Not long after the group disappeared, Chrollo and the other members of the Phantom Troupe appeared on the roof of a nearby building.
"Looks like we still have to start with the Scarlet Eyes," Shalnark said, looking down at the chaotic streets below. His gaze landed on a protrusion in the ground that looked like a miniature volcano.
That was definitely Ronin's handiwork.
"He seems particularly skilled with Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning attributes," Shalnark analyzed. "For one person to master four different elemental changes... other than being a Specialist, I can't think of any other explanation."
But even for a Specialist, this was overkill.
"It's like Ronin took all his stat points and dumped them into elemental attacks," Shalnark mused. "Even though Specialists can develop multiple categories, someone like Ronin is still way off the charts."
However, the more exaggerated the power, the stricter the conditions required to achieve it. If they hadn't found his weakness yet, it was simply because Ronin was good at hiding it, not because it didn't exist.
After all, "Vows and Limitations" were a double-edged sword. While they granted power, they always demanded an equivalent price.
"His life force," Chrollo said suddenly.
His line of thinking mirrored Shalnark's. The only currency valuable enough to buy that kind of overwhelming power in such a short time was life itself.
Combining this with Ronin's background and his drive for revenge, it made sense. He was the type of person who had the resolve to burn his own lifespan just to achieve his goals quickly.
"Guys who don't care if they live or die are the hardest to deal with," Chrollo noted. "Especially in the endgame. The closer they get to the finish line, the more reckless they become. Naturally, that makes them more dangerous."
If they ruled out trading his life span, Chrollo had one other theory, based on some intel he had only recently acquired.
Did the Kurta Clan possess something like that? Chrollo doubted it. After all, Ronin had been hunted down and forced to flee; he hadn't even returned to his village during that process.
Chrollo integrated the various pieces of intelligence in his mind, and a new plan began to form.
"I remember you telling Uvogin that there was a way to heal his arm," Chrollo said.
"Right," Shalnark nodded. "I saw it on a pro hunter forum. Apparently, inside that game, Greed Island, there are some incredible items. Not just powerful healing cards that can cure any illness or injury, but also cards for regaining youth, gender swapping, soul projection, and even a 'Pregnancy Stone' that works on men."
Shalnark didn't quite get where Chrollo was going with this, but he listed out everything he knew regardless.
"Regaining youth, huh?" Chrollo chewed on the phrase. "Leak that information to Ronin. If his ability really is powered by burning through his lifespan, he'll definitely try to get into the game to secure that rejuvenation item."
"Plus," Chrollo continued, "we can use Greed Island to our advantage. The Scarlet Eyes are his primary target, so he'll be fully prepared for that auction. But he won't be prepared to bid on the game consoles."
Shalnark's eyes lit up.
"And even if he manages to get into the game, we can go in too. There might even be spell cards inside that allow us to corner him more effectively." Shalnark had clearly done his homework.
Greed Island had been running for nearly ten years. It was only natural that intel about its contents had leaked out. As long as Shalnark was willing to pay the right price, getting the details was easy.
A book materialized in Chrollo's hand—his ability, Skill Hunter (Bandit's Secret).
The pages flipped open to a specific ability he had stolen from one of the Shadow Beasts. It had been an unexpected bonus, but if he could combine it with another ability in his book, it might become the perfect weapon against Ronin.
But how to use two stolen Nen abilities at the same time?
That was the problem Chrollo needed to solve.
---
In a secret facility somewhere in Yorknew City, ten men sat around a large round table.
Their expressions were grim. These ten individuals represented the absolute peak of the world's six continents and ten major mafia families.
They were known as the Ten Dons.
"Only two members of the Shadow Beasts survived, and they're both cripples now," one of them said, breaking the long silence.
The Ten Dons commanded thousands of mobsters, but true talent was rare. The Shadow Beasts were the elite unit hand-picked from the strongest fighters across all their syndicates. And now, that "strongest" unit had been reduced to two disabled survivors.
The Ten Dons were feeling distinctly unsafe.
"Let's hire real professionals," another suggested.
The proposal met with agreement from the majority.
"Were the Shadow Beasts just too weak?" asked a younger Don named Raymond. He had a long scar running from his cheek to his chin. "They were supposedly the best we could find, but according to eyewitness reports, it wasn't just the Phantom Troupe that killed them. There was another unknown party involved."
Raymond had only joined the Ten Dons recently. His top enforcer had been Owl. Before today, he had believed Owl and the others were the apex predators of the underworld, capable of protecting the syndicate from anything.
Now, it seemed the Shadow Beasts weren't as tough as they acted. Against real masters, they looked pathetic.
Raymond had heard from a survivor that six Shadow Beasts took on three Troupe members and were wiped out in under five minutes—along with all the armed guards nearby. To the Phantom Troupe, the Shadow Beasts were no different than common thugs with guns.
"The other party isn't unknown," spoke up an older, dignified man with white hair. This was Nico, a veteran among the Ten Dons.
His operative, Bat, had been killed, but Nico always had backups.
"His name is Ronin," Nico said, drawing everyone's attention. "A challenger at Heaven's Arena, 200th floor. He's fought four matches total, all wins. In his second-to-last match, he fought member number 11 of the Phantom Troupe—one of the monsters responsible for the massacre at the Cemetery Building tonight."
Photos appeared on the conference room's main screen. Some showed Uvogin, others showed Ronin. Most of the clear shots were from Heaven's Arena; the surveillance photos from tonight were blurry and scarce.
Still, it was enough to give the Ten Dons some ideas.
"We need to recruit again. I suggest expanding the Shadow Beasts," one Don proposed.
"Let the current reserves—Rabid Dog, Leech, Porcupine, and Hedgehog—form a temporary squad," Raymond said, laying out a plan he had clearly been sitting on. "Then, we train new members and expand the unit to thirty people. Three from each family. That gives us a full platoon."
He added a stipulation: "Send the reserves to Heaven's Arena. They only qualify as official Shadow Beasts if they can make it to the 200th floor and win a match."
"And if they can become a Floor Master," Raymond added, "they qualify to lead the unit."
"Agreed."
The vote was unanimous.