Chương 24: Chrollo Wants to Meet Me?

Aren felt refreshed watching Uvogin and Nobunaga look so wronged. Power existed to be shown off at least once.

"Limitless Technique," he said.

"That's what I named it." He lifted one hand and explained without hiding much.

"In simple terms, I materialize layers of compressed, folded space in front of me. It looks like a short distance, but the actual path inside is stretched almost without end."

"Anything that enters that space can have its direction changed. That's why you thought you were pulling your attacks back earlier. In reality, your attacks were circling in place." He did not worry about revealing the ability. Everyone present was someone he trusted. And even if the information somehow leaked, so what? Aren was confident in himself. Even if someone someday found a way through Limitless Technique, the ability was only one of his methods. The true problem would still be Aren.

After breaking through the field, an enemy would discover something even more hopeless. The person behind it was a monster who would not die. Uvogin and Nobunaga stared at him as if they had swallowed something bitter. As Enhancers, their ideal fight was a direct clash of strength. Even if Aren had knocked them flat with one punch, they might have enjoyed it. Fighting Limitless Technique felt like punching empty air. Only frustration remained. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road.

If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Machi, who had been watching from the side, let out a small laugh. Both boys' shoulders slumped further. Since the spar had clearly ended, Machi walked to Aren.

"Chrollo came while you were in seclusion." A sharp light crossed Aren's eyes.

'The Phantom Troupe is about to be born.'

"He said he wanted to meet you."

"Is that so..."

"I didn't agree, but I didn't refuse either." Machi's meaning was clear. The choice belonged to Aren. Uvogin and Nobunaga stood up and came over as well, leaving their wounded pride on the ground for later. Whether to join the Phantom Troupe had been a question in Aren's mind from the moment he met Machi. Most of the time, it surfaced for a second and then sank again. His own ability and Nen development had mattered more. Now Chrollo had come to the door. Aren had to decide.

As an adult, the first thing he considered was benefit. What could joining the Phantom Troupe give him? The first things to rise in his mind were big, pale curves, then dumb, big, pale curves.

"Cough."

'Focus.' There really were several people in the Troupe he wanted. Pakunoda. Shizuku. And Shalnark. Not because Pakunoda had big, pale curves, or because Shizuku was dumb with big, pale curves. Definitely not. Pakunoda's memory-reading ability and Memory Bombs could pair perfectly with Perfect Mimicry. With the right target, Aren might replace someone in a ferry terminal, V5, Kakin, or even a prince's circle without leaving a gap. Even if he never needed that, having the option was valuable.

Shizuku was another matter. Nen was subjective. Blinky absorbed what Shizuku believed to be nonliving. As a psychologist, Aren knew how terrifying that kind of simplicity could become if guided carefully. He could not overwrite an existing belief by force. He could not make her suddenly believe human beings were lifeless. But the Dark Continent existed. Some calamities were too strange for ordinary categories.

If he could help Shizuku classify certain disasters as nonliving, Blinky might become absurdly useful in places no sane person should walk. It was only a theory. A theory with potential. Lastly, Shalnark. For Shalnark, Aren did not care about the ability itself as much as the person. Shalnark was intelligent, polite, calm, practical, and skilled at gathering and analyzing information. Aside from Chrollo, he was one of the few Troupe members who could truly make decisions. Aren looked at his own side.

Uvogin and Nobunaga were good for fighting. Thinking was another matter. Machi had an excellent sixth sense, but no team could rely on instinct for every major decision. Aren knew the future, but knowledge could narrow thought as much as broaden it. From the moment he arrived, the world had already begun changing. The more influence he gained, the larger the storm from his wings would become. He needed an observer capable of seeing what he missed. That was why Shalnark mattered.