granting Ronnel access to many secrets.
During Chrollo's most difficult times, Ronnel had provided him with a secure place to lay low at Heavens Arena.
And during the hunt for Greed Island, he had obtained valuable information from a man named Ging.
If Ronnel had truly harbored any intention of harming Chrollo, there had been countless opportunities. Why wait until now?
So despite Ronnel's Nen being connected to the dead, Chrollo never once suspected him.
This is why relying too much on past experience can be a mistake. Subjective thinking can be dangerous. Our ancestors left behind many lessons, and in some cases, this one could be considered a guiding principle.
Sometimes, overthinking does more harm than good—Chrollo's current predicament was proof of that.
While Chrollo was busy strategizing against ghosts of his own imagination, the officials of Heavens Arena had finally taken action.
Upon learning that the culprit behind the attack had been eliminated, Heavens Arena moved swiftly.
To maintain—not to mention flaunt—its authority, the organization dispatched elite fighters to cooperate with the Hunter Association in investigating the matter.
Especially after the body of the deceased Shura was discovered in the main control room, officials discreetly coordinated their story before publicly declaring that the criminals who had controlled the robots and endangered the audience were taken down by Heavens Arena's forces.
As a result, the audience was reassured. After all, maintaining public safety was the top priority for an entertainment venue of this scale.
Ronnel couldn't help but admire their shamelessness.
Truly, only the most brazen individuals could navigate life with such ease.
From the staged battle scenes to the scattered props, Ronnel, Machi, Shalnark, and even Gon could easily tell that it had been Hisoka's handiwork. And yet, Heavens Arena had somehow claimed all the credit.
Fortunately for them, Hisoka wasn't the type to care about recognition. If it had been someone else… well, Heavens Arena would likely have been in for some serious trouble.
As for the "incident," since Gon and Killua had been with Netero before Jed's attack, they had a degree of familiarity with him.
When they later stood alongside Kurapika and Leorio, Heavens Arena knew better than to blatantly take credit for their actions.
Of course, the arena still had to pay a price to keep things under control.
Kurapika preferred to avoid the public eye, and Leorio wasn't particularly concerned with fame—as long as he was compensated.
So, with a bit of hush money for Leorio and a trade of information regarding the Scarlet Eyes for Kurapika, the "incident" became yet another case of Heavens Arena's "heroic intervention."
Both sides benefitted.
The Hunter Association, needing to maintain its public image, allowed the self-promotion to shift attention elsewhere.
Jed, and the Black Report were all highly sensitive matters.
Rather than interfere, the Association subtly encouraged Heavens Arena's narrative.
After all, the arena had also acknowledged the Hunter Association's involvement, stating that powerful Hunters had assisted in handling the crisis.
Naturally, they also had to give a nod to V5.
A true win-win scenario.
While the outside world was abuzz with manufactured narratives, Ronnel stayed in his room, keeping a low profile—mostly spending time with Shizuku.
He had no interest in the media frenzy and had left it to Heavens Arena to handle any interview requests on his behalf.
The arena officials were more than happy to oblige.
At this point, Ronnel was their golden goose.
To be honest, they could hardly imagine what would have happened if he hadn't stepped in during the chaos.
And as for whether reporters were frustrated at being denied access? Well, that wasn't Heavens Arena's problem.
If any overly eager journalists or paparazzi tried sneaking in, security would swiftly deal with them.
After all, security had been significantly tightened following the attack.
If they couldn't stop Jed, the least they could do was crack down on the media.
While Heavens Arena busied itself with damage control, Ronnel, uninterested in the ongoing turmoil, focused on examining the five light clusters he had obtained from Jed's body.
The first was a massive concentration of essence and malice.
That's right—malice, not Nen.
(T/N: On or "Malice".)
Jed's primary power came from his ability to wield resentment, not traditional Nen.
Its foundation was pure hatred.
For Ronnel, it wasn't particularly useful. While the sheer quantity was significant, it held little practical value for him.
The second and third clusters contained Jed's two primary abilities:
The Grudge of One-Hundred Demons—Rakshasa. Grudge of One-Hundred Demons—Specter.
Ronnel had already seen these abilities firsthand during their battle, so there was little need for further analysis.
However, as he examined them, a thought struck him.
"Normally, my ability, Gravekeeper's Grasp, only extracts things that are beneficial to me. These curses and grievances… I have no use for them. So why did they still manifest?"
