All preparations were complete. For Kurapika, all that remained was waiting.
Although Law was quite confident, he hadn't guaranteed Kurapika that Pairo would definitely be resurrected.
However, Kurapika now held onto a glimmer of hope.
As he calmed down, the hope in his mind began to shift toward greed.
If Pairo could be resurrected, what about his parents and other clan members?
Such thoughts were human nature… no one was exempt.
Kurapika looked at Law and said with difficulty, "Master, if Pairo can be resurrected... then, what about my parents and other clan members..."
He ultimately couldn't articulate the entire thought. He knew it was an unreasonable request. But humans can't maintain absolute rationality at all times, especially when they have strong desires.
Even though Kurapika didn't fully express it, Law understood. He immediately shook his head at Kurapika and said, "You are a Nen User. You understand the relationship between Vows and Limitations."
"Moreover, this is Ellie's Nen Ability. As the price for resurrection, she must continuously pay Nen to Pairo. Do you know what that represents?"
Hearing this, Kurapika froze, silently looking at Ellie before softly apologizing.
He also knew his request was too much.
Simultaneously, he silently stored this debt of gratitude in his heart.
Whether Pairo could be resurrected or not, he would repay Ellie for her assistance this time.
Kurapika hadn't removed his disguise yet, looking delicate and pitiable. His apologetic appearance was truly moving.
Ellie looked at Kurapika, inwardly shouting: 'This guy is male! Why is he prettier than me? Where's the justice?!'
Afterward, Kurapika placed Pairo on the bed in the room, silently keeping watch beside it.
Law and the others remained in the living room, considering going to the lobby later to book a room for Ellie and Stargie.
"Law, how did you do it?" Ging asked, puzzled.
"Flute version of the Dark Sonata. Its effect is Phenomenon Exchange."
Law gave a brief explanation. Then he remembered the price, thinking he should distance himself from Ging and the others later to avoid affecting them.
"Phenomenon Exchange?" Ging stroked his chin, deep in thought.
His analytical skills were strong. Through Law's deliberate act of leaving three Hedgehog Peaches members, he glimpsed the essence of the flute Sonata's ability.
Immediately, he was astonished.
'What a terrifying ability.'
"And the condition?"
Ging's thoughts raced, arriving at the most crucial question.
The more abnormal the ability, the more abnormal the condition… that was the norm.
"Being targeted by the world," Law replied with a smile.
"What do you mean? Will it be serious?" Ellie, who had been listening nearby, couldn't help but interject.
Law habitually patted her head, an action that almost made Ellie slap his hand away.
She thought: 'Go pat a kid's head! Don't pat mine!'
"It means I'll be very unlucky for a while. As for how serious... I'm not sure either, but it should be fine," Law explained.
"Similar to the unlucky crow in your book?" Ging immediately thought of the content in L. Hunter.
"Mhm. So I'll stay away from you all for a bit," Law said nonchalantly. "I think even if I hid in Ickshonpe's digital world now, I'd probably be favored by data storms."
"If it's not in an environment like the Dark Continent, then it shouldn't be a big problem," Ging said.
"I hope so."
Afterward, Law left the room with Kuro.
Before leaving, he glanced at Stargie.
Tonight's events gave him an idea: to bring Stargie on board.
The reason he hadn't considered this before was that Stargie was Ellie's powerful bodyguard.
Even if Stargie accepted his invitation, he couldn't just take her away. That would be removing one of Ellie's protective barriers.
But now, with Kurapika and Pairo, perhaps there was room for negotiation.
Leaving the room, walking down the corridor, entering the elevator.
Law pressed the number for the first floor.
Suddenly, the elevator shook violently. The lights abruptly went out, plunging it into darkness.
"It's starting."
Law scratched his cheek.
Then, the elevator plummeted downward like a roller coaster.
This change triggered the hotel's safety program, emitting a piercing alarm.
The employees monitoring the security system paled.
The elevator fell straight to the bottom of the shaft, finally stopped by Law using his ability.
Then, Law directly used his ability to leave.
Shortly after emerging, he saw hotel staff rushing over.
He paid no further attention, directly leaving the hotel.
Just after stepping out, a huge signboard fell with the wind, aiming precisely at him.
Of course, it missed.
After that, Law practically became the protagonist in a Final Destination movie. Various meticulously designed coincidences came at him in all sorts of ways.
But as Ging said, as long as it wasn't in an environment like the Dark Continent, the threat level of these death coincidences wasn't high.
"I wonder how long this will last."
Walking on the road, Law suddenly tilted his head to the right, dodging a fire hydrant shooting from behind.
It seemed due to water pressure imbalance or some other reason, causing the hydrant to burst, naturally targeting him.
A few seconds later, a large truck's tire fell off while driving and rolled toward Law.
Thus, wherever he went, there were screams.
After several experiences, he found this misfortune effect was truly clear about grudges and favors. No matter how many coincidences it created, it absolutely wouldn't affect anyone other than Law.
Of course, this was just his judgment.
Anyway, these coincidences were so blatant, which actually provided some convenience for Law.
Later, as long as coincidences stopped occurring, it would mean the misfortune index was cleared.
'This ability must be used cautiously on the Dark Continent, and it shouldn't be abused.'
Law thought silently. Because something like luck was too mysterious. On the Dark Continent, there were too many dangerous things it could attract. If used too frequently, one might get hit by a meteorite while walking.
…
Grand Budapest Hotel, Tserriednich's room.
Over a dozen officers stood in the room, staring seriously at the well-preserved scene.
Tserriednich's corpse lay quietly on the carpet, blood flowing from his chest staining a large area.
"Cause of death: heart pierced. Murder weapon: fruit knife from the room. The Fourth Prince shows clear signs of being bound," An officer reported in a steady tone.
The leading officer was a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and large eyes. He pinched his chin, muttering softly.
'The battle for succession hasn't even begun. Which impatient Prince could have done this? Or someone else?'
The lead officer thought silently. Though his face appeared calm, his heart churned with unresolved anger.
With the Departure Ceremony imminent, this incident occurred. Where was the spare time to resolve it?
Weighing a Prince's murder case against the Departure Ceremony to the New Continent… even a fool could tell which was heavier.
It was foreseeable that Nasubi would only choose the latter.
'Assuming the Fourth Prince's death wasn't the work of another Prince, the culprit likely targeted this precise moment to act without restraint, and was well-prepared.'
In fact, just as this officer speculated, Kurapika targeted this very timing to act without hesitation.