This meant that there was rarely any new garbage; it was all old, accumulated trash.
Finding anything useful in such a mountain of waste was nearly impossible.
Firstly, the old garbage had already been searched through countless times by others.
Secondly, over time, the trash would degrade and rot.
Another noticeable difference was the people.
The residents of the old garbage district had a cold, mechanical feel to them, as if they were programmed to follow specific instructions.
They moved through life in set patterns.
When hungry, they climbed the trash heap to scavenge for food.
After eating, they'd find a spot to rest.
When they fell ill, they were simply sick.
When they died, they were just food.
They didn't cast any extra glances at anything, with one exception—infants.
The only human trait they seemed to retain was an instinctual drive to care for babies.
But the people in the new garbage district were different.
Here, people had their own thoughts and desires.
They cooperated and divided tasks.
They fought over resources.
They hid what they gathered.
They traded.
In essence, it was a society, albeit a chaotic one.
The strong and resourceful thrived, while the weak and unsuccessful faced worsening conditions.
Ron noticed one thing.
The weaker people's eyes gradually lost their light, becoming dull and numb.
"Perhaps," Ron thought, "some of those people in the old garbage district were originally from the new district."
Several eyes fell on Ron and his three companions. Although he and Zeno had changed into clothes that fit Meteor City, they still didn't quite blend in.
This wasn't something they could mask by using *Zetsu* alone.
"Whiz!"
A stone shot towards Peter at high speed.
Someone was launching a sneak attack on Ron's group, specifically targeting Peter, the weakest among them.
"Bang!"
Park noticed and stepped in front of Peter, blocking the stone with *Ten* wrapped around him, shielding him from harm.
But this act enraged Park.
Although he hadn't been with Peter for long, he had brought Peter out of the old garbage district himself—a meaningful act. Park was determined to protect Peter, and he wouldn't forgive anyone who tried to harm him.
"Sir, may I go?"
Park looked to Zeno and Ron.
Zeno gave no reaction, while Ron nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
In the next instant, Park dashed toward the hidden attackers.
Ron didn't watch. Park was a *Nen* user, while the attackers were not, making the fight a foregone conclusion.
But Peter was anxious.
"Sir, will Park be okay?"
"He'll be fine. Let's keep going; he'll catch up."
Ron continued forward.
The progress in the crystal orb grew little by little.
The situation in the new garbage district aligned with Ron's expectations of Meteor City before he arrived.
He wasn't particularly interested in this. However, the old garbage district had shocked him.
He hadn't anticipated that humans could turn into such a state.
Soon enough, Park caught up.
"Sir."
Zeno glanced back, narrowing his eyes.
"We're being followed."
Chapter 83: Rules of the Zoldyck Family! (Please Subscribe)
Park instinctively wanted to look back, but Zeno's *Nen* focused on him, stopping him in his tracks.
Zeno looked at Park. "It seems you're not involved with those people."
Ron frowned.
"Someone's targeting us? But why?"
"We, the Zoldyck family, are just assassins. We have no clear grievances with any organization."
"We've cooperated with the elders of Meteor City for years."
"Besides, our family's strength is not something most factions would dare challenge."
Ron couldn't think of a reason why anyone would target the four of them.
If it was aimed at Park and Peter, the threat wouldn't be strong enough for Zeno to care.
Just like in the original storyline, where the squad leader of the Leopard Army provoked Zeno—Zeno didn't care.
Even if Silva hadn't intervened, Zeno could have easily taken down the Leopard squad leader.
But now, Zeno's attitude clearly indicated that whoever was following them had strength above that of the Leopard squad leader, meaning this wasn't a weak foe.
The Chimera Ant squad leaders were extremely powerful. After the Queen's death and the King's departure, several of these leaders chose to leave, with one team heading for Meteor City.
A squad leader with a scorpion-like appearance and a few squad commanders—a force not particularly strong in its own right.
But even these Chimera Ants pushed Feitan and the others to their limits, revealing the strength of the Chimera Ants.
At the very least, they were stronger than the Shadow Beasts.
Additionally, very few knew about their presence, only one elder and his closest subordinates.
As a prominent elder, he had no reason to oppose Ron and Zeno. He couldn't withstand the Zoldyck family's retaliation.
If Maha Zoldyck were to act, no elder in Meteor City would stand a chance.
"It may have something to do with the recent disaster," Zeno said as they walked.
"The giant cockroach?"
"Precisely."
Zeno paused and asked, "Ron, what do you think *Nen* is?"
"The combination of physical and mental energy."
"And do you know the different types of mental energy?"
Ron thought for a moment and shook his head.
"No, I don't."
"*Nen* is indeed a combination of physical and mental energy. Physical energy is straightforward—it's the energy contained within the body, something all living beings possess."
Zeno explained, "But mental energy is much more complex, encompassing many aspects."
"Willpower!"
"Desire!"
"Grudges!"
"Sorrow!"
"Fear!"
"Anger!"
"Pain!"
"Sadness!"
"Loneliness!"
"Disgust!"
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