Chapter 145: Verifying the Situation
Ronin hid in a thicket exactly one kilometer away from the starting point.
He didn't use his eyes; he simply waited.
He had marked his "bait" with the spell card [Trace] (Follow), allowing him to
monitor the player's position at all times. As soon as the bait returned, Ronin
would know. Then, the next phase of the plan would hinge on whether the Spiders
chose to pursue.
The wait was short.
The proxy's instructions were simple: arrive at the Spiders' location and
immediately use a [Return] card to fly back to the start.
Ronin felt the ping in his Binder as the player materialized at the starting
point. He began counting. Simultaneously, the terrified bait pulled out a
[Magnetic Force] card.
The boy was shaking. Having met the Spiders face-to-face, he understood the true
meaning of the word "monster."
The man who had captured him was strong, certainly, but he didn't radiate the
same suffocating, casual malice. Ronin treated him like a resource to be
managed; the Spiders treated him like trash to be incinerated.
He knew Ronin had marked him. Unless he could somehow defeat him or escape the
game entirely, his future belonged to Ronin. But with zero access to [Leave] or
a [Ticket], he was trapped in a nightmare.
His only hope for freedom was the reward Ronin had promised: a [Ticket] waiting
for him at the port, provided he completed this suicide run.
The sudden spike of killing intent on the horizon actually brought a sense of
relief to the bait.
He wasn't afraid of them coming; he was afraid they wouldn't. If they didn't
follow him, he couldn't complete the mission.
He activated his [Communication] spell—the game's equivalent of a phone call.
"The [Ticket] is with the gatekeeper at the port," Ronin's voice whispered in
his ear. "Arrive there, say the password 'Naruto', and he will hand it over. But
you need to move. Fast."
"I know," the boy whispered, his heart hammering.
He swapped his [Magnetic Force] for a [Recollection] (Again) card—the perfect
tool for single-player movement to a previously visited spot.
Target: The Port.
As three streaks of light carrying Bonolenov, Phinks, and Feitan touched down at
the starting point, the bait vanished in a new burst of light, hurtling toward
the coast.
The moment the light faded from the three Spiders, they dropped into a defensive
stance.
They had sensed it. The second the bait fled, a bone-chilling sensation of being
watched washed over them. It felt like being caught in the crosshairs of a
predator.
Something is wrong.
They scanned the wide, empty prairie, but their eyes found nothing. There was no
one in sight.
A kilometer away, Ronin had already locked onto their signatures. He activated
the Telescope Technique, switching his gaze to the crystal ball.
The first face to appear in the glass was Bonolenov.
Ronin scrutinized him, looking for signs of the Amaterasu damage. But the Spider
was wrapped head-to-toe in his usual bandages. Without a battle occurring to
force him to unwrap, judging the severity of the burns was impossible.
Phinks and Feitan looked unscathed.
Ronin expanded his scan. He sensed no other powerful auras nearby. Through the
crystal ball, he confirmed the headcount.
There were only three Spiders in Greed Island.
Good.
He checked his Binder. Their names had not appeared in his contact list.
Ronin had carefully calibrated the distance.
One kilometer.
This was the safe threshold. If he stayed beyond 1,000 meters, he could observe
them through his Jutsu, but the game's automatic registry wouldn't "log" the
encounter.
This prevented the Spiders from knowing he was in the game, and more
importantly, it prevented them from using [Magnetic Force] or [Accompany] to
jump directly to him.
"This feels like a trap," Feitan muttered, his hand on his umbrella-sword. "I
can't see the designer, and I don't understand the point of this kiting."
"My instincts are screaming," Phinks added, his face darkening. "It's a bad
feeling."
Bonolenov nodded in grim agreement. He too felt the weight of an unseen gaze, a
pressure that made his skin crawl beneath the bandages.
Do we keep going?
The silence lasted only a second. Feitan pulled out an [Accompany] card.
He wanted to see where that little ant had run off to.
As the Spiders vanished into streaks of light, they disappeared from Ronin's
crystal ball. They had exceeded his three-kilometer viewing range.
Ronin summoned his Binder. "Book!"
He pulled out a [Recollection] card and activated it. His silhouette flickered
and vanished from the prairie.
At the Port, the three Spiders landed, but their expressions were sour.
They stood on the docks, watching the horizon. They knew exactly why the bait
had led them here: To escape the game.
The port offered multiple routes to different real-world locations. Tracking a
single player through the global maritime network was impossible.
"Waste of time," Phinks spat.
They used their own [Recollection] cards to return to Masadora.
Two days later.
Ronin held a specialized card in his hand: [List]. It provided the total count
of specific items in circulation and the number of current holders.
He checked the status of [Breath of Archangel].
Holders: 0.
Even with their ruthless control over the Masadora spell shop, the Spiders still
hadn't cracked the code to manifest the Archangel. They were still missing the
final pieces of the puzzle.
☆☆☆
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