A group of four headed toward the new garbage district.
They should have gone there earlier, but their plans were delayed by an outbreak of giant cockroaches.
As they made their way, Kaizen couldn't help but pull out the bone to examine it again.
It was still just as revolting as the first time he saw it.
That disgusting thing had saddled him with a massive debt—10 billion Jenny. But Kaizen didn't blame Zeno for that.
He knew better.
Zeno didn't give away money without expecting something in return. In the Zoldyck family, that was simply the way things worked. Even if Silva asked for help from Milluki or Illumi, he would still have to pay.
The family prided itself on loyalty, but they were equally strict when it came to economics. Allowing Kaizen to take the bone on credit was already bending the rules.
And this whole Meteor City trip wasn't planned, either.
Zeno had originally come along to help Milluki find a new personal butler. Kaizen only tagged along to avoid the burden of constant surveillance—an effort to convince his grandfather Zeno that he could handle himself.
Yet Zeno agreed without hesitation to Kaizen's request. Bringing him along to scout Meteor City… it was more than Kaizen could have hoped for. Even with their cold family principles, this was a rare gesture of trust.
Kaizen knew that.
But just as the group had departed, a lone figure arrived at the scene of the earlier disaster, where the giant cockroach swarm had been exterminated. The man's gaze swept over the empty surroundings, and his brows furrowed.
"What happened?" he muttered. "It should've been here."
His sharp eyes fixed on the collapsed heap of garbage in the distance.
"That trash pile... It's clear something big went down here."
"Did the disaster appear early? Did someone kill it before we got here?"
He knelt, dipping his fingers into a fine powder on the ground. He sniffed it, tasted it, and rubbed the residue between his fingers.
A moment later, his expression darkened.
"It was here."
"And it's dead."
"Who had the nerve to interfere with the Kuto Thieves Group?"
After leaving the old garbage district and entering the new one, the scenery shifted dramatically. Kaizen watched the crystal ball floating beside him, observing its progress.
The crystal ball's energy level had risen by 10 points in the old garbage area. That increase came after Zeno had battled the disaster and eliminated it, adding another 5 points.
Kaizen figured the new garbage area and the chaotic sector could also contribute at least 10 points each.
"That'll bring us to 35 points..." he thought, tapping the crystal ball thoughtfully.
"But how many points will Elder place yield?"
Absorbing the full essence of Meteor City might be even more complicated than absorbing that of Heavens Arena. At least in the Heavens Arena, he knew what to aim for: the fighting tournament.
But in Meteor City? There were too many unknowns.
"Grandpa Zeno can't stay here long," Kaizen muttered under his breath. "I need to get stronger on my own."
The differences between the old and new garbage districts were striking.
In the old district, the garbage mountains were lifeless. Few airships came anymore to dump waste, and any useful materials had long since been scavenged. Time had reduced the remaining trash to useless rot.
The people there were just as worn down as the garbage they lived among—hollow, mechanical. They moved according to routine: scavenge, eat, sleep, repeat. Illness was met with resignation. Death was accepted without a word.
The only sign of humanity they showed was their instinct to care for babies and toddlers. Beyond that, they were shells of people.
The new garbage district, however, was different.
Here, people had desires. They competed, hoarded, bartered, and fought over what little they could find. It was chaotic, but it resembled a society.
Those who were strong and resourceful thrived. The weak were left to struggle, their hope dimming as their circumstances worsened. Kaizen noticed it immediately—how the light in their eyes faded little by little.
"It's possible that the people in the old district were once like these," Kaizen mused. "Maybe they gave up after years of failing."
A sense of unease crept into him as many eyes turned toward their group. Even though Kaizen and Zeno had dressed to blend in, they still stood out. It wasn't something they could hide with mere clothes—or even with Nen.
Suddenly—
Whizz!
A stone hurtled toward Peter, the weakest of the four.
Thwack!
Parker stepped in just in time, catching the stone with his body. Thanks to his aura defense, the impact didn't harm him.
But it did ignite his anger.
Parker hadn't been with Peter for long, but Peter was special to him. He had pulled the boy out of the old garbage district himself. That made Peter his responsibility. And Parker would allow no one to harm him.
"I'll handle this," Parker growled, turning to Kaizen and Zeno.
Zeno gave him a brief glance, his expression unreadable.
Kaizen gave a small nod.
"Go."
With that, Parker shot off, vanishing into the shadows in pursuit of the attacker.
Kaizen didn't bother looking back.
Parker was a skilled Nen user, the assailant likely wasn't. The fight would be over before it began.
But Peter looked worried.
"Will Parker be okay?" he asked nervously.
"He'll be fine," Kaizen replied, moving forward. "Let's keep going. He'll catch up soon enough."
As they walked, the crystal ball's progress continued to climb, little by little.
This new garbage district was exactly what Kaizen had expected from Meteor City—a chaotic and desperate place. The old district, however, had been a shock. He never imagined people could live like that.
Before long, Parker reappeared at their side.
"My lord," Parker reported, bowing slightly.
Zeno cast a glance over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing.
"We're being followed," the old man murmured.
--------------
+110 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub