Master Inventor Starting from Hunter x Hunter

So it would be better to just join his side for now, watch for an opening, and constantly adapt based on how the situation shifts.

"This is probably the best choice for me right now."

Harboring this thought, Mog returned to his original spot.

By this time, the venue was already completely fired up.

On stage, Chrollo and his group of friends had fully let loose.

Grabbing the microphone, they did a live voice-over.

"Wahaha, what a pity, Cleaners..."

It had to be said, Chrollo truly had the natural makings of a villain.

When dubbing the [Graffiti Monster] in the cartoon, he himself put on the look of a full-fledged villain.

Not anything ferocious or terrifying, nor any cackling laughter.

It was just a very natural, effortless display of that bad-guy demeanor.

One look and anyone could tell—this guy was playing the bad guy!!

This kind of facial expression performance stunned the kids below, including Uvogin and Phinks.

Such a deeply immersive performance was truly impressive.

"If only I could record this, that would be perfect."

Even Mog, watching the scene, couldn't help but crack a smile, then shook his head with some regret.

Chrollo's display of facial expressions—if it could be preserved—would be a rare and precious piece of video material~~~

Strictly speaking, it might even become a black mark in his history.

"Oh? Mog, you're back?!"

Uvogin, Nobunaga, and the others hadn't noticed how Mog left in the first place, so naturally they hadn't noticed when he returned.

Hearing Mog's comment beside them, they all turned their heads.

"Did you go to the bathroom just now?... By the way, what do you think of Chrollo's performance?"

Mog looked up at Chrollo, who was letting himself go on stage, and nodded softly:

"He's really into his performance."

Chapter 041: Go ahead, tell me—who else can pull this off?!

"Wahahaha, all of humanity!! Everything in this world will be taken over by the King of Smearing..."

"Completely drowned in the stains of evil!!!!"

Holy crap, stains!!!

Chrollo's passionate and emotional performance made the little audience members below gasp sharply.

Hiss~!!

So terrifying it sent chills down their spines; many of them felt scared.

"I want to go up on stage and do voice-over too..."

Shalnark, sitting a few seats away from Uvogin and the others, saw this and grinned, revealing his missing baby tooth.

His bright eyes were full of longing and desire for the performance.

Well, Shalnark was only eight now, the same age as Machi.

It was perfectly normal for a kid to have thoughts like that.

But if it were the older ones like Uvogin~~~

"Chrollo really has a way with things..."

Phinks clicked his tongue, watching Chrollo's performance with some envy.

What kid doesn't want to stand on a spotlighted stage, shine, and earn recognition and applause from others?!

At least in Phinks's eyes, Chrollo's voice-over performance that had the kids spellbound was pretty impressive.

"It's just voice-over, what's so great about it?!"

Uvogin was still being stubborn as usual.

Even if he thought Chrollo was impressive right now, he would never admit it out loud.

"He's just moving his mouth..."

Nobunaga glanced at him sideways, and Machi shot him a look too.

The meaning in their eyes practically had the word [Idiot] written all over their faces.

"What are you two trying to say?!!"

Uvogin wasn't stupid; he could read the meaning in their eyes.

"Am I wrong?!!"

Uvogin was still shouting in displeasure: "I told you, Chrollo just moves his mouth."

"If he actually had to perform, he'd totally suck!!"

"...Are you an idiot?!!"

If Nobunaga and Machi were being polite, only conveying that sentiment with their eyes.

Then Franklin next to them was bluntly putting Uvogin down:

"This is a cartoon, you can only perform with voice acting, how can you do it for real?!!"

He was an old-timer who'd worked with Chrollo, and he really couldn't stand Uvogin's disrespect toward him.

"How can't you?!!"

Uvogin, called an idiot, glared back at Franklin.

"Just because Chrollo can't do it, doesn't mean no one else can!!"

Even though Uvogin knew what he was saying was nonsense, and knew this was just a cartoon, and that Chrollo was already being generous by screening it and performing it himself.

But he couldn't lose face or ground, so he had to bluster on.

However, his sophistry was even too much for Phinks to bear.

He immediately led Feitan to scoot aside, looking at Uvogin with disgust.

As if to say, "Don't touch me."

So he wouldn't get dragged down and become an idiot too.

"Oh?!"

Even Franklin, who was still relatively easygoing, was amused by Uvogin's stubbornness:

"Go on, tell me who can do that?!!"

"Put on a live-action performance of this cartoon?!!"

He sneered at Uvogin, his body subtly readying itself.

Yeah, from Franklin's understanding of Uvogin, whenever this guy couldn't argue his way out.

He'd get furious, stop talking, and resort to violence.

Franklin had dealt with him countless times on this front and knew Uvogin's moves well.

But~~~

"Don't think just because Chrollo can't do it, everyone else is as useless as him~!!"

Uvogin stubbornly twisted his head:

"Mog, you can do it, right?!"

Nobunaga and Machi's eyes showed a look of "we knew it" helplessness.

In the end, he still had to call on Mog.

When Uvogin was talking tough earlier, they'd already guessed it would come to this.

Phinks' eyelids twitched as he muttered curses under his breath, probably grumbling about Uvogin.

This idiot talked big himself, but ended up putting pressure on someone else~~~

Feitan watched coldly from the sidelines, as if none of it had anything to do with him.

"Mog? That person's name is Mog, right?"

Shalnark carefully took a few more looks in Mog's direction.

After they'd all sat down earlier, he'd noticed this unfamiliar face who'd come with Uvogin's group.

He knew Uvogin, Nobunaga, Machi, and even Feitan and Phinks.

These were all well-known kids from Meteor City.

But this young man named Mog, he was seeing for the first time.

What's more, judging by their posture, this Mog seemed to be at the center.

And Phinks and Feitan were one group, while Uvogin and Machi were another.

Normally, these two factions weren't exactly mortal enemies, but at least they were as incompatible as fire and water.

Yet, seemingly under Mog's influence, these two groups could actually sit together and get along without incident~~~

That was really worth paying attention to~!!

What kind of person could bring both sides together without any trouble...

Shalnark was very curious.

And not just him; Franklin was also sizing up Mog.

Steady and mature, and the oldest here, he didn't say anything more after Uvogin spoke.

Instead, he quietly waited for this person named Mog to react.