Hunter x Hunter: From Obtaining the World to Beyond Heaven

Chapter 54 Useless but Rare Antiques × Perennial Missing Persons

"Here you go, this is the information you requested. I got it from a friend in the ancient ruins department, and it's already printed out."

"But according to their confidentiality regulations, this document cannot be circulated. You can destroy it after you finish reading it here."

Qiduo took a labeled document from the safe, handed it to Dia, and said:

"There's no need to worry about losing clues after they're destroyed; I've already written them all down."

Do you have a photographic memory...?

Dia tossed her luggage into the corner of the room, silently took the documents from Qiduo's hand, glanced at them briefly, and then casually put them back on the table. She then stared at Qiduo expectantly.

"..."

Qiduo stared at Dia, seemingly not understanding what he was doing.

After a while, seeing that Dia was still the same, Qiduo couldn't help but break the silence in the office.

She sighed deeply, her face showing a "I really can't do anything with you" expression, and said helplessly:

"Okay, okay, let me summarize. Listen up!"

'Hmm~ Kiramon is still so reliable.'

Diya bowed her head contentedly, ready to listen to Qiduo's summary.

To be honest, even if he read the document several times from beginning to end, he might not understand it as deeply as Qi did after reading it once.

With her exceptional reading speed, comprehension, and memory, Keto's ability to process official documents or archival texts far surpasses that of Dia.

Even on a global scale, Kido can proudly rank among the top five in this area.

So instead of spending time and effort reading it yourself, it's better to just wait for Qiduo's summary.

"Based on your description of that item, I found a similar record that describes three artifacts."

"These three artifacts were recorded in V5's list of ancient artifacts, and they are most likely fragments of the same broken item."

"After discovering the similarities between them, the archivist tried to classify them into one category and piece them together to restore them."

"In the end, the assembly failed due to missing parts, but it was still recorded in the same document and uniformly named - [The Ancient Arrow]."

Suddenly, Dia raised her hand like a primary school student and asked in a serious tone:

"So, Ms. Qiduo, why is it called that?"

Qi Duo cooperated and said:

"Because when the researchers dated it, they found that it was from a period far exceeding the recorded history of humankind."

"Therefore, the document basically concludes that it may have originated from ancient humans..."

Qi Duo paused for a moment, then said casually:

“Brought from the birthplace of humankind.”

"Researchers conducted numerous experiments on it, but apart from discovering that it is extremely hard, they found no practical use for it."

"Later, archaeologists or relic hunters did not find the other corresponding fragments, and could only guess that those fragments had already been unearthed and circulated among the people."

"Although some people firmly believed that these fragments contained enormous energy, no results were ultimately achieved."

“Until five years ago, the site was attacked and a large number of ancient artifacts were lost. These fragments also disappeared. Although there have been eyewitness accounts since then, no one has been deliberately collecting these things.”

"In short, it's a rather useless but peculiar antique."

After summarizing, Qiduo didn't speak again, but silently watched Diya digest the information.

She didn't intend to ask Dia why she had asked her for this favor; hunters always placed enough trust in their companions.

Diya half-closed her eyes, remaining expressionless, silently pondering the information revealed in Qiduo's words.

In other words, even a V5-level research team could not discover the power of the [Insect Arrow], and simply thought it was an ancient artifact.

As for what Qiduo deliberately skipped over just now, Dia could roughly guess that she was trying to say that the [Arrow Fragment] came from the Dark Continent.

But Dia knew that, regardless of where this thing came from, it certainly didn't come from the Dark Continent, or even from this world.

but.

"What do you mean by the attack on the Ruins five years ago?"

Dia asked curiously, as he had no recollection of this incident.

Qiduo seemed to have known he was going to ask this, and silently shook her head, saying:

"I don't know much about this matter either. Five years ago, I was still doing research on intractable diseases and didn't pay attention to this."

"This matter was later classified as top secret by V5, and apart from a few relic hunters and officials who knew about it, there are no records of it anymore."

"..."

"I see."

Dia felt a sense of unease; it was unlikely that the officials would reveal V5's top-secret information...

"Does Professor Nakito know which Ruins Hunters are aware of this?"

Dia asked casually, but didn't hold out much hope. Qiduo wasn't really omniscient or omnipotent, and this matter was clearly beyond the scope of normal intelligence gathering.

"Hmm... I don't know about the others, but there's one person I'm sure knows."

After hearing the question, Qiduo pondered for a moment, as if considering something, and then said:

"However, that person's whereabouts are probably even more difficult to ascertain than this matter."

Diya was taken aback, then suddenly remembered something and tentatively asked:

"Could it be that King Freecss?"

Qi Duo nodded helplessly and said:

"When it comes to things related to ancient ruins, probably few people know more than him, but..."

However, even Mizeston, who is also one of the Zodiacs, could not keep track of King's whereabouts, so he had to list him as a missing person every two years on average.

It seems this path is also difficult to navigate.

Dia scratched his head in frustration. He preferred a clear goal and a straightforward approach to getting things done.

But now it seems he has to do the intelligence gathering work that he can do but doesn't enjoy.

Seeing his distress, Qiduo helplessly spoke up:

"Although I don't know what you're looking for that thing for, your current task should be to focus on improving your strength. We can discuss the rest later."

"I've already posted a bounty on the intelligence market and asked friends in the relevant fields to keep an eye out. Now I'll just wait for news."

Dia nodded in agreement, but then he suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Speaking of which, regarding that [commission] you and I agreed upon, Teacher Qiduo, is it still something we can't discuss now?"

Although Dia remembered that incident, Qi Duo never mentioned it.

Now he faces the possibility of going out, or even leaving the Republic of Mingbo, to search for the [Arrow Fragment], so he must first find out the specific time of that commission.

Otherwise, if we miss the opportunity, it will be him breaking his promise.

Upon hearing this, Qiduo frowned slightly, knowing what Dia was considering, and then spoke:

"If you're worried about the timing, I can tell you now that it's about two months away from starting, and it's expected to begin in early November."

Two months...

It was a period of time that was neither long nor short.

Dia thought for a moment and said:

“I understand. Until then, I will stay in Roy City to train my Nen abilities, which will be considered as arduous training.”

"Alright, it's good that you have your own plans. By the way, have you been maintaining your cultivation these past ten days? Come with me to the training ground and let's take a look."

After saying that, Qiduo walked straight out, and Dia followed her.

Chapter Fifty-Five: New Celestial Phenomena × Old Deng's Game

"Your spirit beast is quite good, rather cute, but its abilities haven't been fully developed yet."

Qiduo casually rubbed the soft mist between her hands, causing it to continuously exhale large amounts of mist.

At this point, the fog in the entire training ground was thicker than in the sauna, and the naked eye's field of vision was almost reduced to a meter.

Beside her, Diya sat casually, watching the Nen beast that was exhaling mist and making strange noises, and said:

"Yes, it was intended to be used as a countermeasure against groups of enemies, but right now the fog can only block the view for a short time."

"You want it to also suppress the enemy's circle, right? If so, then you'll have to use [Constraints and Oaths]."

Qi quickly grasped the idea and immediately guessed Diya's thoughts, offering a solution.

The so-called "restraints and oaths" can be viewed as two parts: oaths and constraints. These are two variables that affect the power of Nen abilities.

Restraint is the essence of Nen abilities, with risk, cost, and rules at its core, allowing Nen abilities to develop in the direction one desires.

The risk assessment involved adheres to the principle of equivalence and objectivity, but also depends on the individual's talent and certain subjective ideas.

The so-called subjective element means that, in a sense, even those with abilities must believe that they have truly paid a huge price.

Pakunoda's constraint is not to come into contact with Chrollo, which is a typical example of a subjective cost.

Although there are objective limitations, it is obvious to anyone with eyes to see that this rule is more subjective in her mind.

The reason why some people's constraints seem ordinary or even almost non-existent, yet are still very powerful, is due to the oath.

The oath is a more subjective variable, almost entirely dependent on the individual's will and ability development goals.

Chairman Netero's "Hundred Styles of Kannon" is a typical example. He used the pre-prayer sway as a constraint, "devout gratitude" as a vow, and with years of practice, he finally obtained near-perfect abilities.

Everyone knows about oaths and constraints, but some people use them and end up making a mess, while others turn something rotten into something magical.

This is because, in addition to strict rules, the strength of one's personal beliefs is also an important component of the power of Nen abilities.