With one step, the solid ground beneath their feet suddenly gave way, as if they had stepped onto a pool of liquid.
Their bodies plunged down all at once!!
"Pwah!!"
Splash!!
One after another, bodies hit the water. The elder chasing after them stood there, utterly stunned.
Ahead of him, every passerby on the road seemed to have fallen into water, struggling desperately.
The entire street had become a vast lake!!
"Help! I fucking can't swim!!"
"Me neither! How could Meteor City have water here?!"
"What kind of joke is this? This is a road! How did it turn into water? Am I not awake yet, or has the world mutated?!"
Confused cries, cries for help, incredulous shouts, and furious curses rang across the water-covered street.
People flailed their arms desperately, trying to grab onto something, but whenever they touched the ground, they could only send up splashes.
The feeling of standing on what was clearly ground, yet finding it to be water with nothing to brace against, was the most frustrating thing imaginable.
The elder who had rushed out could only watch helplessly as Morin and the others went farther away. Before him lay a vast expanse of water and the endlessly floundering residents of Meteor City.
"Bastards!!"
His furious roar echoed through the entire area.
At the artificial mountain of scrap in the buffer zone.
Machi stood beside Pakunoda with her arms folded, occasionally looking toward the street ahead.
"The sun is almost setting, and they still haven't returned?"
Feitan's low, gloomy voice sounded.
"They're rescuing people. Nighttime is the best time to act, isn't it?"
Kind-hearted Franklin rubbed his head.
"What if they still haven't returned after an entire night?"
Feitan said faintly.
"We can't just keep waiting for them forever, can we?"
"I don't think that'll be necessary."
Chrollo, who had been standing straight with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and smiled faintly.
"Hahahahahaha!!"
From far away, everyone heard that booming laugh.
It was inevitable that they would become enemies of the entire world.
"Uvogin!!"
Machi's eyes brightened slightly as she looked in the direction of the laughter.
Under the setting sun, Morin walked at the head of the group. At his sides were Uvogin, laughing loudly and waving his arms, and Nobunaga, who was also smiling.
"That was so damn satisfying! That old bastard's face at the end looked like he'd eaten shit. I start laughing every time I think about it!"
Uvogin's booming voice carried all the way over.
"When I'm strong enough, I'm coming back here and twisting that old bastard's head right off!"
He shouted all the way over and soon spotted the people gathered there.
"Yo, Machi!"
He greeted Machi first, then turned toward the others.
"Chrollo, Feitan, Franklin, Pakunoda."
Uvogin grinned. "What, are you all here to welcome me back?"
"Idiot!"
Machi rolled her eyes in irritation.
Still, seeing that neither Uvogin nor Nobunaga had suffered any serious injuries, she relaxed a little.
"Alright, it's good enough that both you and Nobunaga returned safely."
Chrollo smiled as he spoke, his gaze lingering for a moment on Morin standing between them.
Pakunoda and Franklin were also subtly watching Morin.
In such a short time, he had rescued Uvogin and Nobunaga.
Nothing else needed to be said. That ability alone was enough to make him worthy of attention.
"Can I ask out of curiosity how you rescued them?"
Feitan looked at Uvogin and Nobunaga before turning his gaze to Morin between them.
"It was nothing."
Morin smiled. "I just tore down the elder's house."
He tore down the elder's house?
Franklin and Pakunoda's expressions shifted, while faint light flickered in Chrollo's eyes.
"Really?"
Machi asked calmly.
"Of course it's true!!"
Uvogin, the person with the most to say on the matter, eagerly jumped in.
"The whole building sank into a giant pit! You should've seen it—the old bastard's face twisted so badly it was almost unrecognizable!!"
Everyone naturally understood that the old bastard Uvogin was referring to was the elder.
"They tore down the elder's house and still managed to retreat unscathed, with all three arriving here safely?"
Chrollo raised his estimation of Morin's abilities by another level.
Franklin and Pakunoda were greatly surprised, while Feitan remained silent.
Such satisfying, bold conduct, along with the ability to escape unscathed afterward, was deeply admired in Meteor City.
Because of Morin's actions, everyone's favorable impression of him rose somewhat.
"We went a little too far when we left. Not only did we offend that old bastard, but the residents of Meteor City probably won't let us off either."
Nobunaga said this with both hands tucked into his coat sleeves.
"It's fine."
Chrollo smiled. "Before we rescued you, we had already made our decision."
To leave this place.
"Leave Meteor City?"
Uvogin raised his voice again. "Perfect! I've wanted to go have some fun in the outside world too!"
His face was full of anticipation. Clearly, he wanted to spar with powerful people beyond Meteor City and improve his strength.
"I have no objections either."
Nobunaga nodded seriously as well.
After causing such a huge incident, it really would be difficult to remain in Meteor City.
"Alright, since no one has any objections..."
Chrollo smiled lightly. "Then I'll briefly explain my thoughts."
"I've never been to the outside world, but from the knowledge I've gained from books, the outside world is far more complicated than Meteor City."
Chrollo spoke softly. "Countries, society, armies, the Hunter Association, all kinds of organizations—they form a complex web of relationships throughout the world."
"Those of us from Meteor City have no citizen identification numbers outside. We are abandoned people with no registration."
"In such circumstances, if we continue acting according to our own rules and style..."
His eyes gradually deepened. "It will be inevitable that we become enemies of the entire world."
"So individual strength becomes somewhat inadequate when facing the entire world, is that it?"
Morin suddenly added.
"That's right."
Chrollo looked at him and nodded.
"An individual's strength is limited. Therefore, my suggestion is that the few of us form a team."
"What do you think?"
Chrollo's voice was magnetic and deeply compelling.
"A group really is better than being alone."
Franklin thought it over. "I agree."
"So do I."
Pakunoda followed immediately.
"If gathering as a team makes it easier for me to kill people..."
Feitan said indifferently, "I have no problem with it either."
Chrollo then turned his gaze toward Machi and the others—or, more precisely, toward Morin.
"A team, huh?"
Uvogin rubbed his chin.
Although he was inclined toward the idea, his eyes still instinctively turned toward Morin beside him.
Nobunaga, as well as Machi in the distance, reacted the same way.
Clearly, all three were waiting for Morin's answer.
Vice-Leader.
"I have no objections."
Morin smiled and said to Chrollo,
"But I want to know what the nature and purpose of our team will be after it is established."
"And..." He smiled. "How will the team be led?"
"That is only natural."
Chrollo nodded lightly. "We all come from Meteor City. There are no official records that can prove our existence."
"This is our label, and it is also the source of purpose behind all our actions."
He lightly supported his chin with one hand.
"To obtain everything we desire, we will stop at nothing."
A breeze blew past, stirring up layers of dust.
"If we really had to define ourselves..."
Chrollo smiled. "Thieves would be the most suitable description for us."
Robbers only robbed, but thieves could take any action and use any method to obtain what they wanted.
Before you continue