Kukuroo Mountain.
A tour bus turned up the mountain road, gradually slowing down before finally coming to a stop in front of the Testing Gate.
Inside the security booth, Zebro leaned against the windowsill, squinting as he watched the third tour bus of the day arrive.
"Tourist season again, huh..."
He sighed inwardly as he watched the passengers disembark one after another.
Though he was just an employee responsible for cleaning up 'trash' for the Zoldyck Family, he always felt a slight discomfort whenever he saw tourists visiting the Testing Gate without a shred of reverence.
The passengers who got off the bus headed straight for the majestic Testing Gate, quickly pulling out cameras and phones to take photos and selfies without restraint.
The tour guide smiled politely as she counted the passengers in her head.
"One missing."
After confirming that everyone had gotten off, she boarded the bus again and noticed one passenger still sitting toward the back, his head tilted back with an old-fashioned straw hat covering his face, as if napping.
She quickly walked over and called out to him softly and politely.
The man's body twitched slightly before he lifted the straw hat off his face, then straightened up and glanced out the window.
"We're here already?" He muttered to himself.
The tour guide stared at the young man's face, feeling her cheeks flush.
'So handsome...'
She thought quietly to herself.
The young man suddenly turned to her and said softly, "Thank you."
With that, he stood up and retrieved a black backpack from the overhead luggage rack.
"Y-You're welcome." The tour guide stammered, her face turning even redder, her heartbeat accelerating, 'His voice is so deep and magnetic… it's so nice to listen to.'
The young man gave her a faint smile before heading toward the bus door.
The tour guide, now nearly lovestruck, stared blankly as Law stepped off the bus.
Then, she suddenly thought back, 'Had this handsome guy even been among the passengers when we boarded?'
The buses heading to Kukuroo Mountain to see the Testing Gate were more like cable cars, running back and forth daily, with different passengers each time.
Law adjusted the straps of his backpack as he walked toward the Testing Gate.
Inside the security booth, Zebro propped his chin on his hand, watching the group of tourists who were incessantly snapping photos of the gate. Suddenly, his gaze landed on a black-haired young man carrying a backpack, walking straight toward the Testing Gate.
When the young man noticed Zebro, he nodded slightly in greeting.
"It's Law."
Zebro immediately picked up the phone and dialed the butler's office. The call connected in less than two seconds.
After reporting Law's visit, Zebro hung up.
Rumble…
A deep, grinding sound of stone shifting echoed, followed by several shrieks from women and exclamations of disbelief from men.
Zebro poked his head out the window just in time to see Law push open the seventh gate and step inside. The towering Testing Gate soon closed again, leaving behind a crowd of stunned tourists.
"Young Master Killua's in for another treat."
Zebro rested his cheek on his hand, murmuring to himself as he watched the tightly shut gate.
…
The forest was lush and dense, the constant chirping of insects filling the air, exuding vitality everywhere.
Sunlight filtered through the thick foliage, leaving only scattered, irregular patches of light on the ground.
Law walked leisurely along the narrow forest path, his pace unhurried, as if he were simply taking a stroll.
After walking a short distance, he suddenly felt a pair of cold, emotionless eyes watching him from the trees.
Immediately afterward, a massive beast emerged from the woods. It's none other than Mike, the Zoldyck Family's guard dog, who had been with them for four years now.
Law stopped in his tracks, looking at Mike standing beside the path, and raised his hand slightly, "Sit."
Mike's sharply defined face showed no reaction, but upon hearing Law's command, he immediately lowered himself onto the ground.
"Roll over." Law said with a chuckle.
Mike suddenly flipped onto his back, crushing several dry branches beneath him with loud snaps.
"Good boy."
Law raised his hand and retrieved a massive, feather-covered bird leg from Kuro's storage space. It's raw, with traces of ice still clinging to it, clearly having been frozen and partially thawed.
"This is Raging Bull Bird thigh meat. Lucky you." Law casually tossed the meat into the air.
Seeing this, Mike's mouth opened wide, drool spilling out as he leaped up and caught the meat in his jaws.
Without another glance at Mike, Law continued deeper into the estate.
The Raging Bull Bird was a land-dwelling creature, somewhat similar to an ostrich but fundamentally different. For one, its size was ten times larger, and its hind legs were extremely muscular, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour when running.
The hind legs were the most prized part of the Raging Bull Bird. Unlike nesting birds, Raging Bull Bird endlessly running across the plains. They were also social animals, often traveling in herds of over a hundred, creating a thunderous, stampede-like formation.
As a result, many people died each year from collisions with Raging Bull Birds.
Law strolled leisurely through the forest, and after about two hours, he finally neared the entrance guarded by the butlers.
"Law!"
At the entrance, instead of a butler, stood two children around five or six years old… one with silver hair, the other with black.
The silver-haired child waved energetically at Law, while the younger black-haired child tugged at the former's clothes.
"Killua, Alluka."
Law smiled and called out their names, quickening his pace. At the same time, he glanced briefly at a certain patch of trees beside the path.
Both children were members of the Zoldyck Family… the silver-haired one was Killua, and the black-haired one was Alluka. The person hiding in the woods, secretly observing, was none other than Illumi, who had an extreme case of brother complex.
Law chose not to expose Illumi's presence and instead approached Killua and Alluka.
"Law, you haven't visited in two whole months!" Killua blinked his large, innocent eyes.
"Did you miss me, or did you miss the food? You remember so clearly." Law reached out and ruffled Killua's soft silver hair, seemingly ignoring the visible bruises and wounds on the boy's face and arms.
Beatings, electric shocks, poison...
These were all part of Killua's current upbringing.
Law visited the Zoldyck Family's Estate every few months, and each time, he would see Killua covered in injuries. Though it pained him, he couldn't interfere.
This was a rite of passage for every Zoldyck Family's member. As an outsider, the fact that Law was even allowed to interact with Killua during his training was already a special privilege granted by the family, let alone intervening.
Illumi, with his obsessive protectiveness over his younger brother, strongly opposed even this much.
Hearing Law's question, Killua tilted his head slightly, a playful smirk forming on his lips as he answered seriously, "Of course, the food."
"I missed the food too!" Alluka chimed in, glancing at Killua before echoing his words.
"Such an unfriendly answer." Law shook his head in mock disappointment.
Nanika, which resided within Alluka, could easily heal Killua's wounds. But Killua didn't want this secret exposed, so he never let Nanika treat his injuries.
At this point, the Zoldyck Family remained unaware of Alluka's abilities. By the time they found out, it would likely coincide with Illumi inserting needles into Killua's head.
Law knew of these future events, but he couldn't interfere, after all, they were internal matters of the Zoldyck Family.
For now, all he could do was bring delicious food for Killua and Alluka, stay for a while, and regale them with stories of his travels.
As thanks for the two of them healing Buhara's arm, this was the most he could offer.