This was the first time since Kisho came to this world that he had observed it from such a close distance.
Being scolded for running too slowly, he was alternately carried by Uvogin, Feitan, and Nobunaga. When Uvogin carried him, he could sit on Uvogin's shoulder. The other two would only hold him down—either under an arm or slung over a shoulder—jostling him so badly that his internal organs felt displaced.
The group ran at an extremely fast speed, so fast that the scenery on both sides rapidly flowed backward—like what you see when riding a train.
After leaving that building, they first ran along the streets toward the outskirts. After running for an hour, what came into view were garbage piles as tall as mountains, and countless enormous things—like submarines—flying over. They opened their hatches, dumped vast amounts of trash, then flew away again.
Kisho stared in shock at those "submarines" flying in the sky.
"Never seen them before? Those are called airships."
Shalnark noticed Kisho's curious gaze and explained while running,
"We'll be riding one of these later."
Kisho nodded, anticipation rising.
Although "airships" were incredible—nothing was more incredible than having died properly and then being able to live again. Thinking that way, no matter what happened next, he could accept it.
The group seemed to defy the law of universal gravitation, running as if they were flying, jumping higher than buildings. In just ten minutes they crossed the hill-like garbage heaps and arrived at the outermost desert. Endless yellow sand surrounded the area they had just left, and the temperature rose as well.
Yet Kisho remained utterly absorbed.
Another hour passed. Sitting on Uvogin's shoulder, clutching his furry cape, leaning against the "giant's" shoulder, Kisho saw the city in the distance. Their running speed slowed.
As the time on the badges worn on their shoulders ran out and vanished, Shalnark spoke up,
"This badge is pretty useful."
Chrollo slightly turned his head to look at the three of them.
"Kortopi, Pakunoda, how does it feel?"
"Compared to before, after using it, our speed increased by about 10%, and we saved roughly 8% of our Nen,"
Pakunoda replied.
"I'm about 6%,"
Kortopi said.
"But I have more stamina left than before."
Chrollo nodded, then glanced at Kisho again—this kid really was a pretty good battery.
One badge could be used for ten minutes, and after use there was a twenty-minute restriction period, but the badge would only disappear a day after being made.
Therefore, counting the badges made yesterday, the two women and the two non-combat members of the group each received five. During the two-hour-and-ten-minute sprint, the effects of the badges had already begun to show.
And more importantly, that kid was still only a beginner Nen user.
After running for nearly another twenty minutes, just before entering the town, everyone stopped in a concealed corner.
"Pakunoda, Machi, Feitan, and Phinks are one group."
"Nobunaga, Uvogin, Kortopi are another."
"Kisho, Shalnark, and I are one group."
After making the arrangements, Chrollo looked at everyone.
"After reaching Golden Province of the Republic of Bartochia, gather at Binsge Town before entering the mountain range."
Everyone nodded to indicate they understood.
Pakunoda glanced worriedly at Kisho. It seemed she felt he not only had no combat ability but would also drag them down, and she hesitated.
"Boss…"
Chrollo smiled faintly and said nothing. After meeting his gaze, Pakunoda continued.
Calmly, she said,
"Then let's set off separately. As long as we arrive within a week."
Everyone dispersed.
...
Kisho walked behind Chrollo, with Shalnark bringing up the rear.
He examined this town—there wasn't much difference from the towns buried in his memories of his previous world, but because he was seeing the buildings and pedestrians with his own eyes, the colors felt more vivid.
Most of the townspeople had black hair. There were utility poles, trash bins, streetlights, and small cars roaring back and forth along the streets. Even the traffic lights were exactly the same as in his memories—this was truly astonishing. Clearly none of the written language or countries were the same, yet so many things were incredibly similar.
What kind of connection existed between this world and the previous one?
"Your gaze is interesting."
Chrollo said softly.
Kisho jolted.
"Ah?"
Chrollo asked quietly,
"What you're seeing surprises you—why? These are all ordinary things. Why do they surprise you?"
He paused, then continued,
"Or is it that you're seeing something only you can see?"
Kisho:
"..."
He rubbed his temples in distress, not knowing how to answer.
Was he supposed to say that he hadn't expected things he saw in his previous life to exist in this one as well?
Chrollo smiled and didn't press further.
The small town looked not very big, but only when walking it with one's feet did you realize that overestimating yourself was a mistake.
The two of them moved so fast that normal people couldn't possibly keep up. After being left behind for the eighth time, Kisho braced one hand against a wall, panting heavily.
The number of badges he could make today had already reached the maximum of ten. Without badges, even though he had Nen, physically he was no different from a normal child his age—personally, he felt that being able to keep up until now was already impressive.
Moreover, because someone responsible for preparing food had overslept, the group that was supposed to depart in the morning didn't gather until nearly ten o'clock. There was no breakfast, no lunch eaten on the road, and after reaching the town they spent another hour crossing it. Now it was nearly two in the afternoon.
Kisho felt like he really couldn't go on.
The two people in front noticed that the kid behind them had disappeared again:
"..."
"Shalnark, you go on first,"
Chrollo said.
Shalnark nodded.
"Okay."
Then his figure vanished around the street corner in the blink of an eye.
Chrollo stood with his hands in his pockets, watching indifferently as Kisho panted and caught up.
"Boss…"
Before Kisho could catch his breath, the cold and aloof leader turned around again, leaving him only a back view.
"Keep up."
Kisho:
"...Help!"
...
After barely running another twenty minutes, Kisho felt like he was about to faint. He propped his hands on his knees, panting, when suddenly a shadow fell over him.
"Boss…"
Kisho gasped.
"I really… can't… run… anymore…"
Chrollo stared at him silently for a long time, then asked with obvious disdain,
"Where is your Nen?"
Kisho:
"Ah?"
"Tch."
Chrollo truly couldn't understand how someone who possessed a treasure yet had no idea how to use it had managed to survive until now. He felt the student he had taken in was unbelievably stupid—he would have to teach him step by step.
"It looks like expecting you to figure it out on your own is impossible."
Chrollo raised a hand to cover his mouth, seeming to think. After a moment, he said,
"That day, how did you stand up?"
Kisho recalled and answered,
"I gathered my Nen into my legs."
Chrollo ordered,
"Do it again."
Kisho slowly adjusted his breathing and gathered his aura into his legs.
"Withdraw the Nen from the rest of your body."
It took Kisho some time to carefully remove the Enveloping aura from the rest of his body bit by bit.
Strangely, he felt the aura from other areas slowly flow toward his legs—like pinching a section of a balloon, the air inside didn't need active control and would automatically rush elsewhere.
Kisho calmed his mind and focused. Aura burst forth from within his body, surging and piling up in his legs. Enormous power condensed inside them. Kisho opened his eyes, a terrifying recoil force came from beneath his feet. He took a light step forward, and then—
With a loud bang, he appeared several meters away, slamming headfirst into a wall.
"Fuck! It hurts so bad—! Ugh—!"
Covering the huge bump on his forehead, Kisho reached up and felt a hand full of blood. He collapsed onto the ground, dizzy to the point where he couldn't stand up.
Chrollo:
"..."
He suddenly regretted putting Kisho on the candidate list.
...
After solving the first problem, there was the second problem.
With bandages stuck to his forehead, Kisho sat at a table slurping noodles—who would've thought this world also had big bowls of beef noodles? The beef didn't taste quite like the beef in his memories, but compared to expired canned food, it was ten thousand times better!
Chrollo sat across from him, watching expressionlessly.
After eating and drinking his fill, Kisho rubbed his stomach in satisfaction.
"Tch."
Chrollo stared at Kisho's eyes, squinting happily, and thought that this kid was really easy to satisfy—but people who were that easy to satisfy were, from a certain angle, hard to control, and also hard to derive a sense of accomplishment from after controlling them.
Chrollo asked,
"Enough? Want another bowl?"
Kisho:
"Ah, I'm full, I'm full. Thank you."
Chrollo stood up and placed two one-thousand-Jenny bills on the table.
"Then let's go."
Kisho responded with an "Oh" and followed him out.
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he seemed to hear someone shouting,
"Where did my Jenny go?! There's a thief!"
Kisho paused, then, driven by some inexplicable impulse, cautiously glanced at Chrollo again. But the latter's expression was so upright and proper that there wasn't the slightest hint of anything wrong.
That expression made Kisho start to doubt himself.
In his heart, Kisho thought,
"Impossible. I must be overthinking it."
And so, the big and small figures disappeared into the street once more.
This time, Kisho ran much faster, barely able to keep up with the figure ahead who was deliberately controlling his speed.
Ten minutes later, the two arrived at the airship terminal.
Kisho followed behind Chrollo, his eyes unable to take it all in.
More than a dozen enormous airships were parked in the plaza. Compared to them, human figures were so tiny they were almost invisible.
For some reason, Kisho suddenly felt excited.
This world… was truly amazing.