Area One of Meteor City.
Houses of blue bricks and white tiles were arranged in dense rows along both sides of the street.
This was Kisho's second time here. During the daytime in Area One, there were quite a few people coming and going on the streets, but what made it feel most different from the outer areas was that, from time to time, there were still children running past—children with smiles on their faces.
As the two approached a building that had clearly been renovated, Kisho's footsteps paused slightly.
"You've been hanging around Meteor City for so long, and you've done quite a few big things too."
Shalnark beside him said with a smile.
Kisho looked at him in confusion, question marks practically popping out of his eyes.
Shalnark also looked toward that building.
"The person who originally lived in there—wasn't that someone you took out?"
Kisho said,
"Why do you all know this so clearly?"
Shalnark smiled innocently and spread his hands.
"Then you'll have to ask the boss—he mentioned it during casual chats."
He narrowed his eyes and added,
"During the period right after you left the base, the boss knew very clearly what you were up to."
Kisho was left speechless, thinking to himself,
"...Then he really is way too idle."
There was still plenty of time. Shalnark, walking ahead, wasn't in any hurry either, instead leisurely leading Kisho around the streets.
Shalnark suddenly stopped and spoke.
"We're here."
Kisho turned his head to look.
It was a church—strangely enough, in a place like Meteor City, there was actually a church.
"Do people here have beliefs too?"
Staring at the church's towering gray-white spire, Kisho said softly,
"It's hard to believe that people here would entrust their hopes to a god."
"There's nothing impossible about it."
Shalnark said beside him,
"People trapped in suffering easily come to believe in gods, because most of the time, hoping that a god will save them from misery is the only thing they can do."
Shalnark smiled.
"But this church isn't just a place for believers to pray."
Kisho followed him inside the church. A person wearing a gray-white robe that covered their entire body stood in the center, chanting a long poem Kisho couldn't understand.
A group of children dressed in white clothes sat in the front row of benches, softly reciting along.
Kisho glanced over from afar, then withdrew his gaze. Together with Shalnark, he found a seat in the last row and sat down.
"The next mission is related to the owner of this church."
Shalnark's voice came faintly.
"That is to say, it's related to the elder of Area One."
Kisho frowned.
"...The Troupe follows the elder's instructions?"
"It's not about following the elder's instructions."
Shalnark shook his head, patiently explaining to the new member who didn't understand anything.
"If you really want to put it into words, it's more like each side getting what they need."
Seeing that Kisho was still confused, Shalnark explained further.
"To be more specific, the elder of Area One helps the Troupe block a lot of little pests that come looking for trouble; in return, the Troupe helps out with some volunteer work."
When Kisho heard the words "volunteer work," his whole body froze like stone. He sat there stiffly, his eyes filled with countless "are you kidding me," enough to drown the person saying it.
Shalnark spread his hands and continued smiling as he carried out mental pollution.
"Not only that, the boss occasionally donates some charity funds to the church too."
Kisho showed an expression of his worldview shattering.
Amid their extremely hushed conversation, the long chant gradually came to a stop.
The people who had come to pray left in small groups. Only when there was no one left in the church did Shalnark stand up.
"Let's go."
Kisho asked in confusion,
"You haven't done anything yet."
Shalnark smiled.
"It's already taken care of."
Kisho stared speechlessly at Shalnark, who had no intention of explaining, and slowly stood up.
He noticed that the elder of Area One, dressed in a gray robe over there, was coldly watching them.
The two left the church.
Standing outside the church, Shalnark looked at Kisho.
"It wasn't convenient to talk inside just now. This mission was to deliver a message, to tell that person that the Troupe is already prepared to carry out the task."
"...That priest just now was the elder of Area One?"
Kisho thought of the one who had died at his and Amos's hands, as well as Chelsea Taber whom he had seen at the Elders' Council not long ago.
"He's completely different from the two I saw before."
"The elder of Area One is the oldest by seniority in Meteor City, and also the one most firmly protecting the order of Meteor City."
Shalnark said,
"You saw those little kids about your age just now, right?"
Kisho nodded.
"It's hard for children in Meteor City to survive to adulthood without protection. This place provides them with certain protection until they turn fourteen. If abandoned infants are found outside and sent to the church, you can even exchange them for money."
Shalnark smiled.
"Here, 'people' are very precious."
Kisho listened quietly, without responding.
Shalnark stretched lazily, about to happily head back to laze around.
"Well, the mission's done. Let's go back to the base~"
Kisho turned his head to look at him.
"...I need to buy some things."
Shalnark stopped, instantly looking like he was about to be dragged into overtime, sullen and unhappy.
"...Go by yourself. It's not like you don't know the way back."
Veins and black lines popped out all over Kisho's forehead.
This guy—dragging him out only to rush back, such a drastic change in attitude...
He reached out his hand toward Shalnark.
"...Money. Lend me some. I'll pay you back later."
...
Prices in Meteor City were dozens of times higher than outside.
Most critically, all the shop owners here wore expressions of being too lazy to deal with customers—buy if you want, if not then get lost.
Kisho casually bought a few sets of replacement clothes and packed them into a dust-covered plastic bag that the owner tossed over.
All of a sudden, he caught sight of a familiar figure flashing past the corner of a shop.
That person seemed to notice someone chasing him from behind. His steps faltered, and he immediately turned into a small alley.
With Nen enhancement, he ran for a long time. Just when he thought he had shaken off the person behind him and was about to stop to catch his breath, his figure abruptly froze.
He looked in disbelief at the young man who had somehow run ahead of him, then released his Nen pressure with all his strength, pressing it toward the youth.
But his Nen pressure dissolved like a clay ox entering the sea in front of the young man, not stirring up the slightest ripple.
He stared at the youth in terror, as if realizing something, his pupils shrinking.
"It's you?!"
"So you've developed Nen abilities too."
Kisho said, puzzled as he looked at him.
"It's not like this is the first time you've seen me—what are you so surprised about?"
"Cough, cough, because Elder Eros mentioned to us that the Bankro family's merchant ship sank at sea, and all accompanying personnel perished— you... weren't you the one who went there before?"
The one speaking was Wenide, the former White Eagle Association squad leader whom Kisho and Amos had personally carried up.
As Wenide spoke, he silently retracted his Nen back into his body—afraid that his provocative behavior might anger Kisho and get him cut down.
Kisho slowly nodded.
"You said... Elder Eros. You went over to his side?"
Wenide was taken aback, his face showing a complicated expression.
"That's right. After that incident, the White Eagle Association did go over to Elder Eros, but the real situation was..."
His voice dropped, sounding like a complaint.
"It's not much different from before, back in the West District."
Kisho smiled.
Getting on Amos's pirate ship was never easy. Once you were tricked into boarding, you'd discover that not only did the ship leak, but the helmsman would very likely just run off.
Thinking this, he looked at Wenide.
"So, where is Amos now?"
"I don't know."
Wenide said with extreme helplessness.
"A week ago, Elder Eros disappeared without a trace. If it weren't for the fact that we can still be contacted by him unilaterally, we would have thought—"
Kisho nodded in understanding.
It seemed Amos really had done exactly as he said—after obtaining a usable identity, he left this place and went outside to live the life he wanted.
Wenide looked at Kisho and pleaded.
"So, would you be interested in coming to help us?"
He had also developed his own Nen ability.
Precisely because of that, he could feel Kisho's strength even more deeply.
"No."
Kisho refused without hesitation.
"That big mess of muddy water—you can wade through it yourselves."
Watching the dejected Wenide leave, Kisho couldn't be bothered to ask why he had come to Area One.
He carried the bag in his hand and slowly walked toward the direction of the base.
After all, everyone has their own muddy waters to wade through.
Thinking this, Kisho let out a sigh.
Hopefully, after this mission ends, he too could go outside like Amos and do what he wanted to do.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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