Four corpses lay on the floor of the room, the scent of blood hanging thick in the air.
Law wore a gentle smile as he amiably watched Clover, waiting for his response.
Clover's eyes trembled slightly, his face covered in fine beads of sweat, his back already damp without him even realizing it.
After a moment of hesitation, he ventured with a sliver of hope, "What if I refuse?"
"Hmm."
Hearing Clover's words, Law let out a thoughtful hum. He picked up his teacup and drained the tea laced with zombie powder in one go… a deliberate gesture that invisibly tightened the psychological pressure on Clover.
After finishing the tea, he slowly set the cup down.
Law looked at Clover and smiled, "I have countless ways to kill you. I'll let you choose one yourself."
Clover shuddered slightly but forced himself to remain composed, "Kill me, and you'll be labeled a Class-A murderer. The highest-priority manhunt will be after you."
"You don't have to worry about that."
Law raised his hand and conjured his book. Right in front of Clover, he took out a heart and held it in his palm.
"Your heart is in my hands. Even if you're thousands of miles away, with just a single thought from me, you'll experience the most excruciating pain in the world. If I apply even a little more force, I can crush this heart and kill you instantly."
"Lies, hostility, tension…"
"I can sense all of it through this heart."
"So, don't lie to me. Don't direct hostility toward me."
Law could feel Clover's heart beating faster, betraying the man's inability to calm his emotions.
"Don't be nervous. Like I said earlier, there's still a chance for us to cooperate. It's up to you whether you want to take it."
With that, Law sealed the heart back into the book. The so-called lie detection and hostility sensing were lies.
Law was bluffing, but he was confident Clover would believe it.
To sell the deception, Law willed a sharp pain into Clover's heart, intense enough to hurt but not enough to make him scream.
Clover let out a muffled groan, his face growing even paler.
The piercing pain came suddenly and faded just as quickly.
When he looked up, he saw Law's smiling face… like a grim reaper waiting to take his life.
"Even if I agree, I won't be able to escape the people above." Clover said weakly, lowering his head.
"Mr. Clover, when I said I have countless ways to kill you, that doesn't just apply to you. It includes that high-ranking cabinet official, Moreen, as well." Law said calmly.
"You know nothing about Moreen," Clover snapped, his head jerking up.
The intense reaction didn't faze Law in the slightest.
"Isn't that why I have you?" Law chuckled, "The first thing after establishing our partnership is for you to tell me everything you know. So, will you cooperate with me, or… die?"
Clover opened his mouth, never having felt so tormented before.
Law wasn't in a hurry. Resting his chin on his hand, he quietly observed Clover.
Two people sitting at the same table, yet their reactions and emotions couldn't have been more different.
After a long silence, Clover gritted his teeth and said, "You have to guarantee my safety! And when this is over, you'll give me my freedom back!"
"OK."
Law agreed without hesitation.
'You should be glad it's me you're dealing with, Mr. Clover.'
'Otherwise, do you really think you'd have the right to make demands?'
From then on, Law extracted all the information Clover had about Moreen.
A high-ranking official with significant power, though not overwhelming, could easily crush Clover, who had influence in both the underworld and legitimate circles. This was the root of Clover's helplessness.
Law was certain he had no prior conflict with this Moreen. Therefore, the reason she was targeting him was likely due to remnants of the Seirin Group.
Since the other party had already bared her fangs, Law's response was simple: pull those fangs out and eliminate any potential threat.
However, recklessly assassinating a senior cabinet official would inevitably cause turmoil among the top echelons of the Begerossé Union. The consequences were unpredictable.
Regardless, Law was no Netero… he wouldn't let himself be restrained by the Hunter Association. Whether it was a cabinet official or even the Prime Minister, if they posed a threat, his only course of action was to eradicate them.
After thoroughly subduing Clover, Law sent a message to Salin, who had already boarded the airship, telling her not to seek any other collaborators.
Then, he headed to the Ancient Tree Museum.
During yesterday's attack, some of the museum's artifacts had been damaged, and the largest tree had been smashed open by the Phantom Troupe.
Fortunately, the foundation remained intact, and it just needed repairs.
Law entered the museum with a clear goal: to absorb the Nen-infused antiques first. Even after going through them, his overall data average still hadn't broken 75%. Progress was painstakingly slow.
"Sonata of Darkness."
Law climbed the stairs to the top floor. Through the glass case, he gazed at the Sonata of Darkness, tendrils of black Aura swirling around it, drifting faintly in the air.
Not all Nen absorption from antiques was equal. For example, absorbing a hundred ordinary antiques might only yield a 1% increase. But something like the Sonata of Darkness, just one piece could give him 1% to 3%.
Luo reached out and took out the Sonata of Darkness from the display case.
The moment he touched it, the White Smoke Font appeared as usual.
"Absorb." Law silently commanded.
The black Nen surged violently into his palm.
At the same time, countless fragmented memories crashed into his mind. Before he could even process them, the scenery changed in the blink of an eye.
'Where is this?'
Law found himself standing on a stage devoid of any electrical equipment. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass ceiling, casting a rainbow of colors onto the stage.
Nearby stood a black piano. The audience seats below were completely filled.
When Law looked out, he could only see rows of people with blurred faces. No sound reached his ears.
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps suddenly echoed, jarringly clear in the silent world.
Law turned toward the sound. A man in a black tailcoat stood there, his face as indistinct as the audience's… shrouded in a thick haze.
The man sat at the piano, resting his hands lightly on the keys without moving.
The audience below began applauding, yet Law heard nothing.
Just then, the man pressed the keys, and a sound as cold as steel beads scattering across ice suddenly rang out.
With that first motion, the music surged forth unceasingly, strands of melody rising from the interplay of black and white keys, like a bottomless force, spreading from slow to swift, flooding the entire concert hall.
"Hmm?"
Law clearly saw that the hands of the man playing the piano had silently turned into bare bones. Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the audience… each guest listening to the music dissolved into puffs of white smoke, leaving behind skeletons draped in clothing.
In Law's ears, there was only the sound of the piano, while the frenzied turmoil below the stage played out like a silent film.
Flesh melted, white smoke swirled.
Yet the crowd, now reduced to skeletons, did not die. They panicked, rushing toward the exit, while the pianist, his arms now stripped to the bone, continued to strike the keys with flawless precision.
Even though the man's face was shrouded in thick mist, Law could still see it… sheer, unbridled madness!