Chapter 143: Methods to Find People
Two days after entering the game, Ronin reappeared in Battera's castle.
When Battera saw the three "volunteers" Ronin had brought back, and realized
that Ronin was controlling all three of them single-handedly, he looked at the
teenager as if he were a god.
He had already heard reports of Ronin's strength from Sabazushi, but seeing the
casual, absolute dominance in person was a different level of shock.
If this boy focuses on the mission, Battera thought, he has a better chance of
clearing the game than every other contractor I've hired combined.
However, Battera could also see that Ronin didn't hold much respect for him as
an employer. Ronin wasn't there to serve; he was there to trade.
Battera wondered: If Ronin clears the game, will he actually give me the items?
Or will he keep them for himself?
Ronin didn't care about Battera's insecurities. He intended to fulfill the
contract. They had entered the game under the guise of a mission, and Battera
had provided the entry point. Ronin valued the principle of the trade.
Besides, truth be told, Ronin had zero interest in the game's ultimate prizes:
[Breath of Archangel] or [The Witch's Rejuvenation Potion].
Firstly, his own regenerative abilities and medical Jutsu were elite. Secondly,
he was already young.
More importantly, he knew the hidden drawback of the Rejuvenation Potion. While
it restored youth, it didn't preserve the power gained through years of
training. If Ronin took it, his massive aura capacity would likely reset to his
pre-awakened state.
For Battera, it was a divine elixir. For Ronin, it was a lethal poison.
"It takes ten days for the memory cards to unbind," Ronin instructed. "Only
after they are freed can the rest of my team enter. Keep them secure until
then."
With that, Ronin vanished back into the console. He was still worried about
leaving Neon alone in the game for too long.
As for the three captive players, they let out a collective sigh of relief when
Ronin left. Their greatest fear was that he would simply kill them to clear the
slots faster. Hearing him talk about "unbinding" meant they would live.
Kurapika, Shizuku, and Abaki didn't mind the ten-day wait. It gave them time to
finalize their supplies.
Upon re-entering Greed Island, Ronin descended the starting tower. He felt the
familiar sensation of being watched—scouts from various factions monitoring the
entry point.
He didn't walk. He summoned his Binder.
"Spell: [Magnetic Force]! Target: Neon!"
Aura enveloped Ronin, and he shot into the sky like a blue meteor, vanishing
from the starting area in an instant.
[Magnetic Force] was a C-Rank spell that transported the user to a previously
encountered player. There were only 50 copies in the game. Ronin had managed to
loot one from his first encounter.
When the flight ended and the aura dissipated, Ronin found himself in a
beautiful coastal city.
Soufrabi.
Ronin was surprised Neon had ended up here. Aside from the scenery, Soufrabi was
a relatively quiet town—except for the fact that it was the base of operations
for the "14 Devils," led by Razor.
To obtain [A Patch of Shoreline], a player had to challenge the pirates and win.
But triggering the quest required a specific condition: 15 players had to arrive
in Soufrabi using [Accompany] simultaneously.
Shadow Clones wouldn't count toward the total since they didn't possess real
game rings.
"That was fast," Neon noted.
She had arrived in Soufrabi using the spell [Drifting], which transported the
user to a random, unvisited city.
Neon had four copies of Drifting and was prepared to spam them until she landed
somewhere safe. She had expected to end up in Masadora—the city of spells—but
luck had brought her to this scenic beach.
When Ronin found her, she was sitting at an outdoor cafe, enjoying a lavish
seafood platter provided by an NPC waiter.
Ronin sat across from her and helped himself to a shrimp.
He slightly regretted his earlier decision. He should have sent Kurapika in
first. Kurapika would have forced Neon to train in the wilderness against
monsters instead of letting her treat the game like a luxury vacation.
But the past was the past.
They couldn't stay long. Ronin had promised Muherr they would join the Mahavi
Ruin exploration in the Aitli Kingdom soon. Between that and the Hunter Exam in
January, their schedule was tight.
Over the next few days, Ronin and Neon enjoyed a rare moment of peace. But Ronin
wasn't just resting. He was hunting for information.
The mechanic of Greed Island was helpful for tracking enemies. If a player had
encountered a member of the Phantom Troupe, their names would appear in that
player's Binder contact list.
By "interviewing" (robbing) players, Ronin could use them as a bridge to find
the Spiders.
On the eighth day, while waiting for Kurapika to log in, Ronin defeated a
veteran challenger. He opened the man's Binder and scanned the name registry.
His eyes sharpened. He saw three familiar names:
Bonolenov, Feitan, Phinks.
Their names were currently "lit," meaning they were online and inside the game.
He didn't see Shalnark's name.
Ronin deduced the situation immediately. Chrollo and Shalnark were likely still
investigating the Kurta ruins or handling the Troupe's external logistics.
The combat unit—Phinks and Feitan—had brought the mangled Bonolenov into the
game to find a cure.
But without their strategist, the three combatants were likely struggling. In a
game built on complex mechanics and card-collecting puzzles, pure brawn only got
you so far.
Ronin smiled. Three Spiders, isolated and without their brain... what a perfect
opportunity.
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