The drugs used to induce a coma place a significant burden on the human body. Ordinary people, upon waking, feel extremely weak and require two to three days of rest to recover to their normal state.
Kurapika's ability to sit up and question was primarily due to the temporary enhancement of his physical abilities by his Scarlet Eyes, in addition to the burning rage filling his chest.
"Why!" This was Kurapika's second question after "Why?"
Why? Because that's how the original story was written, thought Mu'ers, disguised as the professional hunter "Mo'er Zhan Jiang."
In truth, Mu'ers didn't want to be here at all. The task of explaining and comforting before her was giving her a splitting headache.
It was all because the plot had deviated.
If Mu'ers didn't want to face an unpredictable future, then Kurapika, one of the protagonists of the original story, absolutely could not die prematurely.
That's why she had gone through so much trouble, risking being surrounded and attacked by the Phantom Troupe, to save Kurapika in the Kurta Clan instance. She even had to worry about whether Kurapika would follow the path of the original story.
The paper of Mu'ers's notebook was creased by the furious Kurapika, his nails turning white from the force he exerted.
She had already said it was "destiny," so blame the original author. But she couldn't fault Kurapika's hysterical behavior at this moment; he was a victim who had lost his entire clan, and he was only twelve years old. Mu'ers could only respond to changing situations with unchanging silence.
Seeing that she wasn't getting answers from Mu'ers, Kurapika struggled to get out of bed, wanting to rush back to his village to confirm the facts. Unless he saw it with his own eyes, he refused to give up any hope of other surviving clan members.
Mu'ers caught the water cup that had rolled off the blanket with his movement, making no attempt to stop him.
There was no need to stop him; the temporary enhancement of his physical abilities by his Scarlet Eyes had reached its limit.
As expected, after falling off the bed, Kurapika, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't muster any more strength to stand. Until he exhausted his energy, the red color in his pupils receded along with his intense emotions, returning to a listless brownish hue.
"..." Mu'ers carried him back to bed and tucked him in.
This easily agitated personality would be detrimental to Kurapika's future survival. How troublesome. Fortunately, with Kurapika unable to move freely, Mu'ers had plenty of time to communicate with him.
Turning to the page Kurapika had torn out, Mu'ers wrote on the next one.
[I regret that I cannot prevent tragedy, but I will assist you appropriately in your revenge.]
"...Assist?" Kurapika, having overexerted himself, spoke weakly, but his mind was functioning normally. "What does 'appropriately' mean?"
As expected of one of the original's intelligent characters, he immediately grasped the key point in the sentence.
[I will resolve your current survival issues. Outside the world, Scarlet Eyes are considered anomalies.] httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
After reading Mu'ers's words, Kurapika's eyes became somewhat unfocused, perhaps due to extreme fatigue, or perhaps he was thinking about something else.
Mu'ers didn't rush him. She turned and got a new hot towel to wipe away the sweat, both hot and cold, that had broken out when he had forced himself to move.
"Why are you helping me?" Kurapika continued. "What is the basis for the 'destiny' you mentioned? Did you... think about stopping it?"
She had to answer cautiously. Since she still needed to find a way to guide him onto the path of the original story, it was essential to ensure Kurapika's trust in the "player."
She couldn't say too much, as it might create loopholes. She should maintain a certain sense of mystery.
So Mu'ers wrote on the paper: [Can you keep this a secret for me? You cannot tell anyone.]
The twelve-year-old boy, with a serious expression, like a little adult, lowered his voice and earnestly said "En," tensing his nerves as he awaited Mu'ers's answer.
If the tragedy of the Kurta Clan was determined by "destiny," then he was determined to understand the reason from the "destiny hunter" before him. Otherwise, no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't comprehend why his warm and smiling people had met such a devastating end. What unforgivable sin had they committed!
The woman who called herself a "destiny hunter" clenched and unclenched her fingers, as if undergoing some internal struggle. Finally, she still wrote her answer on the paper.
[I am someone who should not have been born.]
[Because of my existence, destiny has shifted.]
[Do you know about the "butterfly effect"?]
Having lived in seclusion with his clan deep in the forest since birth, Kurapika's access to books was limited, inevitably leaving him with vast blind spots in his knowledge.
"I haven't heard of it," he said.
[The butterfly effect refers to the phenomenon where tiny changes trigger a series of chain reactions, ultimately causing enormous consequences.]
[It's like a butterfly flapping its wings, creating a faint airflow, which then triggers a chain reaction, and after a long time, it might lead to a storm in a distant place.]
[If only I could have gained consciousness earlier, when I was still in my mother's womb, I should have strangled myself with the umbilical cord.]
Kurapika, who was still processing the concept of the "butterfly effect," suddenly braked his thoughts and looked at the woman in astonishment. However, the woman's thick bangs and glasses lenses obscured her expression, making it impossible for Kurapika to know the truth of her words or her feelings at the moment.
[I didn't do anything, but simply by existing, I forever lost my younger brother.]
[There must be more mistakes happening in places I don't know about.]
[I only know some of what will happen in the future, and I've already done my best to make amends.]
The woman stopped writing, clearly giving Kurapika time to think.
Time ticked by, and Kurapika's furrowed brow slowly relaxed. "Why."
Although it was the same question, his emotions were not as agitated this time; it was more of sadness after anger.
"Why did 'destiny' decide the Kurta Clan's annihilation," he clenched his fist. "A destined death? What did we do wrong?"
This question was also a monologue this time, and he wasn't fixated on getting an answer from the woman. Because the disaster that befell the Kurta Clan was a "man-made disaster," not a "natural disaster." The people he should be questioning most were the murderers who had harmed his clan, not a "bystander" to "destiny."
He didn't believe that a person's birth could be a sin.
As for the topic of "destiny," he didn't want to believe it or accept it.
In any case, he couldn't rely too much on the woman before him; he had to rely on his own strength and judgment to proceed.
"The last person I met had silver-white hair. Have you seen her?"
[I used a special ability to steal you away.]
"...Special ability?"
[So you can't run around during this time, or you'll die.]
"...Understood."
Kurapika once again sank into thought with a solemn expression. When he came back to his senses, he realized the woman before him was still waiting for him to ask more questions.
Although the woman's words were not entirely credible, and there were still many parts she intentionally avoided discussing, her "avoidance" indicated that she hadn't chosen to use lies to respond. Moreover, her attitude was incredibly patient, even sharing some "secrets." He had to admit, this was a rare and valuable sincerity.
"Thank you." His mind was too cluttered before, and he forgot to thank her.
Regardless, if it weren't for this woman, he probably wouldn't be alive now, let alone able to do anything else.
"I still don't know your name," Kurapika added. "May I know your name? Or, what should I call you?"
[Mo'er Zhan Jiang.]
"..."
"..."
The worst is the sudden silence.
However, Kurapika soon remembered the books he had read, remembering that there were various cultures in the outside world. Things that he found strange might be commonplace there.
"Sister Mo'er?" he tentatively addressed her.
[You can also call me without my name.]
"Sister?"
The woman nodded.
[Are you hungry?]
"No."
[Then I won't disturb your rest.]
[If you need anything, just call me.]
Whether it was an illusion or not, Kurapika felt that the woman seemed to relax a bit as she walked away, as if relieved.
Yes, indeed relieved.
Mu'ers, who called herself "Mo'er Zhan Jiang," returned to the living room. As she lay back on the sofa, her entire being exuded "relief."
Mu'ers was not good at lying. The strategy she adopted was to tell the truth as much as possible – countless literary works have proven that lies composed of truth are the most advanced.
Even though the other party was a twelve-year-old boy, Mu'ers didn't dare to slack off when conversing with him.
Characters from the Hunter world were generally precocious. At twelve, they could participate in life-threatening Hunter Exams without anyone questioning it. Furthermore, Kurapika was set as an intelligent character with strong learning abilities, meaning he had a good memory. This implied that whatever Mu'ers "said" today would be dissected word by word and pondered repeatedly by Kurapika.
What if he found a loophole and lost trust in Mu'ers, thus not following her guidance onto the path of the original story!
This was the drawback of overly realistic RPG games: the lack of selectable dialogue options provided by the system.
Although every word she had spoken earlier was carefully considered, Mu'ers still couldn't help but replay them in her mind, wondering if she had made any mistakes.
So annoying! She was terrible at mental activities!
To the point where she could barely conceal her "relief" when she finished her conversation with Kurapika.
...Forget it.
Mu'ers slumped onto the sofa.
Based on her past experience of self-reflection in her "real world," she belonged to the type who "worried excessively." In reality, most things weren't as serious as she thought. If things truly became more serious than she imagined, time couldn't be reversed, and she had no remorse medicine to take. It was better to focus her energy on solving problems than wasting time and effort on regretting.
Most importantly, no one could blame her for making mistakes.
Yes.
She no longer had a mother, so no mother would scold her.
She no longer had to listen to those cutting words.
Those words were of no use to her, only causing her pain. And ultimately, the person who bore the consequences and was responsible for handling the problems was always herself.
Why? Why should she be subjected to her mother's reprimands?
She was duller than others, she didn't know how to adapt, she handled things inappropriately... did she deserve her mother's criticism? Did she want to be useless? Did she enjoy making mistakes? Clearly, when she made mistakes, she was the one who felt the worst!
[Wise counsel is often unpleasant to hear!]
[I'm doing this for your own good!]
After Kuroro restored the parts of her brain that had been severed, her emotions returned, and so did the noise in her mind.
Mu'ers couldn't help but wonder if she should tell the Zoldycks to perform another brain surgery on her.
...Forget it.
She wasn't a dog raised by the Zoldycks; this was like begging a master to castrate her.
The Zoldycks treated her like a lunatic, and she, being self-aware, maintained a distance from Killua, the precious heir of the Zoldycks. Before taking Kurapika's "corpse" out of the "game inventory," she went to the Heavens Arena. She didn't meet Killua, but she confirmed his current residence and then arranged for shipping services.
The candies sent would include a card she had handwritten. Rather than writing her name in common language, she preferred to write "tokillua."
Apart from that, she didn't write any body text or sign her name, but Killua knew her habit of writing her name and would know it was from her.
Why would she castrate herself?
Her circumstances were different now.
No mother to criticize her.
And she had escaped poverty.
She knew she was stupid and would never earn much money in her life. She had thought she would never escape poverty, always needing to keep a close eye on her meager savings balance and spend money cautiously.
Now she finally had money! She didn't have to be afraid of spending!
Let her make mistakes, no one would scold her! No need to be afraid of making mistakes anymore!
It's okay!
She would do whatever she wanted!
Hugging her shoulders with both hands, Mu'ers took a few deep breaths and decided to play a game that made her happy.
Not "that" kind of game.
Her hobbies weren't limited to beauty; money could be a hobby too.
She opened the "game inventory."
[Retrieve][100,000,000 JENI]
The banknotes were in denominations of 10,000 Jen. Every 100 sheets were bundled into one stack. 100,000,000 Jen meant 100 stacks.
Mu'ers casually picked up one stack, inhaled the unique ink scent of the banknotes, and then, with a smile, placed the money in the center of the table, stacking them layer by layer like building blocks. Each layer was smaller than the one below it, forming a pyramid shape at the top.
Where there are people, there are classes, there are pyramids. At the apex, the pyramid is always occupied by a minority.
Mu'ers called this game "Jeni Pyramid."
Stacking a tall tower with banknotes of the largest denomination was much more interesting than the card towers that Hisoka liked to stack.
After stacking, came the appreciation.
And don't forget to wash your hands; banknotes that have been touched by countless people carry many bacteria.
After admiring it sufficiently, it could be put away.
After all, Mu'ers was not so wealthy that she could treat 100,000,000 Jen as a disposable toy.
[Pick Up][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1][1,000,000 JENI x1]...[1,000,000 JENI x1]
So happy.
It would be even better if there were game sound effects when picking up money; she should be able to hear a long string of wonderful sound effects.
The comfort of money was quite effective. Mu'ers felt her mental state improve considerably, giving her the strength to continue dealing with Kurapika.
To her surprise, Kurapika, as if understanding her unspoken thoughts, didn't press her for more information. He simply wanted to read a book, which would both educate him and pass the time.
...What a considerate child!
Mu'ers's affection for Kurapika increased.
Mu'ers's current total affection for Kurapika: 1.
Kurapika's recovery ability also exceeded Mu'ers's expectations. By the next day, he was full of vigor. As expected of one of the original protagonists, his initial stats were indeed extraordinary.
He heeded Mu'ers's advice and, to be safe, changed from the Kurta Clan's traditional clothing to common casual wear, wore a hat, and black contact lenses to avoid accidentally exposing his Scarlet Eyes.
Walking through a few streets, he could hear the rumbling of the passing subway, making the windows of nearby residents vibrate.
Compared to the unavoidable noise, Kurapika's attention was focused more on the distance.
The towering buildings in the distance were completely different in style from the area he was currently in, which was covered with low-rise houses.
The subway line was a dividing line.
It clearly separated the dim and lackluster from the bright and glamorous.
Kurapika, who had lived in seclusion with his clan in the forest for twelve years, had limited knowledge of the outside world and couldn't immediately grasp the meaning of this dividing line. However, at least he could understand that the library he wanted to see existed only on the glamorous side.
The warnings from his clan members who didn't expect to go to the "outside world" were not wrong.
"There's no place better than here," his clan members had said.
But the Kurta Clan's village no longer existed.
Welcome to—
The "outside world" full of "discrimination," "prejudice," and "inequality."