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Chapter 76 (2k)
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 14:44:18 +0000 UTCMorin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It really is the release date, isn’t it?"
Greed Island is a hunting game released in 1987, or this year, by Marilyn Corporation.
This game was created by Gon’s notoriously unreliable father, Ging Freecss, along with a few companions.
The group of developers infused nen into a hundred game systems. When the game starts, the nen activates and pulls players into the game world.
Even if the console’s power cord is unplugged, the game will continue running once players have entered.
The consoles themselves are indestructible, the game stops if a player dies, and the only way to leave is to find the exit port and use a card within the game to return.
The goal to clear the game is to place 100 specific cards into designated slots in the card collection book.
Players can use two types of magic commands, "Book" and "Gain."
All items obtained in the game can be converted into cards. To do this, simply hold the item, and it will automatically transform into a card.
If a player wants to use a card, they simply hold it and say "Gain," which will revert the card back into the corresponding item.
However, one must be cautious: once an item is reverted from card form using "Gain," it cannot be turned into a card again. To reobtain that card, the item must be acquired anew.
There are also restrictions such as card limits and other rules.
Additionally, keep in mind that if a card is not placed back into the book within one minute, it will automatically revert to its original item form and can never again transform into a card.
If a player dies in the game, all the information stored in the book and ring will disappear.
If a player exits the game and does not return within ten days, all the cards will vanish.
These are some of the rumors circulating within the gaming world and among hunters, including information Morin had gleaned from the storyline in his previous life.
In summary, this game was an imaginative, surreal "dream video game" created on an unknown island, using Nen abilities as the medium and cards as the carrier.
The known creators of this game are Ging Freecss (G), Razor (R), Elena (E), Ida (E), and Dwun (D), and List (L) in Island, along with eleven other companions who collaborated on its development.
The game's name, "Greed Island," is an acronym formed from the initials of the creators' names.
According to the information stored in Morin's memory, the game garnered around 20,000 pre-orders upon its release.
Shortly afterward, however, it disappeared from the market, leaving only scattered intelligence about it online.
"I remember the total number of units sold was 100, with a price tag of 5.8 billion Jenny?"
Inside the Folded House, Morin sat in front of his computer, browsing through online information.
"The release date was... June 1st?"
Morin lightly tapped his fingers on the table. "I recall that this year Gon will be born, on May 5th…"
In the storyline, Ging would go by the alias "Nigg" and take the newborn Gon to Greed Island.
He wanted to show his son the legacy he had built for him—or rather, the training ground he had prepared.
Yes, Ging's primary purpose for creating Greed Island was to provide a Nen-training environment for his son, Gon.
Every step in Gon's life had been carefully planned by Ging.
At age twelve, Ging guided Kite to Whale Island to set Gon on the path to becoming a Hunter.
Subsequently, Gon's Nen training was overseen by masters from the Hyskoa lineage.
Once Gon entered the world of Nen, he would discover the abnormality of Ging's recordings through Nen overlays, thus learning about Greed Island's existence.
After entering Greed Island and undergoing rigorous training and trials, Gon would grow significantly in his Nen mastery.
Following this, Kite would reappear and take Gon into the wilderness to teach him how to become a skilled Hunter.
Much like how Biscuit had trained Morin by traveling around the world.
In essence, Ging had gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure Gon's growth.
You might think Hunter x Hunter is about "Where's Dad?" or "A Thousand Miles to Find Father."
No—it’s about "Father's Master Plan" and "Everything Is Under Dad’s Control!"
Fatherly love, expressed in the most unexpected ways, helps you grow!!
But to build an entire island, orchestrate such a massive plan, and involve nearly 2,000 Hunters—all to provide a playground for the prince to study?
Not to mention how Ging's companions had spent over ten years of their lives tied up in Greed Island.
If it weren’t for the youth-sustaining pills on the island, Ging’s friends might have already cursed him to no end!
In fact, they might have started cursing him from the moment this plan began.
After all, Ging's capriciousness and shamelessness were legendary.
This also demonstrated the terrifying extent of Ging’s financial resources, influence, and intellect.
This man wasn’t just a whimsical father; he was a force of nature.
"Greed Island, huh?"
Morin rested his chin on his hands, deep in thought for a moment.
Then, a subtle and inscrutable smile spread across his face.
Click-clack.
His fingers flew across the keyboard.
Soon, a post appeared on the "Greed Island Pre-release Discussion Forum":
"Shocking! The soon-to-be-released 'Greed Island' game is actually a deadly murder game!!"
The "shocking" clickbait style made its first appearance in the Hunter world.
"Shocking? Did something big happen?"
"'Greed Island' is a murder game? What's this nonsense?"
"Are you sure this isn’t just exaggeration and fear-mongering? It sounds ridiculous."
"Using the word shocking, it must be something serious, right?"
"Where’s the report button? I want to report this post…"
Predictably, curious internet users, driven by skepticism, curiosity, or genuine interest, clicked on the post.
Inside, they found a lengthy article written by Morin:
"Greed Island is a real-life participation game that requires hundreds or even thousands of players to function."
"Why do the more powerful cards in the game have stricter limitations on their card count? Because they cost players' lives to create!!"
"Take, for example, the card [Breath of Archangel], which can heal even the gravest injuries. Why does it work? Because it’s powered by the lives of players who died in the game!"
A series of half-truths and exaggerated claims filled the post.
Was there danger in playing Greed Island?
Sure, but not as extreme as Morin described. He had only employed a bit of creative license to amplify the facts.
Greed Island was indeed a game of survival and hunting, created by Ging and his companions.
Like any game, it adhered to fundamental elements: players, rules, and victory conditions (the goal of the game).
These conditions also aligned with the requirements of Nen.
As for the three elements:
For the players, simply activating the game and entering Greed Island was an implicit agreement to the rule "death in the game is real death."
Using one's life as a prerequisite to play the game provided the "Resolve" necessary for the card effects to function.
As for the game creators' contributions to rules and victory conditions:
Victory was straightforward—collect all 100 designated pocket cards.
As for the rules:
Each card had a limit on how many could be turned into cards, varying levels of difficulty to obtain, irretrievable once used, reverting to an item if removed from the book for more than 60 seconds, no murder-focused cards, and certain cards involving missions where the creators served as NPCs…
All these meticulous and stringent conditions ensured the smooth operation of the game and allowed the three cards a victorious player could take out to retain their functionality in the outside world.
Morin subtly hinted at these details in his article.
While ordinary players and Nen users might overlook them, Ging's development team would undoubtedly notice.
Whoosh!
Even before Morin had finished typing, he noticed that his clickbait post had already disappeared.
"The fish took the bait."
Morin stretched his fingers and posted again.
This time, he didn’t use a clickbait title.
Instead, he simply wrote:
"Chat?"
No excessive wording, but he believed the intended recipients would understand his meaning.
Or rather, it wasn’t just someone behind a computer—it was someone within the computer.
As Morin awaited a response, his computer screen suddenly flared with a brilliant white light, infused with Nen. The glare was so intense that he could barely keep his eyes open!
Then, he felt as if the world were spinning, his brain reeling with dizziness!!
When Morin opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a peculiar, spacious area.
The entire space was awash in white, occasionally streaked with blue arcs, like flickering signals or currents of electricity.
"Where is this?"
Morin frowned slightly, his body instinctively tensing.
Aura and Nen began to flow naturally around him, coiling protectively.
This strange environment also seemed to confirm a theory forming in his mind.
"Rustle?"
A sound like flipping paper echoed through the space. Morin turned to look.
A strange figure with a scribbled face, sharp teeth, panda ears, and tiny eyes—its forehead marked with the letters "Pe"—was flipping through white cards or sheets in its hands.
On the cards, Hunter script formed the following message:
"Don’t worry. I brought you here under strict conditions that prevent me from causing you harm, so there’s no need to be on guard."
"Of course, you can’t harm me either."
Recognizing the figure and its communication method, Morin relaxed his guard slightly.
"So, you deleted my post because you wanted to chat?"
With a casual air, Morin sat down cross-legged on the floor, as though he owned the place.
The figure’s distinctive appearance and use of cards to communicate had left a deep impression on Morin.
This individual, though not prominently featured in the storyline, was highly intriguing.
During the election for the new Hunter Association chairman after Netero's death, this individual didn’t campaign but still ranked sixth in votes.
His votes were just behind Leorio, Pariston, Cheadle, Mizai, and Botobai, garnering immense respect from Hunters.
Despite having no interest in the chairman position, he was forced to give a statement at the election venue.
During his statement, he declared himself "not interested in being chairman," "a being from a different world
Instead, Morin sat down leisurely, as if he were the host.
The appearance of this individual, along with the way he communicated through flipping cards, left a deep impression on Morin despite the character’s relatively low presence and screen time.
During the Hunter Association’s election for a new chairman following Netero’s death, this person didn’t campaign or make any effort to gather votes, yet they ranked sixth among the candidates.
Their vote count was just below Leorio, Pariston, Cheadle, Saiyu, and Botobai, showing they had the support of a considerable number of hunters.
They had no interest in becoming the chairman of the Hunter Association and were still pulled into the top six, even forced to give a speech during the election.
During the speech, they claimed things like, “I don’t want to be the chairman,” “I’m not from your world,” and, “Ging, I still have to fight you for 300 rounds.”
They didn’t even attend in person but appeared on a computer screen, uniquely communicating their points by flipping cards.
This character, widely recognized among hunters and suspected to be a virtual being, went by the name...
“Ickshonpe, is that right?”
“You know me?”
Hearing Morin address them, the odd doodle-faced figure looked up at him.
Their hand continued flipping through the cards, and Morin noticed that hunter-language text slowly appeared on the blank cards, as if thoughts were directly being displayed on the paper.
“Ran into some hunters in the Association who mentioned someone like you,” Morin replied.
To gain so much support from hunters, this person was clearly no nobody.
“Is that so?”
The two words appeared on the card before the figure turned away, hands moving swiftly through the air.
Blue and white electric currents coiled around their fingertips before streaking into the distance, scattering in all directions.
