Chapter 137: Entering the Vault
Perhaps the richer and more powerful a person is, the more they fear the void.
Ronin had no interest in listening to Ryan Glas's pleas. He simply applied the
Mind Reading Jutsu to the Elder's head.
Filtering the memories solely for "Scarlet Eyes" made the process efficient.
Minutes later, Ronin released his grip. He knew exactly where the prize was
kept.
Right here, within the hotel's reinforced basement.
"What do we do with him?" Kurapika asked, stepping over a fallen guard to follow
Ronin.
"Shizuku and Neon are almost here. They'll handle it," Ronin said. He knew
Kurapika still struggled with the moral weight of execution. Better to leave the
cleanup to the team members with more... flexible ethical standards.
"My assessment is: zero value," Neon said, arriving moments later and looking
down at Ryan with localized disgust.
"Oh."
Shizuku's simple response was accompanied by a violent swing of Blinky.
"Violent girl," Neon muttered softly. "Hurry up. Don't let Ronin pack all the
good stuff before we get there."
She knew Ronin too well. Given the chance, he wouldn't just take the eyes; he
would treat Ryan's entire vault like a supermarket sweep.
Sometimes, seeing Ronin's efficiency, Neon wondered why the Phantom Troupe
hadn't recruited him years ago. He would have fit right in.
Shizuku glanced at the body. She didn't inhale it—it was too "dirty" for her
taste—and hurried after Neon.
A few black-suited guards remained outside the vault doors.
They were ordinary humans. The Nen users hired to protect Ryan had scattered or
been neutralized the moment the "Life Debt" teleportation chain began to break.
Ronin and Kurapika cleared the guards effortlessly and stepped inside.
Gold bars, stacks of high-denomination bills, and priceless art filled the
space. It was a treasure trove of indulgence.
But the most striking area was a small, cordoned-off section. It was Ryan's
"private gallery."
It was a nightmare of human biological specimens: eyes, hearts, limbs, severed
heads, even entire infants preserved in jars. There were even full corpses of
men and women, frozen in poses of struggle and agony.
"This guy makes you look like an amateur, Neon," Ronin noted.
"He's a hack," Neon whispered, her voice slightly breathless from the run. She
looked at the display with disdain, not awe.
Her tastes had evolved. She no longer valued stagnant jars of generic parts. She
preferred the "Art of the Hunt"—finding the organ she desired and personally
processing the specimen. To her, Ryan's collection was just a pile of raw,
uncurated meat.
I only collect from enemies now, she thought. It gives the specimen a story.
"Go find them," Ronin said.
Kurapika reached the pedestal containing the Scarlet Eyes before Ronin could
even scan the area. He picked them up, his hands trembling. No matter how many
pairs they reclaimed, the sight of his people's remains always threatened to
shatter his composure.
Ronin turned his attention to the jewelry and cash.
But Shizuku was faster. Before he could even pull Owl out of his pouch to
manifest a cloth, Blinky's motor roared. Shizuku was systematically vacuuming
entire shelves of gemstones and bundles of Jenny.
By the time Ronin reached for a bag, the vault was looking decidedly sparse.
Alarms were blaring throughout the building. Reinforcements from the wider Glas
Clan would be arriving any minute.
"Let's move," Ronin said, seeing that Shizuku had cleared the best loot.
They didn't head for the lobby. Instead, they took the stairs to the roof.
Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique was a god-tier extraction tool. Ronin didn't
just use it on himself; he extended the field to include his teammates, allowing
the four of them to float into the night sky.
The show had been a night event. High above the city lights, they vanished into
the darkness unnoticed.
Ronin's Shadow Clone had stayed with the Macabre Menagerie until the very end.
After ensuring they cleared the immediate danger zone and leaving a contact
frequency with Abaki, the clone dispelled.
The performers managed to escape through the back service corridors. The hotel
security was too occupied with the vault heist to prioritize chasing "freaks."
But as the troupe fled into the night, the reputation of the Royal Glas remained
a formidable shield.
Ryan Glas was dead, but the Clan survived. By morning, a narrative had been
woven: The "Menagerie Circus" had conspired with international thieves to loot
the hotel and assassinate a beloved Elder.
Few would believe the troupe's story of organ harvesting. The Royal Glas was a
city institution; the Macabre Menagerie was a collection of outcasts. In the
court of public opinion, the result was a foregone conclusion.
By the time Ronin's team was ready to leave Gasland with the new pair of eyes,
bounties had already been placed on every member of the circus.
Ronin met Abaki one last time in a safehouse before she disappeared. The troupe
had officially disbanded.
"The Glas Clan has marked us," Abaki said, her face drawn and weary. "The
Menagerie is done. I can hide—I'm the only one who looks 'normal' enough to pass
with a bit of makeup. The others... it's going to be harder for them."
"Norman decided we have to split up. Smaller targets have a better chance of
survival. My plan to stay and help them was shot down."
Ronin and Kurapika exchanged a look. They knew Norman's reasoning. The Centaur
Ringmaster wanted Abaki free of the burden. He knew that as a Nen user with a
"normal" appearance, she had a future if she left the others behind.
"So, what's your plan?" Ronin asked.
He had no immediate intention of recruiting her. He didn't know her character
well enough, and her Hatsu was still a mystery. Partners were chosen carefully
in his world.
"I'm going to take the Hunter Exam," Abaki said, giving an answer that surprised
Ronin. "I want to be an official Hunter. Maybe then I can actually fight back
against people like the Glas Clan."
☆☆☆
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