Master Inventor from Hunter x Hunter Section 7

Uvogin subconsciously squeezed his own palms, but after looking at the calm expression on Mog's face before him, he thought better of it and firmly pressed his hands down onto his thighs.

The fact that Mog had been able to cover his entire face with just one hand earlier truly made Uvogin afraid to act rashly.

Besides, Mog had just treated them to a delicious meal of Sticky Rice Cake.

If they were to flip the script and heartlessly attack the man just because they coveted the strange power and methods he possessed...

Uvogin felt that such behavior would be truly too beastly.

Even though values like morality were basically non-existent in the territory of Meteor City, Uvogin was not yet the villainous, thieving member of the Phantom Troupe he would later become after the trauma of the Sarasa incident.

At present, he was nothing more than a thirteen-year-old boy.

He was more impulsive in his actions, but at the same time, he was also a bit more pure.

"Then what would it take for you to tell us?"

While Uvogin was baring his teeth and grimacing, Machi suddenly spoke up to ask.

"Since you've already explained it to us specifically, strictly speaking, this isn't something that can't be talked about, right?"

Although Machi was even younger, only ten years old, when it came to the insight to see through the essence of things, she completely crushed Uvogin.

"Excluding the 'cannot tell those who don't know about this power' aspect, the main reason you aren't telling us must be for personal reasons."

"If you didn't want us to know from the very beginning, you would have avoided our line of sight or used other means to conceal it when you were making the Sticky Rice Cake."

"But you didn't do that; instead, you let us know that such a power exists."

"Yet when we ask you about it, you say you have nothing to say..."

Machi looked up, staring at Mog: "So, is it because we haven't offered enough conditions or a sufficient price?"

"Hmm~~~"

Mog also pondered for two seconds before looking at Uvogin:

"I think I finally understand why you've been able to survive in Meteor City for so long."

"It seems it isn't just because of these muscles of yours."

Mog's gaze returned to Machi, and he sighed with pointed intent.

Uvogin: "??!"

What kind of talk is that? What is that supposed to mean?!!

It feels like he's implying that the only reason I've survived is thanks to Machi?!

Just as black lines began to appear on Uvogin's face, Mog nodded at Machi.

"That's right. In this world, to obtain anything, one must offer conditions and pay a price."

"That even includes power itself."

Machi might not know everything about Nen ability, but she only needed to know that in order to scrape by in Meteor City, one has to pay for everything they want.

Fighting, snatching, killing...

They were already accustomed to this, so Machi wasn't actually surprised by Mog's demand.

This was their daily life; in Meteor City, there was simply no such thing as kindness without a reason.

Therefore, Machi was able to realize this immediately.

As for Uvogin~~~

"Didn't you just take out Sticky Rice Cake to treat us earlier..."

Uvogin muttered under his breath, "So, just like the Sticky Rice Cake, you could just tell us, right..."

"Didn't you do some work for me before you ate the Sticky Rice Cake?"

Mog cast a sidelong glance at this guy whose brain hadn't quite caught up yet.

"Seems like that's true... Fine then, go ahead, tell us what you want us to do this time."

Uvogin thought about it, then, too lazy to overthink, he spoke up in a bold, straightforward manner.

"Actually, it's very simple~~~"

Mog watched the gazes projected by the two, the corners of his mouth slowly curling upward:

"You just need to beg me."

"...???"

Uvogin tilted his head, question marks popping up above him.

Machi, however, stared at Mog, noticing he wasn't joking at all, and became somewhat thoughtful.

Does he have a strange fetish for wanting others to beg him?

"Or perhaps, you want to use others to beg him, to gain a sense of control and satisfy your own desire for dominance..."

"That is also a twisted approach... As expected, in this Meteor City, such people truly exist~~~"

Machi pondered this in her mind, while Uvogin stared directly at Mog for a few moments.

"Are you kidding me?!!"

Uvogin was a person with a very strong sense of pride.

Even at the tender age of a teenager, in a place like Meteor City, such a temper and personality had already been forged.

Moreover, being at this stage of life, this kind of personality and desire to save face were even more intense.

Because of this, when Uvogin heard Mog tell him to beg, he refused on the spot.

"Are you kidding me?!!"

Uvogin surged up from the ground in a single bound.

"If you had asked me to help you kill someone, or to take something from me, or to do any other task."

"Then, for the sake of delicious food, I would have accepted it!!"

"But~!!"

Uvogin wore a ferocious expression, "You want me to cast aside my dignity and lower myself to beg you?!!"

"Keep dreaming!!"

Uvogin clenched his fists, causing them to crack with a crisp sound:

"I am telling you, even if I never get to eat such delicious Sticky Rice Cake or similar food ever again."

"Even if I starve to death, or die out there, I will absolutely never come back to beg you!!!"

Uvogin's voice was filled with incomparable firmness and resolve.

However, to Mog's ears, these words...

Why did they sound so familiar?

And as for the guy who said them, in the end~~~

"Let's go, Machi!!"

Uvogin, huffing with anger, grabbed Machi and pulled her up, heading straight for Mog's door.

But just as he was about to push the door open, Uvogin paused for a moment:

"The Sticky Rice Cakes you fed us count as hospitality."

"To have such precious food in Meteor City and actually take it out for us to eat."

"Regardless of what purpose you might have, at the very least, we did indeed eat them."

"In the future, if you encounter any trouble you can't handle, feel free to come and beg me!"

"I, Lord Uvogin, will absolutely not say a single word of refusal!!"

Bang~!!

With that, he shoved the door open and dragged the still-silent Machi away.

Well, Mog had just told Uvogin to come beg him, and in the blink of an eye, Uvogin had returned the exact same sentiment to Mog, telling him to come beg instead~~~

One can only say that, being young, this competitive spirit...

"It really fits the personality of an Enhancement Type."

Mog shook his head with a smile.

However, there was no rush for such matters.

Living in this Meteor City, Mog had plenty of opportunities, and... time.

"After all, it is only 1983, and the members of the Phantom Troupe are still just brats; no rush, take it slow~~~"

Haste makes waste, after all.

Come to think of it, Mog was suddenly missing some Mapo Tofu paired with a bowl of white rice~~~

"Once I elevate my ability to the next level, bread will come, and Mapo Tofu will come too..."

Thinking of this, Mog slowly closed his eyes once more.

Around his body, the luster of his aura and Nen began to slowly coil.

Mog had truly experienced the benefits and utility of the Master Inventor Nen ability.

But at the same time, he had also felt the consumption of his Nen and aura quite acutely.

This cheat was powerful, no doubt about it, but the degree to which it drained his mana pool was truly terrifying.

Right now, Mog was pondering how to minimize the consumption involved in his [Invention].

And the best way to reduce this was none other than utilizing a Restriction and Vow, adding more conditions to the foundation of the ability~~~