One life, two lives, three, four—sinking into his heart, then disappearing.
Roy opened himself up, accepting these gifts. As the price, he was forced to experience a hundred different lives.
Sometimes he became Aaron, backpack on, hand-in-hand with his grandparents, skipping to school. Sometimes he became Mike, whose handsome looks made him the school heartthrob, dating freely, never committing to just one. Sometimes he became Joshua, returning from studying abroad, reluctantly inheriting a billion-dollar family business, wielding power in the company, basking in glory.
But more often, he was a sanitation worker braving the bitter cold at 4 AM to clean streets. An assembly line worker pulling day and night shifts, endlessly tightening screws. A balding man in his forties supporting aging parents and young children, crushed under the weight of mortgage and car loan payments. A helpless elderly person pushing a tricycle, peddling goods along the streets. A white-haired parent living alone, preparing a large table of dishes during the holidays, longing for their children's return.
Joy and pain intertwined, ease and hardship side by side. When the young man opened his eyes again, the experiences faded like mist. With his long exhale, they vanished completely.
The propellers shredded the air, the wind pulling at their clothes and hair. Zeno stood with hands behind his back beside Roy, admiring the sea of clouds torn apart by the airship, rolling into waves that retreated to the sides. After a moment, he turned to look. The young man emanated a strange ethereal aura, radiating both innocence and wisdom. When Roy smiled slightly at him, it actually made him lose focus momentarily.
"Grandfather, are you heading back?"
The mission target had been eliminated. "Shouldn't the commission be split fifty-fifty with me? After all, I took action too."
"Hey," Zeno snapped back, turning to leave. This brat without even a whisker on his chin was already eyeing his retirement savings? Dream on!
With all terrorists eliminated, the cockpit no longer needed guarding. Tsubone came up, carrying Zeno on her back, leaping forward. Her form transformed into a vehicle, departing the airship toward Kukuroo Mountain.
Gotoh had followed Zeno up earlier and now stood silently behind Roy. Suddenly he heard the young master say, "Gotoh, I'm assigning you a task."
He looked up to see the young man gazing at him expectantly. "Recruit an intern butler. Requirements: can fly, can swim, can handle off-road, and must be no worse than Tsubone."
Gotoh: "..."
He was just an ordinary butler, not a wish-granting machine. Reluctantly: "Yes."
Tsubone carrying Zeno instantly became a black dot on the horizon, disappearing from sight. Roy watched for a while. "Let's go."
Leading Gotoh to change cabins, he settled in comfortably with black tea. Half an hour after the disturbance, the airship contacted the ground control tower, restoring normal operations. An announcement informed passengers they were less than an hour and a half from Heaven's Arena—prepare early for the Police Department investigation and questioning.
After such a major incident, running to the Police Department for statements was inevitable. Roy didn't want to get tangled up in these mundane matters, deciding to disembark early before landing. Those belonging to the Zoldycks seemed to dislike taking normal routes.
As the airship prepared to land, a lean figure clung to the window, head down, feet up, sliding down. The sight startled Roy so badly he nearly spilled hot tea on himself.
Seeing Illumi stare with those dead eyes, wordlessly watching him for several seconds, Illumi's hand released, and he rapidly slid down the dangling rope. The rope was dozens of bedsheets knotted together. No idea where he'd found them.
Watching Illumi land and disappear using Shadow Step, Gotoh carefully requested instructions. "Young master, should we also leave?"
Not wanting to waste time, Roy didn't waste words. Pushing open the glass window, he grabbed the rope and flipped out. Gotoh followed closely. After exiting the terminal and boarding a taxi, they realized their luggage remained at baggage claim, now unretrievable.
"Young master, the hotel booking probably won't work out."
"Then go directly to Heaven's Arena. I have money and a room there."
Winners who reached Heaven's Arena's 100th floor were granted private rooms. Over the years he'd saved considerable pocket money—taking it out for emergencies was no problem. As for the luggage left at the airport, he'd arrange for other butlers to collect it.
The driver hit the gas, heading straight to Heaven's Arena. Gotoh pulled out coins he'd previously used as weapons from his pocket to pay the fare. Following Roy into the elevator, they headed directly to the 199th floor.
The elevator operator wore a pink professional outfit, sporting beautiful flame-red short hair. Seeing the visitor, she froze, pointing at Roy's face and shrieking, "You... you... aren't you that... who?"
"Ilo."
"Right, Ilo!"
Ilo was Roy's alias registered at Heaven's Arena in previous years. After such a long absence, seeing the elevator operator again felt oddly nostalgic. Roy smiled and nodded at her. This time he could more clearly sense the Nen aura emanating from her body.
Clearly, without skills, one couldn't survive here. In the future, Gon and Killua would learn this the hard way—the elevator girl would close the doors and teach them a thorough lesson.
"Long time no see! So many people have been looking for you!" The elevator girl rattled off names—Kastro, Wing, and several veteran Nen users above the 200th floor, all star figures emerging at Heaven's Arena in recent years.
Roy believed news of his arrival would spread quickly without him deliberately notifying anyone. He simply exchanged pleasantries with the elevator girl. He led Gotoh to his exclusive room—door number 1991. 199th floor, Room 1.
The door creaked open. Roy removed his shoes, plopping down cross-legged on the sofa, beginning to digest the "gifts" from those who'd died unjustly. Gotoh, from professional habit, first checked the room for cameras. Confirming no one was spying, he reported to Roy before taking his nameplate to collect the prize money he'd stored at Heaven's Arena over the years, then went to purchase clothing and daily necessities.
After he left, evening descended with the sunset. Several rays illuminated the young man's angular jawline, making him look striking. Roy closed his eyes, mind immersed in the status panel, deciding to allocate the "30 Life Energy points" to "Constitution" in batches.
With Nanno Hiroshi as precedent, he understood better than anyone the severe pain that "growth" brought—specifically how excruciating it could be. Therefore, Roy genuinely worried adding too many points at once might cause him to pass out from pain. He started with three points first.
Beginning allocation—"Hiss!" He sucked in cold air.
Familiar severe pain like ants biting. Skeletal muscle tearing. Hematopoietic stem cells accelerating division. Mitochondria growing. Blood vessel walls thickening and strengthening. Hair falling and regenerating.
Various changes concentrated in one moment, hurting Roy so badly he nearly blacked out again. Precisely at this moment, the doorbell rang. A childish female voice claiming to be room service sounded outside.
A flat-chested little girl pushed a small cart, two golden pigtails swinging, looking quite spirited and mischievous.