`In the nearby cities, the Scarlet Eyes had another name:
"The Devil's Apostles."
That was probably one of the reasons the clan rarely left their homeland. People in this world always treated anyone who was different as an outsider.
Even if that difference had no real impact on them, the moment something bad happened, they would immediately link it to those so-called "abnormal" people.
Ronin didn't care much about that. What he did care about was whether Uvogin would keep chasing him relentlessly.
After all, once the Phantom Troupe finished a job, its members were free to do whatever they wanted.
Those two attacks had completely pissed Uvogin off, so the smartest move was to put as much distance between himself and this area as possible.
There was also the question of whether Shalnark had already obtained his Hunter License. Either way, the guy clearly had solid hacking skills, so Ronin figured it was best to keep a low profile.
The most basic step was changing out of his extremely Kurta-style ethnic clothing.
As for where to go next—
Ronin patted the money on his body, already soaked through by the rain.
Time to make some cash.
Whether he wanted to buy Scarlet Eyes or gather information, money was absolutely necessary.
September was when the Yorknew City Auction was held, and that was the best way to obtain Scarlet Eyes—by going through underground channels, just like Kurapika had.
After all, collecting human body parts was a pretty dark hobby, so those kinds of transactions almost always took place in underground markets.
Among them, Yorknew City was the ideal hub.
Ronin also remembered that at the 1999 auction, a pair of Scarlet Eyes had been sold. Because of malicious bidding, Kurapika—his eyes blazing red—ended up buying them for 2.9 billion Jenny.
In the Hunter × Hunter world, the purchasing power of Jenny was roughly equivalent to Japanese yen.
2.9 billion Jenny was no small amount.
The first money-making method that came to Ronin's mind was the Heavens Arena, where he could earn his first big payout.
For someone who had already mastered Nen, this wouldn't be difficult.
Reaching the 200th floor wasn't hard, and just getting to the 190th floor would earn 200 million Jenny.
Ronin didn't know how much you earned beyond the 200th floor, but it should be even more than that. However, after floor 200, prize money was no longer offered—it became a battle for honor instead.
According to the original story, once you became a floor master above the 200th floor, you'd gain both fame and a comfortable life. That suggested there were other income streams involved.
Ronin planned to earn all the money he needed there, then head to Yorknew City.
As for whether to look for Kurapika, Ronin had no intention of doing so for now.
He was no longer the original owner of this body. More importantly, he wasn't planning to return the Scarlet Eyes to the clan—he intended to absorb them.
He genuinely didn't know how Kurapika would react to that.
And considering he still wasn't sure how Uvogin felt about him, rashly approaching Kurapika might drag him into danger.
So it was better to wait.
Once he had enough money—and once he dealt with the problem called Uvogin—then contacting Kurapika wouldn't be too late.
With his next steps mapped out, Ronin began his survival journey through the forest.
---
Meanwhile, Uvogin and Kortopi arrived at the spot where Ronin had discarded the sticker.
"He's pretty smart," Kortopi said as he picked it up, forming his judgment of Ronin. "This doesn't look like a rookie Nen user. He feels more like someone who's been exposed to Nen for a long time and has thought deeply about it."
"His strength probably comes from just recently mastering Nen," Uvogin said, replaying the fight in his mind. "But the way he fought was strange. It felt like he was in Zetsu almost the entire time—even when he was attacking."
"Trading Zetsu for more unpredictable abilities?" Kortopi replied. He had already heard Uvogin's description of the battle.
"I get the feeling his fighting style is kind of like a ninja's," Uvogin said bluntly. "Clones, substitutions—and every time he used a technique, he formed strange hand signs in front of his chest."
"A weird Specialist-type," Kortopi said thoughtfully. "But overall, it leans more toward Conjuration and Transmutation."
Both clones and substitution techniques fell under Conjuration-type abilities.
And even creating a fragile clone—one that shattered with a single hit—would still require a heavy cost.
Developing such abilities in such a short time after learning Nen almost certainly meant he had used Vows and Restrictions, a double-edged sword.
"What a waste," Uvogin commented. "If I weren't chasing him so hard, he might've had a much bigger future."
He said it like a pity—but there was no regret on his face at all. If anything, he looked pleased.
"Are you going to keep chasing him?" Kortopi asked, looking into the dense forest ahead.
Without the sticker to guide them, finding Ronin wouldn't be easy.
"I'm not done yet," Uvogin said, rubbing his chin. He had no intention of letting Ronin off so easily.
Feitan's mocking laughter was still fresh in his mind.
He had to reclaim those two escaped pairs of eyes.
"Alright," Kortopi said, not stopping him. He even copied a phone and handed it to Uvogin. "This'll work for 24 hours. The guy who ran away was called Ronin, right? If he enters a city, you could ask Shalnark to help you find him."
"Thanks," Uvogin said, taking the phone. "Looks like he won't be heading to Y City. That leaves Z City."
"Good luck," Kortopi said, waving him off.
And as he waved, Uvogin had already charged forward like a wild horse breaking free of its reins.
At that speed, he might reach Z City before Ronin did—but that wasn't Kortopi's problem anymore.
---
Ronin's destination was Z City.
It was one of only two cities near the village.
Based on the direction the Phantom Troupe had entered from, they likely came via Y City.
So Ronin gambled that when they left, they'd also choose Y City—after all, Z City was farther away.
Riding a ground bird to Y City took six hours. Reaching Z City took ten.
Neither city was particularly large, and the Troupe had no reason to skip the closer one for the farther option.
That meant even if Uvogin really came looking for him, Ronin believed at most a two-person team would head to Z City.
And that pair would most likely be Uvogin with Shalnark—or Uvogin with Kortopi.
Just like in Yorknew, when Shalnark helped Uvogin track down the Chain User.
As for Nobunaga, who often teamed up with Uvogin, he was a frontline combatant. He would probably stay with Chrollo to escort the batch of Scarlet Eyes.
Ronin even suspected that Uvogin would prioritize escorting the cargo first, finishing the job, and only then decide whether to hunt him during his free time.
By choosing Z City, Ronin estimated he had a 50% chance of avoiding pursuit entirely—buying himself precious time to grow stronger.
And even if things went in the worst possible direction, he would only be facing Uvogin plus a non-combatant like Shalnark or Kortopi.
Knowing their abilities, Ronin believed he still had a chance.
---