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254 HxH: Tombbound Power
🕑 Added 2024-12-11 06:02:01 +0000 UTC"If he really dares to come, I'll show him that there are things in this world far worse than death," Feitan muttered, his voice low and cold.
"Alright then~" Shalnark shrugged with a lighthearted smile. "Just be careful, okay?"
Shalnark knew Feitan and Phinks well enough to understand that once they'd made up their minds, there was little point in trying to dissuade them. The two had been stewing in frustration ever since the incidents with the mysterious man and the chain-user. Venting that pent-up rage might actually do them some good—and by extension, benefit the unity of the Phantom Troupe.
And who knows? Feitan and Phinks might even succeed.
The odds were slim, of course, but still worth considering.
"If anything happens at the beach, keep me updated," Shalnark called after them as they walked away. He then turned his attention back to the card book in his hands.
As the Troupe's think tank, he was trusted with organizing and keeping track of their collected cards.
"With the seven cards Feitan just handed over, that makes 16 total," Shalnark noted aloud, flipping through the pages. "That's not even one-fifth of the total we need."
"But hey, it's only been five days," Shalnark continued, glancing up at others, who was standing nearby. "At this pace, we could gather them all in less than a month~"
"Time doesn't work like that in games, right? Isn't it supposed to get harder the further you go?"
"Exactly," Shalnark replied with a grin. "At the start, it's easier to make progress. For example, the Capricious Remote and Fledgling Athlete cards we found are both B-rank and pretty straightforward to acquire. The rarest card we've found so far is only an A-rank, King White Stag Beetle. We haven't even touched any S-rank cards yet."
He sighed. "Later stages will be much tougher. Many S-rank and SS-rank cards have extremely strict conditions. If it were easy, someone would have cleared Greed Island by now, given how many pro players and Hunters have participated over the past decade."
Meanwhile, Gon, Killua, and Bisky had made slow but steady progress after months of training. Despite their strength and experience, even their team had only managed to gather 57 cards by the time they faced Razor.
Shalnark mused, "If it weren't for certain players underestimating Gon, they might have taken months longer to reach that point. It just shows how challenging this game really is."
Franklin's deep voice broke through the train of thought. "Some cards are exclusive, right? If certain players won't part with them willingly—"
A menacing glint flashed in his eyes.
"—we'll just take them."
"Aren't there already players out there who've been hoarding cards for years?"
Shalnark nodded. "There are definitely groups working together to dominate the game. One of the most notorious ones attracts newcomers to bolster their collection. It's likely the same group that was observing us when we first entered the game near the prairie."
Machi, leaning against a nearby wall, interjected. "Cowards. They didn't even dare to show their faces when we passed through."
"Exactly," Shalnark agreed. "But their strategy is paying off. They've caught up with the Genthru group, which currently holds the most cards. Word is, they're after rare SS-rank cards like Angel's Breath."
Franklin's grin widened. "Perfect. Let them do the hard work for us. Once they've collected most of the cards, we'll take them off their hands. Easy."
Shalnark chuckled. "Agreed. It's a solid plan."
The rest of the Troupe nodded in unison, their consensus aligning seamlessly with the ruthlessness that defined their group.
After the meeting, the members began to split off to pursue their individual interests. Machi, always practical, spoke up.
"I heard some of the cards here have interesting effects. I want to test a few."
She glanced at Shalnark. "The effects will disappear once we leave Greed Island, right?"
"Mostly, yes," Shalnark confirmed. "But some benefits might linger, depending on the card."
Machi's eyes sparkled faintly at the thought. "There's one card I'd love to try—Skin Care Hot Springs. It's supposed to fix any skin problems, leaving you as smooth as a baby after just 30 minutes."
"Not bad," Franklin quipped. "Though I'm guessing you're not interested in Roaming Ruby, the card that grants massive wealth but forces you to move every week."
"That sounds like a headache," Machi muttered flatly.
