"Is it pretty?" Ron's voice sounded behind Wendy.
"It's beautiful." Wendy turned around, looked at Ron, and smiled.
"Watching the sunrise from this height is a very special experience."
Ron walked up beside Wendy, resting his hands on the railing.
"Wendy, what do you want to do in the future?"
"The future?"
"You haven't thought about it?"
"I have, actually. When I was little, I really wanted to beco the next head of the Dragon Dojo. But with how things are now, I probably don't have much of a chance." Wendy glanced away. "Soone more talented than appeared within the Dragon Dojo. And I still haven't even found the path to S-rank."
As she spoke, Wendy suddenly let out a quiet sigh.
"I used to think I was really exceptional. That I had great talent, and that I was working hard. I believed that any goal I set, I could reach. But it was only after eting you, Ron, that I realized... I'm actually quite ordinary."
"For a long ti, I struggled with that. I couldn't accept it. I thought I should be stronger, that my potential had to be higher. But it wasn't. It took a long ti to accept that, to let go."
Ron didn't respond to that topic. Instead, he asked her sothing else.
"Fiora should be preparing the expedition ship to the Dark Continent by now, right?"
"Yes."
"I made a deal with Fiora—I provided so intel on the Dark Continent. But since we're friends, I can give you so information separately."
Wendy blinked in surprise.
"You're not worried I might share it with others in Fiora's group?"
"I'm not," Ron said. "With the trust between us, I doubt it would co to that."
He added, "There's sothing on the Dark Continent called an Ascension Relic. You can try to collect them. Once you reach S-rank, they'll beco highly useful."
"When you've used one, it doesn't matter if others know about it. But before that, it's best to keep it quiet."
"This is important for you too, Wendy."
"The future belongs to a new era," Ron said. "An entirely new age, with abundant resources and strange environnts. In that kind of world, innate talent won't matter as much. If you navigate the Dark Continent well, you may still have a chance at becoming head of the Dragon Dojo."
Wendy's eyes lit up.
"So Ascension Relics can increase talent?"
"Not just Ascension Relics," Ron said. "There are many other resources on the Dark Continent."
As he spoke, Ron took out an Ascension Relic fused from a portion of the Dark Sonata.
"This is an Ascension Relic. You can try sensing its aura."
Wendy looked at it.
"It feels... unique."
"It is." Ron nodded, then put the relic away.
Wendy's anticipation grew.
............
.......
.
Another day passed, and the airship descended.
Ron and Wendy followed the crowd as they exited. The city wasn't particularly large—certainly not on the level of the Heavens Arena or Yorknew—but it was still more developed than most.
Tall buildings lined the skyline. The streets below were busy with traffic.
Ron pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Calling Gel?" Wendy asked.
Gel was a mber of the Hunter Association, one of the Zodiacs, and soone both Ron and Wendy had interacted with before. She was one of the few people Wendy knew well within the Association.
"No," Ron said. "This is Mizaistom."
Compared to Gel, Ron had interacted far more with Mizaistom. The investigation into Red Tron's group and the visit to Taris had taken up far more ti.
Like Gel, Mizaistom was also a mber of the Zodiacs.
He sent Ron an address.
Ron flagged down a car and gave the driver the destination.
They quickly arrived.
It was a residential community—private hos, commonly called villas. Mizaistom lived in one of them. Unlike many Nen users, he didn't choose to reside in a lavish estate.
When Ron and Wendy arrived, Mizaistom was already waiting at the door.
"Ron. It's been a while."
"Mizaistom."
"And this is?"
"This is Wendy. A close friend of mine."
"Co on in."
Mizaistom stepped aside, motioning for them to enter.
He led them directly to the study.
"Want sothing to drink? I've got coffee and soda."
"Soda," Ron said.
"You, Wendy?"
"Just water is fine."
"Got it."
Mizaistom opened a nearby fridge and pulled out a soda and a bottle of water. To Ron's surprise, the study was stocked with an impressive number of unhealthy snacks—sothing that didn't quite match Mizaistom's image. It reminded him a bit of Milukis's room.
Ron took out his laptop, opened a video file, and handed the screen to Mizaistom.
"This is the footage of Chairman Netero's fight with the Ant King."
Mizaistom nodded and pressed play.
As the video played, his expression grew tense. His fists clenched unconsciously. It was clear Mizaistom had a hard ti accepting Netero's decision.
He hadn't wanted to see Netero die at the hands of the Chira Ant King.
The video finished.
Mizaistom let out a long breath.
"So that's how it was…"
He'd already known about Netero's death. So he expected that Netero must have been at a disadvantage in the battle. But he hadn't realized the gap had been that wide.
Netero's final fight had been that desperate.
But this wasn't a failure on Netero's part.
It was the Chira Ant King.
He was simply too powerful.
"Maybe… that was exactly what Netero had hoped for," Mizaistom muttered. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have had a smile on his face in his final monts."
After a long pause, he finally looked up.
"Ron, the three Royal Guards—they've all been handled, right? There isn't a second Ant King out there?"
"All three guards have been dealt with. But as for the rest, I can't say. I was only involved in the final battle. I wasn't there for everything."
"And if the biological experints can be done once, they can be done again. The V5 is probably planning just that. After all, humanity wants their power."
Mizaistom went quiet.
"These things are beyond our control now. But Ron, there's soone who wants to et with you. When would you be available?"
"Who?"
"Ging Freecss."
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