Misty came over with a small bag of food in her hands.
"Misty, just you? Where are the others?"
"Nina and Machi are at the inn. I came down to buy some food," Misty answered. She looked up at Ron. "Big brother, are you finished with your business?"
"Not yet," Ron shook his head, "but it doesn't matter if I pause for a short while. Take me to where the two of them are—I have something to discuss with you."
"Alright."
Misty led Ron into the inn. The one who had attacked Misty earlier was still embedded in the wall, already a corpse. It was a long time before an NPC discovered the body and pulled it down. No one avenged him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Misty knocked on the door.
Nina opened it. "Misty, why did you take so long? Weren't you just buying some snacks?"
The next moment her pupils shrank, and her face lit up in surprise. "Brother!"
Machi also came over. "Captain."
Ron entered and sat down on the sofa. "I came this time because I have something to tell you."
As he finished speaking, a thought stirred, and several cards appeared in his hand.
"Big brother, what are those?" Nina asked.
Ron glanced at Machi. "These aren't Greed Island cards—they're Zodiac Cards. Machi, you should remember them."
Machi nodded. The memory wasn't old, and killing the Ten Dons had been a long-cherished wish of hers. There was no way she could easily forget the process.
"I'll give you a brief explanation," Ron said. "First, everything I'm about to tell you is top secret within our team. Not a single word can be leaked."
"In the Underworld Mafia, I obtained a Nen spirit. I've since modified it. This Nen spirit can generate cards with special abilities." He lifted one.
"These cards have five basic abilities: Communication, Magnet, Accompany, Return, and Storage.
Communication allows the holder to contact other cardholders.
Magnet and Accompany function similarly to the Greed Island abilities.
Return brings you back to the Nen spirit's space. With these, you can achieve timely contact, support, or escape.
As for Storage, each card has six storage slots. Each slot can only contain one type of item, and you can't partially withdraw or deposit."
Misty's eyes lit up. "Big brother, do you mean we can use these card functions outside of the Greed Island game too?"
Ron nodded. "That's right. Greed Island is actually part of the real world, so there's no difference."
Misty's pupils contracted in shock. "Greed Island is the real world?"
Nina gave her a look. "Misty, you didn't notice?"
"No."
"I realized shortly after entering, and so did Machi. We thought you had too."
This wasn't about strength. It was like Gon and Killua—Killua had figured it out early, but Gon only realized after hearing it from others. Misty, being young and curious, had focused all her attention on the game itself.
Ron continued, "The Zodiac Cards also grant Nen abilities to their holders. Each sign provides different powers. Let me introduce them briefly."
He explained all twelve cards.
"By the way, has Elita returned yet?"
"I don't know. When we entered the game, I don't think she was here yet."
"Then when you go out later, if Elita has arrived, discuss the card distribution with her. If not, contact her."
The three exchanged glances. "Alright."
They soon left. Acquiring a Leave Card was difficult—for most. But Misty and her companions were among the strongest on Greed Island, far above the so-called Bomb Devils. For them, obtaining Leave Cards wasn't difficult.
Before Ron arrived, the three already had two. He himself carried one.
"Use Leave!"
The three activated their cards simultaneously. A force enveloped them, and when they regained their footing, they were back in Sally and Ruco's Dojo's study, beside the game console.
Misty pushed open the door. The living room was empty. "They should be in the training hall."
Sure enough, when they arrived, Shizuku, Ponzu, and Elita were there, along with Angel. Sally and Ruco were outside training other students. Those students had paid tuition, so the instructors were obliged to teach them, even if their talents couldn't match Angel's.
"You're back."
"How was the game?"
"Did you see the Captain?"
The three immediately paused their training.
"Come inside, we have something to discuss," Nina said.
Ponzu instinctively glanced at Angel. Nina shook her head.
Ponzu turned to Angel. "Keep training on your own for a bit. We have other matters."
"Alright."
Angel had been chosen by Sally and Ruco, but She hadn't officially joined Ron's team yet.
Once inside the study, the door shut with a bang. Nina explained everything Ron had told them about the Nen spirit and the Zodiac Cards.
"The Captain's meaning is simple: these Zodiac Cards are for us. Now that we all know the abilities they grant, we can choose. Let's each make our first choice, and if there's a conflict, we'll discuss."
The group exchanged looks and nodded.
Before long, the choices were made.
Ponzu chose the Goat Card, which could transform her bees into powerful bombs.
Elita chose the Ox Card, enhancing her strength in direct combat.
Misty chose the Tiger Card, boosting her attack power and adding poison attributes, greatly improving her sustained combat ability.
Machi chose the Snake Card, combining its fire abilities with her Nen threads to expand her combat repertoire and make up for the talent she had sacrificed when she took the support-healing route.
Shizuku chose the Dragon Card, perfectly suited for her support role. She wasn't fit for head-on battle, but with frost abilities to protect herself and powers that synergized with any teammate, she was the ideal support.
Nina chose the Monkey Card.