Unbelievable!
Is this the extent of Nanika's near-infinite wish-granting power?
But where did the items in this Auction House come from?
Could it be the legendary "Army of Bots" of Blizzard? I love it!
Even though Allen had long anticipated that Nanika's power would be absurd, he never expected it to be this broken.
With the Auction House system online, it meant that items like the Eye of Sulfuras and the Bindings of the Windseeker were no longer just catalysts for summoning super elemental puppets. Instead, they were now the indispensable key components needed to craft the two legendary Orange weapons: Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros, and Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker.
Realizing this, his first instinct was to search for a Sulfuron Hammer.
He actually found one!
However, one look at the price tag, 15,000 gold, and then a look at his own pockets, just over 8,000...
Fine, he couldn't afford it for now. But as long as a purchasing channel existed, gathering the gold was merely a matter of time.
Furthermore, the significance of the Auction House extended far beyond legendaries. It offered all sorts of potions, gear, materials, and items, essentially satisfying the majority of his current needs.
As Allen became lost in browsing the dizzying variety of goods, Killua finally couldn't help but ask, "Well? Was your wish granted?"
"Ah! Yes, of course! We're even now."
Allen nodded quickly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. If there hadn't been outsiders present, he might have accepted the quest immediately to go finish the Hunter epic questline.
Illumi, having watched the entire scene from start to finish, finally showed a flicker of emotion on his otherwise expressionless face. "I finally understand. Killua. You can give direct commands to Nanika, without needing to fulfill three requests, and without paying any price."
"That's right! Are you still going to try and stop me, aniki?" Killua narrowed his eyes in challenge.
"No. There's no longer any need. Since you've proven you aren't a threat to the family's safety, I have no reason to risk my life making an enemy of a monster. But don't think this is over; I'll be coming for you again before long."
Without a moment's hesitation, Illumi turned and left. He knew staying was pointless; he certainly couldn't manipulate Killua or seize control of Nanika right under Allen's nose.
Watching him vanish into the dark at high speed, Killua's tensed nerves finally relaxed. He complained in a low voice, "He's finally gone. I thought he'd keep pestering us forever."
"Illumi is an extremely rational person; he won't strike when the odds are stacked against him. However, I suggest you stay cautious. Having seen that Nanika obeys your commands 100%, he's definitely going to obsess over controlling you. He is a textbook Manipulator, after all, and their defining trait is a powerful urge for control," Allen warned kindly.
"I know. He won't get the chance. I've already mastered the power to fight back," Killua replied, a silver spark dancing on his fingertip, his tone resolute.
"I hope it doesn't come to fratricide. Since Illumi has abandoned his plan, I have no reason to stay either."
With that, Allen manifested the Red Dragon, preparing to head back. Just as he leaped onto her back and before they could take flight, Killua suddenly shouted, "Wait! There's still Hisoka! He went into the woods over there with Gotoh. I'm worried; could you go take a look?"
"Leave it to me!"
Before the words had even fully left his mouth, Vaelstrasz spread her wings, her massive form slowly ascending into the air.
Relying on the markers from his Hunting Map, Allen quickly located the two combatants a few kilometers away.
Gotoh held a stack of gold coins in each hand, flicking them with his thumbs at speeds exceeding bullets. He was like a human Phalanx CIWS. An ordinary person would have been riddled with holes in seconds by the terrifying rate of fire.
However, Hisoka not only easily intercepted the coins using Bungee Gum, but even managed to reflect them back several times, forcing Gotoh into a frantic defense. It was obvious that after the Chimera Ant mission, especially the fierce battle with the butterfly-man Pouf, Hisoka's Nen had been significantly bolstered. He wouldn't have been able to catch aura-enhanced coins so effortlessly before.
Just as the pervert was about to deliver a finishing blow, Allen dropped from the sky. With speed nearly invisible to the naked eye, he grabbed Hisoka's wrist. "That's enough. Illumi has given up on the plan."
"Oh my, oh my~ What a pleasant surprise. Interested in playing with me here?"
Hisoka's excitement was at a fever pitch, his entire body tensed in a state of eager anticipation.
"Sorry, you don't really interest me much right now," Allen declined with a smile.
"How disappointing. Well, for your sake, I'll call it a day. Butler-san over there, you just got your life back."
Hisoka gave his opponent a meaningful glance before turning to disappear into the night.
Gotoh bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily. He let out a frustrated roar: "Damn it! How is the gap so large?"
"Simple: actual combat. And I don't mean light sparring where people hold back. I mean life-and-death struggles where you wager your soul. You lack battlefield experience, which is why you were being played like a fiddle," Allen answered nonchalantly.
Judging by aura volume alone, the butler wasn't weak; he certainly had the potential to inflict a fatal wound on Hisoka. The problem was the massive disparity in combat experience and cunning. He simply couldn't compare to a lunatic like Hisoka who lived on the edge of life and death.
"Who are you?"
Gotoh finally remembered the outsider and stood up quickly, eyeing the youth who had saved him with suspicion.
"I'm a friend of Killua's. He asked me to check on you. Here's a piece of advice: next time you run into Hisoka, stay far away, or you'll be the one who ends up dead."
With that warning, Allen ignored the butler's stunned expression and leaped onto the Red Dragon's back, vanishing into the night sky.
At this moment, he had obtained what he had dreamed of. He couldn't wait to find a safe, undisturbed place to finish his Hunter epic quest. After all, while the 11 Agility from the Ancient Bone Bow was nice, its base damage was simply too low. By comparison, Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers was the ultimate ranged weapon.
And who knows? Maybe he could pick up a world boss while he was at it, the blue dragon Azuregos, to trade a Mature Blue Dragon Sinew for an 18-slot Dragon Quiver.
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