Chapter 141: Assessing the Situation
Ronin's mere proximity stripped the boy of any will to resist.
After Ronin confiscated every card in his Binder, the teenager confessed his
identity. He was indeed one of the contractors hired by Battera. However,
judging by the pathetic handful of low-rank cards in his Restricted Slots, he
was a bottom-tier "scrub."
No wonder he was preying on fresh arrivals.
Killing him would be the fastest way to clear a slot for his teammates, but
Ronin wasn't a senseless butcher.
So he asked a simple question: "Do you know where the port is?"
If the answer was "no," Ronin wouldn't mind finishing him. The boy had intended
them harm; his death would be a matter of natural consequence, not malice. There
was a thin, but firm, line between "not a mass murderer" and "not a pacifist."
"I know! It's about 50 kilometers from Masadora. I've marked it on the map I
gave you!"
Zachary (localized name) was terrified. He could feel the faint, needle-like
prickle of killing intent radiating from Ronin. He knew his life depended
entirely on the utility of his answer.
The killing intent faded as Ronin processed the information.
"We'll keep him as a lure for now," Ronin shared his plan with Neon. "Once we
reach the port and secure a [Leave] card, we can send him out and give his slot
to Kurapika."
Zachary, though realizing he was being used as bait, was an intelligent coward.
He immediately assumed the role of an enthusiastic guide.
"If you keep heading due north, you'll hit Antokiba," Zachary explained. "It's
the hub for most players. Since food and supplies are easiest to earn through
the bounty missions there, it's always crowded."
"Continuing 80 kilometers past Antokiba, you'll reach a massive lake. Masadora
is to the northwest. The port is due west of the city." Zachary paused, looking
cautiously at Ronin.
"Speak your mind," Ronin ordered.
"If you can secure an [Accompany] card, I can fly you both straight to the
port."
[Accompany]: Transports the caster and everyone within a 20-meter radius to a
previously visited location or a specified player (if encountered before).
It was a solid suggestion.
There were 130 copies of Accompany in the game, a relatively high number. Yet
Zachary's Binder was empty.
"I sold them," Zachary admitted weakly. "Spell cards fetch a high price,
especially transport types. They sell for double or triple their face value. For
a solo player like me, selling them for food and equipment was the only way to
survive."
"What's the current state of the game?" Ronin asked, ignoring the card issue. He
attached a single Chakra Thread to Zachary's spine, a leash to ensure he didn't
bolt.
He needed to gather intelligence. Even a scrub like Zachary was a veteran of the
game's environment and would know the non-classified gossip.
"It's hard to say. Several groups are trying to form 'Clear Teams' to hoard
cards collectively. I've received invitations, but I declined," Zachary said.
"Those groups always end in infighting and backstabbing. I know my limits; I
don't want to be caught in the crossfire."
Ronin nodded. This was predictable.
Even though the current bounty was "only" 30 Billion Jenny, it was a
life-changing fortune for most Pro Hunters. Money was a weak motivator for the
truly strong, but it was a magnet for the desperate and the clever.
Based on Ronin's memory, Genthru and his "Bomber" trio had been operating in the
game for five years by the time Gon arrived. That meant their "alliance" was
likely already two years into its long-con.
He wondered if Genthru had already established [Life's Sound] (Countdown).
Ronin wasn't worried. He knew the mechanics of the Bomber's Hatsu perfectly. He
wouldn't be caught by a simple "touch-and-reveal" condition.
In fact, he was less interested in Genthru and more interested in the game's
ultimate warden: Razor.
He didn't want to fight Razor to the death. He wanted to beat him at Dodgeball.
If he could manage that, he could take three choice cards out of the game.
But before he challenged the Master, he needed to confirm if the Spiders were
already inside.
The fact that the Troupe had stolen a copy in Yorknew meant they were desperate
to heal Bonolenov's Amaterasu burns. Ronin deduced that they hadn't died because
of their high-level Nen.
In the Naruto world, a "Chakra Cloak" could shed the black flames. In this
world, the layer of Ten (or Ken) acted as that cloak. By physically peeling the
burning Nen away from the body—a feat that required extreme precision and likely
Machi's help—one could survive.
But survival meant being flayed. To restore him, they needed [Breath of
Archangel].
Securing that card had a specific prerequisite: the player had to collect all 40
different types of Spell Cards to unlock the exchange.
In the original story, no one managed to get this SS-Rank card until Gon
arrived.
Was the bottleneck the difficulty of collecting the spells, or the mystery of
the exchange trigger?
If it was just a matter of grinding, the Troupe would likely succeed, given
enough time.
If it was a puzzle, they might still be stuck inside.
If I find them while they're split up, I can kill a few more Spiders right here,
Ronin thought.
"Do you know how to get [Breath of Archangel]?" Ronin asked directly.
Zachary shook his head. "That's the card Mr. Battera wants most. We've seen the
description in our Binders, but no one has found the method to manifest it yet.
It's a myth at this point."
Ronin nodded. That was the answer he expected.
Right now, Breath of Archangel was like [A Patch of Shoreline]—an inactive event
card.
The key to unlocking it lay in Masadora, the birthplace of all Spell Cards. If
the Troupe had found any clues, they would be converging on that city!
☆☆☆
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