"The empty tomb of King Wangu..."
Slohe rubbed his bald head, scrolling through the videos and photos submitted by Liam, Menchi, Shizuku, and Dago. He asked careful follow-up questions, cross-referencing details, making notes.
After a quiet consultation with his advisors, Slohe finally looked up. "Is there really no way to enter the tomb again?"
Dago and his crew hesitated.
"Only Hunters can enter," Liam said flatly.
That made things easier. Slohe touched his scalp again, relieved. The world was full of strange phenomena. They'd always existed. Only professionals like Hunters could access them. That was the official line, and it would hold up under scrutiny.
"Given the circumstances," Slohe said apologetically, "I'm afraid I can't authorize the highest-tier bonus. Third level. But the results you've provided look legitimate. Doubling the base pay to four million Jenny, second tier? That shouldn't be a problem."
The breakdown was simple. Base compensation: two million Jenny, payable immediately. Second-tier bonus: an additional two million, pending official review in Ochima. Third-tier maximum payout: ten million Jenny total, but that required the Hunters to return with Slohe and wait through a lengthy bureaucratic process. Maybe. Possibly. No guarantees.
"How long does the second-tier review take?" Menchi asked.
"If it's fast, a day or two," Slohe said, smiling. "There's a ship leaving port at 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow. If you're lucky, the additional two million will transfer before then."
Dago and his crew huddled, whispering. "We'll wait together," Dago said. "We don't expect the maximum payout. But we'll stay for the review."
Slohe nodded graciously. "Of course. Though I should mention, once the review completes, we'll transfer your shares immediately. You don't need to wait in person."
Accounts.
Liam suddenly remembered he didn't have a bank account in this world.
The Hunter World had online banking. You could transfer money with a phone, travel anywhere without borders. The currency was universal. Jenny, everywhere, all the time.
But without an account, that didn't help.
And forget the account. Strictly speaking, Liam didn't even have a real identity.
"Can I get cash?" Liam raised his hand.
Slohe smiled. "The amount isn't large. Cash, anonymous card, or bank transfer all work. Though for cash, I might not be able to pay everyone that way. Limited supply on hand."
Liam nodded. "Transfer my share to Shizuku's account. Shizuku?"
"Okay," Shizuku said.
Are they that close? Slohe blinked. Dago and his crew stared.
Menchi, who knew Shizuku had already recognized Liam as her boss, kept her mouth shut. I have an account too, you know.
While Ochima handled the financial logistics, the conversation drifted to King Wangu.
Different people cared about different things. Dago's crew didn't care about the king's historical ambitions. They cared about the treasure. The legendary secret hoard supposedly hidden somewhere in the ruins.
Kanzai, who'd been standing silently in bodyguard mode, finally spoke. "What's the big deal? The King Wangu treasure rumor resurfaces every few years. No one's ever found it."
Liam gave him an odd look. "Mr. Kanzai, you're interested in King Wangu's treasure?"
Kanzai gave him an even odder look. "I'm a Treasure Hunter. Of course I'm interested."
"But the rumors are different this time," Slohe said, leaning back in his chair, grinning. "Very different."
Dago and his crew nodded in agreement.
Kanzai frowned. "How?"
"Don't you watch the news?" Menchi said, surprised. "Even I heard about it."
I haven't heard about it either, Liam thought. Time to deploy the secret weapon.
"What news?" Shizuku asked, curious.
Slohe chuckled, pulling his laptop closer. He typed for a moment, then turned the screen to face everyone.
Liam leaned in. His eyebrows rose.
The headline read: "Heavens Arena Floor Master's Bizarre Suicide: Final Words About Kakin First King Treasure."
The accompanying photo showed the top of Heaven's Arena, the massive tower's outdoor observation deck. A bald, muscular man stood at the edge, phone raised, face twisted into a manic grin. He looked unhinged.
"This is the video he recorded," Slohe said, opening VidStream. He clicked on a video. Same thumbnail as the news photo.
The video started playing. A vlog-style selfie.
Wind roared. The camera shook. The bald man stared into the lens, laughing and crying at the same time. "The treasure of First King of Kakin is real!!!"
The camera jerked. Started falling. Rapid descent. The image blurred. A dull, sickening thud. The camera rolled across the ground, coming to rest on pavement. Cracks spiderwebbed across the screen. Blood pooled at the bottom of the frame.
Screams erupted off-camera. The video cut to black.
"Alpha Edward," Slohe said. "One of Heaven's Arena's Floor Masters."
Liam checked the upload date. March 3, 1991. Four years ago.
"Garo, the guy caught in Ghost Island?" Dago said. "He was probably influenced by this. Alpha wasn't some nobody. He was a Floor Master for years. A legitimate powerhouse. That's why his suicide caused such a stir. People took his final words seriously."
Boring. So boring.
Liam had asked a casual question and gotten an entire backstory he didn't care about.
He changed the subject. "Speaking of Garo. He's pretty strong. Won't he just escape from prison?"
What he actually wanted to know was how non-Nen-using authorities dealt with "superpowered criminals" without revealing the existence of Nen.
Slohe waved dismissively. "That's easy. Doesn't matter how strong someone is. Hit them with enough anesthetics, muscle relaxants, and nerve suppressants, and they're as docile as a housecat."
Liam had no response to that.
"Why bring him up?" Slohe asked.
"Garo was caught by her," Liam said, pointing at Menchi.
Menchi pointed back. "Don't look at me. He took down all five of Garo's gang by himself. I just cleaned up."
Dago and his crew looked at Liam. Their expressions said, Yeah, that tracks.
"Ah, the money came through," Shizuku said, checking her phone.
Slohe stood, offering a handshake. "8 a.m., day after tomorrow. The ship departs from West Town port."
Liam made an OK gesture and left with Shizuku and Menchi.
"Wait!" Dago caught up at the door. "Look, without you, we wouldn't have gotten the bonus. We owe you. How about dinner tonight? West Town, there's a good hotel—"
"I'm staying in East Town," Liam said.
"East Town works! East Town's great!" Dago said quickly.
"I appreciate it, but I'll pass. Got things to do." Liam smiled. "If you really want to thank me, answer a question."
Dago straightened. "Go ahead."
"Where's the Kakin group?" Liam looked around the entrance. "That guy with the broccoli hair came out of the park with us earlier..."
Dago blinked. "Broccoli hair?"
Menchi snorted, covering her mouth.
"You know," Liam said. "Cauliflower haircut. Military guy. Babimyna."
"Oh. Them." Dago pointed down the road. "They left about ten minutes ago. Headed toward the docks."