84 Chapter 81: Stepping Into the Unknown!

Machi noticed a gang of people who appeared to be grumbling as she walked toward the city.

"Boss is just too much!"

"I want to go to bed, though..."

"Agree..."

"Be quiet, follow the instructions quickly, and we'll go to sleep if you do that..."

As they cautiously approached the forest, she couldn't help but stare at them in a peculiar way.

Machi shook her head and muttered, "Psychos."

Then she proceeded to enter.

With the moonlight shining so brightly today, she noticed a little eatery in Meteor City called Dumpster Delights, which caused her to raise an eyebrow.

The man who constructed it must have been yet another psycho or so she thought as she shook her head.

As she continued her journey deeper into the city, she eventually reached Sakujiro's place. She sighed, remembering how the place looked in her memories, but it now looked much rundown.

"..."

Approaching the door slowly, she knocked on it several times without speaking a word.

However...

The door remained unopened after several minutes, causing her to frown and ask, "Is he asleep already or is he dead?"

Just as Machi was about to rap on the door once more, it swung open, revealing Sakujiro's expressionless face.

"...!"

Machi's eyes shook slightly at the sight of him.

"...Hmm?"

"Long time no see, old man. I came back to---"

Machi was a little flustered by the awkwardness as she struggled to find the right words.

SLAM!

However, Sakujiro abruptly closed the door without waiting for her to finish speaking, slamming it shut in her face.

He did this without waiting for her to finish speaking. 

"...?"

When Machi finally understood what was going on, she couldn't help but blink her eyes in shock.

"You old fart, at least wait until I finish what I was about to say!" she yelled, her face red with rage.

Her screams resounded throughout the arena, and as she saw Sakujiro wasn't even bothered to respond to her outburst, proafinity began to freely flow out of her mouth.

Those who overheard her stared at her with curiosity.

Outside, Machi was yelling, but inside the building, Sakujiro shook his head, sat down on his bed of lined tires, closed his eyes, and slept.

"What a jerk...." Machi searched for a spot to lie down and nap, humping irritably as she walked away.

She absentmindedly glanced at Sakujiro's locations while whispering, "...You old fart, just wait and see! I'll be coming every single day!" 

Back at Dumpster Delights...

Raymond sat at one of the chairs in the restaurant, tapping the table rhythmically.

"So, anything useful for survival here is currency, huh?" he muttered, glancing at the table where customers had left their payments.

Among the items were coin-like tokens, plain and featureless, reminiscent of the ones Taka had carried in his pouch a while back.

Although Raymond hadn't seen what's inside Taka's pouch himself, he was certain they were the same.

These tokens were said to melt easily, even at lower temperatures, and could be molded into various useful shapes, making them the most valuable currency in Meteor City.

"...But I still don't understand how these coins can be so valuable? Do I miss something here?"

Raymond muttered slowly as his mind raced with his thought.

The rest of the payment consisted of firewood, shabby clothing fabric, and other essentials highly valued by the city's residents.

"Their rough exterior may be intimidating, but they certainly looked each other quite well..." He chuckled to himself, recalling his interactions with the residents of the city.

Raymond was actually quite surprised at the fact that conflict was rare among them. Instead, they seemed united in their struggle to survive, which was a rarity in such a harsh environment.

Still, it was thanks to Taka which served as a catalyst for him to blend in.

Though Raymond could understand why Taka was well liked among the residents.

Despite his mischievousness, he possessed an innate innocence that endeared him to others.

Listening to their conversations, sometimes even joining in, while preparing their meals, Raymond effortlessly integrated himself into their circle.

His curiosity and questions were not just idle chatter; they were a means to gather valuable information.

"They didn't mention anything about the elders' existence at all, but..." Raymond paused, his tapping finger halting on the table as his gaze sharpened. "...There seem to be a group of thugs here too, huh?"

He pondered the implications, "If things go right in my favor, I will bring prosperity to the city, and they certainly wouldn't mind, but those thugs and the elders might not think the same..."

Then...

It's decided!

Raymond's crimson eyes flickered with resolve, "...I'll go meet this Watanabe guy."

As the night faded into dawn, Raymond glanced at Luke and the others who were still sound asleep.

Their nighttime hunt had led them deep into the forest, where the wild boars sought refuge in a safer, more secluded area.

This meant they had to work harder to gather the meat they needed.

"...I'll let them sleep for a bit, then."

He muttered as he started preparing for the restaurant to open.

At the same time...

In the village of the Kurta clan....

The clansmen gathered at the village entrance to bid farewell to Kurapika, who is leaving the village for who knows how long.

"That child was able to pass the exam?"

Under the shadow of a wooden house, Grain watched Kurapika's figure with interest.

The fact that the child was now saying goodbye to the clansmen confused Grain a little, even though he remembered seeing that the child had activated his eyes at the tiny town in response to the unexpected attack.

"Is this also your doing?"

Glancing over at the Elder of the Kurta Clan, Grain scowled and said, "Seems like he truly went soft…"

It was completely out of character for him, but he couldn't help but make fun of the Elder.

He assumed the Elder was behind it.

People used to say that if you went soft, it meant you were going to die soon.

"Then it's great! I can do anything I want if you die quickly," in his excitement, Grain's eyes twitched uncontrollably, and he smirked at the idea.

"Kurapika! No matter what, always remain calm. It's possible that your short temper could land you in trouble, alright?"

"Okay, Mom, I'm no longer a child!"

"Your age is twelve! No matter how old you are, my child, you will always be my little one."

When his mother nagged him, Kurapika could only smile wryly and glance over at his father for some help.

But his father paid him no mind and curled his lips slightly, as if he was relishing in the situation.

"Kurapika, don't limit yourself to working for a cure; savor the journey while you're at it."

"I know, Pairo, but your cure would be the priority so we could roam the world together!" 

Kurapika exclaimed, his voice filled with anticipation.

"...Then, I'll be waiting," Pairo shook his head, his smile growing wider.

"I won't say anything more since your mother already covered everything, but be careful out there..."

His father's voice was firm as Kurapika nodded in understanding.

Each member of his family and friends offered their own words of caution and well wishes as Kurapika bid them farewell one by one.

"I'll see you guys again in a few months!"

With each step he took away from his village, he turned back to wave, his heart brimming with excitement and determination.

He vowed to embark on his journey and share his adventures with his fellow clansmen, hoping to inspire them to explore beyond the confines of their village.

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