Chapter 416: Episode 73

"Another player has used 'Contact' on you."

"I am Tsezgera. What is it, Number Nine? Do you need more information about cards? Your team owes me. I will do my best to help... What? Where is Genthru? He is currently staying in Masadora. It is dangerous to go near the card shop."

Genthru is in the magical city of Masadora. His team consists of 3 members, including the leader Genthru, as well as members Sub and Bara.

Genthru's figure appeared in front of the Spell Card shop. The other two companions were missing. Sub went to the Trade Shop to exchange money and gather information, and Bara went to buy a bento for lunch.

The Spell Card shop is the only shop in Masadora and is an important facility for players. You can only purchase Spell Cards here. The only other way to obtain Spell Cards is to trade or Steal them from other players.

It is not strange for players to gather in that place, but Genthru did not seem to be entering the shop; he was just staring at the entrance, waiting for something.

"I did it! I did it...!"

A man who looked like a player walked out of the shop. He looked at his Binder with a kind of irresistible joy. Perhaps he was emotionally agitated and not at all vigilant about his surroundings. Genthru approached the man nonchalantly.

"Congratulations. Did you get 'Leave'?"

The man finally noticed Genthru's appearance as he was walking toward him while clapping with a crackling sound. I hurriedly put away the Binder.

"Leave" is a Spell Card that allows you to escape Greed Island immediately. It is quite rare, with a card limit of 30. After the Magic Cards monopolized by the Hame-gumi leaked, they finally began to appear on the market, but even so, demand still exceeds supply.

The ways to leave the island are very limited. For players who have been trapped on this island for years and unable to play the game normally, buying this Spell Card is the only way to escape.

"No, no, no... it's nothing..."

"Although you are happy, it's nothing to be ashamed of. That we met like this is Fate, and I congratulate you as well."

Genthru placed one hand on the shoulder of the person who was about to leave, stopping him. Genthru pushed his fox-shaped glasses with his Finger. I am smiling. He did not change his expression as he tapped a "Blessing" into the man's stomach.

It was nothing more than a lynching. Genthru's attacks are refined based on the philosophy of murder-boxing, and due to his mental attitude, it is different from ordinary brawls. It is specialized in harming others' bodies and physical arts.

A player has to keep using their meager money to buy Spell Cards in order to obtain "Leave," which is almost an act of desperation. In the blink of an eye, they become powerless.

"Take out the Binder."

Genthru's demand was easily imagined by the person being lynched. Violent card theft. There are Spell Cards for stealing others' cards, such as "Plunder," "Steal," and "Collect," but I don't like playing such fair games. He uses force to overturn and take what he wants. This is coercion through violence.

"No!"

However, the man who knew this refused Genthru's request. There was no chance of winning. Resisting in this state where one's right to life and death is being seized seems foolish, but there is a reason for it.

First of all, this game has anti-Player Killer measures prepared by the creators. If a player is killed, the Ring that proves it will disappear, and the cards in the Binder will also disappear. If you kill them, you will not be able to steal the cards.

This is why plunderers do not kill; they do not kill, they inflict terrible torture on them in an attempt to steal the cards. If you still don't hand over your cards, I will kill you. This is because there is no benefit in letting them escape while they are still alive. There is no need to take the risk of letting a player who has escaped know your information; that would be stupid.

Then, if you ask me if one should just listen to the Player Killer and hand over the cards, that is not the case. As mentioned above, there is nothing to lose. It is best to kill them after using them; it will be cleaned up without spoiling.

Either way, you will be killed. It has been more than ten years since Greed Island went on sale, but the current lockdown state where no one has cleared the game has accelerated the killing among players. It has created a terminal situation of rampant Player Killing.

"Don't think things will go as you wish!"

This is the reason for the resistance. The man realized his Fate of death and resisted with the determination to die. When dealing with a plunderer whose strength is superior, the only way is to return with a spiritual arrow, unyielding. Never do anything that benefits the enemy. From the man's eyes, I could clearly feel that firmness.

Genthru sneered at such a man's determination. If you were really smart, you wouldn't waste your cards here. Not all plunderers are Player Killers; sometimes they just end up being intimidating.

I can only look at things from a biased perspective based on half-baked information; I just feel like I have accomplished something. This is nothing more than giving up the possibility of survival. It is not even brave self-satisfaction.

Genthru knows that people immersed in this kind of superficial determination will easily collapse with just a slight change in attack strategy.

"Don't misunderstand, I am certainly a Player Killer, but I don't think I will kill you just to shut you up. I don't need to hide my identity anymore."

Genthru's true identity is the "Bomber." On Greed Island, there should be very few people who don't know his name. Many players have been killed by his Nen Ability, Explosion.

For a long time, his true identity was unknown, but information was only disclosed recently. Starting from the incident where more than 50 players died in large numbers, the Genthru group climbed rapidly to the point where the game was almost cleared. Some savvy players know that the Bomber is Genthru.

And his card collection rate is one of the best in the game. Genthru is not particularly interested in the cards held by those who are lynched. I originally intended to steal useful cards, such as Spell Cards, but the main purpose is not robbery.

"Our team is currently at odds with the Tsezgera group. I am calling out."

"Shh, I don't know! I have never met Tsezgera in the game!"

"Then, do you have any other suspicious people in mind?"

"No, even if you say that..."

The man recalled his memories, but there were no players who left an impression. I don't come to this shop often, so even if I met him, it is very likely I wouldn't have noticed. Genthru asked the man who was thinking in a gentle tone.

"I want to confirm that you are not one of them. Show me your Binder. If you have met Tsezgera in the past, there should be a record. Conversely, their name is there. If you don't recognize it, your innocence will be proven. That is what I want to know."

Genthru could feel the man's unease. The determination of the man who was just thinking about whether to kill me or not, and then killed him, was gone. A hope that he might survive. The determination to risk one's life for this alone is easily shaken.

The man was terrified and took out a Binder. Just by looking at his behavior, I knew this person had nothing to do with Tsezgera. If I had met him personally, I would never have tried to show him the Binder.

The reason for this hesitation is that the man himself could not completely deny the possibility that he had inadvertently met Tsezgera. When players are less than 20 meters away from each other, the information is automatically recorded in the Binder. In crowded places like cities, people might pass each other without knowing it.

Even so, I don't remember seeing him, so it is very likely it wasn't recorded. I have to bet. Genthru took the Binder with trembling hands. I will check it in a familiar way.

Genthru took out the Spell Cards and the card that might be Ging, then put them into his Binder. Looking at the man holding his breath, he couldn't help but speak.

"Wh-what is going on...!?"

"Hmm? What?"

"Do you know Tsezgera's name!?"

"Oh, so that's how it is."

I have a name. Genthru threw the used Binder back to the man. When he saw the letters of Tsezgera displayed there, his face twisted.

"Although it hurts me, since you might be one of their comrades, I cannot leave you alone here."

"Wait! Didn't you just see it!? Where I happily got 'Leave'!"

"That's why?"

"If you were Tsezgera's companion, would you do this kind of thing!?"

"So what happened?"

For Genthru, the only criterion for whether to kill this person is "whether the Binder has Tsezgera's name." No matter how insignificant this man's reaction seems. If the condition is met, they will kill you immediately.

If his name is not listed, he will attach a Nen time bomb, implying that it can be detonated at any time, and collect the Spell Cards. With this, he monopolizes the Movement Spell to hunt down Tsezgeras.

This person is not the only special one. The same strategy applies to all players who visit the card shop.

"Suspicious person, haha, ptooey, do it."

"Uh..."

This man did not have his initial strength. If he continued to resist Genthru without using any binding agents, he might be able to maintain his final pride as a cautious user. He might die with the pride of not yielding to the enemy. In Genthru's eyes, this was nothing more than the delusion of the weak.

But he had a desire to live. In despair, I grabbed a spider thread hanging down. Unexpectedly, when my hope of being saved was shattered, a deeper despair was waiting for me.

"I am glad you finally got your wish. You can leave this island. Only as a corpse."

The hand pointing toward the collected Aura. The man who had already given up everything had no room left for any resistance. The next moment, the man's body would disappear in a small Explosion and be thrown out of the game, leaving no evidence of death. I thought so too.

Genthru turned around immediately, looking behind him. Interrupting the attack on the man. I realized immediately that now was not the time to be distracted by these things.

Behind Genthru was a forest. I felt someone's killing intent from the other side of those trees.

"This isn't Small Fish."

The man who was about to kill me just now started to run. Genthru, no longer in line of sight, missed the person who was fleeing.

The sender of the killing intent approached slowly from deep within the forest. At the same time, a strong, rotten stench drifted toward Genthru.

I couldn't help but frown. A thick, bloody smell. It smelled like the blood of dozens of people, blood-washed for days. I felt very uncomfortable, and my nose seemed to be curling.

Contrary to the terrifying presence, a beautiful girl appeared. It looked like there was no blood on her clothes. Her silver hair was covered with gold, like traces of gilding peeling off everywhere. Something like a strange red insect was crawling on her arm.

The girl's eyes did not see Genthru. Not sure if it was in focus. But strangely, he felt that the girl was staring at him.

"You must be... one of Gon's members, right? Do you have any business?"

Genthru had seen this girl once before. After Tsezgera and his party obtained "One-Pyeong Coastline", he observed the members from a distance immediately. I am remembered by people because I have a conspicuous appearance.

The girl did not respond. Instead, the killing intent was directed at them. Deciding to discuss was impossible. This did not seem appropriate to me.

The Gon group was a necessary loot target that Genthru aimed to clear, but currently, he was focused on dealing with the Tsezgera group and had not yet reached them. I don't remember doing things to this extent, but there was no doubt that they were in a hostile relationship, and if he became an Obstacle, he would not hesitate in the slightest to eliminate him.

In this bloody stench, the trick was also obvious. That was the smell produced by Nen Ability, which is to say, a bluff. It didn't smell like the blood of a real killer. Admittedly, Genthru was not a mediocre user who would be fooled by her poor dramatization.

Genthru took a stance. Heavy center of gravity, legs spread, waist lowered. Do not clench fists, use one palm to open slightly, pointing at the enemy. Judging by the girl's killing intent, when the time was right, she would jump in from the other side. A spirit as sharp as a Needle was released around Genthru.

And, just as she planned, the girl jumped at the waiting Genthru. A gust of Wind brought by the immense speed blew the leaves of the trees. I see, Genthru groaned in his heart. There was only one thing I came to set up the game alone for.

That girl's power, the movement of her body, the speed of her Aura's movement, were all first-class. Perhaps Genthru's companions Sub and Bara were at a disadvantage. He was calm enough to be confident that he was the only one here.

He gathered an Aura in the palm of his attacking hand. The girl was indeed fast, but the target always entered Genthru's attack range. As long as the timing was right, interception was possible.

He had Absolute confidence in his ability. The ability named "Little Flower" is a transformation ability that grants the palm an Explosion attribute. Due to its nature, the damage extends to his own hand, so it is so powerful that it must be protected with "Ryu" to prevent it.

This explanation might seem inconvenient. Within the limited manifested Aura, the amount of energy output must be distributed to the amount of increasing the ability and the amount of protecting the hand. At first glance, it seems inefficient.

However, the Explosion phenomenon has a great impact on making humans unable to act. If your priority is to lose the will to fight, you don't need the power to kill the enemy instantly. How to effectively damage the body and mentally drive it into a corner. Genthru's ability focuses on stopping a person's power.

If attacked by Genthru without sufficient defense, it will not only burn the skin but also burn the muscles and nerves, leading to severe disability. If the attack hits vital points such as the head or abdomen, the damage will go deep into the internal organs.

Destroy to stop the enemy. Humans are easily incapacitated by psychological factors, even if they are not fatally wounded. Facing an incurable defect suddenly carved into their otherwise healthy body, no one can remain calm. This gap provides Genthru with more opportunities.

The palm containing the Explosion energy slid through the air like a Snake. Perhaps sensing something, the girl's movements slowed down, but the distance was already within Genthru's reach. His hand wrapped around the approaching girl's face.

Activate "Little Flower".

One could not deal with this Explosion at first glance. The girl's facial features were destroyed in an instant. Her skin was burned, her nose was crushed, her teeth were broken, and her eyes were blinded. The greater the value of what is lost, the greater the disappointment. A girl who has lost her beauty will never recover.

Betraying Genthru's expectations, the girl did not stop. Even after her face was blown up, her hand reached toward Genthru. But he was not in a hurry. If the enemy is an excellent warrior, it happens. Or perhaps she is a lunatic without even normal emotions. In any case, there was only one thing to do.

Activate "Little Flower".

Add further follow-up attacks from the hand on the face. And, this time he did not soften the power. The Explosion that even injured his own hand strengthened the defense. The impact did not subside with the destruction of the surface, but it certainly caused fatal damage to the brain.

However, the girl moved. That hand grabbed Genthru's neck.

I couldn't help but marvel. No one can move with their brain destroyed. As if denying this common sense, the flesh on the girl's face was wriggling. The flesh on the hand on the other side swelled up, and across his palm, I could feel the sinking skull being repaired.

Activate "Little Flower".

Don't stop. The girl's hand gripped Genthru's neck. Slowly, my Finger reached into my throat.

The girl's eyes peeked from between the fingers of the hand Genthru held her face with. I couldn't read the emotions in those eyes. He didn't understand the thoughts of a lunatic. However, there was a chilling horror.

Activate "Little Flower".

Genthru activated the Explosion ability on the girl's arm that was grabbing her neck, but that arm was more protected than the face. You cannot blow up a girl's arm protected by "Ryu".

Activate "Little Flower". Activate. Activate.

Even countless Explosion sounds could not scare the girl. The neck tightened bit by bit. With a grip like a vise, that hand choked Genthru's throat at a constant mechanical speed. Finally, he stopped the attack.

"Understood! Surrender! It's my loss!"

If my throat is pressed like this, I cannot speak. If that happens, you will not be able to negotiate or even beg for your life. Until Genthru's neck is severed from his torso, the girl will not relax.

There are many ways to kill a completely restrained Genthru. However, the girl was particular about the noose. In reality, there is torture and cruel punishment of squeezing the skull bit by bit with a vise and then strangling.

"What is your purpose!? Why are you doing this!?"

Do you intend to kill him by slowly applying hellish pain until the moment he dies? In fact, carotid artery compression cuts off blood flow to the brain, and losing consciousness is better than dying, but this is not comforting.

"Oops...! Cards? Do you want cards!?"

There are two possibilities: personal grudges or cards. Of course, there are also people who hold a grudge against Genthru, who killed many players as a Player Killer. In that case, there is no way to help.

However, if your goal is to steal cards, you can still survive. The girl's reaction to what he said was to grasp at a straw. The force that had been pressing on my neck stopped.

"Card! Card! That's right! You want cards!?"

Genthru breathed a sigh of relief. It was a great relief to me that this lunatic actually still had a brain that understood negotiation. If the other party can still focus on profit, it is not impossible to grasp Fate just by talking.

If this were a player without talent, there might not even be a negotiation, but Genthru is a player with a 97% card completion rate and is on the verge of clearing.

Strictly speaking, Genthru does not have all the cards because he manages the cards separately from other friends, but the main rare cards are in his Binder. It is easy to fulfill a girl's wish.

"I have a very rare S-Rank Card, 'One-Pyeong Jungle'! Do you know how valuable this card is!?"

Genthru politely explained to the girl who did not show much reaction.

Among the 100 designated cards, there are 5 S-Rank Cards, which are the most difficult to obtain. In addition, among them, No. 000 "?", No. 001 "One-Pyeong Jungle", and No. 002 "One-Pyeong Coastline" are all excellent.

Regarding No. 000, there is a strong theory that when you complete all 99 cards, an acquisition event will occur, but even information about "One-Pyeong Jungle" and "One-Pyeong Coastline" has not been clarified for a long time. It stands in the way of becoming the biggest Obstacle to clearing the game.

Recently, information about "One-Pyeong Coastline" was finally exposed, but nothing is known about "One-Pyeong Jungle". The card Genthru currently has is a Copy using "Clone".

There is a Spell card called "Lottery". This is a card that has the effect of randomly transforming into one card from all cards.

At the time, Genthru and his associates belonging to the Hame-gumi learned the news and attempted to contact the cardholder, but it was already too late, and the Tsezgera group had already purchased "Forest of One Pot." First a large reward, then later.

After Genthru disbanded the Tsezgera group, he somehow obtained this card by ambushing the Tsezgera group. Therefore, the original card has not yet been found. He emphasized its rarity value.

"I assure you! This is a card that can only be obtained here and now! I will give you this card! Of course, if you want other cards, you can take them all!"

In fact, it is possible for you to obtain it by attacking the Tsezgera group like Genthru did, but I am too lazy to say it. In any case, show the girl the rarity of the card and the value of life.

"So, please let go of this hand first. I have no intention of escaping, and I don't think I can escape anyway. This hand on my neck, just a little bit, it's okay. If you let go, I will give you a Binder."

But the girl does not let go. Does this mean the Binder should be taken out as is? This is actually a negotiation, and he has been grabbed by the neck. Needless to say, Genthru is at an overwhelming disadvantage.

"P-please. I feel like I have no life left...! I won't ask you to let go of me! Let go of my hand, my hand, for a moment!"

To him, the Gon group is just a collection of ordinary boys and girls. Even if you have Nen Ability, you are still a child after all. No matter how talented you are, the time you have lived is different. The difference in combat experience cannot be reversed. Who could have imagined that such a monster would slip into the crowd that the child is familiar with?

For an hour, Genthru wanted to ask how those boys managed to control this monster. Or did he hide his nature and sneak in just like him?

"If you don't let me go, I won't let you out...! Even if you die, I won't give you the Binder! If you want to kill me, then kill me!"

He acted like a madman. In fact, I was not that desperate.

In order to survive, escaping from the hand on the neck is an absolute condition. Even if I hand over the Binder as is, as long as the target card is stolen, I will be hanged. He has never shown mercy to a player begging for their life. The ending was unexpected.

In order to create even a one-percent chance of escaping from a zero-success-rate state, I will not give up this condition no matter what. Knowing that this is a risky gamble, Genthru cried bitterly. For someone like him who has cheated for many years, this level of acting is a good thing.

Did the realistic acting, mixed with more than half of Genthru's true intentions, reach the girl's heart? I am not sure, but that hand loosened from my neck. The cold air touched his neck, and the fingerprints were clearly visible. I felt as if I had survived from the bottom of the Thousand-Fathom Valley.

"Thank you... thank you... I, I am going to take out the Binder now..."

I managed to get rid of the restraint, but I couldn't think of a way to escape easily from here. He had already seen the girl's partial physical abilities. Unless something distracts you, running away is extremely difficult.

Even after handing over the Binder, the girl's bloodlust did not leave Genthru. It can be seen that he was definitely caught. He retreated carefully with turtle-like slowness, so as not to startle the girl. Taking a step, even if it was one millimeter, was a long distance.

The girl carelessly took the cards out of Genthru's Binder and transferred them to her own Binder. He recognized it immediately from her hands. The girl did not know which designated pocket held which card.

Rare cards that are hard to obtain have nothing to do with B-rank cards that can be easily collected. It was as if I was hungry, so I put my hand on the food in front of me and stuffed it into my stomach (Binder) at will. The same goes for hyenas.

The fruits of Genthru's efforts collected over more than five years. After overcoming the days of complaining with friends from the Hame-gumi, the game was finally in sight. Even though the clear reward of 50 billion Jenny was within reach.

I put a lot of thought into every piece. Their efforts were trampled and devoured. My gut seemed to be boiling. But I won't even show this feeling. It is 50 billion cheaper than life. If you die, you won't even get a single Jenny.

It is lucky for him that the girl is unfamiliar with card information. You can earn more time by spending time transferring them, rather than quickly picking out the cards you need. That second would be a grace period worth thousands of dollars.

Once the card robbery is over, the girl has no reason to keep Genthru alive. I must escape by then. His heart was filled with the desire to escape as soon as possible.

But we can't do that yet. If I don't aim for the moment the girl is distracted by Genthru, I don't think I can escape. Gradually, people became more and more worried about whether such a convenient moment would come.

Time passes while doing this. Anxiety makes my heart beat faster. The heartbeat marks the time limit. The spirit is pushed into a corner, as if it is about to explode at any time.

Already one to eight. Instead of spending more time, wouldn't it be better to escape as early as possible? Just as he was about to make a desperate decision, the girl stopped her movements.

The girl stared at a card. One of the SS-rank cards, No. 081 "Blue Planet".

The girl, who had stuffed all the other cards into the Binder before, was interested for the first time. Even Genthru didn't know why. However, I felt that the girl's consciousness had left him and moved to the card.

Opportunity knocks but once. He felt that such an opportunity would never come again. He ran without looking back. As far as he remembered, that initial speed was the fastest starting sprint.

And fell.

At that moment, I was so shocked by a commotion that my consciousness was painted white. I fell. My feet slipped, I lost my balance, and fell to the ground.

"Hahahaha!!"

I was speechless. In this life-and-death battle, he made an irreversible, childish mistake. I had no time to regret my clumsiness. Just as I crawled to the ground, a strange feeling came from my hand.

A viscous, degenerate aura clung to Genthru's body. It was like a mouse stuck to a piece of paper. The more you struggle, the more fibrous and tough the mucus becomes.

Is this the girl's Nen Ability? Turning around to confirm with the girl, Genthru deeply regretted his actions.

Rolling on the ground behind him, a girl was raising her arms. A weird giant insect was stuck to her arm. It was a stinging beetle, and its exoskeleton looked very sturdy. One look and you knew it was the girl's weapon. It was reinforced with a powerful aura.

This was exactly the scene before the weapon was swung down. The work of supplementing cards should still be in the middle. There were still many rare cards left in Genthru's Binder. If you kill him here, those cards will disappear.

It was already clear that Genthru could not escape, so it would be better to kill him after slowly stealing the cards. But the girl did not do so. He knew why.

The girl chewed on her joy. A human expression seen for the first time. Looking at it, I immediately understood what her purpose was in attacking Genthru. Stealing cards was secondary.

A pleasure killer who seeks murder itself, not for profit. This is not uncommon. Players with high reputations like "Bomber" are rare exceptions, and there are many weirdos who like to kill secretly.

After all, such people can't even stutter, they are nothing more than small fish who hide and torture the weak to soothe their own weaknesses. In the eyes of Genthru, who had the most tragic massacre in G·I history and cleared the game, these guys had no strength, no brains, and no courage. I thought so until recently.

Then, what is this girl who killed him casually, the core of the notorious "Bomber"? I can't find the right words to describe it.

However, it can only be said that she is an anonymous, true Player Killer.

The girl's hand was trembling. Genthru felt that this blow would end his life, so he gave up. I gave up my attachment to a life that could no longer be satisfied, and my fear of death. Instead, he hoped.

Sub and Bara. Genthru, who had deceived many people, prayed for the safety of the two companions he truly trusted. I will die here, but I will never ask my companions to take revenge. Do not use it against your enemies.

-Run away! ---

These were his last words.

Genthru, Sub, Bara. With the death of the three, the breakthrough drama of "Bomber" came to an end.

This unexpected result left Gon and the others puzzled. The news came from the Tsezgera group that fought against the Genthru group. Tsezgera and the others did not kill Genthru, and it seems this also surprised them.

Then, while collecting information, I guessed who was the person who caused the ending. I lost contact with the girl in the vortex. That's because you quit the game. It is possible that he died, but Gon and the others thought that No. 9 did not die.

Killua once went to the Hunter Association to check on the safety of No. 9. Because people thought that if No. 9 left the island, Pariston would protect it. However, the result was nothing. I didn't get any information, and I never saw Pariston.

"Damn, Pariston bastard... are you planning to separate No. 9 from us?"

"No, it must be Pariston who let Killua become the Amulet for the nine people. Because of his personality, it's hard to say what he is thinking, but he tried to support it here without contacting him. Kashira."

"Then why!"

"It is also possible that No. 9 did not want to see us for some reason, or was tempted by someone, but it is also possible that she left the game voluntarily."

"Don't tell us anything!?"

Killua released his careless anger. Considering the personality of No. 9, killing Genthru was obviously abnormal. Something must have happened. Killua remembered what happened in the Hunter Exam he participated in a year ago.

In the final exam, when he met his brother, a ruthless Assassin, Killua killed for his companion. Because of this, I did not pass the Hunter Exam. I feel that the situation is somewhat similar to the behavior of No. 9.

The Gon group was being monitored by the Genthru group. Once the Tsezgera group was defeated, it was the Gon group's turn to be the target. Did No. 9 think about getting her hands dirty to eliminate the enemies for Gon and the others?

However, in that case, rather than fighting alone, it would have been better for everyone to cooperate. This is just hindsight, but it might have been possible to avoid the final murderous outcome.

Are there other reasons? After the Razor battle ended and after parting ways with Nine, there was a sense of discord. I didn't want to get too involved in personal trouble, so I left her alone, but if this happened, Killua regretted not keeping his eyes on her.

Just as Gon and the others continued their discussion, someone approached them using a Movement Spell. That person was Golainu. I had contacted him in advance and arranged a meeting.

Golainu belonged to the Tsezgera group after the Razor battle. This time, he came here as an envoy for the Tsezgera group to discuss the fulfillment of the contract and future policies with the Gon group.

"Sorry."

Golainu told him that the cancellation of the millionaire Battera's request to clear the game was a big deal. Players who clear the game can choose three designated Pocket Cards as a reward to take back to the real world. In exchange for these cards, Battera had promised a prize of 50 billion Jenny.

Most of the players in this game were selected by Battera and were participating to win the prize money. The cancellation of such a clear request was no small matter, but for Gon and the others who didn't want the reward, it wasn't particularly surprising.

"Honestly, we aren't at that point yet."

"So you're talking about Nine. Actually, there's a story behind that. We met before Nine left the game."

"... Eh!? Why didn't you say something about such an important matter!?"

"I was told to keep quiet. Including that, we have a certain contract with Nine."

After Genthru died, Nine appeared before the Tsezgera group. It is said that she left Greed Island after entrusting her cards to the Tsezgera group and asking them to deliver the cards to the Gon group. Aside from that transaction, Nine didn't say anything.

"That's why I brought them. Well, considering the current situation, those must be the cards she stole from Genthru. They are all cards that couldn't be obtained in any other way."

The number of cards displayed was quite large. I already had many duplicate cards, but there were even S-Rank Cards like "One-Pyeong Jungle" and "Angel's Breath."

"What are you going to do? Do you want to get them?"

Killua asked Gon, but considering Gon's personality, he thought he might not accept them. Because of Hisoka's mercy toward him, he couldn't convince himself that he had the ability to pass the Hunter Exam, and he was so stubborn that he didn't use his License until he had fought back. Would he allow himself to obtain a card in an unpopular way?

"Yeah, let's get them."

However, contrary to Killua's expectations, Gon accepted the cards without hesitation. Thinking too much, Killua regained his composure.

"Also, this is a card Biscuit asked me to give you."

"Blue Planet?"

The other card Golainu took out was "Blue Planet."

"That stupid apprentice..."

It was this gem that inspired the Stone Hunter Biscuit to play this game. However, it's hard to say that Biscuit's face was glowing after getting the highly anticipated item.

"Come to think of it, the Tsezgera group didn't have Blue Planet either, right? The same goes for other cards, but are you really giving me this rare card because you asked me to deliver it? Even if we had it, we wouldn't have noticed."

"Hehe, don't underestimate me. All the cards Nine sent to me were given to you. She has them, but she isn't the type to return evil with evil."

After Genthru died, the Tsezgera group also benefited greatly. The Genthru group was indeed a powerful opponent they couldn't control.

Tsezgera, with the supply route for Movement Spells cut off due to the surveillance of the card shop, pretended to be at a dead end and hired mercenaries outside the island through Battera. They originally intended to use this force to eliminate the Genthru group, but Battera suddenly canceled the request, and the mercenaries withdrew.

Tsezgera and the others couldn't take their eyes off the movements of the Genthru group within the army, so they weren't informed of the mercenaries' withdrawal. If they had lured Genthru as planned, they might not only have failed, but on the contrary, they might have been killed. I can't.

Additionally, since the Genthru group member died while holding one of the "Angel's Breath" cards, Tsezgera's "voucher" for waiting to receive the proceeds had changed to "Angel's Breath." Just from this alone, it could be said that both income and expenditure were very good.

"Well, as I said before, Battera has withdrawn the request."

The reward was a matter of course from the beginning, but Killua could no longer bring himself to play this game. It was impossible to collect cards while leaving Nine alone.

"I think you should go find Nine."

"I think it's hard to search and find them."

Gon was right. Just because it was true, it hurt Killua's heart.

"Then what should I do?"

"Continue to conquer Greed Island."

Blood rushed to Killua's head. This isn't something you do to the point of abandoning your friends. Killua couldn't help but chase after him, but he stopped after hearing Gon's next sentence.

"I think clearing this game is the shortest path to reaching Nine."

In the contract with Battera, it was decided that all items brought back after clearing Greed Island would be transferred to Battera. Now that the request is gone, the three clear reward cards will belong to the players.

Killua realized that Gon was using GI items to find Nine. However, I wonder if there is an item that can be used to find people.

"If we can use the 'Companion' card, we can go directly to Nine."

"No, you can only choose from designated Pocket Cards to get clear benefits. Spell cards don't meet the criteria."

"I wonder if we can use 'Transmutation' to disguise it as a designated card."

The "Mimicry" Spell card has the effect of converting one possession card into another. If you take it out of the game after converting it into another suitable designated card and cancel the "Mimicry," you can use the "Companion" Spell card in the real world.

In this case, you also need a "Paladin's Necklace" as an item to cancel the "Mimicry." It would be great if it successfully launches, but there is no guarantee that this trick will work.

"Maybe it will work. If I were the creator of the game, I think that would be an ant. I think Ging would do that."

"Even without confirmation, it has amazing persuasiveness..."

"They are still thinking about crazy things."

"It's fine."

"Of course."

"As a teacher, there are some things I must meet that child directly and cheer him up."

All members of the Gon group responded immediately to Golainu's question. Seeing this, Golainu shrugged.

"That is to say, we will continue to work as a capture team. I sympathize with you, but you don't intend to hand over the clear privileges, do you know?"

"Of course. Even so, let's clear the game first."

"You are quite confident. We, the Tsezgera group, have 97 cards, including number 000, and only 3 are left. Even with the cards we got this time, we need to collect nearly 30 cards. Do you think I'm going to fight you?"

"I can do it. There is a reason for this."

"... It's strange to say such things to me, who is an enemy, but I feel you can do it. I support you."

The policy has been decided. I found a way to follow Nine. I still don't understand why she left without saying anything. Even if we really meet, will there still be a future where we hold hands?

"Hey, Gon."

"Hm?"

"Nine are us..."

There were no more words. Gon smiled at the worried Killua and said it was fine.

"Don't worry, Number Nine will be fine. I believe we can make up. Because we are friends."