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Chapter 136: Entering the Treasure Vault
Perhaps the wealthier and more powerful a person was, the more they feared death.
Ronin, however, had no intention of wasting breath on Petter Glam. He used the [Ninja Art: Mind Reading Technique] directly on the man. Since his search was solely for the Scarlet Eyes, the process was incredibly simple. A few minutes later, Ronin released his grip on Petter's head; he already knew exactly where the eyes were.
They were right here in the hotel.
"What do we do with this guy?" Kurapika asked, following closely behind Ronin.
"Aren't Shizuku and Neon almost here? They'll figure it out." Ronin knew Kurapika wasn't quite cut out for this kind of dirty work. It was better to leave the act of disposing of someone to the members with looser moral compasses.
"My assessment? He's completely worthless," Neon said, looking at Petter with a hint of disgust.
"Oh." A simple reply, accompanied by the swing of Shizuku's Blinky.
"Such a violent bunch," Neon muttered softly. "Hurry up. Don't let Ronin pack away all the good stuff."
She understood Ronin far too well. Given the opportunity, he would never just take the Scarlet Eyes; he'd pack up every last piece of Petter's collection and treasures. If she hadn't known about his past—and known he wouldn't outright murder people for their loot—Neon would genuinely think the Phantom Troupe should have recruited him right then and there. He would have thrived among them like a fish in water.
Shizuku glanced at Petter's corpse but decided against having Blinky suck it up. Instead, she quickened her pace to catch up with Neon.
A few black-suited security guards remained stationed outside Petter's vault. However, they were just ordinary men. Ever since Petter's continuous teleportations began, the Nen users left in the hotel to protect him had been completely separated from him.
Easily dispatching the guards, Ronin and Kurapika stepped into Petter's Treasure Vault.
Gold, silver, jewels, stacks of cash, and various art collections—the vault essentially had everything. But the most eye-catching section was a small area Petter had specifically cordoned off. It was filled entirely with human organs. From eyes, hearts, hands, and feet to heads, infants, and even men and women preserved in agonizing struggles.
"This guy... he's way crazier than Neon," Ronin sighed.
"And far more tasteless than me," Neon's slightly breathless voice came from behind Ronin. Her gaze also landed on the exhibition area. However, there was no passion in her eyes, only sheer disgust.
She had long since looked down on this method of collecting. Now, she preferred hunting for organs she liked herself and personally turning them into specimens for her collection. It would be even more perfect if she could pair them with a specific backstory for her artistic creations. It was just that the body parts capable of catching her eye were far too rare—things you could only hope to encounter by chance.
Especially since she couldn't just kill anyone who appeared to have perfect organs. She could only collect from her enemies, which significantly slowed down her progress. Still, she quite enjoyed the process.
"Want to take your pick?" Ronin's eyes scanned the room, quickly spotting the Scarlet Eyes.
But Kurapika beat him to it, reaching the spot first to carefully pick them up. Even though this wasn't his first time recovering a pair of Scarlet Eyes, Kurapika still struggled to control his emotions every time he saw them.
Ronin turned toward the jewelry and other treasures that could be exchanged for a massive fortune. However, Shizuku was faster. Before he could even manipulate Owl into bringing out the Fun Fun Cloth, Shizuku's Blinky was already inhaling everything in sight. By the time Ronin brought out the cloth, there was barely anything left for him to pack.
Piercing alarms had been blaring incessantly since they broke into the vault. It wouldn't be long before security personnel arrived. The Glam Clan wasn't just Petter, after all.
Seeing Shizuku vacuum up the vault's entire contents, Ronin simply put away the Fun Fun Cloth and led Kurapika and Neon out. Instead of heading downstairs, the group made a beeline for the roof. The Earth Style: [Super Light-Weight Rock Technique] didn't just allow Ronin to fly solo; it enabled him to carry his companions into the sky for an aerial escape.
Since the performance had taken place at night, virtually no one noticed their high-altitude departure.
Ronin's Shadow Clone was still with the Freak Show Troupe. After leaving his contact info with Abaki, the clone dispersed at the perfect moment, leaving the troupe members to flee swiftly down the hotel corridors.
While the security knew Petter's target was the Freak Show Troupe, Petter himself was likely dead now. Naturally, his affiliated guards cared far more about Ronin's group, who had robbed the vault, than bothering to intercept a fleeing circus troupe.
However, once the troupe left the hotel, some of the Royal Glam Theater's shady dealings would be exposed to the public. The only question was how many people would actually believe them.
Ronin didn't care about any of that, but he knew a small group like the Freak Show Troupe stood no chance of taking down the Royal Glam Theater. Royal Glam's reputation was well-established, whereas the Freak Show was an outcast troupe. Many had even said they were incredibly lucky to be selected to perform there. Leaving now and trying to smear Royal Glam would only be seen as the bitter ramblings of sore losers.
Things unfolded exactly as Ronin had predicted. As they secured the Scarlet Eyes and prepared to leave Glam Gas Land, news began spreading that the Freak Show Troupe had colluded with thieves to ransack the Royal Glam Hotel. However, since no one had captured the thieves' faces on camera, the public's focus inevitably shifted entirely onto the troupe.
By the time Ronin saw Abaki again, the Freak Show Troupe had disbanded.
"The Glam Clan has put a bounty on the Freak Show Troupe," Abaki said, her expression grim. "After all that, the troupe is finished again. Since I don't have any physical disabilities, I can dodge the bounty hunters with a little disguise, but the others won't have it so easy. Captain Norman insisted that splitting up was the best way to maximize everyone's chances of survival, which shot down my plans to help the others."
Ronin and Kurapika exchanged a look, both reading the deeper meaning in each other's eyes. Norman, that Centaur captain, probably didn't want Abaki tied down to the sinking ship of the troupe. Moreover, Norman was right to do so. The main targets drawing attention in the entire troupe would be the two Nen users: Norman and Abaki.
"So, what are your plans now?" Ronin asked.
As for inviting Abaki into their squad, Ronin didn't have that intention just yet. He hadn't fully figured out the specifics of her ability, and he knew even less about her character. If he truly wanted someone as a partner, he needed to understand them before making a call.
"I'm going to take the Hunter Exam and become a Hunter," Abaki replied, giving an answer that mildly surprised Ronin.
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