Game Rules

Frank patted Ryan on the shoulder from the side and, unusually, showed a trace of a smile. "Treasure this opportunity. You should know that quite a few self-important fellows were eliminated halfway through the test."

Ryan nodded repeatedly, growing increasingly convinced of the information he had received earlier—Bartlo's team truly did screen players strictly. Only those who had genuinely mastered Nen could enter. And he had finally taken the first step toward joining the game.

A moment later, Tockino led Ryan back to the reception room. The question mark after Ryan's name on the whiteboard had been erased and replaced with a check mark, meaning that he had officially become one of the players of Greed Island. Ryan looked at the names of the other successful candidates on the list, feeling both excited and somewhat nervous—these people would be his "companions," but they might also become his competitors.

Tockino walked over to a long table, where several black game consoles and their accompanying equipment had been neatly arranged. "These are JoyStation game consoles and game copies." Tockino pointed at the equipment as he explained to Ryan, "As you know, Greed Island can only run on a JoyStation. This game has been out of print for many years. Our boss, Mr. Bartlo, spent a fortune purchasing multiple complete copies at an auction. He hired Hunters to enter the game, with the goal of clearing it and obtaining the rare items inside."

Ryan's gaze was drawn to a JoyStation on the table. The console looked similar to the game consoles in the real world, but it emitted a faint, strange energy fluctuation. He knew that was because a Greed Island disc had been inserted into the console, with Nen infused into it, making it appear ordinary while concealing tremendous power.

Tockino picked