"Did you figure out that kid's abilities?" Shalnark asked as he and Uvogin made their way back to the Troupe's hideout. The manipulated individuals had already been released, leaving just the two of them.
"Aside from teleportation, I didn't see anything else. His strength isn't that impressive either," Uvogin replied in his usual gruff tone.
"Can't tell if it's just that those so-called Scavengers are too weak or if the Church's admission standards have become so lax…" Shalnark said casually, his hands resting behind his head.
As he spoke, they stepped into the Troupe's base.
Their leader, as usual, sat reading a book. Beside him, Phinks and Pakunoda were stationed like shadows, while Machi sat alone on one side, Phinks and Feitan were playing a game, and Franklin and Nobunaga sat together.
"You seem a bit late today. Did something happen on the way back?"
Hearing the noise, Franklin and Nobunaga looked up to greet them. Franklin directed the question toward Uvogin.
"We were playing around with a kid from the Church," Uvogin said, sitting down cross-legged beside them.
As for the details of the fight? Nothing much worth mentioning.
"A kid from the Church? The one with abilities from yesterday? How strong is he?" Chrollo, still focused on his book, raised his head and asked suddenly.
The Troupe hadn't been in Meteor City yesterday; they were away. Most of the time, their members were scattered around the world, only gathering for big operations.
Even today, not all the members were present.
They had just stopped by on a quick visit, bringing supplies back for their fellow Meteor City natives.
After all, the Troupe wasn't the only group supporting the city.
"He's good at running away, but there's nothing else noteworthy about him," Shalnark replied thoughtfully, taking a seat next to Feitan.
At least, that's how it looked to him.
"Got it. No need to worry about him, then," Chrollo remarked dismissively, returning to his book.
Silence and calm settled over the Troupe's base once more, creating a sense of harmony and mutual understanding.
...
Meanwhile, back at the Church, Syd glared at the white-haired boy lounging nearby, eating without a care, and said coldly, "From now on, you'll be training with those kids."
Cyr paused mid-bite, looking at him.
Being stared at by those cloudy blue eyes always seemed to make one's heart skip a beat.
Syd thought Cyr was about to argue but instead heard him say, "Their training intensity is too low for me."
Cyr's tone was calm, sounding completely serious.
His physical condition was already quite good, but he hadn't yet fully tapped into his potential—it was like holding a treasure chest without knowing what's inside.
Training would indeed be a good way to bring out his body's potential.
The last time he sparred was with Uvogin, and he'd only used basic punches with minimal cursed energy, just to see if he could trigger a Black Flash. So it made sense that Uvogin found him underwhelming. After all, he hadn't been fighting seriously. If he could knock out Uvogin easily, wouldn't this world be boring?
He didn't mind training with other kids, but the intensity of their training wouldn't do him any good.
"You… hold on, I'll contact Pampas." Syd pulled out a phone and started calling Pampas.
So they use phones in Meteor City…
Well, it made sense. It might be a dump, but it wasn't completely cut off from the outside world. How else would they get information?
Most regular residents just didn't have access to phones, that's all.
The call connected quickly, and before Pampas could say anything, Syd spoke up, "Lend me Sap for a bit."
"What tool are you trying to get him to make now? Hold on; I'll send him over in a bit," Pampas replied casually, not really waiting for an explanation.
"Oh, by the way, is that new kid your son?" Syd asked, suddenly remembering the question that had been nagging at him.
"…Have you lost your mind?" Pampas responded coldly, with a hint of disbelief.
Had Syd finally gone crazy from looking after kids too long? Seeing a kid and assuming it must be his?
The call ended abruptly, leaving Syd with a sheepish grin as he looked over at Cyr. The smirk on Cyr's face hinted at both mild amusement and perhaps a touch of mockery for Syd's far-fetched assumption.
Luckily, Cyr didn't seem interested in prolonging the awkwardness and asked, almost absentmindedly, "Who's Sap?"
"He's another member of the Church, with some unique abilities," Syd replied, somewhat cryptically.
Half an hour later, Cyr met Sap.
Dressed in priestly garb, Sap was a towering figure—two meters tall, exceptionally muscular, and sporting a shiny bald head. He looked like the ideal candidate to be a warrior monk.
"Hey, Sap, sorry to bother you again. This time, it's not for me but for this kid," Syd said, gesturing toward Cyr.
"Like you?" Sap asked, looking at Cyr but directing his question to Syd.
"Start with… 20 kilograms," Syd mused, scratching his chin.
Sap pulled several black iron rods from his clothes and, with his bare hands, molded them into rings. "Hold out your hands," he instructed Cyr.
Cyr complied, extending his hands. In the next moment, two black rings were placed on his wrists, and a weighty force made his arms sink downward.
"Lift your foot," Sap continued.
Cyr glanced at his now-heavy hands and raised his foot.
Immediately, he felt a similar weight on his legs.
So, "20 kilograms" meant each iron ring weighed that much. With four rings, Cyr now bore an extra 160 pounds.
But given his current physical condition, he could still move, though his movements slowed slightly.
It wasn't unbearable for his body, but he hadn't yet mastered full control over it. It was like someone suddenly receiving a trillion dollars and having no idea how to spend it.
Of course, if he used cursed energy to strengthen his body, it would be much easier.
But since this was physical training, using cursed energy would defeat the purpose.
"Training with these on is fine, but… are those kids supposed to be my sparring partners?" Cyr asked, stretching his limbs to warm up, though his movements were slow.
At first, the rings had felt weightless. Had Sap done something afterward to make them heavier?
So, despite looking like a enhancement type, he wasn't?
"Let's go," Sap said simply, departing without any fanfare.
"I'll trouble you again in a month!" Syd called out with a wave as Sap left.
"A month from now, they come off?" Cyr asked, idly examining the unremarkable-looking black rings on his wrists, noticing that they matched his tattoos quite well.
"No, we'll increase the weight in a month. And your training partner will be me," Syd said, with a smile that hinted at something sinister.
Adding weight on top of the current 160 pounds…
With his current body, Cyr could handle it. But with his previous strength, this much weight would have driven him mad.
Now, however, he looked forward to the future.
He wanted to obtain the unprecedented strength he'd never had the chance to pursue.
The world was vast, and now that he was here, he might as well explore it all.
Great power was the key to it all.
"Then let's get started." The white-haired, blue-eyed boy with black markings on his face spoke with a clear tone of excitement, his grin wide and fierce.