[System Notification]
A surge of energy flooded Ryker's veins. It wasn't the explosive power of Enhancement or the sharp precision of Conjuration. This was something deeper, more esoteric.
[Trait Unlocked: Specialist Talent (Gold)]
Specialization. The catch-all category for anything Nen couldn't logically classify. Neon's prophecies, Chrollo's theft, Pakunoda's memory bullets—they all lived here. It was the rarest affinity in the Hunter world.
Ryker exhaled, feeling the new neural pathways forming in his brain. This was the foundation. Without this talent, stealing Neon's [Lovely Ghostwriter] would be useless—like stealing a Ferrari without knowing how to drive. But now? He had the keys.
[System Note: Target {Neon Nostrade} cooldown period: 3 Days.]
Three days? Ryker raised an eyebrow. That was incredibly fast. Usually, high-level targets had cooldowns of weeks or months. It seemed that because Neon was physically weak—a non-combatant "mob"—her refresh rate was accelerated.
She's the perfect farming spot.
"C-Captain..."
Dalzollene's voice was shaky. He looked like a man walking to the gallows.
"Is she... is she okay?"
"Relax," Ryker said, wiping his hand on a silk napkin. "I was just clearing her meridians. It improves circulation. She'll feel much better when she wakes up."
Dalzollene stared at the unconscious girl on the bed. Her face was swollen so badly she looked like a different species.
Clearing meridians?! You turned her into a pufferfish!
If Light Nostrade saw this, he wouldn't recognize his own daughter. He might accuse them of kidnapping her and replacing her with a mutilated stranger.
"Brother Ryker..." Kurapika whispered, his hand tightening on his bokken. "Are you sure about this? The Nostrade family retribution..."
"Trust me," Melody interrupted softly.
Everyone turned to the music hunter.
"His heartbeat," she explained, looking at Ryker with a mix of fear and awe. "It hasn't changed. Not once. He believes what he is saying. Either he truly believes this is medical treatment... or he is so powerful that the entire Nostrade mafia is irrelevant to him."
She paused. "I believe it is the latter."
The room fell silent.
If a Two-Star Hunter didn't fear the mafia, who were they to panic?
"Alright," Ryker stood up. "Let her rest. I'm going for tea."
Three Days Later. Yorknew City.
The cooldown was up.
The city was buzzing. The Yorknew Auction—the largest gathering of wealth in the world—had officially begun. Trillions of Jenny were moving through the city's arteries. Dreams were bought and sold every second.
Ryker sat in the hotel lounge, scrolling through his phone. A message from Gon popped up.
[Gon: Hey Ryker! We found the game card! Greed Island! Do you know anything about it?]
Ryker smiled. So the plot moves forward.
[Ryker: I'll look into it. The auction price for that card will be around 100 billion. It's steep. I might have to liberate some funds from the local economy.]
Liberate funds.
The Phantom Troupe was coming to rob the auction. Ryker was the head of security.
In a normal story, this would be a conflict. In Ryker's story? It was an opportunity.
The Spiders will steal everything. I will steal from the Spiders. And when the dust settles, they can take the blame for everything missing.
Ryker grinned. Being the Captain has its perks.
Downtown Yorknew.
"Wow! Look at this place!"
Gon and Killua walked through the crowded market streets, eyes wide.
"Leorio said he'd meet us here this afternoon," Gon said, checking his old phone. "Kurapika is already here, working with Ryker. I hope we can see them soon."
"Ryker said to lay low for now," Killua reminded him. "He's busy 'farming.' Whatever that means."
"Hey! You two!"
A tall man in a sharp suit waved a briefcase at them.
"Leorio!" Gon shouted.
Leorio looked sharper than ever. He adjusted his sunglasses, looking every inch the successful businessman.
"You guys need phones," Leorio declared, marching them to a stall. "Hey, boss! This Beetle 07? You're asking 400,000? That's robbery! Look at this scratch! And the reception in this area? 40,000. Take it or I walk."
"4-40,000?!" The vendor sputtered.
"Deal!"
Gon and Killua watched in amazement as Leorio bullied the merchant into submission.
"So," Leorio smirked, handing them the phones. "Did you guys learn Nen yet?"
He flared his aura slightly, proud of his progress. He felt strong. Maybe even Ryker-level strong.
Gon and Killua blinked, then flared their own Ren. The pressure was heavy, refined, and vastly superior to Leorio's.
Leorio's jaw dropped. Damn geniuses.
Nostrade Hotel Suite.
Neon was dressed and ready to go out. She looked... surprisingly happy.
"Where is Lord Ryker?" she asked, blushing.
Baise looked at her with confusion. Three days ago, Ryker had beaten this girl's face into a pulp. Now, she was asking for him like a schoolgirl with a crush.
Is brain damage a side effect of his 'meridian clearing'?
"He's in the hallway," Baise sighed.
Neon practically skipped out of the room.
"Lord Ryker!"
Ryker turned. He saw the green notification above her head.
[Target Cooldown: Complete.]
Good.
"Come here," Ryker said.
Neon approached, eyes shimmering.
Slap!
Ryker didn't waste words. He backhanded her immediately.
Neon gasped, her knees buckling. But she didn't cry. She shuddered.
[Combat State Engaged.]
Ryker proceeded to administer a thorough "correction." To the bodyguards, it looked like domestic abuse. To Ryker, it was resource extraction.
[DING! You defeated Neon Nostrade.]
[DING! 10% Plunder Chance... Success!]
[DING! Acquired: {Lovely Ghostwriter} (Gold), {Collector} (Purple).]
[System: Hostility to {Collector} trait detected. Auto-crushing for XP...]
[XP applied to {Lovely Ghostwriter}. Proficiency increased.]
[Next Cooldown: 132 Days.]
132 days? Ryker frowned. The diminishing returns were kicking in. But he had what he came for.
[Lovely Ghostwriter (Gold)]
[Effect: Automatic writing prophecy. Requires Name, Birthdate, and Blood Type. Prophecy is written as a poem of four verses, each predicting one week of the future.]
Perfect.
He had the ability. Chrollo would try to steal it later, but good luck stealing what Ryker already owned and could defend.
"How do you feel?" Ryker asked, wiping his hand.
Neon lay on the floor, panting, her eyes glazed over. "Wonderful... Lord Ryker... please protect me..."
Dalzollene wiped sweat from his brow. This team is dysfunctional.
"Captain," Dalzollene interrupted cautiously. "Boss Nostrade has sent a list of clients. They need prophecies. It's... essential for the family business."
"I don't want to!" Neon pout, crossing her arms. "Daddy promised me the Scarlet Eyes and he hasn't delivered yet!"
"Neon," Ryker said calmly. "Do it."
Neon froze. "Y-Yes, Lord Ryker! Anything for you!"
She sat up immediately, grabbing a pen and paper. A grotesque, nen-beast-like entity appeared on her arm, guiding her hand. The pen moved with frantic speed.
Ryker watched the ghostwriter work. It was impressive.
Within minutes, the prophecies were done. Vague, ominous verses about death and spiders.
"Good girl," Ryker patted her head.
Dalzollene collected the papers like they were holy scripture. "Thank you, Captain. This saves my life."
"Let's move," Ryker ordered. "The auction awaits."
As the convoy rolled out toward the Yorknew Cemetery Building, Ryker looked out the window.
The stage was set. The actors were in place.
Somewhere in the city, the Spider was waking up.
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