Hunter x Hunter: Card Master, the Strongest in the World.

Chapter 246 Pariston is dead! Virgo Gold Cloth!

This sound—

Lynn?!

Pariston's pupils contracted, and he rarely showed fear.

At this moment, he was truly filled with fear. He hadn't expected Lynn, who had left, to appear in the office and even overhear his conversation with Byrd.

If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter; at worst, he could fight it out, and he has plenty of solutions anyway.

But Lynn is different.

Before, he couldn't say for sure, but after Jade's attack that night, Lynn has solidified his title as the world's strongest.

Some people who hadn't witnessed Lynn's skills firsthand and were initially resentful were also impressed by his strength.

He was naturally no match for Lynn; Lynn could easily take his life if he wanted to.

Seeing Lynn, who had canceled his invisibility and appeared in front of him with a blank expression, Pariston broke out in a cold sweat. His extreme survival instinct forced him to brainstorm, looking for a way to stay alive.

This person is not someone to be trifled with.

He had done a lot of research on Lynn, and basically, anyone who had a falling out with Lynn didn't have a good ending—how could they survive?

"I don't want to die."

In the deathly silent office, Pariston suddenly spoke.

No amount of explanation would work with Lynn; he had to be honest and tell the whole truth to prove his worth.

As long as he is useful to Lynn while he is alive, he may live.

"Give me a reason," Lynn said calmly.

"Whatever you need, I'll give you," Pariston said seriously, enunciating each word clearly. "I have power, connections, and brains. Even things I don't have right now, I can do everything I can to get for you."

"I will never betray you; I have ways to establish constraints and vows."

He was showing his loyalty to Lynn.

If Lynn spares his life, he will switch from being By-Yang's man to being Lynn's man and offer him advice.

They even demonstrate their loyalty through constraints and oaths.

Actually, he doesn't like to do things that are too absolute.

Absolute means that there were originally many paths to take, but most of them have been cut off, leaving only a few options.

This was truly a difficult thing for him, as he preferred to use his brain.

Unfortunately, he made a mistake and caused a huge disaster.

The situation is no longer something he can choose.

The most urgent task is to survive Lynn's clutches; otherwise, all talk is just empty words.

"That sounds like a good suggestion."

Lin En nodded slightly.

It must be admitted that Pariston is indeed a rare talent; otherwise, he would not have been able to become the vice president of the Hunter Association and navigate among various powerful figures and forces to achieve his goals.

He is not only capable, but also intelligent, which is very rare and valuable.

If he had someone like Pariston to help him, things would be much easier for him, and it would greatly benefit his future plans.

"Very well, I'll accept you."

Upon hearing this, Pariston breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment he felt himself enveloped by two chilling auras. His body stiffened instantly, his heart filled with terror.

What happened?

Didn't we say we were going to let him go?

As Pariston was intimidated by the imposing presence, Lynn quickly opened a portal and casually tossed Pariston inside.

Inside the gate is You Kexin's manor, where he usually lives.

He and Gengar followed them inside and closed the door.

Making a move in the office is likely to cause noise, so this is a safer approach.

"What's wrong with you?"

In the open space, Pariston frowned, his Nen instinctively rising, as if facing a formidable enemy, staring intently at Lynn not far away.

"It's nothing, I'm just helping you change your personality."

Lynn casually uttered words that chilled Pariston to the bone.

In the end, he still had to die!

Immediately afterwards, a chilling atmosphere filled the open space.

Soon after, Pariston's body fell to the ground, with only one fatal wound; his body was otherwise well-preserved.

Lynn watched coldly, making sure there was no sign of death, then spread his hands, and streams of clay emerged, directly engulfing Pariston's corpse.

Pariston is good, but a Pariston puppet controlled by him is even better!

There are still four spots for permanent dolls, which were originally filled by Shadow, Gluttony, Silva, and Geno.

He later removed the useless faces, so now there are spots available for Pariston.

Time passed slowly, and Pariston materialized before him, appearing unchanged. Not only could no one else tell the difference, but even he could not.

You could say it is Pariston, possessing all the original's memories, abilities, and experiences—except it is absolutely loyal to him.

This is clearly much better than what Pariston himself did.

The only regret is that Pariston didn't drop any cards.

But his targets aren't just Pariston; there are other factions he can exploit.

Lynn then learned from Pariston about some of the arrangements made by Yonde, V5's plans, and so on.

Teleport back to the office and allow Pariston to resume normal operations. Report any further discoveries to him.

Lynn then followed the same method, finding one isolated Earthly Branch after another. Usually, a hypnotic powder was enough to subdue them, and then Pudding would slightly alter their memories, leaving no trace.

Soon, he officially mastered the twelve earthly branches.

Previously, he hadn't fought people born in the years of the Rat, Ox, Horse, Monkey, Rooster, and Dog—a full half of them.

However, he had previously obtained the Horse Talisman from Leorio, so he was only missing the remaining five talismans.

Of these six, only the Rat and the Horse did not have their cards explode.

The Monkey King got a card, but it wasn't a talisman.

The Ox, Rooster, and Dog all dropped talismans of the corresponding level, namely the Ox symbolizing power, the Rooster symbolizing flight, and the Dog symbolizing immortality.

The other two are alright, but the immortal dog is just being dragged down by Qiduo.

The effects of the A-level dog charm are self-evident; it has evolved from a conceptual immortality to a certain degree of reduction in enemy attack power. It's better to have something than nothing.

Of the final twelve talismans, he was only missing the Rat Talisman and the Monkey Talisman.

He happened to have two apprentices.

After the Chimera Ant incident is over, we can find an opportunity to promote Kurapika and Leorio.

Pariston is already one of his men; he can just find any excuse to resign, just like in the original story.

As for Shen Hou Sai You, as an undercover agent among the twelve earthly branches, we can simply expose his identity, thus freeing up a spot.

For example, Kurapika becomes the Rat, while Leorio becomes the Monkey.

Then try to get the remaining talismans from them.

After quickly finishing his business, Lynn returned to his own estate in Youkexin.

On the vacant lot of the villa.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his restless emotions, and took out a very unusual object.

It was a square, gleaming gold box with a female figure on top, exuding an extraordinary aura. It seemed to contain boundless power, a fact that could be deeply felt simply by holding it in one's arms.

It's a pity that the Monkey didn't drop the Monkey Talisman.

But he wasn't actually that upset.

Because at the same level, the card dropped by Shenhou is clearly better than the Monkey Talisman.

【Name: Virgo Gold Cloth (Incomplete)】

[Grade: A]

[Type: Item Card]

[Background: Saint Seiya]

[Introduction: The Virgo Gold Cloth, one of the twelve zodiac signs, is currently incomplete, consisting only of the right arm armor. It requires a trial before it can be worn. Once worn, it enhances physical attributes; after accumulating a certain number of attacks on enemies, it can reduce or even remove one of their five senses. Besides leveling up through points, the Cloth will upgrade as the wearer battles, unlocking other components upon reaching certain levels.]

He revealed the Saint Cloths!

It is even the Virgo Cloth, one of the twelve Gold Cloths of the Zodiac.

There are 88 regular Saint Cloths, which are divided into Bronze Cloths, Silver Cloths, and the highest Gold Cloth, from lowest to highest.

There are 48 Bronze Cloths in total, the most numerous but the weakest in terms of defense. The protagonist Seiya and others wore these Cloths from the beginning.

There are 24 Silver Cloths in total. Their strength and defense far surpass those of the Bronze Cloths, making them the backbone of the Sanctuary.

There are 12 Gold Cloths in total, the highest grade of Cloths, corresponding to the twelve zodiac signs, possessing dazzling light and powerful strength.

The Virgo Cloth is particularly distinctive, with its overall design imbued with religious and mystical elements.

The reason Shenhou Saiyou was able to reveal this card is probably because of his abilities.

Saiyou's Nen ability consists of three monkeys, each corresponding to one of a person's three senses, which can separate an enemy's different senses.

The ultimate technique of the Virgo Cloth is called [Tenbu Horin].

It means that a precious wheel, symbolizing good fortune and enlightenment, flies in the sky, a place shrouded in the protection of all gods and Buddhas.

Some Buddhist sects believe that the reason why humans have not attained complete enlightenment is due to the suffering brought about by the five aggregates of clinging: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.

Therefore, one must cut off all external interference and influence in order to achieve supreme Prajna Paramita.

Therefore, the Tenbu Horin's deprivation of sensation also cuts itself off from the outside world.

By severing all external influences on the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, body, and mind, and by severing one's own influence on the outside world, one can guide all sentient beings to enlightenment.

From this perspective, the effects of the two do correspond.

However, the Virgo Cloth is far superior to anything like the Monkey King's Right Cloth.

It can only be said that Saiyou's strength lowered his level, which is why he is only at A-level.

Not only was it damaged to the point that only the right arm armor remained, but it was also significantly weakened; otherwise, even just the arm armor would definitely be more than A-grade.

Fortunately, although it is damaged, it has a way to regain its strength.

You can level up using points, or you can strengthen and upgrade your Saint Cloth through battles. Reaching certain levels will unlock new accessories.

By the time he collects all the parts, he'll probably be stronger than anyone else.

Lynn stroked the Saint Cloth box, collected his thoughts, and straightened his expression.

Before he can indulge in daydreams, he still has to pass the test of the Saint Cloth.

If it doesn't pass, thinking about it further is pointless; the only thing to do is try the character card.

Lynn tried to open the box and felt as if he had entered an unknown space, as if he were in outer space, in the Virgo constellation.

An inexplicable pressure came from all directions, as if trying to squeeze him into a ball.

Lynn raised an eyebrow. These pressures were alright, just the aura emanating from an A-level expert, and they didn't bother him at all.

Then, new changes occurred.

His five senses began to disappear one after another.

First, there was the visual impairment; everything in front of him was dark.

A dozen seconds later, his hearing also disappeared, and he could not hear any sound.

Until finally, he completely entered a state without his five senses, it seemed that this was a test of whether he could withstand it.

It's normal for it to be a bit difficult, after all, it's a Gold Cloth.

But that meant nothing to him.

Over the course of his long life, he has developed a strong inner strength, and he can overcome even the most difficult circumstances.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt the surrounding environment begin to shake, and then he felt dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, he was back on the open ground of his own manor. His consciousness had only disappeared for a short moment.

Nothing has changed.

Except for the Saint Cloth box he opened!

In an instant, a dazzling golden light appeared, the rich golden light flowing out like a ribbon, shining brightly against the daytime, exuding a mysterious aura, making people unconsciously focus their attention on it.

Golden ribbons wrapped around his right arm, forming a magnificent golden arm guard from which a continuous stream of power flowed into his body.

Although it's only the right arm armor, its enhancement applies to the entire body.

Looking at the arm armor on his arm, Lynn couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

This can be considered as fulfilling a childhood dream.

Although it's just an arm armor, he's practically a Saint, even the Virgo Gold Saint of the Zodiac.

Lynn clenched his right fist and suddenly unleashed a sonic boom.

He casually threw a punch forward.

A humming sound rippled through the air.

A shockwave suddenly formed, sweeping away the grass and land along its path, creating a dust storm that knocked down a tree at the end of the path.

The increase in strength is quite considerable.

Moreover, it also has the ability to affect the enemy's five senses.

The smile on Lynn's face was hard to shake off.

This is truly a stroke of luck!

Most importantly, it has the potential to grow, with the opportunity to collect all the parts and one day become a Gold Cloth as powerful as the one in the original work.

At that level, let alone A-rank, even S-rank wouldn't be enough to measure it; it would have to be a higher-level card.

Like a child who has just received a new toy, he played with the arm armor for a while before stopping to do something else.

After accumulating some Poké Balls for a while, he took out some Poké Balls from his Poké Ball bag, all of which were A-rank.

What he needs to do is use the power of [Drummer] to combine these Poké Balls into a higher-level Poké Ball, and try to create an S-rank Poké Ball.

There is no cooldown limit to synthesizing the power of swallowing, but it requires energy and carries the risk of failure.

He could only use every means at his disposal, such as Dragon Balls, Gate of Babylon, and fortune-telling tissues—to increase the probability.

After a period of busy work, he finally acquired two A+ grade high-level balls and one S- grade catch ball!

【Name: Tennis Net】

[Rank: S—]

[Type: Item Card]

[Background: Pokémon]

[Description: A special Poké Ball, exceptionally adept at catching Water and Bug-type creatures. It can guarantee the capture of non-human creatures of rank S- or below, with a small chance of capturing higher-ranking Water or Bug-type creatures. The success rate varies depending on the target's HP, status, and whether it is truly obedient.]