Chapter 387: Episode 44

This is the area where accommodation-related facilities are gathered. Although it is a part of the ship, it does not feel cramped at all. The structure is reminiscent of a first-class Hotel.

A man walked into the lobby of that classic Hotel. A black man wearing dirty street fashion with long dreadlocks might not look like he belongs in this place.

Furthermore, he had a radio cassette player slung over his shoulder, playing music at a high volume. It is unknown why, when small music players used with a Headset have become commonplace, they still insist on this outdated style, but regardless, if this were a real hotel, he would have been kicked out on the spot.

The person composing gorgeous dance steps to the music is the dancer i-tuber, jjj Simon. And another ITU Bar is waiting here.

"This is the right one!!"

A small man wearing a Santa Claus costume jumped out from the shadows, a mischievous i-tuber, Jack. He took a colored ball out of a large gift bag and threw it at Simon.

The ball hit the ground and bounced up with a bang. It was a biscuit ball, a type of firework.

"Silly kid."

However, the effect was merely loud. It was just one of the mischievous goods. The effect of being surprised was halved by being drowned out by the volume of the speakers.

Just as he thought that, one of the balls exploded, erupting with an explosion sound that none of the other balls could compare to. A flash that could not be looked at directly spread out. This was not firework-level stuff.

A stun grenade. A weapon that harvests the enemy's consciousness with powerful light and sound. Although it looked like an attack that was nothing special, the protagonist was caught in it. If detonated at close range, the power is enough to make an ordinary person faint.

"... As expected, you are deceiving children. There is a difference between pranks and fighting, Jack."

But Simon did not seem worried. The stun grenade attack ended without even surprising him. I didn't even see Simon. From the moment he entered the lobby, he had been doing the Moonwalk. In other words, they were facing away from Jack.

In front of Simon's demeanor that made him think he was joking, Jack could not approach him casually. As a Nen User, he also had the sense to perceive a certain degree of difference in ability. I could not help but acknowledge the strength of the man in front of me.

Jack's judgment was correct. Simon is an Emitter-type ability user, and the name of the release is "breakin". It is a terrifying technique that allows you to put the opponent you hit into an Absolute state.

The new realm of dance he pioneered, "3jflutter", was inspired by ancient martial arts passed down in the undeveloped regions of the Aijin Continent. It is a martial art with the purpose of Nen; although it is different from the current mainstream Nen method, "Mind-Style", it is a technique that has been passed down from generation to generation in that region since ancient times.

The ancient martial arts he learned are closely related to acupuncture. The aura is called "Qi", and its energy is scattered around the human body. Meridian Nadi trainee monks search everywhere for the location of the meridians, and by understanding the meridians, they live a life where daily life and Cultivation are mixed together.

For them, life itself is Training and the pursuit of martial arts. No one is unhealthy, even if they do not live well. For Simon, the sole purpose of Cultivation is to become stronger, but he was impressed by the monks' way of life and wondered if there was a way to spread the philosophy of martial arts so that more people could practice it.

Thus, "3jflutter" was born. Simon, the creator of the dance aimed at fusing "martial arts", "dance", and "medicine", understands the meridians of the human body. It is the channel of energy, the cornerstone and vital point of all activities. His "ketsuryumutou" is a technique that cuts off the Flow of the meridians by touching the enemy's body and emitting aura.

The longer the contact time, the greater the range and duration of the effect. If the opponent has no resistance, while touching it, you can put the entire body into a state of despair. If it is a simple Manipulation-type ability, it can also be discarded by this. He said he would "make him regain his senses", and that was not a lie. I think if that were the case, I would be able to get information about the mastermind from Pomerni's mouth.

In battle, it is difficult to annihilate the enemy's entire body. At most, it is to the extent that the touched part is instantly Extinguished. However, it can still be called an off-standard powerful ability. Eliminating the hit part is the same as making that part's defense zero. No matter how much Aura you use to consolidate your defense, it will be meaningless.

Jack certainly did not know Simon's ability, but he could not take a step forward with his defenseless back exposed to him. If you get close, you can do it. This is what the instinct of Emergence tells us.

"Leave here. I have nothing to do with you."

Despite being attacked, Simon showed no signs of actively fighting. He implicitly told him that if Jack were to retreat here, he would not interfere. But Jack still had no thought of running away.

"Did you see the video Pomerni played? He is holding hostages to threaten us."

"That is not Pomerni. Someone is manipulating it from behind the scenes."

"It's all the same anyway! One of my acquaintances is among them! Although I don't want to fight, I have to fight even if I don't want to...!"

Jack trembled, but did not take a step back. Someone important to me must have been caught. Just as the enemy told me, I was moved in this crazy game as a player.

Simon liked Jack's character. If the person they care about faces danger, no one can remain calm. This feeling is truly human. However, as a warrior, he is not yet mature enough.

"Calm down. If you fall into that emotion, you are standing in the enemy's position. Even if you win the game and reach Pomerni's location, you will eventually be powerless. That is why you are a hostage."

"... Shut up! What do you know! You don't have any acquaintances in there anyway!"

"Oh, that's someone else's business, then let me ask you in return, how much do you know about me?"

Simon demonstrated "Kneading". Jack was overwhelmed by this power. His aura contained so much anger that it was enough to show the illusion of an Asura.

In the ancient martial arts he practiced, there is a special Aura Kneading method called secret acupoint Chakra. Chakra is a word that means circle or wheel, referring to the six centers of the meridians where Qi is most concentrated. By rotating the Qi accumulated in these secret acupoints, explosive aura power can be generated.

In Shingen-ryu, this is called "Kneading", but the process leading to the result is slightly different. Kneading awakens the Aura all at once, and the secret acupoints gradually increase power in stages.

To exert full power, it is necessary to gradually accelerate the rotation of the secret acupoints from 1 to 6, which takes a relatively long time. Furthermore, even with slight emotional fluctuations, the rotational acceleration will not increase, and you have to start Cultivation of the mind from the beginning.

This secret technique is also the reason why Simon dances to music on the battlefield. For him, dancing is a ritual that allows him to immerse himself in his own world. It is a method of concentrating without being affected by emotions.

Compared to that troublesome process, the total energy that can be drawn out overwhelmingly exceeds the skill. The secret acupoint rotation only reached the third stage, but it already displayed power exceeding the normal apparent Aura volume that could be drawn from Simon's Cultivation.

"Tch, I'm going to use the third eye to stop you... I'm not mature enough to get angry yet."

Simon and Pomerni also have a personal relationship. They meet occasionally and drink together. I know his character very well. I can assure you that I am not the type of person who would think of this kind of game. That is why he is extremely angry at the mastermind who used his good friend to intervene.

Besides that, this hostage-taking is a violent act. Simon invited some dance friends over with a special invitation ticket. If anything happens to those friends, I will never forgive my enemy. I will never be able to forgive myself again.

However, even if the hostage is used as a shield, even if it ends in the worst ending, it will not change what should be done. If you ignore the big picture, you will only satisfy the enemy's expectations, and no one will be rewarded.

"I don't really want to fight, but I have to fight even if I don't like it? I can't save you, there is a man who can't even think of a reason to throw a punch."

Simon put down the speaker and finally turned to face Jack. After that, the battle began.

"Waaaaah!!"

Jack lunged from the front, letting out a roar as if to forcibly motivate himself. We are not yet in a state where we can persuade each other with words. In that case, what remains is the Exchange of fists and talk.

"I can't guarantee that I will definitely help you. But I will say this much. Leave it to me."

Words that don't need to be said. There is no reason to over-prepare. Even so, for a man who is fighting desperately for others, it is at least a kind of benevolence.

The Silver Team led by Six is currently reduced to two people. It's not like I lost my companions because of an enemy attack. Cher and Tokunosuke stunned the other three.

On the contrary, this is the movement of the three rough dogs I thought of. Cher and the others are Nen Users, former special forces members of the Sahel Tower, and the gap in combat ability compared to ordinary people is too large. No matter how you fall, it will only be a burden.

If you have the abilities of Cher and the others, you can fight while protecting them, but if the opponent becomes a Nen-type ability user, the situation is completely imaginable. I let them accompany them until the battle with Grandpa Silver Fang, but after that, plus the three of them suddenly starting to become mentally unstable, I decided to knock them out and evacuate them to a safe place.

"Damn it! I didn't expect you to come so quickly...!"

But the move backfired. Pomerni's game bonus report was broadcast throughout the ship. Among the hostages captured there, the appearance of the three mad dogs was reflected.

When choosing a shelter for the three of us, I should have paid close attention. I threw away all the Wristband that could leak my location information and chose a room by passing through places without surveillance cameras.

The Hidden cameras should have been handled without omission. If you become a master, you can also detect people's gaze through cameras. I was able to Predict where the Hidden cameras were based on my senses and experience. Even so, he still made a mistake.

The enemy reacted too quickly. Without constant monitoring of this movement, this is an action that cannot be completed. It is also possible that this movement was ignored by some kind of Nen Ability.

"No way, I must go to help as soon as possible."

"Wait."

"... That goes without saying."

"What I mean is that you are too emotional. You are too supportive, Cher."

Toku did not want to not help the three of them. But they had a mission more important than this. Depending on the situation, it was also necessary to make the heartless judgment that the three must be abandoned.

"After learning our true identities, their attitude didn't change... they still call us 'Aneki' and 'Mr. Shuji'..."

After learning that Cher and the others were spies for Sahelta, the three still treated them with their previous attitude. We are loyal fans of Roku-chan, we don't need any titles anymore. However, it is also possible that I was suddenly told I was a spy or something, and my comprehension couldn't keep up.

"I promised to protect you."

"They say this is emotional."

Cher glared at Toku and grabbed his collar.

"Then are you saying let you die!?"

Once you have friendship, it is hard to make up your mind to cut it off. Toku does not dislike Cher's personality. Even so, there must be a little sympathy, but if it were her usual girlfriend, she would listen to Toku's Suggestion. He is not the type to forget his position and get caught up in personal feelings.

In other words, her current state of mind is not like it usually is. Toku, who is always Together with me, understands. I tried to remain calm, but the atmosphere around Cher was disturbed. It is a small change that cannot be noticed without careful observation, but it is clearly different from her usual self.

Toku suspected this was related to the incident where the three wild dogs suddenly became agitated for some reason. Its symptoms were similar to those of psychotropic drugs, such as dilated pupils and increased heart rate. It also affected Cher.

Toku felt no change in his own physical condition. Objectively, I don't know, but at least in his view, only Cher and the other three were abnormal. He speculated that the Wristband was the only reason he was able to remain normal while all members of the Silver Team were acting Together.

Only Toku had never worn a Wristband. He thought he had carefully checked for danger, but only checked the machine inside. Drugs are not professional. I didn't expect there to be a new drug that could produce this effect just through skin contact.

I am proud that mechanical Analysis is my specialty, so I fell into a blind spot. I cannot help but feel responsible for the decision I made so easily. Even if I regret stopping then, I will not regret it.

Toku asked Cher if she felt any changes in her body, and she only said she was fine. However, she is also a spirit user. You should probably be aware of the abnormality. Did you decide that it was still controllable after that, or were you trying to hide it so as not to let Toku worry?

"While carrying out the mission, I will also look for a Hidden place in Pomoni, with my 'Flow', it is not that difficult."

Cher is a user who can use a wide Quan. In a very complex structure like a ship, it takes time to probe outside the Wall, and it is difficult to continue using it at maximum range, but even so, it is more efficient than searching one room at a time. It can be searched effectively.

Cher was a bit emotional, but seemed to still maintain her sanity. But I cannot predict how the future will develop. Toku gathered his courage and stared at her.

Another person's name disappeared from the player list on the electronic bulletin board. We stayed at the Venue in case of an enemy attack. This place has a good view, and there is almost no need to worry about a sudden attack.

The fact that so many people gathered in one place means that there might be some people aiming at it. There is a high possibility that they don't want to get close to us because they don't like the number of people here, but if they do appear, is it the opposite, do they really have confidence in their strength, or is there some reason why they have no choice but to arrange a match?

Due to the previous broadcast, the flow of the game began to move in a worse direction. Fortunately, none of us gathered here were hijacked.

I also learned about the special invitation ticket from the management, and for a while, I was thinking about using it. However, there were no acquaintances to invite. I originally wanted to invite the children who had a snowball fight before, but I couldn't prepare tickets for everyone, and I didn't know what to say, so I gave up.

That judgment was correct. If the children from that club were taken hostage, I would shudder. How does a hijacked player feel? If you put yourself in the opponent's shoes and think about it, it is possible that a player aiming for the finals would come here.

For some reason, three members of the Silver Team were among the hijacked hostages. The two who were spies didn't seem to be caught, but I don't know if anything happened afterwards. Even in this situation, I want to help those who support me as fans, but looking around without any clues will only lead to danger.

If I move, Noah and the others who took on the escort request will also follow. Since I have already formed an alliance with Velvet, I cannot be selfish and force everyone here to look for hostages.

I will wait here, no rush. This is the conclusion we reached after discussing it together. Then the person we were looking forward to appeared at the Venue.

"No, sorry. I'm late!"

A short man wearing a Santa costume, a mischievous guy, Jack. A red triangular hat was worn deep over his eyes, obscuring them. Perhaps because of this, only that ferocious mouth left a terrifying impression.

"I think it's time everyone is hungry, so I brought some souvenirs."

Jack approached us while taking candy out of a large gift bag, and we prepared ourselves with an attitude that could hardly be called friendly.

"... Eh? Are you wary of something? What's wrong, aren't we allies!"

"You said an acquaintance was coming to the Venue."

Jack did clearly state that he was allied with us and not against us. However, after that, they took different actions than us.

He said one of his acquaintances was attending the meeting, and he would find him to confirm his safety. The acquaintance was invited with a special invitation ticket and is now afraid of being taken hostage by the enemy.

"... Ah, it's safe. I didn't call that person with an invitation ticket. I entered with a regular participation ticket, so I was saved."

"Then why didn't you bring me here?"

"There might be quarrels with others later, so I think it's dangerous to be Together, so I'm going to a safe place..."

"Where is the safe place? Is it safer to keep it by your side? Or did you decide it was more dangerous to bring it to us?"

The smile on Jack's face disappeared.

"Looking at your attitude, it seems like no matter what I do, you don't trust me, does that mean the alliance is going to be dissolved?"

"I didn't trust you from the beginning. In some cases, it might be more dangerous than the others, because I know your background. Mr. Tabakar of the 'Binding Shizi'."

When Velvet negotiated with the Sahelta intelligence agents, she asked them to shoot down other players who were not here, but Jack's name was not the only exception. Although they formed an alliance, Velvet regarded Jack as a potential enemy from the beginning.

Later we were told the reason. The name Jack is just a pseudonym used on the internet. Other than that, this itself is normal, but the problem lies in his previous career.

"What, you know that name?"

"Because scandal is my specialty."

Seven years ago, a large-scale war broke out on the Aegian Continent involving several small countries in the Middle East. This war, which stemmed from religious issues, had fallen into a quagmire, causing huge destruction, until the multinational force sent by V5 intervened. Even now, it cannot be said that the war has subsided, and it seems to have become a conflict zone where small-scale skirmishes occur frequently.

At that time, one of the mercenaries who became infamous in that war was Tabakar. He is the current Jack.

"Mercenary? I see, a mercenary."

"Is something the matter?"

"I have no intention of correcting it."

Jack threw the gift bag high into the air.

"'Blessing of Life, Baksheesh'"

The sack burst, and the Explosion and flash deprived the senses.