Greed Island.
Kevin stared at the box in front of him, lost in thought.
Inside the box were a ring and a small electronic storage card. Pairo had given them to him; they were items Begetto had sent along with the eggs earlier. A letter had also been sent with them.
Kevin opened the letter and learned that the storage card and ring were gifts of gratitude from Jin. The storage card was a common information card used for saving electronic games, and it arrived in a brand new, unused state. The ring was an important item within the game.
It was said that the game they corresponded to was the Nen user exclusive game, Greed Island, which Kevin had seen when he previously searched on the computer. This game, released in 1987, was specifically designed for Nen users, and only Nen users were qualified to play it.
As soon as he learned this information, Kevin became quite interested in the game, but he had never found the time to delve deeper into it. He didn't expect Jin to send him such a gift upon his return.
From the letter, Kevin learned that Jin was one of the main initiators of the game's creation. Jin disliked owing favors, so after receiving the Member card from Kevin, he reciprocated with the game storage card and ring. The Member card was Kevin's proud creation, and the game storage card and ring were equally Jin's proud creations.
"A game, and a Nen user's game at that."
To be honest, Kevin was a little tempted. In his original world, he was an electronic game enthusiast. A game exclusive to Nen users was clearly different. According to the information he found, after starting the game, players would be transported into the game world. This was truly fascinating.
However, despite many years passing since the game's release, no one had ever completed it.
"5.8 billion, with a total of 100 game consoles released. It seems the difficulty of acquiring one isn't too high—money is all you need." Kevin, who was checking the information, muttered to himself while looking at the computer.
There had always been auction information for game consoles, and they would occasionally appear at large auction houses. However, each time they appeared, the auction price of the game console would increase. The most recent auction was in September of last year, held at the world's largest auction house. The final transaction price reached 19.8 billion.
Honestly, this price was a bit expensive even for Kevin at his current stage. It wasn't impossible to take out 19.8 billion in liquid funds, but such a move would have a significant impact on both him personally and his company.
"If I want to play, I'll have to find another way… I really want to play."
"What is this?" Melusine wrapped her arms around Kevin's neck, resting her chin on his shoulder, and asked as she looked at the information on the computer screen.
"A game."
"A game? Is it the kind Neon plays?"
In the entire manor, Neon was the first to play games. Influenced by her, Kurapika and Pairo also joined the ranks of players. Recently, Melusine and Neon had been getting along very well. It could be said that in a short time, the two had become extremely close friends. Because they had many common hobbies. For example, both liked to drink afternoon tea and taste pastries. And Melusine was undoubtedly a true pastry master. The afternoon tea activity every afternoon became a regular gathering time for the women in the manor. They also both liked to read comics. Neon also taught Melusine fortune-telling, playing games, and watching TV. With Neon's help, Melusine was quickly integrating into this world.
"It's similar, but players of this game must be Nen users, and it's said they can directly enter the game world to play."
"Can enter the game world?" Melusine's eyes lit up.
"Don't get too excited. I'm still learning about it. Getting a game console is quite expensive."
This matter could only be entrusted to Wright to keep an eye on. The company had been operating for a year, and in this year, Red Stone Pharmaceuticals had developed rapidly. With the help of Kevin's potions, Wright was quickly transitioning from a gang leader to a big entrepreneur, and the company was expanding extremely fast. However, the first year's expansion was too rapid, and the current development speed had somewhat begun to slow down.
"Are you leaving already?" Kevin asked, looking at Menchi and Buhara, who were preparing to say goodbye.
Menchi nodded. "We've rested for over a month. It's time to continue. I don't want to fall too far behind."
Hearing this, Kevin smiled helplessly. "Alright, but the manor is like a second home to you two. Remember to visit when you have time. Otherwise, I'll miss you very much, hahaha."
Buhara smiled and nodded.
"I'll be back when I become a One-Star Hunter." Menchi was very competitive and didn't want to be left too far behind by Kevin.
"No problem. I look forward to that day."
Melusine and Neon also waved goodbye to Menchi and Buhara.
As for Bisky, she had already left a week ago.
"But this time you leave, you'll have to do me a favor and fulfill your duties as suppliers."
Hearing this, the two looked at Kevin.
"I need the stomach acid of a Mountain Eater Beast. This prey isn't difficult to hunt; it's just a bit troublesome to track."
Knowing Kevin's request, the two nodded. This wasn't a difficult task for them.
"No problem. We'll get it done for you within a month. Await our good news." With that, the two waved goodbye to everyone.
The reason Kevin needed the stomach acid of the Mountain Eater Beast was that he wanted to use this material as a fusion agent. Since returning, besides daily training, Kevin had dedicated all his energy to potion making. He had not yet fully mastered the production methods for potions like the Fiery Potion and the Wind Rider Potion. And there were still a large number of materials waiting for him to process into potions.
His current normal potential Nen had already reached a full 60,000. Aside from top-tier B-rank potions, he could basically make all other potions. Even for high-grade potions, he could attempt to make them while under the effects of the [Surging Potion] . However, this was somewhat wasteful, so Kevin was not too keen on doing it often.
If these many materials were properly combined, they would greatly enhance his combat capabilities. His main source of strength still came from One Moment's Dream + Blank Meteor. And stomach acid was the necessary fusion agent for combining the two top-tier items he currently had as materials: the Vengeful Serpent Scales and the Jade Bone.
That's right—the incredibly hard scales of that snake and the Jade Bone could be combined. The problem was that there had never been a suitable fusion agent. Based on past experience, for such exceptionally sturdy materials, the most suitable fusion agent had to be an acidic substance with dissolving properties. If these two materials were successfully combined to form a potion, it would undoubtedly enhance his defensive capabilities. As for how much it could enhance them, Kevin felt excited just thinking about it. After all, he had personally experienced the defensive capabilities of the Vengeful Serpent Scales, which were ridiculously strong; his full-force attacks couldn't break through their defense.
Therefore, he was full of anticipation for the potion to be made.
Just then, Kurapika said from beside him:
"Uncle, I've already constructed my Nen ability."
Hearing this, Kevin turned to him and nodded. "Let's go. Show me what you've got."
Everyone was very curious and followed along.
Arriving at the training hall, Kevin and Kurapika stood in the center of the field.
"Begin your demonstration."
Kurapika nodded, and under everyone's gaze, slowly raised his right hand.
Five chains emerged from his five fingers, like rings, fitting onto each finger, then extending upward, disappearing into his sleeve from the back of his hand. Just as he had envisioned, he had materialized chains.
"My idea is to imbue each chain with a different ability, corresponding to the different fingers. At this stage, I've only imbued three of the finger chains with different abilities, to adapt to various combat scenarios."
As he spoke, he raised his palm and wiggled three fingers, indicating that the abilities of these three finger chains were already determined. These three fingers were the middle finger, ring finger, and thumb. In other words, the abilities of the index finger and pinky finger chains were yet to be determined.
Kevin nodded. "Very wise. You've left yourself ample room for improvement." Especially leaving the index finger free—that's a thoughtful idea. After all, there are five fingers, and the role of each finger in combat naturally has varying degrees of importance.
"First, the middle finger."
Kurapika said, flicking his wrist, and the chain on his middle finger extended, flying directly out. The tip of the chain was shaped like a cross blade, connected to a long chain behind it. After being flung out, the originally thin chain visibly thickened significantly, appearing more robust. And the length it was flung out was much longer than what the naked eye could see. Nen enveloped the chain, allowing for subtle adjustments as it swung.
Kevin raised his right arm, and the chain instantly wrapped around his right hand. Immediately after, Kevin felt himself unable to move, as if restrained by a powerful force. Was this forced binding? At the same time, Kurapika also maintained his original posture, motionless. After three seconds, the effect of this binding disappeared. Kurapika also regained his ability to move.
"It really only binds for three seconds, huh? Uncle, you're really amazing." Kurapika mumbled slightly, then looked at Kevin and explained,
"My middle finger chain's main ability is restraint. The duration of the binding varies depending on the opponent's strength, but the shortest is three seconds. If facing an opponent much stronger than me, I can strengthen the binding effect by remaining motionless myself, or by only using this one chain, thereby preventing the opponent from moving as well."
Hearing Kurapika's explanation of the middle finger chain's ability, Kevin immediately understood his intention in constructing this ability. Clearly, this was for coordinating with Pairo in battle, and it could also play an important role in many other situations. And this was just the ability of one chain among the five fingers. This binding effect could greatly restrict an opponent's movements in battle. Especially in one-on-one combat, with the ability of this finger, Kurapika could gain a significant advantage.
"Next is the ring finger."
Kurapika said, opening his palm, and the chain on his ring finger dropped vertically. At the end of the chain was a diamond-shaped crystal-like object. From its usage, this chain seemed not to be for offense, but purely a functional chain.
"The Soul-Tracking Ring Finger Chain" can enhance my perception. I can use Nen to scan and search for targets within a certain range. It can also directly scan surrounding buildings to form a three-dimensional map in my mind. The smaller the scanning range, the higher the precision. The maximum scanning range can reach five kilometers, but at maximum range, it can only track the target's approximate location. At the same time, it also possesses lie-detecting capabilities, and for those with weak wills, it can even have a hypnotic effect."
Wow. The function of this finger is truly powerful. It can be said that the ability of this finger is ambitious, essentially a Nen ability designed with the ability of En as inspiration. More importantly, Kurapika successfully realized this design.
Then, Kurapika raised his thumb. A chain automatically emerged from his sleeve, with a nail at its end.
"The Judgment Chain of the Thumb" has only one function: to pierce its tip into the opponent's body and, based on the degree of their sin, mark them with a sin mark. Depending on the opponent's sin, the strengthening effect of my other finger chains on them will also vary. The heavier the opponent's sin, the higher the damage I inflict; conversely, the kinder the opponent, the lower the damage I inflict. If it's a purely benevolent person, after confirming their identity, I can't even bind them."
Then, Kurapika roughly explained the related situation.
Simply put, the Judgment Chain of the Thumb is a double-edged sword. Once used, the mark will take effect. If the opponent is deeply sinful, then it's naturally easy to handle, as this can greatly strengthen Kurapika's special attack ability against them. For example, the tracking effect of the ring finger can track the opponent's location regardless of distance. For those with extremely heavy sins, it can even make Kurapika's middle finger binding chain cause the opponent to enter a state of Zetsu.
But if the opponent is an extremely kind person, Kurapika's middle finger will not only not bind the opponent but will instead draw his own Nen to heal the opponent. However, overall, this finger still enhanced Kurapika's combat ability. Sometimes Kevin had to admit that Kurapika's personality was even kinder than his, possessing a very high moral bottom line. Correspondingly, those who engaged in life-and-death battles with him were rarely benevolent individuals. In this world, Nen users without sin are truly few and far between. Thus, the probability of the Judgment Chain of the Thumb playing to its advantage far outweighs the probability of it falling into a disadvantage.
"So, what changes will these finger Nen abilities undergo when you activate 'Absolute Time'?"
Kurapika's decision to construct different abilities with his five fingers must have already considered strengthening each finger's Nen ability through Absolute Time. This would allow his overall capabilities to reach an all-encompassing level.
"When in the Scarlet Eyes state, the binding chain can bind multiple people simultaneously and strengthen the intensity of the binding."
In other words, in the Scarlet Eyes state, targets that previously required him to pay the price of remaining motionless or even only using one chain ability to bind can now be easily bound without such a cost. The strengthening effect doesn't sound particularly significant, but it directly shifts Kurapika from passive defense to active offense, allowing opponents to instantly fall into a deadly crisis from a state of being merely stalled. Not to mention being able to stall multiple targets simultaneously.
"The Soul-Tracking Chain's ability can directly lock onto a target, and all aspects will be greatly enhanced. I can directly obtain the target's location and detailed surrounding information, and I can remotely influence the target's thoughts—even a tiny influence could become a fatal factor."
This ability is indeed quite excellent. As long as he has seen the target, he can directly lock on and track them, and the lie-detecting and hypnotic abilities directly upgrade to influencing the opponent's thoughts. In battle, even extremely subtle changes in thought can play a decisive role.
"And the Judgment Chain of the Thumb can directly weaken the opponent based on the depth of their sin, specifically by directly sealing a certain percentage of the opponent's Nen and physical capabilities. It can even seal up to seventy percent of the opponent's Nen. If the opponent is a kind person, it will instead send out Nen that strengthens the opponent's body."
After listening to Kurapika's explanation of his Nen ability, Kevin nodded.
This was indeed a flashy set of Nen abilities. However, Conjuration-type abilities themselves are often like this.
"But your offensive capabilities are slightly lacking," Kevin couldn't help but say. At least in his opinion, these three abilities combined could achieve a decent advantage in normal combat. Their functionality was also very powerful. But pure offensive capability was indeed lacking. When encountering powerful Enhancement-type players, he would have to rely solely on his own skills. If he was unlucky, he might even find himself unable to deliver a fatal attack.
Kurapika also nodded in agreement. "After all, I'm still in the training phase. I can compensate for this by training in close-quarters combat. Moreover, I don't have much experience fighting other Nen users yet. Once I gain more experience, I'll consider setting an appropriate combat ability for the remaining two fingers."
Hearing this, Kevin understood Kurapika's thoughts. To set an appropriate combat ability that can handle multiple aspects requires combat experience with Nen users. In any case, Kurapika's approach was still relatively suitable for him.
"The [Surging Potion] ," Kevin said thoughtfully.
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