Not long after the others disappeared, the figures of Chrollo Lucilfer and other members of the Phantom Troupe appeared on the roof of a nearby building.
"We still have to start with the Scarlet Eyes." Shalnark looked down at the chaotic street below, noticing the mound on the ground that resembled a small volcano.
That was undoubtedly Luo Ning's handiwork.
The opponent seemed particularly adept at abilities involving four elemental attributes: Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning. Aside from a Specialist-type ability, Shalnark couldn't think of any other way a person could master four different attribute transformations.
Even so, it was quite exaggerated.
It was as if Luo Ning, as a Specialist, had put all his points into the three upper categories of Nen. Although Specialists could theoretically master several attributes simultaneously, someone like Luo Ning was still a bit too much of an outlier.
However, the more exaggerated the power, the greater the Vow and Restriction behind it must be. They hadn't discovered it yet simply because Luo Ning hid it well, not because a drawback didn't exist. After all, a Vow and Restriction was a double-edged sword. While it provided benefits, it inevitably required an equal price to be paid.
"Life, perhaps," Chrollo said suddenly.
His thoughts mirrored Shalnark's. The only thing he could think of that was precious enough to allow Luo Ning to exchange it for such immense power in a short time was life itself. Combined with Luo Ning's history and his psychological drive for revenge, he must have the determination to accomplish his goals even if it meant burning away his own lifespan.
This kind of desperate individual was the most difficult to deal with. Especially as time went on, the person would become more willing to risk everything, making them increasingly dangerous.
If life were ruled out, Chrollo could think of one other possibility, though it was based on clues he had only recently obtained. 'Could the Kurta Clan possess something like that?' Chrollo wasn't so sure. After all, Luo Ning had been pursued and fled; he hadn't even returned to his village during that process.
Chrollo integrated the various pieces of information in his mind, and an idea began to take shape. "I remember you once told Uvogin that there was a way to heal his arm," Chrollo said.
"Right, I saw it on a professional Hunter forum. It's said that in the game Greed Island, there are some magical items. They don't just have powerful abilities to cure diseases and injuries, but also things like rejuvenation, gender swapping, astral projection, and even male pregnancy."
Shalnark didn't quite understand Chrollo's angle, but he still recited all the information he had investigated.
"Rejuvenation?" Chrollo chewed on the word. "Leak this news to Luo Ning. If his ability truly comes at the cost of his lifespan, he will definitely find a way to enter the game to obtain a rejuvenation item. Furthermore, we can use the Greed Island game to our advantage. The Scarlet Eyes are his primary goal, so he will definitely be fully prepared for that auction, but he won't be for the Greed Island auction."
Shalnark's eyes lit up.
"And even if he does enter the game, we can enter as well. There are special items in the game that could help us corner him more effectively." Shalnark had clearly done his homework. Greed Island had been running for nearly ten years, so it was only natural for some information to have leaked. As long as Shalnark was willing to pay the right price, he could naturally get his hands on the details.
A book appeared in Chrollo's hand—his ability, Skill Hunter. The pages flipped, revealing an ability he had acquired from one of the Shadow Beasts. It was an unexpected gain, but if he could combine it with another ability in his book, he believed it could become a powerful weapon against Luo Ning.
'But how can I use two stolen Nen abilities at the same time?' Chrollo felt a bit troubled.
---
Inside a secret building in Yorknew City, ten people gathered around a circular table. Their expressions were solemn. These ten men represented the absolute peak of the ten major mafias across the world's six continents. They had a special title: The Ten Community Leaders.
"Two members of the Shadow Beasts survived, but they are now cripples."
After a long silence, someone finally broke the peace. The Ten Community Leaders had tens of thousands of mobsters under them, but truly capable talents were limited to those ten specific individuals. The Shadow Beasts were the strongest fighters selected by the Ten Community Leaders from their respective organizations.
But now, this elite force had been reduced to just two disabled survivors. This left the Ten Community Leaders feeling a lack of security.
"Let's hire true professionals," another person suggested. This proposal received majority approval.
"Were the Shadow Beasts too weak? Although they were the strongest we could find, the reports from eyewitnesses show that the ones who killed them weren't just the Phantom Troupe, but another group of nobodies."
The speaker was a relatively young man among the leaders, with a long scar running from his left cheek down to his chin. His name was Raymond, a member who had only recently become one of the Ten Community Leaders, and the strongest man under him had been Owl. Before today, he had believed that Owl and the other Shadow Beasts were the strongest beings in the world—a super-unit capable of protecting the mafia.
But now it seemed the Shadow Beasts weren't as strong as they usually appeared. When facing real experts, they seemed incredibly weak. He had heard from a mafia member who escaped with his life that six Shadow Beasts faced three Troupe members, and in less than five minutes, the entire group—including the nearby armed mobsters—was wiped out. In the hands of the Phantom Troupe, the Shadow Beasts were no different from ordinary thugs with guns.
"The opponent is no 'nobody,'" a white-haired but majestic figure among the leaders suddenly spoke. He was a veteran of the group named Nico. He had also received the news. Bat had been his subordinate, though even with one Bat dead, he still had other "Bats" in his service.
"His name is Luo Ning." Seeing everyone's gaze turn toward him, Nico spoke the name. "A challenger from the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena. He has participated in four battles so far with a perfect winning record. His second-to-last match was against member number 11 of the Phantom Troupe—the same one involved in the massacre at the Cemeteri Building tonight."
Several photos finally appeared on the large screen in the meeting room, showing Uvogin and Luo Ning. However, most were photos from Heaven's Arena. There were very few new photos from tonight, and those that existed were quite blurry.
But this was enough to spark different thoughts in the minds of the Ten Community Leaders.
"Let's recruit again. I suggest expanding the Shadow Beast unit," one leader proposed.
"Let the previous Shadow Beast reserves—Rabid Dog, Leech, Porcupine, and Hedgehog—form a temporary team first. Then we will train new members to expand the unit to thirty people. If each of us provides three people, it will make a full squad," Raymond said, presenting his pre-prepared plan with a few temporary adjustments. "Have the reserves head to Heaven's Arena. Only those who reach the 200th floor and secure a victory will be qualified to become Shadow Beasts. If someone can become a Floor Master, they will have the qualification to lead the Shadow Beast unit!"
"Agreed."
The Ten Community Leaders unanimously approved Raymond's decision.
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