After all, advising someone to study medicine is like inviting a lightning strike from the heavens. If no one steps up voluntarily, Leorio will just have to rely on his own luck.
"Goodbye!" Gon and Killua waved Leorio off as he boarded the airship. Returning to their hotel, they found Feitan and Phinks already there, waiting.
The two had already changed back into their original cloaks and sportswear, each holding a splitter in hand.
"This is a splitter. When plugged in, it allows for more players," Phinks explained to Gon and the others. "We have other companions who might want to join, so this ensures there are enough slots."
Each Greed Island console has four cartridge slots. A splitter can be inserted into each slot, expanding the capacity by four additional players per splitter.
Thus, theoretically, one Greed Island console can accommodate up to sixteen players online simultaneously.
Gon had no objections to increasing the number of players; in fact, he hoped for as many as possible to join the game.
As Phinks plugged in the splitters one by one, Gon handed the corresponding memory cards and rings to the two before stepping forward to the console.
"This is Ging's game..." Gon's eyes grew more determined: "Ging... this time, I can finally get closer to you!"
"A game where life is at stake, although I don't know what's inside, it's the only clue Ging left behind! I have to trust it and charge forward bravely!"
Gon slowly extended his hands forward, activating his Nen.
With a flash, Gon disappeared from where he stood.
"He really vanished?" Phinks whistled in disbelief. "I was skeptical at first!"
After Gon entered, a while passed before the screen displayed [NOW Playing], indicating someone was in the game. Phinks was the second to step forward. Like before, he used his Nen and disappeared from sight.
"Your turn," Feitan said, offering the third slot to Killua. It was rare for him to show such courtesy.
Despite his earlier thoughts of robbing Gon after seeing all that money, seeing Gon and Morin's acquaintance and Phinks getting along with Gon, he decided against targeting Gon.
After all, Feitan wasn't like Machi, who had a particular desire for money. If there was an opportunity to gain more, great, if not, it didn't matter.
Soon, Killua was the third to enter the game. After a moment, Feitan followed as the last one.
This time, it was unprecedented for them to achieve their goal without any bloodshed or robbery. Once Feitan vanished, the room returned to tranquility, save for the flickering game console lights and the [NOW Playing] message on the screen.
While Gon and the others were engrossed in the game, far away in Meteor City, in a rundown little house sat three or four people. The space, already limited, became cramped with the addition of the towering Franklin.
"From now on, you are the number 4 member of the Phantom Troupe," Chrollo, clad in a black cloak, smiled at the girl before him. She had black hair, indigo eyes, wore a black turtleneck sweater, jeans, black-framed glasses, and an inverted cross necklace.
"Okay." The girl nodded cutely, though her expression remained calm. She seemed unaware of the implications of joining the Phantom Troupe, or perhaps she simply didn't care.
For someone as indifferent as her, joining the Phantom Troupe was just another place to stay. If this refuge fell apart, she'd simply find another.
Nonetheless, as a member of this family, she wouldn't just sit idly by if her refuge was threatened.
Shizuku was always this way, rational to the point of coldness, sometimes even frighteningly so.
"Then it's settled," Chrollo nodded lightly, seeing Shizuku's lack of objection. After assessing her abilities and temperament, he was quite satisfied with this new member.
He turned his head, "Franklin, take Shizuku to find Machi and get her a spider tattoo."
"Understood, boss," Franklin accepted the task, having developed a certain fondness for the soft-spoken girl.
"Machi and the others should still be in Yorknew City, right?"
---
"Yes, according to the location indicated by the prophecy poem, Machi and Pakunoda should still be there," Chrollo said casually. "If I'm not mistaken, Feitan and Phinks, and even Morin, are also in Yorknew City."
After acquiring Neon's ability, Chrollo immediately wrote prophecy poems for the members of the Phantom Troupe.
For those whose birthdays were unknown, no prophecy was made, but for the others, Chrollo provided predictions.
Unlike the dire situations in the original scenario, the Phantom Troupe currently had no relentless enemies.
If there were any, they were either too weak to pose a threat, merely harboring grudges in secret, or they had been completely eliminated by the Troupe, leaving no chance for revenge.
With the danger from Kurapika absent, their prophecy poems seemed much more mundane, mostly concerning everyday matters without any significant events. As a result, after a cursory glance, everyone went about their own business.
"That's perfect. I'll take Shizuku to meet the other members of the Troupe and introduce her," Franklin said, understanding his role.
As the older brother figure, he took the integration of new members seriously. Of course, if the new recruits were like Hisoka or Omokage, he wouldn't bother.
But Shizuku was different; Franklin didn't dislike her and even had a bit of affection, like an older brother looking out for a younger sister.
After arranging things with Franklin and Shizuku, Chrollo visited the elders' council. He routinely provided assistance to Meteor City's military forces before continuing his journey eastward alone.
"Is my target in the east?" he pondered, holding his prophecy poem, his gaze deep and contemplative. Before stealing Neon's ability, Chrollo had coaxed her into writing a prophecy poem for him.
Since the ability's restriction prevented him from predicting for himself or reading his own prophecy, he had Neon do it beforehand. The poem revealed two targets: one in his hometown and one in the east.
Chrollo's objectives were twofold: to recruit new members and to find an Exorcist to remove the Nen on the mummy. In his hometown, he found a suitable member, Shizuku, filling the vacant number 4 spot. So, the Exorcist he sought must be in the east.
Chrollo gazed towards the east, his steps unwavering as he embarked on his journey once more.
Inside the Greed Island game, Gon and the others successfully entered. With Ida's guidance, they learned about the different card categories, the use of the spellbook, and other game rules. They realized it was a card-collecting game to clear levels.
"Well, this won't be boring," Feitan remarked, hands in his pockets, looking out at the endless green plains. Upon entering the game, they were greeted by vast grasslands, the starting point of the game.
Besides the initial small hut, it was a field where veteran players often lurked.
"A world of games, huh? I wasn't sure what to play next outside," Feitan mused. "Might as well indulge in this world."
He assumed it was a virtual game world. Feeling the surveillance from a distant city, his fingers itched with anticipation. He had an urge to dismantle those watching them.
"Someone's watching us," Gon and Killua noted, sensing the observation after arriving on the plains.
"Ignore them," Phinks said disdainfully. "They're just a bunch of mice too scared to show their faces."
At that moment, all eyes turned upwards. They spotted someone approaching rapidly from the horizon. Soon, a figure landed with a "thud."
A slightly dark-skinned guy with headphones and curly hair appeared before them. He glanced around before fixing his gaze on Gon and the others, a disdainful smirk playing on his lips.
"This is the plains near the starting point. It's my first time seeing your game names, so you're newbies, huh?" he sneered. "Batara's hiring new players to clear the game again? How desperate."
Despite posing a question, his expression was one of certainty.
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