Silence fell over the scene, and then a burst of laughter rang out.
"Ahahahaha! Nicely done!" Uvogin roared with laughter.
"You did good, bastard. I like your style," Uvogin said, grinning excitedly.
"Uvogin, what the hell are you so happy about? He already wiped out the mafia families, so where's your chance to make a move now?" Nobunaga shot back mercilessly.
"Huh?" Uvogin froze.
"Relax. I killed plenty, but some strays managed to avoid it in advance. Besides, it's only just past midnight, so it's August 31 now. A lot more mafia families will be arriving over the next two days. I also found out that the top rulers of the mafia are an elder council called the Ten Dons, and they've got a force under them called the Shadow Beasts. I heard they're pretty strong, so you'll get your turn. Hehehe."
"Really?" Uvogin licked his lips and broke into a grin again. Clearly, as long as there were people to kill and something to do, he was happy.
Chrollo Lucilfer, meanwhile, had been quietly listening to Ilo the whole time. Only after Ilo and Uvogin had finished talking did he speak.
"Since Yorknew City has fallen into this kind of chaos, the situation in the city is bound to change... Shalnark, I'm leaving intelligence gathering to you."
"OK, Boss!" the baby-faced Shalnark replied.
Chrollo continued, "But since we've already decided on our target, there's no way we're letting go of it... Tomorrow night, the operation proceeds as planned."
"Understood!"
...
Meanwhile, in the Nostrade Family, bodyguard captain Dalzollene was arranging matters for the underground auction on the following night with a grave expression.
He had received Neon Nostrade's fortune-telling prophecy. It warned that something unexpected would happen at the underground auction tomorrow night, and that once they went, they might never come back.
But his boss, Light Nostrade, had ordered their bodyguard team to attend.
It was a textbook case of sending them to their deaths.
Dalzollene was unwilling, but he had no choice.
In the bodyguard trade, reputation was everything.
If he disobeyed his employer, his name in the bodyguard business would be ruined.
There was no way he himself would go to the underground auction hall.
That meant the only option was to sacrifice the other members of the bodyguard team.
...
Time flew by, and soon it was daytime on August 31.
At Yorknew Airport, Roy and Android 18 got off the airship hand in hand.
The Yorknew City Dream Auction was an event that drew the interest of every upper-class notable.
Even the world-class tycoon Battera was coming to participate. Rumor had it that at this auction, he was determined to obtain the world's most expensive and most dangerous game, Greed Island, no matter what it cost.
Of course, not just anyone could attend this auction.
There were only two ways to take part.
One was to spend five million Jenny on an admission ticket. Pay five million Jenny, and you would earn the right to enter the auction.
The other was to receive a VIP invitation specially issued by the auction to those whose status, position, and wealth ranked among the top in the world and who had shown interest in this auction.
Roy and Battera naturally belonged to the latter category.
There was no need to say much about Battera, a world-class tycoon.
As for Roy, he was now the most famous and greatest manga artist in the world. His Dragon Ball had achieved explosive profits not only as a manga, but also through games, merchandise, and anime adaptations based on it.
His wealth was growing by the day, and word had it that his new work, Fist of the North Star, had already hit the market and was receiving an extremely enthusiastic response.
After getting off the airship, Roy and Android 18 went straight to the presidential suite hotel they had booked earlier.
"I see. Got it."
In the car, Roy answered a phone call.
It was from Gon and the others. Kurapika had arrived yesterday, but because of work, he could not leave. Leorio had already met up with Gon and Killua Zoldyck. And because Killua had gotten involved in gambling and been lured into a trap, all the money he had made over the past few days in Yorknew City had been lost cleanly.
"So what you guys really want is to get the chance to play Greed Island, right?"
"Yeah. Because it's a game made by Ging, there's definitely a clue about him inside," Gon said firmly.
"Then that's not a problem. But if you're thinking of saving up to buy the game, you should give up on that idea right now. It's impossible."
"Why?!" Gon panicked.
"Because at this auction, the world-class tycoon Battera is absolutely determined to win that game. No matter how many Jenny it costs, he'll buy it."
"Huh?!!"
"Battera? You mean that famous billionaire Battera?" Even Leorio was startled. "Why would a tycoon like that care so much about a game? I've never heard that he has any kind of gaming hobby."
Roy explained, "Here's what I've learned. Battera has a lover, and the two of them care deeply for each other. But all of a sudden, his lover was struck by a strange and severe illness and ended up bedridden, like a living corpse. Battera wanted to cure her, but no matter how many famous doctors he brought in, none of them could do anything.
"Then one day, Battera heard that inside Greed Island there was an item capable of curing any illness in the world. And since clearing the game lets you take items from the game back into reality as rewards, well..."
"So that's why he wants to buy every copy of the game?" Killua picked up the sentence, then muttered, "Never thought love could make even a world-class tycoon fall this hard..."
Roy glanced at Android 18 beside him in silent agreement.
"But if that's the case, doesn't that mean we have no chance to play the game at all?" Gon asked anxiously.
"Idiot. Even if Battera buys the game, there's no way he'll play it himself. He'll definitely hire other people to clear it for him," Killua said, knocking Gon lightly on the head.
"Yeah, Killua's right. Battera has already put out word that he's hiring quite a few skilled people to help him clear the game. And he's even signed contracts. Anyone who clears Greed Island and brings out that miraculous healing item will receive a reward of 50 billion Jenny."
"50 billion Jenny?!"
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]