The panel retracted...
[59... 58... 57...]
Receiving the reminder, Roy knew his remaining time was short. He waved his hand, signaling Ribery Garcia to take the still-unconscious youths away.
These pitiful youths from Bandle City, treated as "playthings" by Edmond, certainly wouldn't be returning there. Fortunately, during his years on the run, Ribery Garcia had made a few friends and had ways to settle them. Roy left the arrangements to him. He raised his eyes, taking one last deep look in the direction of Bandle City before his consciousness withdrew. As the game counted down to zero, his figure gradually faded, vanishing into thin air from the Uzuki Forest.
When he opened his eyes again, he had left [The Game of the Dead] and the Dark Continent. Using a tentacle extended from the [Demon Eye] to gently push himself, he exited the airlock and returned to the familiar Hunter world.
Regrettably, Roy hadn't been able to detect a single figure in the massive pupil of the [Demon Eye], nor had he heard any sounds. It was as if the whispers he heard upon entering and the figure resembling his grandfather Zigg were nothing but illusions. Yet, Roy knew clearly that they were all real!
*Bang.* The airlock door closed heavily.
Yellow chrysanthemums bloomed by the door, their refreshing fragrance wafting over.
Roy stood silently facing the closed door for a moment. He then crouched down, plucked a petal, and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, he savored the astringency and bitterness sliding down his throat.
The young man gradually regained a sense of reality from returning to the "real world." He straightened his back, took a deep breath, turned, and strode out of the corridor, leaving the basement.
"Four hours, fifty-three minutes, and twenty-seven seconds. Master, the young master has broken his own record again."
At the entrance of the corridor, the heavy iron door slowly pulled open. Scarface and One-Eye respectfully watched Roy leave the basement and disappear from sight before reporting Roy's exact [Game Duration] to Silva.
*Beep—*
The phone hung up.
With his beautiful silver hair cascading down to his waist, Silva had managed the rare feat of coaxing Killua to sleep and feeding Kikyo after dinner. He came to the training room alone to stretch his body. Upon hearing the report, he replied flatly, "I know."
With a wave of his hand, he threw a sudden straight punch at the sandbag. A soft *pfft* echoed out.
The man's fist pierced straight through the sandbag, causing the unconstrained sand to spill all over the floor with a *whoosh*.
"You were looking for me?" Silva said without turning his head, his back facing the training room door.
*Creak.* The slightly ajar door was pushed open from the outside, revealing the young man's true appearance. He also had beautiful silver hair draped over his back, shining even brighter than Silva's under the moonlight. He leaned against the doorframe, quietly looking at Silva without saying a word.
Silence filled the training room. Occasionally, a lost bird would chirp, seemingly searching for its flock or calling out for its mother, flapping its wings and dropping a downy feather.
Silva raised an eyebrow, retracted his fist, and turned around. He looked at the young man calmly and said, "Or rather, are you ready?"
As the man spoke, he took a step forward with his right foot. The Nen aura around his body surged, ready to burst forth.
Even without using [En], Roy could intuitively feel it—it was the brief calm before the storm!
The young man's gaze met Silva's halfway. He didn't answer, but abruptly uttered a name: "Edmond Sand, do you know him?"
Silva paused slightly. "Of course."
*It really was you...* Roy narrowed his eyes. "Father, have you committed evil in the game?"
"Didn't you read the guide I gave you?"
"I did, but it's incomplete."
Silva nodded noncommittally, took a deep look at Roy, and smiled. "So?"
"Are you questioning me?"
*Boom!* [Ren] erupted!
A tyrannical, domineering, and unrivaled Nen aura crashed toward Roy like a stormy sea. In an instant, the young man felt as if he were adrift in an ocean of pure force, tossing and turning, as if a single wave could capsize his tiny boat!
"Hmm?"
With his white hair swaying, Zeno was strolling with his hands behind his back in the garden adjacent to the old castle. At that moment, his footsteps halted, and he looked sharply toward the training room. The words "A Kill A Day, Active For Life" printed on his chest fluttered and snapped in the wind.
Separated by a single wall, in the westernmost bedroom on the first floor of the castle, a certain foolish little brother was grooming himself in front of the mirror. The mirror reflected a beautiful head of silver hair—a fresh wig he had just bought from a shop at the foot of the mountain. He was carefully styling it when suddenly, his hand trembled. Ignoring the messed-up strands, he vanished from the bedroom in a flash, leaving only the door to slam against the wall with a *bang* as the wind caught it.
"Stubborn son, resentful father, what a pair of bitter enemies... Hehe, Betty, we have a show to watch..."
The wind rustled the curtains. In a dim little room, an old, teasing chuckle drifted out. It was unclear whether he was amused by the TV show playing, titled *My Resentful Father*, or if something else had caught his attention. Amidst a swirling mist, a certain shriveled little old man was suddenly slapped, causing him to settle down slightly in his rocking chair.
Inside the training room, it had already transformed into an ocean of Nen!
As time passed, the vibrating windows began to show spiderweb-like cracks with sharp *cracks*.
Silva quietly looked at Roy.
Roy quietly looked at Silva.
Father and son faced each other silently across the doorway, an invisible thunderbolt crackling between them!
"I just want an answer." Roy's feet seemed rooted to the ground, allowing the [Ren] to blow his beautiful silver hair wildly behind him. His face was taut, but his expression remained unchanged. "Father, you only need to answer, yes... or no."
"Hehehe..." Silva's mouth curled up into a slanted smile, and he let out a suppressed laugh.
He crossed his thick, muscular arms—bulging like earth dragons—over his chest, slightly raised his chin, and looked down at Roy from above. "Want to know the answer?"
"Defeat me first!"
*Boom!* The moment the word fell, the [Ren] intensified like a hurricane!
Visibly, the floor began to crack starting from Silva, spreading toward Roy with lightning speed, threatening to swallow him and drag him into hell!
"Okay." Roy took a deep look at Silva, ignoring the fissures. Just as they were about to reach his feet, the young man's body emitted a faint glow. In an instant, he used [Light Transformation], merging into the moonlight and drifting toward his bedroom, vanishing from the training room in the blink of an eye.
*Whoosh.* The [Ren] was retracted.
Noticing this scene, Silva narrowed his eyes slightly. In that split second, he actually felt a hazy illusion of being unable to grasp a physical entity. He took another deep look as Roy flew away with the moonlight, letting his arms drop naturally and slipping his hands into his pockets. Standing amidst the wreckage, he fell into silent, wordless contemplation.
"This kid is really becoming harder and harder to see through." At this moment, a hunched figure emerged from the shadows. Zeno had left the garden, re-entered the castle, and arrived right on his heels. Standing beside Silva, he looked in the direction Roy had left and asked, "Why didn't you tell him?"
His white hair swaying in the wind, Zeno glanced sideways at Silva. "What are you worried about this time?"
Silva remained silent. After a long while, he looked out the window at Kukuroo Mountain, now heavy with evening dew, and felt the cool mountain breeze. "I don't know. Maybe... I'm afraid..."
"Afraid?!" Zeno's eyes widened in astonishment, looking at Silva as if he had seen a ghost. "Did you commit evil in the game?"
"No."
"Then what are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of that," Silva narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid that the people we know... are committing evil!"
"It's just a game, what does it matter?"
"Father, do you even believe those words yourself?"
Zeno: "..."
He was rendered speechless.
Ignoring him, Silva gazed deeply through the night toward the basement. He said solemnly, "I don't know what happened to Grandfather back then, but I know a game couldn't possibly be made this realistic."
"So?" Zeno stroked his silvery-white beard, shooting him a sideways glance. "How do you explain coming back from the dead?"
"The fact that Father was immediately kicked out of the game after using up the revival coin Grandfather gave him is the explanation," Silva said calmly. "Besides, resurrection is possible in reality too."
Zeno fell silent.
After a moment, Silva left Zeno behind and walked toward the door. "You can't hide from this. Sooner or later... you'll have to answer him."
"That will depend on his skills!" Silva's eyes flashed as he grinned silently. "Regardless, I won't lose!"
"Is that so?" Zeno chuckled low, executing [Dark Step] to stride away, instantly blending into the shadows.
*Dong.* At nine o'clock in the evening, the grandfather clock chimed the hour.
Having left the training room, Roy stepped out of the moonlight and landed lightly in the mottled corridor of the old castle, which was thick with the aura of time. The first thing he saw was Illumi leaning against the wall, his entire face buried in the shadows.
"I thought you two would fight." The young man crossed his arms, staring straight at Roy with his hollow eyes. "If you get hurt, I can take care of you, while Gotoh is still sleeping."
"No need." Roy stuffed his hands into his pockets and casually opened Gotoh's panel to take a look.
A red glint flashed in the depths of Roy's eyes. He then inconspicuously activated [Eye of Truth] to take a brief look at Illumi.
In terms of pure "stats," he had already been surpassed by Gotoh.
Roy reached out, grabbed his foolish little brother's head, and rubbed it vigorously before letting go. "You need to work hard."
He then brushed past the young man's shoulder and walked toward his own bedroom.
*Step, step...* Footsteps echoed in this quiet, slightly restless night.
Illumi reached up to touch his forehead, trying to retain the lingering warmth. After a long moment, he realized something and called out to Roy's back, "What do you mean?"
"Are you blaming me for not being able to help you defeat Father?"
Roy paused his steps, let out a scoffing laugh, and waved his hand behind him without turning around. As he walked, he rounded the corner and disappeared into the darkness.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Wait until you can beat Gotoh first."
Illumi: "..."
He froze, as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world. He stood rooted to the spot, stiffening as if he had been subjected to Medusa's gaze, instantly petrified.
*Step... step...* The footsteps drifted further away, growing fainter. Roy walked slowly, pretending not to notice his annoying brother's awkward state. When he reached his bedroom door, he saw two pink pigtails swaying in the wind behind someone's head. It was Tsubone.
Roy gave her a slight nod. He then took off his slightly tight training uniform, leaving only his shorts, and sat down at the dining table.
"Young Master, I've already ordered someone to make new clothes. They will be delivered first thing tomorrow morning." The old butler rolled the dining cart in with a *clatter*. She lifted the cloche, serving Roy his dinner on the table while speaking. She skillfully took over Gotoh's position, serving him flawlessly and attentively, her competence undiminished by age.
"Got it." Roy cut a piece of steak, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed it with a *crunch*. "Tell me, is there any news these past few days?"
"There actually is." Tsubone's burly physique was no less imposing than Silva's. She pushed up the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, pulled a small notebook from her pocket, and reported, "I reviewed the intelligence Gotoh organized, along with some updates Hall sent over these past few days, and compiled a brief summary. There are two items related to you, Young Master, that might require your attention."
"Speak."
"Yes."
Tsubone opened the notebook and said respectfully, "First is that guy named Hisoka Morow. According to the spies Hall planted in Meteor City, someone has already spotted him appearing there. His direction..."
The old butler carefully glanced at Roy. "It seems... he's heading straight for the district where you are, Young Master."
"Is he already there?" Roy remained expressionless as he took a sip of milk to wash down the steak. He immediately shared the news with [Taiyi] through the "Soul Corridor."
Meteor City, Pale Church.
The young priest held a scripture book, his back turned to the courtyard where Kastro was meticulously practicing his punches, deepening his Flame Breathing. At a certain moment, he spoke in a slow, drawn-out voice, "Kastro, step back to my side."
With a *crack*, the white-haired youth, who could casually conjure a wisp of flame with his Tiger Bite Fist, paused slightly.
Before he could make a move, he looked sharply toward the end of the street.
A man with slicked-back crimson hair slowly walked into his line of sight.
+50