Once Xiang Nan's "soothing" words sank in, the girl's body relaxed—and she promptly collapsed.

Carrying Manman single-handedly over his shoulder, Xiang Nan turned and left.

[Ding! Congratulations, Player 1, you have been awarded 445 Dimensional Coins by the system.]

On the way, Xiang Nan opened his system interface and noticed the "Funds" figure shift from 0 to 445. Dimensional Coins were the system's currency, usable for purchasing certain special items.

That was precisely why Jer and his team from Kengan Ashura had stayed in the town and hadn't just quit the mission—they wanted to earn Dimensional Coins.

Their objective was to plunder local resources—killing people, stealing cash, or taking anything belonging to the Hunter x Hunter world. All of it was considered "damaging" this world. Once the mission ended, the system would convert their spoils into "score" (i.e., Dimensional Coins), restoring Hunter x Hunter's equilibrium in the process.

The more they undermined HxH—by killing officials or messing up important story characters (and hence the future plot)—the higher their rating and the more Dimensional Coins they'd receive.

While the system did "restore" resources, that restoration wasn't cost-free. It essentially taxed the entire Hunter x Hunter player community to offset the intruders' destruction. For instance, if Gon were to die early, it'd render the players' knowledge of future plot worthless, drastically raising the overall difficulty for those within Hunter x Hunter. Even if Gon "reappeared" eventually, it'd take time—so for that period, the story's major thread would vanish, and players would flail around blindly. Everything would become unpredictable.

In other words, the intruders' gains in Dimensional Coins were basically "paid for" by Hunter x Hunter's players in the form of "fate" or "plot potential." Everyone in the world—NPC or player—would feel the consequences.

This time, Xiang Nan and Manman had inadvertently protected their own world's property.

"We players from Hunter x Hunter aren't just fighting each other; we also have a shared duty: to fend off foreign invaders. If they looted or ruined too many of our resources, or if we let them, we'd all be stuck with scraps, making everything so much harder for all of us," Xiang Nan mused.

"And if the world's balance collapsed, infiltration from other high-tier worlds would get easier, because we'd be weakened. The fewer resources left, the more savage and desperate things would become for HxH's own players and storyline characters. That would be catastrophic."

He concluded that although he wasn't some "righteous hero," it was in his best interests to stop Hunter x Hunter from being reduced to the level of a "feeding trough" for higher realms, the way Kengan Ashura was. Otherwise, everyone in HxH would suffer.

"Pity that these Dimensional Coins can't buy anything inside Hunter x Hunter. They're only good for other missions and worlds. Still, that's how it is," Xiang Nan sighed.

…

A day later, in a hotel room in Pengli City.

Lying in bed, Manman slowly regained consciousness, her eyes refocusing. She bit her lip and curled up under the blanket, as if terrified of something.

"What's the matter?"

Xiang Nan sat in a chair by the bed, reading a biology text. He didn't even look up, but he sensed she was awake.

Manman stayed silent. She knew that anytime she fainted and woke up again, she must have done something "terrible." It had been so even back in her previous life.

"I…"

"I'm sorry…"

After a brief pause, the girl spoke quietly.

"What are you apologizing for?" Xiang Nan asked, though he guessed why.

"I…didn't hurt you, did I?"

She peeled back the blanket's corner, peeking at Xiang Nan.

"No. You didn't."

He gave a brief answer.

"Mission's already over; you did great."

By "great," Xiang Nan meant he was impressed by her surprising power.

"But the system rated me 'average,'" Manman mumbled, shifting the blanket down further, doubt in her voice.

"Thanks for bringing me back," she said, then slipped off the bed to put on her shoes. The mission was finished, after all, so she had no reason to linger. Unless fate intervened, they might never cross paths again, despite them both living in this enormous "player base" of Hunter x Hunter.

"We're all damned souls," Xiang Nan said suddenly as she prepared to leave. "I'm curious what you did back on Earth." He watched her freeze at the door. "Also, that condition of yours—has it always been there?"

Manman tensed, fiddling with her fingers, uncertain how to respond. In the end, she just bowed again and quietly left without a word.

"Hold on."

Xiang Nan called. Manman paused, hand on the doorknob.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Xiang Nan asked, smiling.

She looked puzzled.

"That airship ticket—I paid for it, didn't I?" he said. "So shouldn't you pay me back?"

"Huh?"

Manman blinked. She'd assumed that was water under the bridge. It wasn't as if Xiang Nan looked short on money.

"I'm letting the ice cream slide, but that ticket was expensive," Xiang Nan said, shrugging. "I'm not that generous."

"I…I don't have money," the girl admitted, face flushing.

"Given your situation, I sorta figured." Xiang Nan pretended to contemplate. "If you really can't pay, you'll have to do something else. As they say, there's no free lunch, right?"

Manman bowed her head in shame.

"So how about this: you can 'work' for me—use your labor to pay off the debt. Seems fair?"

"Your physical effort is your only asset, yes?"

Manman stared at him, then slowly nodded. She was actually relieved Xiang Nan wasn't making it worse.

"Great—starting now, I'm your 'boss.' You're my 'employee.' Once you settle your debt, this arrangement ends," Xiang Nan smiled.

"O-Okay… Boss,"

Manman answered shyly, feeling something odd about the situation but not protesting. She was truly broke, after all, and he was letting her repay it with her effort, not demanding something unreasonable.

"Oh, another reminder: this hotel isn't cheap either. The room is 2,000 Jenny a night, and I only booked it to keep you safe. That expense is also on you. No problem, right?" Xiang Nan asked.

"…"

Manman stood there, speechless.

~~~

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