Master Inventor from Hunter x Hunter

And on top of that, while trying to seize others' gains, they also had to guard against those other dangerous Meteor City veterans who might try to pull something on the two of them.

You could say the two of them huddled together for warmth, making their lives even harder.

So compared to Uvogin, Phinks and Feitan were more like the barefoot who don't fear the shod—they couldn't care less about this or that.

If something could truly change their current lives and make them stronger~~~

As long as the cost wasn't too severe or excessive, the two of them wouldn't hesitate for a second.

That was precisely why Phinks was cautious about the seemingly "simple and lenient" conditions Mog had proposed.

Such conditions were practically a freebie~!!

This was almost the same as when they'd previously asked Mog for a favor regarding [food]!!

Mog said: No, it's different.

A [commission] and a [request], strictly speaking, are not the same~!!

When Mog developed the ability [Standing on the Shoulders of Giants], he also gained a general understanding of his overall [Master Inventor] ability.

That was, although he could use the ability to [invent] by accepting others' [commissions] and [requests], Among these, he also had to consider the sincerity of the [commission] or [request]!!

In other words, a simple [commission] or [favor] with weak intent would consume more of Mog's aura and Nen to sustain the [invention].

But if it was a [request] with full sincerity and strong intent, then the aura and Nen consumed to sustain Mog's [invention] would be greatly reduced.

Simply put, it depended on how strong the requester's intent was.

The stronger the intent of the [request], the less aura and Nen consumed, and vice versa.

If the other party's [request] intent was very strong, combined with Mog's [Standing on the Shoulders of Giants] ability, The two abilities stacking together~

Mog might even be able to forcibly [invent] some highly overpowered items that would normally require a lot of Nen and aura!!

So, what he told Phinks was [request], not [favor].

The intent of a [request] is clearly much stronger than a [favor] or the like~~~

"Really, just a [request] is enough?!!"

After confirming there were no other hidden conditions or costs, Phinks' eyes nearly burst with golden light.

If power like this could be obtained through such a trivial means~~~

"This is an absolute steal!!!"

Phinks screamed in his heart, and immediately couldn't help opening his mouth to make a [request] to Mog.

Chapter 025: And here comes a ready-made [request]~~~

"Please, Mog, you..."

Shhh~

Before Phinks could get the words out, he felt his clothes being yanked hard.

Phinks: "Huh?!"

He instinctively looked down and saw Feitan tugging at his ragged clothes, shooting him a meaningful glance.

"What's wrong?!"

He followed the direction Feitan's eyes indicated.

Then he saw Uvogin standing there with his arms crossed, pretending not to care, but with his ears perked straight up.

That was obviously a eavesdropping posture, right?!!

Eavesdropping?!

Phinks was stunned for a moment, then caught on.

Right, he and Feitan had both been amazed and puzzled when they saw Mog pull out that kind of food.

And Uvogin and Machi had clearly already contacted Mog beforehand.

They must have known long ago that Mog possessed such power.

Putting himself in their shoes, Phinks felt that if he craved this power so much, there was no way Uvogin wouldn't care!!'

'Anyone facing such miraculous power would definitely be tempted and want to obtain it!!'

'But when Uvogin fought me earlier, he didn't show any of this power at all—instead, I landed plenty of hits on him.'

'That means Uvogin knows this power exists, but hasn't been able to get his hands on it!!'

'And judging by Uvogin's current behavior and attitude, it's not that he knows about it and can't learn it—it's clearly that he doesn't know how to obtain it yet!!'

'Mog even offered us two, who just met him, the condition of just making a [request] to get this power.'

'There's no reason Uvogin and Machi wouldn't enjoy the same treatment as us~~~'

'So, it must be that idiot Uvogin, too proud or unable to swallow his pride and [request] Mog, hasn't gotten his hands on this power yet!!'

The thoughts instantly sorted through this information in his mind, and a look of sudden realization dawned in Phinks' eyes.

At the same time, his gaze toward Uvogin carried a hint of oddness, and... mockery.

Face? Losing face?!

Were those things worth anything in Meteor City?!!

Only what you learned and used to strengthen yourself was what truly mattered!!

That idiot Uvogin couldn't even see that.

With Mog, a treasure trove of power right beside him, he still refused to open it because of this ridiculous reason.

It was enough to make him laugh to death~!!

And Machi too—that big dumb Uvogin not understanding the importance of things was one thing, but she went along with him.

No wonder those two could stick together like that~~~

Phinks muttered to himself.

Well, on this one matter, Phinks and Uvogin clearly had different attitudes and approaches.

Given Meteor City's environment, their physical conditions, and differing life circumstances, it couldn't be said who was right or wrong.

But through this, it was easy to see the differences in their personalities and ways of handling things.

That was also why, in the original timeline, after the Phantom Troupe was formed, Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi got along better.

Feitan and Phinks, as a duo, were inseparable.

And after Chrollo was captured by Kurapika, Feitan and Phinks chose a more rational—or rather, more cold-blooded—approach that maximized value.

Compared to Nobunaga, Machi, and Pakunoda's emotional reactions after Chrollo was taken, the two of them seemed far more level-headed.

Thus, at this moment, having come to his senses, Phinks immediately changed his tune:

"Please, Mog, first take us to visit your home!"

Phinks decisively revised his words: "Since you've treated us to so much good food, it's only right that we see you safely home~!!"

Hearing this, Machi's eyelid twitched slightly, and Uvogin nearly stumbled off balance~

Seeing someone home...

Did you think everyone here was a three-year-old?!!

This was clearly just an excuse to avoid asking Mog about that power in front of me, to keep me from eavesdropping, right?!!

What "seeing someone home"... A pathetic excuse!!

"Seeing me home?"

A hint of oddness surfaced on Mog's face: "My home is plenty shabby and small; it might not fit so many people."

"No problem, no problem~!"

Phinks waved his hand repeatedly: "We mainly want to see you home, and once we get there, if it really is too cramped, we can just find somewhere else to stay temporarily."

His face twisted with earnest sincerity: "Your safety getting back is what matters most."

Then, in private, I'll ask Mog properly about this power~!!

Phinks curled his lips—he couldn't let any other irrelevant idiots eavesdrop along with him~!!

His peripheral vision caught Uvogin's utterly sour expression, and he nearly couldn't help humming softly.

Making Uvogin eat dirt was truly a satisfying feeling~!!

"Alright, then you can come along."

Mog agreed with a smile.

Seeing someone home or not, he didn't really care.

With his awakened Nen ability and the aura swirling around him, ordinary Meteor City folk couldn't get close anyway.

But just now, Phinks had said, "Please, Mog, first take us to visit your home."

He said "please"~

Perfect timing—Mog had been wondering how to improve his living conditions.

And here came a ready-made [request]~~~

Chapter 026: There Really Is One?!!

Ignoring Uvogin's ugly expression and his silent, muttering curses.

Mog still led Phinks and Feitan back to his place.

And, unsurprisingly, Uvogin and Machi followed along too.

"Hey, why are you two tagging along?!!"

At the door to Mog's home, Phinks shot a displeased sidelong glare at Uvogin, who was sticking to him like a shadow.

"For the escort, Feitan and I are more than enough."