And he was rudely pointing his finger at everyone.
"He flew over here!"
"Is it a Nen ability?" Gon and Killua whispered to each other.
"It's not the work of Nen," Phinks said as he clenched his fist and stepped forward. "When this guy flew over, there was no Nen aura around him. Plus, if he were using Nen, he'd be at least a bit out of breath, but this guy isn't even breaking a sweat."
Feitan chimed in, "And he's holding a game book, which means he's a player too, ruling out the possibility of him being an NPC.
If he flew here, it's probably due to a card function from the game. After all, here, it seems like anything can become a card, so flying could easily be a card function."
As he spoke, Feitan and Phinks walked forward side by side. Well, not exactly side by side, given their height difference. Their gazes were calm, but Phinks' fingers began to clench.
The curly-haired man glanced at Feitan in surprise, then straightened up a bit, saying, "It seems you're a professional player too. But Greed Island is a game unlike any other!"
He fiddled with his card book for a moment, then looked up and said, "Phinks, Killua, Gon, and Feitan, right? All your pockets are empty. Newbies, I see!"
"How does this guy know our names?"
"Is it a card function like the flying one? A card that lets you know other players' names?"
Gon and Killua were learning to think critically, figuring out how to be competent players. They posed questions and answered them themselves.
"Heh, so what if you know?" The curly-haired man sneered, pulling out a card and shouting, "Use [Track], attack target—"
"Hey, hey, are you pretending we don't exist?" Phinks interrupted with a derisive laugh, his eyes suddenly sharp.
At that moment, the curly-haired man's face changed dramatically. "Such aura and killing intent... they're definitely not ordinary Nen users!"
Feeling the shift in Phinks' demeanor, the curly-haired man's heart filled with fear and shock. He wanted to activate a card to escape immediately, but in the next second, his body froze.
"Didn't expect that just arriving in this game world, someone would so easily come to us, providing us with information." Phinks, with his notorious neck-breaking hands, gripped the curly-haired man's throat, a sinister smile on his face. "We're really lucky!!!"
When did this happen...
Feeling the powerful hand on his neck, the curly-haired man felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, his body cold and stiff.
"So fast!!" Gon and Killua were also shocked by Phinks' speed and movements. In that split second, neither of them could react.
If that attack had been aimed at them...
Phinks and Feitan's moves wouldn't have been as gentle and painless as now. Gon and Killua calculated silently, coming to a heavy conclusion: they couldn't have dodged it!
"Are all members of the Phantom Troupe this strong?!"
Phinks' display of power shattered their previous understanding. They knew the Phantom Troupe was formidable, but not to what extent.
Even the only Troupe member they had met before, Morin, was not a standard for comparison. Morin's strength was too extreme, beyond any reference value.
Now, they had seen firsthand the true strength of a Phantom Troupe member!
"Wh-what...?"
The curly-haired man's eyes met Phinks', who looked at him as if he were an insignificant insect. The curly-haired man was terrified, his heart filled with dread.
"Aren't these guys supposed to be newbies? Why do they feel so terrifying!"
He failed to realize that being a newbie referred to being new to the game, not related to one's actual strength. Just because you're good at a game doesn't mean your real-world abilities improve.
The curly-haired man had played the game so long that his brain had become muddled, thinking that game abilities correlated with real strength.
Or perhaps he was overconfident, believing his familiarity with the game would give him an edge to escape safely?
Maybe against typical new players, but unfortunately for him, he encountered Phinks and Feitan, who wouldn't hesitate to kill.
"First, let me clarify, I'm not a professional player. I just dabble in game guides and magazines when I'm bored," Feitan said, pulling his hands from his pockets.
"Second, even if we are newbies, who told you that newbies can be bullied at will?"
"With such little strength, aren't you overestimating yourself?"
---
The curly-haired man, who always enjoyed bullying newcomers and robbing them of their cards, finally met his match. He desperately tried to pry Phinks' hand from his throat, but Phinks' arm was like iron, unmoving no matter how hard he struggled.
What worried him even more was that before he could close his card book, his throat was seized, rendering him speechless. This meant his card book was fully exposed, and he couldn't utter the incantation to retract it!
At this moment, he truly felt helpless, as if the sky and earth wouldn't respond to his cries for help.
"So this is your card book? Judging by your tone, you seem like a seasoned player. But looking at the number of cards you've collected, it's not impressive at all," Feitan remarked disdainfully after glancing at the open book.
Hearing Feitan's words, the curly-haired man felt a surge of frustration, but seeing Feitan blatantly examining his card book made him struggle even more. Was he finally being outsmarted after all his time preying on others?
By now, Gon and Killua had caught on and approached the curly-haired man.
"So that's how it works. Before the opponent retracts their card book, you can restrain them so they can't speak, and then you can plunder their cards!" Killua commented, hands in his pockets, nodding as if he had learned something new.
"Hmm? Oh right! It does seem possible!" Phinks said, initially startled by Killua's insight, then realizing the tactic.
Killua: "..."
Aren't you the one who grabbed his throat, stopping him from speaking? Why are you acting surprised?!
"Idiot..." Feitan couldn't be bothered with Phinks' antics. He knew Phinks' grip on the curly-haired man's throat was more out of habit from his killing style than a strategic move to seize cards.
Nevertheless, it inadvertently gave them a new approach.
In future battles, they could restrain opponents before they could use their card books, preventing them from speaking. This method of card robbery could be more straightforward and brutal.
In fact, this approach suited the Phantom Troupe's usual style perfectly. Want cards? Instead of playing the game honestly, why not just rob others for them?
"So, since you intended to attack us with a card, we won't be polite either. We'll be taking your cards," Feitan said, summoning his card book and smoothly starting his robbery.
Hearing Feitan's words and seeing his actions, the curly-haired man trembled even more violently. These cards were his years of hard work! Gone, all gone, just like that!
Killua watched Feitan's actions without objection. This curly-haired man was clearly someone who preyed on newbies, robbing them in the starter village. Such scum deserved a lesson, and Killua had no qualms about teaching them one.
Gon, though feeling this went against the spirit of the game, didn't object either. Despite his innocence, he wasn't foolish, and deep down, he had a rebellious streak. Since the man clearly intended them harm, Gon wouldn't speak up for him.
As Feitan transferred several cards from the curly-haired man's book, Killua seemed to remember something and asked, "Gon, didn't your dad leave you some cards?"
Gon replied honestly, "Not a single one."
Killua: "???"
What kind of father is that?! He only left a memory card and a ring, and nothing else?!
Well, Ging was never one to leave anything for Gon. He deliberately wanted Gon to experience the "start from zero" adventure on Greed Island!
Once Feitan had transferred all the cards to his own book, he said casually, "Alright, now tell us everything about this game."
Feitan knew that in a new place, information was crucial.
Hearing Feitan's question, Phinks released his grip on the man's throat. However, once freed, the curly-haired man didn't answer Feitan. Instead, his aura surged as he attempted to flee backward swiftly.
"Foolish!" Phinks sneered at his futile attempt to escape.
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