Of course, Luke hadn't yet earned that kind of emotion from Chairman Netero.
But beneath that smile, Luke could feel the faint, hidden edge clearly.
After all, this was the chairman of the Hunter Association, the strongest Nen user in the world.
Naturally, he had his pride.
But precisely because of that pride…
"Since you, young man, are willing to stake so much on this wager, this old man won't be stingy or afraid to play along."
Chairman Netero spoke slowly: "As long as you can win against me in this match..."
"Then I'll take responsibility for it. You won't need to complete any further conditions."
"I'll personally override all objections and appoint you as the vice-chairman of the Hunter Association."
Clearly, things had reached a point where Chairman Netero could no longer back down.
He didn't even call it an activity game anymore; he openly called it a match.
"Well, that's quite the wager, chairman..."
Luke smiled. "But wasn't our agreement originally that I would only earn that right after a direct duel with you?"
"Hohoho, conditions and rules can always be changed, as long as both sides agree."
Chairman Netero laughed. "Anyway, once I defeat you and claim your wager, there will naturally be plenty of chances for us to duel later."
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't have any confidence in beating me?"
"Not exactly..."
Luke flexed his wrist. "I'm just worried about whether you can handle it, chairman."
"After all, this won't just be a simple game anymore, right?"
"Hohoho, of course not. But before worrying about me, you had better worry about yourself first."
Their eyes clashed midair, and if the sparks were visible, they might have set the whole room ablaze.
At this point, Chairman Netero stopped speaking.
He walked straight toward the door.
Luke followed right behind him.
"On this airship, this old man doesn't have many hobbies."
Chairman Netero said as he walked ahead.
"I just drink tea, watch the clouds pass by..."
"And when I'm feeling especially bored, I play a little dodgeball."
As he spoke, Chairman Netero led Luke to the largest open area on the ship.
It was as big as a stadium, no equipment, no obstacles, just a wide, smooth floor and…
"Chairman, here's your dodgeball."
Waiting there with the ball in hand was none other than Mr. Beans.
Seeing Chairman Netero and Luke arrive, he wasn't surprised at all.
He placed the ball down, bowed politely, and left.
As Chairman Netero's secretary, he knew his boss's habits better than anyone.
He knew exactly what was about to happen. Chairman Netero wanted to test Luke's strength.
But since real combat wasn't practical inside the airship, it would naturally take the form of Chairman Netero's usual pastime: dodgeball.
As for the outcome, that wasn't his concern.
He had done his part.
The rest was up to Chairman Netero.
"Dodgeball, this old man plays it quite often."
Chairman Netero stepped forward, deftly flicking the ball up with one foot.
"How about it? Want to play a round with me?"
"What are the exact rules?"
Luke looked at Chairman Netero, who was already bouncing the ball in his hand.
"Very simple. If you can take the ball from my hand, you win."
Chairman Netero spoke casually. "Otherwise, if you can't do that within the set time limit, you lose."
"As for the time limit, you decide. Even if you want to play for three days and three nights..."
Chairman Netero chuckled. "This old man will keep you company till the very end."
Ah, now that was a truly domineering declaration.
Luke, of course, wasn't about to let himself be looked down on.
"Three days and three nights? I'm afraid by then your body and stamina won't hold up, chairman."
"Honestly, even one night might be enough to make you run out of breath. So..."
Luke smiled and said, "To keep you from getting too tired, chairman, and to make sure you don't overexert yourself, I think it won't even take a whole night. Let's settle it within half a night. That way, we won't waste each other's time."
Luke said this casually, while Chairman Netero looked at him calmly. "So confident, are you?"
"Of course."
Luke smiled. "When shall we start?"
"Right now..."
Chairman Netero directly took off his outer robe, revealing a simple white short-sleeved shirt underneath.
His lower half was dressed just as plainly, with white shorts as the base.
His overall appearance was neat and simple.
Yet beneath those white clothes were tightly packed, powerful muscles, a striking contrast to the thin, frail-looking body he usually showed the world.
And as those muscles tensed and bulged, the aura of the world's strongest Nen user began to spread slowly around him.
"That's more like it..."
Seeing this, Luke didn't tense up at all.
Instead, he smiled brightly.
"If you're not going to use your full power, chairman, then this match won't be any fun at all."
"But since you're taking me so seriously, I can't afford to let you down either."
As he spoke, Luke rolled up his sleeves and flexed his hands.
Then… he suddenly pulled out a small doll out of nowhere.
"Oh?"
Witnessing this scene, Chairman Netero's eyes narrowed slightly.
He couldn't tell how Luke had produced the object.
"A Nen ability related to spatial manipulation? Interesting..."
Chairman Netero's hands began to itch; the ball he was holding bounced rhythmically in his palms.
To possess such an impressive Nen ability already spoke volumes about the other party's strength and talent.
And besides…
"So this is what you call an invention?"
Chairman Netero studied the doll in Luke's hand carefully. "Mr. Inventor, this is?"
"That's right..."
Luke's expression grew serious. "Since you, Chairman Netero, are treating me with such seriousness, then..."
"I absolutely can't let you down."
"Using only the inventions in my hands that can truly decide victory or defeat, that's the greatest show of respect I can give you."
Yes, Luke's publicly declared profession was inventor, so it only made sense that he would bring out one of his powerful inventions to face Chairman Netero using the field he was best at.
That logic was flawless.
However…
"To be honest."
Chairman Netero said, "I would actually prefer it if you didn't rely on any external tools and just fought me directly."