Twenty-two is the natural number between twenty-one and twenty-three.
It is an even number, a composite number, and a semiprime.
In the spoken language of a certain Eastern country, this number is often used to refer to someone as foolish and naive.
Looking back on his twenty-two years of life, the侠客 (xiá kè) believed he had never been troubled by matters concerning women.
180cm
If she were placed in a display case in the dark world in this state, she would likely become the hottest commodity.
Whether he indulged in her or wantonly destroyed her, he would gain immense pleasure from it.
As he kissed her, the light in the侠客's eyes dimmed. A bandit's desires were endless, and if possible, he wanted both.
Unfortunately, her strength was actually superior to the侠客's. Yes, "actually," and fine, the侠客 was still unwilling to accept it.
When he caressed her, he couldn't help but want to insert the antenna of his mobile phone, the medium of his manipulation-type Nen ability, into her skin.
Thinking back, perhaps having too many distracting thoughts was also one of the reasons for their unpleasant parting.
Because he wanted… to possess her more thoroughly.
After that, everything went awry. In a state of non-calmness… how could such a special situation be calm… Calmness should be for other matters, not for the bed… The侠客 lost his sufficiently accurate judgment, leading to an unpleasant conclusion.
This time, this time, success is the only option, failure is not!
She came to meet him again. The侠客 saw her amidst the crowd. Because she had deliberately suppressed her aura, people around her didn't notice her easily. She was like a faint wisp of mist, ready to dissipate at any moment, walking against the flow of the crowd.
She wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a black knee-length skirt, paired with laced knee-high boots. As usual, she was dressed very conservatively, with no skin visible except for her face and hands.
She changed her clothes frequently, but he never saw her change her necklace. She probably liked it very much; it was the only piece of jewelry she wore.
Necklaces with different pendants have their own meanings. The pendant on her necklace was a whistle, exquisitely crafted, with a lifelike dragon micro-carving coiled around it, its eyes made of diamonds, sparkling and crystal clear, clearly not inexpensive.
The meaning of a whistle… this kind of object that produces sound is mainly used for issuing commands. As far as the侠客 knew, it represented "guardianship" and "obedience." He wondered who gave it to her, and with what feelings.
However, it was also possible he was overthinking. Since Melanism had no vocal cords, having a whistle for emergencies might be more practical for her.
Sunlight pierced through the gaps in her hair, making her cheeks appear transparent. Even enveloped by the crowd, she stood alone, like a solitary figure.
Unfortunately, only he noticed this scenery. No, it was better this way; only he noticed this scenery.
At this moment, it belonged only to him.
"You're here," the侠客 said, his face full of smiles, waving at her.
The侠客 chose a famous landmark plaza as the meeting spot. It covered an area of about 20,000 square meters, integrating fitness, entertainment, and shopping. It was bustling with visitors. Besides the侠客, there were many people nearby who looked like they were waiting for someone – this was a popular spot for dates and meetups.
Why choose this place? Obviously, for a date.
The侠客 knew that when it came to bedroom exchanges, the biggest difference between men and women was that women valued emotions and atmosphere more. Even if Melanism had emotional impediments due to surgery, atmosphere was still indispensable.
By first closing the spiritual distance with her, and then engaging in deeper interactions, he could more easily get her feedback.
In short, if you carry a stone in your pocket for a long time, the stone will also be warmed.
What the侠客 wanted was not just her body temperature… that kind of thing, there wasn't much difference between people, it was all 36 to 37 degrees Celsius. What differed was the inside. After trying various women, the侠客 had long lost his passion for pursuing simple physiological desires. He needed to find something deeper, a partner with compatible interests for the long term. He was willing to endure appropriate hardship for this, believing that upon reaching the destination, all that hardship would transform into sweetness.
The Phantom Troupe's symbol was a spider, quietly weaving its web, then entangling its prey. Wasn't that suitable for him?
During their previous mission together with the escort and exploration team, which they accepted through the Hunter website, the observant侠客 had learned about her preferences, knowing she liked delicious food.
Delicious food related to personal taste and was difficult to define accurately, with the potential for things to go wrong. The safest approach was to treat her to dessert.
Like most girls, she liked sweets.
The侠客 had quite a bit of dating experience and was very familiar with dessert shops. He could recommend suitable desserts with more detail than the staff, based on the other person's level of sweetness preference.
However, Melanism's choice was… to try one of every variety.
The humbleMeteor City native, the侠客, stated he had never had a companion who was so extravagant with food. Thinking about it, Melanism also changed clothes unusually frequently, always in new clothes. "Melanism, are… are you a rich young lady?"
Melanism sent a message via her phone: Do I seem like one to you?
That was a good question. Previously, the侠客 had been too focused on her fighting skills. If one disregarded her strength… although her clothes were simple, they were of excellent quality. Her hair and skin were meticulously maintained. Judging solely by her appearance, she indeed resembled an indulged rich young lady, unable to withstand the slightest bit of wind and rain, overprotected, completely losing her defense against the outside world, resulting in a frail body.
"Yes, and no."
"..."
The侠客 pushed the sugar cubes on the table towards Melanism. Melanism shook her head; she generally didn't add sugar to her coffee.
"As far as I know…" the侠客 smiled, "I haven't met any rich young lady who could beat me to the ground, nor has any rich young lady wanted to be a thief. Although we are indeed not ordinary thieves, we are not romantic fantasies like 'phantom thieves'."
Melanism picked up a sugar cube individually and put it in her mouth. Without using her teeth, she slowly dissolved the sugar with her tongue.
"Others are different from me; they are all reckless fellows," the侠客 continued in a teasing tone. "Moreover, our base environment is poor, with no water or electricity. I'm worried you, a rich young lady, wouldn't be able to endure such hardship."
It sounded very much like he was trying to dissuade a rich young lady with unrealistic fantasies.
Melanism propped her face with one hand, adopting a posture of "awaiting your esteemed opinion."
"Of course, there are benefits. Otherwise, why would I stay?" the侠客 shrugged. "Our team has a good atmosphere, and we share our earnings. We don't advocate for overtime, we have flat management, and the leader and members are all equal. The salary is competitive, with no upper limit, and the development prospects are immense. The whole world is our scope of work. Isn't that great?"
The best thing should be your leader's looks, which are listed as one of the "Top Three Beauties" in the fan community. Melanism thought, winking at the侠客.
"Yes, that's also why I chose to meet you here," the侠客 said. "The Troupe has an event happening, and I'll take you to meet the leader and recommend you to join. It's okay if you can't speak; I can introduce you."
"..." With the sugar cube half-melted in her mouth, Melanism directly chewed the rest.
"So, can you introduce me as your girlfriend?" the侠客 asked, imitating her, propping his face with one hand. "Then I'll have ample reason to have the leader assign me as your partner. We can look out for each other; I'm very good at taking care of people."
First, establish ownership, just in case. Dispel others' thoughts from the very beginning… Sorry, leader, I'll borrow you for a bit; you shouldn't mind, right? the侠客 planned secretly.
Melanism picked up a cream puff and pressed it to his lips.
The侠客 opened his mouth and bit into the cream puff. He only felt that this cream puff was too sweet, unrealistically sweet.
Just like after losing to her, the first time she kissed him willingly, even the侠客 himself doubted why he was favored by her – not just in Meteor City, but women always yearned for men stronger than themselves, or at least of comparable strength.
She pinched the侠客's chin and examined his face. Even though the侠客 didn't understand lip-reading much, he understood her meaning:
[I like your face.]
Oh, so he was her prey.
Before considering other issues, the侠客 thought that Melanism surely wouldn't just like his face. If she saw the leader… However, the leader always wore a slicked-back hairstyle and a fur-collared leather coat during Troupe activities, not the type to easily attract women. When he truly needed to charm women, the leader would let down his bangs and change into more casual attire… All in all, the opportunities for Melanism to see that version should be very few. As for the leader… would he be interested in her?
…Hard to say.
But to avoid internal conflict, the leader would definitely prioritize the Troupe over himself. Therefore, confirming ownership in advance could prevent the leader from making a direct move.
The assembly point for this Troupe activity was in the suburbs, two hours away by car, amidst a derelict building.
The abandoned location, much like Meteor City, used by the whole world to discard various things, was chosen as the assembly point, fully embodying the Phantom Troupe's inseparable attachment to their hometown, Meteor City.
One, two, three… five spiders rested here, scattered, either standing or sitting on slopes made of building debris, all looking down at the侠客 and Melanism who were stepping into their territory.
"Is this the newcomer the侠客 recommended?" The leader, Chrollo, the spider's head, had already heard about the recommendation from the侠客. After nodding to the侠客, he said, "Hmm, I have no objections. Let's start with introductions."
More than ten years had passed since Melanism last saw Chrollo in Meteor City. Chrollo lived up to expectations as a character fitting the original setting: slicked-back hair, fur-collared leather coat, and a cross tattoo on his forehead. It was most gratifying.
"Hello, everyone." Melanism didn't let the侠客 speak for her. She [wore] a vocalizer. "My name is Melanism. I like valuable things. The侠客 is my boyfriend."
"..." x5
The five spiders simultaneously turned their gazes to the侠客, who seemed to scratch his head bashfully. "Ah, it's all fate."
"Melanism, you still can't speak?" Chrollo asked about Melanism's somewhat unnatural voice.
His way of asking immediately aroused the curiosity of the侠客, Phinks, and Pakunoda. Especially Phinks, the straightforward enhancer, showed no concealment of his gossipy expression, revealing an immensely interested smile. Machi, after a slight surprise at first glance, became nonchalant.
Melanism pulled aside the collar of her shirt, revealing the black band on her neck and the faint outline of some device at her throat. If one observed more closely, a thin silver chain could be seen in the gap between the band and the fabric. That was Melanism's necklace chain, which she chose to wear on the innermost layer of her clothing in very formal occasions to prevent damage, just as she had done when she was a child.
"Destiny is truly strange," Chrollo said with a half-smile. "You rejected my invitation before, and now you're willing to join voluntarily. What made you change your mind?"
Melanism didn't answer, and Chrollo didn't press further. The two simply looked at each other, as if they understood.
Before Phinks could speak, a voice from the shadows reached everyone's ears, with a rather unfriendly tone. "侠客, I don't care who she is to you. The Troupe isn't a place for 'playing house.' Moreover, the invitation was for 'before.' 'Now' has to be judged by current standards. Am I right, leader?"
"Yes," Chrollo smiled. "Melanism, are you willing to undergo the admission test?"
Melanism raised her arm, palm facing upwards, making a "please" gesture.
Phinks, never one to miss out on the fun, moved next to the侠客 and said to the serious-looking侠客, who had suppressed his usual smile, "Feitan doesn't hold back at all when he fights. Do you want to remind him not to scratch your girlfriend's pretty face?"
The侠客 stared intently at the flashing blade in Feitan's hand, ignoring Phinks.
More than ten years had passed since Melanism last saw Feitan at the dessert shop. Feitan lived up to expectations as a character fitting the original setting: a black hooded cloak, middle-parted bangs, and an estimated height of 155cm. Nothing unexpected happened; it was most gratifying.
Feitan was recognized by the Troupe as their fastest member. Melanism flicked a dagger from her sleeve, meeting Feitan's blade. The sounds of clashing and crossing blades were incessant, creating streaks of light. Both were speed-type fighters, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than ten blows, a true clash of titans.
Phinks no longer had time to chat with the侠客, staring intently. As he became engrossed, he couldn't help but whistle to show his appreciation.
When Phinks remembered that this battle was suitable for betting, it was already too late, because the lightning-fast battle wouldn't last long. The two in combat had already created distance.
Phinks first looked at Melanism, who appeared uninjured, and then at Feitan. A curved line had appeared below Feitan's left eye, and only then did blood start flowing from the wound.
If the wound had been a bit further, Feitan might have lost his left eye.
"Interesting," Phinks said, rubbing his hands together, his fighting spirit soaring. "Hey, newcomer, how about you fight me too? Feitan, I think you can step down now."
Melanism placed her hand on her chest, while Feitan let out a cold snort and raised his right fist. His fingers were slightly loosened, and a necklace dangled below his palm, the whistle pendant swaying.
"This seems to be something you value. It's covered in your body heat," Feitan said, cupping the pendant with his left hand and stroking the dragon carved on it. "I wonder if the侠客 told you. If you can't protect what's yours, you can only blame yourself for being weak."
"So…" Feitan narrowed his golden eyes, his tone pleasant. "If you want something, you have to snatch it."