Happy Chapter Day everyone!
"Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise."
This month I've been celebrating/coordinating a handful of birthdays, and it had me reflecting on the way time has been passing. As I grow older, certain loves never waver. Including my writing. Especially for Sakura.
Rather than being my anchor for stagnation, she has become my inspiration for change.
Her strength and growth that showed you can become the best of yourself without losing yourself and the things that makes you-you. Flaws and all.
You can get updates on all of that on my Tumblr. Or type KATSURA369 (Find my socials)
Chapter 40
"We've already got 50 card types!" Gon exclaimed, high-fiving Killua and turning to do the same for Sakura. They were already at the halfway point after one month.
Gathering information, collecting cards, overcoming the game's obstacles and challenges, for most players, these arduous tasks were like work, and for Sakura, she thought of them as missions with one clear goal and no clear path to reach it. But Gon and Killua were not allowing her shinobi mindset to take hold of her daily events. The boys were quick to turn everything into a race, or some form of unnecessary competition that would distract from the main objective, or at least blur out any form of severity. Even though many of their quests were life-threatening.
They played it well, like they actually had save points and more than one life.
"The map is filling up quickly," Biscuit said, holding the parchment open, her eyes following the trail to their next destination.
"It will be more difficult from here on," Killua said. So far, most of the cards they gathered were A-rank or lower, and gathering information about S-rank cards and above was hard. There weren't many places willing to offer up that information without a high price tag, and players were even worse since they didn't have a built-in response system.
"We can't just throw Jenny at the problem anymore. We have to actually investigate, build networks, maybe even infiltrate player groups that have the information we need." Biscuit explained.
"Then what should we do now?" asked Gon.
Killua spoke. "The most reliable way is to use Guidepost to find the location of each card, and then we go there to ask around and gather information. I have another idea but…."
He paused, and Sakura saw a familiar gleam that set off warning bells in her mind.
"What?" Gon leaned forward eagerly.
Killua's face transformed into that cat-like grin that nearly made Sakura want to smack him preemptively. "We use Risky Dice, and if Perfect Luck comes out, we use Lottery to."
"No." Sakrua cut in.
Killua blinked, "What? I didn't even finish-
"You were going to say we use Lottery to randomly generate rare cards based on luck from the Risky Dice," Sakura interrupted, her green eyes hard and unwavering. "The answer is no."
"Come on!" Killua whined, his face shifting into a more childlike one. "The probability of rolling Perfect Luck is nineteen out of twenty!"
Gon was looking between them, a finger on his lip and his eyes glazed like he didn't know if he should step in or take a few steps back as his friends started to size each other up.
"I don't care about the statistics. We're not using the dice!"
"Then I'll throw it!"
"No! Do you remember what happened in Dorias with that guy at the slot machine?"
"It's not the same thing," Killua argued, baring his teeth.
"Are you sure about that?"
Perhaps finally realizing that they weren't going to be making it further on the map, Biscuit intervened, smacking both of them over the head so they'd be distracted by the throbbing pain of winning their deadlock argument.
"Enough, no risky dice, no talking, everyone run right now!"
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After thoroughly sifting through their spell cards and coming up with no further action beyond their current standings, the four hunters were left to brainstorm while returning to Masadora. The city was as bustling as ever, filled with players haggling at market stalls, groups forming with the constant undercurrent of competition. In the beginning, facing other players in settings like this would have them on edge, always waiting for someone to attack, but now that they have trained and learned the rules of the game, it was no different than taking a stroll through the streets.
"Why don't we just go around exploring the island?" Gon suggested as they walked through the market district.
"Because there's no way that's going to be a sufficient method for finding all the cards we need," Killua countered, holding up his finger. "We've already explored most of the accessible areas. The remaining cards are probably either in dangerous locations, held by other players, or locked behind challenges we haven't heard about yet.
Sakura chided, "Why don't we look at it like this? The creators would have designed this game with a purpose."
"Yeah…"Killua trailed.
"So let's work our way backwards." She gestured with her hands, "The only way to win is to collect all one hundred specified slot cards. But this game has been going on for years, over a decade, right? And it's not just some game. It has real risks."
"What are you thinking?"Biscuit asked, now curious about the angle the kunoichi wanted to take.
"Why did your dad invent this game, Gon?"
Slowing in his steps, Gon started to consider what the answer might be, convinced there was only one correct response, and that made him feel steam coming out of his ears. He didn't know his father's intentions until a few months ago; he didn't even know what his father sounded like. "I don't know."
"One of the purposes is that it forces you to get stronger as you progress. We've also had to be creative in gathering information."
Biscuit nodded, "Well, it is a game for hunters made by hunters, so it makes sense that they would need to be considerate of their abilities."
"But there might be more to it," Sakura said matter-of-factly, leaning closer down, "You are risking your life inside this game, you can't use the excuse of arriving late or early if you can't gather cards. That's the real currency of Greed Island."
While Gon was doing his best to keep up with this mental race, Killua wanted to call it to a halt. "Where are you going with this?"
"What if there are players who have gotten tired of it all? The rules, the risks, and just trying to achieve a goal that has been dragging them on for years? I'm thinking there are probably a lot of players in places like Masadora who started strong, collecting cards in their specified slots, but now are only interested in leaving the game and returning home. But they can't just reveal what kind of cards they have because that puts them at risk."
"It's very sad to be able to come here, but not be able to get a Leave card," Gon said. Though he had gotten less than half of what Sakura had explained, especially the finishing line she was trying to clear for them.
"That's why people say no one ever returns…."
Killua and Biscuit's expressions sparked with an epiphany; they looked at each other, pointing up and smiling. "That's it!"
Gon tilted his head, "What?"
"What would you do if you wanted to return to the real world, no matter what, and didn't have a leave card?" Sakura asked.
"Suppose the port in the west is dangerous, and you don't dare to go there?" Killua said.
Biscuit answered, "If it were me, I'd save money to buy a leave card."
"Then what if it turned out you get a super rare card at that time?" Sakura posed. Gon's head bobbed between the three like a ping pong ball.
"If it were me, I'd keep it," Killua said.
"Yeah, but if you trade it with someone who actually has a leave card…" Sakura trailed.
And that's when it finally clicked. There was a way for them to get more cards, without struggling through tasks, digging for information in every corner of the island, and repeating steps, going back and forth between lands with less than a five percent chance of gaining anything from the effort.
A more effective method, which would only be possible and fair with their newly achieved strength.
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Returning to Masadora, the first day, no one wasted time. Practically loitering around the card shop,watching players carefully. They divided themselves to reach for new players. These players came out of the store looking dejected or showing any signs of wanting to leave. Everyone had different approaches and deduced which person would be more likely to gain the players' trust, as that was still a huge factor in this game and their strategy.
At the end, they ended up with four more specified slot cards, for three Leaves. While they had extended all the leave cards, many of the items couldn't get into the binders and turned back into solid objects, which were now scattered in the center where the four sat.
"Our free slots are starting to get full; we have to rearrange and sort out what we have." Killua said.
Sakura leaned on her fists, legs crossed in front of her binder floating in the air. "Since there are four of us, we still have a few free slots. How about we divide out the spell cards?"
Biscuit turned her nose in the air, crinkling it, "I'm not using Spell cards."
"Why?"
"They're too confusing!"
"That sounds like something an old lady would say," Killua muttered, before ducking to avoid a soda bottle and a cat statue being chucked at him. "The hell! Don't get mad at me because you don't want to learn!"
It took a lot longer than it should've to sort out all of their cards and divide it up, but eventually the four were able to make the concessions to end that part of their day. However, there was still daylight to burn, and if they wanted to win the game, they wouldn't be idling.
Killua put his binder away last and stood up, dusting off his shorts, "So far, we've been avoiding other serious players, but we'll have to take risks to obtain rarer cards."
Sakura folded her arms. "Trade with them, you mean?"
He affirmed. But it was easier said than done, after all, those who were still looking to win this game meant that while they might be of benefit in attaining newer cards and even better, information about progressing in the game. It doesn't mean anything was going ot be for free, and money was not a useful currency when the winners were promised over a billion jenny. Even less so for seasoned hunters.
"I suggest we get all that we can ourselves and then negotiate with any players we meet along the way,"
"Assuming they don't attack us first chance they get, sure."
Gon put his hand over the amulet, "As long as we have this, it'll be fine."
Besides, if they didn't do any of this, then they would end up stuck in this game or leaving without accomplishing their goal, and it was pretty obvious that gon wasn't going to do that when greed island had been a clue left by his father.
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Of course, like most plans, the execution never ran as smoothly in practice as it did in theory. Many of the players still looked at their group and saw easy targets, with a lucky stock of cards. With the Paladin necklace, however, they were able to fight many of the players, and anyone who tried to get physical was dealt with just as easily. It still left a bad taste in their mouths, being underestimated.
Like when they were collecting the Favor Cushion card.
Killua kicked some dirt off his shoe, "Seriously, you can't let your guard down for a second with these slime balls."
"That's true, but Paladin's necklace is a rare item," Gon pointed out. Walking away nonchalantly through the tree-lines, no longer able to hear the moaning and grumbling of the players they had left down in the dirt, after they attempted to steal his necklace.
After the third attempted robbery, Sakura found herself getting increasingly frustrated. "Do we have a sign on our backs that says 'easy targets'?"
"With faces like these, might as well." Biscuit pinched her own cheeks.
"Say," Gon said suddenly, "the necklace can remove curses from anything I touch, right?"
Killua glanced over, curious about the direction of Gon's thinking. "It can undo them from the spell card."
"So I can't…" Gon pursed his lip, and his eyebrows furrowed in a way that worried his friends.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, moving closer.
"I was wondering about those villagers who took our clothes….the ones who were sick."
The villagers who claimed to be suffering from an epidemic, the villagers who they assumed were NPCs chained to some kind of event that would grant them a special item if they offered help, but instead ended up getting stripped and taken for most of their cash. Not the fondest memory of their novice entrance into Greed Island.
Gon held up the necklace, "What if we use this?"
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Backtracking on the map, they returned to the villagers' home in the forest. Where they were greeted kindly. The people were gathered together, sitting with their legs folded respectfully. All appeared to be in much better spirits than before, no more coughing or symptoms, and they were no longer suffering from an epidemic. They were lively and unsurprised when the four appeared again at the doorstep. They even caught sight of the one child wearing one of Killua's tops.
"It's a lot to ask, but will you trust us with your lives?"
One of the villagers approached them, an elder, "Just as you helped us before, and asked for nothing in return, we believe in you."
That's when they all vanished into the smoke, appearing as single cards that fluttered onto the ground, labeled Sick Villages.
Gon picked it up and activated the necklace. Everyone watched as the card changed and morphed, now showing a new image and a new headline. "Healthy Villagers."
After Gon had used his necklace on all of the cards, they turned them back into 'items'. It was then that they brought out a reward for the group.
The village elder smiled at them with deep warmth. "The game's creators designed our village this way intentionally. We exist as a test not of strength or cunning, but of character. Many pass through with the power to help us, but few do so."
"Will you be okay now?" Gon asked with genuine concern.
"We are truly healed," the elder assured him.
As they prepared to leave, the villagers gathered to see them off, waving and calling out thanks. Children ran alongside them to the village border, their healthy faces glowing.
"You know," Killua said, "most players would have used the Paladin's Necklace for verifying trades and avoiding scams. Leave it to you, Gon, to find a way to cure an entire village with it."
"Thank you so much. This treasure has been passed down for generations. Please accept it as a token of our gratitude." What the elder held in his hand was a jewelry box with a purple gem that had Biscuit's eyes sparkling at the clear cut and sheer beauty.
When it turned into a card, Gon held out the Wild Luck Alexandrite. Specified slot 75.
"Alright!"
"Cha!" Sakura jumped, fist pumping the air.
When Gon placed the Wild Luck Alexandrite card into his binder, that familiar chime hit their ears, and a mechanical voice notified them.
"Another player has Cast contact on you."
"There's a lot of people who are looking at players carefully," Killua said, his eyes scanning their surroundings. His posture had shifted subtly into something more guarded.
"Talk about timing," Sakura muttered, "Someone's been tracking our progress."
Gon opened his binder to accept the contact, and a voice crackled through, "This is Kazsule," the voice said. "I'd like to talk to you. Can we meet in person?"
Gon glanced at Killua and Sakura, then back down at his binder. "About what?"
There was a brief pause. "Some people are close to clearing the game. It's a three-man team, led by someone named Genthru."
That information wouldn't have been of much concern. Other players reaching out for the same finish line was to be expected, and competition was an obvious part of the design. However, the individuals in question were what had them drawing in a quick breath through their mouths.
Sakura frowned, mouthing 'The bomber,' to her friends who were looking equally taken aback by this development. It threw out any reservations they had about this meeting.
"Alright, we'll meet you."
They were given the details of the location to meet. When the binder shut and vanished, the four of them looked between each other. The celebratory mood gone.
"Alright, now what the heck," Killua said. His arms crossed over his chest.
"You heard him," Sakura said, touching the back of her neck. "The Bomber's close to clearing the game."
"Do you think they know that he's the Bomber?" Gon asked.
Killua shook his head, "Probably not. With the way his power works, t wouldn't be to his advantage to show off that title publicly."
"And anyone who ever knew his identity ended up dead," Sakura added grimly. "Are you sure you want to have this meeting, Gon?"
The boy nodded. Clenching his fists. "I want to hear what they have to say, and we can also warn them."
Hey, love
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