HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group - Chapter 53 (Patreon)

[ I have an announcement for all Players! One Player has finally collected all ninety-nine Specified Slot Cards. To commemorate this event, we will be holding an island-wide quiz in ten minutes. The quiz will have a total of one hundred questions, all about the Specified Slot Cards. The Player with the most correct answers will receive Card Number 000, Ruler’s Blessing. Everyone, please stand by with your open binders! ]

“Huh… so that’s what happens when you actually gather every single card.” Killua leaned back with his hands behind his head, his eyes fixed on Gon’s Binder as he looked over his Shoulders. The boy had neatly placed the last card into his binder, filling the final empty slot.

Gon didn’t look up right away. His brows furrowed as he ran a finger across the plastic sleeve. “Questions about Specified Slot cards…” he murmured, clearly lost in thought while flipping through the completed collection.

Killua tilted his head, smirking as if the answer was obvious. “Makes sense, right? Those are probably the kinds of questions that players who just stole their way through the game can’t answer.” His eyes flicked toward Harry for a moment before he added, “Like NPC dialogue, hidden quest details, stuff you’d only know if you actually played properly.”

Biscuit crossed her arms and tapped her foot, her voice cutting in. “Then our chances aren’t so hot. Around seventy to eighty percent of our cards came from our own efforts. The rest… well, we can’t deny we took a few shortcuts.”

Harry gave a small shake of his head, almost amused. “You’re doing better than most. The majority of players here only cared about stealing. That’s why no one has ever cleared this game, not even once. Too many idiots thought they could cheat their way to the finish.”

Killua narrowed his eyes. “What about you then? Did you play it seriously? Are you planning to join the competition too?”

“I played enough.” Harry shrugged casually, as though it wasn’t worth making a big deal out of. “But I’ve got no reason to compete. My goal’s just collecting every card. We already have a deal, so once you finish the game, contact me before you leave. That’s all I want.”

Gon finally tore his gaze away from the binder, blinking in surprise. “Wait, you’re not even going to watch the ending?”

Harry chuckled and turned his eyes toward the distant horizon. “I’ve got something else to take care of. Besides, you all look like you’ll be pretty busy yourselves.” His grin widened, as if he already knew what was about to happen.

The group noticed it at the same time. Several players were appearing one after another in the sky, flying in their direction with the Accompany spell.

“Don’t forget our deal,” Harry called out one last time. His figure blurred, then vanished without leaving even a trace of his presence behind.

Killua scanned the area with narrowed eyes, trying to sense where he had gone. A moment later, he clicked his tongue in frustration. “He’s gone. Completely. Just what is his Nen Ability?” His attention shifted back to the approaching group of players, his expression sharpening as the situation quickly changed.

———

“Are you finally done playing around?” Phinks grumbled, clearly annoyed, when Harry appeared at his side without warning.

“Pretty much,” Harry replied with a casual shrug, his voice carrying no particular emotion. “All that’s left is waiting a few hours, then I’ll be finished with this game.”

Shalnark tilted his head, scanning the area as if expecting someone else to show up. “What about the Bomber? I don’t see him. The Exorcist already agreed to our deal. He’s just waiting for that Genthru guy.”

“I’ve got him,” Harry said without hesitation. “Don’t worry. Just lead the way.”

The group of Spiders began moving, their steps crunching softly against the forest floor. Harry walked among them, silent and relaxed, until the trees gave way to a small clearing. There, a lone man wearing a heavy poncho sat waiting. The hood cast most of his features in shadow, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes visible.

him? Where is Genthru?”

Harry smirked at the man’s uncertainty. A familiar purple mist swirled around his hand, spreading outward like smoke. The haze thickened, then parted, revealing the restrained body of Genthru. His clothes were torn, his face bruised, and blood stained the ground beneath him.

“Right here,” Harry said lightly, as though showing off a trophy. “Apologies for the state he’s in. Let’s just say he wasn’t very cooperative, so I had to… persuade him.”

Phinks let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. “That’s one hell of a job. All yours?”

Harry shook his head and nodded toward Kalluto, who stood quietly among them. “Not me. Our newest member handled most of it. Pretty skilled, don’t you think?”

The man under the poncho—Abengane, the Exorcist—didn’t seem bothered by the condition of the captive. His gaze lingered on Genthru before he spoke flatly. “His injuries don’t matter. From the looks of it, he won’t survive long anyway. But what about his two friends? If I recall correctly, the Bomber group was three people.”

Harry’s eyes flickered with amusement. The memory of those two was brief; they had been reduced to nothing but dust when he absorbed their Nen. “They’ve already paid the price for their actions. They won’t be troubling anyone again.”

Abengane paused, studying Harry for a moment. “Did they harm you as well?”

Harry met his gaze evenly. “No. I just have a particular dislike to that Group of Villain.”

That answer seemed good enough. Especially with the distaste in Harry’s Voice. Abengane stepped forward, crouching beside the unconscious Genthru. He pressed one hand firmly against the man’s chest. “Then let’s get this over with. I caught the Bomber.”

A sudden pressure filled the clearing. Under the watchful eyes of the Spiders, Nen began to flow from Abengane’s body. It wasn’t particular powerful, but quite malevolent, like any Nen used with the intend to harm. Harry could literally see how it dispersed into the Air. The curse that had been planted on Abengane in the form of a Bomb unraveled, as he completed the release condition.

At the same time, the strange beast that Abengane had summoned—the manifestation of the Bomber’s Nen curse—let out a faint cry before dissolving into thin air. Instantly the Clothes covering the Exorcists body slimmed down as the additional size and weight vanished.

“Looks like you’re free now,” Harry remarked, his tone calm but carrying a sharp edge. His gaze shifted toward Genthru, who was still bound tightly by the body-binding spell, a vindictive look in his eyes. “You don’t need him anymore, right? I doubt anyone else harmed by him just so happened to be a Nen Exorcist and survived one of those bombs.”

Stepping closer, Harry crouched down slightly so his shadow fell over the immobilized man. The sight of Genthru’s eyes widening with fear brought him a certain satisfaction. The so-called Bomber tried to struggle, but the spell kept his body completely stiff. All he could do was watch as Harry leaned in with a faint smile.

“Goodbye, Bomber.”

The words were soft, almost casual, but they carried the weight of a verdict. Harry pressed his hand against Genthru, and in the next moment the man’s body crumbled away, turning to dust that scattered into nothing. The others silently observed, no one daring to interrupt. Harry had become quite efficient with that Ability, especially for targets who are quite a bit weaker than him.

As the dust vanished, Harry straightened up. A flood of new information and a noticeable surge of Nen flowed into him. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was certainly more than what he usually gained from an ordinary opponent aka fodder.

He paused for a moment, analyzing the fragments of knowledge left behind. ‘Not weak,’ Harry thought to himself. ‘Technically, he was skilled. But he wasted all that potential on such a stupid ability.’

Countdown wasn’t entirely useless. In fact, it had its merits. Being able to plant a bomb with just a touch and a single word—“Bomber”—was efficient. Requiring the target to hear the rules and the method of release before it could activate was a clever condition too, one that made the ability dangerous in its own way. If you were stronger than your opponent or took them by surprise. Against someone stronger, it would be quite risky.

But Harry on the other hand, who was notoriously difficult to touch in the first place, that ability was quite a great addition to his Skill Set.

The second ability, Little Flower, was worse. Supposedly his main combat technique, it lacked power, efficency, and practicality. Compared to other Nen abilities Harry had seen, it was laughable. Complete trash, he concluded bluntly, shaking his head.

While causing explosions with your Hand was not bad in itself, the fact that you needed to expend more than half of your used Power to protect yourself, made it complete trash.

“Well, looks like that’s settled,” Shalnark said, breaking the silence. He stretched his arms casually, as though watching someone disintegrate into dust was just another part of the day.

Abengane removed his poncho, revealing his full figure now that his task was done. “Thank you for your cooperation,” he said in a steady voice. “Once we’re out of the game, where should I find you?”

“We’ll contact you,” Machi replied with a short nod. Her firm voice left no room for doubt.

Phinks glanced over at Harry, his usual smirk playing at his lips. “What about you? Coming along with us?”

Harry shook his head. “Not yet. I still have a few hours left in the game. After that, I’ll be busy. There’s something I want to check on.”

Shizuku tilted her head, her face blank as always. “Should I come with you again?” she asked, her tone almost monotone, though there was a hint of curiosity behind it.

“No need,” Harry answered quickly. “It’s nothing interesting for anyone else, just something practical for me. Better if I go alone. You all have my contacts. If you need me, or got a job, just send a message or give me a call.” He shrugged, as if brushing the matter aside, but in truth his mind was already elsewhere.

Something was waiting for him, and the thought made his stomach tighten. In fact he felt quite Nervous about it, but at the same time excited since it would be the real test for his Abilities.

“Well then… see you,” he said at last, raising a hand in a half-hearted wave before vanishing as if he had never stood there.

“Does he do that often?” Abengane wondered.

“Yes…”

———

Harry’s exchange with Gon and Killua before they left the game was surprisingly short. There was no need for long discussions; everything had already been decided between them.

He had no problem letting them keep the cards they wanted to take to the outside world. After all, he knew what they were planning. Their trick was clever—transforming an actual spell card into an item card, then releasing the transformation once outside. Technically, it wasn’t against the rules, but it was definitely something the system hadn’t intended. Or considering the Game Masters were aware of it and Ging planned for Gon to do just that years ago, maybe it was intentional. Harry at least could respect that sort of creativity.

The cards Gon and Killua chose were already in his possession. He had absorbed them earlier, so parting with them now didn’t cost him anything. His true focus was elsewhere. Out of everything he had gathered, the card that held his attention most was Number 000—Ruler’s Blessing.

Another Nen ability, one that worked with constructs. The concept was fascinating, and Harry could already imagine several applications. Having absorbed several Nen Abilities doing something similar, but based on different concepts, it was quite the welcome addition. It wasn’t about raw power but about flexibility, and that was exactly the kind of ability he valued.

The rest of his time inside Greed Island was spent with a single-minded purpose. He made absolutely certain that he had absorbed every last card worth keeping. Checking once wasn’t enough; he went over his collection again and again. Returning to this place later wasn’t part of his plan, so he refused to leave even the smallest possibility that he had missed something.

Only after he was satisfied—when every card had been accounted for and nothing else could be gained—did he finally decide to exit the game.

The Game Masters were probably relieved that he was finally leaving. From Elena’s expression, he could tell she was relieved. Frankly, he couldn’t blame any of them.

His constant interference with the system had forced them to work harder than they ever expected. His own Nen Ability had completely messed with their Card and Spell System, especially after he began replicating their Cards Abilities. Of course they would be happy to see him gone.

“Is there a particular location in the real world you want to go to?” asked Elena, the Game Master in charge of handling player exits. Her tone was polite, but her eyes betrayed her eagerness to be rid of him as quickly as possible.

Harry glanced at the map projection floating before him as he rubbed his chin. “Hmm… let’s see,” he muttered, taking his time as his eyes traced the details. His finger hovered over several areas before pausing. “Do you have anything in the NGL? Or at least close to it?”