Who knows how many people still remember the clone being left on the Dark Continent.
That was a white-haired clone. In Saiki Kusuo's memory, the only thing left about him was that he preferred to speak out loud rather than use telepathy. The difference between a clone and the main body was small to begin with, especially since this one was only one position away from him.
In the original world over there, the Hunter x Hunter comic hadn't updated to the part where the ship reaches the Dark Continent, so even Saiki Kusuo found it hard to figure out the real reason Illumi disappeared.
"Less than half a year after you left, big brother, the Kakin Empire sent out invitations for a voyage, aimed at the East Path on the Dark Continent. Many skilled Nen users got invites, including the Zoldycks."
Even with the president still alive, they went ahead with it. Turns out Kakin Empire was behind it.
Milluki flipped through old files and explained: "It was a massive ship shaped like a whale. Lots of people boarded. Big brother left behind some intel on The Phantom Troupe being on it."
Why does he know this kind of info? Illumi didn't get a spider tattoo, did he?
"We know so little about the Dark Continent. Just this... this... ah, you must have seen it all when studying Nanika!"
Yeah, no one cared more about Dark Continent info than the Zoldycks.
"Anyway, that's all the intel. What happened on that ship is unknown."
Milluki finished reading the organized files.
That's like saying nothing at all.
Saiki Kusuo covered his mouth and thought. So the main plot happened somewhere completely unknown to outsiders. In that case, yeah, he should just head straight to the Dark Continent and check it out.
"Bro, if you're really going back, actually, lately the family budget issue got settled. I found Killua and Alluka playing over there. This time Mom went out herself to grab that kid Killua... Huh? Big bro? Hey— are you still home?"
A small note in the corner of the room sent the voice to another room.
In the changing room, Kort finally got himself dressed up and sorted out a matching women's kimono set. Hearing the voice from the note, he paused for a long time, then put the women's kimono away.
"Brother... are you not staying anymore."
"I wanted to spend more days together."
...
Dark Continent.
Man, the scenes have been switching fast lately.
Saiki Kusuo opened his eyes and looked up.
The spot was one he'd been to before, where he'd once killed a giant beast. The Dark Continent was huge; the places he'd visited were just a few spots.
When Saiki Kusuo looked up, though, the scene in front of him had nothing to do with gloom, darkness, danger, or fear.
What the heck? Why...
Was he seeing a city?
Though it was an empty, deserted city.
He quickly sensed he was inside a grid square. The Dark Continent was divided into many parts. Just looking at the sky showed huge grid lines spread across it. Each big square matched the land below, and one was about the size of Yorknew City.
The sky was still a bit pink. After staring for a while, he could see through to the real gray sky of the Dark Continent outside.
Saiki Kusuo looked around and thought. This must be the game world the clone made, that Greed Island, Dark Continent version.
After all, the streets were so clean, with walls like those in Japanese residential areas on both sides. It felt just like something the clone made from memory. Should he force his way out? No, better not alert anyone. There were mind voices here too, so maybe people from the whale ship made it here. Anyway, first find some people...
Was that behind the wall over there?
Saiki Kusuo looked over and saw a fluffy head poking up from the one-and-a-half-meter-high wall.
Then, a black tentacle gripped the top of the wall. The sticky thing gave off a dark vibe. Saiki Kusuo scowled as that thing climbed step by step toward him.
"Huff... wel... come... to... the... the... the... ga... ga... game..."
Not only gross, but it stutters too?
What the hell is this thing anyway? Crawling out of the city set like this!
"No... vice... ma... p..."
Did it mean novice map, like a maze?
"Grid... pass... box... cage... take over."
He couldn't understand it at all.
He couldn't read its mind. This thing must be controlled, no individual awareness.
The tentacle blob wriggled its body in a somersault roll, then slithered along the shady side down the other wall.
Saiki Kusuo stared at the wall for a bit.
Behind the wall was pitch black, like a swamp. Compared to that, which side was safe to go was obvious.
Since it was a maze, there were lots of forks. Saiki Kusuo hadn't walked far when he hit an eight-way intersection. Don't ask why eight paths; more importantly, as he stood at the crossroads and just decided to go left, someone burst out from a nearby path.
The guy was super fast, turning into a black shadow. In the moment he brushed past Saiki Kusuo, he leaped onto the wall beside him. After a brief stare, Saiki Kusuo's neck got poked by an umbrella tip.
A very familiar scene.
Do we always have to meet like this, Feitan?
Feitan seemed puzzled too.
"Who are you, where from, what group."
Ah, right now he's in female form. Feitan doesn't recognize him.
"We already searched this area before. How did you hide from us? You've got three seconds to answer."
[Just got here.]
"How?"
[No idea.] No way he's spilling instant teleport right away.
Feitan narrowed his eyes, looking impatient: "My umbrella tip can easily break through these maze walls."
But my body's harder than Nitinol. Saiki Kusuo thought silently.
The umbrella's aura grew sharper, the Nen on it almost turning solid.
Feitan was thinking about killing him.
Saiki Kusuo subtly worried: if that umbrella tip drops and breaks, what then?
He wouldn't have to pay for it, right.
"How far have you walked here."
Who keeps track of how many meals they've eaten? But if it's distance, from the "spawn point" to here, about 1868 meters.
"Whatever, the boss can deal with you." Feitan flicked his umbrella and irritably slashed through the wall beside them.
"Walk behind me. Don't let me see any funny moves."
Normally in this situation, don't they make the suspect walk in front?
But Feitan looked really pissed, so Saiki Kusuo stayed quiet.
Feitan: [This guy better not make us stay here another day. I'm sick of running around this place.]
They sound exhausted. Did they get lost in the maze?
Well. If there's a chance later, better ask that question.
Did Illumi really join the Troupe? He really wanted to know.
In the city center, there was a square. In the middle was a huge fountain, and around it, four people were sitting or standing, hanging out. Feitan and Saiki Kusuo came out from a side alley. Before they emerged, all four looked up toward the entrance.
Everyone was surprised by the person following Feitan.
"The sun's about to set. How far did she walk?" Chrollo asked.
"No idea, not the same path as mine," Feitan said.
"Aren't you going to introduce?"
"No time to ask yet."
After a few chats, the Troupe all focused on him.
Saiki Kusuo looked up, seeing this band of thieves again after so long.
Machi, Chrollo, Feitan, Nobunaga, Phinks.
Saiki Kusuo knew what they were thinking.
What Feitan didn't ask earlier, they could now.
[Wait, I have a question.] Saiki Kusuo spoke first.
Chrollo seemed surprised, but he smiled lightly and gestured politely: "Go ahead." [Doesn't seem like much value. If she listens, we keep her. If not, we handle it.]
Saiki Kusuo: ...
This guy says one thing to your face, another in his head.
The Troupe had been in this area for a while now. Saiki Kusuo thought a bit and decided to start there.
[I really just got here, but my ability makes breaking the maze easy. I promise you...]
"Snort." Feitan laughed again.
Why again? Because that snorting laugh sounded familiar.
"If you're not super clueless, I believe you just arrived. After all, if you'd been here five days like us, no one would miss it."
Chrollo scooped water from the fountain into a cup and took a sip to wet his throat.
Saiki Kusuo had already heard the next part from their minds, so he wasn't worried.
"You don't seem curious about my answer."
I'm not, but the audience is. Hurry up and spill.
Chrollo: [She seems to be talking, but her chest isn't moving. Am I seeing things?]
Staring at a woman's chest is really rude.
"What kind of game do you think this is?"
[Isn't there an NPC to explain the rules?]
"At first we heard the NPC intro too and thought it was a maze game. Five of us spread out and explored the map till night."
"Every sunset, the game resets at that point. Everyone got different percentage info."
"After a few days, we realized it's not a simple maze game."
[It's more like a grid-based conquest mini-game. Your team needs to claim over 50% of the area to own it. Then you get territory rewards.]
[The fountain behind us tells us these rules. Each area only gets one question to the fountain per day, and it only answers game rules or past events.]
Chrollo kept all that in his head.
"If I say I have info you want, will you join us? That's one way for you to leave alive."
Did this guy really lose two spider legs, so now he's inviting anyone?
Too bad, you said your superpowers, but I heard them all. That leverage is nothing.
With Saiki Kusuo silent, the others just thought he was hesitating and relaxed on their own.
Nobunaga sharpened his sword and said: "But boss, I feel like the scoring's off. Phinks and I took similar paths yesterday, but he got a full 10% more than me."
"Yeah, for the detailed rules, we still need to test as we go."
Phinks: "Maybe it's aura? I'm big and strong... I'm serious."
"If that's it, I'd have plenty too. But it conflicts." Feitan added.
"Maybe you just run faster?"
"The day before yesterday Phinks used Round, maybe that's a factor?"
"Who knows."
...
As they chatted, the sun slowly set.
Saiki Kusuo's presence was like a bubble, optional. The spiders ignored him until the sun really dropped, half-swallowed by distant mountains. Then a notification sounded in each of their heads.
Saiki Kusuo's telepathy caught everyone's share.
Feitan: [15%.]
Pretty fast.
Phinks: [13%? Not as much today. What's wrong? My paths were the same.]
Eh, already second place.
Machi: [10%.]
10% each?
Chrollo: [3.1%.]
Hey, that's weak. Even bothered with a decimal, rounds to zero, right?
Nobunaga: [7%.]
Saiki Kusuo soon got his own share.
[51.9%.]
Saiki Kusuo: ?
What the hell is the scoring rule.
The sky's color changed suddenly. The setting sun vanished. The sky, dyed red by sunset then turning gray-black, suddenly turned bright pink, like early morning.
Why?
Many in the group were still staring at the sky in confusion when a message hit their minds.
[Your lord has changed to player: Saiki Kusuo.]
[Please assist Lord Saiki in defending this land and seizing others' territories.]
Saiki Kusuo's eyes widened like he'd heard a horror story.
But it was too late. The Phantom Troupe members were already looking around.
"Hey, that name we just heard, I didn't mishear it, right."
"That guy's here? Tsk, yeah, if it's him, teleporting would make it easy to sneak past our searches and claim this place."
Saiki Kusuo let out a breath.
Good, just the name appeared. No one realized the harmless girl in front of them was that Saiki Kusuo.
Great, wonderful...
But as if mocking him, a special chess piece started forming in the sky. It slowly descended, heading straight for Saiki Kusuo's palm.
Lord's chess piece. Holder gains control over everyone's rights, laws, life and death decisions, etc., in the territory.
And so the piece landed in Saiki Kusuo's hand.
Five pairs of eyes locked on him. Saiki Kusuo wanted to wipe sweat.
Chrollo's eyes gleamed, staring at Saiki Kusuo with deep thought.
"Friend, care to give your name?"
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