"Luke, please..."
Chii… chii…
Before Phinks could finish his words, he felt someone tug at his clothes.
Phinks: "Huh?!"
He instinctively lowered his head and saw Feitan tugging at his tattered clothes, giving him a look.
"What's wrong?!"
He looked in the direction Feitan's gaze indicated.
Then he saw Uvogin, his arms folded across his chest, feigning indifference, but his ears perked up.
That clearly shows him eavesdropping, right?!
Eavesdropping?!
Phinks was startled at first, then realized what was happening.
Right, he and Feitan both found it strange and amazing to see Luke take out such food.
But Uvogin and Machi obviously had already been in contact with Luke beforehand.
They must have known long ago that Luke wielded such power.
Phinks, judging by his own experience, felt that he, too, yearned for such power.
There was no reason why Uvogin wouldn't care?!
'Anyone faced with such a miraculous power would be tempted and want to obtain it!'
'But when Uvogin and I fought before, he didn't display any of this power at all, and I even beat him up quite a bit.'
'So, Uvogin knows this power exists, but hasn't been able to master it!'
'And judging by Uvogin's current behavior, it's not that he knows but can't learn it; it's clearly that he doesn't know how to master it!'
'Luke even offered us two new acquaintances, the condition that we could obtain this power just by begging.'
'There's no reason Uvogin and Machi shouldn't enjoy the same treatment as us.'
'So, it must be that idiot Uvogin, either because he's too proud or too embarrassed to beg Luke for it, that he hasn't yet mastered this power!'
Phinks, with his mind instantly comprehending all this information, a look of sudden realization dawned on him.
He looked at Uvogin with a hint of strangeness and... Sarcasm.
Pride? Too embarrassed to lose face?!
Are these things really that valuable in Meteor City?!
The only thing that matters is learning from them and strengthening one's own strength!
Uvogin, that idiot, couldn't even grasp that.
He had Luke, a treasure that could unlock such power, right beside him, yet he refused to open it for such a ridiculous reason.
It was truly hilarious!
And that fool Uvogin couldn't even see that much.
And Machi too. Forget Uvogin being a dumb brute who didn't grasp the importance of things, but she actually went along with him as well.
No wonder these two were able to get along.
Phinks muttered to himself.
Regarding this matter, Phinks and Uvogin clearly had different attitudes and approaches.
Given the setting of Meteor City, as well as the two characters' differing physical qualities and living conditions, it's difficult to say who's right and who's wrong.
However, this aspect does reveal their distinct personalities and approaches.
This was also why, in the original timeline, after the founding of the Phantom Troupe, Uvogin grew closer to Nobunaga and Machi while Feitan and Phinks were inseparable.
Furthermore, after Chrollo was captured by Kurapika, Feitan and Phinks chose a more rational, perhaps even cold-blooded, but ultimately most cost-effective, approach.
Compared to the emotional reactions of Nobunaga, Machi, and Pakunoda after Chrollo's abduction, these two appeared more rational.
Therefore, at this moment, Phinks, having realized what was happening, immediately changed his tone: "Luke, please take us to your home first!"
Phinks decisively changed his tone: "Since you've treated us to so many delicious meals, we have an obligation to get you home safely!"
At these words, Machi's eyes twitched slightly, and Uvogin almost stumbled.
"Sending someone home..."
"Do you think everyone here is a three-year-old?!"
"It's obvious you don't want to ask Luke about this power in front of me, or let me overhear you?!"
"Sending someone home… What a lame excuse!"
"Will you take me home?"
A slightly quizzical expression crossed Luke's face. "My house is shabby and small enough, and probably can't accommodate so many people."
"No problem, no problem!"
Phinks waved his hands repeatedly. "Our main goal is to get you home. And if we can't squeeze in once we get there, we can just find somewhere else to stay temporarily."
His expression was grim, yet sincere.
"Your safe return is the most important thing."
And afterward, in private, he would carefully question and request Luke about that power!
Phinks grinned. He couldn't let any of the other idiots overhear him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Uvogin, whose expression was utterly grim, and he almost snorted.
It's so satisfying to be able to humiliate Uvogin.
"Alright, then, you all can come along."
Luke agreed with a smile. Whether he was escorted home or not, he didn't care.
Relying on his aura, ordinary people from Meteor City couldn't get close to him.
But just now, Phinks mentioned, "Luke, please take us to your house first."
He said the word please, and it just so happened that he was thinking about how to improve his living environment.
Wasn't this ready-made request just what he needed?
Ignoring Uvogin's scowl and his silent curses, Luke returned to his quarters with Phinks and Feitan.
Of course, without question, Uvogin and Machi followed along as well.
"No, why are you two following us?!"
At the door of Luke's house, Phinks glared at Uvogin, who was following them like a little tail.
"With me and Feitan, it's more than enough to escort him."
"You two can go hang out somewhere else!"
If he wasn't worried about looking disrespectful, Phinks would have waved them away with a shooing gesture.
"Isn't it because I'm worried some people won't even know the way around and might end up in the garbage dump next?"
Uvogin retorted: "And maybe even harbor some malicious thoughts and shady intentions, plotting something."
"We're genuinely thinking of Luke's safety here!"
"Really?"
Phinks sneered. "I think it's you who is truly up to no good? You've even followed us right to his doorstep!"
"What, is this your house now? If trash like you can come here, why can't I?!"
"What did you say?!"
Seeing the two men's eyes blazing, about to clash again, Feitan and Machi, with experience, stepped between them.
They calmly separated them.
"Alright, stop arguing. Come in!"
Just then, Luke, who had entered the room first, called out from inside.
Uvogin and Phinks exchanged stern looks before entering one after another.
As soon as he entered, Phinks felt the place was indeed a bit cramped.
After all, Luke was right; his house wasn't big.
Like Nobita's upstairs room, it just barely had space for a super mini rice field.
With so many people inside, plus one shabby bed, it was definitely crowded.
But that wasn't the point.
After taking a quick look around, Phinks, along with everyone else, directed his gaze to Luke's hands, where a new item had appeared.
He, like everyone else, looked directly at the new object in Luke's hand.
"Are those... Building blocks?"
Uvogin asked bluntly.
"On the surface, it looks like a pile of building blocks..."
Luke picked up a piece from the box of blocks he had invented, weighing it in his hand.
"But these are newly expanded floor rooms."
He smiled, placing the building blocks, which resembled a house, on the ground.
"Floor room?"
Uvogin instinctively raised his head and glanced at the ceiling, which almost reached his head.
"Isn't this just a bungalow? It doesn't even have a second floor?"
"Don't worry, it will be there soon."
Luke removed the roof of the block house, then placed another piece resembling a middle floor on top.
Then he put the roof back on, making it look like a two-story house.
"Are you playing with building blocks to build a high-rise?"
Uvogin tilted his head. "It's just blocks. It's not like this is your hou—"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, he felt a tug on his clothes again.
"Huh?!"
Uvogin instantly knew it was Machi tugging at him, so he shut his mouth and quickly scanned the room.
And then…
"Where did these stairs come from?!"
Uvogin exclaimed in astonishment, staring at the staircase that hadn't been there before but now appeared out of nowhere in the corner of the room.
What surprised him even more was that it seemed to be more than just stairs. At the junction of the stairs, at the top, it seemed as if an extra floor had been added.
"How is this possible?!"
Unconvinced, Uvogin immediately stomped up the stairs.
And then…
"There really is one?!"
Reaching the second floor, he saw the extra floor with his own eyes, and the floor was much cleaner and tidier than the one below.
Uvogin felt as if something was wrong with his eyes and brain.
What he saw seemed completely at odds with the knowledge and understanding of this world stored in his mind.
The two simply didn't match.
"Is there really another floor?!"
Uvogin's cry was clearly heard by the people below.
Phinks smacked his lips, then quickly glanced at the blocks in Luke's hand.
There was no doubt that these changes were caused by the blocks in Luke's hand. He simply added a floor to the building blocks, and the corresponding house in the real world outside, in turn, gained a new floor.
This ability to effortlessly alter the real world…
Phinks' mouth felt dry, and he instinctively licked his lips.
His gaze towards Luke grew intensely fiery.
How could anyone not yearn for such power?!
After hearing Uvogin's cry, Machi and Feitan fell silent for a moment.
Then, simultaneously, they pushed open the door and stepped outside.
"There's no change on the outside..."
Looking from outside Luke's house, the house remained the same ordinary, run-down, one-story building.
The added floor hadn't changed the exterior at all.
But inside, a new floor had been added.
"Power strong enough to distort space itself?!"
In Feitan's narrow, fox-like eyes, a glint of light flashed.
This world... It was starting to get interesting!