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Chapter 80: Leisure and... A Corpse
Ronin tossed a card to her. "Really don't want me to worry?"
"Brother, I was wrong," Neon folded instantly. "When Kurapika was contacting Milia, I secretly added her."
"Why?" Ronin looked at her suspiciously.
"I saw you guys knew each other, so I wanted to know her too," Neon spread her hands. A simple reason.
"Fine," Ronin said. "There's a hundred million Jenny in there. Should be enough."
"Thank you, Brother! You're the best!" Neon switched to a fawning face, looking nothing like the bratty heiress from the manga.
"Stop. I prefer you normal," Ronin felt goosebumps.
After spending months together, the girl had lost her gloominess and become lively. She was completely different from the character in the comics. She was sunny, confident, and her arrogance had been ground away by training.
Now, she really felt like a little sister.
Laughing and joking, they arrived at the Bidding Market.
While Southern Piece had the high-ticket items, the Phantom Troupe was likely lurking there today. Ronin didn't want to get involved yet, so checking out the street market vibes seemed better.
Vehicles stopped outside the district. The entire market area was pedestrian-only, teeming with tourists wandering among stalls laden with goods.
If you saw something you liked, you wrote a price on the bid sheet. If no one outbid you within the time limit, it was yours.
Market "treasure hunting" was a major feature of the Hunter world.
Although Ronin wasn't interested in most things, he used Gyo on his eyes to scan the wares. Finding a hidden treasure would be a nice mood booster.
Neon was excited at first, but her enthusiasm faded quickly. There wasn't much that caught her eye.
Ronin made a few bids but soon lost interest. He felt going to a comic convention or playing board games would be more fun.
"Let's go."
They agreed to grab lunch.
"Say," Neon looked at Ronin curiously while waiting for food. "What will you do after the Phantom Troupe business is over?"
"Become a Pro Hunter, become a Floor Master at Heaven's Arena, wait for the Battle Olympia, and win the championship," Ronin laid out his plan. "In my free time, I'll read manga, play games, go to fan events, and travel."
"Aside from the fighting, that sounds really laid back," Neon was surprised.
"Fighting is my new hobby," Ronin lifted his coffee. "It's like... wearing brocade at night. If you have something worth showing off, you have to show it off, or what's the point?"
"What?" Neon didn't get the idiom.
"I mean, if you're strong, you gotta flex," Ronin laughed. He felt he was just that superficial.
"What about you?" Ronin asked.
Neon looked out the window. "Me? I haven't decided. Maybe I'll become a Hunter like you and look for things I want to collect."
"That's good. If you're a Hunter, you even have targets to hunt," Ronin leaned back. "If I become a Hunter, what should I hunt?"
Images of Kite, Netero, and Meruem flashed through his mind.
Hunt the strong!
It seemed he had a warlike gene in his bones. Being hunted by the Troupe didn't scare him; it excited him.
The solo duel with Uvogin had released a hidden savagery within him. Stomping Uvogin's head into paste had felt purely cathartic.
When he met Hisoka, he didn't use ninjutsu not because he feared exposure, but because he enjoyed the thrill of melee combat.
When he met the Troupe downstairs, his main body on the roof had been itching to join in.
Even meeting Silva and Zeno... he had felt a spark of desire. To fight one of them with everything he had—how exhilarating that would be!
But the Troupe was a hassle, and he wasn't confident in victory, so he restrained himself.
As for the Dark Continent or the Five Great Calamities, Ronin had little interest. Compared to leaving Mobius Lake, he preferred the neon lights and the roar of the arena crowd.
The food arrived.
Ronin ate absentmindedly. Neon stayed quiet.
Toward the end of the meal, Ronin noticed a swarm of police cars speeding down the street.
He frowned. They were heading toward the Yadan Hotel. A bad premonition gripped his heart.
He took out his phone and dialed Kurapika.
Seeing his reaction, Neon put down her cutlery, worry in her eyes.
The call didn't connect.
Ronin stood up. In a flash, he was outside the restaurant. The phone was still dialing as he sprinted toward the hotel like the wind.
Mid-run, lightning crackled around him—Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
For a moment, Ronin became the Flash. He left only a streak of electricity in the street; ordinary people felt a sudden gust of wind but saw no one.
Before he reached the Yadan Hotel, he saw black smoke rising from the upper floors.
The phone still wouldn't connect. The smoke was coming from the penthouse suite.
Ronin's mind raced. He cast Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The clone sped toward the hotel even faster, while the main body quietly deactivated the lightning armor, slowed down, and applied a disguise before approaching.
Police cars crowded the entrance. Onlookers gathered, chattering about someone falling from the building.
Pushing through the crowd to the police tape, Ronin looked past the busy officers and saw a body covered by a white sheet.
His heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Ronin raised a hand, gathering aura, and made a sharp upward motion. The calm air suddenly whipped into a gale, lifting the white sheet to reveal the corpse beneath.
All illusions shattered. The body on the ground was someone Ronin knew well.
The person who called him "Ronin-aniki."
Kurapika!
But... how is this possible?!
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