HxH: Apex Predator

"Ryker, if I recall correctly, you didn't take on any family missions when you left a few months ago. Have you been developing your own client base in the meantime?

Or have you been up to something else entirely? Even the family's intelligence network couldn't track your movements—you vanished as if into thin air."

Faced with Silva's probing questions, which were gentle but carried an undertone of warning, Ryker replied nonchalantly, "I spent most of my time in my Nen space, developing my abilities. That's probably why it was hard to track me."

"I see. However, I want to remind you that shutting yourself away isn't a good habit. Real combat is the best teacher.

And don't forget the duties of our family. As a Zoldyck, you should at least look like an assassin."

"I expect you to complete more contracts in the future. As members of this family, it is our shared responsibility to uphold the honor and reputation of the Zoldycks."

"Understood, Dad. I'll keep that in mind. In fact, I came back this time specifically to take on a few suitable missions."

Ryker explained his recent whereabouts to Silva and took the opportunity to express his eagerness to find work. After all, his time in Meteor City had yielded minimal results.

He urgently needed to gather enough resources to exchange for his second Kamui.

[AN: 'Second Kamui' here is referring to the one Kakashi has]

'It seems Ryker is now desperate to find targets with Nen abilities. This likely means he hasn't fought any Nen users in recent months.'

'Knowing his personality, even if he spent time experimenting in his Nen space, he would still need test subjects.'

'This implies he must have been trying to track down Nen users before but came back empty-handed.'

'The most probable location? Meteor City. That's the only place where he could act without restraint. I'll have to strengthen our intelligence gathering on Meteor City from now on.'

The next day, Ryker went straight to Silva's room to request an assassination mission. Silva handed him a job commissioned by a mafia family.

The mission took place in the United States of Saherta , located on the Yorbian Continent. The client was the Genovese family, one of four major subordinate families under the Ten Dons' Gambino family.

As Ryker scanned the briefing, the name struck a chord of familiarity. When he read further into the details, it dawned on him.

The mission involved a gang war. The root cause was that the Genovese family's subordinate, the Hall family, had recently lost their strongest enforcer under mysterious circumstances.

This loss had left the Hall family vulnerable, prompting rival groups to exploit the opportunity.

Naturally, the Hall family called for help from their "big brother." However, this wasn't a simple one-on-one conflict—it was an orchestrated attack by seven smaller gangs.

The mastermind behind this assault? None other than the Hall family's long-time rival, the Kolobo family, another of Gambino's four subordinate families.

The Kolobo family hadn't acted directly, nor had they mobilized their own subordinates. Instead, they had provoked and manipulated the seven small gangs into attacking the Hall family, using their territory as bait.

For the Kolobo family, the primary objective was to weaken the Genovese family by eliminating the Hall family. Whether or not they ended up taking the territory was secondary.

The Genovese family, upon discovering the Kolobo family's involvement, didn't retaliate directly. Instead, they commissioned the Zoldyck family for 10 billion Jenny to resolve the situation.

The contract stipulated the elimination of the seven gang leaders attacking the Hall family, along with the head of one of the Kolobo family's subordinate groups.

The Genovese family's reasoning was clear—they wouldn't attack the Kolobo family directly, as such actions were against the unwritten rules between top-tier mafia families.

Direct assassinations of rival bosses were rare unless a life-and-death feud was involved. This unspoken agreement ensured that conflicts remained contained.

By targeting a subordinate, the Genovese family could send a warning while avoiding direct escalation. Even Gambino wouldn't interfere, as internal strife among his subordinates was tolerated so long as it didn't spiral out of control.

After reading the mission details, Ryker couldn't help but think, 'This mission feels like a chain quest in a video game.'

After accepting the mission, Ryker donned his usual disguise for safety. 'Better safe than sorry. You never know when things might go south.'

Using Kamui, he teleported to Yorknew City, where he took public transportation to the target location.

The mission had two key points to keep in mind. First, the Kolobo family's subordinate group reportedly had Nen users among its ranks.

Second, while the Kolobo family hadn't openly intervened, there was a possibility they might hire Nen users to act on their behalf. Ryker needed to be prepared for unexpected complications.

One day later, news spread like wildfire: the leaders of all seven gangs attacking the Hall family had been assassinated on the same day.

The underground world was stunned. But what followed was even more shocking: the killings weren't limited to the leaders.

Everyone present at the headquarters of those seven gangs—including family members and other associates—was slaughtered. Only those who weren't at the headquarters survived.

Speculation ran rampant. Many believed the Genovese family had taken matters into their own hands, as the weakened Hall family couldn't have pulled off such an operation.

Some even suspected the Gambino family had intervened.

Meanwhile, the Kolobo family, the true instigators, received the news almost immediately.

Their leader, Sosa Kolobo, initially feared it might be a warning from Gambino himself. To confirm, he ordered an immediate investigation.

The intelligence returned swiftly—it wasn't Gambino. Even he had only just heard the news.

Relieved but cautious, Sosa Kolobo quickly shifted his suspicion to the Genovese family.

Although there were no signs of direct involvement from the Genovese family, Sosa guessed they had likely hired outside help—assassins or mercenaries.

He, too, began preparing to strike back, but he wasn't about to leave any traceable evidence.

Instead, he instructed his trusted subordinate, the Solomon family, to hire assassins and bounty hunters for the job.

Sosa knew time was of the essence. The longer the situation dragged on, the more likely Gambino would step in to mediate. He needed to land a decisive blow against the Hall family before that happened.

While Sosa Kolobo plotted his next move, our protagonist was meeting with his client.

_____________________

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ShadySmuggler