After leaving Meteor City—
Ron and Sheila decided to take a break and have dinner. They chose a shop at random, eventually finding one that was neither full nor empty—just the right number of customers to avoid attention.
Fortunately, Ron had saved more than enough money to support their daily needs.
Upon noticing the unfamiliar faces, the chef's eyes twitched for a brief moment. A faint spark flickered in his pupils before he greeted them enthusiastically.
"Welcome to my ramen restaurant! What would you like to order?"
Ron noticed the subtle reaction but ignored it, having half-expected something like that. Instead, he calmly picked up the menu and began scanning through the options.
"I'd like to order your large specialty: two dine-in and one takeout."
The chef smiled.
"Coming right up..."
While cooking, he hummed a rhythmic sound repeatedly.
Morse code.
Ron almost laughed out loud.
Did they think he wouldn't notice?
To others, it looked like the chef was simply enjoying himself, but he was secretly sending a coded message.
Once the message was delivered, the customers dining behind left the shop.
After a few minutes—
A girl with long purple hair wearing reading glasses entered the shop. Her eyes briefly darted toward Ron, a faint glint reflecting in them before she calmly took a seat beside him.
Ron remained indifferent. Sheila, however, gave her a subtle glance, silently noting her behavior and appearance.
The chef greeted her with a wide grin.
"Rize, welcome. The usual?"
She replied evenly,
"Yes. One large bowl with extra toppings."
Hearing this, the two of them sneered inwardly at her clumsy act.
Asking for the "usual" while giving a specific order—how obvious could they be?
Once the chef finished preparing their food, he placed two bowls of ramen on the table and packed the other for takeout.
"Here's your order... Enjoy."
Ron and Sheila ate at an unhurried pace, as if completely oblivious to the intentions surrounding them. Despite being subtly encircled, neither of them felt afraid, even if a fight were to break out.
After finishing the remaining soup, Ron pushed his bowl aside and glanced at the girl. Seeing that she had barely touched hers, they stood up and left shortly after.
***
Ron booked a single room and used his En to check for hidden wiretaps or security cameras.
After confirming the room was clear, he finally spoke.
"It's safe for now, Sheila..."
Sheila let out a sigh of relief as she recalled their earlier conversation.
***
"An internal conflict? What's your basis for that?"
Ron simply laid out the facts and allowed her to draw her own conclusion.
"Even for me, it would take time to locate the kidnappers. Their operation was concealed, and they acted cautiously.
So how do you think I was able to identify their location so quickly? "
Sheila pondered for a moment. Then, realizing something, she gasped.
"By using the clues that led to their operation!"
Ron nodded lightly.
"Exactly.
A high-level group wouldn't make such a rookie mistake unless they were deliberately trying to mislead me—but that's unlikely. So why do you think I was able to figure them out? "
Sheila hesitated before answering.
"Because... someone leaked the information?"
Ron looked at her with approval, satisfied with her comprehension.
Sasuga Pariston-sama!
"Correct... And someone capable of leaking classified information is most likely a high-ranking member of the same organization.
So I suspect that after we leave MeteorCity, we'll run into a lot of trouble along the way."
***
Seeing her gloomy expression, Ron explained.
"They were testing us earlier by deliberately leaving clues to observe our reaction.
Sheila, you're still young. Don't dwell on what you can't do—focus on what you can.
Some things require extreme thinking to completely outsmart someone, and flaws were only visible in those small things. However, if you focus on everything, you will lose sight of what's important.
Anyway, the fact that you understood my intention is already praise-worthy. Don't overthink it."
Hearing this, Sheila felt a wave of relief. Unconsciously, a thin smile formed on her lips.
So he had been paying attention all this time? And here she thought he was insensitive...
Sheila clutched the bedding, and a sudden realization hit her. She glanced at Ron, then back at the bed, her mind racing back and forth.
Ron noticed her inner turmoil and assumed she was uncomfortable sharing a room.
"We're only using one room to reduce the area of surveillance.
Starting from now, a number of assassins might come our way. We are dealing with people with supernatural powers. To avoid any potential issues, I'll be keeping an eye on you."
It sounded reasonable.
The way he delivered it, however, was just...
"Why do you look so disappointed?" he asked.
Disappointed!?
Sheila wanted to refute it, but the words wouldn't come out. Still, she managed to ask,
"Are we going to sleep in the same bed?"
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"No, why should we? You are going to use that bed. As for me, I will stand guard. I don't need to sleep."
Sheila was a bit taken aback. Should she be grateful? Or frustrated?
She doesn't know.
Still, Sheila felt moved a little and thought Ron was considerate. If it were otherwise, they might take advantage of her, so it's normal to be vigilant.
In reality, Ron didn't truly need sleep; he had only booked the room to save money.
Despite possessing billions, his funds were primarily meant for little Machi—but now, a different girl was reaping the benefits.
He wasn't a cheapskate by any means, but it was wiser to keep spending to a minimum.
So he wouldn't do anything to make her angrier. Ron knew he could only accelerate things until the HunterExam was over, to appease his feisty cat.
Sheila lay down on the bed, turning her back to him, while Ron settled into a chair to rest.
His actions seemed casual, but in truth, he had stealthily extended his range with a 500-meter radius around them, silently monitoring their surroundings.
The enemies wouldn't notice unless they used Gyo—but that was unlikely for fourth-rate Nen users.
Only a powerhouse like Shadow Beast could detect it using Gyo.
The chances were slim, but Ron hoped they would come. Among the ten ShadowBeasts, Owl was the most formidable—but he hailed from a different continent, so their encounter was unlikely.
After a few hours—
Ron noticed subtle movements on the lower floor. Someone had set up an ambush, likely intended to provoke a man-to-man confrontation—Ron pretended not to sense anything. Although the intense movement was hard to ignore.
Anyway, to bypass his En, one would need an ability similar to PerfectPlan or God'sAccomplice, something humans couldn't replicate, as it required the natural trait of a chameleon, so there is less threat.
When the night reached its peak, multiple individuals began to move nearby. Judging by their swift movements, they were slightly weaker than the average GreedIsland players.
"Oh, they're finally here."
Ron remained perfectly still, conjuring a new scalpel in his hand. He spun it around his fingers, pinching the handle like he was spreading cards.
The single scalpel multiplied—first into five, and then after two more rotations, the total reached fifteen.
Using In, he hurled them horizontally at blinding speed. The scalpels scattered from multiple directions, passing through their heads without touching any obstacle.
Outside the hotel—
Every assailant collapsed to their knees; the scalpels vanished as they pierced their brains, leaving a pond of blood.
They were just canon fodder. Ron had half-expected the Zoldycks to show up if the ShadowBeast couldn't finish the job.
He wasn't afraid of them—but it was a hassle. He didn't want to reveal his abilities at this early stage.
So, if the ShadowBeast appeared, Ron planned to hire the Zoldycks to eliminate the Dons. Though the target was just an independent fruit, he figured it was better to remove the whole tree, roots and all.
***
Back in the underground—
Rize returned, walking down the stairs, her voluptuous hips swaying with each step. A faint trace of disappointment lingered on her face.
As she opened the door, the first person she saw was her subordinate, Ken, already inside, waiting for her return.
Noticing her expression, he asked with a sly grin,
"How was it?"
Rize sat down and replied,
"He's nothing special at all. I purposely tested their analytical skills earlier; he didn't react as expected. We were hoping for much more."
Ken only smiled knowingly, unconvinced by her conclusion. It wasn't that he distrusted her judgment—he simply believed she miscalculated.
"Heh! Was that really the case?" he chuckled.
Rize frowned.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
Her subordinate had grown arrogant lately, but given his past successes, she let it slide.
Ken remained cryptic.
"Perhaps he was aware of your intentions and deliberately pretended not to know anything."
Rize arched an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Ken kept his mysterious smile.
"Their report should be arriving soon—oh, speaking of the devil."
By his calculation, the communication device in his hand vibrated slightly. There was no sound, but the pattern of vibrations clearly spelled out Morse code.
After reading the message—
He turned to Rize, a wide smirk spreading across his face.
"See? I just received information from our henchmen.
According to them, the assassins they sent were already dead before they even reached the hotel."
Rize's expression shifted from disbelief to horror.
"Then, does that mean..." she trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Ken shivered at the implication.
"You finally get it. Our usual method involves scouting the place first, then sending assassins for the kill.
Striking decisively like this probably means he had surveillance set up and chose to eliminate them preemptively."
Rize tried to process it, but the picture wasn't fully clear. She felt dumbfounded and asked for clarification.
"I don't understand... why would he kill them beforehand? What if he wasn't the intended target?"
Ken shook his head.
"He knows, even if not. Killing doesn't involve him directly; he suspected we were behind the operation and remained cautious.
Since your earlier judgment concluded he's nothing special, if he secretly eliminated the assassins, the killings wouldn't be associated with him.
We don't have direct evidence and would simply chalk it up to coincidence, or perhaps someone might be secretly protecting them.
Also, there's another possibility. They are smoking out a rat within."
Rize nodded repeatedly, processing the explanation.
"I get it... But this doesn't concern us, right? The problem falls on those who sent the killers after him.
We're only waiting for the results; it doesn't matter who wins, our goal will be achieved."
Ken nodded in agreement.
"Let's hope they send more…"