Part 31: Game X Starts X Now

"Here I come."

I kneeled down on the cement floor and stayed like that for a couple of seconds. Tsezguerra didn't interrupt with me and let me continue what I'm doing on the ground.

I performed my Hatsu all around my body on one of my maximum limits, used Gyo to focus it on one point, and used Sho to transfer all of my energy collected on the object that I selected.

With that, I can feel my bandages became stronger, harder, and more powerful than the ordinary ones. Yes. I chose to use my bandages as a weapon to enhance.

After a short time of concentration, I raised one of my hands, being wrapped in my bandages, and slapped the floor with a little amount of force. It didn't hurt a bit when I slapped the floor since I applied Nen, not an ordinary force.

Because of what I did, the floor under me descent inches below the surface like it was being smashed by a huge and heavy boulder. Even I didn't expect it to be this so effective. I compared it with Gon's huge output, and as expected, he took more damage than mine, though I'm still glad my self-training is worth it.

"U-Umm..." I asked the Bounty Hunter, filled with embarrassment because of what I did on the floor. Don't tell me they will make me pay for the damages. "Did I pass?"

Tzesguerra spaced out for a while, and finally, got back to the reality.

"Y-Yes. You did well," He tried to smile warmly to me, but I saw through his actions. Is it that really unbelievable? Is it unusual to see a little girl got ten times stronger than her size? "You passed."

"Yayyy!!~" I jumped for joy in front of him and I couldn't help but to smile in delight. I don't care about their reactions, at least, I passed the test and I can be with Gon and Killua inside the game.

Tsezguerra guided me into the door that was behind him. I opened it myself and a new room greeted me on the other side. Just like the last room, there was a stage facing all the seats on the left.

I tried to look for Gon and Killua among the few people sitting on the audience side. In my peripheral vision, I saw the girl in a purple dress with her innocent eyes. I smiled at her but she ignored my greeting and just looked in front of her. Somehow, that feels familiar. Killua did that to me also in the Hunter exam, except that he was ruder. Once I turned my head on the top rows, I saw my two friends waving at me to come to their seats.

I ran towards them and gave Gon a high five while Killua just crossed his arms, sitting cool.

"You did it, Secco! You're the one who made that banging sound, right?" Gon praised me enthusiastically with his sparkling golden eyes.

I felt my cheeks became red and started rubbing my nape. "Ehehe. I wasn't expecting it to be that loud.~"

After that short conversation, he let me sit on their reserved chairs and listened to what Tsezguerra has to say. I didn't pay attention to what he was saying since he's just congratulating us for passing his test.

The screening ended and we all went home to prepare for the afternoon's departure, although we're just inside the game and not going anywhere.

As we walked on the streets to go to a cafe for the celebration, I was thinking of the risk I must take on this journey.

Later, it will start, I must find Grenno. This will be my first step in knowing about my arm. I'll do what it takes for that information.

And... to remove it from my body.

***

The time of the departure has come. We were brought in an establishment that looks like a count's mansion because of its gigantic size and gothic style walls.

We made it into a room filled with numerous play stations and inside each station was the Greed Island game. I didn't expect Battera won this many Greed Island play stations. Just what does he want in this game?

"Attention everyone." Tsezguerra showed up in front of us and started instructing us on how to enter the game. Unlike the last lectures, I decided to listen to this one. It would be embarrassing if I did it wrong from the start.

Gon also showed off his ring that his father gave to him to Tsezguerra who was surprised that he had one.

"But how do we know who will be the first?" I asked all of them by raising my hand. The players looked at each other, thinking deeper on how to determine who will be the first.

"I know!" Gon suggested all of a sudden inside the room. "We will play... Rock, paper, scissors!"

I heard Killua let out a playful sigh as I chuckled by Gon's childishness. I knew he would think of something silly about this problem but I don't disagree with his idea.

"Then let's go with that," Tsezguerra said and we all started playing rock, paper, scissors. It didn't take an hour for us to play with each of the players inside the room. After a short time, we already being arranged.

"I'm first!" Gon shouted raising his hand with his piece in winning the position. I can't help but smile in happiness.

I'm the ninth player to enter the game which is not so far from Gon... I believe.

"I'm seventeenth," Killua uttered in an irritated voice as he looked at his losing piece in his hand. I stared at him for seconds. I can't believe one of the most powerful assassins in the world was defeated by a child's play.

He noticed me looking at him and glared at me with his eyes. I flinched in my position and started dropping cold sweats.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, you blonde!" Killua yelled at me as he stuck his index finger to my forehead.

"I-I'm not laughing at you! Why would I do that?!" I shouted back at him. Now, we're stuck at this childish fight.

"Do you think I don't know?! You're in ninth place and you're laughing at me because I fell behind you!" He yelled.

"I told you, I'm not!" I defended.

And this fight lasted for minutes until we noticed that Gon and the other players already entered the game.

I sighed out of grief. I didn't bid Gon goodbye yet. I'm such a jerk to fight like that in the middle of a serious business. It's really a shame.

"Hey," Killua called from the back. I turned my head to see him.

"It's your turn."

As he said those words, I took steps forward to one of the play stations. Tsezguerra gave me a ring that looks like Gon's ring. I think this was used to detect the movement of the players or something while inside the game. So that means if you don't wear this, you would not be considered as a player. Hmm...

I put the ring on my finger and stared at the play station I'm about to enter. Somehow, I feel nervous. What if I didn't make it right? What if I didn't have enough Nen to enter? Will I be disqualified? Will I be kicked out?

"Secco."

All of a sudden, I heard a familiar voice from behind. I turned around to see Killua looking at me, smiling warmly. His smile was the same as before, nice and sweet.

"You can do it."

I smiled back at him and looked back at the play station. I concentrated all of my energy into my body and to the station. After a few seconds, I realized that I was teleported into a new place.

I was surrounded by walls with weird scientific patterns wrapped around them. It's like I'm inside a computer. I turned my head to look around the new surroundings and I couldn't see Killua or any other players.

So I really teleported into the game, huh. Thank goodness.

A door showed up in one of the walls in front of me and opened by itself. It's like an automatic door in the malls. I walked past through it and a new room with the same pattern greeted me.

I looked around and saw a white-haired girl with a weird headdress standing on the top of a floating counter in the center of the room.

"Welcome to Greed Island." She greeted me with her robotic blank smile. Is she one of the hostesses of this game?

She called herself Eta and explained to me all of the mechanics of the game, which is kinda simple and complicated at the same time. The ring is actually equipment in the game that can give you two spells: "Gain" and "Book".

I tried one of the spells that she explained. I raised my hand to use the "Book" spell and a book appeared before me. It contained blank card slots and some had numbers from 0 to 99.

Eta explained that there are 100 restricted card slots inside the book and in order to clear the game, I must collect all of the cards.

After that explanation, I was allowed to proceed with the real game. A stair leading down showed up and Eta told me to follow it. I continued and what greeted me below surprised me.

It was a wide grass field with trees popping up from the different points of it. I can't help but be mesmerized by the view. The cold wind hit me with gentle and it's refreshing in the skin. I can't believe the game would go this far just to please players.

"Secco!" I heard a familiar voice yelled my name from beside me. I turned around to see Gon waving at me. I approached him and gave him a high five.

"I'm so nervous!~" I said to him.

"Me too." Gon responded. "But my father said I should have fun, even though he's not here."

"Hmm... Did he leave you a message?" I asked him to be sure. I mean, his father wasn't here, so it's possible that he left a message for him in the card or the ring that he gave.

He nodded as an answer.

"That must be disappointing. I mean you chased for him but you just made it to a dead end." I commented.

"No." He replied with a warm smile. "It might not be a dead end."

When I saw his smile during his sad times, I couldn't help but smile back at him. He looks so strong keeping his face up, no matter how many problems his life hit him.

I stretched out my arms and gave him a big hug. "You may be right!~"

After that fun moment, Killua showed up in the stairs that other players, including us, passed through. Gon waved at him and told him about his father not being here.

We started proceeding to the game further. I don't know what creatures or disasters are lying around the game. Collecting all the cards will never be easy.

As I dug deeper into my mind about how dangerous this game could be, I felt an uneasy presence coming from nowhere.

"Did you feel it too?" Killua asked me with his serious face as he took a glance in his surroundings. I saw Gon did the same. I nodded at him and also stayed alert in my position.

Without any warning, an unidentified object flew towards us like a meteor and crashed in front of us. I readied my Nen abilities in case something might happen.

In the meteor crash, a man in a weird outfit showed up, summoned a spellbook. He started talking to himself and looking at his present cards in his book.

After murmuring words and changing expressions, he raised one card from his slots and shouted the magic word.

"Trace on! Attack Killua!"

We all started to be alert and shocked by his choice of target. Gon and I turned around to see Killua running from the flying card.

"Killua!" We yelled at the same as we were worried by his state.

The man in front of us laughed maniacally as he watched our friend being chased. "Haha! You can't escape from it no matter how far you'll run!"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Because I was full of his actions, I spitted those words and glared at him. I tried to let my arm go wild and kill him but to my surprise, it didn't work. Why does it have to be now?!

The card made it to Killua and the spell activated. I didn't have time to fight with the man and instead, just looked at Killua, worried about what will happen to him.

"What did you do to me?" Killua asked in his chilling voice. He raised his head that was once lowered and glared at the man. His murderous eyes were the same as those in the Hunter exam. If eyes could kill, that man might be torturing right now.

I saw fear in the man's eyes and raised another card.

"Return on, Masadora!" He shouted and flew to another destination like a meteor.

After that encounter, we continued our journey towards the game. Gon asked if something happened to Killua's body but fortunately, it doesn't and he was fine.

I was relieved but that doesn't mean it's gone, it might give the result in the later dates and who knows what did it do to him.

After walking miles and miles away from the starting point, we made it into a town called Antokiba, which is known as the City of Prizes.

That title was no joke. All of the walls, all of the houses, everywhere, it was filled with games and battles that you can play to gain rewards for free. Now it really looks like a game.

We ran into a giant billboard in the middle of the town, which contained the Antokiba Monthly Tournament Schedule written on it. Various PVP games were displayed in the tournament and by the looks of the crowd, many players are interested in joining too.

We decided to participate in the tournament but all of a sudden, our stomachs growled out of hunger so we looked for a restaurant first.

After a long walk to find the best eatery, we finally found one that of you finish your food in 30 minutes, you won't have to pay for it.

We raced for the food as we asked information about the Greed Island game on the chef who hosted our challenge, but he didn't know anything. After winning, he gave us "Galgaida" cards which are, based on its level, completely useless.

"That was fun.~" I said as I rubbed my stomach in satisfaction.

I was about to sleep on the table we were sitting on but suddenly, a huge explosion came from outside shocked us. At the same time, we stood up and ran towards the source of the sound immediately.

In the large crowd covering our view, we passed through them and saw something we didn't expect to see.

There was a corpse of a man on the ground with his body exploded inside.

If there is a spell that can kill players, then Killua...!