Kurapika sat in the private room for a long time before his emotions finally settled.
"Brother Luo Ning, were you..." Kurapika hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Were you in the village back then?"
"I was," Luo Ning nodded. "My father saved me, but he was killed by Uvogin along the way."
"So Uvogin really is a member of the Phantom Troupe! Then the two with him are also killers!" Kurapika's eyes, which had just returned to normal, shifted back into the Scarlet Eyes state due to the emotional surge.
"Yes." Luo Ning poured a glass of water for Kurapika. "What do you plan to do?"
"Revenge!" Kurapika said without hesitation.
"Can you win?" Luo Ning asked again.
Kurapika fell silent.
Luo Ning showed a gratified smile. His biggest worry was that Kurapika would rush in recklessly after discovering the identities of Uvogin and the others. This was why he had rushed to the restaurant as soon as he heard about Kurapika's actions from Milia.
A portion of his own great strength came from the Scarlet Eyes of the Kurta Clan. Even if just for that reason, protecting Kurapika within reasonable bounds was something he ought to do. It was a way of repaying the Kurta Clan. Furthermore, Kurapika himself had immense investment value.
There was also one extremely important point: even though he had only been in this world for over a month, Luo Ning was certain of one thing—he was better suited for combat. He wasn't particularly good at things like scheming and intrigue. In that regard, the meticulous Kurapika excelled.
Given their bond as fellow clansmen, Luo Ning was certain that with Kurapika's character, he would never betray him. Even if Kurapika found out he was using the method of fusing their clansmen's eyes to increase his strength, Luo Ning didn't think Kurapika would choose to stand against him. In fact, Luo Ning felt Kurapika might even become an assistant in collecting the Scarlet Eyes.
Of course, if they eventually reached an impasse, he would part ways with Kurapika. He just didn't want things to go that far. After all, he personally liked the character of Kurapika from the manga, and the memories of his predecessor gave him a very good impression of the boy.
Kurapika shook his head. "I can feel it. The gap between us is like a bottomless chasm."
"Yes, your intuition is correct," Luo Ning directly acknowledged Kurapika's judgment. "If you face them now, you'll be like an egg striking a rock."
"Then what about you, Brother Luo Ning?" Kurapika looked at Luo Ning with expectation in his eyes.
Luo Ning shook his head. "I'm still far from enough."
Even with Milia's Nen rental as a trump card, Luo Ning wasn't very confident about the upcoming struggle with the Troupe. But he liked and enjoyed this kind of challenge against the strong. Perhaps he was a born warrior!
If he weren't, the best course of action after escaping pursuit would have been to live in anonymity, not to stand out so openly and grandly. He had to admit that when Milia found him, he felt a surge of excitement. It wasn't just the excitement of becoming a superstar fighter in the spotlight, but also the anticipation for the impending crisis.
So he followed his heart, choosing to cooperate with Milia and making secret arrangements to push everything in the direction he desired. The only pity was that he hadn't been able to find a third pair of Scarlet Eyes to fuse with before the fight with Uvogin. If he had a third pair, the gap between him and Uvogin would be smaller, and his chances of winning—or even killing him—would be greater.
Kurapika's gaze dimmed slightly. "Then..."
"But even with the gap, I'm going to tear a piece of flesh off those sons of bitches first!" A ruthless look appeared on Luo Ning's face. After being hunted continuously, even a saint would be furious, let alone a guy like him who didn't like to let a grudge sit overnight.
Looking at Luo Ning, Kurapika was surprised for only a moment before a look of admiration filled his eyes. 'Brother Luo Ning really is reliable!'
"Brother Luo Ning, we can wait!" Kurapika offered more rational advice. Even though he desperately wanted to tear a piece of flesh from those Phantom Troupe scumbags, he didn't want to lose Luo Ning. But thinking about how Luo Ning was about to face Uvogin—the man who killed his father—Kurapika felt his persuasion was a bit weak.
"No, I've already made arrangements. I'll be fine. As for you, if you trust me, follow my lead. Leave Heaven's Arena for now." Luo Ning's expression was incredibly solemn. "Wait for me to settle things here, and I'll come find you. We'll reclaim our clansmen's eyes together!"
"Okay."
Kurapika agreed without even thinking.
Luo Ning fell silent for a moment as he looked at Kurapika. Then, his eyes became resolute. "When we reunite, I'll tell you a secret. I hope you'll still trust and support me then."
Kurapika sensed the gravity in Luo Ning's tone. This made him nervous, and his mind began to race. The only bad thing he could think of was that Luo Ning might not actually come to meet him. 'Could it be...'
"Don't overthink it. I won't joke with my life." Luo Ning saw through Kurapika's thoughts, patted his shoulder, and smiled. "Go to Mordin City first. I'll come find you once I've handled the matters at Heaven's Arena."
After sending off a reluctant Kurapika, Luo Ning returned to Heaven's Arena feeling light. Next, he would focus all his efforts on preparing for the battle with Uvogin!
Three days passed quickly.
In the waiting room, Luo Ning took the contract handed to him by Milia. On it was a digitized aura measurement: [AURA: 15,000].
This time, Luo Ning didn't hesitate and signed his name. The abstract, stick-figure-like Lending Devil moved from Milia's body onto Luo Ning's shoulder.
"You should leave as well. What happens next might go beyond the plan, and I probably won't be returning to Heaven's Arena for matches for a while after this fight," Luo Ning said with some regret.
The cooperation with Milia had been great. She was professional, and her Nen ability provided excellent support.
"So, what do you plan to do next?" Milia wasn't in a hurry to part ways. "You've been looking into the Mafia lately, haven't you? That's a lucrative business. And I think you aren't particularly skilled at management. Shall we continue our partnership?"
"A manager expanding into new business ventures?" Luo Ning tilted his head.
"Well, it's about making money!" A hint of a smile appeared on Milia's cold face. This time, she didn't hide her hands on purpose; instead, she reached up to brush a strand of hair from her temple.
As Milia expected, Luo Ning's gaze fell upon those exquisite, beautiful hands.
"Fine."
Luo Ning turned around. "The next stop is Mordin City. I imagine you already knew that."
"Of course." Milia said with concern, "Don't die."
"Don't worry!" Luo Ning raised a hand in assurance as he stepped out of the shadows of the tunnel and into the sight of the audience, accompanied by the announcer's impassioned introduction.
At that moment, the crowd erupted into a frenzied cheer!