Fei Lan's death crashed into Lin Ye's heart like a boulder. But he had no time to lose himself in grief. Fei Lan's self-detonation had caused such a commotion that it had alerted almost all of District 13. The deaths of Karen and Wild Lion, along with the destruction of the Blood Hand Gang and the Wild Lion Gang, had sent even greater shock waves through the district. Countless gangs and Nen users were heading toward the abandoned factory, eager to see what had happened and who had wiped out District 13's two major gangs in a single night. More importantly, the terrifying Nen fluctuations from Fei Lan's self-detonation, together with the nascent burst of Conqueror's Haki Lin Ye had unleashed earlier, had already drawn attention he should never have attracted. Lin Ye knew very well that Meteor City never lacked people willing to prey on others in a crisis. He was badly wounded, had used up more than half his aura, and still had Lina to protect. Staying would only drag him into endless trouble. We have to leave right now. He wiped the tears from his face, took Lina's hand, and said earnestly, "Lina, let's go. We're leaving this place. We're leaving Meteor City." Lina nodded firmly, her small hand gripping his tightly, without a trace of hesitation in her eyes. "Wherever you go, I'll go too, big brother." The trust in her eyes warmed Lin Ye's heart and strengthened his resolve to protect her. Without another moment's delay, he took Lina into the sky with Geppo, avoiding the crowds rushing toward the abandoned factory as he flew swiftly toward the outskirts of Meteor City. He spread his Observation Haki to its fullest extent, sensing everything around him and avoiding every gang stronghold and patrol along the way. Meteor City was enormous, divided into dozens of districts, with tens of kilometers separating its center from its outskirts. Carrying Lina, Lin Ye flew using Sky Step for two full hours before he finally saw its boundary. An enormous, towering wall completely separated Meteor City from the outside world. Barbed wire and surveillance equipment covered the wall, and guards were stationed there to prevent its residents from freely escaping into the world beyond. But those guards were nothing in Lin Ye's eyes. Using Sky Step, he carried Lina silently over the wall from hundreds of meters above, without anyone noticing them. When his feet touched the ground outside the wall, Lin Ye turned to look back at the gray expanse of Meteor City, buried beneath mountains of garbage. This was where he had awakened after crossing into this world. Here, he had known the despair of struggling on the brink of death and shed sweat training with everything he had. Here, he had built a home with his master and Lina, and suffered wounds he would never forget for the rest of his life. He had lost much here, and gained much as well. Here, he had gone from a powerless newcomer from another world to a true Nen user, someone truly strong. Goodbye, Meteor City, Lin Ye said silently to himself. Then he turned, took Lina's hand, and walked toward the distant city without looking back. Not far beyond the wall lay Yorknew City, a border city of the Mitene Union. It was their next destination. What Lin Ye did not know was that, just as he left Meteor City, two uninvited visitors arrived at the ruins in District 13. Two men in black trench coats, their bodies marked with spider tattoos, stood beside the deep crater left by Fei Lan's self-detonation, surveying the surrounding ruins with amused interest. "Nobunaga, did you feel it? The Nen that erupted here yesterday was really interesting," said a tall man with a cross-shaped scar on his face, smiling as he deftly spun two blades between his fingers. He was Uvogin, a member of the Phantom Troupe. "Yeah, I felt it." Nobunaga narrowed his eyes as he examined the traces around them, his voice calm. "First, a large-scale attack. Then a top-tier Nen user detonated himself. Finally, there was a very unusual aura with an incredibly oppressive presence. It was faint, but terrifying." "Oh? How terrifying?" Uvogin's interest was piqued. "More overpowering than the boss's aura," Nobunaga said, a hint of seriousness entering his voice. "And I examined the traces of the fighting. One person used some very strange martial arts. His speed was absurd, and his attacks were unusual too-ranged slashes, extreme single-point penetration, and flawless evasive techniques. It didn't resemble any Nen system we've ever seen." "What's even more interesting is that the one who killed Wild Lion and Karen was a kid around eleven years old." Uvogin's eyes instantly lit up, excitement spreading across his face. "An eleven-year-old kid? And he could kill that bastard Karen? Interesting! This is too interesting! Nobunaga, let's find this kid! I want to fight him and see what he can do!" "Stop messing around." Nobunaga shook his head. "The boss sent us to Meteor City to handle supplies, not to pick fights. Besides, that kid has already left Meteor City. His presence has completely vanished. We can't find him." "Tch. How boring." Uvogin pursed his lips, his face full of disappointment. Nobunaga smiled and looked toward the outskirts of Meteor City, a glint of amusement passing through his eyes. "Still, with that kind of strength at eleven, this kid definitely won't be ordinary when he grows up. We'll run into him again sooner or later." "Next time we meet, I'm definitely going to have a proper fight with him!" Uvogin declared with a hearty laugh. As they spoke, the two turned and left the ruins, soon disappearing into the depths of the garbage mountains. The Phantom Troupe's gaze had already fallen upon Lin Ye. Meanwhile, Lin Ye was traveling along the road to Yorknew City with Lina. Outside Meteor City, the world was entirely different. Smooth roads, green trees along the roadside, buildings in the distance, and the occasional passing car-everything brimmed with life, a stark contrast to Meteor City's desolation and deathly silence. Lina leaned against the car window, gazing at the scenery outside with curiosity and delight in her eyes. She had lived in Meteor City since birth. She had never seen the outside world, never seen green trees, and never ridden in a car. Seeing the light in her eyes, Lin Ye finally smiled for the first time in what felt like ages. His master had been right. The world outside was vast. He would live well with Lina and show her the sights of this world. A few hours later, the car entered Yorknew City. It was one of the Mitene Union's most prosperous cities, and home to the world's largest underground trading market. Towering buildings rose everywhere, traffic filled the roads, pedestrians streamed through the streets, and brilliant lights shone all around. Compared with Meteor City, it was practically paradise. Lin Ye first found a hotel and booked two rooms, letting Lina get some proper rest. Then he went to a bank and deposited the Jenny he had taken from Karen and Wild Lion into a bank account. It was an astronomical sum-several billion Jenny, enough for him and Lina to live comfortably in Yorknew City for years. Once everything was settled, Lin Ye sat beside the hotel window, looking out over the bustling city as he took out Fei Lan's revolver and gently wiped it clean. His gaze became utterly resolute. There were still four years until the Hunter Exam. He had much to do in those four years. He needed to refine his abilities, fuse Haki, the Six Powers, and Nen to their fullest potential, and develop a complete fighting system of his own. He needed to find out whether anyone besides Karen had betrayed Fei Lan back then, and where those people were now. He needed to take good care of Lina, teach her Nen Abilities and the skills to defend herself, so she could live well in this world without being afraid anymore. Most importantly, he needed to prepare thoroughly for the Hunter Exam four years from now. He would take the Hunter Exam, obtain a Hunter License, and officially step onto this world's stage, meet the characters from the original story, and walk his own path. Lin Ye tightened his grip on the revolver and gazed into the distance beyond the window. Master, just watch. I'll become the kind of strong man you hoped I would be. My Gale Force Hegemony officially begins now.
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