Milluki raised the glass of fruit wine in front of him and drank it in one gulp.
With over a decade of experience from the Zoldyck family and his exceptional talent for understanding games, he could see through the essence of Greed Island at a glance.
But for that very reason, it baffled him even more.
"Who could possibly pull this off? And for what purpose... Ugh, why am I even overthinking this again?"
Annoyed at his wandering thoughts, Milluki slapped his cheek lightly and shook his head, forcing himself to stop his mental tangent.
"Whatever their reason, as long as it doesn't interfere with my plans to clear the game, it doesn't matter. Honestly, even if this place can be used for training, with the mediocre talent and pathetic physical conditions of most players, plus their loser mentality and barely functioning IQ, survival here is already a stretch. Forget training—getting through the day is their real challenge!"
Milluki looked down on those so-called Nen users, who were supposed to be strong yet were still stuck in the game, barely scraping by. If he ever crossed paths with them, he wouldn't mind doing them a favor and "freeing up" a player slot.
After all, the majority entered the game out of sheer greed, heedless of the consequences. Not only were they struggling to survive on the island, but their lack of skill and strength made leaving impossible.
Those who once held high status outside were reduced to the lowest of the low within Greed Island.
The psychological blow of such a stark difference was immense. Worse still, they had no way out—it was essentially house arrest.
On top of that, whenever they encountered one of the violent powerhouses clearing levels, these "weaklings" would inevitably be used and discarded, just so the strong could secure the cards they needed.
They often fell victim to the Risky Dice as a result.
The double blow—psychological and physical—seemed like poetic justice to Milluki. To him, it was punishment for people who had no grasp of their own limitations.
"Serves them right," Milluki muttered. Sometimes, he even toyed with the idea to force those losers to roll the Risky Dice and watch the chaos unfold.
He felt no guilt about it. After all, losers needed to accept their place.
Elsewhere, Gon, Killua, and Biscuit teamed up, while Kalluto followed Shalnark to Greed Island. Feitan and Phinks also set sail, while Franklin and Machi continued their card-collecting journey.
Though their initial goals and methods had evolved, it seemed fate had a way of steering them back to their original paths.
...
On the trail in Braga Canyon, Ronnel's double advanced cautiously, every step deliberate as he surveyed the long, seemingly endless path ahead.
The road stretched infinitely, lined with piles of biological bones that heightened the oppressive atmosphere.
But beyond the psychological weight, Ronnel's body was under siege by a physical burden that was even harder to ignore.
"The deeper I go, the more the delay increases?"
Ronnel frowned as he monitored his reaction times, which had slowed from 0.87 seconds to 0.88, then to 0.89, and finally stabilized at a one-second delay.
"At least it caps at one second."
It wasn't great news, but it wasn't disastrous either. The delay was still within tolerable limits.
If it worsened, though, Ronnel would have no choice but to retreat. Fortunately, he'd already collected a significant amount of dead energy, enough to experiment with.
Shrugging off the concern, Ronnel steadied himself. Since his double was expendable, there was no harm in pressing forward. He broke into a sprint, his feet pounding the ground at incredible speed.
The wind howled as the skeletal remains and narrow path blurred into a slideshow of fleeting images.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Ronnel noticed the trail widening. Ahead, the cliffs on either side seemed to end abruptly, as if cleaved apart by some supernatural force.
"Is that the destination?"
Ronnel slowed his pace and stopped at the edge of the gap.
The atmosphere shifted—an oppressive low pressure filled the air, carrying a deathly chill that seemed to seep into his very bones.
The gap ahead stretched wide, a gaping void where light seemed to vanish. Even without mist obscuring his vision, a strange power blocked his sight entirely.
Not even his enhanced senses, honed with Nen, could penetrate the darkness.
"Do I need to go inside to find out?" Ronnel muttered, narrowing his eyes as he peered into the abyss.
Meanwhile, deep within the chasm, a figure sat atop a throne of bones. A raspy voice filled the cavern, trembling with anticipation.
"Just a little more… just a little more dark power, and I'll achieve a transformation unlike anything my family has ever seen. With it, I'll finally escape this cursed place!"
The voice grew louder, filled with a manic edge, causing the surrounding bone heaps to shudder and emit an eerie rustling.
Despite the commotion, the sound couldn't escape the gap. Some kind of barrier ensured that no noise, no sight, and no Nen could cross the void.
Even the tantalizing Nen fluctuations emanating from the throne, like treasure teasing the senses, were contained, unable to reach Ronnel.
The gap remained a barrier between them, a divide as vast as heaven and earth.
Unaware of the frenzied impatience within the chasm, Ronnel stepped closer, stopping just one step away from the threshold.
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