Conrad waited until he was far from the alley before counting the money.
He didn't rush. He walked calmly through a quieter street, then stopped near a closed storefront and checked the pouches again to be sure.
Around three hundred thousand Jenny.
It was more than he had expected from two low-level gang members. It wasn't enough to feel rich, but it was enough to breathe easily.
A basic room in Zaban City cost around ten thousand Jenny a night, and food was cheap if he avoided restaurants.
Even with conservative spending, this would keep him going for at least a week.
That would normally have been fine, but Conrad had no intention of staying in Zaban City that long. Two or three days at most, he decided. Zaban was small.
If he wanted information, contacts, and real opportunities, there was only one direction to go.
Yorknew City.
Zaban was a place to pass through. He didn't linger on the thought, because standing still too long made people notice you.
The building stood out even through the falling snow.
It was tall and wide, with blue-tinted glass panels covering most of the exterior and reflecting the grey sky and the city lights.
It looked cleaner and more modern than most buildings in Zaban City. A sign above the entrance read:
Blue Glass Hotel
Conrad stopped across the street and looked at it for a moment. Then he smiled.
"So it's here," he whispered.
This place wasn't just any hotel. It was the first location where Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio had believed the Hunter Exam would take place, and Conrad remembered it clearly.
He shifted his gaze slightly to the right.
Across the street was a familiar sight, a modest restaurant with meat dishes advertised in the window and warm light inside. Nothing special at first glance.
That's the place.
The geography matched.
He crossed the street and stopped in front of the hotel entrance. People came and went, travelers, merchants, and locals with money to spend, and no one paid him special attention.
Good.
He went in. The lobby was warm and bright, with polished floors and a wide reception area. The receptionist looked up as Conrad approached the counter.
"One room," he said. "Two nights."
The receptionist glanced at him briefly, then named the price. Thirty thousand Jenny.
Conrad paid without hesitation.
Upstairs, his room was clean and quiet. It wasn't luxurious, but it was comfortable, with a bed, a desk, a bathroom, and thick curtains blocking out the snow-lit city.
He locked the door, placed the remaining Jenny carefully in his bag, and sat down on the bed.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's think."
The first priority was dates. He needed to know whether the Hunter Exam had already started, was about to start, or was still far off. Acting too early or too late could change everything.
He closed his eyes and began recalling the timeline.
Gon leaves Whale Island at twelve. The Hunter Exam happens shortly after.
The Yorknew Arc comes later, after the Zoldyck Family Arc and the Heavens Arena Arc, and the Phantom Troupe appears publicly around that time.
That left him a narrow window. If he stayed too long in Zaban, he risked missing early developments. If he rushed in blindly, he risked walking into things he wasn't ready for.
Two or three days, he reaffirmed. Yorknew City is my next target.
He stood up and opened the curtain slightly.
The snow was still falling, softer now, and the city lights reflected off the glass buildings and turned the streets pale blue.
"This world really is like the series," he murmured.
Not just similar, but identical in structure, which made things easier and more dangerous at once. Knowing the plot didn't mean controlling it.
Conrad lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He didn't feel anxious. He felt focused, which was more than most people ever got.
Tomorrow he would gather information quietly. He would ask the right questions and listen more than he spoke.
He would confirm dates and transportation routes, and look for any rumors about Hunters or the exam. After that, he would leave Zaban City behind.
With his plan settled, Conrad took off his coat and placed his belongings neatly beside the bed. He sat on the floor, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
He began with Ten.
His aura spread naturally across his body in a stable, even layer, and he paid close attention to consistency, correcting small fluctuations before they could grow.
Ten was about patience more than force.
He maintained it calmly and let it become part of his breathing.
Next came Ren. He raised his aura output slowly, not pushing for strength but for control, raising the flow, stabilizing it, and lowering it again. Each cycle came out smoother than the last.
After that he shifted into Zetsu. His aura withdrew completely, and the familiar sense of vulnerability returned, but he held it without panic.
Finally he practiced Gyo, concentrating small amounts of aura into his eyes and testing precision rather than intensity. The strain was noticeable but manageable.
Two to three hours passed without his noticing.
When he finally opened his eyes, his body felt light but stable. He reviewed the results honestly. His progress was fast, helped by his deep theoretical understanding and the support of his system.