Chapter 254: Chapter 253: Examiner (Part 1)
"Why the rush to leave?" Just as Bomber Ganshu took out an Accompany card and prepared to leave, Daniel, who was already prepared, acted swiftly. Using Nen threads he had hidden around the trio earlier, he immediately bound them.
Nen threads from Machi weren't just for healing; when infused with enough Nen, they were sharper than steel wire. While using Nen threads consumed more Nen than chains, they had an advantage chains lacked: those bound by Nen threads found it difficult to struggle.
If one used chains, the enemy would likely struggle immediately upon being bound, trying to break free. But with Nen threads, although the enemy would initially struggle, they'd quickly stop due to the pain. The threads were so fine that the more one struggled, the deeper they cut into the flesh, potentially severing limbs.
Daniel could, if he wished, dismember someone instantly with Nen threads, making them a potent tool for assassination.
As Daniel predicted, Ganshu and his companions initially struggled but stopped quickly upon feeling the pain. Despite their resistance, their bodies now bore numerous cuts from the threads biting into their flesh. Even though they could use Ten, the difference in power rendered their defenses useless.
As the trio stopped struggling, their eyes turned to Daniel, who walked out from the shadows. Ganshu's face turned pale upon recognizing him, realizing he was the one who had refused to let him get close earlier.
"It's you," Ganshu said with a mix of anger and fear, understanding he was utterly powerless against the Nen threads binding him.
"Yes, it's me. Now I see why no one has seen Bomber's true face—you kill everyone who sees it. It makes sense; your ability is dangerous once exposed."
Bomber Ganshu's ability, Little Flower, was easy to counter if known. People could avoid close contact or prevent him from saying the word "Bomber." Even if they were tagged with Little Flower, as long as they didn't hear his explanation, the bomb wouldn't activate.
Since it worked by monitoring heartbeats, it was ineffective against non-living objects or animals that couldn't understand him.
"I think you know what I want. Hand over all the cards." Daniel said as he picked up the dropped Accompany card.
"It's almost been a minute."
One of the game's rules was that if a card was taken out of the book and not used or returned within a minute, it would revert to its original form or disappear if it was a spell card.
In the original series, Gon used this rule against Ganshu by letting a rock revert to its natural state when he couldn't speak due to a throat injury.
The minute-long buffer allowed for transactions to be completed. Negotiations could be made while the card was still in the book, then taken out to finalize the deal.
Daniel had already analyzed card materialization and Accompany cards. Even if Ganshu used the card, Daniel could disrupt its activation or use his power to prevent their escape. Despite this, Daniel preferred not to reveal too much unnecessarily.
Entering the underground to study divine characters was within the game's rules. There was no explicit ban on accessing those areas, provided one had the strength to do so. However, breaking the game's balance might result in a forced disconnection and a ban.
For a game, the most intolerable action was tampering with its code.
In hindsight, Daniel regretted his haste in studying the geothermal energy capabilities of the divine characters. The optimal approach would have been to complete most of the game's objectives before delving into this research, minimizing the impact of a potential ban.
The Archangel's Breath was a key card Daniel couldn't afford to miss. If lost, acquiring it again would be immensely difficult.
Facing Daniel's demand, Ganshu and his companions exchanged glances before Ganshu spoke. "We can cooperate. You'll get a share of the rewards when we pass the game. But handing over the cards? Do you think I'm an idiot like those dead fools?"
Ganshu's term "fools" clearly referred to the deceased players. While they might hesitate to kill for fear of the cards resetting upon death, handing them over was a guarantee of death at the enemy's mercy.
Players' cards could only be removed by themselves. Upon death, all cards reset, especially ones like the Archangel's Breath, which required months of preliminary tasks to obtain.
"So, you're not cooperating?" Daniel said, flicking his left index finger. One of Ganshu's companions had their right hand sliced off by the Nen threads, which then constricted further, causing them to scream in agony.
"Cooperation isn't an option. Hand over all the cards, and I'll let you go. Refuse, and I'll kill you and let the cards reset." Daniel's cold expression bore into Ganshu.
Daniel had considered Ganshu's actions but wouldn't back down. Relenting now would show weakness.
As Ganshu hesitated, Daniel repeated the act, cutting off another companion's hand, maintaining eye contact with Ganshu.
"The next one won't just be a hand. Many items in this game can heal injuries, but death is irreversible." Daniel's fingers tightened the threads around the other two's necks, ready to decapitate them.
"Wait, I agree," Ganshu finally relented, his companions' lives more important to him than the cards. In the Hunter world, many organizations shared this flaw, valuing comrades deeply, like the Phantom Troupe.
The bond between Bomber's trio was genuine, stronger than that of the Phantom Troupe, evidenced by their collaborative Nen abilities. Developing such abilities required a deep emotional connection, impossible to fake.
"You can have the cards, but I have a condition. I have a Copy card. I want to use the Archangel's Breath to heal them," Ganshu offered as he summoned his book, his arm momentarily freed.
"Agreed, but I will use the card," Daniel responded. Others would hoard the Archangel's Breath, protecting it with Jail or similar cards. But Daniel intended to use it.
"Fine," Ganshu complied, quickly handing over the cards. Bomber's trio entrusted their cards to Ganshu as their leader.
"Copy." Daniel kept his word, using the Copy card to replicate the Archangel's Breath, which could heal one person at a time.
As the card activated, a golden-haired angel with white wings appeared before Daniel. Its radiant light covered the injured, healing them completely.
"Amazing," Daniel marveled at the Archangel's Breath, appreciating its unparalleled healing ability.
"Next." Before healing the second person, Daniel flicked his right index finger, reattaching the severed hand with Nen threads.
"Why the surprise? The Archangel's Breath can fully restore someone. This injury is nothing," Daniel explained, deploying the second Archangel's Breath.
"No wonder such abilities aren't public. If known, the user would be overwhelmed," Daniel thought, understanding why this healer remained anonymous. Revealing such power would attract endless requests and threats, even from the Hunter Association.
Hunters faced high risks, often left disabled. Restoring their abilities would be invaluable, and those like Chrollo, who could steal Nen abilities, would seek out such powers.
Daniel himself never showcased his Op-Op Fruit abilities in the One Piece world to avoid unnecessary trouble. He knew the saying "a thief for a thousand days cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days."
"Show me all your cards," Daniel ordered, even after taking Ganshu's cards. The other two complied, knowing resistance was futile.
They held some rare cards, but Daniel already had them. He took the Copy cards, planning to further analyze the Archangel's Breath.
"You've cooperated well. I'll keep my promise and let you go." As Daniel spoke, the Nen threads around the trio loosened. Just as they relaxed, the threads tightened again, slicing them into pieces.
"Don't blame me. You deceived them first." Daniel's swift action caught them off guard, killing them instantly.
Daniel wasn't like Gon, indifferent to the deep bond among Bomber's trio. Their fate was sealed before he intervened, just like his actions against the Phantom Troupe.
"Strange, the Archangel's Breath can fully heal players in the game, but the Witch's Youth Elixir has no effect. Is this a deliberate limitation?"
With Bomber's cards, Daniel became one of the closest players to completing the game. Only Razor's bounty hunters were on par with him, each holding exclusive cards and over ninety-five of the required ones.
"Leave." After a moment's thought, Daniel activated the Leave card, his body enveloped in a Nen glow as he flew to the game's starting prairie.
"The house looks the same, but the person isn't." Daniel lacked Gon's talent for recognizing individuals, especially magical beasts. He distinguished Elena and Ida by their hairstyles—one had a ponytail, the other short, loose hair.
"Leaving requires registration to disconnect the divine character ring from the game system. What happens if I use the Arcane Gate to leave directly?"
"I'll experiment later."
"Book." Back in his house, Daniel tested the game's commands, but nothing happened.
"The final registration is to sever the connection. Leaving directly might retain the connection, but without the game's server, the commands won't work."
"Let's discuss this with Ging later. Now, I need to focus on training." Daniel decided. Ging would likely cooperate under the right conditions.
Thinking this, Daniel picked up a stone and used the card materialization ability he had analyzed in the game. It worked, but required his Nen to maintain, with larger objects consuming more Nen.
"This will save time. Until I master the Archangel's Breath, everything else can wait."
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