NenMaster
patreon
Chapter 84
🕑 Added 2024-12-03 12:24:11 +0000 UTCThe others were clearly dissatisfied with Ging's response.
Although Ging didn’t share much information, what he did reveal was useful.
“‘A good person with amazing tools,’ huh?”
Each of the other producers mulled over his words with their own interpretations.
“For now, he’s training his disciple on the island. But I’m worried he might overdo it and cause too much destruction… Razor.”
Ging turned toward one of the virtual screens.
“Understood. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
The man with squinting eyes on the screen, Razor, smiled faintly and nodded.
“Thanks for that,” Ging said with a slight nod of his own before grinning widely at the exasperated faces of the others.
“Well, that’s it for now, folks. Bye!”
As Ging’s image vanished from their view, the group of producers could only sigh in frustration.
“Honestly, the Greed Island release is just around the corner, yet this guy—the lead developer—doesn’t even seem to care.”
Dwun muttered under his breath, “He’s running off to hang out with his son while leaving us—mere secondary producers—to handle everything…”
“You’re one to talk!” retorted another producer from one of the virtual screens, their expression deadpan. “You’re just lounging in the castle, sipping tea and munching on snacks. You’ve got no right to complain!”
“Hey! Staying at Rimiro Castle is a necessary tactical decision!” Dwun shot back indignantly.
“Sure, sure. Meanwhile, we’re busting our butts handling the actual game distribution outside.”
“Running the operations from the rear is vital, you know!”
“You don’t understand how hard we’re working!”
“Click.”
Before the bickering escalated further, Ishukeube calmly pressed a few buttons, instantly silencing all the screens.
The virtual room returned to peace.
Meanwhile, within Greed Island, Morin had already taken Kastro to the Grand Canyon located between the Bounty City of Andokiba and the Magic City of Masadora.
This canyon was a paradise for learning and training Nen.
Even seasoned Nen users with years of experience couldn’t always make it through easily.
In other words, even veteran Nen users could improve themselves if they were willing to settle down and train here.
This place was crawling with all kinds of monsters:
[Cyclops G-333]: A rock-dwelling monster with two attack patterns: punching downward and wildly swinging its club. Its weakness lies in the massive eye on its face.
[Bubble Mare C-50]: A rock-dwelling monster that spits two types of bubbles—red ones that explode on contact with aura-free objects and white ones that explode on contact with aura-infused objects. It uses its tail to sweep the bubbles toward its enemies.
[Lizard E-100]: A gigantic lizard with various spots on its back. Its erratic gaze is meant to protect its weak points.
[Remote Mouse H-100]: A rock-dwelling monster that uses Nen to control objects for self-defense. However, it’s extremely timid and will die of fright if startled by another creature.
These four monsters were the most common in the canyon and were incredibly useful for practicing the four major Nen principles.
Remote Mouse tested a Nen user’s Gyo.
Bubble Mare examined the proficiency of switching between Ten and Zetsu.
Cyclops and Lizard assessed observation skills and physical reflexes.
In addition to the monsters, the canyon was filled with rocks that could serve as excellent training tools for Kastro’s Enhancement-type exercises.
After setting up a training routine for his eager disciple, Morin let him explore and acclimate to the canyon on his own.
Morin, meanwhile, busied himself defeating monsters and collecting their cards.
Once he had amassed a decent number of monster cards, he traveled to Masadora.
He sold the monster cards in exchange for a tidy profit, then purchased a few spell cards, including several [Drift F-200].
[Drift F-200]: Allows the user to travel to a location they’ve never visited. (If all locations have been visited, the user will remain in place, and the card will be destroyed.)
“Using Drift. Destination: Sufrabi.”
The spell card activated, and Morin’s body transformed into a streak of light, vanishing on the spot.
Sufrabi was a coastal city within Greed Island.
Triggering the event [Razor and the Ten Pirates] required at least 15 people using [Accompany] cards to arrive at the city. Completing the sports competition there rewarded the player with the [One Tsubo of Shoreline] card (No. 002 in the specified pocket).
However, Morin wasn’t there for the prize.
His purpose was related to the event, but not quite the same.
Guided by the Seeker Umbrella, Morin quickly found his way to a small warehouse on the coastline.
The night blanketed the shoreline in darkness, but light still poured out from the windows of the warehouse, accompanied by occasional bursts of laughter and the clinking of glasses.
“Creak.”
“Sorry to intrude.”
Morin pushed open the warehouse door and stepped inside.
The interior was a massive sports arena filled with all kinds of training equipment: basketball courts, volleyball nets, badminton areas, boxing rings, barbell racks, and even bowling lanes.
Several men dressed in comically mismatched blue clown outfits and hats were scattered around. Some were working out, others chatting over drinks.
But the moment Morin entered, every head turned toward him.
“So, this is one of those ‘players’ from outside, huh?”
“He found this place already? That’s pretty fast for a game in progress.”
“Wait a second… I thought Razor said the game hadn’t officially started yet?”
A murmur of discussion spread among the group. Everyone was curious about Morin’s arrival.
“Also, he couldn’t have triggered the event to get here, right?”
One of them voiced a concern. “The event requires 15 people using [Accompany] to access this place. Plus, the guards outside the tavern need to be defeated before anyone can even approach us.”
“And yet, he’s here alone…”
“Thud.”
The sound of a volleyball hitting the ground silenced the room.
“He’s not here as a quest player.”
A calm male voice slowly emerged from behind the crowd.
Upon hearing the voice, the group of men dressed as clown pirates quickly stepped aside, revealing the figure behind them.
“Well, this is unexpected. I didn’t think anyone would find their way here so soon.”
Razor, wearing his characteristic squint and a subtle smile, walked forward and locked eyes with Morin.
“Did you use some kind of tool to pinpoint my location?”
“Something like that.”
Morin shrugged, not bothering to elaborate further. He wasn’t about to tell Razor that he only knew this location thanks to the storyline he’d already learned about.
“Well then, Mr.…” Razor smiled faintly. “Your name is Morin, isn’t it?”
“I’m Razor, one of the creators of this game. As the GM, I manage the island’s Emission-based systems, oversee spell-based transportation mechanics, and handle external threats.”
“I also serve as an NPC for a specific card quest.”
Razor introduced himself with such a thorough explanation, indicating just how seriously he regarded Morin’s arrival.
“Now then, Morin…” Razor placed his hands on his hips in his usual manner, his muscular frame radiating a sense of overwhelming confidence.
“What brings you to this place?”
His squinting eyes, even without fully opening, carried an intimidating weight.
“You’re not here to just chat or casually play games, are you?”
“If it’s chatting, I suppose we could sit down and talk. But playing games…”
Morin glanced at the volleyball near Razor’s feet. “I’ll pass on that.”
“Oh?”
Razor’s faint smile didn’t falter.
This man, a convicted criminal captured by Ging and now serving as the GM to eliminate external threats, might not yet be at the monstrous level he’d reach twelve years later.
But even now, Razor was undoubtedly one of the most formidable Emission-based Nen users in the Hunter x Hunter world.
If one were to rank the series’ Emission specialists based on demonstrated strength, Razor would likely claim the second spot.
The top contender, of course, would be Zeno Zoldyck, Killua’s grandfather.
Compared to others like Franklin, Razor’s abilities stood on a significantly higher level.
“I’m here for one simple reason.”
Morin locked eyes with Razor and smiled. “I want to spar with the Emission specialist who represents this category of Nen.”
“Is that so?”
Razor’s squinted eyes slowly began to open.
Although Morin hadn’t named names, everyone present understood that the only prominent Emission specialist in the room was Razor.
“Interesting…”
Razor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Did you get intel about me from Ging?”
“No, I wouldn’t call Ging the type to share so much information.”
“Then it must’ve been some sort of tool?”
As he spoke, an overwhelming aura of energy began to rise from Razor’s body.
The atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy and suffocating.
As Razor’s aura intensified, the surrounding clown pirates hurriedly backed away. Being caught in the crossfire was the last thing they wanted.
At the same time, the sheer intensity of Razor’s aura left them stunned, offering a deeper understanding of his incredible power.
Any lingering thoughts of resistance vanished completely from their minds.
“Such strong energy… this is just what I was hoping for.”
Morin’s eyes lit up at Razor’s display of strength.
From the start, his primary goal for coming here wasn’t tied to any other motive. He simply wanted to face a strong opponent and test his abilities in a fair fight.
Since leaving Meteor City, Morin’s opportunities to engage in battles had been extremely limited.
Most of his time was spent training and honing his skills.
Even during the Hunter Exam, he had relied on his tools to quickly and efficiently breeze through without needing to engage in serious fights.
A proper one-on-one battle had been long overdue.
For this reason, Morin was eager to find someone of comparable strength to challenge, someone who could help him validate his training and techniques.
Of course, that didn’t mean Morin intended to disregard his tools.
Tools were his Nen ability, after all. A Nen user’s strength ultimately revolved around their abilities.
His tools were as much a part of his power as his mastery of Nen techniques, and Morin wasn’t foolish enough to ignore them.
If it ever came down to a life-or-death situation, Morin wouldn’t hesitate to pull out Hotline Gun, Explosive Rifle, or any other weapon he happened to draw at the time.
But in this scenario—just a sparring match—Morin was eager to gauge his personal mastery of Nen, his understanding of its techniques, and the level of his combat skills.
His tools defined a significant portion of his strength, but so did his Nen mastery.
Morin’s approach was simple: master both and leave no weaknesses in his repertoire.
“Let’s begin.”
Morin shifted into a Heart Origin stance, his aura bursting forth in a wave of energy.
The overwhelming fighting spirit between the two surged instantly, filling the room.
As the clown pirates scattered to a safe distance, watching with trepidation, the battle was on the verge of erupting.
While this confrontation unfolded inside the Greed Island game, the outside world was abuzz.
Greed Island, the revolutionary game that combined Nen techniques with a card-based system on a mysterious island, had officially been released to the public.
Within moments, the game’s initial release of 100 consoles sold out, with over 20,000 people competing to buy them.
It wasn’t that the creators didn’t want to produce more consoles—it was simply that the game’s rules allowed for only 100 copies to exist.
Demand for the game skyrocketed, and soon it became impossible to find a console anywhere in the market.
Meanwhile, rumors and anecdotes about Greed Island flooded the internet, only fueling its mystique and hype.
As the game’s popularity reached new heights, an agitated Battera, disheartened by Morin’s departure, decided to take drastic action inside the world of Greed Island, preparing to make his move.
He was a year ahead of the original timeline when Bartla made his public announcement to society, seeking ownership of Greed Island.
Bartla openly declared his willingness to pay 17 billion Jenny for the game and 50 billion Jenny for a completed save card.
However, even after the announcement, no one showed interest in selling the game until the events of the storyline began. Greed Island thus became a legendary artifact in the gaming world.
Despite its fame as a "dream game," it was mainly celebrated among niche gaming enthusiasts.
As time went by, Greed Island gradually appeared at public auctions. In terms of rarity, its difficulty level to "find" was classified as H—meaning relatively easy. After all, 100 copies had been released, which, by rare item standards, was a comparatively high number.
Given the current number of professional Hunters, about one in every six possessed a copy of the game. Accounting for its cost, the overall rarity was rated as G.
When Greed Island fell into the hands of Nen users who were also gamers, they eagerly dove into its world.
They all believed they had secured an early advantage, unaware that someone had already entered the game well before them.
