Chapter 003: Hungry, of course hungry, how could we not be hungry...
For Uvogin, having a group of outsiders invade his territory and scavenge things from his domain was annoying enough.
What frustrated him most was that he hadn't been able to capture even one of them, letting them all escape.
And then, right when he was in this terrible mood, some foolish kid shows up in front of them.
Naively asking if they were hungry...
Uvogin almost laughed in exasperation.
"Hungry, of course hungry, how could we not be hungry..."
He raised his head, fixing a fierce gaze on this stupid boy, his mouth slowly curling into a grin:
"Right now I feel like eating you!!"
"Is that so..."
Kaizen wasn't intimidated by his threatening words, simply nodding.
"If you're hungry, then come with me."
He turned around first. "I have some food here that can help you replenish your energy."
Huh?!
Hearing this, Uvogin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, taking a couple more looks at the foolish boy's retreating back.
He'd lived in Meteor City for thirteen years, but this was the first time he'd heard of someone willing to share their own food with others.
People like this were either naively stupid or had ulterior motives.
And usually, foolish people couldn't survive long in Meteor City.
Especially some kid he'd never seen before, suddenly popping up to ask if he was hungry...
So that meant—
Uvogin's gaze gradually turned fierce.
"What? Didn't you say you were hungry?"
Noticing no movement from behind, Kaizen instinctively turned his head and met Uvogin's unfriendly gaze.
"I know what you're thinking, but I bear no ill intentions," Kaizen stated calmly. "If you feel uncertain or afraid, you're free not to come."
"The choice is entirely yours."
Having said this, he paid no further attention to the reactions of the two behind him and continued walking toward his home.
"..."
Uvogin stared in the direction Kaizen had departed, his fingers unconsciously twitching.
Suddenly, a weathered wooden stick was planted vertically in front of him.
"Though I find his invitation utterly perplexing, I don't sense any danger..." Uvogin's face revealed a calm composure starkly contrasting with his rugged physique.
"What do you think, Machi?"
He turned to his battle-hardened companion beside him.
If Uvogin were truly just a reckless brute who only knew how to fight, he would have died countless times already.
"..."
The dust-streaked face, dirtied during their earlier pursuit, shook calmly as she lowered the wooden stick in her hand. Despite the grime, the delicate features of a budding beauty remained visible beneath the surface.
"So you don't sense anything wrong either?"
Seeing this, the tension in Uvogin's brow gradually eased, and his lips curled into a grin:
"Your sixth sense has always been more accurate than my intuition."
"Then let's see what that foolish kid really means!!"
"He can't actually be planning to treat us properly, can he?!"
He slapped the dust off his pants and stood up, swaggering confidently in the direction Kaizen had gone.
Machi remained silent as ever, following closely behind Uvogin with measured steps.
Kaizen hadn't expected to encounter the duo of Uvogin and Machi so quickly.
Though unexpected, it wasn't incomprehensible.
Given Uvogin's boisterous personality, he was quite easy to locate.
Compared to other veterans of Meteor City and unfamiliar residents, he was relatively easier to deal with.
During his time in Meteor City, when Chrollo brought Shalnark and Franklin to steal from his territory, Uvogin chose to intimidate first before taking action.
Moreover, to prevent their escape, what Machi threw at them were broken wooden sticks rather than more harmful objects like shattered metal pieces.
He even engaged in a one-on-one manly battle with Franklin.
It wasn't until later when Chrollo gathered his group of friends and put on an animated show for the children of Meteor City that Uvogin began to admire him, leading to their friendship.
In other words, the current Uvogin was merely a thirteen-year-old youth who could still communicate normally.
Of course, if he had any other ideas...
Although Kaizen's current self appeared weak, his genuine Nen ability was no illusion...
"Are you all here?"
At the doorstep, Kaizen glanced back and saw Uvogin standing there with his arms crossed and chin raised, alongside Machi who stood firmly beside him.
"Come in."
Before Uvogin could speak, he casually opened the door and entered first.
Witnessing this, Uvogin raised his eyebrows and remained silent for two seconds.
"Fine, I'll come in. What's the big deal."
He scoffed and strode boldly through the doorway.
Having come this far, leaving now would only invite ridicule.
Uvogin didn't want to hear taunts like "You reached the doorstep but didn't dare enter" during their next meeting.
Moreover... Machi's sixth sense had never been wrong, and he firmly believed in it.
"What the hell?!"
As soon as he entered, Uvogin immediately scanned the interior of the house.
Discovering the almost empty, destitute space with barely anything inside, he couldn't help but complain:
"Even Machi's place has more stuff than yours!"
"..."
Little Machi shot a glance at the foolish giant Uvogin but didn't bother arguing with him. Instead, she turned her attention to Kaizen, the boy who had brought them here for unknown reasons.
Although she trusted her sixth sense, that didn't mean she would let her guard down completely.