Unrest Before Dawn

September 4, 12:03 a.m.

Ryan glanced at his watch. His sniper mode had finished cooling down and could be conjured again at any time. He had used his only chance yesterday, but today was different—a new day meant he could plan everything anew.

Uvogin's fight was over. Kurapika had captured him alive and brought him back to the Nostrade Family's base. Ryan had known it would happen from his memories of his previous life, but seeing it firsthand was still shocking. Kurapika's terrifying Nen Ability, bound by a Restriction and Pledge specifically targeting the Phantom Troupe, was impossible to truly understand without witnessing it.

Ryan knew the Phantom Troupe would never let this go. They would do everything they could to get Uvogin back. And because Ryan had killed Shalnark ahead of time, gathering intelligence would be harder for them than it had been in the original story. Their methods might become more direct and brutal, too.

At around one in the morning, Ryan quietly approached the Nostrade Family's base. He stopped behind an abandoned house backed by a hillside, at a discreet spot with a clear view of both the base's entrance and the main roads nearby. He remained in Zetsu, without letting a trace of Nen escape. Given the Phantom Troupe members' vigilance, any unnecessary movement could give him away.

"Eye, stay high. Watch the immediate area." His whispered orders were simple and precise.

The Nen beast Eye rose silently into the air and hovered, observing. It could only watch passively and relay what it saw to Ryan; it could not scan its surroundings. He had to position Eye precisely so it could observe the area without entering the enemy's line of sight.

Around one thirty, movement appeared on a nearby street.

Ryan held his breath and pressed