As soon as Milluki saw Killua and the others, he immediately rushed over and questioned them. "I finally found you all. Where did you go? I couldn't reach any of you by phone."
If Killua had really died because he left early, Milluki didn't even know how much he would be blamed when he returned to the Zoldyck estate. Even setting that aside, Milluki himself would feel guilty—after all, this was his younger brother....He was annoying as hell, but he was still his brother.
"Sorry, brother." Killua, seeing Milluki's expression, felt slightly moved.
"It's fine now. Let's go back to the hotel."
"Yes, yes, let's head back first," Leorio added, still shaken. The strength of Phinks and Franklin had shocked him. It reminded him of facing Hisoka during the Hunter Exam. No, only now did Leorio truly realize just how much greater the gap between him and Hisoka had been back then—far wider than he had imagined.
"Alright, back to the hotel." The four of them entered the hotel and took the elevator. Soon they returned to their suite. Milluki sat on the sofa, looked at Killua opposite him, and let out a sigh of relief. "What happened just now?"
Killua gave a simple explanation. "We ran into members of the Phantom Troupe and even fought them." Milluki's expression turned serious.
"But just as we were about to be overwhelmed, one of Ron's team members appeared and rescued us, taking us away from the auction hall."
"Ron's team members?" Milluki asked.
"Yes," Killua nodded. "There were several of them, all very strong." Killua omitted some details: Franklin's attack with three nen bullets was already something he could handle easily. The real danger had been to Gon—Phinks had nearly killed him with a punch because he didn't hold back. That was why Misty had intervened.
Milluki knew Ron had a team. Long ago, when Ron was still working alone, he had even cooperated with Milluki for intelligence gathering. But soon after, Ron no longer needed help; at that point, Milluki had guessed Ron was building his own team.
"There was a white-haired woman, probably an Enhancement type—she could block punches from Phantom Troupe member No. 5. The other two, I couldn't tell what their abilities were, but their auras were strong. They were definitely on par with Phantom Troupe members, otherwise those two Troupe members wouldn't have been so cautious." Discover more novels at ⓝovelFire.net
Milluki said, "Given Ron's strength, his team wouldn't be weak."
"So what are you planning next? I was already on my way back."
Killua looked toward Gon, who spoke. "We're planning to approach the people who acquired the Greed Island game cartridge. Logically speaking, they'll probably need to hire players instead of using it all themselves. My goal is just to enter Greed Island, not necessarily to obtain a cartridge."
Killua turned back to Milluki. "I'll go with Gon."
Leorio added, "I should probably leave soon. I still have a lot to handle for my medical license." Besides that, Leorio wanted to find the instructor the Hunter Association had assigned him to study nen properly. After seeing Gon and Killua's abilities, he felt a strong sense of urgency.
"Alright." Milluki reclined on the sofa, opened a bag of chips, and tore it open. "Then I'll leave first. Take care of yourselves."
At that moment, a phone rang. Milluki pulled out his phone and answered. His expression shifted slightly. "Father? Yes. Killua is right next to me. Ron and Illumi aren't here. You're coming over? Understood."
Killua asked, "Brother, whose call was that?"
"It was father," Milluki replied. "Father and grandfather are coming to Yorknew, so I won't be heading back right away. I'll wait for them here and return together."
Killua's face changed. "Father and grandfather? Why are they coming here?"
"Not to drag you back, don't worry," Milluki said, having guessed Killua's concern. "They accepted a contract from the Underworld Mafia to kill Phantom Troupe members. Not just them—many other assassins from around the world are coming."
Killua froze. "But didn't father say he wouldn't take contracts involving the Phantom Troupe?"
"You still don't understand father. He wouldn't take them before because it was too much trouble. But if the price is high enough and he thinks it's worth it, he'll act."
Killua frowned. "But there are so many Phantom Troupe members."
Killua understood Silva's style—just like Illumi's, he wouldn't act without confidence. Most members of the Zoldyck family operated that way. But still, the Phantom Troupe had a lot of members.
"In any team, not all members are combatants. There are bound to be several support or utility-type nen users whose strength isn't high. At least a small portion of the Troupe is like that. Besides, father and grandfather's judgment is certainly stronger than yours at this point."
......................
Meanwhile, Neon left under the protection of her bodyguards. Kurapika didn't expose Hooker's presence to the others, instead hiding him in a secret location. After ensuring Neon's safety, Kurapika spoke briefly with her before heading toward where Hooker was being held.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in his view. "Baise? What are you doing here?"
When the Phantom Troupe first attacked the auction, Baise had disappeared. Everyone thought she was dead. But unexpectedly, she was alive and had appeared here. Kurapika immediately became wary, several speculations rising in his mind.
"Kurapika." Baise didn't seem on guard—just slightly embarrassed.
"My task is to stand guard here," she said. "Is Miss Neon safe?"
Kurapika didn't answer and instead asked back, "Where have you been all this time?"
Baise was silent for a moment. "During the Phantom Troupe's attack on the auction, I almost died. I was saved by a certain lady, but her condition for saving me was that I follow her. So I had no choice but to leave."
"But don't worry—she has nothing to do with the Phantom Troupe or the Underworld Mafia."