"If it involves Nen abilities, it should be possible," Gon mused. "Not to mention, Morin has so many peculiar tools at his disposal. Keeping the body in peak condition shouldn't be a problem~"
Killua nodded, "…That does seem to be the case."
While Killua marveled at Morin's age, Gon grew a bit bashful. "Um, Morin," he began hesitantly, "we currently need…"
Before Gon could finish, Morin's phone rang with a peculiar tone. "Kachak… Hello! Morin, hurry up, we're about to be late!!" Uvogin's booming voice echoed from the other end of the line.
"Alright, I've got something to attend to, so I'll be off," Morin said, hanging up the call. He turned to Gon, "If you need anything, you can call me later. You guys have phones now, right?" After leaving his number with Gon, Morin ruffled his hair and quickly vanished into the crowd.
"We were hoping to borrow some money from Morin, but it seems that's out of the question now," Killua sighed regretfully.
Gon, however, stared blankly in the direction Morin had left. "A meeting? Is Morin going to meet with others?" Gon hadn't forgotten that Morin and Hisoka had another identity—as members of the Phantom Troupe.
"Could it be that the Phantom Troupe is gathering here?" Gon suddenly thought of something and turned to Killua, "I remember hearing something happened in the city this afternoon, right?"
"Yeah, I heard something on the way here," Leorio adjusted his glasses. "Apparently, members of the Phantom Troupe have been spotted, and they're clashing with the mafia in Yorknew City. The various mafia groups have issued a kill-on-sight order against the Troupe."
"I see…" Gon glanced again in the direction Morin had left. So, it was true. But… "Can the mafia really handle the Phantom Troupe?" Gon wondered silently. With Morin involved, he doubted the mafia's chances.
"Step right up, anyone else want to challenge?" Leorio called out to the crowd. While Gon continued to attract customers, Morin had arrived at the meeting place.
Crossing a bridge that seemed to separate wealth from poverty, prosperity from decay, he approached an abandoned building. As Morin stepped inside, several gazes turned towards him.
Resting on a concrete beam with a languid posture, wrapped in bandages, was Bonolenov. Nearby, Hisoka was building a card pyramid, and Shizuku sat playing with her phone. Uvogin and Phinks were having a heated exchange, while Chrollo sat in the center, with Kortopi beside him.
Franklin sat quietly, Machi watched with arms crossed, and Feitan flipped through his favorite book. Pakunoda sat gracefully, and Nobunaga warmly greeted Morin, "Hey, Deputy Leader Morin, you're finally here. I thought you'd arrive just in time!"
"Got held up on the way," Morin fist-bumped Nobunaga and then addressed the gathered senior members, "It's been a while, everyone."
"It has indeed been a while," Shizuku put away her phone, first sizing up Morin, then glancing over at Pakunoda and Machi, shaking her head internally. "It seems Deputy Leader Morin still hasn't resolved his personal issues over these years."
The others offered various reactions and greetings to Morin's arrival. By now, it was past midnight, officially August 31st. As the clock struck the hour, Chrollo slowly rose from his seat. The other Troupe members each found a stone platform to stand on.
Step by step, Chrollo ascended the steps. When he reached the highest point, he held a Bible (??) in his hands. With clear eyes and a gentle voice, he announced, "Alright, now that everyone is here, I'll discuss our Phantom Troupe's objective."
"As for tomorrow night's auction," Chrollo surveyed the group with a smile, "the treasures! We will steal all the auctioned treasures~!"
---
Then, Uvogin clenched his jaw, his eyes bloodshot as he confirmed each question, his entire body trembling with excitement as he received Chrollo's answer: "I now order… kill them all!" Chrollo's eyes were deep as he spoke.
"Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahaha!" Uvogin laughed heartily, thoroughly exhilarated. He hadn't had enough of a fight during the day, and now he had another chance to battle! For someone who relishes combat and killing, nothing could be more satisfying than going against the world's mafias.
Uvogin's laughter was piercing, echoing through the quiet building night. The other Phantom Troupe members also showed expressions of understanding. Phinks, who had been pursued by the mafia earlier in the day, displayed a bloodthirsty grin.
After Uvogin calmed down, they began discussing plans for the night's underground auction. Chrollo wouldn't handle these arrangements personally; he set the general direction, leaving the specifics to Shalnark for action plans and personnel deployment. He delegated appropriately, trusting in the abilities of his troupe members.
Uvogin, Phinks, and others eagerly went to discuss with Shalnark. Meanwhile, the others continued with their own tasks. Chrollo walked to the highest point, gazing at the sky through the open ceiling.
"Is there anything noteworthy among the auction items this time?" Morin approached Chrollo, inquiring. If it wasn't related to the Dark Continent, Chrollo wouldn't have specifically targeted this auction.
Knowing of the Dark Continent's existence, Chrollo's vision was broader, and he wouldn't make such arrangements without reason.
"Yes, there's something I'm particularly interested in," Chrollo replied, not hiding anything from Morin. "Among the auction items is something called the 'Mummy of Princess Corco.'"
"As far as I know, Princess Corco was once a princess of a kingdom named Perkoron. It is said that one night, the kingdom faced a calamity, and the entire royal family, including the palace maids and guards, lost their lives."
"As for how they died…" Chrollo smiled at Morin, "Everyone except Princess Corco turned into a pile of mush. It's like the disaster caused by the gaseous entity of happy life you once mentioned."
"I see," Morin nodded gently. As expected, only matters related to the Dark Continent could currently capture Chrollo's interest.
"The 'Mummy of Princess Corco,' it sounds familiar. Where have I heard of it?" Morin pondered.
While the Phantom Troupe prepared for action, in a hotel within the bustling city, the Nostrade family was also making arrangements for the night's underground auction.
Since the auction only allowed three representatives from each faction, the bodyguard team was divided into three groups.
Kurapika and Melody were tasked with surveillance and alertness, while bodyguards Baise, Ivlenkov, and Shachmono were responsible for bidding. Meanwhile, Squala, Dalzollene
, Linssen, and Basho handled security.
Having seen the divination, Light Nostrade, aware of the great danger at the auction, explicitly forbade Neon from attending.
Despite the known risks, why send bodyguards to bid? Isn't it the bodyguards' role to act as scapegoats in perilous times? Besides, it's just a regular job assignment, not a true death mission.
"At the underground auction, no matter the cost, you must secure these items!" Dalzollene commanded. "Tissues used by actor Matsuri Machi, with DNA certification! The Mummy of Princess Corco! And the Kurta Clan's eyes, also known as the Scarlet Eyes! Just these three!"
After Dalzollene finished, Melody instinctively glanced at Kurapika beside her. She could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.
While the bodyguards were organized this way, on the employer's side, Neon, upon learning she couldn't attend the auction, threw a tantrum, crying and causing a scene, even leaving two big lumps on Dalzollene's head. But after crying and exhausting herself, she fell asleep on the bed.
The Nostrade maids calmly tidied the room, accustomed to such occurrences. As Neon cried, Kurapika, on guard outside the room, gazed into the distance.