Chrollo

Uvogin subconsciously flexed his palm, but then he looked at Mog's calm expression.

After thinking it over, he firmly pressed both hands onto his thighs.

Mog had been able to cover his entire face with one hand just now, and that truly kept Uvogin from making any rash moves.

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

And now, just because they coveted the strange power and methods he possessed, they were going to turn hostile and mercilessly attack him...

Uvogin felt that doing so would be downright beastly.

Although in Meteor City, values such as morality basically did not exist.

Still, Uvogin was not yet like he would become later, after suffering the blow of the Sarasa incident and becoming one of the villainous, thief-like members of the Phantom Troupe.

At present, he was only a thirteen-year-old boy.

He acted more impulsively, but he was also more straightforward and pure~~~

"So, what would make you willing to tell us?"

As Uvogin grimaced, Machi suddenly spoke up.

"Since you specifically explained it to us already, strictly speaking, it isn't something you can't talk about, right?"

Machi was even younger now, only ten years old.

But when it came to seeing through the essence of things, she utterly outclassed Uvogin.

"Setting aside the matter of 'not being able to tell people who know nothing about this power,' the main reason you won't tell us should be personal."

"If you had never intended to tell us from the start, then when you made the Sticky Rice Cake, you would have avoided our sight or concealed it by other means."

"But you didn't do that. Instead, you let us learn that such a power existed."

"Yet when we asked you about it, you said no comment..."

Machi raised her head and stared at Mog. "So, have we not offered sufficient terms and payment?"

"Hmm~~~"

Mog pondered for two seconds, then looked at Uvogin.

"I think I understand why you've survived in Meteor City for so long."

"Looks like it isn't just because of those muscles, either."

Mog's gaze returned to Machi, and he sighed meaningfully.

Uvogin: "??!"

What kind of remark was that?!!

Why did it sound like he had only survived thanks to Machi?!

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

"That's right. In this world, if you want to obtain anything, you have to pay conditions and a price."

"Even power itself is no exception."

Machi might not have known anything about Nen abilities, but she knew that in order to survive in Meteor City, anything one wanted had to be paid for.

Fighting, plundering, desperate battles...

They had long grown accustomed to such things, so Machi was not surprised by Mog's demand.

This was simply their everyday life. In Meteor City, there was no such thing as kindness without reason.

That was why Machi could realize it immediately.

As for Uvogin~~~

"Didn't you already bring out Sticky Rice Cake to treat us before..."

Uvogin muttered softly, "Then just tell us directly, like you did with the Sticky Rice Cake..."

"Didn't you work for me before eating the Sticky Rice Cake?"

Mog shot a sidelong glance at this fellow whose brain still had not caught up.

"Seems like that's true... Fine, tell us. What do you need us to do this time?"

Uvogin thought it over, then could not be bothered to think any further and answered bluntly.

"It's actually very simple~~~"

Looking at the gazes the two sent his way, Mog's lips slowly curved upward.

"You just need to beg me."

"...???"

Uvogin tilted his head, question marks popping up above it one after another.

Machi, however, stared at Mog. Seeing that he was not joking, she became somewhat thoughtful.

"Does he have some strange fetish for making others beg him?"

"Or does he want others to beg him so he can gain a sense of control and satisfy his desire to dominate..."

"That's perverted too... As expected, there really are people like that in Meteor City~~~"

As Machi turned those thoughts over in her mind, Uvogin stared at Mog for a moment.

"What kind of joke is this?!!"

Chrollo

Uvogin himself had an exceptionally strong sense of pride.

Though he was only a teenage boy, such a temperament had long taken shape in a place like Meteor City.

What was more, at this particular age, that sort of personality and concern for saving face were even stronger.

Thus, the moment Uvogin heard Mog telling him to beg, he immediately refused.

"What kind of joke is this?!!"

Uvogin sprang straight up from the ground.

"If you wanted me to help you kill someone, take something from me, or make me do something else."

"Then for the sake of delicious food, I'd accept it!!"

"But~!!"

Uvogin's face twisted ferociously. "You want me to throw away my dignity and humbly beg you?!!"

"Keep dreaming!!"

Uvogin clenched his hands, producing crisp cracking sounds.

"I'm telling you, even if I never get to eat food as delicious as this Sticky Rice Cake again."

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

Uvogin's voice was filled with absolute resolve and determination.

But to Mog's ears, those words...

Why did they sound so familiar?

And the fellow who said those words, in the end~~~

"Let's go, Machi!!"

Fuming, Uvogin grabbed Machi and pulled her straight toward Mog's door.

But just as he was about to push the door open and leave, Uvogin paused.

"The Sticky Rice Cake you gave us counts as treating us."

"There's such precious food in Meteor City, and you specifically brought it out for us to eat."

"No matter what your purpose was, at least we really did eat it."

"If you ever run into trouble you can't handle, you can come beg me!"

"I, Lord Uvogin, will never say no!!"

Bang~!!

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

Well, Mog had just told Uvogin to beg him, yet in the blink of an eye, Uvogin returned those exact words to Mog and told him to come beg instead~~~

All one could say was that he was still young. That competitive spirit...

"Really does fit an Enhancement Type personality."

Mog smiled and shook his head.

Still, there was no need to rush this sort of thing.

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

"After all, it's only 1983. The Phantom Troupe members are all still little brats. No rush, take it slow~~~"

After all, haste made waste.

Come to think of it, Mog suddenly missed mapo tofu with a bowl of rice~~~

"Once my ability rises another level, there'll be bread, and there'll be mapo tofu too..."

With that thought, Mog slowly closed his eyes again.

Around his body, the glow of Aura and Nen gradually began to coil.

Mog had experienced the benefits and functions of the Nen ability [Master Inventor].

But at the same time, he had also truly felt its expenditure of Nen and Aura.

This cheat ability was indeed powerful, but its consumption of energy was undeniably terrifying.

What Mog was considering now was how to reduce the consumption of [Inventing] as much as possible.

And the best way to reduce that consumption was none other than to use [Restriction and Vow] to add more conditions to the ability~~~