Chapter 58 The Assassins of Kukuroku Mountain 01 As long as you obey me...
Ayana's nerves instantly tightened to the extreme.
The sense of danger emanating from the boy before her even surpassed that of Hisoka when he unleashed his full killing intent in battle.
[Brain resources are about to be loaded. Please prepare to receive them.]
Just like last time, a massive amount of information flooded into Ayana's mind in an instant.
Your identity is Ayana.
One month ago, you passed numerous tests and officially became a butler for the Zoldyck family.
As the Zoldyck family's butler, you must absolutely obey the orders of the Zoldyck family members, be dutiful, taciturn, and efficient, and abandon unnecessary personal feelings and curiosity.
The influx of massive amounts of information made Ayana dizzy.
She forced herself to maintain a calm demeanor, her gaze meeting those empty cat eyes with a composed expression.
“Young Master Illumi,” Ayana’s voice was equally steady, without any discernible emotional fluctuation, carrying the respect due to a subordinate, “I am the new butler who just joined the company a month ago.”
Illumi continued to stare at her without blinking, his large eyes showing no trace of belief or doubt, only pure observation and assessment.
His gaze, like a cold scanner, swept over Ayana's entire body without a word.
Even though it was only a few seconds of silence, there was a suffocating sense of oppression in the air.
Illumi suddenly moved without warning.
His figure vanished from his spot in an instant, and the next second he appeared to Ayana's left, a finger silently pointing at her shoulder blade.
Ayana suddenly turned to the side, her right hand instinctively shooting out and precisely seizing Illumi's wrist.
"Smack!"
With a soft sound, Ayana's fingers touched Illumi's cold wrist skin, but a strange force instantly broke her grip.
Illumi's fingers were still on her shoulder, but because of her dodge and block, most of the force was dissipated, leaving only a slight tingling sensation.
Illumi withdrew his hand, tilted his head, and a faint hint of curiosity seemed to flash in his empty eyes.
"Your reaction speed is acceptable, your strength is decent, and your combat awareness is not bad either." He was grading a product as if he were evaluating it. "But you don't absolutely obey me or resist me. Logically speaking, you shouldn't be kept here."
He paused, as if pondering something, his fingers stroking his chin, then raised his dark eyes to look directly at Ayana: "But you have value, so you can live for the time being."
Illumi took a step forward, getting closer to Ayana, his unfathomable cat eyes fixed on her, and said, "From now on, you are my possession."
"Come with me."
His fingertips had somehow caught another black psychic nail. His tone remained unchanged, and his expression was still calm, yet it was more chilling than any threat: "Die here now."
If she could, Ayana wouldn't want to go with this boy.
Her intuition told her that the boy had ill intentions and that getting involved with him would be troublesome.
But the system's voice rang out again at an inopportune moment.
[The good boy has appeared!]
Please actively interact with your darling to officially begin your story together. The system will monitor this in real time!
Ayana remained silent for a moment, suppressing the urge to complain about the system. Meeting Illumi's unwavering gaze, she slowly nodded: "I'll go with you."
Illumi made no comment on Ayana's obedience, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
He withdrew the thought nail, turned around, and walked silently along the forest path.
Ayana followed silently behind him, maintaining a just-right distance.
As they progressed, the surrounding trees grew taller and denser, the light became dimmer, and the invisible sense of oppression in the air grew stronger, as if the entire mountain was breathing.
Occasionally, Ayana could sense malicious gazes emanating from the depths of the dense forest, seemingly from dangerous creatures dwelling on Kukuroo Mountain. However, they all seemed to tacitly avoid Illumi's path, or rather, avoid the aura emanating from Illumi himself.
Finally, the two arrived at a stone gate that was larger than they could have imagined, and whose ancient and heavy style was almost ferocious.
The door was tightly shut, devoid of any superfluous decoration, except for seven heavy door knockers of varying sizes, arranged from largest to smallest.
The door is flanked by steep, knife-cut rock walls, completely isolating the world behind it.
The Gates of the Underworld.
The Zoldyck family's insurmountable boundary with the outside world.
Illumi reached out and pushed open the door, and Ayana followed him inside.
Inside the door and outside the door are two completely different worlds.
Outside the gate lies a primeval, dangerous, and wild forest, while inside is a well-ordered, austere, and cold territory.
Underfoot is a smooth, polished black flagstone path, flanked by meticulously manicured courtyard landscapes that exude a sense of craftsmanship, while in the distance, a cluster of buildings with a unified yet oppressive style are scattered about.
The air remained heavy, but it carried an iron-like sense of discipline.
Occasionally, figures dressed in crisp black butler uniforms or plain maid outfits would silently pass by. Their steps were light and swift, their eyes were downcast, their faces were expressionless, and they did not exchange any words with each other, not even making eye contact.
The entire environment was eerily quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the courtyard in the wind.
The moment everyone sees Illumi, no matter what they are doing, they immediately stop, face his direction, and bow in respect until Illumi's figure completely disappears from sight before resuming their actions.
The whole process was extremely smooth, like a machine with a pre-programmed sequence, without any errors.
Absolute obedience.
Illumi ignored all of this and led Ayana straight through the spacious, somewhat empty courtyard to a relatively independent annex building.
The building was constructed of dark gray boulders, with small windows that gave it an air of unapproachability.
This is the area where the butlers live, train, and work.
As soon as he stepped into the building, a middle-aged butler with a calm and capable demeanor, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, came forward as if he had been waiting for a long time, bowing deeply to Illumi with an impeccable bow.
“Young Master Illumi.” His voice was steady and respectful.
“Wutong,” Illumi instructed flatly without stopping, “She will be under my direct command from now on. Instruct her to familiarize herself with the rules and assign her responsibilities.”
He didn't even glance back at Ayana, as if she were just an item that had been casually brought back and now needed to be placed, with her origins and wishes being of no concern.
"Yes, young master." The butler named Wutong responded immediately without any questions or surprise.
Illumi nodded, said nothing more, and his figure disappeared instantly around the corner of the corridor, as if he had never been there.
Only after Illumi's aura completely disappeared did Wutong slowly straighten up.
He pushed up his glasses, turned his gaze to Ayana, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, carrying the scrutiny and composure of someone long accustomed to high-ranking management.
That is, your boss.
“Ayana.” His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority and a cold quality. “Since Young Master Illumi has designated you as his direct subordinate, you need to understand and strictly abide by the following points.”
He held up three fingers, his tone flat, yet each word carried immense weight.
"First, in the Zoldyck family, obedience is the highest and only principle. The master's orders are absolute, unquestionable, indefensible, and must be carried out without any delay or discount."
"Second, do your job well. If you shouldn't see something, don't look even if you gouge out your eyes; if you shouldn't ask something, don't ask even if you cut out your tongue; if you shouldn't hear something, don't hear even if you pierce your eardrums."
"Third, your life, your skills, everything you have belongs to the Zoldyck family, and now, you belong to Lord Illumi. When necessary, you need to give everything for the family and for your master without hesitation, including your life and dignity."
His words, like cold iron laws, were etched into the air and also attempted to be etched into Ayana's understanding.
"Do you understand now?" Wutong asked finally, his gaze behind his glasses fixed on Ayana, not missing a single subtle change in her expression.
…What kind of outrageous rules are these?
Does this even treat people like human beings?
Although she thought this in her heart, Ayana did not say it out loud. She simply lowered her eyes, covered the emotions in them with the hair on her forehead, and answered clearly in the tone of a senior.
"Yes, I understand."
[New mission unlocked: Find the secrets of the Zoldyck family, limited time offer of 1 month.]
[New quest unlocked: Gain Illumi Zoldyck's approval, no time limit.]
Seeing that she agreed, Wutong instructed a passing maid to take her to familiarize herself with the environment and change her dormitory to one closer to Illumi.
Ayana was assigned to an extremely simple single room.
The walls were bare, with only a hard bed, a wardrobe, and a small table.
The windows were also very small, and all you could see out were dark gray rock walls and a small patch of oppressive sky.
Everything here seems to exude a cold, distant feeling.
She slept lightly through the night and received orders from Illumi the next day.
Before dawn, Ayana's door was silently pushed open.
Illumi stood at the door, still expressionless, his dark cat eyes appearing even more hollow in the dim light.
"Come with me," he said succinctly.
Ayana immediately stood up, quickly straightened her black butler uniform that she had never taken off, and silently followed.
She didn't even ask where we were going or what we were going to do.
Although she had just arrived in this world, Ayana gradually realized that the Zoldyck family was an extremely abnormal family.
As stewards or servants of this family, they have no personal will and only need to obey absolutely.
Even if their masters order them to die, they must die willingly.
Illumi led her through the misty courtyard, not to the main house, but to a training ground located on the edge of the family territory.
This place is filled with all sorts of unimaginable training equipment, some of which could even be described as torture instruments.
A faint smell of blood and rust filled the air.
"Watch."
Illumi uttered two words and began his morning training.
His movements were swift, precise, and efficient; every move was aimed directly at vital points, without any fancy or superfluous actions—he was born purely for killing.
Ayana's task was to stand at the edge of the field, like a lifeless decoration, watching quietly.
At first, Ayana thought it was just a form of surveillance, or some strange fetish of Illumi.
But she soon realized that this might be Illumi observing and evaluating her.
Illumi was observing whether she would show any inappropriate emotions, such as fear, sympathy, or excessive curiosity.
At the same time, he was also assessing her patience and presence. As the Zoldyck family's butler, and a butler directly under Illumi's command, she should be like air, present when needed and completely invisible when not needed.
She heeded the advice of the sycamore tree, keeping her eyes on her nose and her mind at ease, focusing all her attention on standing and observing. Her gaze was calm and unwavering, as if what she was seeing was not a dangerous and deadly training session, but just an ordinary morning activity.
The training lasted for a full three hours.
Illumi finally stopped, walked up to Ayana, tilted his head to look at her, and inexplicably said something in a declarative tone.
"You have no questions."
Ayana couldn't fathom his emotions, so she lowered her eyes and replied, "Young Master did not order me to ask questions."
Illumi stared at her for a few seconds, then turned away and said again.
"Go back and wait for me here at three o'clock this afternoon."
"yes."
This pattern became the dominant theme for the next few days.
Ayana's life became extremely regular and monotonous. In the morning, she was taken to the training ground by Illumi to observe, and in the afternoon, she repeated the same process.
She would occasionally be ordered to do some basic physical training, while Illumi would watch expressionlessly from the side.
Evenings were the only time Ayana could freely control, but that was limited to her own room, or, without attracting attention, to a limited area within the butler's quarters.
[Detected 1% affection level for the adorable [Illumi].]
[Host, a friendly reminder: In this world, the little one's favorability is equivalent to the little one's approval of you.]
In other words, Illumi's approval rating for you is 1%.
Ayana twitched the corner of her mouth.
This was the first time she had ever experienced such a low level of favorability.
Moreover, this 1% favorability seems to be an affirmation of her satisfactory performance in front of Illumi during this period.
Illumi's personality seems to be more eccentric than the two well-behaved boys before him.
She wanted to temporarily put aside the task of gaining Illumi's approval and complete another task first.
So Ayana began to use every possible opportunity to gather information.
When dining quietly in the restaurant, she would deliberately sit in a position where she could hear the other butlers talking.
As she travels to the training ground along a fixed route, she uses the corner of her eye to scan the surrounding environment and building layout as much as possible, as well as any possible hidden passages.
Even when she takes a walk in the limited area at night, she will deliberately pay attention to which areas are absolutely off-limits and which places seem to be rarely visited.
Unfortunately, most of what she heard and saw was related to family affairs and assassination, as well as training courses and daily management.
Regarding the Zoldyck family members, the most frequently mentioned are the current head of the family, Tomoe, Mrs. Kikyo, and several older young masters, especially the much-discussed young master Killua.
But there is very little information about the other children.
What is the secret of the Zoldyck family?
After several days, Ayana still had no clue.
The Zoldycks' secrecy was impeccable.
However, one day, a turning point suddenly appeared.
That day, her colleague, a housekeeper who had just turned 20, was talking to someone when suddenly she felt as if she was being squeezed from above and below, and blood gushed out instantly, splattering onto the cheek of the person in front of her.
Before the man could react, the housekeeper, who had been whispering with him just moments before, was suddenly grabbed at both ends by an invisible giant hand and twisted in the opposite direction.
The cracking sound of bones breaking was clearly audible, accompanied by the teeth-grinding sound of muscles tearing apart.
The housekeeper's body was twisted into a ball of rope.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Ayyana was there.
Her heart clenched, and she instinctively tried to activate her special abilities to defend herself.
But she forcefully suppressed the impulse, forcing herself to maintain the same level of surprise and solemnity as the other butlers who had heard the commotion and looked over, rather than fear or inquiry.
What chilled her to the bone even more was the reaction of those around her.
The few butlers closest to the scene, including the one splattered with blood, only frowned briefly before resuming their expressionless demeanor.
The person who was splattered with blood didn't even wipe the blood off his face first. Instead, he immediately looked around to make sure that it didn't cause a bigger commotion.
They then quickly checked the condition of the body and cleaned up the scene.
Not a single person showed any curiosity about the cause of the housekeeper's death.
The entire process, from the occurrence to the completion of the cleanup, took no more than five minutes.
The butlers around had already turned their attention away, continuing with their own tasks or leaving in silence.
No one spoke or discussed it, as if the horrific scene had never happened.
Ayana felt a chill rise up her spine.
This seems to go beyond just ordinary strict discipline.
Her intuition told her that the housekeeper's death was related to the secrets the system had led her to uncover.
The afternoon training session proceeded as scheduled.
Illumi seemed completely unaware of what had happened in the butler's area that morning. His training remained precise and ruthless, and his demands on Ayana were as consistent as ever.
But after training, he suddenly stopped, his empty cat-like eyes looking at Ayana, and asked calmly, "You saw it this morning."
It is still not a question, but a statement.
Ayana felt a slight chill: "Yes, young master, I witnessed the incident, but it has been properly handled."
"An accident?" Ilmi tilted his head, seemingly interested in the word, but the interest vanished in an instant.
Then, he chuckled softly, the meaning of which was unclear.
[Detected 2% affection level for the adorable [Illumi].]
Illumi disappeared without explanation or warning, just as usual.
Ayana's unease grew with each passing day.
A few days later, she witnessed an even more horrifying scene.
In the corridor, four or five corpses lay scattered about, all dressed in the same butler or servant uniforms, their deaths mirroring those of the previous housekeeper.
Their bodies were twisted wildly at various angles by an invisible, enormous force, their bones breaking and piercing their skin in ways that defied physiological structure, and their entire bodies were twisted into a grotesque and terrifying rope shape.
Blood soaked through the expensive carpet, appearing almost black and viscous in the dim light, and the air was filled with a nauseatingly strong stench of blood.
It wasn't one person, it was five people who were twisted into a rope at the same time.
Moreover, judging from the way they fell and their relative positions, it seems that they encountered all of this while they were moving.
Then, just like last time, several butlers skillfully packed the twisted corpses into specially made black body bags, while quickly cleaning up the scene.
Their movements were completely calm, and they didn't even exchange any words with each other, as if they were just dealing with a batch of ordinary discarded items.
No one showed any surprise or concern about this obviously larger and more unusual mass death.
Not one of them even asked a question.
Ayana felt a chill run down her spine from the soles of her feet.
She dared not linger for even a second longer, and almost instinctively forced herself to leave the corridor with steady and rapid steps.
It wasn't until she returned to her room that Ayana's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but her heart was still pounding heavily in her chest.
That afternoon during training, Ayana felt somewhat uneasy for the first time.
She continued to execute Illumi's orders perfectly, standing, observing, and engaging in basic physical combat, but she couldn't help but repeatedly recall that bizarre and terrifying scene.
Illumi noticed her unusual behavior.
He stopped training and stared at Ayana with his empty cat-like eyes. There was no hint of blame in his gaze, but that pure stare was more intimidating than any reprimand.
“You’re scared,” he stated calmly.
Illumi tilted his head again, as if to comfort him: "Don't be afraid. As long as you don't have too much contact with others, you won't be implicated."
Before Ayana could reply, he nodded to himself as if he had convinced himself: "As long as you obey me, it won't turn out like that."
[Detected that the affection level of the adorable [Illumi] is 5%.]
This increase in favorability seems to carry a sense of bestowal and control.
Ayana found Illumi's words confusing, but she still lowered her head and replied, "Yes, young master, I understand."
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