So he never considered rushing out to immediately seek partnerships for the Battle of the Beasts.
That could wait until later, at the right opportunity, to meet the right person to maximize the benefits.
Luke had already planned for this in his mind.
So once they reached the city…
Squeak!
The vehicle tilted sharply forward as the RV made an abrupt stop.
A sudden slam of the brakes interrupted Luke's thoughts.
"Phinks!"
Uvogin roared: "I'm going to kill you!"
"It's not my fault..."
From the driver's seat, Phinks replied: "It seems we have reached the edge of the city. I can see its outline…"
"Then why did you stop?! Can't you just drive straight through?!"
"There seems to be a border inspection…"
"...?"
Bigchira City, as the closest city to Meteor City, was a garbage-truck transport hub.
Of course, there were border inspections to prevent dangerous individuals from Meteor City from causing chaos in the city.
Of course, the really dangerous ones, even if caught, weren't easy to handle…
So, when Phinks drove the RV to the inspection zone.
"Sir, this is my ID…"
Phinks, following Luke's instructions, rolled down the window and handed over his ID.
At the same time, to show his friendliness, he deliberately gave a kind smile.
The soldier in charge of the inspection zone: "…"
Seeing that eyebrowless face and terrifyingly fierce smile, he fell silent. However, the routine still needed to be done.
After receiving Phinks's ID, he pretentiously examined it and then perfunctorily asked a question: "You live in the Republic of Padokea, so what brings you here?"
"I'm a traveler, on a world tour, sir."
"Is there anyone else in the car?"
"No, it's just me."
"Well, it's okay, get in."
The soldier didn't bother to check if anyone else was inside the RV and simply let it go.
Joking aside, anyone driving through the deserts near the Meteor City could hardly be a decent person!
And don't you see how menacing this guy looks?!
He might actually be something terrifying.
And there might even be accomplices in the RV, perhaps even engaging in some shady business. If he really conducted a thorough investigation and uncovered any issues with this person…
It goes without saying that these guys would absolutely rise up in rebellion, and they would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the consequences.
For a measly monthly wage, why bother tangling with these clearly desperate men?!!
And even if he managed to survive, if things got out of hand, he wouldn't be praised by his superiors and might even be severely reprimanded.
Stability is best. There's no need to stir up trouble.
Otherwise, his wife and their child, less than six months old, might end up being taken over by someone else.
Just turn a blind eye.
These little people have long developed their own logic and ways of survival.
"Easier than I thought."
Inside the RV, Feitan discreetly watched the investigation process outside through the window while lost in thought.
"So, relying solely on fistfights won't completely solve the problem."
Luke smiled: "Sometimes, changing your thinking and approach might actually make things easier."
"This world operates according to its own unique rules."
Uvogin and Phinks, two men who only think with their fists and muscles, couldn't understand such words.
Or rather, even if they did understand, they wouldn't care and would continue to trust their fists.
Just like Nobunaga, he only trusted the sword in his hand.
Feitan was still a little smarter than them…
Whoosh!
The RV drove into the city.
The buildings and scenery on the city streets were all a novelty to Phinks.
If it weren't for Luke's warning, he would have already been looking around.
But he suppressed his curiosity and drove the car to a secluded corner.
Then everyone got out of the car, and Luke transformed the RV back into a universal capsule and put it away: "So what should we do next?!"
Uvogin was visibly eager. After arriving in such an unfamiliar new environment, everything seemed so new to him.
"Since we've entered the outside world, and we don't yet have enough strength to resist or handle the malice of this world, we must first follow the rules of this world. This is called laying low and biding our time."
Luke smiled.
Seeing Uvogin and Phinks staring at each other, he briefly explained: "You can think of this outside world as a game world."
"If you want to complete this game called the outside world, you must abide by its rules."
Yes, the previously popular Earth Online concept from his previous life fits perfectly here.
At least, Phinks and Feitan, the game enthusiasts, understood it immediately.
Those two guys, even when Chrollo was forced to leave because Kurapika had imposed restrictions on him, preventing him from using Nen or contacting Phantom Troupe members, Feitan and Phinks still went to the Southernpiece Auction and even managed to snatch a console of Greed Island from Battera to play.
And when the Phantom Troupe first appeared… Feitan, Nobunaga, and the others were walking in the desert outside of Yorknew City.
When the target of this underground auction was mentioned, Feitan, once again, was specifically interested in the game Greed Island.
Both of them were considered game addicts.
If you told them to follow the rules, they might not listen or obey.
But if they were here to play games, they were more than happy to give it a try.
"So, the most important thing about playing this game is the basic conditions for survival…"
Feitan and Phinks listened attentively while Uvogin was standing there, scratching his ear.
And Nobunaga… His brain temporarily resided with Luke.
"In this era's version of the game, the three main types are: status, money, and strength."
Luke held up three fingers: "Of these three, the most important is…"
"Strength!"
Feitan blurted out, his eyes narrowed.
"Once you have strength, the other two will naturally follow."
"Exactly!"
Luke cast an admiring glance at Feitan.
"This game is fundamentally about strength."
"The stronger we are, the more we can obtain: money, status, and so on."
"I happen to know a place where you can trade strength for these things, and also get some training…"
At this, Luke looked at the somewhat distracted Uvogin: "In that place, Uvogin, you can also beat people up without holding back."
"Hmm?!!"
Uvogin perked up immediately. "Is there such a good place?!!"
"Of course, and this place has something to do with us, too."
Luke smiled and flicked his ID card.
The citizen column read Republic of Padokea.
In the Republic of Padokea, there's a very famous place.
It's a must-see for any traveler to the world of Hunter x Hunter.
It's called… Heavens Arena.
It's a holy place and paradise for fighting fans everywhere.
It's also a great place to hone your skills and earn money.
The Heavens Arena has 251 floors, 991 meters high, making it the fourth-tallest building in the world.
The tower is filled with fighting arenas; up to the 200th floor, each ten floors is a level.
Only the winners can advance to higher floors.
Every year, more than a billion spectators from around the world watch, and over four thousand challengers register daily.
Even in a city like Bigchira, there are dedicated airships traveling to the Heavens Arena.
After casually asking about the flight schedules, Luke and the others bought four tickets for the nearest flight.
What? You ask… Where did they get the money for the flight tickets?
Since Risnorth, chairman of the Mom's Help foundation, has set his sights on the children in Meteor City,
He must have a dedicated organization in the area closest to Meteor City.
The Mom's Help Foundation sign was too conspicuous, and Risnorth's reputation as an outstanding philanthropist was too resounding.
Luke and the others easily found its location.
After all, even after his death, he was still being mourned on television ten years later.
This shows how influential he was and how resounding his reputation was.
This made it convenient for Luke and the others to find it.
Then, taking advantage of the dark and windy night, the group unleashed their true nature.
In fact, Luke didn't even need to intervene; Feitan and Phinks were enough.
"After all, we were thieves before!"
After his success, Feitan calmly tossed out a small cloth bag filled with Jenny's banknotes.
Before joining the brigade, he and Phinks were already a renowned motorcycle thief duo in Meteor City.
Now, they were simply reverting to their old ways.
"We scouted that guy's company in advance, collecting a little interest first."
Feitan and Phinks executed the plan perfectly, obtaining it almost silently.
Well, it must be said, they have quite the talent and instincts for being thieves.
So, after they had enough money, Luke took them to buy tickets for the Heavens Arena.
It was also their first time boarding an airship.
The Oblivion region, where Meteor City is located, is on the other side of the world, and the Heavens Arena is located at the northernmost point.
(T/N: Changing Oblivion Continent to Oblivion region.)
Using the airship alone, it would take about two days to travel from south to north.
But fortunately, this gave Uvogin and Phinks plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the current world.
At the very least, they need to know some basic common sense.
For example, the current world is composed of six continents.
The world's highest governing body is called V5, and the Hunter Association, where the most popular professional hunters work, is an organization under V5…
Basic common sense like this… Luke locked Uvogin and the others in the room to cram in their lessons.
There was also a television in the room, allowing them to better understand the outside world and the situation.
Despite Uvogin's muscular appearance, he was far from being simple-minded.
After being captured by Kurapika before, he had been able to estimate the current time based on his previous meals and hunger level.
At least, when the report about Risnorth, chairman of the Mom's Help foundation, appeared on TV.
"This guy is our first target, right?!"
Uvogin and the others immediately recognized him.
"He's our first-stage boss…"
Feitan muttered, memorizing the man's face.
He was the tall, seemingly benevolent figure of a middle-aged man, his face etched with the smile of an elite.
At first glance, he possessed the classic demeanor of a high-class person.
"One day, I'll crush his head."
Phinks's head bulged with veins, and a sinister grin appeared across his face.
This guy had already been designated their number one target.
With this encouragement, they studied even harder.
And so, after two days of intensive study with Luke, they had begun to grasp some basic common sense about the outside world.
Well, even Luke himself had gained a general understanding of the Hunter x Hunter world.
Previously, he had only known the tip of the iceberg through the information provided in the anime.
For example, knowing that the Heavens Arena was the fourth-tallest building in the world, and knowing nothing about the first, second, and third-tallest buildings.
Plants like the world tree weren't considered buildings.
Now, Luke had a general understanding of the world.
Under these circumstances, the group finally arrived at the martial arts sanctuary that fighters dreamed of, the Heavens Arena!
When Luke and the others disembarked from the airship, they were captivated by the massive fighting hall before them.
At this time, the Heavens Arena had not yet reached the level of a globally broadcast venue via the future internet.
In areas where the internet hadn't yet penetrated, the Heavens Arena wasn't as safe as one might imagine.
"There are so many interesting people…"
Uvogin swaggered ahead, glancing around excitedly.
Among the applicants from all over the world, there were quite a few dangerous ones, each resembling a ferocious, ruthless criminal.
Some criminals might be hiding here, using the Heavens Arena to avoid being captured, vent violent desires, or earn some extra money.
Uvogin, of course, was fearless, lifting his chin and walking through the crowd under their watchful eyes.
He didn't mind being noticed; that, on the contrary, would be exactly what he wanted!