Valian exited a bar with a beer bottle in his hand.
He was in his early thirties, around 185 centimeters tall, with a moderately muscular build.
His black hair reached down to his shoulders, and his eyes were green.
He wore a simple black jacket, a long sweater, and plain pants.
"Ah... there's nothing better than drinking after training," he muttered to himself.
He turned the corner and started walking toward the tower.
As he continued walking, Valian began to feel that something was strange.
A sensation he could not understand started filling him, though he was not entirely sure how to describe it.
"Am I being followed?" he thought, but he did not look behind him, nor did his expression change.
Ten seconds later, during the quiet evening hours where nobody else was around, a young man appeared in front of him.
"Were you the one giving me that strange feeling and following me?" Valian asked. In less than half a second, "Nen" had already begun surrounding his body.
Without even needing to learn who Conrad was, he had immediately prepared himself.
As an experienced fighter and Nen user, he knew he could not judge an unknown person by appearance alone.
"Yes," Conrad replied.
"But I don't have bad intentions."
"I just want to talk. My name is Conrad Everest. I know you've heard of me," he added.
Valian frowned slightly and nodded.
He had not watched Conrad's fight against Reginald, but he had heard about it.
He personally knew Reginald and was aware that Reginald was stronger than himself.
If this young man had fought Reginald within maybe six or eight months...
Defeated him in a death match and then convinced him to turn that battle back into a normal fight without taking advantage of his pride; then he was not a normal person.
"I see..." said Valian.
"What do you want to talk to me about?"
Conrad smiled.
"First, let's go somewhere nicer," he said, gesturing forward.
Valian kept his distance but followed Conrad.
A short while later, they sat down in a nice restaurant on a busy street. Conrad ordered some food and expensive drinks.
"I'll speak honestly."
"I have a team," Conrad said.
Valian remained silent and continued listening without showing any emotion.
"My team currently consists of me and four friends. One of them is Reginald."
"You know him," Conrad said.
Valian nodded.
"Yes... I know him. If you managed to convince him, then you must be a very persuasive person," he added.
Conrad simply smiled, poured himself some whiskey, and took a sip.
"The others may not be as strong as him, but they're stronger than you as well..."
Valian's brows twitched slightly. Naturally, as a fighter, being evaluated so directly by someone he did not even know personally did not feel very pleasant.
"You know I'm not stupid, and you know I'm strong," Conrad added.
He spread his hands and continued speaking.
"I wouldn't say something like that carelessly. I've watched your fights, and I know my own team members."
"That's why I said it," he said before taking a light breath.
"The real reason I wanted to meet you is because I want to invite you into this group."
Valian exhaled quietly.
"Why would I want to join a group of people I don't know?" he asked.
Conrad smiled.
"The group's name is Seekers Of The Unknown, or simply Seekers."
"If you join the group, you'll have the chance to experience lands nobody knows, things you could never see or experience otherwise..."
"Of course, your Nen ability and Nen knowledge will also improve. Simply by joining the group, your strength will increase as well," Conrad added.
Valian took a sip of his whiskey.
"My strength will increase... That's more than just a statement or claim. That means your team is also connected to a Nen ability."
Conrad nodded.
"Yes."
"But it isn't a Nen ability that constantly demands things. It only has conditions that were established when the group was first created..."
"Because of that, every member who joins the group will personally become stronger."
"And like I said, I'll help you and make your current Nen ability even stronger than it already is."
"If you're looking for financial gain, that can also be solved."
Valian thought quietly for a while. He was not confused, but there were parts of the situation he did not fully understand.
"What do you gain from me joining this group?"
Conrad nodded.
"Naturally, we have enemies as a group, and to fulfill our desires and goals, we need powerful allies."
"I believe you have potential and that you're strong," he said.
"That's why your joining the group would directly strengthen it and make our future actions and goals easier."
"And if you have a personal goal, it's also possible for us to help you achieve it," he added.
Valian smiled at those words.
"So you're saying you can help fulfill a personal goal of mine..." he said.
Valian reached toward his neck and removed the necklace he was wearing.
The necklace was heart-shaped, a keepsake necklace.
He opened the heart-shaped piece, revealing a picture of a young woman inside.
"This is my wife, Alyana..."
"She was killed by a Nen user..."
"To be honest, I wanted revenge, but I couldn't take it because I'm not strong enough."
"If you help me get revenge, I'll join the group."
Conrad nodded.
"Who killed your wife, and why?" he asked.
Valian's eyes darkened as he answered.
"Zoldyck... Illumi Zoldyck. An assassin hired by a mafia family because I refused to sell my wife to them."
Conrad took a deep breath and smiled.
"Looks like things are about to get complicated..." he thought.