Merusu, whose body was still sluggish from the general anesthesia, lay still on the operating table.
A few seconds later, she regained control of her limbs. She had initially thought she was paralyzed by Illumi's Nen needles, but as her senses gradually returned, she realized she had misunderstood. The inability to move upon waking was merely a side effect of the anesthesia.
However, she hadn't misunderstood the other matter. The other party's actions were becoming increasingly presumptuous, as if to make her understand her current predicament more clearly.
Despite having undergone brain surgery, she was surprised by her own calmness at this moment. In the past, faced with such despicable behavior of taking advantage of her weakness, she would have felt a surge of anger and immediately lashed out with her claws the moment she regained mobility.
He was deliberately provoking her. Both his words and actions. What was his purpose? Merusu thought dispassionately. What attitude should I adopt?
Regardless, she needed to stop this free ride first.
During the recovery period following her eye transplant surgery, Merusu's vision was plunged into complete darkness. To alleviate the monotony of the pitch-blackness, she changed the dialogue box from "hidden" to "displayed" after a long time and said, "Are you done playing?"
"Hm?" Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box. "Not yet."
As proof, he pressed Merusu's knee to his chest, shifting into a position more accommodating to him.
"...How long do you want to play?" Merusu's tone was level, and her mood was the same.
As the anesthetic wore off, the pain in her eye sockets became more pronounced, numbing other sensations.
It was like touching her left hand with her right, or receiving a beauty massage – no big deal.
What was here was merely a false shell.
Eyes could be replaced, and other parts could be replaced as well, like the Ship of Theseus. The planks on the ship were gradually replaced until none of the original planks remained. Thus, the shell itself had no meaning.
Intimate interactions were also meaningless; it was humans who assigned meaning to them.
Meaningless, meaningless.
"It's hard to say." Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box. "I think I can play forever."
"That won't do." Merusu raised her hand and pressed her open palm against Illumi's approaching face. "Get lost."
"How about considering this as the 'final payment' for this transaction?" Illumi grasped her wrist. "We'll only go as far as removing the bandages."
He said it as if he were offering a great concession.
But his price was indeed steep. The reward for this transaction was in the hundreds of millions. You get what you pay for, and the Zoldyck family, the world's foremost assassin family, naturally commanded the highest fees.
"You have 89 billion to repay, and your funds must be tight." Illumi said, "You don't need to move; just be a doll. Isn't that quite a bargain?"
Being a doll was something Merusu excelled at, both in the "real world" and the "game world."
The lack of funds was also a fact. Merusu's current income came from Hunter website mission rewards and Phantom Troupe activity payouts, which were substantial. However, after deducting various expenses, such as purchasing information and weapons, the remaining money was a drop in the bucket compared to 89 billion.
Illumi's quote amounted to one-eighth of her savings. Unknowingly, she had been "on vacation" for nearly a year, and Illumi's work over a few days would take away one-eighth of her entire year's savings.
It felt like returning to the "real world," where one-third of her monthly salary went to the landlord, and another third was consumed by fixed daily expenses, leaving only one-third for discretionary spending. No, that was a more optimistic scenario.
In reality, unforeseen expenses often arose. People couldn't stay healthy forever. Things couldn't remain unbroken forever. Accidents couldn't be avoided forever.
The poorer you were, the more you felt that the most frequent activity was spending money.
After a year of work, little money was left. Whenever she thought about the rent she paid, it felt like her salary was mostly going to the landlord. It was as if she was working for the landlord, whereas at least when working for a company, the company paid her.
Yes, landlords were the new era's feudal lords, and she was the new era's tenant farmer, paying a fixed one-third of her monthly salary to the new era's feudal lord just to rent a small space to live.
The new era's feudal lords didn't have to do anything; because they owned houses, many houses, they could just wait and collect money.
Illumi was the same. Merusu had to deliver one-eighth of her year's savings, the fruit of her labor, to him because there was no more suitable person. Damn it, who wanted to give him money? This entire year felt like she had been working for him.
The dialogue box displayed Illumi's final words: You don't need to move; just be a doll. Isn't that quite a bargain?
Since it was already like this... it was already in progress... If she agreed, she could turn the "offense" into a financially beneficial interaction... Wasn't that good? Many civil disputes were "settled privately" this way... Moreover, where could she "complain"? There was no... no one... who would believe her... No one... No one... No one believed... It was already like this... What was there to be squeamish about?
If she were to do it, she had to convert the "losses" into "gains" to the maximum extent.
"Return the deposit to me as well," Merusu didn't want to give even a single jenny to Illumi. "Otherwise, we're not talking."
"...Alright." Illumi's reply appeared in the dialogue box. "I can't transfer it here. I'll transfer it to you after we leave."
Merusu's calm tone, Illumi's business-like tone. If one only listened to their voices, one would think they were negotiating at a conference table, not engaging in direct physical contact on an operating table.
"Where is Franc?" Merusu asked next.
"I 'had' him go aside." Illumi's reply appeared in the dialogue box.
Of course, he had commanded Franc, who was under the manipulation of Nen needles, because Franc couldn't be trusted, and Illumi couldn't allow Franc to act independently.
Moreover, Illumi indeed had other tasks for Franc to perform.
Before the eye transplant surgery began, Franc asked Merusu, "Do you still want the eyes that are being removed?"
"Discard them," Merusu said without hesitation.
As the anesthetic took effect, Franc propped open Merusu's eyelids. Just as he was about to cut and scoop out her eyeballs, Illumi, who had been silent like a shadow, suddenly spoke, "Don't damage them. I want those eyes."
"Oh?" Franc started to turn his head to look at Illumi's expression, but was frightened back by the chilling aura Illumi exuded mid-turn, and quickly refocused. "Understood."
Now, Franc was under the manipulation of Nen needles, cleaning the two eyeballs removed during the surgery.
After asking about Franc's whereabouts, Merusu remained silent and unresponsive. This was a key point learned in interrogation class: the interrogated person's victory lay in perseverance, in meeting any situation with an unchanging response.
Perhaps to break the silence, or because the sound effects were too monotonous, Illumi began to speak.
Or perhaps Illumi was lying. He didn't just want a doll; he wanted a response.
"You could have had a better option," Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box. "Why take such a roundabout route, sister?"
Merusu's eyes were covered with bandages, so Illumi looked at her forehead, nose, lips, and chin. The latter adhered to her role as a "doll," showing no reaction, her lips slightly parted, maintaining basic respiration.
A professional assassin's breathing technique was extremely quiet, with almost imperceptible chest movements. Only when one placed a hand on their chest could they feel the rhythm of their breathing – calm and elongated.
Illumi's movements were synchronized with his speech, unhurried, as if he were meticulously honing the final parts of a knife, very carefully, lest any mistakes occur.
When sharpening a knife, water must be added to the whetstone. Water is used to reduce the heat generated during sharpening, preventing the blade from being damaged by excessive heat.
He knew how to add water. The book provided detailed explanations of the structure. He was not someone who blindly trusted books; to verify the truth, he had specifically dissected corpses and compared them point by point.
Humans were precise and complex machines, their structures more complex than imagined, but as long as the rules were found, they could be manipulated according to one's will.
It was like pressing a button, and the beverage machine dispenses a drink; both were normal physiological reactions of the body.
"Once you get the Hunter license and join the Hunter Association, you can... stop relying on your family, right?" Illumi fumbled for the button he wanted. "By not fully utilizing existing resources and instead taking a detour, thereby reducing efficiency, what can you gain besides suffering more losses?"
"Your birth is such a fortunate thing. The power of the family is far greater than you imagine."
"To want to escape it... I simply cannot understand."
Before overheating, water was added to the whetstone.
"Stop acting like a spoiled child," Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box. "Look, I'm already treating you like a woman."
Nonsense, Merusu thought. Illumi was merely satisfying his own desires. His lecture was not so much about concern as it was about self-gratification, spewing self-righteous nonsense.
This guy was insatiable. He didn't just need to move his body; he also needed to move his mouth. So noisy.
No matter what he said or did, the best response was to ignore him, to make him understand that his influence, his presence, was zero.
What a great advantage it was to lose emotional perception on a physical level, Merusu thought she could get a perfect score in interrogation class.
The executioner, after a round of discipline, wisely retreated.
Merusu got off the operating table and put on her hospital gown with the air of a victor. She retraced her steps from memory, and to prevent infection, she only washed below the neck. Illumi watched her silently, then the two of them met up with Franc. Illumi donned a white coat, blending in with the staff, and escorted Merusu, dressed in the same patient gown as the test subject, to an empty ward.
The completely sealed, absolutely quiet solitude allowed Merusu to sleep soundly until someone swiped a card to enter.
A "beep" sounded, like a glass shattering in the silence.
Merusu reflexively sat up in bed. Her eyes' light sensitivity had not yet returned, but her eyes no longer hurt. She didn't know if the ward lights were on. In the darkness, the dialogue box was the only thing she could "see."
"The lights have been on the whole time." Illumi had changed into a staff member's white coat. Franc was now a puppet in his hands. He had disguised himself as Franc, using Franc's authority to move freely within the research institute. After entering Merusu's ward, he removed his disguise. "It's 7 AM now."
Without Merusu needing to ask, he directly provided the information she wanted. When he was doing actual work, Illumi could be so "considerate." When he was doing other things, he could be disgusting. Whether intentional or not, Illumi was not a good person.
"I brought breakfast," Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box.
That was a redundant statement. Merusu first smelled the aroma of freshly toasted bread.
Illumi also saw her twitch her nose. He placed the tray on the small table beside the bed and picked up a slice of toast, holding it to her mouth.
Following the aroma, she bit into empty air.
"You haven't forgotten my payment, have you?" Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box.
"..." Merusu, her eyes covered with bandages, turned her face towards the direction of the voice. That was all; she made no other reaction.
Before the bandages could be removed, she continued to play the role she was best at, the doll, passively allowing Illumi to tie her hands behind her back – this illegal research institute was equipped with all necessary restraint devices for test subjects.
The warm toast was held against her lips. She had learned her lesson and closed her mouth until Illumi told her she could eat.
She took a bite, chewed slowly, swallowed, and then took a second bite, a third.
The toast held in Illumi's hand was slowly eaten by her, and then his finger was pressed against her lips.
In the stalemate, Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box, "Can I lick it?"
Merusu extended her tongue, her teeth finally touching Illumi's finger. Illumi made no attempt to withdraw his hand, and he smiled. He stroked the back of Merusu's head with his other hand. "I understand. Can you open your mouth?"
Not wanting to waste "emotions" on Illumi, Merusu opened her mouth, her tongue licking the blood from her teeth.
"To add some fun, let's play a game," Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box. "If you win, I won't bother you again until lunch. If you lose, I'll bother you a bit more."
With Merusu's hands tied behind her back, Illumi helped her bite the second slice of toast.
"For fairness, I'll only use my mouth as well," Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box. "I won't touch this piece of bread in any way. If you don't let the bread fall within half an hour, you win."
Although Merusu couldn't see Illumi's actions, the spot where his nose brushed against her proved he was following the rules, using only his mouth to hinder Merusu's victory in the game.
Being a well-trained Zoldyck, Merusu bit down on the toast without any slack. Perhaps she bit down too hard, or perhaps with the passage of time, the amylase in her saliva had melted part of the toast. She didn't let go, but the toast fell from her bite marks.
"You lost," Illumi said, catching the piece of toast and taking a bite from the semicircular bite mark. "Not sweet enough. Let's add some jam."
The cold, viscous liquid poured down, and Merusu smelled the sweet scent of jam.
She lost all three games, one for each meal.
"There's nothing else to do anyway, and you like doing this sort of thing, don't you?" Illumi's words appeared in the dialogue box.
Losing was losing. It was just a game, a game full of calculations that Illumi excelled at. Merusu knew her intelligence was average, inferior to Illumi's.
Illumi's intention was to crush her, just as he continuously crushed Killua to establish his authority.
However, Killua was too young to defy Illumi. Merusu could choose to ignore Illumi. After this transaction was completely finished, she would no longer have any contact with Illumi; out of sight, out of mind.
The next morning, when Illumi swiped his card into the ward, Merusu had already removed the bandages herself. She held a mirror she had [retrieved] from her "game backpack."
Illumi had seen her condition on the monitors and quickly came over, bringing Franc with him.
"It must be because you did something you shouldn't have after surgery that caused the problem!" Franc's Nen needles were temporarily removed, and he could now express his opinions freely. "My technique is flawless! You watched me perform the surgery the entire time, you know I didn't make any small movements!"
Franc removed the colored contact lenses he used for disguise. The fiery red eye he had transplanted into himself was still fiery red.
"..." Merusu stared at herself in the mirror.
Her eyes were still blue.
[Night vision: Excellent -> Normal]
The game's prompt message confirmed that she had indeed received a new pair of eyes.
The marks remaining on the skin exposed outside her hospital gown seemed to mock her futile absurdity and foolishness.
So, for what did she endure Illumi... No, it wasn't completely terrible... At least she avoided financial loss... Her eyes weren't blind either.
"Illumi..." Merusu raised her eyes from the mirror.
"I'll interrogate him," Illumi, a perfect graduate of the Zoldyck interrogation class, raised his right hand to his forehead, appearing obedient. "I will absolutely give you a satisfactory answer."