For Uvogin, it was already annoying enough that a group of outsiders had barged into his territory and looted things from it.
What made him feel even worse was that he hadn't managed to keep a single one of them behind; every last one had gotten away.
And then, just when he was feeling extremely unhappy, a silly child approached them and naively asked him if he was hungry…
Uvogin was practically laughing with rage.
"Hungry, of course I'm hungry, how could I not be..."
He raised his head, glaring at the foolish boy fiercely, the corners of his mouth slowly stretching into a grin: "I really want to eat you right now!"
"Is that so..."
Luke wasn't scared at all by his intimidating words; he just nodded.
"If you're hungry, follow me."
He turned around first. "I have food here to replenish your energy."
Huh?!
Hearing this, Uvogin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, glancing a few more times at the silly boy's back.
He had lived in Meteor City for thirteen years, and this was the first time he'd ever heard of someone willing to share their food with others.
A person like that was either a naive fool or someone with ulterior motives.
And naive fools could never survive in Meteor City.
Especially one he had never really seen before, suddenly popping up and asking if he was hungry…
If that was the case…
Uvogin's eyes gradually grew more vicious.
"What? Didn't you say you were hungry?"
Noticing no movement behind him, Luke turned around and caught sight of Uvogin, his eyes filled with hostility.
"I know what you're thinking, but I have no ill intentions."
Luke said calmly and directly: "If you feel unsafe or afraid, then you don't have to come."
"It's up to you."
With that, he ignored the reactions of the two figures behind him and headed towards his home.
"..."
Uvogin stared in the direction Luke had left, his fingers twitching unconsciously.
And suddenly, a tattered wooden stick rose before him.
"Although I find his invitation puzzling, I don't feel any danger..."
At this moment, Uvogin's face displayed a calm and composed expression, completely different from his rugged figure.
"What do you think, Machi?"
He glanced at his companion, who had been through thick and thin with him.
If Uvogin were truly just a reckless, foolish fellow who only cared about fighting, he would have died countless times.
"..."
The little dusty face of the girl, dirtied from their earlier chase, calmly shook her head and lowered the wooden stick in her hand.
Though smeared with dirt, her delicate features still faintly showed the outline of a beauty-to-be.
"I see, so you don't sense any problem either?"
Uvogin's frown finally relaxed, and a smile spread across his face.
"Your sixth sense is more accurate than mine."
"Then let's see what that foolish boy is up to!!"
"He's not really planning on treating us to food, is he?!"
He patted his butt, stood up, and swaggered towards where Luke had left.
Machi remained silent while following closely behind Uvogin.
…
Running into Uvogin and Machi so soon was something Luke hadn't expected.
But although surprising, it wasn't incomprehensible.
With Uvogin's boisterous personality, he was easy to find.
And compared to the other old folks and unfamiliar residents of Meteor City, he was relatively easy to deal with.
While still in Meteor City, Uvogin faced Chrollo, Shalnark, and Franklin, who came to steal in his territory.
Back then, when Chrollo led Shalnark and Franklin to raid Uvogin's turf, Uvogin's first response had been to threaten, then fight.
And when trying to stop them from escaping, what he threw was also one of Machi's broken wooden sticks, not something sharper or more dangerous, like a piece of broken iron.
He even engaged Franklin in a truly manly one-on-one battle.
It wasn't until later, when Chrollo and his buddies put on their grand little cartoon play for the kids of Meteor City, that Uvogin developed a deep admiration for him, and the two began to become friends.
In other words, at this point, Uvogin was just a thirteen-year-old boy who could still communicate normally.
Of course, if the two really did have other intentions… Though Luke might look weak, he was a genuine Nen user; his power wasn't just for show...
"Are you both here?"
At his doorway, Luke glanced back to see Uvogin, arms crossed and head held high, with Machi standing at his side.
"Come in."
Without waiting for Uvogin to reply, Luke casually opened the door and walked in first.
Seeing this, Uvogin raised his eyebrows and remained silent for two seconds.
"Fine, I'll go in, what's the big deal?"
He scoffed, then strode towards the door.
Now that they'd come this far, leaving would only make them a laughingstock.
Uvogin definitely didn't want to hear someone mocking him next time, saying: "You walked all the way to his front door but didn't even dare step inside."
Besides, Machi's sixth sense was always right; he had no doubt about it.
"What the hell?!"
Upon entering, Uvogin immediately surveyed the interior of the house.
Finding it completely bare, practically empty, and impoverished, he couldn't help but grumble: "Machi has more stuff than you do!"
"..."
Little Machi, standing nearby, glanced at the idiot Uvogin but ignored him.
Instead, she looked at Luke, the boy who had brought them here for an unknown purpose.
Although she trusted her sixth sense, that didn't mean she would completely let her guard down.