They had a village, a small town, and even a church. Beyond mere survival, they also sought to live.
It was because they shared the same passions that they came together.
Together, they formed a troupe.
However, the original purpose of the troupe was not to fight, nor to commit crimes.
It was for performances, for travel.
For the initial members of the troupe, Chrollo might have been the most respected, but the one who truly held the group together, the one they loved most, was Sarasa, the youngest among them.
But shortly after they decided to form the troupe, Sarasa went missing.
When she was found, Sarasa had already become a corpse.
Before her death, it was highly likely she had suffered torture.
The killer left Sarasa's body behind, covering her face with a note.
After that, the troupe members changed.
They began searching for Sarasa's killer, seeking revenge for her…
These became the driving force behind the actions of the troupe.
The troupe they had originally envisioned no longer existed.
Years later, the Phantom Troupe was formed.
With Chrollo as the leader.
It was not just for Sarasa, but also for Meteor City.
It's worth mentioning that at the time, Chrollo wanted to make Uvogin the leader.
But everyone, including Uvogin, chose Chrollo.
"Those were the good times..."
"If only the Cleaning Squad really existed."
Shalnark looked up at the sky.
The Cleaning Squad was a popular work among the Phantom Troupe, loved by many of the children in Meteor City.
"Sadly, even now, we still haven't found Sarasa's killer."
Shalnark's eyes grew wet.
Tears fell onto his chest, soaking his clothes.
He covered his face with one hand.
A fierce aura radiated from Shalnark.
Uvogin clenched his fists, and with a single punch, he slammed his fist into a nearby rock.
In an instant, the entire rock shattered.
It turned into countless pieces of dust.
"That bastard, I'll find him and kill him for sure!"
Meanwhile, on the other side,
Phinks and Feitan walked side by side.
They remained silent for a moment.
"If only we hadn't let Sarasa leave alone back then."
"If only we had gone with her."
Upon hearing Phinks' words, Feitan also recalled the events of that year.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"Even if we had gone with Sarasa back then, the outcome wouldn't have changed. The only difference would have been that another person would have died. Back then, we were too weak."
"This is exactly why we wanted to become stronger, isn't it?"
Shalnark glanced at Chrollo, then looked out at the ruins.
After a brief moment, he lowered his gaze and sat down not far from Chrollo.
This place was a ruin now.
But once, it had been the stage where Shalnark and the others performed.
A huge curtain hung down, playing a videotape, while numerous villagers sat on chairs below.
As voice actors, they watched the audience from above.
Everyone had enjoyed it back then.
At that time, Meteor City was far from the chaotic mess it had become now.
It could be seen as a blend of what we now call the old garbage area and the new garbage area.
Some people would go to the garbage mountains to scavenge.
After the garbage was brought back, it would be sorted—food was separated from materials, and the goods were sent to factories where they were processed and turned into finished products.
Meanwhile, the women in the village would actively care for the children.
But unlike the current state of the Old Garbage District, these women were not cold, lifeless robots; they were living, breathing people with emotions.
The recent events with the KUTE Group made Shalnark reflect on some memories from back then.
At that time, Meteor City faced numerous disappearances and abductions of children.
Everyone lived in fear.
When Sarasa disappeared, Shalnark had wondered if she too had been abducted.
But the truth was even worse than abduction.
At least with abduction, there was a chance of survival.
But Sarasa encountered someone who did worse.
"Why do people like that always appear?"
"What did Meteor City do wrong to attract these people?"
"It was before, and it's still now."
"Do you think the leader's plan will succeed?"
Shalnark sighed deeply.
A figure appeared outside of Elder City, their gaze fixed on Ron, specifically on the token he was holding.
Ron noticed the gaze and turned to look.
He nodded, signalling the figure to enter Elder City first.
The Elder had allocated a special area for Ron.
"Grandpa Zeno, please take charge of the screening," Ron said.
Zeno's efficiency was far superior to that of Elder City.
He didn't need to test; with just a glance, he could make a judgment.
One by one, people lined up.
Most didn't meet Zeno's standards and were rejected.
Those who didn't pass would have to go to the arena to compete with others.
The ones chosen by Zeno were eligible to go to the Zoldyck Estate, where they could strive for the position of an apprentice butler.
But regardless of the path, neither was an easy one.
Joining Elder City meant they would likely face battles soon.
Arriving at the Zoldyck Estate also came with the risk of death during training.
At that moment, Ron sensed that a new token had been found.
Ron focused his mind on the token's core.
A scene appeared in his mind.
The image showed two figures.
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Did Feitan find the token this time?"
"last time, Phinks and Feitan weren't together."
"Has the Phantom Troupe gathered?"
"With Grandpa Zeno here, a single Phantom Troupe member is no threat."
"But if the whole group has gathered, that's something to worry about."
However, after a moment's thought, Ron relaxed.
At this point, there had been no conflict yet between the Zoldyck family and the Phantom Troupe.
"Is this what the Elders use to recruit soldiers?"
Feitan held the token, feeling the aura of nen emanating from it, and looked at Phinks.
"This is what I was telling you about earlier."
A gloomy look flashed crossed Feitan's eyes.
"Now the Elders are openly selling the population of Meteor City."
"The world's underworld, various kingdoms, and different forces are treating the people of Meteor City like livestock, trading them as commodities."
Phinks's expression turned cold.
"But they still flock to it."
"It's not just the Elders; those who are sold also want to leave Meteor City."
"The resources here are too scarce."
"Meteor City now is not what it used to be."
"Why do you think Meteor City has become ?"
Feitan shook his head.
"By the way, Phinks, do you remember the first time we met when we were kids?"
Phinks reminisced, his mood lightening a bit as he smiled.
"Of course, I remember."
"Back then, Uvogin and the others were the strongest. They occupied a piece of land for themselves."
------------------------
You can read up to 120 Advanced chapters!