Chapter 119: The Essential Purpose
Ging would not refuse and Haze knew it.
As long as this man was interested, even the slightest risk was acceptable.
With the help of the NPC, Ging reviewed the registration screen before entering the game, his attention drawn to the player agreement.
The agreement was written in tiny letters, and none of the mafia Nen users who had joined before had noticed it.
"You are…" Ging began to read. The text was filled with euphemisms deliberately misleading.
Yet, even so, he discerned its hidden meaning.
Exploitation.
Crude, blatant exploitation.
In fact, this agreement was likely the single most important element of the entire game and Haze's true purpose.
Why did players have to provide "energy"? In other words, why were they being asked to sell their lives?
Ging's Greed Island was focused mainly on the joy of exploration and collection, featuring special challenges based on cards a system meant to emphasize the game itself.
But Hero Island, to put it bluntly... gave Ging the distinct impression of being nothing more than a tool used by Haze.
"As I said before, if you want something, you have to pay a price… Nothing is free," Haze stated calmly, hands in his pockets.
He wasn't being arrogant he was simply stating a fact.
Ging smiled faintly.
Indeed… human desires have no limits.
Once you've won a game and tasted its sweetness, you'll crave it again.
That is one of the weaknesses of human nature and Haze had fully exploited it.
"Do you plan to open it completely?" Ging asked, looking at Haze.
"Yes," Haze nodded.
To enter Greed Island, players first had to purchase the proper gaming equipment. The longer the game existed, the harder it became to join, as the hardware was rare and extremely expensive.
However, Hero Island was different. To "make a fortune," Haze needed to recruit a massive number of players. Ging had no doubt that Haze had the means to accomplish this Hero Island had received wide publicity.
The mafia's influence over society was undeniable.
They possessed the contacts and infrastructure to generate a level of traction that private game development teams like Greed Island could never hope to match.
This would completely differentiate Hero Island from Greed Island, potentially transforming it into another "Heavens Arena."
Under Haze's watchful gaze, Ging quickly filled in his registration details and chose the ID: "Gold."
"Gold" symbolized wealth and his acceptance of Haze's deal.
He had gained access to the game and, during the closed beta, would help Haze identify and fix bugs.
Immediately after, Ging stepped onto the teleportation platform and glanced at Haze.
"Aren't you coming?"
"I can't. You'll have to experience it for yourself," Haze replied.
"Alright," Ging nodded slightly.
With that, he vanished into the game.
"Sir… is everything alright?" Mondel approached cautiously after Ging left.
As captain of the Firth family's guard and a high-ranking member, Mondel's insight had broadened considerably with time and power. He could tell Ging Fulishi was no ordinary man. After hearing their exchange, he realized Haze was skilled enough to ask Ging for help refining the game's structure.
But the issue was… Hero Island had always been Haze's creation something he had poured immense time and effort into training people and building.
The game's management and NPCs were all theirs and now, suddenly, an outsider had stepped in.
"He's just a player, with no authority," Haze said casually. "His role is simply to give feedback and suggest improvements. Besides, someone like him wouldn't be tempted to exploit system flaws or loopholes. He just wants to enjoy the game… or rather, to understand me through it."
Haze then left the hall, waiting for Ging's return.
"I see," Mondel nodded, dropping the subject.
"He's… starting to distrust me," Haze thought to himself.
He had no intention of hiding anything from Ging, and he was certain Ging had already realized the truth. Hero Island was merely a tool.
Haze planned to open it to the world, which would inevitably attract endless waves of players and keep the servers overloaded.
With limited player slots, anyone wanting to enter would have to wait in line and the tickets to Hero Island were controlled by the Field family.
The Haze family could use their influence to manipulate the situation.
This would raise ticket prices, turning the Field family into a highly profitable enterprise.
Although one of the Ten Dons, the Firth family's influence and power had expanded over the years yet their finances were no longer as strong as before due to heavy expenditures.
Their greatest cost was nurturing new talents in political circles, paving their paths with bribes and connections an expensive process.
Thus, beyond the family's core operations, other sources of income were needed.
The consequences of fully opening the game were obvious: Nen users from every background would flood in, drawing global attention. If the Firth family failed to maintain order, they would inevitably face trouble.
Still, in the short term, major issues were unlikely.
After all, the mafia's reach across the six continents and the human world far exceeded that of Heavens Arena.
Operations would remain stable.
Haze's true reason for doing all this was to recruit players rapidly and enrich the game world allowing him to operate independently and more efficiently offline.
His current Nen ability depended heavily on the game, which posed certain risks.
If Hero Island were destroyed, he too would suffer the consequences. That's why one of his summoner abilities included Teleportation ensuring Hero Island's safety for a set time.
To him, the true purpose of this real-world-created game was as a tool a sacrifice to evolve his Nen abilities. Beyond that, it held no meaning.
Haze despised having weaknesses or limitations.
Thus, the essential function of the Infinite Visionary's treasure, aside from replacement and elimination, was disconnection
to sever itself from the main game.
This was the inner mechanism of the Player Agreement:
to harvest each Nen user and make them pay the price for their actions.
At its current level of stability and complexity, that process was not yet possible.
However, the more players joined, the faster the "offline period" would end and Ging's presence and assistance would be crucial.
This man was extremely valuable to Haze.
Once the offline period concluded, Haze would no longer have to worry about Hero Island. Even if it were destroyed, it would no longer matter.
The game had become a business for the Firth family.
At this point, even if Ging tried to interfere or manipulate the system, Haze didn't care as long as the Player Agreement remained untouched.
That was what truly mattered.
(End of Chapter)