Well, if he wanted to receive a request through the chat room, then his physical strength and aura had to keep pace as well.
Both hardware and software had to be upgraded.
With this decision in mind, Luke also said goodbye to Elena and Eta.
If he needs anything, he can still come to this chat room and chat with them anytime. "In the future, if you have any new ideas or thoughts..."
At this moment, List approached Luke's side. "We can communicate and exchange ideas more often!"
He smiled gracefully, with a hint of anticipation on his face.
"No problem."
Luke agreed immediately.
Well, if it were only literal communication and discussion, that would be fine.
Anything deeper than that, he'd probably delete him from friends.
"Okay, it's a deal!"
List looked delighted, and Dwun marveled at his expression.
"It seems you think highly of Luke!"
Dwun grinned. "Back then, Ging brought in a guy named Botobai, wanting to recommend him to us. For someone that strong, you were calm as ever, but now you're this excited about Luke..."
"That's different."
List shook his head and glanced at Dwun, not wanting to explain the difference between brute and people like them.
It was like comparing someone too dumb to even handle basic fractions with someone who struggled through calculus, completely different categories.
There's no way to communicate.
No matter how strong Botobai was, no matter how skilled he was as a professional hunter, in List's eyes, it wasn't anything special.
Even if he was rising in fame now, a truly excellent professional hunter known across the world… and besides, Botobai never actually joined their circle.
Most likely because of Ging Freecss himself.
Botobai not joining didn't feel like any real loss to List.
In fact, to put it bluntly, compared to Botobai, it was Pariston Hill, who had always wanted to join but was constantly refused by Ging, who suited List's tastes in intellect more.
Yes, in manner of dress, demeanor, and expressions, the two were very similar.
Perhaps only their personalities differed…
"Botobai joined before, too?"
Luke's heart stirred.
He hadn't forgotten, from the start, that Ging told him it was a circle of excellent professional hunters.
And Botobai, the future representative of the Dragon in Zodiac, is one of the closest in reputation and strength to Chairman Netero himself.
It made perfect sense that Ging would value him.
But while Ging valued Botobai, the latter didn't necessarily like Ging.
As one of the straightforward Zodiacs, Botobai didn't resonate well with Ging's antics.
"He joined, but he left within a day."
Dwun shrugged. "Who knows what annoying thing that bastard Ging did again"?
"I feel like most of the people who left our group were influenced by that bastard Ging!"
Hmm, that's a pretty fair assessment.
As for the next one, the overly eager Pariston, who wanted to join… they hadn't had much interaction with him.
It was Ging Freecss who had dealt with him more.
Which was probably why Ging flat-out refused him.
Speaking of which, Pariston was pretty intriguing to them, too.
A guy who could be rejected by that bastard Ging Freecss must, in some ways, be quite remarkable.
"It seems Ging Freecss has had private contact with several well-known professional hunters."
Luke also made some deductions.
The number of people who could become professional hunters was extremely small.
During the Chairman Election Arc, more than a decade later, across the vast and populous six continents, the entire Hunter Association had just over six hundred professional hunters.
Even though there were plenty of freelancing types out in the world, most were like that dog tamer, Squala, who joined the Nostrade Family after Kurapika, someone who only knew how to issue simple orders to his dogs to make them work.
Their application of Nen was crude.
Or like those from Heavens Arena who were baptized by force, having their aura nodes violently opened.
Among them, there might have been geniuses who, relying on their own understanding and effort, managed to cultivate considerable strength.
But even then, without essential training and knowledge, the strength they forged was only a distorted power.
A classic example of this is Kastro.
And not only in the outside world, but even within the Hunter Association itself, there were plenty of very mediocre professional hunters.
Like those rated at only five points in strength by Hisoka, or Beast Hunter, like Pokkle.
Those who truly deserve the word professional are only a few dozen.
And then, among these few dozen, if we make a simple distinction, those who can truly make a name for themselves in this world, those professional hunters who are truly capable, memorable, and well-known, are truly few and far between.
Luke alone knew of quite a few.
Like Kite, the Zoldyck brothers', Tsezguerra team, Morel and his disciple, Knov and his disciple, the Zodiacs…
"I finally understand now…"
A hint of realization flashed in his eyes. "At first, I thought there were a lot of professional hunters who never appeared or were never introduced, but looking at it now..."
"The really strong professional hunters in this world all had their chance to appear, one way or another."
"Even someone like Ickshonpe, an outstanding hunter in a completely different world, still appeared in the Election arc."
"Even if their screen time was short, just a few panels, they still left a deep impression on people."
Ickshonpe, Sanbica, Cutie Beauty, Teradein, Linne Horsdoeuvre… One by one, professional hunters who, when faced with the election, either got involved in the games or refused with disinterest.
But through all this, Togashi quietly introduced the true core strength of the association and its excellent hunters.
"So those people... Ging Freecss definitely crossed paths with them, one way or another."
"But with that guy's personality and way of doing things, he probably wasn't too popular in professional hunter circles…"
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to gather his own circle of excellent hunters.
"If there's a chance in the future..."
Luke whispered to himself: "I'd like to meet those excellent professional hunters, too."
Just like Ginta and Mizaistom Nana, he had met before.
If they hit it off, they could become friends, like with Ginta.
If not, at least a friendly acquaintance, like with Mizaistom Nana.
And people like Ging Freecss, who could provide mutual benefits as partners, that was even better.
This world is vast.
Once the chat room is online, and if his conditions could be smoothed out by his inventions, there would be even greater adventures waiting for him!
Luke was looking forward to this fantastical and magnificent world.
Back then, Ging Freecss carried the same anticipation when he resolutely left Whale Island and became a professional hunter.
After that, he spent twenty-two years traveling through every corner of this world.
At thirty-four, he was already preparing to journey to the Dark Continent.
By then, Ging Freecss had already reached the highest point of the six continents, the top of the World Tree sapling.
For him, the only thing that could reignite his burning passion for adventure, the only place left worth exploring, was the Dark Continent.
In other words…
"Ging Freecss took twenty-two years, perhaps even less, to thoroughly explore the six continents."
"With all these inventions in hand, I can't say for sure that I'll need less time than him…"
After all, Ging Freecss's talent was truly monstrous.
Luke was quite self-aware.
In terms of talent alone, he certainly couldn't match Ging Freecss. However, some of his inventions could bridge this gap.
"Even so, if I truly want to explore all six continents, it would take at least a decade."
"But fortunately..."
Luke stretched his young, energetic body.
"The last thing I lack right now is time!!"
There were still exactly thirteen years until the main storyline began.
Plenty of time for him to begin his own adventure!
"But as I said, if I want to explore this land with my own two feet..."
"I'll need the strength and confidence to survive here."
Luke murmured quietly.
Once he solved the conditions for his Nen ability, the next step would be figuring out how to raise his strength.
"As for Greed Island... With Biscuit's combat experience in hand, that place is optional now…"
Luke analyzed himself: "Whether in training or in battle experience, I've already combined things quite well."
"The only thing I lack is aura capacity, which isn't as deep as those of the veteran professional hunters."
After all, it had been less than three years since he arrived in this world.
For him to have cultivated himself to this level already, compared to those truly formidable individuals, was no small feat.
"If there's a chance, I could strengthen the Power Booster."
"If I can fix and improve some of its flaws, that would be even better."
"Speaking of improvements, there are inventions with this function…"
Luke's mind flickered, and a brilliant idea struck him.
Moreover, this might even become the perfect opportunity for the chat room to emerge.
After chatting briefly again with Dwun and List, Luke sent off the still reluctant Dwun and the somewhat unwilling List.
Then he immediately left the chat room and found Ickshonpe, who was working on programming code.
[What are you doing?!]
An unhappy message appeared on Ickshonpe's cardboard: [Can you please stop interrupting others while they're working? It's easy to disrupt their train of thought!!]
"I've got a new idea."
Luke casually said: "About how to promote the chat room."
Ickshonpe: "..."
[Tell me about it.]
He decisively switched the cardboard.
Well, if it's inspiration, then it's fine.
"Look, we can make up a little story, and then..."
Luke briefly explained his idea.
Ickshonpe listened carefully without missing a word, and then the doodled eyes on his face rolled slightly.
[Sounds like it might have great potential.]
He had also learned some internet slang from Luke.
Well, people in the network world are definitely the fastest to absorb new things like internet slang.
[But there's a problem.]
[How can we get those people to see your story?]
[If we can get them to see the story, can't we just connect them directly to the chat room?]
"That's when we use your network ability."
Luke smiled as he looked at Ickshonpe before him. "It's just like the invitation code I got from Ging Freecss before you."
"After clicking it, won't they be able to enter this world?"
[That's different.]
Ickshonpe shook his head as he presented the cardboard text.
[That requires mutual consent before it can be fulfilled.]
[Even if I send it, the other party has the right to decline...]
"Then find a way to convince them not to decline. Just agree no matter what."
Luke said matter-of-factly.
Ickshonpe: [...???]
Black question marks began to appear on his graffiti face, and he stared at Luke in confusion.
"The power of the internet isn't just widespread dissemination and real-time capabilities."
Luke chuckled. "It also has a rather shrewd nature!"
…
The six continents in 1986 remained the same as usual.
Day after day, year after year.
Calm places stayed calm, chaotic places remained chaotic.
Just like yesterday, nothing seemed any different.
But this afternoon, just before the end of the workday…
"Is it finally time to end today's shift?!"
Inside the office in the Hunter Association, a beautiful girl in a pink striped dress gazed at the clock on the wall and couldn't help but sigh.
Then she stretched her arms in a big yawn. Her small but full curves were stretched out completely.
But even while stretching, she didn't let go of the ancient textbook in her hand, nor the currently hottest brick phone on the market.
"Honestly, if only phones could have a few more functions…"
The lovely girl complained about a boring day: "Then I wouldn't have to waste a boring day here."
She stared eagerly at the clock, glancing now and then at the punch-in machine by the door.
When the punch-in machine finally beeped: [Pyon, good work today.]
Pyon felt that the happiest moment of her day was the end of her shift.
This future member of the Zodiac Twelve, codenamed Rabbit, a Paleograph Hunter, also a Linguist and Interpreter, and at the same time a phone-obsessed, cute girl, was now doing her usual daily complaining.
Even if she was dissatisfied with her phone, she still couldn't bear to put it down.
The talent of a first-generation internet addict was already showing.
But just as she was mumbling to herself…