The Strongest Assassin of the Zoldyck Family!

"Illumi, cousin, why don't we test a group of ten people?" Ron suggested.

"Alright, I'll go find some," Illumi replied without hesitation, immediately rising to act. Soon he returned, bringing back a group. These Underworld Mafia members seemed endless—no matter that they knew they weren't a match for Illumi, as long as Illumi baited them, they inevitably fell for it.

A hundred people entered the ark simultaneously. The dining hall immediately felt crowded, though this was only relative—after all, the hall itself was vast, easily capable of holding far more than a hundred. It just seemed crowded compared to when there were only a handful of people inside before.

The elimination rule activated. Those needlemen who entered later began to die one after another. But just as the elimination process reached about a third of the group, the door to the second floor suddenly opened. The figures of the Ten Dons appeared, all descending to the first floor—a massacre followed.

Every needleman on the first floor fell to the Ten Dons hands, even if these people appeared to be their underworld Mafia members, the Ten Don's didn't care.

Ron raised his eyebrows slightly. "People from the second floor can come down?"

But observing how the Ten Dons quickly returned to the second floor after killing, Ron deduced there must be some kind of restriction limiting their movements.

Ron turned to Illumi. "In this case, our chances have improved. On the first floor, our abilities aren't sealed. Even if the Ten Dons have obtained the power of the cards and their Nen level matches ours, we should have no problem killing a few of them. Then when we gain the qualification to enter the second floor, we can reshuffle the situation. Our chances of winning are quite good."

Illumi nodded. "If we can kill at least four of the Ten Dons while still on the first floor, we'll face much less risk once inside the second floor."

"But that still isn't enough," Ron added, looking at the screen. "We still don't know if there's anything else awaiting us on the second floor, aside from gaining the power of the cards. We also don't know the method of leaving the ark yet."

"I'll make a call first."

To determine whether those on the second floor could leave the ark, Ron had a simple method—he would ask Elita. She knew a bit about the Ten Don's situation. The Yorknew auction was held every year, and according to Ron's intelligence so far, during the auction period, the Ten Dons always gathered together—in other words, gathered inside the ark. It was considered an absolutely safe place.

All Ron needed to know was whether the Ten Dons had appeared elsewhere at any point after becoming Ten Dons. If they could leave the ark, then Ron was confident he could leave as well.

"Elita."

"Ron."

"There's something I want to ask you."

"Please, go ahead."

"I just sent you an email. I need you to check when these people became Ten Dons and whether, after becoming Ten Dons, they ever personally appeared elsewhere."

"Alright, Ron. I'll look and get back to you."

"Good."

After hanging up, Elita immediately opened her computer. Nina and the others crowded around.

"Who are these people?" Nina asked.

"The Ten Dons," Elita explained. "The leaders of the Underworld Mafia. Ten individuals, each responsible for a different region. Together, they form the ruling body of the Underworld Mafia—the highest-ranking figures."

Hearing this, Machi immediately looked over. She had grown tired of life in the Phantom Troupe and no longer fully agreed with the group's philosophy. But she still wanted to avenge Sarasa. With no clear lead on the true culprit, the Ten Dons were her most obvious enemy.

"Machi, do you know the Ten Dons too?" Nina noticed the change in her expression.

Machi hesitated. "One of my closest friends died because of them."

"I also ended up in that tragic laboratory because of them," Elita added. "If not, I would probably still be living quietly in my village."

Soon, Elita finished compiling the information and dialed Ron's number.

"Elita."

"Ron, I've sorted it all out."

"Tell me."

"Among these people, only two became Ten Dons this year. The other eight have held the position for several years—one of them for as long as ten years. During that time, many of them have appeared in various places, including Aurean."

That was enough for Ron; he didn't need to hear more. This basically confirmed that the Ten Dons could indeed leave the ark—they weren't permanently trapped there as though it were a prison.

"Elita, may I borrow your phone for a moment?" Machi asked.

Elita hesitated briefly.

Then Ron's voice came through, calm but direct. "Let her use it."

"Alright."

Machi took the phone, took a deep breath, and asked, "Boss, you're going to kill the Ten Dons, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"Can I come with you? I want to take revenge for my friend, with my own hands."

"It's dangerous."

"I don't mind. I can handle it."

"If you truly want to, then ok. Come, we will be waiting for you."

Ron gave her his location.

"Thank you."

"No need."

Elita, for a moment, considered saying something similar—she too had reasons for wanting to join—but after hesitating, she stayed silent. She knew she wasn't strong enough yet. Demanding to go would only burden Ron. Machi was different; her strength was far greater. Not just her Nen level—although she leaned toward support and healing, her abilities could still be used effectively in combat. In contrast, Elita's ability was purely supportive, even less suited for combat than Shizuku's.

Machi left immediately, heading straight for Ron's location as quickly as possible.

....................

......

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Before long, she arrived where Ron and Illumi were waiting. At that moment, behind Illumi stood a large group of people—all needlemen, all members of the Underworld Mafia. Including Ron, Illumi, and Machi, they numbered a hundred in total.

"I wonder if the Ten Dons will come down again," Ron mused. "If they do, the three of us should attack separately. Before entering, we'll disguise ourselves a bit."

For Illumi, disguise was simple—he just needed to pierce himself with his needles. For Ron and Machi, it was enough to change into the attire of Underworld Mafia members. The Ten Dons didn't know them, so as long as they didn't expose themselves deliberately, there was no risk of being recognized.