After a heavy price was paid by the Second Prince and Queen, Camilla was finally escorted back to her room.
Her guards were still allowed to move freely, but Camilla herself was now trailed by monitors dispatched from the Supreme Court.
It was only natural—Benjamin had long seen Camilla as a threat, especially with the menacing presence of her Nen beast, Cat's Name, lurking in her shadow.
From now on, every step she took would be under Benjamin's close watch.
...
And just like that, peace returned to the upper deck.
By the morning of the third day, in Room 1014, the atmosphere was calm.
Outside, Kurapika was continuing his Nen lessons. Inside, Ronnel sat deep in thought, sketching the framework for his next ability.
That's right—his third Nen ability, earned as a reward for reaching the limits of his [Upgrade Game].
He now had the opportunity to construct an entirely new ability. Once it was completed, he could lift the condition-based restrictions on two to eleven other Nen abilities within this new system.
Over the past three days aboard the ship, Ronnel had used his particle clones and absorption skill to gather an array of Nen abilities from users on the first floor. Among them were:
Sayird's [Little Eye]
Kurapika's [Chain of Judgment]
Soldier Vincent's [Air Blow]
Hanzo's [Hanzo Skill 4]
Though impressive, most of these powers were unnecessary for Ronnel now.
Still, he had a vague idea—a concept to blend these useful yet redundant skills into something new.
A rough blueprint was forming in his mind. All that remained was to define the rules...
...
Meanwhile, in Room 1004, the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou, had made shocking progress. In just three days, he'd grasped multiple Nen techniques with terrifying speed.
He even began asking Theta for the Water Divination method to test his aura category.
Theta initially refused, citing that "filling your head with useless information could backfire." But Tserriednich, ever self-assured, didn't care.
"My talent's terrifying, isn't it? I don't need training wheels. I'll take the shortcut."
With the hope that understanding the prince's nature might help in building countermeasures, Theta finally relented and allowed the test.
The result was far beyond what she expected.
The moment the prince activated his aura, the leaves floating on the water decayed instantly. The water turned murky, black sludge rising to the surface, releasing a foul, choking stench.
This was unlike any of the five basic aura types. It was clear Tserriednich was a Specialist.
Theta had suspected as much, but even with that in mind, the result was deeply unsettling—far darker and more unpredictable than anything she had ever seen.
An overwhelming sense of dread hung in the air.
...
While unease brewed on the first floor, chaos had already begun to spill through the lower decks—the third, fourth, and fifth.
The three major mafia families of Kakin—Heil-Ly, Cha-R, and Xi-Yu—had each mobilized their forces.
At the root of the disruption was none other than the Phantom Troupe, who had infiltrated the ship with violent intent.
Since Hisoka had already been killed by Ronnel, the Troupe's priorities had shifted. No longer hunting the magician, their focus had moved to the treasures of the Kakin royal family from the start.
But the situation was complicated.
The heads of the Cha-R and Xi-Yu families were half-brothers of Kakin's ruler, King Nasubi Hui Guo Rou. Though illegitimate, they were his blood relatives.
Because of their status, they hadn't participated in the Succession War's egg-pot ceremony. Instead, they operated from the shadows, executing the King's will from behind the scenes.
The Heil-Ly family was a different story. Its head, Morena Prudo, wasn't an illegitimate son or even a half-brother.
She was the illegitimate daughter of King Nasubi.
Unlike her siblings, Morena harbored a deep hatred for the royal family and her own bloodline. Her twisted worldview was forged in secrecy and resentment, driven by rejection and seclusion.
At birth, illegitimate children destined for shadow lives had two deep cuts made across their faces—a mark ensuring they could never appear in public. They were allowed to live, but only in the darkness.
Morena, in particular, grew up warped by this isolation. She despised the princes, the palace, even herself. What she sought was not control... but destruction.
Her Nen ability is known as [Contagion—With Etude of Love].
By kissing others and infecting them with her saliva, she can spread a deadly "sickness." Up to 23 people, including herself, can be infected.
The disease "levels up" through murder. The more people the infected kill, the more their aura capacity and strength increase.
Sound familiar? It's similar in structure to Ronnel's [Upgrade Game]—but with far bloodier mechanics.
If an infected person's level surpasses 20, they awaken their own Nen ability. If they reach level 100, they evolve into "Member Zero," capable of creating their own infection cluster.
To a carrier, normal people appear as Level 1. Nen users rank around Level 10.
Killing a prince boosts their level by a staggering 50 points.
And Morena herself? She's currently Level 45.
Despite their disdain for the Kakin monarchy, Morena and the other mafia heads still feared the power it wielded. Orders had to be followed—no matter how grudgingly.
When the Phantom Troupe's objectives became obvious, the mafia sprang into action, scouring the ship for them.
...
One more twist: Illumi had officially joined the Troupe, taking the place of Uvogin—Phantom Troupe No. 11.
"Hisoka and I had a deal. He hired me to kill him. Said he'd give me his engagement ring as payment. But now he's dead… and my ring's still with him. I intend to collect."
Simple. Blunt. Typical Illumi.
And since Hisoka had died by Ronnel's hand, and his body was in Ronnel's possession, retrieving it wouldn't be easy.
After all, Ronnel was still on the first floor.
And getting there would be no simple task.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)