Leading Hunter x Hunter to the Top of the Anime Multiverse

Druid Master said nothing and merely maintained a smiling expression throughout.

"I don't agree."

In the team, the oldest man spoke up, scrutinizing Manman.

"All of us have only just met and don't know each other at all. Even though you're a Nen user, you don't look capable of handling the mission or making the proper judgments a captain should. By comparison, he is safer."

"That's not necessarily the case... The captain role should go to someone whose strength we can rely on. Our small team is a bit unusual: we don't have high-level, experienced players leading us, so however we attempt the mission, we'll mostly be discussing and cooperating. For the sake of the team dynamic, so no one feels too pressured, I think she's actually quite suitable."

This came from a woman.

At first glance, it sounded like she was supporting Manman, but it subtly undermined Manman's authority as captain. Once she put it that way, the others picked up on it as well. One after another, they gave their support to Manman as captain—yet in doing so, Manman wouldn't really be able to throw her weight around.

"Hmph."

Seeing this, the elderly man let out a cold snort.

He understood perfectly these people's little schemes.

He just wanted to pass the mission, but this crowd seemed more concerned about having a relaxing, pressure-free process.

How foolish.

"Alright, let's vote by a show of hands."

Someone proposed.

In the end, six people voted for Manman, while four sided with Druid Master.

By a slight margin, Manman became the victor—now the team's captain.

Next, for the sake of coordination, everyone briefly introduced their abilities and backgrounds.

Of course, they didn't reveal everything. All of them were well aware of that.

Finally, it was Xiang Nan's turn:

"I'm a soldier—was a mercenary in my previous life. Although my combat rating isn't high, and I'm no Nen user, I won't be dragging you guys down."

His statement didn't provoke much reaction; him being a soldier seemed unsurprising enough. He did give off that sort of vibe.

"Captain, what's your Nen ability?"

Having lost the vote, Druid Master wasn't at all angry. Now that the team was set, he suddenly turned to Manman.

"Your combat rating's only in the forties, probably hiding a lot of it, right? Haha, mine's the same. At first, I didn't even think of that—after hiding my rating, I nearly missed my chance to join a team."

"M-My real combat strength is somewhere above 90... I only know some basic Nen, but I haven't developed a proper ability."

Manman stammered, looking embarrassed.

The others were obviously a bit disappointed, but thinking it over, they realized that, as Extinction 3 players, being able to use any Nen was already impressive—further advanced development sounded too far-fetched.

"I've got some intel: the world's timeline for the original story hasn't started yet, so we've still got over a year before it really begins. If that's the case, then none of Kakin's princes should be Nen users."

Manman suddenly provided this piece of info.

"Huh?"

"Well, that's a relief!"

Her statement eased the expressions of a few.

"Captain, where did you get that info?"

"At Heaven's Arena."

"Ah? You went to Heaven's Arena? No wonder you got Nen..."

"But from what I've heard, that place is run by a group of high-level players. Isn't it dangerous for a newbie like you, Captain?"

One of them seemed aware of some rumors about Heaven's Arena and hesitated.

Manman took another sideways glance at Xiang Nan and then answered haltingly:

"I... was part of the group called 'Star Alliance'..."

"Star Alliance?"

"That's the player organization occupying Heaven's Arena! I nearly died in their hands once but managed to slip away," someone else with inside knowledge added anxiously.

"Never expected you to be part of Star Alliance, Captain..."

A number of the players exchanged looks, all with varied undertones.

Although Star Alliance was generally hostile to lower-level players, many of them still feared that faction.

Hence, this quiet, soft-spoken captain turned out to have some very notable background.

If they could use that to their advantage…

"Captain... did you awaken Nen by force?" "Yes." "Makes sense. If you've got high-level players backing you, it's much simpler."

Seeing the conversation flowing, Xiang Nan's eyes shifted to Druid Master:

"And you, Druid Master—how did you open your aura nodes? Forced, too?"

This question promptly turned everyone's attention to him.

As ordinary low-level players, they were highly curious about how one might actually become a Nen user.

"I was fairly lucky. My tribe had an elder who was a Nen user, and under his supervision I trained on my own," Druid Master replied with a smile.

"Wow, self-training? That's incredible!"

Most players had at least read the original storyline and knew that developing Nen on your own was extremely difficult.

"Could you tell us more?"

The youngest boy in the group, carrying a schoolbag, looked hopeful.

Normally, about any personal info or abilities—especially the path to growth—players were reluctant to disclose. However, this Druid Master seemed fairly open, explaining:

"My method was somewhat special, linked to my clan's bloodline. We're naturally attuned to nature. In fact, the original storyline also touches on this subject—maybe you guys didn't pay close attention. As everyone knows, 'qi' is a life force, and beyond us humans, other living things in nature also release a natural aura—like plants and trees. It's a faint, 'no-intent' aura, so it doesn't harm the human body. In my training, besides perceiving that natural aura, I also attempted to absorb these energy particles drifting throughout the land to strengthen myself."

"But it's not easy. The requirements for one's own body and the environment are extremely high, as well as the absorbing techniques themselves... I only managed it because I was lucky: I joined that tribe, had the right bloodline, and got help from the elder."

"I'd love to share the tribe's secret art with you, but the elder forbids it..."

He scratched his head regretfully.

Absorbing the aura of nature?

At that point, the conversation enthralled a good number of the newbie players. Their attitudes also noticeably became more favorable toward him. Because, if this method were real, it meant they could become Nen users without resorting to forced awakening. No one wanted to face the danger of forced Nen-opening. So Druid Master had easily ignited their desire.

"He's no ordinary person," Xiang Nan reflected with an inward grin.

Yes, such a method did exist in the lore, but it absolutely was not something an average person could handle. If Xiang Nan himself didn't already have fairly deep insights into Nen training, he might've been fooled.

But as things stood, given what he knew, that approach was not feasible for typical players. The spiritual threshold was far too high—it required a purity of mind akin to Netero.

The second the illusions parted, Druid Master's real aim was quite obvious: overshadowing Manman's leadership. Indeed, system rules let them revise the "captain" role, and it was entirely possible for him to take over through persuasion. Or at the very least, sabotage Manman's authority.

"Interesting..."

Xiang Nan narrowed his eyes, carefully observing him.

Just then, the system prompt arrived:

[Ding! The 4th round of the Extinction Game now begins. Please pay attention, squad.]

[This squad has been commissioned by the Kakin Royal Family. Proceed to the Mitene Union to investigate the ecology of 'Chimera Ants,' then bring your report and samples back to Kakin Empire for the designated official.]

"Chimera Ants?!"

"Ants...??"

Startled cries rang out amongst the players after reading the mission details.

While they were still reeling, there was a sudden knock at their hotel room door—someone had arrived!

~~~

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