Chapter 60 The Assassins of Kukuroku Mountain 03 Manipulation
Illumi held the black Nen nail in his hand, his empty cat eyes devoid of any killing intent.
He seemed convinced that only through the most direct control could he ensure that this unruly possession would be completely docile.
[Warning! Warning!]
[Detected that the little brat [Illumi] is attempting to attack and control the host.]
The system will automatically switch to defense mode!
The system's voice rang sharply in Ayana's mind.
But unlike before, this time, a strange power, accompanied by an alarm, surged forth from the depths of her consciousness like a floodgate being opened.
It seems that because she was in crisis, the system took it upon itself to use its special ability [biomanipulation].
Ayana almost instinctively raised her hand, pointing it directly at Illumi's forehead, her pupils seemingly losing focus for a moment.
Illumi's movements froze.
For the first time, a blank look appeared on his perpetually calm face, as if he were waiting for Ayana to give him instructions.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Ayana's forehead, and her face quickly turned pale.
[Biomanipulation] The exquisite control over the mental level consumes far more energy than she imagined, especially when facing a target with extremely strong willpower like Illumi.
She gritted her teeth, concentrated all her energy, and poured a clear instruction into her.
[Forget that you saw me in the back hill tonight, forget all your suspicions about me. You were just conducting your routine patrol of the back hill; everything was normal, nothing unusual happened.]
Now, go back to your room, get some rest, and wait for tomorrow.
Illumi's focus momentarily wavered, and the Nen nail, poised to strike, vanished silently.
His expression returned to its usual empty state, as if the tense confrontation had never happened.
He blinked, looked around blankly, and then looked at Ayana, who was standing in front of him, pale-faced but trying to remain calm.
“Ayana?” he asked calmly, a hint of extremely rare, almost imperceptible confusion in his voice. “What are you doing here?”
Ayana's heart was still pounding, but she forced herself to answer in a slightly tired voice, "Young Master, I couldn't sleep after my extra training tonight, so I came out for a walk to clear my head. I'm heading back now."
Upon hearing this, Illumi nodded, seemingly accepting her explanation.
"Don't linger outside too long at night," he said as if it were a routine matter, then turned away from her, walked towards the main house, as if he had just finished his inspection and was about to return to rest.
Only when Illumi's figure completely disappeared into the night did Ayana finally breathe a sigh of relief, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
She grabbed onto the nearby rock, panting heavily, feeling as if all her strength had been drained from her body.
[Defense mode has been deactivated.]
【Host, please be careful. The little darling of this world, [Illumi], seems to want to control you. I cannot guarantee that you will remain rational and return to the real world after being controlled.】
The system notification made Ayana's heart tighten.
She dared not linger there, and staggered toward the housekeeper's quarters, returning to that small, cold room and locking the door behind her.
Ayana collapsed onto the hard bed, pondered briefly, and then fell into a deep sleep, not even having time to think about the notebook that had not yet been destroyed.
The next morning, Ayana pretended that nothing had happened and returned to her usual self, but she was filled with anxiety, worried that Illumi might have noticed something.
However, it seems that everything is truly over.
Illumi appeared at her door on time as usual, with the same expressionless face, issuing the same training instructions as always.
His attitude and gaze were exactly the same as before Ayana was warned.
[Detected that the affection level of the adorable [Illumi] remains at 10%.]
The system's prompts seemed to confirm this.
Illumi's memories had indeed been altered; he no longer remembered her transgressions.
Ayana followed silently behind him, outwardly displaying absolute obedience and calmness, but inwardly she was even more wary of Illumi.
She didn't want to be controlled by Illumi.
At this moment, the system notification sounded again, issuing a new task.
[Task Requirements: Have at least one effective conversation with Killua and gain a preliminary understanding of his current state and thoughts.]
[Task Reward: 500 points.]
【提示：奇犽·揍敌客深受揍敌客家族成员的喜爱和重视，请宿主在与其接触时注意安全。 】
Killua Zoldyck?
Ayana narrowed her eyes.
She began to pay closer attention to the flow of information within the Zoldyck family. From the extremely limited and cautious conversations of the other butlers, she gleaned some clues. One afternoon, Ayana went to a corner of the main house courtyard and, sure enough, found an opportunity.
From afar, she saw the side door of the main house open from the inside, and a figure walked out slowly with his hands in his pockets.
He was a slender boy with silver-white spiky hair, dressed in simple casual clothes.
His face was expressionless, but his blue cat eyes held a lively and rebellious gleam that Illumi completely lacked.
Even from a distance, Ayana could sense the free spirit emanating from him that seemed so out of place in the Kukuro Mountain.
It's Killua Zoldyck!
Ayana lowered her head, pretending to focus on her work, but her peripheral vision kept following Killua's figure.
He seemed to be strolling aimlessly, his gaze casually sweeping across the courtyard. Occasionally, he would pause for a moment in front of a strangely shaped tree or a uniquely designed rockery, his eyes revealing a hint of the curiosity and boredom that should be present in a boy his age.
He walked towards the direction where Ayana was.
Ayana quickly considered a solution.
Approaching someone directly to start a conversation would be too abrupt and would inevitably arouse suspicion.
She needs a natural and inconspicuous way of making contact.
But it seems that God is on her side.
Just as Killua was about to walk past Aiana, a gentle mountain breeze blew by, swirling up a few leaves that Aiana had just pruned. One of the leaves drifted right towards Killua's cheek.
Killua tilted his head almost instinctively, and the leaf flew past his hair.
His movements were fluid and natural, so fast that it was almost an illusion, fully demonstrating the Zoldyck family's ingrained fighting instincts and reaction speed.
He stopped, his blue cat-like eyes turning toward Ayana.
Ayana immediately stopped what she was doing, bowed, and said in a perfectly apologetic tone, "I am very sorry, Master Killua, it was my oversight."
Killua glanced at her and casually waved his hand: "It's nothing, just a gust of wind."
His voice was clear and bright, with a youthful quality that was completely different from Illumi's flat and emotionless tone.
Killua didn't leave immediately. He kept his eyes fixed on Ayana and suddenly asked, "New here? I've never seen you before."
“Yes, I am Ayana. I joined the company a month ago and currently report directly to Young Master Illumi,” Ayana replied respectfully.
Upon hearing Illumi's name, Killua's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, a mixture of disgust, apprehension, and something else entirely.
“Your brother’s direct subordinate…” he repeated in a low voice, his tone somewhat subtle, “Then he must value you a lot.”
These words didn't sound like a compliment; rather, they carried a hint of sarcasm.
"I was just doing my best to fulfill my duties," Ayana said humbly, though a thought stirred within her.
As she had expected, Killua's attitude towards Illumi was not harmonious.
Killua seemed to have lost interest in her, or rather, didn't want to talk about anything related to Illumi anymore. He hummed in response, then put his hands back in his pockets and continued his aimless stroll, quickly walking away into the distance.
[New mission unlocked: Arrange for Killua and Alluka to meet; reward 1000 points.]
The mission was completed more smoothly than expected.
Although this brief encounter did not involve in-depth communication, Ayana did manage to have effective communication with Killua and glean some key information.
As Ayana watched Killua gradually disappear into the courtyard, she began to devise her next plan. She turned and walked towards her room, intending to tidy up a bit before obeying Illumi's orders as usual.
But as soon as she stepped into the corridor, she encountered Illumi again.
The boy stood quietly outside her door, seemingly waiting for her.
He turned around, his empty cat-like eyes landing on Ayana, and without any warning, he said, "You deliberately saw Killua just now."
Was he spying on her?
Ayana's first thought was this, but she remained calm and respectfully replied, "Young Master, you misunderstand. I happened to encounter Young Master Killua taking a walk while I was working in the courtyard."
"What did he say?" Illumi ignored her explanation, his tone remaining calm as he asked the question to himself.
Ayana could feel an invisible pressure surrounding her.
"Young Master Killua simply asked about my identity, and after learning that I was his direct subordinate, he left," Ayana cautiously recounted, omitting Killua's subtle tone and expression.
She wasn't sure what Illumi wanted to know, so she could only choose the safest and simplest answer.
Illumi stared at her silently for a few seconds, then slowly approached.
His gaze swept over Ayana's face.
Illumi's voice lowered: "Killua's mind is too complicated and not pure enough, which is dangerous, for both him and his family."
"So I need to intervene in his affairs."
He stopped in front of Ayana, so close that she could feel the faint scent of blood and coldness emanating from him.
“And you, Ayana.” His fingertips had somehow come to hold a black Nen nail, but he didn’t move it immediately, just played with it unconsciously. “You seem to be starting to become less pure as well.”
Ayana's breath almost stopped as she forced herself to meet Illumi's gaze: "This subordinate does not understand what the young master means. This subordinate is merely fulfilling her duty and completing all the tasks assigned by the young master."
“Mission…” Illumi repeated the word, then said, “Your mission is to obey me completely and become the tool I need.”
“A qualified tool should not have its own judgment, should not have excessive curiosity, and should not have any unnecessary interaction with my brother.”
His voice was icy and chilling: "I think it's time to interfere with you as well."
As soon as he finished speaking, Illumi suddenly raised the Nen nail from his fingertip, moving so fast that it was just a streak of black light, aiming straight for Ayana's brow.
This time, his intentions were clearer than before, and his actions were more decisive.
[Warning! The obedient [Illumi] has been detected attempting to attack and control the host!]
[Defense mode will be forcibly activated!]
[Special ability [Biomanipulation] has been activated!]
The system alarm blared, and that strange power erupted uncontrollably from the depths of Ayana's consciousness once again.
Her pupils contracted instantly, and Illumi's movements in her field of vision seemed to slow down before abruptly stopping in mid-air.
Just like last time, Ayana raised her hand and pointed it directly at Illumi's forehead, sending him instructions.
[Stop what you're doing, retract the Nen needles, forget all this. I didn't communicate with Killua at all.]
[Leave this place and forget everything that just happened.]
Illumi's raised arm froze in mid-air, the Nen nail at his fingertips just millimeters away from Aiana's brow.
The blank stare returned to his empty cat-like eyes, and they remained frozen in that state for a few seconds, yet it felt like centuries had passed.
Finally, Illumi's focus slowly returned.
He looked at his hand, which was frozen in mid-air, then at Ayana, and slowly lowered his arm. The mind nail disappeared again.
Then, without looking at Ayana again, Illumi turned around and, like a machine programmed with a set routine, walked out of the corridor without saying another word.
[Defense mode has been deactivated.]
[Detected that the affection level of the adorable [Illumi] is 15%.]
Ayana breathed a sigh of relief, returned to her room, locked the door, and closed her eyes to rest.
The afternoon training session proceeded as usual.
As always, Illumi meticulously carried out various high-difficulty physical and Nen training exercises.
Ayana stood silently in her designated spot, like his shadow.
But as evening approached, Illumi suddenly picked up his phone without warning, answered a call, and said something to the person on the other end.
A few seconds later, he hung up the phone, turned to Ayana, and broke the silence of the training ground with his characteristic flat tone.
"Get ready, we'll meet at the Gates of the Underworld in ten minutes."
Ayana paused slightly, but quickly bowed her head and replied, "Yes, young master. What do we need to prepare?"
"Wutong will give you some equipment you'll need for the mission," Illumi said succinctly, without explaining the specifics of the mission. "This time, you'll be coming with me on this mission."
These words made Ayana's heart skip a beat.
This was the first time she had been asked to participate in an outing since becoming Illumi's direct butler.
But her reaction was without the slightest hesitation: "Understood, young master, I will prepare immediately."
Ayana quickly left the training ground and found Wutong.
The latter seemed to have been notified in advance, and silently handed her a prepared backpack.
Ten minutes later, Ayana appeared right on time outside the Gates of the Underworld, carrying her backpack.
Illumi was already waiting there, having changed into a black outfit that would allow for easy movement.
He didn't say anything more, and turned around immediately when Ayana arrived.
Outside the door, there was a very ordinary-looking black sedan.
The driver was a taciturn butler who merely nodded slightly when he saw Illumi.
Illumi opened the back door, gestured for Ayana to get in, and then got in himself.
The vehicle started silently and drove down the winding mountain road.
The car was completely silent.
Illumi leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes to rest, as if he were just taking an ordinary trip.
But Ayana could sense an invisible aura of danger surrounding him.
Ayana sat upright, her gaze fixed on the scenery rushing past the window.
This was the first time she had left Kukuroku Mountain since she came into this world.
The air outside the mountains seemed to carry a different scent, lacking the heavy sense of oppression but carrying an unknown danger.
What is the mission?
Who is the target?
What is Illumi's purpose in suddenly bringing her out on a mission?
With no answers to her questions, she could only remain vigilant and adapt to changing circumstances.
The vehicle sped along in silence, heading towards an unknown destination.
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