She was not surprised by Chrollo's aura. Having witnessed Morin's aura reserves and malicious Nen, Chrollo's was not enough to stir her emotions.
"Negotiation is basically no longer an option."
Chrollo calmly withdrew the white aura. "Then there is only one path left."
"A jailbreak?"
Morin spoke up as well.
"That's right."
Chrollo looked at Morin and smiled. "With the strength we currently possess, we'll have to use force to rescue Uvogin."
"But if we do that, we'll offend the Elder Council. It will be difficult for us to remain in Meteor City."
"I have no problem with that."
Machi was the first to respond. "As it happens, Morin discussed leaving this place with me a few days ago to see the outside world."
"What about you?"
She turned to Franklin, Pakunoda, and Feitan.
"We can't just leave Uvogin and the others alone."
Franklin showed an honest smile.
"Those two really know how to cause trouble."
Feitan flexed his fingers again, his voice somewhat muffled. "It's been a while since I killed anyone."
Pakunoda merely brushed back her golden hair by her ear without saying anything.
But the fact that she had not moved from her spot at all made her stance clear.
"Then it's settled."
Chrollo clasped his hands together. "I've also been thinking of leaving Meteor City recently. It seems Morin, Machi, and I have come to the same conclusion."
He smiled. "A jailbreak will require some preparation. Besides, after we rescue Uvogin and Nobunaga, I have a few ideas I'd like to discuss with everyone."
"Regarding what comes after we leave Meteor City."
He smiled, but a trace of seriousness flashed through his eyes.
"First, the rescue operation for Uvogin and the others..."
"How about leaving Uvogin and Nobunaga to me?"
Morin suddenly spoke.
At once, everyone's gaze focused on Morin.
"After all, Uvogin made such a scene because I helped open his Aura Nodes."
Morin smiled. "I bear responsibility for this matter too. The root cause lies with me, so let me handle it."
"Are you sure?"
Seeing that Morin was serious, Chrollo said softly, "You should know that there are quite a few skilled Nen users in Meteor City."
"Especially within the Elder Council."
He was reminding Morin not to think that awakening a Nen ability made him one of Meteor City's strongest.
There were also quite a few truly formidable experts hidden away.
Hearing that, Machi cast Morin a calm look as well.
"Trust me."
After saying those three words to Machi, he turned to Chrollo. "I know."
Franklin and Pakunoda both had a strange glint flash through their eyes.
Feitan narrowed his eyes at the scene without saying anything.
But the constant movement of his fingers showed that thoughts were churning in his mind as well.
"Is that so? Since you're so confident, Morin..."
Chrollo nodded slightly and chuckled. "Then I'd like to see what you can do." As he spoke, he told Morin where Uvogin and Nobunaga were being held.
Just as Morin nodded and prepared to leave—
"What if your operation fails and alerts them?"
Feitan suddenly asked in a muffled voice.
"What if?"
Morin glanced at him from the side, then suddenly smiled.
"There's no 'what if' with me."
Uvogin and Nobunaga were being held in the Elder House in the North District, at the heart of Meteor City. It was not far from their meeting place.
Morin quickened his pace slightly and soon saw the tall building.
It stood out conspicuously among the cluster of small, separate houses.
"f nr 1 Ancient AM said AA I 'work r^r"
Gazing at the tall building in the distance, Morin stroked his chin.
"But now that I think about it, those two may be straightforward, but Uvogin is actually careful beneath his rough exterior. With Nobunaga backing him up, they shouldn't have gotten so carried away that they crashed and burned."
"If this had been three days ago, rescuing you might have been difficult, but..."
He looked at the two new items he had drawn over the past two days from his Four-Dimensional Pocket.
"You're lucky."
Morin's figure vanished into the street.
When he appeared again, he was directly in front of the building.
At the entrance stood a security guard dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, vigilantly watching everything around him.
Yet Morin acted as if none of it existed and walked straight toward the door.
The guard noticed Morin immediately, but showed no further wariness or alertness.
He did not ask who Morin was or what he was doing there. He merely nodded slightly.
"You're here?"
Morin nodded. "I'm here."
Judging from their tone, they sounded like longtime close friends, or people who knew each other intimately.
The people passing by the Elder House exchanged confused looks when they saw this.
"Who is that kid? Luke's friend?"
"Friend? Their tone does sound like it, but the ages don't match. Could he be... a relative?"
"That doesn't make sense either. Luke is all alone. Where would he get relatives? Maybe he's a new guard or bodyguard recruited by the elders? I heard two big idiots caused a scene here before."
"What kind of bodyguard uses a kid who hasn't even grown all his hair? Besides, they caused a scene, but nobody died. Why would they need new bodyguards?"
"Who says they can't? I heard there are lots of people like that in the outside world. As long as you're strong, who cares how old you are?!"
After watching curiously and whispering among themselves for a few moments, they decided the elders always acted with deeper intentions. Shaking their heads, they stopped guessing and left one after another.
To them, it was merely a small curiosity, nowhere near enough to make them stop and watch.
Meanwhile, Morin, who had entered through the doors, gently rubbed a strange egg emitting a green glow in his hand.
Item: Cuckoo Egg, also known as the Cuckoo Bird Egg.
Effect: A secret item that could change one's identity. As long as you carried it, you could enter any household at will and become a member of that family.
This was one of the items Morin had drawn through check-ins over the past two days. It was about the size of a pebble, an emerald-green
egg-shaped egg.
As long as Morin carried this item, everyone else would see him as part of their own family.
To a certain extent, the effect of this Cuckoo Egg was very similar to bug-level items like the Devil's Passport, which could do anything, and the Omni-Pass, which could take you anywhere.
In Doraemon's words, this was a very cunning item.
Of course, its consumption of Nen and aura while in use could not be ignored.
Fortunately, Morin had previously set Restraints and Vows, greatly reducing the consumption. Otherwise, he truly would not have been able to hold out until he rescued Uvogin and the others.
With this Cuckoo Egg, entering this building was as easy for Morin as returning home.
Everyone he encountered along the way nodded to him, and some even greeted him warmly.
Morin returned their greetings as he made his way to where Uvogin and the others were imprisoned.
It was a remote underground prison, damp, filthy, and messy, with a faint stink in the air.
There was only a single cheap oil lamp in the room, giving off a weak flame.
Uvogin hung his head, his entire body bound tightly in iron chains. Beside him, Nobunaga leaned against the wall, similarly tied up.
"Uvogin, can't you think before you act?"
Nobunaga had already lost count of how many times he had complained.
-They could have left long ago, yet now they were miserable prisoners.
It was a miracle their mindsets had not completely collapsed.
"That bastard was mocking Morin and Machi."
Uvogin wore an expression that said he would still do it again. "You may be able to endure those words, but I can't!"
"Who says I can endure it?!"
Nobunaga retorted, "If you hadn't thrown your punch so quickly, I'd have already cut that guy down with my sword!"
"Could you even cut him?"
Uvogin shot him a sidelong glance. "You've never even killed a chicken!!"
"I'm telling you one more time, there are no live chickens in Meteor City, none!!"
Nobunaga roared furiously.
Even in the dungeon, the two had not forgotten to bicker.
"You two really do get along well."
A lightly teasing voice came from beside them.
"That voice..."
Uvogin instantly broke into a grin.
"Morin!!"
Morin, idly tossing the Cuckoo Egg in his hand, appeared before Uvogin and Nobunaga, making both of them cry out at once.
"The rescue is about to begin."
"I'm here."
Before you continue