"We figured that out a long time ago."
Phinks said while eating a piece of pork elbow.
"Feitan and I already learned how to play the world's little game back in our first year out."
He tore off a chunk of meat with his teeth while mumbling.
"No, it's not the same."
Shalnark shook his head vigorously. "The rules of your game are not the same as what I see."
"The higher levels of this world still operate under their own set of rules."
Shalnark saw it clearly.
What Feitan and Phinks understood was the law of the jungle on the dark side of this world, the essence of the survival of the fittest.
What Shalnark saw, however, was another set of rules being practiced beneath the surface of civilization.
"Of course, ultimately."
Shalnark's gaze grew firmer. "What we have to rely on is..."
"Our strength."
Chrollo, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, uttering those two words.
"That's right!"
Shalnark looked at Chrollo, who stared back.
The two of them laughed simultaneously.
Not only was Shalnark perceptive, but Chrollo also possessed a keen eye for the world.
"After this incident is over."
Shalnark said with resolve. "I'm going to travel around the world and take a good look!"
"Ah, there's nothing much to see out there."
Uvogin, gnawing on a large bone, overheard these words and mumbled.
"They're just a bunch of annoying garbage."
"Even if they're garbage, they need to be dealt with appropriately."
Chrollo laughed along: "I actually think the world right now might be quite interesting."
If you look at the world from a different perspective, then the insights you gain will inevitably be different!
They are no longer the Phantom Troupe, who knew only about killing and chaos.
Under Luke's influence, their minds were beginning to evolve, growing deeper and more reflective.
"After this incident, do we have any further actions, captain?"
Shalnark asked Luke seriously and formally.
"No."
Luke replied casually before taking a bite of dessert.
"After this, everyone acts freely."
He glanced at Machi, who was quietly but swiftly devouring her sweets beside him.
Machi's fondness for sweets was unmistakable.
It seemed many transmuters had a sweet tooth: Killua loved chocolate beans, Hisoka loved gum and candy, and Machi loved desserts.
"Also."
Luke offered a suggestion: "We're still short on members. If you have a suitable applicant, you can invite them."
"Then contact me. After testing them, I'll let them draw a suitable card."
"Of course, if you unfortunately die out there."
Luke was blunt: "The group's progress won't stop, and your numbers won't be sealed."
"When we meet suitable people in the future, they will inherit your numbers."
"You should be mentally prepared for that."
Hearing Luke speak so seriously for once, everyone nodded cooperatively.
"If you ask me, if I really die, forget the number, my entire inheritance can go to them..."
Then he grinned: "Though, I don't actually have any inheritance."
Uvogin cracked a dry joke, albeit one that wasn't particularly funny.
"If we're planning an operation, I'll contact you by phone."
Luke continued, ignoring the idiot at the side. "Unless there are special circumstances, all the members must attend group activities."
"And when I'm not calling for your participation, you can do whatever you want."
"Even if you blow up a country, I'll cover it."
Luke imitated Uvogin and cracked a dry joke: "You can also form your own groups. I won't hinder you in any way."
"As for the specific time I'll call for a group operation, well..."
Luke chuckled: "That depends entirely on my personal mood."
Other members: "..."
"So basically, you will call us to gather whenever you feel like it, with no pattern at all?"
Uvogin muttered under his breath: "Isn't that a bit too willful?"
You're the type who loves to mess around, and you have the nerve to call others willful...
Everyone glanced at this idiot who couldn't even keep his voice down.
Or rather, it was considered a whisper in Uvogin's eyes, but in reality, everyone could hear it clearly.
"That's fine."
Feitan and Phinks didn't care at all. "This is a good opportunity to have some fun.
They don't like being constrained or restricted.
The gathering rules set by Luke are just right for their free-spirited nature.
Shalnark and Chrollo were even more indifferent. They simply wanted to explore the world more and better understand it.
Pakunoda never had many of her own opinions.
She usually went with the flow when she followed Chrollo; now that she's following Luke, she doesn't mind it at all.
"Finding more companions…?"
Franklin fell into deep thought. He was the only one who immediately began seriously thinking about the Phantom Troupe's future and suitable recruits.
"There were some promising-looking guys in Meteor City before."
"I just don't know how good they are."
Franklin had already entered full-on responsible big-brother mode, dedicated to the Phantom Troupe's well-being.
He really did care. How touching.
"Great! Now, I have time to really hone my skills."
Uvogin said cheerfully while rotating his arm with excitement.
He even boasted excitedly to Machi beside him: "I'm planning to hone my right straight punch!"
"One day, my punch will be more powerful than an atomic bomb!!!"
He boasted so much that Nobunaga couldn't help but scratch his own ear.
He knew Uvogin wasn't just spouting nonsense; this guy genuinely believed he could train his punch to that level of power.
Still, hearing that made him feel unbearably itchy inside, itchy enough to want to draw his sword and slash him once, though thankfully, he restrained himself.
Instead, Nobunaga turned toward Machi, who was being pestered by Uvogin.
Nobunaga asked curiously: "What are you planning to do next, Machi?"
"Make money."
Those two concise words tumbled out of Machi's mouth.
"I think you mentioned before a place where you can both fight and make money, right?"
"Are you talking about the Heavens Arena?"
Nobunaga thought for a moment. "It's certainly quite nice."
"But I think, with your skills and abilities, just going there to fight would be a bit of a waste."
"Yes, I understand."
Machi nodded slightly. "So I'm not going on stage."
She thought of her master, Ms. Renko, who made a fortune collecting and sewing up corpses.
A gleam of brightness began to gleam in her eyes.
"Making money from the dead, or rather the wounded, is much safer than directly engaging in combat yourself."
Yeah, it's also much more comfortable.
Of course, earning this kind of money is impossible without professional expertise.
But it just so happens that Machi's Nen ability is perfectly suited for treating wounds, suturing, reattaching severed limbs, and other medical needs!!
"Since this is a battleground, injuries are inevitable."
"So the medical market there must be a vast blue ocean waiting to be tapped!!"
With these means and abilities, why wouldn't she be able to make a fortune in that Heavens Arena?!
Machi, imitating the strange yet fitting phrases she had heard from Luke, felt a surge of anticipation.
Well, it wasn't anticipation for the unknown world and future adventures.
It's a pure desire for money...
It seems many popular female characters in anime have a special affection for money.
Number 18 from Dragon Ball, Nami from One Piece, and so on, are all characters like this.
Uvogin switched the topic again. "What about you, captain? What are you planning next?"
Whoosh!!
This question instantly captured everyone's attention.
The gaze of everyone in the group was fixed on Luke.
"Me? I have my own plans, too."
Luke simply smiled.
Then he looked up, through the shattered window of the abandoned building, at the distant sky filled with stars and the bright moonlight.
"I should probably try to get a hunter's license, just for the convenience it brings."
"It just so happens that the next hunter exam is about to begin."
It was the end of 1986, and the next hunter exam was just around the corner!
...
Risnorth's incident took a shocking turn, stirring up a massive uproar across the entire world.
Although the energetic old man tried every possible means to calm and suppress this news, his political opponents would become his greatest obstacle.
The two sides were locked in a deeper struggle over this matter.
But it was clear that the old man's political opponents currently had the upper hand.
Under the prevailing trend, coupled with the influence of public opinion, the energetic old man was losing ground and was left in a state of panic.
Naturally, he had no time to focus on other matters.
He paid no attention to Anfrick's escapes or the media outlets that had first reported this news.
Even the culprit, lurking behind the scenes and orchestrating this elaborate circus, was equally ignored.
In fact, he believed that all of this was the work of his political enemies, a deliberate act targeting him.
Until that moment, a statement in Risnorth's office that had drawn considerable attention was published in a newspaper.
"That came from Meteor City's creed!!"
"We accept anything you leave here, but don't try to take anything from us!"
"So, Risnorth has provoked Meteor City, right?!"
Some quick-witted individuals immediately recalled Risnorth's secret room incident.
"Among the children suffering in his secret room were some of them captured from Meteor City?!"
"It's very possible! I remember Risnorth's Mom's Help Foundation expanding its business to cities surrounding Meteor City."
"Right! I heard about that too!! And later, several of his branch offices near Meteor City were attacked!!"
"Then there's no doubt! It must have been Meteor City who struck back at Risnorth!!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, they were so brutal! No wonder it's called an abandoned place."
"Sure enough, the people there aren't easy to deal with."
"And they're all very formidable and powerful. The chairman of such a large consortium... They kill him just like that…"
"But Risnorth deserved it!! After what he did to those children, this is just the retribution he earned himself!!"
As the slogan spread to the outside world, the existence of Meteor City officially came to everyone's attention.
This so-called abandoned place was not what everyone imagined or believed.
It seemed even more dangerous than some nations at war.
When people across the world began realizing this, it meant that Elder Veyron's main objective had been achieved.
He had successfully made the world aware of Meteor City's existence, yet no one could accuse them of any crime.
After all, the only clue was a single sentence on Risnorth's office wall, which could serve as a hint, but not as solid evidence.
At most, those suspected of coming from Meteor City could only be labeled as criminal suspects.
Meteor City itself had a population of ten million.
For any nation or city, that was no small number!
And as people recalled those statistics, they were startled to realize, somehow, over time, Meteor City had grown into a force that could no longer be ignored in this world.
And that was precisely the outcome Elder Veyron and the others wanted.
To reshape the world's perception of Meteor City, whether for better or worse, at least, Meteor City has now entered the global spotlight.
That alone was enough.
The goal was achieved: The revenge was completed, and the name of Meteor City is now known throughout the world.
For Elder Veyron, this was a bountiful victory.
He decisively withdrew from the stage, leaving the ongoing political struggle to that old man and his rivals.
As for Luke and Chrollo, no one paid them any attention.
"You did a great job!"
When Luke and Chrollo contacted Elder Veyron again, the latter's tone was clearly filled with joy and happiness.
"I will remember everything you have done."
Elder Veyron's tone was filled with satisfaction: "If you need anything in the future..."
"Meteor City will also be your most solid and reliable support."
"I promise you that."
Well, perhaps Elder Veyron meant those words sincerely, and perhaps he would actually do so.
But for Luke and Chrollo... it didn't really matter much.
"We understand."
They both nodded with a smile.
But when the call was disconnected...
Whoosh!
Their expressions quickly returned to indifference.
"Just a polite talk."
Luke shook his head.
"Words from people of Meteor City..."
Chrollo added with quiet meaning: "Can't be trusted entirely."
Even though Elder Veyron had offered them great help before, now Luke and the others had helped him in turn; they had given Meteor City a name that would echo across the world.
But from now on, what awaited them would be a completely different reality.
As a criminal, if exposed, they would likely face endless pursuit and condemnation.