Arin and Agris sat across from one another they did not directly went to their rooms but instead choose to go to a pub to drink a little bit
The sharp tang of citrus and juniper hung on the edge of Arin's tongue as he took a slow sip,
Agris leaned back in his chair, a small grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
He swirled the clear liquid in his glass before breaking the silence.
"I'll be honest with you, Arin. I knew you were strong. Hell, I expected it. But I didn't think you were that strong."
He chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"The way you held back until the right moment keeping your real hand hidden. You conceal your strength well."
Arin smiled and said
"Catching enemies unprepared is always the better option. When you let them think they've seen everything, that's when you strike hardest."
He took another sip, the ice clinking gently against the glass.
"Besides… no one needs to know the full extent of what I can do."
Agris nodded slowly, his smirk growing.
"Can't argue with that logic. It's a dangerous world for people like us."
He tilted his glass toward Arin in a small toast before downing half the cocktail in one go.
Arin returned the gesture,
Their spar had revealed plenty not just about Agris's technique, but about his mindset.
He was strong, cunning, but not reckless. Someone worth keeping as a friend of some sort.
After a brief pause, Agris leaned forward.
"I'll be reaching out to a contact tonight. He'll meet us here same table at twelve sharp. That okay with you?"
Arin set his glass down and nodded.
"That's fine. I'll be here."
"Good." Agris exhaled, glancing toward the bar before rising to his feet.
"I'll take a bit of time to rest and think things over. Big job coming up better not walk into it exhausted."
Arin nodded, leaning back casually in his chair.
"Rest well, then."
Agris gave a brief grin, tossed a few banknotes onto the table for his drink, and left.
Arin leaned back in his chair, fingers brushing lightly against the rim of his glass.
"The money and the experience I'll get from this mission are second in importance."
He closed his eyes for a brief second, savoring the silence that followed.
"The real prize… is the chance to kill Nen users."
A faint smile curved his lips as he ordered another cocktail, signaling the bartender with a subtle wave of his hand.
The man behind the counter, nodded and set to preparing it. Arin tapped his fingers softly against the table, calculating.
Black Cores.
The concept burned vividly in his mind.
Unlike White Cores, which drew their strength from ordinary life sacrifices,
Black Cores were rare.
They required a Nen user.
He could see it already.
A Black-Life Form smarter, sharper, and infinitely more dangerous than the White ones.
A conjured ally with the potential not just to follow orders, but to fight as though born for battle. One or two of those would change the entire shape of his plans.
His drink arrived, and he lifted it slowly, savoring the sharp bite of gin as it washed over him.
"The White Forms are useful,"
"But they are… basic. Tools. Against seasoned Nen users, their strength alone won't suffice."
He pictured the fight earlier the way Agris's vibration technique could have crushed a single White Form had it landed clean.
Numbers gave him power, yes.
But numbers alone weren't enough.
And this mission might just give me exactly that.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought of the Burnous Family, a mafia group whispered to have Nen users among their ranks.
Dangerous, yes. But perfect targets.
He could almost feel the weight of a Black Core in his palm already, its aura thrumming with the power of a conquered foe.
He took another drink, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.
If I play this right… every Nen user that falls to me will feed into the army I'm building. A hundred White-Life Forms for the backbone. A cadre of Black-Life Forms as generals. And me, the one who commands them all.
He allowed himself a small, self-satisfied chuckle.
It wasn't about the money, though that would come in plenty. It wasn't about the recognition, though he knew whispers of his power would spread.
And the only way to achieve that was through ruthless efficiency.
He drained the rest of his drink and set the glass down.