In contrast, Elder Veyron, who remains safely within Meteor City, might benefit from its newfound notoriety, attracting mafias and dangerous organizations, and gaining profit through them.
When faced with profit, especially as the ruler of Meteor City's upper echelon… even if Chrollo hadn't already learned much about the outside world, he knew enough to understand that Elder Veyron couldn't be fully trusted.
Perhaps in the future, when there were no conflicts of interest between the two sides, Elder Veyron might be willing to help them.
But if it even touched a tiny sliver of his own interests, or if he could exchange Luke and Chrollo for a good profit, Elder Veyron would most likely sell them out without hesitation.
But that was no longer their concern.
Now that the deal with Elder Veyron had been completed, the members of the Phantom Troupe began enjoying their own personal time.
Everyone was ready to embark on their own journey.
This also perfectly confirmed the meaning of their group's name.
But…
"I was still hoping we could keep acting together and become the world's greatest villains."
Seeing the others preparing to leave, Uvogin muttered a little reluctantly.
"When we've each experienced more of this world and accumulated enough material and background..."
Shalnark found a backpack and put it on his shoulder while grinning at Uvogin: "When that time comes, we'll come back and film our work together."
"I believe that by then, Uvogin, you will be a well-deserved superstar."
"Hahaha, really?"
Hearing this, Uvogin burst into laughter: "Then I'll be looking forward to it!!"
His laughter was so unbridled and unrestrained that the old beams of the abandoned building trembled, sending dust drifting down onto the floor, onto the very ground their departing footsteps would tread.
Feitan and Phinks teamed up, preparing to explore other dungeons in this world.
Machi asked Uvogin and Nobunaga to take her with them to the Heavens Arena.
That suited Uvogin just fine; his fists had been itching lately, and the bodyguards they fought this time were far too weak to be satisfying.
So, he readily agreed.
Chrollo planned to travel with Shalnark to learn more about the true nature of this world.
Pakunoda, as always, quietly followed without complaint.
As for Franklin…
"I'm planning to go back to Meteor City."
This elder brother, truly caring about the team, said, "I remember there are some promising folks there."
"Let's see if we can recruit them all as new members."
His dedication and loyalty to the team earned the others' genuine respect… at least for about three seconds, after which they all went back to minding their own business.
They respected Franklin's choice, but wouldn't let anyone else's choices sway their own.
Each one of them understood independence deeply.
And so, the rest departed separately, leaving Luke alone once more.
The rest of the group had no interest in Luke's next destination.
So he plans to head alone to the exam site, preparing to participate in the newest round of the hunter exam.
"When I've learned more about this world..."
Before leaving, Shalnark promised him: "I'll definitely come to see the hunter exam myself!!"
After all, obtaining a hunter's license was certainly worth it.
The privilege of entering 90% of countries and 75% of restricted zones around the world was enough to tempt any adventurer.
"I believe that."
Luke smiled and waved, bidding farewell to his companions one after another.
"But I won't wait for you this time."
"I'll go to the Hunter Exam site first and scout the way."
And so, Luke set out on his journey toward the Hunter Exam, an event deeply tied to the entire Hunter × Hunter storyline!
The hunter exam was an annual qualification test organized by the Hunter Association.
Through multiple stages of assessment, it selects elite individuals with strong willpower, insight, and practical skills...
Those who pass receive a hunter's license and choose from a variety of career paths.
The exam has been held annually on January 7th since 1713, and later registration was required through the official website.
The first task for successful applicants is to locate the actual venue.
Applicants must rely on the little information they obtain along the way to find the venue, which is also a test for the applicants.
To reduce the number of applicants, the Hunter Association has set various traps along the way.
The venue changes each year and is located in a difficult-to-find location.
Without the help of a guide, it is difficult for applicants to reach the venue.
Therefore, the normal process is for applicants to find a guide first, who will verify their abilities, before they can reach the venue.
Currently, Luke's most familiar guide is the fox family that lives beneath the Lone Pine Trees at the top of a mountain in Dolle Harbor.
After successfully registering, Luke immediately began his journey.
[Are you going to take the Hunter Exam? I never thought you'd end up on this path...]
In the network world, Ickshonpe rapidly flipped through the papers in his hands while marveling: [So, in the end, every adventurer's final destination is just that hunter license?]
"Can't help it..."
Luke's virtual projection sighed softly.
"Who gave the hunter's license so many privileges?"
"When I went to the Daragas Forest Wildlife Park before, the security guard at the gate stopped me."
"If it hadn't been for someone with a hunter's license taking me in, I might not have even gotten the chance to meet Ging Freecss."
[Hearing it like that...]
The words quickly appeared on the cardboard in Ickshonpe's hand: [It sounds like it's better not to get that license.]
[Stay away from Ging Freecss and cherish your life!!]
Those last few words clearly came straight from his heart.
[If you really want to go to those places...]
Ickshonpe continued typing: [I can lend you my hunter license.]
[Anyway, I'm in this world, so that kind of thing is useless to me.]
Well, for someone who lived entirely in this network world, a hunter's license was indeed meaningless.
"Forget it..."
Luke waved his hand. "Your hunter license is bound to you."
"Your license is bound to you as its registered user, and some places require identity verification; it would be inconvenient."
Luke smiled. "Besides, I don't like using someone else's things. It's an easy way to invite unnecessary trouble."
[Trouble? Are you still afraid of trouble?]
The text in Ickshonpe's cardboard betrayed his disbelief: [You have already taken care of Risnorth, and you're still afraid of trouble?]
[Although that guy certainly deserves to die.]
The network world offers access to the latest news.
So Luke wasn't at all surprised that Ickshonpe knew about the things they had done.
Besides, Luke had already asked him for some detailed information about Risnorth before.
And the fact that Luke came from Meteor City wasn't exactly a secret.
Putting all these pieces together, even the dumbest professional hunter would more or less be able to figure out the connection between the two, right?
Moreover, Ickshonpe wasn't one of those narrow-minded, self-righteous types who clung to fake justice.
He felt no emotional turbulence over Risnorth's death.
In fact, after learning the truth, he didn't think Luke had done anything wrong.
After all, that man had been the one in the wrong to begin with, and...
Ickshonpe had used the power of the internet to dig deeper into Risnorth's hidden secrets.
What he found, things that had not yet been made public, was even more disgusting.
It made him despise Risnorth even more.
He even somewhat approved of Luke's approach.
[People like you who simply seek revenge and avenge injustice are considered good.]
Ickshonpe suddenly shook his head. [Some even more outrageous individuals are still stirring up trouble.]
"Oh?"
Luke raised an eyebrow, interested. "Are there other experts?"
[That's the NGL Autonomous Region I mentioned earlier, the one that was recently established.]
Ickshonpe's graffiti face seemed to smack its lips.
[The noise and fuss they have been making lately has been quite impressive.]
[Especially their leader, that guy named Gyro... ]
Gyro is the founder and king of the NGL Autonomous Region. He established the country under the guise of environmental protection.
However, he secretly exploited a lack of information to produce D2, a globally popular drug, in the NGL.
On the surface, the NGL is a nation that deeply respects nature. They strictly prohibited visitors from bringing in any man-made items from civilization, such as metal, petroleum-based, or glass products.
Even eyeglasses, clothing, belts, shoes, and underwear that contained plastic, chemical fibers, or metal had to be replaced with natural-material alternatives, conveniently sold on the second floor of their embassy's retail shop.
In addition, anyone who had nails, dental implants, gold or silver fillings, or silicone implants that couldn't be removed on-site was forbidden from entering.
Anyone deliberately bringing modern tools into the country could even face capital punishment.
Visitors had to undergo strict inspections, including removing internal metal implants, and were monitored throughout by guides.
On the surface, all this was for nature, but in truth, the nation that seemed to maintain a primitive lifestyle was secretly used by Gyro as a base for drug production, stockpiling weapons, and manufacturing d2.
He was the mastermind behind it all.
Gyro had grown up in the slums, deprived of love.
Even his own father never cared for him, not even about whether he lived or died.
Realizing that he was unloved, Gyro's mind twisted; he began to believe he wasn't even seen as human.
Later, when the Chimera Ant Queen invaded the NGL Autonomous Region, Gyro was eaten.
However, his malevolent will allowed him to retain his past memories.
He later left the Queen and went to Meteor City to carry out his evil plans.
You could say Gyro's life was a tragedy.
He was born in a workers' barrack and suffered abuse from his father since childhood.
Yet, for a time, he still hoped for his father's love; he cherished a memory of his father caring for him when he had a fever.
It made him believe his father hadn't abandoned him.
But later, during an argument, someone told him that his memory was false. At that time, his father had actually been drinking, ignoring him, and it was someone else who cared for him.
The real reason his father hadn't abandoned him was that he was useful for making money.
After learning the truth, Gyro's last hope for affection was completely shattered, leaving only fury.
He killed his father with his own hands and left.
From then on, he harbored an intense hatred for humankind.
Nine years later, he founded the NGL Autonomous Region.
[All those weapons he stockpiled, all the D2 he sold, those were all part of his revenge against society and humanity itself.]
Ickshonpe sighed.
[It feels like all sorts of monsters are popping up now.]
"Since you know he's selling these drugs and arms..."
Luke casually asked: "Then the higher-ups should know too, right?"
"Aren't they trying to stop it?"
Ickshonpe's graffiti face instantly showed a surprised expression, as if to say, How could you even ask that?
[Of course not. The higher-ups all have their own share of profits from Gyro's arms and drug trade.]
Ickshonpe flipped through the cardboard rapidly: [Otherwise, how could Gyro have established the NGL Autonomous Region so quickly?]
[With his style and thinking, and the profitable business he controls...]
[If there really wasn't someone behind him, he would have been wiped out long ago.]
[Even if he were in such a desolate corner of the world, it would have been the same.]
[After all, those involved in the drug and arms business are all ruthless.]
[If anyone dared to come and steal their business, they would absolutely fight to the death.]
Yes, Ickshonpe's analysis is quite reasonable.
Ammunition and drugs are the darlings of some capitalists.
If anyone were to come and try to steal their business, they would have rushed over and completely divided it up.
Forget about a primitive country that values nature and lacks modern technology and civilization...
Even if they were truly primitive people living in ancient times, as long as they were competing with those capitalists for food, they would invent a time machine, travel through time and space, and hang those primitive people up and beat them up.
Let alone a country like the NGL Autonomous Region.
Whether it's the D2 or the processing machinery for munitions production, the sources of materials, the sales channels for goods, and so on...
Each of these aspects must have some connection to the outside world.
How could they not find Gyro...
Gyro had occupied the NGL Autonomous Region, running his business there for over a decade, yet everything had remained calm, safe, and without any apparent problems, until the Chimera Ants' rampage caused the entire nation to crumble from within.
That alone explained one thing…