During the rest of breakfast, Kai continued sharing everything he knew about Greed Island. He explained his alliance with Tsezguerra, the trick behind using selection spells without consuming them, and the methods he'd discovered for obtaining several rare cards.
I couldn't help feeling a little suspicious that he knew so much about the game, but I assumed it was thanks to Tsezguerra's guidance. So, deciding not to dwell on it, I simply nodded with a smile.
'He may seem like a flawless man—for now. But someone that perfect is always the most suspicious. I'll take my time finding out what lies beneath that polished exterior... and whether he's really someone I can trust. And if he turns out to be a fraud... I'll eliminate him. If he is, of course.' I think, taking one last sip of my coffee.
Once we finish eating and tidying up, Kai summons his binder and hands two spell cards: "Trace" and "Compromise".
"Why do you give me this?" I ask cautiously.
"It's part of a strategy." Kai replies. "Before we stock up on more spell cards, I need you to remove the "Defensive Wall" effect protecting me. Then, when you cast "Compromise" and choose one of my copies of "King White Stag Beetle". I want to exchange it for "Paladin's Necklace"."
"Paladin's Necklace?" I frowned, recalling the card from my own research on the game. "Isn't that the necklace that reflects curses?"
"Exactly." Kai smiles. "The only D-rank card in the specified slots, and arguably one of the most valuable cards for a player in the game. No theft, no tracking, no counterfeit cards. As long as we're wearing these necklaces, we'll always have that layer of protection.
"Oh... so that's why you want to use "Compromise"." I say, finally understanding his plan.
"Yes. With this spell we can easily obtain that card, and thanks to "Clone", we'll even be able to add another acquisition to our specified slots."
Hearing the ingenuity of his plan, a faint smile spreads across my face. "You really don't think like everyone else."
"I'd be in trouble if I did."
He pauses before adding,
"The only downside is that it also nullifies cards created by "Clone", but we can work around that. Once we have this item, our game will reach the next level."
"So, go ahead. I want to get rid of these defensive spell cards once and for all."
Finding no flaw in his reasoning, I do as he asked.
"Trace on Kai."
The spell strikes him, but its light is immediately dispersed upon colliding with an invisible wall.
<
Once the message appears in my binder, I activate the second card.
"Compromise on Kai. Destroy "King White Stag Beetle"."
This time the spell takes effect, and a notification appears on Kai's binder.
<
Kai simply selects one of the copies stored in the free slot and another message appears.
<
Standing beside him, I watch the available cards list scroll across his screen until he choose "Paladin's Necklace", with the destroyed card immediately transforming into its replacement.
Card No. 84 Paladin's Necklace, D-rank, Conversion limit of 60: A player wearing this will reflect curses cast upon him, and be able to undo curses placed on cards he touches.
"Sweet. With this, we no longer have to worry about being scammed or having our cards stolen, except with "Tax Collector's Gauntlet." It's not complete protection, but it's close enough." Kai says with a huge, satisfied smile.
He then proceeds to use his remaining "Clone" cards to duplicate the necklace several times. One copy goes into each of our binders, while the other two are converted into physical items that we can wear.
I, however, insist that he put mine on for me.
"It's simple, but looks nice." I say as Kai fastens the necklace around my neck. "So, Kai... how does it look on me?"
He barely glances my way. "It suits you."
Despite his short, dry answer, I can't resist teasing him.
"It's not exactly the most romantic symbol of engagement, but I'll make an exception since it's from you."
Kai lets out an exasperated sigh, while I giggle at his reaction.
Ignoring my antics, he pulls out an "Accompany" spell card, and following the method he had shown me earlier, we both vanish into pillars of light and are transported to the outskirts of Masadora in a matter of seconds.
After arriving in the city, we stroll through the city's bustling, picturesque streets for a while until we reach the Trade Shop. There, Kai transfers the copies of every important specified-slot card from his free slots to my binder specified-slots before selling the surplus we no longer need. The sale earns us a total of 950,000 jenny.
From that amount, we set aside the planned 550,000 jenny to purchase spell card packs, dividing the money evenly between our binders. Once that was done, at Kai's suggestion, the remainder is deposited into a new account under my name, giving me an emergency reserve in Masadora should I ever need it.
As we leave the store, I glance at him. "Are you sure it was a good idea to sell those reserve cards?"
"I don't need them anymore." He taps the necklace resting against his chest. "Now, with these necklaces, we hardly have to worry about any attempts at theft or destruction."
"Besides, it's safer if each of us keeps a copy of every important card. If something unexpected happens, neither of us will lose everything."
Watching him close off yet another potential weakness, I can't help smiling to myself. 'He keeps closing every loophole he finds.'
With our funds prepared, we join the line of players outside the Spell Card Shop, and after waiting for about 5 minutes, our turn finally comes, and we purchase 55 card packs before opening them on the spot.
- 33 List
- 20 Peek
- 16 Lottery
- 3 Clone
- 3 Thief
- 11 Fluoroscopy
- 2 Cling
- 2 Compromise
- 4 Bullet
- 6 Contact
- 2 Leave
- 12 Analysis
- 5 Recycle
- 3 Accompany
- 1 Mug
- 14 Rock Toss
- 4 Guidepost
- 7 Blackout Curtain
- 2 Fake
- 4 Collision
- 3 Relegate
- 1 Magnetic Force
- 5 Defensive Wall
- 1 Levy
- 1 Purify
Kai quickly sorts the newly acquired cards into neat piles before letting out a satisfied smile.
"Not bad at all. 3 "Clone," 1 "Mug," and 1 "Levy," and even 2 "Leave" on our first try together. Either we're unusually lucky... or you're bringing me good fortune. At this rate, moving on to the Gambling City might be our next best investment."
I glance down at the spread of cards and couldn't help smiling as well. "So, besides those you mentioned, which ones should we keep?"
In response, Kai rests a hand against his chin and silently studies the different piles.
"Well, as you already know, I have to leave Greed Island for a while, and since a player's free slots are emptied upon leaving the game, you'll be holding on to most of our important spell cards." His gaze movesmethodically from one stack to the next.
"Some of these are worth keeping for future situations, others should be used immediately, and the rest are just taking up space, so it's better to discard them. And there's also the matter of deciding which restricted-slot cards are worth copying with "Clone" before I leave. Hmm..."
He trails off, picking up one card after another as he quietly refines the plan in his head.
For the next ten minutes, we discuss the merits of each spell, occasionally disagreeing before eventually settling on the most efficient arrangement. By the time we finish and step out of the shop, we have reorganized our free slots into the following configuration:
Me:
- 15 Cards I owned before coming to the shop, including one "Contact" and one "Analysis"
- 3 Clone
- 2 Mug
- 3 Cling
- 1 Clairvoyance
- 1 Dispel
- 2 Magnetic Force
- 2 Leave
- 1 Holy Water
- 2 Thief
- 1 Levy
- 2 Fake
- 2 Trace
- 1 Blackout Curtain
- 4 List
- 1 Fluoroscopy
- 1 Peek
- 4 Bullet
- 4 Guidepost
- 2 Accompany
- 3 Return
- 3 Recycle
Kai:
- 6 Cards of food and utilities
- 16 Lottery
- 1 Blackout Curtain
- 4 Purify
- 4 Accompany
- 2 Contact
- 2 Pickpocket
- 2 Relegate
- 1 Recycle
"Why are you keeping so many "Lottery" cards?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Are you planning to hunt for a "Risky Dice" to get good cards? I heard some players use that strategy in Dorias."
"No." Kai casually picked up one of the cards. "That won't be necessary."
"Lottery, on!"
One after another, the sixteen spell cards burst into flashes of light, each transforming into an ordinary low-rank card.
When the last one settles onto the table, not a single worthwhile prize is among them, and Kai lets out a quiet sigh before setting the cards aside with a wry smile.
"I was hoping for at least one decent hit." He admits with a rueful smile.
I can't help smirking.
"See? I told you. "Lottery" has terrible odds without "Risky Dice". You'd save yourself a lot of time by simply discarding them." I advice him.
Rather than looking frustrated, Kai merely smiles. "Maybe. But failing safely is still better than risking to have 'very bad luck', don't you think?"
'He's so cautious it's almost paranoic... although I can't deny it's effective.' I think.
"Anyway," He continues, "that's enough of those "Lottery" cards. Let's move on."
Kai then takes one of the cards from his binder, and following his lead, I pick up the remaining spell cards from mine.
We begin by using our "Blackout Curtain" cards. Keeping the contents of our binders hidden from anyone attempting to spy on them was simply common sense.
Next came the "Guidepost" cards. One after another, they revealed the locations of four cards, including one SS-rank card:
- No. 81 Blue Planet.
- No. 94 Bandit's Blade.
- No. 98 Silver Dog.
- No. 99 Panda Maid.
A quiet smile tugged at the corner of my lips at seeing the screen.
'One step closer.'
Finally, it's time to use "Clone" to create duplicates of three of the specified slot cards to bolster our defense. That is when our opinions diverge.
"We should duplicate the S-rank cards first. They're the hardest to obtain and the ones everyone wants." I insist.
Kai shakes his head.
"Not yet." He taps the "Paladin's Necklace" hanging around his neck. "Those are already safe enough. Right now, we gain more by expanding our options than by reinforcing what we've already secured."
"You're telling me versatility is more important than protecting our rarest cards?" I ask, frowning.
"For the moment, yes." His answer comes without the slightest hesitation.
"We've already invested resources into eliminating our biggest vulnerabilities. Now it's time to maximize the return on that investment."
I let out a quiet sigh.
"The more I travel with you, the harder it becomes to predict the way you think. How did you get this far in Greed Island while playing alone?"
Kai gives a small shrug.
"Because most players focus on clearing the game or getting out of it."A subtle, self-assured smile crosses his face. "I focus on exploring the true value of the cards and how they can be used. Very few people bother to do it."
It's our first disagreement since we met and became teammates. Oddly enough... I don't dislike it.
He isn't stubborn for the sake of arguing, nor does he simply agree to keep the peace. Every decision he makes follow a clear line of reasoning, even when it completely contradicts my own.
'It irritates me a little... but I can't say I dislike it. Kai has treated me with remarkable courtesy and consideration ever since we met, yet he never lets that courtesy cloud his judgment. When he thinks I'm wrong, he says so without hesitation. It's oddly refreshing confirming he's not a yes-man.'
In the end, we reach a compromise. I'll duplicate his two S-rank cards—"Pregnancy Stones" and "Witch's Rejuvenation Potion"—while he gets a copy of my "X-Ray Goggles".
The exchange admittedly favors me, but Kai accepts it on one condition.
"If we obtain another "Clone", the next copy will be of your "Hypothetical T.V."" He says.
"Deal." I nod.
Once we've completed everything we've planned, Kai hands me the remaining cards that will stay in my binder while he is away: four "Accompany", two "Contact", and one "Recycle".
"That takes care of our spell setup. Now all that's left is for me to take care of my pending matters in the real world, and then we can start playing for real." Kai says, starting to walk down the street before glancing back at me.
"Ready to head back to the Badlands, Bisky?" He asks, more out of courtesy than because he expects a different answer.
"Yes. Let's go back."
I smile and start walking next to him along the paved, checkerboard path.
Together, we make our way to the outskirts of the city before heading deep into the surrounding forest, far from prying eyes. Once he is certain no one is watching, Kai summons his familiar sphere of aura shapes it into a floating platform large enough for both of us.
He steps aboard first before offering me a hand. I accept gracefully, and moments later the platform shots into the sky.
47 minutes later, we arrive back in the Badlands. Not quite as fast as Accompany, but far quicker than crossing Greed Island on foot.
As soon as we land and step off the platform, it vanishes into thin air. Kai then turns to face me. The playful expression he'd worn throughout the previous evening and this morning is gone.
For the first time since we met... His face has become completely serious.
"Bisky," Kai calls my name, and my gaze fixes on him. "it's time for me to head back to the real world for a while."
"Yes, you've made that clear."
Kai then continues.
"I don't know how long it will take me to sort things out in the real world, but I don't think it will be more than a few hours."
"Even so, I'd like you to make the most of my absence, so I'll give you something to keep you occupied."
Kai then takes a notebook out of his backpack and hands it to me.
"What's this for?" I ask, opening it and flipping through its pages.
"It's a Greed Island reference guide. The first half covers every spell card, while the second lists every specified-slot card. Names, numbers, effects... everything I've managed to compile." Kai answers.
"While I'm gone, you can use it to memorize the cards. It'll give you something productive to do while you're hiding."
"It's certainly a well-researched list. I see you think carefully about how to use your time." As I continue looking through the pages of the notebook, I notice something.
"But why do you have the range and conversion limit included for cards you don't have yet?"
Kai simply shrugs and replies, "I simply used the "Analysis" card, asked other players, and did a little research on my own. That's why not all the cards have it included."
Years of pretending to be someone else have taught me to recognize even the smallest lies. Kai's answer sounds perfectly plausible... yet I know it isn't the whole truth. It's the first time he's deliberately hidden something from me.
'The explanation fits, but it isn't how he gathered all of this information. Maybe he has another source... or perhaps a method of obtaining information that he isn't ready to reveal yet. Either way, pushing him now would accomplish nothing. I'll simply pretend I believed him.'
"Okay, I'll check this list while you're gone. I'll give you the "Leave" card now."
"No, that won't be necessary." Kai states.
"Huh?" I reply, confused as to why Kai is stopping me.
Kai then summons another sphere of aura, almost identical to the Barrier Orb he'd shown me before. Yet the moment it appears, every instinct I possess tells me this one is something entirely different.
"Biscuit, what I'm about to show you is the main reason why I have a significant advantage over any other player on Greed Island. Are you ready?"
Kai calling me by my name instead of my nickname demonstrates the weight and seriousness of his words, so, looking at him with equal intensity, I nod in confirmation.
He then moves the sphere to the side, and it suddenly transforms into a human-sized circle that reveals a landscape from another location.
Recognition dawns on me immediately. It's the same ability he used against Hisoka during the Floor Master challenge.
"Besides my Barrier Orb, I possess other orbs with different abilities. This one is called Wormhole Orb, and it allows me to open a portal to another location I've already visited. That includes both inside and outside of Greed Island."
"That's why I don't need the "Leave" card."
Listening to the explanation of a Nen ability that could break the very foundations of this game, I cross my arms, studying him with a curious expression.
"You're really something, you know that?"
"What do you mean?" Kai asks, somewhat surprised.
"Most players in Greed Island become fixated on collecting rare cards. They gradually settle into life inside the game, hoarding every valuable card they acquire because they're convinced it might prove indispensable someday." I smile faintly.
"But you are already thinking about organization, efficiency, and long-term strategy before most players would even consider it. And on top of that, you possess an ability that lets you leave the game whenever you want and makes you almost untouchable. It's almost as though you aren't playing Greed Island at all... you're managing it."
Kai can't help but chuckle at my observation.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Maybe." I glance back at him with a mischievous grin. "Though now I'm curious. Just how many advantages are you hiding?"
"You'll find out eventually. Anyway, I'm off. See you later." Kai says as he walks through the portal.
A heartbeat later, it seals itself shut and disappears, leaving me standing alone in the silent Badlands, where nothing but weathered stone and scattered giant stone pillars break the empty landscape.
"Book."
Summoning my binder, I take one of my copies of "Contact" and use it by placing and removing it from the selection screen as Kai taught me to do.
'You're certainly cautious... almost excessively so. You always seem to have a plan for every situation. But if something truly unpredictable happens, that caution might become your greatest weakness.' I think while selecting the name from the drop-down list.
<
"Mr. Nickes, this is Biscuit Krueger. You and your team approached me a couple of weeks ago when I was just entering the game." I respond by adopting my role as a feminine and helpless girl.
<
A faint smile tugs at my lips.
"Before I answer that, there's another player I'd like to ask you about. I imagine someone in your position must have heard of him." I pause just long enough to let the anticipation build. "His name is Kai Ikeda."
'Looks like it's time to start my own little game.'
———
AN: TOGASHI DID IT. FURYKOV CLEARLY PLAGIARIZED NICHOLAS'S ABILITY. I'M STILL WAITING FOR MY ROYALTY CHECK. XD XD XD