In the lounge at the Hunter Association headquarters, Lin Ye held his newly issued Hunter License, his fingertips lightly tracing the patterns on its surface. The black card bore his photograph, identification number, and the Hunter Association's golden emblem. It felt solid and substantial, representing the highest privileges and qualifications this world had to offer. He had finally done it. He had fulfilled his master Fei Lan's dying wish, obtained his Hunter License, and become an official Hunter. More than two years had passed since he woke up in a pile of corpses in Meteor City. In that time, he had grown from a helpless transmigrator into a genuine Nen user and a Hunter. Every battle, every struggle, every step of his growth flashed through his mind. Fei Lan's smile, Lina waiting for him, the companionship of his friends, and the enemies who had died along the way had all become the deepest marks on his path of Gale Force Hegemony. "Lin Ye, what are you spacing out for?" Leorio's voice came from the doorway. Lin Ye looked up to see Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio walking in together. All three held their own Hunter Licenses, their faces bright with excitement, though a hint of heaviness lingered. What had happened to Killua still weighed on everyone's hearts like a stone. "Nothing. Just thinking about a few things." Lin Ye smiled and put away his Hunter License. "You all got your licenses?" "We did!" Leorio raised his license, his face full of excitement. "I'm finally a Hunter! Now I can easily cover medical school tuition and all those expensive medical reference books!" Kurapika nodded as well, but his eyes turned cold as he looked at the license in his hand. "With a Hunter License, I can use the Hunter Association's intelligence network to track down the Phantom Troupe." The blood debt owed to the Kurta Clan was an obsession he could never let go of. Now, at last, he had the qualifications to pursue his enemies. Gon sat beside Lin Ye, clutching his Hunter License tightly, but there was no excitement in him at all. He lowered his head and murmured, "Killua... should have gotten his license too. It's all because of Illumi. He did this to Killua." The atmosphere in the room grew heavy again. Lin Ye patted Gon's shoulder and said earnestly, "Gon, don't be sad. Killua was being controlled by Illumi's psychological suggestion. He didn't truly want to kill anyone, and he didn't truly want to return to the Zoldyck Family. What we need to do now is go to the Zoldyck Family, bring him back, and let him make his own choice." "Exactly!" Leorio immediately nodded. "So what if they're the Zoldyck Family? With all four of us going together, why should we be afraid of them? We're bringing Killua back, no matter what!" Kurapika nodded too and said solemnly, "I agree. Killua is our friend. We can't just abandon him. I'll go with you." Gon raised his head and looked at the friends beside him. He finally held back his tears and nodded firmly, his eyes filled with resolve. "Okay! We'll go to the Zoldyck Family together and bring Killua back!" They immediately began discussing their travel plans. The Zoldyck Family lived on Kukuroo Mountain in the Republic of Padokea, a long way from here. They would have to take an airship to the Republic of Padokea first, then travel to Kukuroo Mountain. "I checked. There's an airship to the Republic of Padokea in three days," Kurapika told them, holding a tablet. "We can take that one." "Okay! Then we leave in three days!" Gon said at once, a smile finally returning to his face. Lin Ye looked at them, however, and shook his head. "You three go ahead. I'll join you a few days later." They all froze for a moment, looking at him in confusion. "Lin Ye, aren't you coming?" "I am, of course." Lin Ye smiled. "But I need to return to Yorknew City first. Lina is still waiting for me there. I need to see her and make sure she's safe, and I have to follow up on the leads about Morin. Once I've taken care of those things, I'll head straight to the Republic of Padokea and meet up with you." Understanding dawned on them, and they nodded. They all knew that Lin Ye had a younger sister in Yorknew City, as well as an enemy who had betrayed his master years ago and whom he needed to deal with. "Okay. Then the three of us will go ahead and wait for you in a border city in the Republic of Padokea," Gon said earnestly. "Make sure you come soon. We'll wait for you so we can rescue Killua together." "Don't worry. I'll meet up with you in a week at most." Lin Ye smiled and nodded. "You three go ahead, but be careful. The Zoldyck Family's home is no ordinary place. Don't act rashly. Wait until I arrive, and then we'll work out a plan together." "Got it!" they answered in unison. Their plans were settled. Over the next three days, they stayed at the Hunter Association headquarters, completed the procedures related to their Hunter Licenses, familiarized themselves with their various privileges, and prepared for the trip to the Zoldyck Family. Lin Ye used the Hunter Association's intelligence network to look into Morin and the Phantom Troupe's movements. Sure enough, the information matched what Lina had found. Morin had joined the Phantom Troupe as an intelligence operative on its outer fringes. He would be moving with its members during the Underground Auction in Yorknew City in half a month. Lin Ye also discovered that Morin had been the true mastermind behind the betrayal of Fei Lan's team all those years ago. Morin had been the first to collude with Karen and the Blood Hand Gang, leaking Fei Lan's route and single-handedly planning the ambush that killed two of Fei Lan's brothers and ruined his life. Karen had merely carried it out. Morin was the real mastermind behind the scenes. As Lin Ye read the intelligence, he clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. Master, rest assured. I'll settle the score with Morin myself. The suffering you endured and the deaths of my two uncles-I'll make him pay for it all, with interest. Three days later, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio boarded the airship bound for the Republic of Padokea. Lin Ye saw them off at the airport, having agreed to meet them there. After sending the three on their way, Lin Ye boarded an airship to Yorknew City. A few hours later, the airship landed at Yorknew City's airport. As soon as Lin Ye emerged, he spotted Lina waiting at the exit. The fourteen-year-old girl stood gracefully among the crowd in a white dress, her expression gentle. The moment she saw Lin Ye, her eyes lit up. She immediately ran over and threw herself into his arms. "Brother! You're back!" Lina's voice was filled with longing and joy. "I'm back, Lina." Lin Ye smiled and hugged her, patting her back as warmth filled his heart. During the month and more he had been away, Lina's safety had been his greatest concern. Now that he saw she was safe and sound, he could finally breathe easy. They returned to the apartment together, and Lina prepared a table full of his favorite dishes, just as she had countless times before when she waited for him to return from training so they could eat together. Over dinner, Lin Ye told Lina what had happened during the Hunter Exam. He told her about Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua, about obtaining his Hunter License, and about his plan to leave for the Republic of Padokea in three days to join his friends and rescue Killua. Lina listened quietly, occasionally placing food on his plate. When he finished, she said earnestly, "Brother, go without worrying about me. I'll take good care of myself in Yorknew City. Nothing will happen to me. I'll keep following the leads on Morin, and when you come back, we'll go find him together." Seeing how understanding Lina was warmed Lin Ye's heart. He nodded. "Okay. While I'm away, make sure you stay safe. Don't get involved with Morin, and don't go near the Underground Auction area. It's too dangerous there. Once I'm back, we'll deal with it together." "I know, Brother." Lina immediately nodded. Over the next few days, Lin Ye spent time with Lina, taking her around Yorknew City and buying her plenty of things while also preparing for his trip to the Republic of Padokea. He carefully inspected Fei Lan's Revolver and his own Samurai Sword, putting all his equipment in order. He also used the privileges granted by his Hunter License to arrange sufficient security for Lina, ensuring that she would be completely safe while he was away. Five days later, Lin Ye packed his bags and prepared to leave for the Republic of Padokea. Before his departure, Lina handed him a new Communicator and said earnestly, "Brother, I modified this Communicator myself. Even in the mountains of the Republic of Padokea, you'll still be able to contact me. It also has a tracker I made, so I can find you wherever you are. Please stay safe and come back soon." "Okay." Lin Ye took the Communicator and tucked it close to his body. He ruffled Lina's hair and said with a smile, "Don't worry. I'll be back soon. When I return, we'll settle things with Morin together." With that, Lin Ye turned and boarded the airship bound for the Republic of Padokea. The airship slowly lifted off and soared into the clouds. Standing beside a window, Lin Ye watched Yorknew City shrink below him, then turned his resolute gaze toward the distance. The Republic of Padokea, Kukuroo Mountain, the Zoldyck Family. He was going there to bring back his friend. And he knew that once he returned from the Zoldyck Family, Heavens Arena and Yorknew City's Underground Auction awaited him, along with a direct clash with the Phantom Troupe. His master's old grudge and the blood debt owed to Kurapika's entire clan would both be settled in Yorknew City. His Gale Force Hegemony had only just begun.
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