My goldfish died.
Illumi had left the Zoldyck Family Estate two days prior on a mission, so he was not involved and therefore cleared of suspicion.
Goldfish are not easy to keep alive. I killed two in the "real world"—the first time due to inexperience, the second out of stubbornness. This third time, it was out of disbelief.
It seems some things, especially bad things, don't change even when you switch worlds.
Rabbits are easier to care for. The bunny is very familiar with me; it follows me whenever it sees me.
The "Pets" category in my game backpack can still only hold New Orleans.
Much effort is still needed.
Alluka has started learning to walk. She takes a few wobbly steps before falling unsteadily into my arms. A soft, silver-haired little fluffball, radiating a baby-like scent. Her fluffy little head feels amazing to pet.
My health bar is empty. I've been instantly killed.
Alluka, Mommy loves you.jpg
With such a cute younger sibling at home, it's like having a beautiful wife at home. I really don't want to go out on missions.
No, I can't. Illumi is so proactive with his missions, he must have accumulated a lot of experience points (and money). I can't fall behind. Those who fall behind get beaten; they get bullied.
After a jolt of electric therapy to force calmness, I went out again, this time with Zeno.
The reason was that Illumi had already cleared all the single-player, low-level dungeons suitable for beginner Nen users. He truly lives up to the Zoldyck reputation for internal competition.
Damn Illumi. He's been a workaholic since childhood. He's not human. He can't be called human. He's an old pervert.
Or rather, ninety percent of my life's stress and anxiety stems from Illumi.
Thanks to Illumi, I wake up at five in the morning every day due to anxiety, much like in the "real world." I often wake up suddenly around five-something. If I'm too sleepy, I'll sleep a bit longer; otherwise, I get up and turn on my computer.
Once I became more skilled as an assassin, I discovered the best part of this job is the simple and singular evaluation standard. The vast majority of commissions only require "X must die," without questioning the process or limiting the means. Once the target is dead, I get paid. It's straightforward, without any feedback, revision suggestions, or "I think this way" comments.
Every time I submitted something I'd made in the "real world," the waiting time for feedback was particularly agonizing. I could never guess what kind of suggestions they would have.
Sometimes, their suggestions meant I had to redo everything, which infuriated me countless times, making me want to smash my keyboard.
Although the Killua in the original work disliked the assassin profession, for me, being able to earn money while standing rather than kneeling, not having to redo work, not having to curry favor with people, having a reputable company background, my boss being my own father, provided meals and accommodation, flexible working hours, and earning amounts that ordinary people could never reach in a lifetime—it was practically paradise.
What is the best possible outcome for ordinary people who study hard and obtain higher education, if not becoming a cog in a reputable company?
The feeling of being born in Rome is love, love, love.
When Zeno was explaining the background story of the dungeon, I thought, no wonder the Zoldycks always complete their missions. They know exactly which commissions are easy to accept and which are difficult. They can accurately estimate the dungeon level before starting. It's like how a renowned doctor has a principle of not accepting patients who appear untreatable, cunningly avoiding risks that could affect their career.
Oh, none of that matters. What matters is that there are Nen users in the dungeon, and I want to see Grandpa's cool dragon summoning and watch the "Dragon Head Play" performance up close.
They don't popularize snacking on melon seeds and peanuts here, so I put popcorn in my game backpack. It comes in caramel, chocolate, butter, strawberry, and lemon flavors.
Come on, Grandpa, I'm ready!
"Meurs, you'll distract him. Just buy us time," Grandpa decided we would split up.
Oh, I see.
I nodded and asked what would happen if I accidentally killed the opponent—not that it meant anything, it's just that such lines are common in combat animations. It’s all about looking cool.
"Do as you please," Zeno said, a slight smile forming on his lips.
Really? What boss wouldn't like an enthusiastic subordinate?
The terms "distract" and "buy time" likely imply that the opponent is of a level that is not easy for me to defeat, but not impossible either. Wow, what a great leveling target. Thinking about the experience points I'll gain after defeating him makes me eager.
The Killua in the original work would retreat when encountering strong enemies after being hit by Illumi's needle in the head. That's good; I don't have that symptom. I'm excited, my emotions are soaring. Besides, I examine myself three times a day—morning, noon, and night—and I haven't found anything abnormal. I'm sure I haven't been needled.
[Daily Quest]
[Quest Name: This Road Leads Nowhere]
[Quest Objective: Eliminate the enemies blocking the path]
What is the biggest change after becoming a "Nen user"?
It's that all non-Nen users can be uniformly classified as "fodder."
Fodder with weapons have slightly higher attack power than fodder without weapons, but that's not a problem. They can be eliminated before they use their weapons.
Sneak up and assassinate fodder. A normal attack to a vital point will instantly kill them. You don't even need "Nen."
In the darkness, I transform my hands into claws and reduce one blood bar after another to zero.
[Experience Points +1]
[Experience Points +1]
[Experience Points +1]
[Experience Points +1]
[Experience Points +1]
[Experience Points +1]
After becoming a "Nen user," the experience points from fodder have dropped from 3 to 1. It's really not enough to be impressive. The only advantage is that the visual effect of the experience points listed vertically in a column looks good, reminding me that I am currently in an unstoppable rampage.
*Click.*
The sound wasn't made by me, nor by the fodder lying on the ground. It was made by the "he" Zeno mentioned, pressing a switch. He wasn't alone, but the others around him were fodder and could be ignored, so Zeno omitted the plural marker. Well, that's not wrong either. In fact, it took less than three seconds to eliminate those fodder.
The focus of this dungeon is the single enemy in front of me. Zeno doesn't believe I can defeat this enemy easily, only asking me to distract and buy time. In other words, any Nen user I can distract and stall must not be much stronger than me. I'm just a novice Nen user. This isn't a duel between experts; it's a fight between rookies.
No, don't underestimate a fight between rookies. As everyone knows, in Naruto, the strongest is not the Hokage, but the Konoha genin.
After the enemy pressed the switch, there was no sound of mechanisms operating. Only ordinary lights turned on—he pressed a light switch.
As the lights came on, I squinted my eyes to adjust to the sudden increase in ambient brightness. I reached behind my back, a deliberate fake move to conceal my ability to [retrieve] items from my game backpack. To the outside world, it would look as if I had used ordinary sleight of hand to produce something hidden in my clothes.
I [retrieved] an "ANBU mask" similar to those in Naruto. White as the base, with a few red strokes. The corresponding animal was a cat, with a pair of cat ears. The restoration was very high. It looks cool when worn. No, no, the point isn't to look cool. The main consideration is that the enemy's strength is not something I can easily deal with. In battle, there will be bumps and tumbles, and scratching my face wouldn't be good. There isn't a single person in this world who cherishes beauty. The younger brother in the character settings can disfigure you without hesitation, and the mother in the character settings doesn't mind the younger brother disfiguring the older sister.
For my own appearance, wearing a mask can protect my face and also confuse the enemy.
During combat, a dialogue box blocking my field of vision would create a blind spot, putting me at a disadvantage. The dialogue box was set to hide before entering the dungeon. Huh? You say the dialogue box can be hidden? Isn't that a standard feature of RPG games? If the dialogue box can't be hidden, you can't see the complete CG of the game.
"Trying to run?" the enemy commented on my mask-wearing behavior. "Too late. I've already seen your face."
"..." I casually closed the door behind me.
"?!" The enemy was slightly surprised and exclaimed, "You've got guts."
A volley of flying knives landed simultaneously with his words, embedding themselves in the spot where I had been standing a second ago.
Let me tell you about the combat power assessment standards for paper-character characters.
First, look at the health bar. The longer and thicker it is, the stronger the vitality/combat power.
Second, look at their appearance. The more distinctive they look, the more flashy their attire, the stronger their combat power.
These two laws apply to the vast majority of combat manga, but unfortunately, they don't apply to Hunter x Hunter. Here, appearance doesn't entirely determine combat power; it more often determines the degree of personality perversion. The "three beauties" with high looks and popularity are all increasingly perverted in personality, and their moral character is garbage that cannot be looked at. For example, Illumi, one of the "three beauties," is a scumbag among scumbags at such a young age. Alas, I don't want to talk about it.
Alright, let me go with the flow and judge combat power according to what the Zoldycks taught me.
First, examine the opponent's "aura" and the strength of their "Ten."
Second, examine the opponent's movements, speed, and power.
If the enemy is a Nen user, you must also add information about their Nen ability. Test cautiously; don't fall into a trap right at the start. Dying is a minor issue; losing face is a major one.
However, stalling for too long might not be a good thing; it gives the enemy enough time to prepare their Nen abilities.
Theoretically, not giving the enemy a chance to react and finishing the fight quickly is the optimal strategy.
No, I can't be so passive. Didn't Zeno say I could distract and buy time?
In other words, he wants me to "keep my distance and engage in a war of attrition," to adopt the safest strategy, and he doesn't expect me to win.
So, I might die?
What a shame. I don't particularly want to die right now. I haven't heard Alluka call me "Onee-chan" yet!
Should I passively stall, or should I risk it for victory?
After dodging a few volleys of flying knives, I made up my mind. I decided to risk it for victory, because this generic-looking enemy shares the same concept as me—using flying knives and strings. It's too glaring, and it pains me greatly.
The move I painstakingly devised turns out to be just average?
How embarrassing, so embarrassing.
The "Kill Illumi" dagger, with a 580 attack power bonus, is my important finishing move, my trump card. I can't reveal it casually. I utilize my years of trained evasion skills, transforming my hands into claws, weaving through the gaps created by the strings attached to the flying knives, attempting to approach the enemy. Since the enemy uses flying knives and strings as weapons, playing a long-range game and using strings to impede my approach, there's a fifty percent chance he's not skilled at close combat.
However, this could also be a trap. What can you do? Nothing is one hundred percent certain! I'm not Zeno; I can't see through an enemy's tactical intentions at a glance.
Both the enemy and I are wary of each other's unknown Nen abilities. Seeing me rapidly approaching by weaving left and right, the enemy's expression gradually became serious. However, his attacks remained uninspired; he continued to throw flying knives attached with silk threads at me.
The closer I get to the enemy, the denser the silk threads become. I had to leap up and step on a silk thread, intending to use the threads as a path.
The enemy tugged on the silk threads, and the surrounding threads rapidly converged on me, like a fine spiderweb lunging at me.
Tsk, the threads are too dense. It's indeed difficult to get close.
I lowered my body to block the enemy's line of sight, preventing him from seeing the dagger I had just [equipped] in my hand. The spiderweb had already arrived. I raised my hand and slashed, cutting the silk threads, breaking the spiderweb, and continuing my assault towards the enemy without losing momentum.
The flying knives and threads blocking my way were all knocked away or cut by me, narrowing the distance to the enemy to two meters. It was finally time for close-quarters combat!
The enemy's reaction was not bad either. As his small knife met my blade, he raised his knee to strike my abdomen, while his other hand grabbed for my shoulder.
The enemy's close-combat skills are not weak; at least, they are not weaker than mine. I bent my legs, my toes actively meeting his oncoming knee. It wasn't to stop it, but to use the force, to be pushed away by it, so as to avoid being grabbed by his other hand.
When a person is in mid-air, they have no leverage and their flexibility in dealing with unforeseen circumstances is greatly reduced. The enemy wouldn't let go of this opportunity; he raised his hand, and the threads he pulled came at me. But I have a good dagger; these threads can be cut with a single swing and don't pose a significant threat. I suspect he might be about to use some real skills, like Nen abilities.
"!!!"
The silk threads I had cut seemed to suddenly come alive, like extremely thin silver snakes. They didn't fall to the ground due to gravity but continued to wrap around me.
The ability to control silk threads? Is it Manipulation?
I had to discard my sleeve to shake off the silk threads that had wrapped around my arm.
The silk threads dragged my sleeve away and cut it into fine fabric pieces.
"I'll save your legs for last," the enemy's smile became increasingly perverse. "Run faster, run faster. I'm going to cut you into pieces, bit by bit~"
Yikes, do generic-looking characters also have such perverted lines? No, many fodder also like to say these lines; they generally lack prestige.
If the roles were reversed, and the enemy started trying to approach me, I quickly realized his objective was to stand by the door, preventing me from escaping through it. This room has no windows. Unless I break through a wall, the door is the only exit.
During this time, I also discovered that he seems to be able to control only the threads that come into contact with his hands. The threads completely on the ground, which I stepped on several times, were not all utilized by him.
Flexible threads are a bit troublesome, but the dagger can still cut them. If I'm careful not to get entangled, I can effectively reduce the number of threads he controls... just kidding.
Threads are such thin and light things. Even without the game backpack, carrying 999 of them wouldn't be an issue. I think his weapons are seemingly endless.
The enemy realized that I needed to get close to damage him, but his defense was impenetrable, and I couldn't get close. Thus, his arrogance grew, his killing intent mixed with a touch of sadism, showing a rather playful attitude.
Good. An overconfident enemy is easier to deal with than a cautious one.
He sees me as a toy, and I see him as an experience pack. We're even.
The limited indoor space is an excellent hunting ground. I was forced into a corner several times, only to barely escape. The silk threads grazed my mask. I'm glad I made this preparation; otherwise, my face would have been injured.
Neither the enemy nor I could do anything to the other. The battle reached a stalemate, and the result was as Zeno said: it turned into a matter of distraction and buying time.
Yes, I'm not the protagonist. My talent is average, and my burst power is also lacking. I can't exceed others' expectations or escape the fate others have set for me.
Don't I want to become very good and outstanding?
It's just that my abilities are indeed limited. I've seen many examples of innate talent in the "real world."
Things I've always found difficult to understand, talented people grasp them instantly with just one explanation. The most recent example is Illumi. Not only is he intelligent, but his willpower is also firm. No wonder he's a top assassin in the future. I often feel inferior to him.
Unwilling, still unwilling. My pain and torment stem from this sliver of unwillingness, because hope seems to exist, seemingly within reach.
For someone like me with insufficient ability, hope is more tormenting than despair. I cannot distinguish whether it is an unrealistic illusion or not.
Just like the opening the enemy left for me might be a trap.
"..." Come on. Rather than enduring this torment, waiting for the destiny Zeno has set, I'd rather risk it.
Instead of directly touching that opening, don't I have a safer method?
As I charged towards the enemy's opening, I adjusted the angle of the dagger and triggered the mechanism at the handle. A small, non-closed triangular hook was launched. Like a boomerang, it flew past the enemy's neck and then circled back, wrapping around the enemy's neck with a silk thread.
As long as the thread is pulled taut, the enemy's neck will break.
The enemy didn't anticipate this mid-range attack. His "aura" defense was a beat slow. Blood seeped from the thread. He grabbed the thread with a ferocious expression and struggled with me.
"..." I abandoned the silk thread connected to the dagger handle and stepped back.
"So close," the enemy's previous ferocity was feigned. His expression at this moment turned to regret. "I almost got your right hand cut off."
"..."
Hmph. From the moment the enemy turned on the lights, I had my doubts.
Silk threads are not easy to see in the dark. He could have easily laid a web like a spider and lured me closer, but he didn't. What does that signify?
Arrogance? Stupidity? No, I recalled Kurapika's strategy against Uvogin in the original work. He used visible chains to attract Uvogin's attention, so he could hide the invisible chains for a surprise attack.
The enemy deliberately let me see his threads to hide unseen ones.
It's not difficult to manifest silk threads, as Manipulation and Conjuration are only one apart.
The Nen application technique "Zei," which hides manifested threads, requires "Ren" to see through.
Using "Ren" continuously throughout a battle imposes a significant burden. Most Nen users only activate "Ren" when they want to carefully observe the situation. This heavily tests a person's combat experience and judgment. In the original work, Hisoka's deception caused Shalnark to become flustered and fail to use "Ren" in time to see through Hisoka's magic, thus leading to his defeat.
Hmph, I know the possibility of concealment, so I saw it in time. I have already seen through the enemy's hidden trump card!
Wait, couldn't he also be a Conjurer like Kurapika, not a Manipulator?
However, I haven't seen any special abilities in the manifested threads so far. He should be a Manipulator, right?
Regardless, in a limited indoor space, the positional advantage ultimately lies with the enemy. I made a mistake from the beginning by not declining to enter the room as the enemy wished and even closing the door myself. Now the enemy is guarding the door, preventing me from changing the venue—what an idiot I am!
As I desperately thought about the next plan, the door was suddenly pulled open from the outside. Both the enemy and I glanced towards the doorway with our peripheral vision, but saw no one.
*Pfft.*
Seeing the scene before me, I [removed] my mask. Zeno, who had just used [Steal Heart], flicked the blood off his hand and called out to me, "The job is done. Let's pack up."
Two rookies scheming against each other, pecking at each other for half the day, and then a powerful figure appears and casually takes one away. Is this the difference in levels?
"..." Some things are truly unfair.
"Unhappy? Want to continue?" Zeno raised his hand and rubbed his shoulder. "Meurs, work is just work. Efficiency is key. You don't need to waste too much time on work. We should use our time to do more meaningful things."
Following Zeno out of the dungeon, I changed my battle-damaged clothes to the spare ones in my game backpack. Now I looked as unscathed as Zeno.
The gap in strength is so vast. Envy, jealousy, hatred.
I hope Zeno's "more meaningful things" include exclusive experience packs for me, otherwise, I'll hold a grudge!
"..."
I stopped and looked up.
"???" The destination did not look like a dungeon for grinding experience at all.
"I've heard great things about this 'Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant.' In such a lively place, it's better to come with two people than one," Zeno said with a confident smile at me. "Meurs, you have similar tastes to mine, so you should like it here too."
This world actually has a "Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant"?!
Wait, for outsiders who can't eat spicy food, "Sichuan cuisine" is like an SSS-class dungeon. I've eaten at the Zoldyck household for over a decade, and I haven't tasted anything above mild spice. In terms of spice tolerance, the Zoldycks are an unknown quantity. According to Zeno, he only heard about it and hasn't been here. So...
No, this isn't the "real world." Who knows if the "Sichuan cuisine" here is authentic? What if the food they serve is completely different from what I imagine? I can't make assumptions or guess prematurely and reveal my "player" identity to Zeno.
I obediently closed my mouth and followed Zeno into the restaurant and took a seat. The familiar names on the menu, such as "Mapo Tofu," "Boiled Fish," "Pickled Pepper Chicken Feet," "Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork," "Mouth-Watering Chicken," "Spicy Shrimp," "Stir-Fried Beef with Green Chili," "Spicy Chicken Cubes," "Pot-Stickers with Fish Slices," and "Chicken Cubes with Sichuan Pepper," blinded me.
If these are exactly the same as the "Sichuan cuisine" in the "real world," then hell awaits me!
The table was covered in red, and the emanating spicy aroma stung my nose, making me abandon all hope.
Oh, no, Zeno, why didn't you ask Silva or Illumi to accompany you! At the very least, you could have asked a butler to join you!
I can't handle spicy food very well right now. No, even in the "real world," as an ordinary southerner, I couldn't handle this level of spiciness!
"This is 'Boiled Fish'?" Zeno looked surprised at the layer of chili peppers floating on the soup.
Yes, "Boiled Fish" isn't just plain boiled fish; it's extremely spicy.
Looking around at the red dishes on the table, Zeno's chopsticks reached for the fiery red Mapo Tofu first. "I wonder how the taste is here?"
"..." I can guarantee that this is completely different from the mild-tasting Mapo Tofu at the Zoldyck household. This is the real deal, it can kill people.
"Eat up, don't be shy," Zeno said kindly, seeing that I wasn't picking up my chopsticks, unaware of how terrible his words were.
"..." I nodded and put a piece of boiled fish into my bowl.
The fish slices were thin and small. In terms of volume, they should have less destructive power than other dishes.
While using my chopsticks to break up the fish slices and mix them with rice to dilute the spiciness, I looked at Zeno with a less-than-sunny disposition as he put the fiery red tofu into his mouth.
"!" Zeno's eyes widened.
This expression could have two interpretations: one, he ate something incredibly delicious; two, he ate something unexpectedly negative.
"..." Which one is it? I stared intently.
"Spicier than I imagined," Zeno, noticing my intention, voluntarily informed me of his thoughts. "But the taste is indeed good. Meurs, you can try it."
With a large mouthful of rice, I cautiously ate a small piece of fish. The moment the fish touched my tongue, the overbearing spiciness felt like it had ignited a fire. It burned so much that after hastily swallowing it, I immediately drank water.
"It seems you're still too young, Meurs," Zeno said calmly, taking a sip of tea.
Huh? But Zeno, you're sweating so much.
"Are you okay, Grandpa?" I couldn't help but ask with lip-reading.
"Just kidding. At this level, I have no problem if I get serious," Zeno said, gripping his chopsticks tightly.
With immense respect, I pushed the dishes farther away from him towards him.
"Hmm? You're not eating?" Zeno took a shallow breath, picked up the serving chopsticks, and enthusiastically put dishes into my bowl one by one. "Meurs, young people should be brave in trying new things. Since we're here, how can we not try everything?"
"..."
Zoldyck, two people, neither fell due to poisoning or dungeons.
Encountering "Sichuan cuisine" on the way home, annihilated.