After rescuing Uvogin, Ian and the group quickly left the area.
After all, Uvogin’s prison break would be discovered sooner or later.
Whether the Third Elder knew about it or not didn’t matter.
Once a prison break occurred, they would undoubtedly hunt Uvogin down, if only to make an example of him.
Therefore, the group had to seize the moment and leave Meteor City as quickly as possible.
Not long after they departed.
Inside the prison, a burly figure slowly walked down the corridor, frowning deeply as he stared at the shattered lock fragments scattered across the floor.
The man was Ron.
He never expected the promising prodigy he had his eye on to actually slip away.
“Heh…
I suppose that makes sense.
If the little guy couldn’t even overcome a minor hurdle like this, he wouldn’t be much of a genius.” “However…
logically speaking, that kid shouldn’t have had the physical strength to destroy this place.” “Was he hiding his true strength?” “Since I have some rare free time, I might as well play along.” With that said, he approached the trembling prison guard.
“Pull up the security footage for this cell.” His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth, like the ice of a harsh winter.
“Y-Yes, Lord Ron!” The guard replied shakily, bringing up the footage shortly after.
When he saw the young boy suddenly appear out of thin air in front of Uvogin’s cell on the monitor, even a battle-hardened veteran like Ron couldn’t help but contract his pupils in shock.
He watched in silence as the footage played out Ian’s entire rescue of Uvogin.
Only one word echoed in his mind.
Genius…
An absolute genius!
He clearly looked even younger than Uvogin, yet he had already mastered Nen.
Even though the Nen ability he developed didn’t seem to offer much of a combat boost, the sheer physical strength required to snap those specially-made locks barehanded was astonishing!
“Is he an Enhancer?” “No…
that invisibility ability seems to rely on some sort of item.
He might be a Conjurer or a Specialist.” “But even so.” “This brat’s young body can still unleash such terrifying power!” “With such monstrous talent…
I absolutely cannot let this kid get away!” Ron’s eyes gleamed with the predatory light of a beast that had just spotted its prey.
He completely lost interest in punishing the negligent guard.
Instead, he was eager to find the Third Elder and deliver the news.
Two exceptionally rare teenage Nen geniuses.
If they could be recruited, their future growth would directly expand the territory and influence under the Third Elder’s control.
The Third Elder of Meteor City was one of the seven titans who controlled the fate of everyone in the city.
Bohu Shiluk.
He was also Ron’s biological uncle.
They were family, strict superiors and subordinates, and like-minded comrades walking the righteous path.
They had dedicated their entire lives to Meteor City, striving to change its structure.
It was all for a greater purpose!
And to achieve that goal, accumulating talent was absolutely essential!
Meanwhile.
Ian, Chrollo, Uvogin, and the rest of the group had already left the West District.
“So, you killing Ansa wasn’t the main issue!?” “That guy only captured you because he took a liking to your strength or potential?” After hearing Uvogin recount his ordeal, Nobunaga scratched his head, looking completely baffled.
Chrollo’s eyes showed a hint of contemplation, seemingly trying to gauge the power level of this Ron who could defeat Uvogin so easily.
“And that guy actually forced you into deathmatches with other Nen users inside the cell…” “Tch, what a sick sense of humor.
Sounds like a total creep,” Feitan muttered, resting his hands behind his head.
Ian simply glanced up at him, thinking to himself.
‘You won’t be much better in the future…’ ‘When it comes to being a creep, you two are cut from the same cloth…’ At that moment, Machi raised her small hand and asked in confusion.
“If that guy didn’t capture Uvogin because of Ansa’s death, do we still need to run?” “After all, Uvogin didn’t actually offend the Third Elder, right?” Hearing her words, the group’s expressions grew solemn.
Pakunoda rubbed her temples and gently explained.
“Before this, maybe…” “But by breaking Uvogin out on our own, we’ve already offended the Third Elder!” “At this point, even if we wanted to explain ourselves, the situation is likely out of our hands.” Ian said calmly.
“Paku is right.
However, our plan was always to leave Meteor City, so it doesn’t matter whether we offended the Third Elder or not.” After speaking, he looked at Chrollo.
“How about it, Chrollo?
Is our escape route all set?” Chrollo nodded.
“It was arranged beforehand.
We owe the First Elder a favor for this.
We can head straight to the border, then take a car out of Meteor City and into the outside world.” Ian thought for a moment and asked.
“I haven’t had the chance to ask yet, but how long will it take to reach the outside world from here?” Chrollo, having already gathered the necessary intelligence, replied evenly.
“A two-day walk through the landfill zones will get us to the border.
From there, it’s a two-day and one-night car ride to Aijin City, the closest city to Meteor City.” He paused for a moment before slowly adding.
“The First Elder prepared supplies for us, but once we reach the outside, we’ll have to rely entirely on ourselves.” “Meteor City won’t provide us with any assistance in that regard.” Hearing this, Ian nodded.
“Yeah, that’s fine.
We don’t need to worry too much about supplies.
My Nen ability is more than enough to handle that.” Whether it was food or water, a single Gourmet Magazine would be enough to keep them fed and hydrated.
He never intended to rely on Meteor City in the first place.
Once they reached the outside world, they would be completely free to spread their wings.
Moreover, with nearly four days of travel ahead, he would be able to check in and draw four more gadgets.
That should be plenty to deal with any unexpected situations.
Although he had never met the First Elder, since Chrollo managed to convince him, the man was likely just placing a casual bet on their future potential.
The reason the future Phantom Troupe returned to Meteor City to help exterminate the Ants was probably due to this invisible debt of gratitude.
This First Elder was certainly an interesting character.
He was willing to accept and support their departure from Meteor City, yet he maintained his own strict principles on certain fundamental issues.
The night was deep, and a bright moon hung high in the sky.
Ian and the group didn’t rest along the way, pressing forward steadily toward their destination.
However, just as they crested a mountain of garbage…
“Awooo!” Suddenly, a sharp wolf howl from far behind them shattered the silence of the night.
“Huh!?” The group looked confused.
“Was that a wolf?” Ian asked, puzzled.
“I’ve never heard of any wolves living in Meteor City…” Uvogin, limping but with a razor-sharp gaze fixed on their rear, spoke with absolute seriousness.
Realizing the implication, everyone’s expressions turned grim.
“It seems we need to pick up the pace,” Chrollo said calmly.
The group nodded in agreement.
It was obvious that no one could guarantee this sudden anomaly during their escape was unrelated to them.
Meanwhile, at that exact moment.
In a landfill zone far behind them.
Under the moonlight.
A giant wolf with pitch-black fur, standing a full two meters tall, sat squatting on the ground.
It sported a large bump on its head and wore a deeply aggrieved expression.
“Sorry about that, Ron.
Black Wolf occasionally loses control of himself whenever he sees the moon!” A blond man apologized profusely to the black-haired, bear-like man.
The man was Ron.
His rugged face, currently clenching a cigar, was filled with exasperation.
He cast a sidelong glance at the giant wolf, then at the blond man, and sighed helplessly.
“Baines, you spoil Black Wolf way too much!” “No wonder your missions always fail.
But this time is different.
We must capture those two brats at all costs.” Seeing Ron’s anger subside, the blond man named Baines quickly stepped forward with a goofy grin.
“It’s rare to see you value someone so highly.
Now I’m genuinely curious just how absurdly talented these kids are.” “However, it seems they planned to run away from the very beginning.” “Black Wolf has been tracking their scent.
Heading in that direction…
if I’m not mistaken, they’re trying to leave Meteor City.” Ron took a deep drag of his cigar and replied with a hint of resignation.
“Sigh, I was careless.” “I thought provoking that Uvogin kid would be enough to make him willingly work under the Third Elder.” “I didn’t expect things to go so far off script.” At this, his gaze sharpened, and he spoke with palpable excitement.
“But because of that, I ended up noticing the other little guy.” “That kid’s talent in Nen is absolutely unparalleled!” Hearing Ron’s assessment, Baines nodded, then shook his head.
He glanced at his companion, Black Wolf, and chuckled.
“Hearing you talk like that makes me want to meet our little geniuses as soon as possible…” “In that case, let’s go have some fun with those kids.”