The driver at the front spoke up, "Over the years, as far as I know, quite a few people have tried to infiltrate the Zoldyck Estate or challenge members of the Zoldyck family."
"There have been all kinds of skilled fighters among them," he continued. "Some reached very high floors in Heaven's Arena. Some are dojo founders, martial arts masters in their own right. And then there are also the hardened criminals, the kind who are truly ruthless. Many, many people."
"But none have succeeded," he said, voice lowering. "They've all failed. The lucky ones? They get to leave with injuries, and the Zoldycks don't even bother to chase them. The unlucky ones? They die inside the Estate, and there's not even a whole corpse left behind."
He paused for emphasis. "And it's not only the official Zoldyck family members. Even the ordinary staff members in that estate are frighteningly strong."
The passengers in the bus fell silent, absorbing this. Some had been curious to try their luck at the Zoldyck Estate before. But now, hearing that even dojo masters, elite fighters from Heaven's Arena, and top-tier criminals couldn't rival the Zoldyck Estate, they quickly abandoned the thought.
"But that estate is so massive," a young man muttered, unwilling to let it go. "Isn't it hard to guard every part of it? Not even a single weakness?"
The driver glanced back at him. "I wouldn't know. All I can tell you is, in all these years, not a single person has ever succeeded in getting in. Maybe those people were just unlucky. Or maybe you'll be the one with the luck to make it."
The young man's expression darkened, and he shot the driver a cold look, a glint of frustration in his eyes.
Ron, sitting quietly in his seat, watched this with his eyes narrowed. A woman in the seat beside him finally noticed him as the bus quieted down. She looked surprised.
"Hey, kid, are you with our tour group? I don't remember seeing you earlier."
Ron shook his head. "I came here on my own, without anyone else. I was on a previous tour bus, but they left me behind, so I'm heading down with you guys. I tend to go unnoticed—a bit of a natural talent for having a low presence."
The woman looked thoughtful, as if recalling something. "Now that you mention it… yeah, I didn't notice you at all just now." She chuckled. "It's dangerous for you to be alone, though. Would you like me to give you a ride home after we get off? If you trust me, that is."
"Thank you, but that's okay," Ron replied politely. "I know my way around pretty well down there."
"Alright then, but make sure to stay safe."
"I will."
The road down the mountain was long, and the bus rocked gently as it traveled. Soon, the woman grew drowsy, her eyelids drooping. Ron, too, closed his eyes, but he didn't sleep. Instead, he focused on practicing his Nen.
So far, he had learned the foundational Nen techniques: Ten, Ren, Gyo, Zetsu, and Hatsu. These were just the basics, though mastering them didn't mean they were complete. Mastering them was just the beginning; each technique had levels of completion.
Using martial arts terms, these stages could be classified as Beginner, Proficient, Expert, and Mastery. At this point, some of Ron's techniques were at the Proficient stage, while others remained at Beginner level.
In the original story, the concept of completion wasn't discussed in detail. However, both Maha Zoldyck, Zeno, and Silva had emphasized to Ron that the higher one's completion level, the greater the impact on overall power. In battles between Nen users—especially among those of similar levels—victory often hinged on the tiniest of details. Completion level had a significant influence on those details.
"Beep beep beep!" The bus jolted slightly as it came to a stop.
Ron opened his eyes to see they had arrived at the base of the mountain.
They had arrived at a small town.
Because of the Zoldyck Estate, this town saw a fair number of tourists. More people meant more business, giving the town a thriving atmosphere.
Ron stepped off the bus. The woman who had been sitting next to him looked around, trying to spot him again, but he quickly melted into the crowd. Only after every passenger had disembarked did the driver lock up and head to the management office to clock out for the day. But the driver didn't notice a figure following him from a distance—the same man who'd clashed with him verbally on the bus.
This man had spoken disrespectfully about the Zoldyck family, and the driver had defended them with a few choice words. Not long after, the driver turned down a small alley, and the man behind him picked up his pace, a dark intent flashing in his eyes. Clearly, he was planning to attack the driver and leave him for dead in the alley.
"This does involve the Zoldyck family, in a way," Ron muttered as he observed from above.
"Killer Queen!" he called. Suddenly, a pink figure appeared beside him.
"First Bomb!" Killer Queen picked up a small stone and aimed it precisely at the man stalking the driver. With a quick flick of its wrist, Killer Queen launched the stone at high speed toward the attacker below.
"Huh?" Hearing a faint sound, the man looked up instinctively, but it was too late.
"Boom!"
The stone hit the mark.
"An ambush?" he hissed. "Who's there?"
With a sneer, he forced himself to dodge to the side, thinking aloud, "Do they really think a simple stone is enough to kill me? As long as it doesn't hit a vital spot, what can it do to me?"
Ron watched the man's reaction without a hint of concern and then turned away.
Suddenly, a silent explosion erupted. The sound was completely suppressed, as though the blast had been contained within a single point.
The man's eyes widened in horror as he realized that his own body was the source of the explosion. It was incomprehensible. If the stone had exploded, he would have understood. But his own body? What was happening? He was flesh and blood!
Yet the man would never know the answer. The explosion tore through him, devastating his organs and vital areas, killing him in an instant.
Ron summoned Killer Queen back, and it vanished. Up ahead, the driver remained oblivious to what had happened. Ron then went to the bus station, bought a ticket, and boarded a vehicle bound for the nearby city.
The Zoldyck Estate was quite far from Heaven's Arena, so a trip by airship would be most convenient. However, no airships operated out of such a small mountain town. Only larger cities had that option.
Shortly after Ron departed, a figure appeared near the remnants of the attacker's body. He had short white hair, a slightly hunched posture, and wore clothing emblazoned with the words "One Kill a Day." The newcomer was none other than Zeno Zoldyck.
Ron had left the Zoldyck Estate to head to Heaven's Arena, where he could face many potential dangers along the way and even within the arena itself. Given Ron's current level of skill, he wasn't quite ready for all the threats he might encounter.
In terms of talent and potential, Ron was among the best Zeno had ever seen. But Ron still needed time. That's why Zeno was quietly ensuring his safety from the shadows. A prodigy from the Zoldyck family like Ron wasn't someone Zeno would leave to face such risks alone.
When Illumi had first ventured beyond the Zoldyck Estate, Silva had also kept watch from afar.
Zeno looked down at the body before him.
"From the looks of it… it seems that Ron didn't even use his full strength in that fight with the butler."