After mooching off the Zoldyck family for seven years, I finally had the honor of participating in the Zoldyck family business's daily operations. With a sense of responsibility, I couldn't help but voice my objection to the clothes Kikyo had dressed me in for the first time.
This fluffy hem, wide headband, and layered ruffles are called Lolita in the "real world." While I admit my character design is pretty and suits Lolita, I'm not attending a tea party. I'm going on a special assignment, or rather, to kill someone. Being dressed like this makes movement incredibly inconvenient, you know?
"I don't think this is very convenient," I subtly reminded him with lip-reading.
"Girls should learn to fight elegantly and with decorum," Kikyo replied dismissively.
"..." I apologize, but I'm a pragmatist.
"This is also a challenge," Silva said. "You find the clothes cumbersome because you have too many unnecessary movements."
"..." No, Silva, you speak with the benefit of hindsight, don't you? You always wear martial arts attire, so why don't you try going out in a suit and tie for work? Otherwise, you're a hypocrite!
Recalling the original story, the only member of the Zoldyck family who fought in a kimono was Kalluto. The wide, long sleeves and the floor-length skirt that reached the ankles made it hard to imagine him running swiftly while wearing clogs.
Incidentally, Kalluto always followed Kikyo. He's the youngest son, and yes, Kalluto is male. He's probably the son who listens to Kikyo the most, right?
Fanfiction generally believes Kikyo really wanted a daughter, which is why she would dress her sons in women's clothing. Kalluto wearing women's clothing might be due to this.
Look at it this way, Lolita outfits offer much more mobility than kimonos. People in kimonos cannot perform high-difficulty movements like high kicks or splits. No, I'm not planning to do splits; this is just a metaphor.
"Yes, a challenge." Kikyo found inspiration in Silva's words. "There's no challenge without difficulty. Millus, remember, don't be a bother to your father, and don't get your clothes dirty."
Her request was within the realm of acceptability, and Silva held a similar view. Did I have any other choice but to accept the challenging task?
So, I nodded obediently and followed Silva to the helipad, where two butlers were waiting with the airship ready.
The technological tree of this world is different from the "real world." The internet is more developed than transportation. Global networking has long been achieved, but among flying transportation, even airplanes haven't been invented yet. Development has only reached the level of airships.
Speaking of which, the reason airships are less common than airplanes in the "real world" is that airships are not only slow but also exceptionally expensive to build due to their large size. Owning an airship might cost more than owning a private jet.
The Zoldyck family owns more than one private airship; this is what being exceptionally wealthy feels like.
Watching on TV is different from experiencing it firsthand. The feeling of flying in an airship for the first time is quite novel. I stood by the window, looking down at the scenery that Killua in the original story said he was tired of seeing. From this, it's evident that Killua must have taken many airship rides... and killed many people along the way.
Indeed, even with training from a young age, being able to kill as naturally as breathing at twelve years old means Killua must have extensive professional experience.
Regarding career choices, after entering society and understanding the importance of money, I can even fully grasp the saying "It's better to be poor than immoral." As long as it doesn't involve harming the innocent or deceiving the poor, I believe all professions are the same, without hierarchy or social status, simply laborers who sell their value for money, except for capitalists who possess capital and can generate money from money.
Alright, I'm currently on my way to engage in a harmful profession. However, this isn't the "real world." I secretly glanced at Silva's unusually long Boss health bar. Yes, no matter how realistic the scene setting and character modeling are, I'm actually just going to clear a dungeon and eliminate ordinary NPCs. I've done many similar things in games in the "real world," and I've even completed many "Kill Count 999" quests.
Don't forget, I've already killed two butlers; I'm no novice.
"Nervous?" Silva's voice came from not too far away.
Turning my head, I saw Silva sitting in his usual posture, his tone almost conversational.
From our limited interactions, I sensed that he is a very perceptive person. He can always see through the emotions I'm trying to hide. I don't dare to meet his sharp, beast-like pupils directly, so I control my gaze, keeping it below the tip of his nose.
Of course, Kikyo's perceptiveness is not much less than Silva's. For an ordinary person like me, trying to play clever under their noses is like showing off in front of an expert. It's truly fortunate that I can use my muteness to my advantage and avoid speaking.
Silence, playing dumb, and honesty have been my most practiced and safest principles for many years.
"..." I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"If nothing unexpected happens, it will be a very simple job," Silva said. "You just need to remain quiet, don't make any noise, follow me, and observe what I do. When your assistance is needed, I will give you instructions."
"..." I nodded.
"There's still some time until we reach our destination. You can wander around or rest," he said, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "I'll wake you when we arrive."
It seemed he intended to rest with his eyes closed. Regardless of whether he could see, I nodded at him.
This airship, as a mere mode of transportation, has no entertainment facilities and is not spacious. I had toured it within ten minutes. I'm not the type of artistic young woman who can write an essay by just looking at clouds. After watching the scenery outside the window for a while, I quickly became bored, so I sat down for a nap.
Kikyo, having been forced to rest by Silva, had pent-up energy with nowhere to release it. Moreover, she was not entirely satisfied with the results of Illumi's and my previous "Hunter Game."
"You could have done better!" she had commented.
Once the rest period was over, she began implementing the daily plan she had revised during her rest. The training load increased significantly. When I returned to my room at night, I would fall asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, but...
Don't forget, the original story mentioned training to maintain vigilance even while sleeping. With my skill [Vigilance: Level 3], I could cope before, but recently I've been too exhausted to maintain it. The effect of this repeated toil is that I've been falling asleep much faster.
With just a short doze, I drifted off.
The quiet darkness embraced me, blocking out light and sound, freeing me from my cumbersome physical form and allowing me to float outside the myriad worlds. This feeling was incredibly blissful, as sweet as death.
Yes, death is eternal slumber.
Ripples spread from within the darkness.
"..." I opened my eyes.
"Your reaction was a bit slow," Silva retracted his killing intent. "Are you not getting enough sleep?"
"..." I nodded.
"Just keep pushing, because you are my child, and I believe you can do it," Silva stood up. "Let's go, we've arrived."
His tone was casual, yet it carried an inexplicable confidence. He was probably very sure of himself.
The Zoldycks are the most renowned assassin family in this world, and he is the current head of the family. His personal strength is undoubtedly unquestionable, placing him among the world's elite. Such a person, standing at the pinnacle, doesn't need to deliberately showcase himself; his ordinary words and actions possess a special aura and power.
To use a perhaps inappropriate analogy, I feel the distance between Silva and the ordinary me is like the distance between Jack Ma and me in the "real world."
If not for our blood ties, I would likely never have had any interaction with such "people at the top" in my life.
I never expected any interaction either. I know we are people from different worlds, with different perspectives and ways of thinking, and we have no common language. There's no need to waste each other's time.
As I am now, I am merely a rabbit in wolf's clothing, pretending to be one of them, feigning conformity.
I instinctively fear him discovering my true nature, yet I constantly long for him to expose me, to kill me. What a contradictory feeling.
The hard-soled little leather shoes easily made noise when I walked. I carefully followed the training I had received, shifting my weight from my heel to my toes when the heel touched the ground, and then releasing it back to the heel, step by step, adhering to the ground silently.
Following Silva at a distance of about three to four steps, I could barely sense his presence, let alone his sound. It seemed as if he could disappear with a mere blink of an eye. I could only focus on chasing his figure with my eyes.
Silva said this job was simple. Yes, with him personally handling it, it indeed looked very simple.
I felt like a level 1 beginner entering a level 60 dungeon with a level 100 boss, watching the boss one-shotting all the NPCs along the way with normal attacks.
Due to the vast level difference, I couldn't see what he was doing at all; people in my vision were falling one after another.
In games, the experience gain is zero when the level difference exceeds 20. This certainly has a basis in reality.
Silva also said to follow him and watch what he does.
No, Silva, although you might have slowed down, I couldn't see anything. I'm too stupid. Illumi, not even six years old, knew how to discern the knack of whipping from the opponent's movements, but I couldn't.
The reason my acting skills are so superb is that I'm genuinely not very intelligent.
On this trip, I'll probably only get to experience the atmosphere, marvel at Silva's strength far exceeding my expectations, and at most, double-click "666" behind Silva, posting a bullet comment like "You're amazing, bro, ruthless ha lah shao."
I recall that according to the original setting, human strength declines with age. Even Isaac Netero, the strongest Hunter Association Chairman, had his strength reduced by half in his old age compared to his peak. Among the three heads of the Zoldyck family, Silva is in his prime. Ruling out the possibility of the Zoldycks declining generation by generation, Silva might even be the strongest Boss in the Zoldyck dungeon. My level is too low to discern his limits. Will I ever be able to defeat him in this lifetime?
"Millus."
Responding to Silva's command, a terrified bodyguard in black appeared. His companions had fallen around him, and he probably didn't expect to survive. His survival instinct drove his body, and he instinctively avoided Silva's direction, fleeing desperately towards me.
This is a hunt. A lion drives its prey, and another intercepts the prey's escape route.
The health bar represents the comprehensive manifestation of life force, stamina, and energy. The prey has no visible injuries, but he is extremely flustered, and his health bar shows about a tenth of its capacity depleted.
No need to think; the skills practiced countless times have already been ingrained into my body's natural reactions. As he brushed past me, the outcome was decided.
The residual throbbing in my palm seemed to resonate with my heart. As I crushed it, I saw his health bar reach zero and turn gray, then darker gray, gradually fading into darkness.
[Experience Points +3]
It was a brand-new text notification.
Is this my gain for this mission?
I wonder if this is a lot or a little.
While leveling up the skill [Steal Heart], I discovered the "three-second rule" of this world. Within three seconds of getting blood on your hands, quickly let go. The faster and more promptly you flick your hand, the cleaner it gets.
No wonder Killua didn't need to wash his hands after crushing someone's heart in the original story. This setting, which breaks the physical laws of the "real world," is worthy of being another world, worthy of being a game.
Despite the principle, my speed was still a bit slow, and a trace of blood remained on my hands.
"Well done, that was the last one," Silva said. "Go wash your hands first, and then we'll leave."
I rushed to the faucet as if granted a great amnesty, turning it on with my knuckles.
After rinsing my hands and waiting for the water to continue washing away the residual blood in the sink, I took out a handkerchief to dry my hands while looking in the mirror.
It is the middle of the night, and there are no lights in the room. The only illumination comes from the moonlight filtering through the window and the light reflected from the ground. However, this dimness is not much of an impediment; my night vision allows me to move freely and even see my reflection clearly in the mirror.
Biscuit, around twelve years old, still looked like a normal little girl. After adulthood, she transformed into a robust physique like Silva's.
"..." Silva, I'm worried I'll grow up to look like you. Biscuit, at least, can maintain her childlike physique temporarily with her unique Nen ability. What should I do? A life where I can't even look in the mirror would be devoid of any joy, and I would truly wish to die.
Closing the faucet with the handkerchief, I needed to meet Silva immediately. After taking a few steps, something flashed in the corner of my eye, instantly making me tense.
No, please don't. I'm most afraid of unexpected events. There's a fanfiction where the protagonist is also a member of the Zoldyck family, Killua's twin sister. On her first mission, she encountered a persistent and bizarre curse, which was extremely unlucky. The subsequent plot mainly revolved around breaking the curse, making life very unenjoyable—I definitely don't want to be that kind of protagonist!
Fortunately, my situation is different from that protagonist fighting alone. I have a powerful ally. When I encounter a situation I cannot comprehend, I will naturally call for the boss immediately.
Staying put and remaining vigilant, I lightly tapped the floor twice with my shoe tip. This is a signal indicating trouble.
As a teammate, Silva's robust physique and his boss-level health bar provide considerable security. Moreover, he appears so quickly. Before the sound of my second tap even faded, he was standing beside me.
With such speed, if I intended to harm him, by the time I raised my hand—no, before I could even raise my hand—my heart would be gone.
...Scared.
Without any need for my further actions, after his appearance, he directly followed my line of sight and walked forward.
I am unsophisticated and easily impressed. Even with a boss as a teammate, it's hard to remain calm. After all, curses are not human; they are intangible and invisible. Having a boss present might not guarantee my safety.
If a curse instantly killed me, I wouldn't mind. But if it left me alive but suffering, that would be even more painful.
My heart pounding, I followed behind Silva and couldn't help but place my hand on my chest.
There was a solid touch. When I got off the airship, I had placed the whistle inside my clothing's lining to prevent accidental damage.
This whistle necklace is beautiful and very expensive. As my final keepsake... it's not a bad deal, is it?