The three of them returned to the Zoldyck Family's private airship in a flash. Ziponian had been waiting for a long time and had arranged a delicious feast.
After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, Sliva began to debrief Diluyi on the mission.
“Diluyi, I observed your every move from the moment you left home for this mission.
First, I want to say this: you are too undisciplined. The mission actually began the moment you stepped out of the house, not when you found the target.
Therefore, you should maintain vigilance from the moment you leave. While your immediate thought to conceal your face is commendable, have you considered that sometimes excessive disguise can be counterproductive, making you stand out instead?
There are many strange and varied Nen abilities in this world, and you can’t solve everything just by covering your face. However, your awareness of disguise is correct; use a better method next time.
Secondly, we are assassins. Our ultimate goal is to kill the target.
All means are merely for this goal, so when executing a mission, use the simplest and fastest method; do not create unnecessary complications.
Earlier at the villa, what you should have done was infiltrate the villa directly without alarming the bodyguards, then quickly confirm and kill the target, and then rapidly withdraw.
Because the enemy is in the open and you are hidden, you have the advantage of the first move. Even if there was an unexpected Nen user bodyguard present, as in this case, you could still have chosen to strike first from the shadows.
Even if you had struck at that Nen user first, it would have been better than making a lot of noise outside and waiting for those inside to prepare for battle.
Remember, every action leaves a trace. What you need to do is achieve the greatest results with the smallest cost.
Don't think that killing everyone and destroying the bodies will cover up most of the clues. Such unnecessary actions leave even more clues than if you had killed the target with one strike and fled the scene.
Do not use the mindset of ordinary people to think about the world of Nen User. There are far too many strange and varied Nen abilities in the world of Nen. What you need to do is minimize your traces of action.
Thirdly, as assassins who work for money, we must correctly assess profit and risk. Try not to engage in transactions that you know will result in a loss.
After you killed the target earlier, the best choice would have been to withdraw immediately, especially when the opponent no longer had the will to fight.
We only do what is within the scope of the commission. In that situation, your priority should have been to protect yourself.
Why did you actively engage that bodyguard?
Was it to test yourself in actual combat, or simply to kill them all, or perhaps you were excited by the continuous killing, which aroused your innate bloodlust, causing you to lose rational judgment?”
After saying this, Sliva's eyes became even sharper. Diluyi even felt his determination to kill his prey with a single strike in his gaze.
At the same time, Sliva used his malevolent Nen to envelop and impact Diluyi’s Ten, causing Diluyi’s Ten to fluctuate.
“Or was it that this person's death could bring you enough profit, and you decided to take the risk to kill him?
For example, his death could help you develop your Nen Ability or fulfill certain conditions to awaken some of your Nen abilities, so you eliminated everyone, leaving no one alive.”
When Sliva finished his last word, the Nen he emitted reached its peak, while Diluyi used Ken to envelop his entire body, indicating that he was about to buckle under Sliva’s pressure.
At this moment, Diluyi resisted with all his might on the surface, but inwardly, he was as steady as a rock. Over the years, he had been through many storms, and his willpower had strengthened significantly compared to before.
After all, according to the old author's setting, the more determined, persistent, stubborn, and focused a person is, the higher the quality of their Nen.
In the original work, Sliva and Illumi implanting Nen needles into Killua’s head also had this factor.
Killua would either be controlled by the Nen needle and flee from danger, or he would rely on strengthening his will and spirit to break free from the Nen needle's control. Either outcome was acceptable.
After about two breaths, Sliva withdrew his Nen and said, “Tell me your answer, Diluyi.”
{Has he already guessed this far? Well, it’s understandable.
Then I’ll use a conventional answer for now, even if he might not like it much.
Let him know that I was aware of the surveillance, so I unleashed a battle without restraint to gauge my training results, and because my first attempt at killing made me feel the thrill of deciding others' lives and deaths, I got a bit carried away. I'll answer like this; it's reasonable, well-founded, and convincing, hmm.}
So, Diluyi stated his well-thought-out reason. Sliva said nothing, and Zeno hadn't even lifted an eyelid from beginning to end, continuously resting with his eyes closed.
The three of them remained silent like that. After an unknown amount of time, Sliva was the first to speak.
“Good, in that case, the next training plan will not take place within the family. I will take you to another place called the Sky Arena.
You may have heard of this place. I need you to reach the two hundredth floor there, with no time limit. This is the first stage of the training assessment.
However, I have an additional condition: you are not allowed to use any Nen Ability before reaching the 200th floor. You must reach the 200th floor in a state of Zetsu.
Furthermore, during this period, you cannot use any means other than the match itself, such as using external means to win a match.
And after the 200th floor, there is an additional assessment. You are allowed to use any Nen Ability and weapons, and you need to become a Floor Master.
If you complete the additional assessment criteria, I will allow you to accept family missions on your own and freely enter and exit Kukuroo Mountain in the future.”
Diluyi’s expression remained unchanged when he heard this, but his mind was racing.
{What does this mean? A simple assessment?
But why do I need to become a Floor Master? If he just wanted me to fight Nen User, he could simply give me suitable missions and monitor me during the process.
Also, Sliva should have a basic understanding of my strength. For me right now, even without using Nen, reaching the two hundredth floor wouldn’t take more than half a year, or even less.
Without using Nen abilities, training in the Sky Arena is merely about honing combat skills. While this might be one reason, it is definitely not the main reason.
That means the key lies in that additional test. He wants to judge based on my actions, but the question is, what is he judging?
Is he seeing if I have intentions of leaving home, or is he trying to test my Nen Ability conditions, or simply to see my strength?
Insufficient information makes in-depth analysis impossible, so I’ll try to probe for now.}
“How did Father know I had thoughts of leaving home?”
“I am your father. A father knows his son best. Of course, I know your thoughts, so I am giving you this opportunity. How long it takes to achieve the goal is up to you.”
{Sliva knowing about my thoughts of leaving home was somewhat expected, but his phrase 'Of course, I know your thoughts' itself was also a test.}
“Afterward, Ziponian will accompany you for your training at the Sky Arena. We will return directly to Kukuroo Mountain after dropping you off at your destination.”
Time fast-forwarded to when the airship landed. As Diluyi and Ziponian exited the airship, Diluyi turned to Sliva and asked, “Remember to transfer the mission commission to my account. I will complete the mission as soon as possible, and please say hello to Mom for me.”