Back then, I was young and didn't know that the three-day holiday granted by Silva had already been marked with a price.
Ashiba!
After the holiday, Silva threw me and Illumi directly into the world's largest garbage dump – Meteor City.
I understood why Kikyo was so reluctant to part with us the day we left.
Turns out, this farewell was forever! (Laughs)
Well, at least it avoided the worst-case scenario of being punished by Kikyo at home and then going to Meteor City.
Anyway, I had no choice. Whatever the Zoldyck family arranged, I had to follow.
If your boss asks you to go on a business trip to Africa, you can still refuse by quitting. But in the Zoldyck family business, you have no right to refuse.
Because the former relies on contracts, and contracts can be broken.
The latter relies on blood ties, and blood ties cannot be changed.
Regarding the matter of a long-term business trip, I wasn't entirely unprepared. According to the original work and fan deductions, the age of six is an important milestone for the Zoldyck family in cultivating their descendants. The Zoldycks generally send their children to specific dungeons for a year or two of training when they turn six. The two most common dungeons are the Heavens Arena and Meteor City.
In the original work, the dungeon Zoldyck arranged for Killua was the Heavens Arena, where he progressed through challenges in a battle arena format, constantly leveling up. Each successful challenge came with monetary rewards, and later, free limited-time accommodation. Killua eventually earned a total of two hundred million Jenny in prize money in the Heavens Arena, which he spent entirely on snacks. He lived quite well.
The Meteor City dungeon, however, was far worse. It was located in a desert, in a country officially recorded as an "uninhabited zone." For 1500 years, it had been treated as the world's garbage dump, where everything people didn't want was discarded. Although I don't know how the original inhabitants managed to survive, according to the original work, over eight million people lived there, sustaining themselves by collecting and recycling waste, along with mutually beneficial cooperation with the mafia.
The original work didn't specify which dungeon Illumi went to at age six. Fanfiction is divided into two camps: one believes Illumi also went to the Heavens Arena, while the other believes that as the eldest son, Illumi should have gone to the harsher environment of Meteor City. As for me, I think the reason might be "teaming up with me" that made it necessary for the Zoldycks to choose a more difficult dungeon.
No, why must Illumi bring me along?
Why wasn't I arranged to go to the Heavens Arena when I was six?
Why do I have to wait until Illumi is six years old to go through a dungeon with him?
Thinking about it, I probably suffered because of "I'm mute." Can this be considered special care from the Zoldycks?
Judging from the Zoldycks' business dealings in the original work, when faced with difficult tasks, they decisively choose teamwork and do not advocate for solo combat.
That's right, they are in business, not a suicide squad. They pursue stability in their actions and don't joke with their lives.
Before we left, Silva took all of me and Illumi's personal belongings, saying he would keep them safe, except for...
"..." I clutched the whistle around my neck, reluctant to hand it over.
Just as some people can't sleep without their pillows, I was accustomed to the presence of the whistle. When my neck felt empty, I felt a sense of void.
"Then you must take good care of it yourself," Silva didn't force the issue, merely offering advice. "Treasures will inevitably bring misfortune. You need to remain strong."
The Zoldyck family has a limited number of members, few enough to count on two hands. The death of even one person is a significant loss. Therefore, it is said that they send people to observe secretly, ensuring their precious children don't die in the arranged game dungeons.
However, there are always exceptions. I need misfortune. If I seize this opportunity and unfortunately perish... if the cause of death is to shield the Zoldyck family's eldest son, that would be even more perfect. It would fulfill my wish and repay the Zoldycks for raising me. This game ending feels pretty good.
"Illumi, take good care of your sister," Silva said, patting my head. "Live together. There's no time limit this time. When the time is right, we will naturally bring you back."
"Okay," Illumi nodded. "If I can take good care of my sister, can I also take care of my future brothers?"
Considering Killua's terrified attitude towards Illumi in the original work, I believe Illumi's definition of "taking care of" is definitely not the same as mine.
Apologies, but I cannot accept such a favor. I'd better focus on how to attract misfortune and trigger the game ending at the appropriate time.
"We'll see," Silva neither affirmed nor denied, using a cunning, vague answer typical of "pie in the sky" promises.
As a veteran corporate slave, I'm already desensitized and completely immune to this employee motivation technique commonly used by superiors in the workplace. Unfortunately, Illumi is ultimately a child with an immature mind. He was successfully incited and showed a rare smile. In the original work, his smiles mostly stemmed from certain "evil intentions" that are difficult for ordinary people to understand, which truly sent shivers down my spine.
Ashiba, this is a demon. Silva, you've awakened a demon.
You've been a father for six years, no, seven years. Haven't you yet understood your own son's hidden wickedness?
In that regard, Silva, I truly doubt if Illumi is your biological son. If Illumi had half your normalcy, he wouldn't have become a pervert worse than Hisoka when he grew up.
[Alertness: Level 4]
No way, my skill level actually went up by one? It's probably because of Illumi's terrifying smile that my sense of crisis instantly exploded?
Having an Illumi (6 years old) with a partially awakened demon by my side is already difficult enough. What's more deadly is that the Meteor City dungeon also has a notorious dangerous specialty – the highly popular villain from the original work, the extremely evil bandit group known as the "Phantom Troupe."
According to the original setting, the leader of the group, Chrollo Lucilfer, established the group when he was 13 years old. The current Chrollo is about 8 years old, still a long way from establishing the group. His companions likely haven't gathered much, and he probably doesn't have Nen abilities yet, making his strength limited and the danger level not too high.
I'll try my best to avoid encountering Chrollo and his future companions. In the original work, Illumi mentioned that he knew Hisoka longer than he knew Chrollo. A little calculation reveals that this was close to the start of the main plot of the original work, when Illumi was about 24 years old.
If I were to encounter Chrollo and his group at this stage, this meeting eighteen years early might create an unforeseen butterfly effect, making the future chaotic and unpredictable.
I can only take it one step at a time. If I see characters who appear to be members of the Phantom Troupe, I'll steer Illumi away.
Fortunately, Illumi's character setting is that he firmly believes he doesn't need to make friends. Therefore, in the future, besides Hisoka, with whom he can occasionally cooperate to cause trouble, he has no close relationships with anyone else. He's a socially withdrawn person. That's good, very good!
"We've arrived," Silva said, pulling open the airship's hatch.
The wind that rushed into the airship wasn't as strong as when the airplane hatch opened in movies because the airship had already descended, minimizing the air pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cabin. I placed the whistle in the innermost layer of my clothes and stood by the hatch. I saw crows flying not far below, and countless piles of garbage forming small mountains, exactly as depicted in the original work.
Alas, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
As the airship reached its lowest point, Illumi and I leaped out. Using the buffer of the garbage mountain peak, we officially stepped into the Meteor City dungeon.