Hunter x Hunter: Call Me Master Inventor

"So... do you have any other food here?"

Finks finally spoke.

"Yes, there are..."

Von Clay slowly finished the last bite of his rice bowl, wiped his mouth, and his smile became somewhat playful.

"What, do you want some?"

Nonsense! Why would I be asking you if I didn't want to eat?!

Finks was internally screaming, his throat bobbing wildly, but he still had to maintain a "friendly" expression on his face:

"Of course I want to!"

"If you want to eat..."

Von Clay raised his pinky finger and said with a smile:

"You can 'beg' me, or 'ask' me for a favor, okay?"

Phinks: "???"

Feitan narrowed his eyes, his dangerous gaze locking onto von Clay.

Upon hearing this, Uvogin burst into laughter, his mouth stretching to his ears, with an expression of anticipation for a good show.

"Finx, you've finally met your match! Hahaha!"

He made no attempt to hide his schadenfreude.

In Wokin's view, von Clay's requests to "beg me" or "ask me" were simply outrageous.

Just like when he was asked to "beg him" because he was curious about that power, he felt offended.

Making those who rule Meteor City with their fists bow down is worse than killing them.

He thought that von Clay might simply have this peculiar hobby, but to Finks, it was likely a blatant mockery and humiliation.

"So in the end, it all comes down to fists!"

Uvogin clenched his fists, ready to fight again.

At the same time, he was also vaguely pondering:

Could von Clay's strange request be some kind of special condition for his magical ability?

However, what happened next left Uvogin completely stunned.

"Is just 'please' enough?"

Phinks snapped out of his daze and asked a question as if to confirm.

After receiving a nod of approval from von Clay, he actually thought about it seriously for a moment, and then said:

"Please, get us some food like what Uvogin and the others eat—food that fills our stomachs, smells good, and tastes even better!"

He spoke crisply and decisively, without any psychological burden.

Uvogin: "???????"

No, brother?

If I ask you to ask someone for a favor, will you actually do it?

Where is your backbone?

Where did that arrogant and unruly attitude you had when you were yelling at me just now go?

For the sake of a mouthful of food, you'd throw away all your dignity?!

Uvogin couldn't understand it, but Phinks sneered inwardly.

"You're just talking nonsense, it's easy for you to say that when you're not the one suffering the consequences!"

Phinks glanced at Uvogin and could roughly guess what the big oaf was thinking.

You're full, but we're still hungry!

A full stomach doesn't know the hunger of an empty one; he's already filling his bowl as soon as he puts it down.

"Besides, it's just saying 'please,' it's not like I'm being asked to kneel and kowtow, what's the big deal?"

Finks felt no shame whatsoever; on the contrary, he took it all for granted.

In Meteor City, he experienced things far more humiliating and difficult than this, all in order to survive and for food.

If all it takes is a few kind words to get a full meal, nine out of ten people in Meteor City would be willing to do it!

"Besides, aren't you yourselves just following this kid around for a living?"

Phinks's gaze toward Uvogin gradually turned disdainful...

"You yourself rely on charity, yet you have the nerve to laugh at me?"

"Stop making a fool of yourself!"

"Hey! What kind of look is that?!"

This time, Woking was enraged.

But Finks completely ignored him; right now, nothing mattered more than eating!

Feitan, standing to the side, remained silent, but was slightly annoyed by this way of "asking for favors"...

But he always stood by Phinks and respected his companion's decisions.

Of course, the main reason is that the food smelled so good.

Especially when he saw Machi scrape the last grain of rice clean and put it into his mouth, his throat bobbed even more violently.

"No problem, since I have received your request, I will naturally fulfill it."

von Klay snapped his fingers, beaming.

He was worried that his stock of plant modification agents was running low and that his food supply would be uncertain...

As a result, someone offered to provide new "commissions," which replenished the inventory.

"But now there's a little problem~"

von Clay listened intently...

"You two were talking too loudly just now, it seems you attracted quite a few people."

Huh?! Uvogin and Phinks both pricked up their ears at the same time, and sure enough, they heard messy footsteps and faint whispers coming from afar:

"What's that smell? It smells so good!"

"Was it coming from the church?"

"Go check! Maybe there are some left!"

"Looks like we've been too flashy..."

Von Clay shrugged: "We need to get out of here first."

"But don't those foods require trees?"

Machi reminded him:

"Apart from here and the surrounding area, there don't seem to be any other trees."

"There's a rotten tree in Feitan's yard."

Phinks immediately chimed in...

"It's for Feitan to stand on, so he can see higher places more easily..."

puff!

He took a punch from Feitan in the waist, neither too hard nor too light.

"Too talkative."

Feitan said in a deep voice.

This was the first thing he said upon arriving.

Feitan's height...

Well, let's not talk about it.

Even more than ten years later, he only grew to 155 centimeters tall, which can be said to be his eternal pain.

Only Phinks, his partner in life and death, would bring this up so thoughtlessly; anyone else would have already started a fight.

However, having Feitan's rotten tree as a new base is much more convenient...

There's no need to risk coming near the church anymore.

After making the decision, the group immediately took action.

Before leaving, von Clay looked up and gave a meaningful smile towards the window of a room in the church…

Then he left with Phinks and Feitan.

"Did he just...discover us?"

Little Paknoda in the screening room noticed the smile and was somewhat surprised.

"We've been watching him for so long, it's normal that we've been discovered."

Kuroro wasn't surprised; instead, a look of keen interest curved his lips...

"What an interesting person. I'd really like to get to know him."

After von Clay and the others left, a group of Meteor City residents, drawn by the fragrance, quickly gathered near the grove of trees by the church.

They greedily inhaled the lingering fragrance in the air, suspicious of each other, arguing, and it eventually devolved into a pointless melee.

In Meteor City, conflict is never in short supply.

Leaving aside Chrollo's curiosity and those pointless battles, Bon Clay and his group arrived safely at Feitan's residence.

Feitan's house was about as dilapidated as von Clay's, but it had a few more things inside.

There was at least a broken bed, a crooked table and chairs, and a small cabinet that had been salvaged.

In Meteor City, finding these things in a garbage dump is already considered quite good.

Von Klay's gaze fell on the small, half-dead tree in the corner of the room, which was clearly being used as a footstool.

Fortunately, plant modification agents don't discriminate based on whether the plant is alive or dead; as long as it works, it's fine.