Maha's anger, Roy bares his blade

He closed the door behind his back.

It was 5:30 a. m.

A flash of flamboyant white hair swept past, taking everything in its path in the darkness.

He walked downstairs with his hands behind his back to the dimly lit little room.

The television was on in the small room, playing cartoons continuously. Through the closed door, the soft sound of a rocking chair swaying Youyou could be faintly heard.

As usual, Zeno gently opened the door, strolled over behind Maha, and began to massage his shoulders.

"Grandpa, you heard it too. I don't think those two, father and son, will ever give us a moment's peace, even until they die."

One is stubborn, both are stubborn. They both care about each other, but they are like two parallel lines that will never intersect, unable to stand each other.

Sometimes even looking at Zeno gives me a headache.

"Squeak~" Maha rocked the rocking chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, and snorted without opening his eyes, "How good can you and Silva be?"

Leaving Jager, the old man practically watched Zeno and Silva grow up. If you really think about it, the dirty tricks between father and son might not be any less than those between Silva and Roy!

"Children and grandchildren have their own lives; don't meddle in other people's business."

"I'm not being nosy." Zeno opened his arms and gently rubbed the old Maha's head, tracing his neck and shoulders. "I'm just a little worried. Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but these past few days when I go out, I feel like the world has suddenly become a bit incomprehensible to me."

"You've heard about that 'D11' grandpa, too. Ordinary people who take it can 'open their Nen,' and Nen users can even see a significant increase in their 'energy capacity.' It's really hard for ordinary people to resist that kind of temptation."

Maha paused, then asked, "Is Silva an ordinary person?"

The old man opened his old eyes irritably, glared at Zeno, and said, "He only lost to Roy, not to some Tom, Dick, or Harry."

You think he'll eat it?

"Grandpa, you misunderstand. I knew from the beginning that Silva wouldn't eat it," Zeno, his gaze fixed on the still-dark night outside the window. After a few seconds of silence, he voiced his true concern. "I simply felt that Roy might be being targeted!"

It's best to keep him indoors for the time being.

Maha fell silent. As people age, everything deteriorates, except experience. Even a three-year-old understands the principle that there's no such thing as a free lunch; how could Maha and Zeno not know this?

If taking medicine could open the Aura Nodes and awaken "Nen Ability," then the number of Nen users in this world wouldn't be so rare!

After finishing his sentence, Zeno stopped and continued, "Ever since Father's accident, you have forbidden me and Silva from obtaining the pass to land on the Dark Continent."

"But is it possible that if we don't go, others will come to us on their own?"

"For example, I suspect that Guzman came from the Dark Continent!"

"No doubt about it," Maha said firmly after a long silence, his gaze deep and unwavering. "It is he."

The old man couldn't even stay in his rocking chair anymore. He walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked out at the Kukuroo Mountains stretching out like an old dragon crawling on the ground, squinted, and said, "What's meant to be will be. Do you think Roy will be safe even if he doesn't go out?"

"At least Grandpa is here," Zeno said in a deep voice.

"Me?" Maha, unusually, didn't get angry. He just pinched the wound on his right hand and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "How pathetic! How laughable that the world's number one assassin family still needs a dying old man to protect it."

"I, Maha, have wasted my time raising you unfilial brats!"

"Grandpa, that's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean? Get out!"

The door creaked open, and a blast of cold air rushed in.

Maha stood by the window, his back to Zeno, and said without turning his head, "Tell Silva, Roy and Illumi, I can die, you, him, anyone can die, even..."

"The Zoldyck has been wiped out."

"Don't be a coward hiding in your shell!"

The words "One Kill A Day, Active Career" emblazoned on his chest swayed gently. Zeno stood with his hands at his sides, bowed, said "Yes," and left, his back hunched.

With a creak, the door closed, and a wisp of Nen Qi emerged from the top of Maha's head...

Betty Zoldyck, with her silver hair braided and falling to her waist, watched Zeno stagger away through the window with her bright eyes. Suddenly, she reached out a hand, pinched Maha, and glared at him, saying irritably, "Why are you getting angry with a child?"

"He was only doing it for Roy's own good,"

"That 'D11' thing is clearly mass-producing an army of 'Nen users,' all aimed at Roy,"

"What's wrong with Zeno being worried?"

"He's not wrong, but he's wrong because his surname Zoldyck," Maha turned around and looked at Betty with great seriousness. "You think it's just Roy? Me, Silva, Zeno, and even the younger ones, we're all wrong!"

"The mistake was having a son like Jager!"

Betty's delicate body trembled, and her eyes involuntarily reddened. Seeing this, Maha refrained from reaching out to comfort her, and then sighed Youyou, "A fledgling eagle that doesn't leave its parents will never grow up."

"If he can't even handle one Guzman today, I don't think he can even dream of rescuing Jager from the Dark Continent!"

"By then," Maha paused, his short stature appearing utterly desolate and forlorn in the dim light, "Let's just consider Jager our son dead."

"Whoosh~" A sudden gust of cold wind blew in from outside the window, rattling the curtains and making a "clattering" sound against the glass...

The dimly lit room fell into a deathly silence.

"Clang~" At six o'clock in the morning, the last trace of dawn on the horizon seemed to finally break through the oppression of the night and leap out of the sky, draping Kukuroo Mountain in a Rosy Garment woven from the morning glow.

After finishing breakfast, Roy handed over the task of packing his luggage and preparing for his trip to Gotoh.

After visiting Illumi, Silva, and Kikyo, he strolled to a south-facing bedroom on the first floor and noticed Luke.

As someone who frequently inflicts electric shock torture on Roy and Illumi, Luke's current identity is the Zoldyck of Milluki, the third Young Master of the Zoldyck family.

Normally, he is responsible for taking care of Milluki's food, clothing, shelter, and daily life.

For example, right now, Luke took advantage of Milluki to tidy up the clothes he had carelessly thrown around yesterday and took them to the laundry room to wash. He planned to bring them over to him along with breakfast and new clothes later. However, as soon as the man stepped out, he ran into Roy was strolling by.

"の.

Luke's eyes widened, and he froze, clutching the clothes in his arms.

Roy walked over with a smile, and as he got closer, he gave him a teasing look and said, "What, are you shocked to see me?"

"Oh... no... no, good morning, Young Master." After a brief moment of surprise, the young butler hurriedly bowed.

Clearly, he hadn't expected to appear here with Milluki.

Indeed, as the third Young Master of the Zoldyck, Milluki has already shown his...

He has "absolutely no talent" in terms of "Nen Ability".

He could even be considered an oddity, because in the entire Zoldyck, he might be the only ordinary person on Kukuroo Mountain who can't open his Aura Nodes!

Roy patted Luke's shoulder, signaling him to keep quiet, and then flashed into Milluki's bedroom, lying down on his chair while he was sleeping in a mess.

The swivel chair with a backrest, to be honest, is somewhat similar to the gaming chair from his previous life. Roy patted the armrest and scanned the entire room with interest: figurines, the Game cards, a glass shoe cabinet, a computer in front of him, and the only remaining window, which unfortunately faces north and doesn't get any sunlight. It looked like a typical shut-in room, almost exactly like the gaming room he had painstakingly built in his previous life.

In just a moment, Roy was transported back to his past life.

"How wonderful~" The Sun-Earring Boy stroked the armrest, his eyes slightly lowered, lost in memories.

Luke served him cautiously, seemingly afraid of waking Milluki or disturbing Roy. He hunched over, barely daring to breathe, until Roy had finished playing, stood up, and went outside. Only then did Luke breathe a sigh of relief, wipe the fine sweat from his forehead as if walking on thin ice, and follow Roy out quietly.

"Young Master rarely comes to Young Master Miji's Milluki. He usually doesn't let anyone touch his things without permission. He might be happy to know that Young Master is coming today~"

"Is that so?" Roy glanced at Luke with a half-smile. Knowing Milluki's nature, it was true that he knew but wouldn't dare to get angry with him. After all, he was the younger brother and Roy was the older brother.

Even if he were angry, he wouldn't do what he did in the original story: hanging up Kikyo and beating him because he was stabbed in the stomach. Of course... Kikyo deserved to be beaten too.

Luke an awkward, ingratiating smile, clearly feeling guilty.

Roy withdrew his gaze, ignoring him, and stood by the window. Finally, he turned his gaze to Milluki, who was sleeping like a log on the bed, and suddenly said, "Grandpa, you were looking for me?"

"Tap... tap..."

A series of footsteps approached from afar... suddenly coming from around the corner.

Following Roy's words, Luke was startled and glanced over; his already bent back had instantly bent even further.

Good morning, sir.

With his white hair swaying wildly, Zeno, hands clasped behind his back and back hunched, slowly emerged from the shadows.

He kept a straight face, gave a soft "hmm," and strolled over to Roy's side. He followed the Sun-Earring Boy to look at Milluki in the bedroom and snorted.

He squeaked, kicked off the blanket covering him, and after a long silence, said in a deep voice, "Your great-grandfather told me to tell you that when you're out in the world, anyone can die, including him, but you can't stay at home like a coward."

"Does Milluki count?" Roy suddenly pointed to the sleeping pig on the bed. "Grandpa, I'm reporting him for always being a coward at home."

Zeno:

He glared at her. "Don't be ridiculous."

Roy chuckled, his gaze softening as he looked at Milluki sleeping soundly, and said softly, "Grandpa, you know what? Sometimes, I really envy Milluki."

What's there to envy?

"I envy him for being short and ordinary," the Sun-Earring Boy turned his head, looking intently at the silent Zeno. "Because he's ordinary, no one will care what he does. And because he's ordinary, he can do whatever he wants, without worrying about the sky falling down, after all—"

"In the end, there will always be a tall guy to hold him up."

Zeno's eyes flickered. "You knew everything?"

Roy spread his hands, saying helplessly, "There's nothing I can do, I don't know. Who told me my [circle] is superior to yours?"

It's hard not to hear it.

"You brat, are you showing off?" Zeno blew his white beard and glanced sideways at Roy.

Roy chuckled, leaned closer, and suddenly reached out to grasp Zeno's shoulders, his face close to Zeno's. His smile faded, and he whispered softly in Zeno's ear, "Grandpa, in our family, I'm the tall one."

"In the past, you, Father, and Great-Grandfather protected me, and now,"

The Sun-Earring Boy's gaze was firm, and he said solemnly, "It's my turn to protect this family!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a surge of Nen Qi erupted from Roy's crown with a loud "boom!"

In an instant, the world lost its color, and the entire Ancient Castle shook violently!

[Eight Inner Gates], open!

The surging youth collided with the leaping sunrise, and ignited by a True Fire, it spread across the land, illuminating the hearts of Silva and Maha.

With a "whoosh," the curtains on the second floor of the Ancient Castle were suddenly pulled open, revealing Silva's chiseled face!

"Creak~" On the first floor of the Ancient Castle, the rocking chair stopped rocking. Maha, who was lost in thought, grinned and revealed a relieved smile.

At that moment, the darkness receded, the sky turned azure, and the clouds drifted and dispersed. In an instant...

Only Zeno remained, standing blankly in front of Roy, feeling the powerful Nen Qi pushing him backward step by step, leaving two deep marks on the stone floor with his feet.

It wasn't until much later that he came to his senses, staring blankly at Roy and saying, "You've gotten stronger again."

Should I say I'm relieved? Yes, I am. Should I say I'm conflicted? My heart is conflicted... But at this moment, even though he was pushed against the wall and was about to break the window and fall over the wall, Zeno was happy and joyful. He couldn't help but smile, a rare occurrence, on his lips, almost like Maha.

Grandpa was right. The Zoldyck's offspring can only die standing, not live humiliated. "I was worrying too much."

"No," the thought stopped, the wind ceased, and two deep ravines appeared. Roy, with a thought, shut off the [Gate of Opening], faced Zeno, opened his mouth, revealing two rows of white teeth. "Grandpa's worries are normal, but..."

"I'm different now."

Having said that, the Sun-Earring Boy turned and left, without taking a single cloud with him...

"You just stay home and wait for me, I'm going out to beat him to death!"

D11? Guzman Roy strode away, his eyes sharp and piercing!

Then, that evening, carrying the Gotoh and his luggage, he threw them into the [Sumeru Mustard Seed] and embarked on the road down the mountain.

"Young Master, are you going out?"

At six o'clock in the evening, in Testing Gate, Kurapika, with golden hair draped over his shoulders, was asking about body tempering techniques from Zee. Hearing the noise coming from the mountain path, he peeked out and met Roy's gaze.

Roy didn't answer, but strolled over. As he drew nearer, he reached out and patted the Sun-Earring Boy's head, smiling slightly. "Yes, go out, kill someone, maybe,"

"It's a group, we just happened to be passing by and decided to meet you."

"Employer."