Yorknew City's neon lights were like colored ink splashed across black velvet, bleeding into mottled patches on the apartment's floor-to-ceiling windows. The city still bustled late into the night. Faint horns rose from the traffic below, mingling with soft songs from a distant bar, yet none of it disturbed the apartment's tranquility. The rich aroma of tomato-braised beef brisket drifted from the kitchen. Lina wore a cotton apron washed nearly white, fine specks of flour clinging to the ends of her hair. The clay pot gave a gentle burble as she stirred it with a wooden spoon. Through the rising steam, warm yellow light softened her profile, lending even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes a tender air. Lin Ye leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the gold-stamped edge of his Hunter License. The palm-sized metal card still bore dents from the Hunter Exam. He had earned it by stepping over the bodies of more than twenty competitors, taking three of Hisoka's Nen Slashes head-on, and enduring Chairman Netero's trial. It was more than a symbol of his status as a hunter. It was his first foothold in this unfamiliar world, the foundation that would let him protect Lina and avenge Fei Lan. In the photograph on the license, his eyes still held Meteor City's distinctive hardness and wariness, his jaw taut. Looking down at it now, however, that hardness had gained a gentleness warmed into being by Lina, along with a deeper concern for his companions. "Hey, big brother, what are you spacing out for? Have some more soup. The instant meals on the airship are all freeze-dried. They're practically inedible, so you need to eat well before the trip." Lina turned and smiled at him, her eyes curving. With her wooden spoon, she added two more pieces of tender brisket to his bowl. Broth slid over the porcelain rim and dripped onto her apron, but she paid it no mind, merely wiping it away with her sleeve. This tomato-braised beef brisket was the flavor Lin Ye had craved most in Meteor City. Back then, he had been only eight, scraping out a living in the dumps with Fei Lan. Expired canned food was the height of luxury. The sweet tang of tomatoes and the rich aroma of beef were indulgences he could only dream of. Once, Fei Lan had risked his life to scavenge half a rotten tomato and a small piece of foul-smelling beef from an abandoned restaurant, then cooked them into a pot of murky soup. Lin Ye had remembered that taste for more than a decade. Now Lina always managed to recreate the flavor in his memory with uncanny precision, making it even richer than before. Every mouthful carried the warmth of home, driving away the chill embedded in his bones. "I know." Lin Ye took the porcelain bowl. Its warmth traveled from his fingertips straight into his heart, firmly easing the ache stirred by his approaching departure. He lowered his head and ate his rice. The grains had soaked up the tomato broth, sweet and tangy, while the brisket melted in his mouth, even its tendons soft and steeped in flavor. He listened as Lina fussed over him, her voice full of worry despite her effort to sound strong. "I've modified the Communicator and added an anti-interference module. It'll pinpoint your location even deep in Padokea's mountains. If you're in danger, press the emergency button immediately. I'll contact the local Hunter Association right away, and if that doesn't work, I'll come find you. And I'm keeping an eye on Morin. He's been getting close to people from the Underground Auction lately, making secret deals all the time. I haven't tipped him off. I've just recorded his transactions. When you get back, we'll settle everything together. We can't let Master Fei Lan have died for nothing." "Stay away from those people." Lin Ye set down his bowl and chopsticks and reached out to ruffle her hair. His voice grew graver, but his touch remained light, afraid of hurting her. "The Underground Auction runs too deep. The Phantom Troupe might be watching from the shadows, too. Those people kill without blinking. It's too dangerous for you alone. I've set Nen traps around the apartment and arranged for people from the Hunter Association to protect you discreetly. Stay here and practice Star Thread regularly. Until I come back, don't take a single step outside the front door. Understand?" Lina paused, tightening her fingers around the corner of her apron until her knuckles paled. A flicker of reluctance passed through her eyes, but she nodded firmly all the same. Her voice held a barely perceptible catch. "I know, big brother. I won't cause you trouble. I'll train hard, and when you come back, I'll be able to help you fight the Phantom Troupe and protect everything we want to protect. You have to come back safely. I'll be waiting." There was no fear in her eyes, only the same resolve Lin Ye possessed. Watching her, he remembered what Fei Lan had said while gripping his hand before he died: "Protecting her doesn't mean hiding her behind you. It means giving her the strength to stand beside you." Lina's Star Thread had improved rapidly lately. It could already extend three kilometers, precisely detect the presence of Nen users, and even perform simple attacks and defenses under her control. Yet he still could not bear to let her face danger. The bloodstains of Yorknew City had yet to fade. The Phantom Troupe's shadow still loomed overhead. Fei Lan remained unavenged, and Kurapika's blood debt remained unpaid. He had to gather his companions first and hone his abilities until he was strong enough. Only then could he take Lina with him to truly confront that darkness and give her a secure future. After dinner, Lin Ye returned to his room and closed the door. It was sparsely furnished, with only a bed and a desk. An old dagger Fei Lan had left him hung on the wall beside a map of Meteor City he had drawn himself. Red marks indicated the places where members of their old squad had fallen. Each mark was a scar carved into his heart. He opened the wardrobe, took out his equipment, and laid it on the desk, inspecting each piece carefully. The revolver was Lone Wolf, the gun Fei Lan had used back then. A shallow groove marked its frame, left by a stray bullet when their squad ambushed peripheral members of the Phantom Troupe. Lin Ye had repeatedly refined the gun with Nen, and it still gleamed with a cold metallic luster. Its cylinder was loaded with Nen-infused bullets, each capable of piercing an ordinary Nen user's defenses. The Samurai Sword was something he had found in an abandoned arms factory in Meteor City. Its blade had originally been covered in rust, but he had gradually polished it smooth with Nen. Its edge was razor-sharp, capable of slicing through steel with ease. Black strips of cloth wrapped its sheath, wound there by his own hands and still stained with blood from his battles in Meteor City. There were also his Hunter License, the Communicator Lina had given him, several emergency Nen recovery potions, and a packet of compressed biscuits. He checked every item three times to ensure nothing was wrong. He tucked the revolver into the back of his waistband, concealing it beneath his trench coat with only a sliver of its grip exposed, and slung the Samurai Sword diagonally across his back. The sheath rested against him, offering a faint sense of security. His fingertips traced Lone Wolf's frame one last time. He could almost feel the warmth of Fei Lan's palm, almost hear his old admonition: "Lin Ye, stay alive. Get stronger. Don't let hatred consume you. Protect the people you want to protect." Fei Lan's death, the blood debt owed to Kurapika's entire clan, the hopes the Phantom Troupe had crushed in Meteor City, the companions who had struggled alongside him in the dumps only to die in the end-he would make them pay for every last one. But he could not rush now. First, he had to go to Padokea, to Kukuroo Mountain, bring Killua out of that cold Assassin Family, and reunite with Gon. Only by coming together and supporting one another could the three of them grow stronger step by step and gain the confidence to face the Phantom Troupe's threat. Five days later, as dawn was just breaking, the wind at the Airship Port carried a damp, salty scent. It whipped Lin Ye's black trench coat into snapping folds, lifting its hem to reveal Lone Wolf's grip at his back. Lina stood at the boarding gate, clutching the Communicator. Her eyes were red, but she fought back her tears, her lashes trembling gently. Her voice was slightly hoarse. "Big brother, be careful on the way. Eat on time, and don't wear yourself out. If you're in danger, contact me immediately. I'll be waiting for you to come home." "Mm." Lin Ye took the Communicator and tucked it close to his body. Its cold metal casing rested against his chest, as though carrying Lina's concern. He ruffled her hair one last time, then brushed his fingertips gently over her cheek, wiping away the tears gathering at the corner of her eye. His voice was soft but firm. "Don't worry. I'll come back. Wait for me." With that, he turned and boarded the airship without looking back. He was afraid that seeing Lina's eyes would make him stay. The boarding stairs slowly retracted, and the airship rose into the sky. Standing beside a window, Lin Ye watched Yorknew City shrink beneath him. Lina's figure dwindled to a tiny point of light, then vanished into the morning mist. The softness in his heart gradually gave way to a fierce resolve-the resilience he had brought out of Meteor City, the edge honed through countless battles, the determination to reach his companions. There were few passengers aboard the airship. Most were merchants traveling to Padokea to trade in ore. Wearing expensive suits and carrying briefcases, they conversed in low voices, every word steeped in calculations of profit. A few wary bounty hunters were aboard as well, dressed in close-fitting black outfits and holding weapons. Their cold eyes swept over the other passengers from time to time, clearly on guard against something. Lin Ye found a window seat and closed his eyes. Ignoring the noise around him, he immediately employed Ten. His aura slowly spread over his skin like a thin veil, shutting out the surrounding clamor and chaotic presences while concealing his own Nen fluctuations. He could clearly sense every person around him. The merchants' aura was muddy and weak, filled with worldly greed, without the slightest trace of Nen. The bounty hunters' aura carried a wary edge, but their Nen fluctuations were disorderly. They were clearly only ordinary Nen users. There was also a man sitting in a rear corner whose aura was steady as a deep pool and exceptionally well concealed. If Lin Ye's ability to sense Nen had not far exceeded that of most people, he would never have noticed him. The man was clearly a veteran Nen user, and the intense killing intent clinging to him suggested he was most likely an assassin traveling to Padokea on a job. "Kid, let me have a look at your Hunter License." The man suddenly stood and approached Lin Ye, step by step. His footsteps were light, yet they carried an invisible pressure. He toyed with a dagger whose edge glimmered a ghostly blue, clearly coated in poison. His eyes held provocation and contempt. "You look pretty young. A rookie who just got his Hunter License, right? And you dare go to Padokea alone? The beasts there are a lot fiercer than the examiners in the Hunter Exam. Plenty of outlaws, too. With that scrawny little body, you probably won't make it out of Kukuroo Mountain." Lin Ye did not open his eyes or so much as move. He activated Zetsu in an instant, drawing all his aura into his body. Like a drop of water merging with the sea, his presence vanished without a trace. The man stopped short, his expression changing abruptly. Contempt gave way to shock. He could no longer sense Lin Ye's aura at all. It was as though the person sitting there had only ever been an ordinary boy without a trace of Nen. Yet he had clearly sensed the boy's steady Nen fluctuations just moments earlier. He was no ordinary person. "Get lost." Lin Ye's voice was quiet and utterly level, yet it carried an unquestionable chill and an invisible pressure. It was the intimidating presence emitted by the special aura within him. Even without deliberately activating it, it was enough to strike fear into ordinary Nen users. The man's face alternately darkened and paled, his shock turning to humiliated anger. He tightened his grip on the dagger, wanting to lash out, but the invisible pressure grew stronger and stronger, stiffening his body and eroding his confidence. He had no idea how powerful this boy truly was. After a moment's hesitation, he finally turned away in frustration and returned to his seat. Resentment filled his eyes, but he no longer dared provoke Lin Ye lightly. Lin Ye opened his eyes again and looked out at the sea of clouds. They were heavy as slabs of lead, piled layer upon layer. Sunlight slipped through the gaps in scattered flecks of gold, illuminating the resolve in his eyes. Padokea lay beyond those dense clouds. There waited the shadow of Kukuroo Mountain, the cage imprisoning Killua, and the Zoldyck Family's killing intent, but also the starting point of his reunion with his companions. He drew a deep breath and employed Ren again. Aura flowed slowly through his body like a gentle stream, nourishing every inch of muscle and repairing old injuries from the Hunter Exam. During the exam, his special defensive aura, Armament Haki, had only been able to cover parts of his body. The embryonic form of his penetrating aura, Ryuo, had also been unstable, often leaking aura. His attack-predicting perception, Observation Haki, had only triggered occasionally, beyond his conscious control. Now he needed to use his time aboard the airship to make those abilities more solid and master Ten, Zetsu, and Ren. Only by becoming strong enough could he protect Gon at the Zoldyck Family's estate, take Killua away, and face the unknown dangers ahead. The airship's engines rumbled low as it passed through the dense clouds toward the Republic of Padokea. Lin Ye leaned against his seat and closed his eyes. Fei Lan's face flashed through his mind, followed by Lina's smile, Gon's clear and resolute gaze, the struggle hidden beneath Killua's indifference, and the cold faces of the Phantom Troupe's members. His path to becoming truly powerful had only just begun. This time, he would lose no one else. He would never again let his companions fall into danger. He would lead them through every obstacle, unleash their own Gale Force with their strength, and pierce all the darkness with their edge.
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