In the past few days, the brigade had completed their initial run-in.
At the very least, no one was breaking off with anyone anymore, and occasional casual conversation had become possible.
Even Machi's tattoos had been completed before Chrollo formally asked for them. After some deliberation, Rimo finally decided to get his tattoo on his back.
Now the original bruised-and-swollen duo, Uvogin and Nobunaga, had grown into the Four Heavenly Kings of bruised-and-swollen faces, joined by Feitan and Franklin.
Feitan had initially joined because, seeing Uvogin and Nobunaga practicing tirelessly every day, he could not be outdone. Uvogin, in turn, had pulled Franklin—who had been innocently observing—to join in the training.
At first, Feitan and Franklin were clearly no match for Uvogin and Nobunaga, being beaten repeatedly.
However, Uvogin and the others were not secretive. After quietly asking Rimo if he could teach them the advanced cultivation methods and application skills, they began to absorb them. Like the cat and the tiger, what Rimo taught one, he taught all.
Rimo, who had been rescued by this new arrangement, repeated the instructions patiently. Naturally, everyone knew these skills came from Rimo; Uvogin and Nobunaga could not have discovered such advanced Nen techniques themselves.
Fortunately, Franklin is a Transmuter. If he had been a Manipulator, Rimo would not have known how to train him in other Nen methods. In the original book, only Enhancer, Conjurer, and Transmuter were referenced—nothing systematic existed for other traits.
Thus, Chrollo and Pike Nuotan had to figure out their respective Nen systems on their own.
By the time Rimo observed the four of them enjoying themselves on the court, he decided to join in. Of course, in a four-on-one situation, Rimo's Unlimited Spell easily had them at his mercy.
Feitan, flustered, even muttered in his native dialect.
After satisfying his amusement, Rimo went upstairs, a contented smile on his face, leaving the low-pressure foursome sprawled on the ground. Feitan, who had initially wanted to challenge Rimo, had abandoned the idea entirely.
"This monster… impossible to beat," he thought, resigned.
Meanwhile, Machi and Pike Nuotan were getting along far better than Rimo had expected.
Initially, Rimo assumed it would be difficult to bond with Machi due to her indifferent personality and the fact that their choices differed internally. But unexpectedly, the two of them could chat effortlessly, leaving Rimo marveling at the magical connections that seemed to exist between girls.
In his previous life, even professional analysis could not have predicted such a result, and he did not expect it would appear in the Hunter world.
The two women had recognized a kinship at first sight—not based on gender or species, but shared experience and upbringing. Although both considered Meteor Street their home, it had never been free of scum.
Pike Nuotan had been gifted with extraordinary intuition from childhood. Before meeting Chrollo, her life had mirrored Machi's: a constant struggle against falsehood, greed, and the evils of human nature.
This was precisely why Pike Nuotan's Nen ability, Exploration of Memory, was so vital. Nen, after all, is the power of the heart—a mental manifestation of one's psyche. Like Machi, Pike could probe the depths of memory, effortlessly detecting lies and hidden intentions, which allowed her to survive in the treacherous streets.
Given their parallel experiences, it was natural that the two would quickly bond. Rimo, unaware of this, simply regarded it as a magical emotional exchange between girls.
That day, Rimo lounged in a reclining chair in the yard, watching Uvogin and the others squabble while eating Menglong.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
"Yo, Captain, you're back. Did you get the permit?" Rimo glanced up casually and waved when he saw Chrollo.
Chrollo did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked over and settled into a reclining chair next to Rimo.
"Not yet. There was a small incident."
"Oh? What happened? Did the elders regret it? That can't be right—I invested so much earlier. How could they regret it now?"
"No, not regret. The First Elder wants to personally confirm our aptitude and whether we truly possess the required abilities."
Chrollo paused, then continued. "According to the Elder, we must ensure that we at least have the ability to avoid detection. As long as we aren't caught, failure is acceptable."
"Is that so? Then what will you do?" Rimo adjusted his position, lying back comfortably.
"I haven't done much. I told them to verify the deputy head's abilities themselves tomorrow," Chrollo said, smiling gently.
Gah—!
Rimo narrowed his eyes. Thick eyebrows, big eyes… Chrollo, are you throwing me under the bus after all this?
Are you sending me to the elders to deal with their inspections? Smell the garbage again?
"No way. Who said the most powerful person in the Troupe is you?" Chrollo said innocently.
You actually make sense… what nonsense! Rimo thought. At the start, it was clearly Chrollo who had obtained the pass.
"Please, deputy head." Without waiting for Rimo's reply, Chrollo produced a book from nowhere and began reading.
Seeing Chrollo's mock-serious expression, Rimo could only concede. You asked for this yourself, idol…
But even so, witnessing the rookie Uvogin, Rimo realized how dangerous the outside world could be. Just the weird Nen alone was a challenge, not to mention disasters or Nen with causal law applications like Alluka. God knows whether that could even kill him.
For now, Rimo could only rely on his super-strong self-healing and bursting vitality.
No, he couldn't be overconfident. He needed to stay alert. Hopefully, the elders would test their strength tomorrow and provide some useful feedback.