Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Head to Street of Meteor City!
"What we're heading to this time is a place called Meteor City."
"Meteor City?"
Zeno nodded. "Yes. Shinji comes from there."
(T/N: Kaizen's personal butler)
He continued: "It's a very unique area in the human world, where trash from around the world gets dumped. But over time, it's evolved into a place where people have found a way to survive.
"The harsher the environment, the more it pushes people to their limits. And in a place like that, exceptional talent tends to emerge."
Zeno paused for a moment. "The Zoldyck family has a bit of an arrangement with Meteor City. Most of the butlers in our manor originally came from there."
He gave a subtle smile. "Even Shinji — I personally brought him back from Meteor City."
"And this time, you're going there to find a butler for Milluki?" Kaizen asked, his brows furrowing.
Zeno shrugged. "That's right. Milluki needs a personal butler now."
"But… isn't Milluki older than me?" Kaizen asked, a bit confused.
Zeno gave him a brief glance. "True, but Milluki only recently started using Nen. The Zoldyck family has a tradition: a personal butler is assigned only when someone begins learning Nen."
Kaizen blinked. "I didn't know that."
Zeno chuckled softly. "There are many rules you'll learn over time, Kaizen."
But Kaizen's mind wandered to Killua. If that's the rule… Killua's case is strange.
As far as Kaizen could remember, Canary had been following Killua around since they were kids. But Killua hadn't started learning Nen until much later.
Why would Killua have a butler early on? Kaizen wondered.
He thought of two possibilities:
Killua's special status meant he needed extra preparation.
Killua took the path of Netero's school of Nen rather than following the Zoldyck family's tradition.
Either way, it was something Kaizen didn't dwell on for long. He had no objections to visiting Meteor City. In fact, it was a destination he had already planned to visit at some point.
Observer's Will.
Kaizen's unique Nen ability allowed him to absorb the traits of his surroundings and integrate them into his mind beasts. Exploring places like Zoldyck Manor, Heavens Arena, and Meteor City would provide inspiration for his abilities.
Meteor City, Heavens Arena, the Hunter Association, and V5… these are all part of my journey.
Kaizen's plan was to take the Hunter Exam, absorb the experience, create new beasts, and earn a Hunter License. That license would open many doors in the Hunter world — not just for personal growth but also for hiring skilled Hunters and gaining access to exclusive information networks.
"Grandpa Zeno, how do we plan to approach the elders of Meteor City?"
"We'll meet the elders directly," Zeno replied. "They will offer us a group of candidates. We'll select a few and take them back to the manor for further screening."
"Is there any urgency in finding Milluki's butler?" Kaizen asked.
Zeno shook his head. "No, not particularly. Why do you ask?"
"Do you have any other tasks to handle, Grandpa?"
"Not at the moment," Zeno said with a small smile. "I've been in semi-retirement for a while now. Silva manages most of the family's business, and I only step in when necessary."
Since Silva had taken over, Zeno's responsibilities had greatly decreased. He mostly kept an eye on Kaizen during missions or personal training sessions. Now seemed like the perfect time to take Kaizen to Meteor City.
"I figured this would be a good chance to find a butler for Milluki while showing you the darker side of the world," Zeno said. "Every world has light and darkness. Meteor City, and the underworld it belongs to, are firmly on the dark side."
Kaizen's eyes sparkled with interest. "I want to explore more of Meteor Street."
"Explore, huh?" Zeno gave a small chuckle.
Kaizen nodded. "Since my Nen type is Specialsit, and my primary ability involves creating beasts, I need to gather inspiration for new forms."
Zeno furrowed his brow. "Is that why you spent so much time in Heavens Arena?"
"Exactly."
Kaizen's aura flickered as a new beast manifested beside him. The sleek and powerful form of Raiken emerged from the air, towering with a feral intensity.
Zeno's sharp eyes locked onto the beast. "Coagulate!"
He activated his Gyo, focusing intently on the beast's structure.
"Impressive," Zeno muttered. "This one feels different from your other beast. A pure combat type, isn't it?"
Kaizen gave a small smile. "Yes. Raiken is built for close-range battles."
Zeno nodded approvingly. "It seems like you've grown a lot during your time at Heavens Arena."
Still, he gave a word of caution. "Meteor City isn't like the arena. They don't take kindly to outsiders. Stay sharp when we get there."
Three days later, their airship landed in a small town on the outskirts of Meteor City.
Kaizen and Zeno disembarked with the other passengers, taking a moment to grab a meal before checking into a hotel for the night.
The next morning, they began their journey toward Meteor City.
Unlike other cities, there were no paved roads leading directly to Meteor City. The entire area was surrounded by towering walls built from mountains of garbage. To call it a city would be inaccurate — it was more like a country of refuse, sprawling across a vast area larger than some small nations.
Beyond the walls was a labyrinth of trash, accumulated over hundreds of years. The garbage was packed so tightly that it formed solid structures, but it also emitted a strange, toxic odor.
"The air here is dangerous," Zeno warned. "Ordinary people would be poisoned if they got too close without proper protective gear."
Kaizen nodded. "The toxicity is stronger than I expected."
"Even standard protective clothing wouldn't be enough here," Zeno added. "You'll need special equipment if you plan to explore the deeper parts of Meteor City."
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