Chapter 86: A True Rookie Player
Staring at the unfamiliar scene before him, which resembled the initial login interface of an online game, Mord stroked his chin.
The journey from Yorknew City to Greed Island had taken only an instant.
It must have used some kind of marker as a guide—both the Greed Island game console and Greed Island itself.
Even so, this ability was incredibly overpowered.
It was essentially an alternative Flying Thunder God technique spanning the entire world, or more accurately described as a teleportation array.
The strength of Ging and his group was truly unfathomable; they were practically among the top tier of this world.
As Mord walked forward along the passage, a white-haired loli wearing a futuristic-style electronic helmet and seated in a tech pod spoke up: "Welcome to the world of Greed Island..."
"You are... Mr. Mord, correct?"
"Shall I now begin explaining the game mechanics? Would you like to listen, Mr. Mord?"
Mord nodded.
The white-haired loli continued: "In this game, anyone wearing a ring like the one on your hand can use two types of spells: [Book] and [Gain]."
"Please extend the hand wearing the ring and call out [Book]."
The ring and the verbal incantation—these were the constraints.
"!" Mord declared.
In the next moment, Mord clearly saw Nen flowing out from the ring on his finger, materializing into a massive book.
"In the game, you can convert all obtained items into cards. This book is for organizing those cards." The white-haired loli raised her hand and continued explaining. "The goal of this game is to complete this book. Please open to the first page."
Mord opened the book. The first page was completely empty, without any cards.
After all, when a player dies, all data is lost.
"No cards have been placed in the book yet. Each slot is printed with a number, and only cards with matching numbers can be placed in their corresponding slots. These are called designated pockets."
The white-haired loli paused, likely waiting for Mord to digest this information.
Although Mord was already thoroughly familiar with these rules, he patiently listened to the white-haired loli's explanation.
One must remember—before his transmigration, as a die-hard Hunter fan, he had collected a full set of Greed Island card merchandise.
"...Now please continue flipping through the book."
After slot number 99, the numbering stopped.
"These unnumbered slots are called free pockets. There are forty-five free pockets, and they can hold cards of any number."
"Placing one hundred cards into their designated slots... that is the condition for clearing the game."
Afterwards, the white-haired loli explained to Mord how to turn items into cards and how to revert cards back into items.
Then came some precautions.
The rules were numerous.
Mord listened, comparing and verifying each one with his previous memories.
"Alright, that covers the most basic rules. For specific information, please search for it yourself after entering the game. Good luck."
"Please go down the stairs over there, and you can begin the game."
Mord glanced at the stairs ahead, took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped and turned to look at the white-haired loli.
"You've been here day after day, year after year, doing the same thing. Don't you get bored? Have you ever thought about doing something else with the rest of your life?"
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked away.
The white-haired loli stared blankly at Mord's retreating figure. No one had ever asked her that question before.
How long had she been working as a GM here? She could hardly remember.
It must have been ten years now.
...
The starting point for Greed Island players was a small tower.
Stepping out of the tower, an endless expanse of grassland stretched before his eyes!
As soon as Mord arrived at the grassland, he sensed someone watching him from a certain corner—and not just one person.
Standing beneath the tower, Mord narrowed his eyes slightly. There were three people in total, each from a different direction.
The grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, with no sign of any village.
Maintaining surveillance required significant physical and mental effort. For one person, it was extremely taxing. Even with two people taking turns, they would typically choose a location not too far from a village.
At such a distance, their hostility was as obvious as a flame in the darkness—these people were the worst of the worst.
Let's see which unlucky fool has such bad luck.
Relying entirely on instinct, Mord casually chose one of the directions and began walking.
After walking for some time.
Mord suddenly sensed a surge of aura rapidly approaching him from above. He looked up—it was coming from the sky!
Snap!
A sphere of light enveloped in Nen energy swiftly descended in front of Mord. As the light dissipated, the figure of a middle-aged man appeared.
"This place... is it the adjacent plain?" The middle-aged man glanced around, then pointed at Mord. "So, you're a newbie playing this game for the first time, right?"
Mord didn't respond, staring at him as if he were an idiot.
The middle-aged man didn't notice Mord's gaze because he was looking down his nose at him. In his view, the moment he took out his collection book and Mord showed no reaction, he had already sentenced Mord to death.
He really is a complete newbie—he doesn't even know to take out his collection book for defense. No, this rookie probably doesn't even know what spell cards are.
The middle-aged man laughed triumphantly in his heart. He glanced at the list of encountered players in his collection book: Mord.
"Is something particularly funny?"
"Yes..." the middle-aged man replied instinctively, then suddenly realized something was wrong. Why did a voice suddenly come from behind him?
He looked up and saw that the young man who had been standing ten meters away had vanished.
When did he get behind me?!
Why didn't I notice anything at all!
!
What a terrifying guy! The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with sheer terror. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled out a [Return] card, ready to flee.
But he found himself completely unable to speak.
His throat was tightly gripped, and he was on the verge of suffocation.
Mord showed no mercy, lifting him up by the neck with his left hand as if handling a chick.
"Alright, before I change my mind, hand over all the cards from your collection book."
"If you understand, blink."
Driven by the will to survive, the middle-aged man blinked frantically.
"Remember, don't try any tricks. I can take your life before you even utter the name of any spell card. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try." Mord released his grip, and the middle-aged man dropped from mid-air, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Huff, huff, huff—
The middle-aged man gasped for air. He had entertained some sneaky thoughts, but in that moment, the killing intent Mord had unleashed left an indelible mark on his psyche, one he would carry for the rest of his life.
He couldn't muster even a shred of resistance now. Nothing was more important than staying alive.
Besides, it was just a game.
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