"You have no idea what you're doing. You don't understand how dangerous that thing truly is."
Illumi clearly had no intention of backing down, attempting to use alarmist rhetoric to force Allen to abandon his stance. He knew that if it came to blows, he wouldn't stand a chance.
"No, you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm doing. Besides, calling your own sibling 'that thing' is a bit much, don't you think?"
As he spoke, Allen pulled a pre-prepared gift from his pocket, an Engineering pet, the Mechanical Squirrel.
It had to be said that while Azeroth's Engineering skills had a bit of a steampunk flavor, the technological sophistication was genuinely high. In just a few seconds, this little contraption, crafted from countless gears and a few pieces of Malachite, instantly hummed to life. It scurried across his arms and shoulders, occasionally performing cute little animations to please its master.
Without a moment's hesitation, Allen held the Mechanical Squirrel out to Alluka.
The child clearly wanted it but hesitated. After about five seconds, she summoned her courage and asked tentatively, "Is this for me?"
"Yes. It's yours now," Allen replied with a smiling nod.
"Thank you so much! Killua-nii, look! I got a present!" Alluka cheered, holding the squirrel high and showing it off with excitement.
Though Killua was finding it difficult to breathe under the crushing weight of the aura Allen was releasing, he managed to squeeze out a smile. "As long as you like it."
"I love it! It even runs in circles around me. What a clever little guy!"
Having received a new toy, Alluka, like most children, remained completely oblivious to the oppressive atmosphere. She began playing with the Mechanical Squirrel, appearing even more innocent than most children her age.
Watching the little one's joyful display, Allen looked up and addressed Illumi meaningfully. "Your sibling doesn't seem quite as dangerous or terrifying as you imagined, do they? As the saying goes: 'When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.' When dealing with an innocent child, the best approach is to communicate and connect with them in kind, rather than speculating on their potential threats from the most malicious perspective. You've made a cognitive error, nothing more."
"Well said!" Killua's eyes shone with gratitude.
These were the exact words he had always wanted to say to his parents, his grandfather, and his brothers. Unfortunately, he had been too young, and for a long time, the Nen needle had suppressed his memories, causing him to forget Alluka entirely. Now, no matter what, he would never allow anyone to lock Alluka back in that sunless basement, where she was forced to spend her days alone with nothing but dolls for company.
"This is the worst-case scenario. It seems you're well-aware of Alluka's ability, and you've harbored designs on it as well, haven't you?"
Illumi was no fool; he immediately sensed something was off about Allen's attitude. The Mechanical Squirrel, in particular, was clearly something prepared specifically for Alluka.
Allen nodded without reservation. "Correct. I have a wish that must be fulfilled through her ability. Killua and I made an agreement regarding this long ago, so you needn't worry yourself. If you would, could you please turn around and leave? I'd rather not personally beat to death a teammate I fought alongside so recently."
"Likewise. I have no desire to make an enemy of a monster like you. But this involves the safety of the entire Zoldyck family. I have no room to retreat," Illumi stated, making his own stance clear.
"In other words, if I prove that Killua won't bring a fatal threat to the Zoldyck family by wishing to heal Gon, you'll drop this, right?" Allen proposed a hypothetical.
"Yes," Illumi replied without hesitation.
"Excellent. Then... Killua, I want you to fulfill one of my wishes right now," Allen demanded, calling in his favor.
Perhaps Illumi naively believed that anyone making a wish to Alluka had to follow a strict series of rules, and that the more difficult the wish, the more horrific the ensuing consequence. But Allen knew all that was merely surface level; in reality, Killua could directly command Alluka to grant any wish without having to pay the so-called "price."
"Now?" Killua's eyes flickered with a hint of mischief.
"Yes, now. Stop with the little games, or Illumi won't give up easily. Unless, of course, you want me to get rid of him for you," Allen said, blunt and to the point.
"Alright. Tell me what you want."
Realizing his usual tricks to fool the family had been seen through, Killua shrugged. Though he still couldn't fathom how Allen knew about the wish-granting ability or his special relationship with Alluka, he knew that if he didn't prove something immediately, Illumi was likely going to be killed.
"Remember the place where you and Gon did your special training? My wish is for it to become as perfect as it is in my memory."
Allen stated his wish openly: to complete the missing game content of his WoW-based Nen system.
After all, being stuck in a state where he could only run dungeons and couldn't even complete the Hunter epic quest was a major handicap. Specifically, regarding his primary weapon, he hadn't been able to find a suitable replacement for the Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers.
He had tried crossbows and firearms, but the results were subpar; they simply didn't feel as natural as a bow. Crossbows were cumbersome to reload and string, making high-frequency rapid fire impossible, especially while moving. Firearms had similar issues, plus the deafening noise they produced made it impossible to fully utilize the stealthy, long-range assassin advantages of a Night Elf Hunter.
"I see. So that's why you made that deal with me. No problem. Nanika! Grant his wish!"
Killua issued a clear command to his sibling. In less than a second, Alluka's face turned deathly pale, her eyes became empty black voids, and she responded in an unnervingly low voice: "Ai."
The moment those words were spoken, the entity stepped toward Allen and reached out to touch him gently.
The next second...
BOOM!
Allen felt as if his entire brain had exploded. Infinite streams of information and unknown mystical energy began to echo throughout his body. The previously incomplete game content began to mend itself.
It might have been seconds, or it might have been minutes...
When he finally regained his senses, he was astonished to find that the Ancient Leaf and the Head of Onyxia in his bag now showed that the quests were available to be accepted.
Not only that, the Auction House system was officially online, and he could even browse through a dizzying array of listed items.