As the Floor Master of Heavens Arena, Hankloda's funeral must be handled with the proper respect after his death.
What's more, he wasn't alone—there's a branch of the Subai school behind him, and a large group of disciples will be taking care of his funeral.
So, if Ronnel didn't act now, he might not get another chance as good as this.
After a group of Subai school disciples carried Hankloda's body from the ring, they found a young man, about sixteen or seventeen, standing in front of them, looking deeply sorrowful with tears in his eyes.
"I was a fan of Mr. Hankloda, and I'd like to see him one last time," Ronnel said, his voice choked with emotion. His performance was so convincing, he could fool even the best of them in the future.
Seeing Ronnel's sincerity, the vigilance on the disciples' faces faded. Softened, they allowed him to approach.
"God bless you, Mr. Hankloda."
Ronnel mimicked the gesture of a Christian prayer, and, under the guise of mourning, a large hand radiating white mist silently grasped Hankloda's body, retrieving three glowing orbs before retreating.
"Farewell."
After storing the three light spheres in his storage space, Ronnel murmured his final words and swiftly ran off, his face buried in his hands in a show of heartbreak. The disciples looked on, sighing with admiration at the scene.
Acting skills—advanced level.
In the streets of Meteor City, where people devour one another, how could you survive without solid acting skills?
Ronnel had honed his performance from the bodies of countless residents, gradually refining his skill to an advanced level.
Once he was far enough away, he removed his hands from his face, and the grief vanished, replaced by a self-satisfied grin.
This operation had gone flawlessly! Hahahaha! Ha... haha...
The grin froze on Ronnel's face.
Not far ahead, a figure stood at the exit of the passage, observing him with interest—a man with a playing card in hand and face paint like a clown.
It was Hisoka Morow and current member of the Phantom Troupe, holding the number four position.
Why did it have to be him? Hisoka's presence here was no surprise—he'd fought Kastro in Heavens Arena, making him a regular. Of course, there was no reason he wouldn't come to watch the battles of Floor Masters.
Ronnel's expression immediately tightened. He made an effort to act as if he hadn't noticed anything, picking up his pace.
"I'm not sure what you're up to, visiting this dead man," Hisoka said with his signature grin.
"But you don't strike me as someone here to mourn and say goodbye, right?"
He shifted slightly, deliberately blocking the exit.
Damn it…
Ronnel's brow twitched. Hisoka was the last person he wanted to deal with. Once he took an interest in you, trouble was guaranteed.
This was a man who pursued his desires with no regard for anything else. Just to fight Chrollo, he'd killed the former member holding the number four spot and joined the Phantom Troupe. Then, he later leaked information to Kurapika, leading to the deaths of Pakunoda and Uvogin.
After his battle with Chrollo at Heavens Arena, he went berserk, killing Shalnark and Kortopi. A complete lunatic, obsessed with his own twisted goals.
Getting involved with him meant inviting chaos.
"I just want to leave," Ronnel said vaguely,
"Could you make some space?"
"Oh, sure." Hisoka chuckled.
"But I noticed that look on your face earlier—you seem to know me quite well, don't you?"
"…No, not at all. I just thought your outfit was a bit… unusual."
Every freak in the Hunter world was a nightmare.
"Hmm… is that so?"
Unfazed, Hisoka turned and sashayed out of the passage like he was on a runway, waving a hand back at Ronnel.
"I think we'll meet again someday."
Ghosts want to meet you, more like! Ronnel thought bitterly. He remembered that Hisoka would be joining the Hunter Exam in 1998, which meant their paths would cross for sure unless he delayed until 2000.
But waiting until 2000? That was impossible—he planned to take the exam next year.
So, there was no avoiding him... What a headache.
Ronnel rubbed his temples and returned to his seat, only to find that the audience had already cleared out.
Wing and the others had probably left earlier, and as for Shizuku, who was usually quite obedient…
Ronnel noticed the note Bisky had left on the seat: "Took Shizuku shopping."
He sighed, speechless.
With no other choice, Ronnel headed back to his room, checking over the spoils from his little encounter with Clodagh.
"Strength talent—advanced."
Judging by those massive muscles, it was no surprise that Hankloda's strength level had been so high. Advanced, huh? Not bad!
But strength alone wasn't enough. Nen power came down to the strength of your mind... after all.
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