So he never considered rushing out to immediately seek partnerships for the Battle of the Beasts.
That could wait until later, at the right opportunity, to meet the right person to maximize the benefits.
Luke had already planned for this in his mind.
So once they reached the city…
Squeak!
The vehicle tilted sharply forward as the RV made an abrupt stop.
A sudden slam of the brakes interrupted Luke's thoughts.
"Phinks!"
Uvogin roared: "I'm going to kill you!"
"It's not my fault..."
From the driver's seat, Phinks replied: "It seems we have reached the edge of the city. I can see its outline…"
"Then why did you stop?! Can't you just drive straight through?!"
"There seems to be a border inspection…"
"...?"
Bigchira City, as the closest city to Meteor City, was a garbage-truck transport hub.
Of course, there were border inspections to prevent dangerous individuals from Meteor City from causing chaos in the city.
Of course, the really dangerous ones, even if caught, weren't easy to handle…
So, when Phinks drove the RV to the inspection zone.
"Sir, this is my ID…"
Phinks, following Luke's instructions, rolled down the window and handed over his ID.
At the same time, to show his friendliness, he deliberately gave a kind smile.
The soldier in charge of the inspection zone: "…"
Seeing that eyebrowless face and terrifyingly fierce smile, he fell silent. However, the routine still needed to be done.
After receiving Phinks's ID, he pretentiously examined it and then perfunctorily asked a question: "You live in the Republic of Padokea, so what brings you here?"
"I'm a traveler, on a world tour, sir."
"Is there anyone else in the car?"
"No, it's just me."
"Well, it's okay, get in."
The soldier didn't bother to check if anyone else was inside the RV and simply let it go.
Joking aside, anyone driving through the deserts near the Meteor City could hardly be a decent person!
And don't you see how menacing this guy looks?!
He might actually be something terrifying.
And there might even be accomplices in the RV, perhaps even engaging in some shady business. If he really conducted a thorough investigation and uncovered any issues with this person…
It goes without saying that these guys would absolutely rise up in rebellion, and they would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the consequences.
For a measly monthly wage, why bother tangling with these clearly desperate men?!!
And even if he managed to survive, if things got out of hand, he wouldn't be praised by his superiors and might even be severely reprimanded.
Stability is best. There's no need to stir up trouble.
Otherwise, his wife and their child, less than six months old, might end up being taken over by someone else.
Just turn a blind eye.
These little people have long developed their own logic and ways of survival.
"Easier than I thought."
Inside the RV, Feitan discreetly watched the investigation process outside through the window while lost in thought.
"So, relying solely on fistfights won't completely solve the problem."
Luke smiled: "Sometimes, changing your thinking and approach might actually make things easier."
"This world operates according to its own unique rules."
Uvogin and Phinks, two men who only think with their fists and muscles, couldn't understand such words.
Or rather, even if they did understand, they wouldn't care and would continue to trust their fists.
Just like Nobunaga, he only trusted the sword in his hand.
Feitan was still a little smarter than them…
Whoosh!
The RV drove into the city.
The buildings and scenery on the city streets were all a novelty to Phinks.
If it weren't for Luke's warning, he would have already been looking around.
But he suppressed his curiosity and drove the car to a secluded corner.
Then everyone got out of the car, and Luke transformed the RV back into a universal capsule and put it away: "So what should we do next?!"
Uvogin was visibly eager. After arriving in such an unfamiliar new environment, everything seemed so new to him.
"Since we've entered the outside world, and we don't yet have enough strength to resist or handle the malice of this world, we must first follow the rules of this world. This is called laying low and biding our time."
Luke smiled.
Seeing Uvogin and Phinks staring at each other, he briefly explained: "You can think of this outside world as a game world."
"If you want to complete this game called the outside world, you must abide by its rules."
Yes, the previously popular Earth Online concept from his previous life fits perfectly here.
At least, Phinks and Feitan, the game enthusiasts, understood it immediately.
Those two guys, even when Chrollo was forced to leave because Kurapika had imposed restrictions on him, preventing him from using Nen or contacting Phantom Troupe members, Feitan and Phinks still went to the Southernpiece Auction and even managed to snatch a console of Greed Island from Battera to play.
And when the Phantom Troupe first appeared… Feitan, Nobunaga, and the others were walking in the desert outside of Yorknew City.
When the target of this underground auction was mentioned, Feitan, once again, was specifically interested in the game Greed Island.
Both of them were considered game addicts.
If you told them to follow the rules, they might not listen or obey.
But if they were here to play games, they were more than happy to give it a try.
"So, the most important thing about playing this game is the basic conditions for survival…"
Feitan and Phinks listened attentively while Uvogin was standing there, scratching his ear.
And Nobunaga… His brain temporarily resided with Luke.
"In this era's version of the game, the three main types are: status, money, and strength."
Luke held up three fingers: "Of these three, the most important is…"
"Strength!"
Feitan blurted out, his eyes narrowed.
"Once you have strength, the other two will naturally follow."
"Exactly!"
Luke cast an admiring glance at Feitan.
"This game is fundamentally about strength."
"The stronger we are, the more we can obtain: money, status, and so on."
"I happen to know a place where you can trade strength for these things, and also get some training…"