Raphael continues playing the game.
Raphael kept a low profile, managing to avoid any of the teams he had robbed blind. He was still stuck in a pickle though. One of Asta's goons always seemed to be loitering near the card shop, at all times.
It was probably an act forced upon them by Asta, given that she was out to screw him over, just like he had done to her, her team, and the other players he managed to use Levy on.
His best bet would be to either try to obtain #072 Mad Scientist's Plastic Surgery so he can bypass the security watching the spell card shop. That, or go make a deal with Tsezgerra, like he had promised to do for Gon and Killua. He did promise that he'd try to land them a position within the game.
He has at least a couple of days before the Southernpiece Auction begins, several copies up for grabs, with a lot of Jennys on the line to obtain such a rare piece. However, he'd rather not delay it until the last moment. He should ideally try to get them a position before the auction begins.
He'd need to not only make a deal with the man, but he'll also need to be there on the first day of the auction to help Gon and Killua seal the deal with Tsezgerra. Battera might be the one paying everyone, but it's Tsezgerra, who's in control of the entire hiring process.
Since he has zero, Contact cards, talking to the man first would be out of the question. So, he grabbed one of his teleporting cards to target the man "Accompany, on. Tsezgerra." He warped to the location, finding the man on guard.
It had been a while since Raphael had made any sort of trade with the man. It's not that he hasn't found any cards to give him, it's that having the cards along with a Mimic, on hand is a pain to time. He just happened to get lucky recently.
Seeing the boy, the man offered a smile. It seems like the boy may have found more cards for him.
The man took a step forward, his tone controlled, as scrutinising as the day he met him.
"I assume you wish to make a trade. However, you should've contacted us first…" He paused for a moment, "We could've been in the middle of a trade or a card collection that may result us in having to repeat the quest to obtain it. You, of all people, should know that…"
"Sorry…" The teen offered the man a meek smile, "I have no Contact cards on me. Plus, I may have… pissed off a few players, who may or may not be scoping out the only spell card shop on Greed Island."
The man frowned, "Is completing the game, or as the terms of the contract state, collecting cards going to be an issue for you?" He crossed his arms, now staring at the rather meek teen.
Raphael recollected himself, now forced to stare the man down. It's only a mild inconvenience. He can still get his job done, he just now needs to do it in a roundabout way "No. In fact, I have a few on me…" He waved his hand as if the ring was mere proof of him having said cards. All rings look the same, no matter how many you have or haven't collected in the process "But I highly doubt there's any on me right now, that you haven't obtained already."
The man offered the teen a smirk "Try me…" Given that the boy was wearing the Secret Cape, a card he was missing, along with Paladin's Necklace. Yes, the card was a low rank, but in terms of usefulness, it was both ultra-rare and powerful to boot…
He highly doubts the teen hasn't gotten a single card, that hasn't been obtained. #095 and #084, were proof that he has a few cards he needs.
Raphael held up his hand, "Book." Summoning his binder, he flipped to the first card "#027?"
Tsezgerra looked through his binder, "Got it."
He flipped over several pages, completely ignoring #075. He can't have Tsezgerra knowing he has that one, "#081?"
"We don't…" Tsezgerra's eyebrows furrowed. Another card he hadn't obtained. There's no way the teen is going to have enough Mimic cards, to clone every one the teen has, that he needs "What do you want for it?"
"Do you by chance have Mad Scientist's Plastic Surgery?"
Tsezgerra flipped through his binder, "I do. But only one copy. No Mimic, though."
Raphael smiled wildly, pulling out two Mimic "Good thing I have two, Mimic cards on me and a couple of spell cards I'm willing to waste."
Tsezgerra hid a frown when Raphael wasted a copy card, to replicate Blue Planet. Although he understands the reasoning behind wanting to hold onto a SS rank, that is that rare. He may be thinking in advance, just in case he does try to complete the game on his own.
The two made the deal, swapping the cards being exchanged.
Getting Mad Scientist's Plastic Surgery wasn't his main priority. In fact, he didn't know if the man had it in advance. He merely got roped into a trade because their relationship was designed around the teen's contract, it's the main reason he ever goes to talk to the man.
Raphael's main goal is to make a deal on Gon and Killua's behalf. Once the trade was done, Raphael broached the initial topic "There's another reason I came to you. There's something I wanted to… discuss."
"Hmm…" The man shifted his posture, crossing his arms as he looked down at the teen. What exactly was Raphael expecting of him?
"I'm aware that the person who hired you to complete this game is planning to purchase more copies of Greed Island at the auction."
The teen usually comes here to make trades with cards he found, not deals or expectations of other things in or outside of the game. What exactly was he hoping to gain outside of this game, more Jenny? "You were hired under a similar contract with some small stipulations…" Was the teen attempting to perhaps make another change to their contract, "One, might I add you already signed…"
"I'm aware…" The teen paused for a moment, Now looking towards the scenery, avoiding the man's scrutinising gaze "I was hoping I can put a few names down as options for hiring. Of course, if they're good enough to play this game."
The man hummed at the idea, frowning somewhat at a few spots already needing to be filled. But if Raphael is willing to drop their name, he must see or know something about them that he's failing to bring up. It may be a bad deal, then again… if they don't pass the test, he's not going to let them occupy a spot "Bring them to me after the auction, and I'll test them. If they fail, no hard feelings?"
Raphael gave a nod "At least you're willing to give them a chance. That's all I suppose I could ask for. But if they make it into the game, I'm not planning on trying to change my contract. I intend to keep my deal, exchanging cards for a small portion of the winnings."
"The rarer or more difficult to obtain, the more you get back in return. I don't suppose you're willing to also trade Secret Cape?"
"If I get a Mimic or two, I will. I also have Paladin's Necklace, Bandit's Blade, and Panda Maid if you need them."
"Secret Cape, Paladin's Necklace and Panda Maid are the ones I'm missing." The man looked down at the boy, "Speaking of which, Paladin's Necklace only drops in the January monthly tournament, four months after you joined the game. How, exactly did you manage to get that one…?"
Raphael turned, now grinning slyly at the man "It's a card I managed to steal from a very upset player… It's a good thing he was no match for me. He was surprisingly weak…" With a wave of a dismissive hand, the teen continued to relentlessly insult the player "Relying heavily on his ability to steal through a Bandit's Blade, using nothing but his physical strength to hold them down while he steals card after card, until, he gets what he wants."
The teen smirked, "But he had only strength on his side… not finesse, tact or any specific training."
The man crossed his arms, he was only describing what type of player had the card… not how he obtained it "And how did he get it…?"
"Rumour has it, he stole it from another player who won the tournament fairly. What can I say…" The teen found himself smirking, "A weak player abusing the mechanics of a blade against a skilled fighter, with the same type of weapon, is, of course, no match for a player well prepared for the long haul…"
Tsezgerra felt a chill go up his spine; it may have lasted a fleeting moment, right up until the teen smiled… but there was definitely, a sense of danger, not in a bloodlust sense. More like if he were to double-cross Raphael, it wouldn't go too well for him.
The man found himself secretly sighing out of relief. It's a good thing the teen was hired to work alongside them… and not go against them.
"Tsezgerra?"
"Oh, nothing…" The man dismissed, "I just need those three cards. If I, or yourself do manage to get a few, Mimic cards, try to alert me before you come to me. In, fact…" The man pulled a card from his free slots, "Use Contact. I'll do the same…"
Raphael took the card, slotting it into one of his one of many free slots "I'll keep you posted. Until then…" The teen ran away, "I have to sneak into Masadora now."
"~"
The teen's eyes glimmered, a new set of spell cards filling his empty slots to the brim. He managed to buy twenty-one cards, not wanting to overkill and waste Jenny trying to purchase extra card packs in hopes, that it may net him an ultra-rare card. He's not about to tempt fate like that.
He did, however, manage to buff up his arsenal a little better.
The teen obtained:
Six, Mimic.
Two, Pickpocket.
One, Peek.
One, Fluoroscopy.
One, Accompany.
Two, Return.
Four, Rock Toss.
Four, Bullet.
He guesses it's now a good time to have some fun, but before that… he needs to use some cards. Slotting Contact into a player target slot. With the names lit up, he removes the card before hitting Tsezgerra's name, "Hey, wanna do that trade? I just got six, Mimic cards and I kinda need extra slots to have some fun."
Three Mimic cards, a Peek, and two Fluoroscopy cards later, the teen was ready to play the game once more.
He didn't plan on targeting any of the major players. He had no desire to piss them off any further, at least, not just yet. If they come to target him, different story. He's going all out on the barrage, wasting all his attack spells to screw them over before jumping ship.
As soon as Asta finds out what he did, how he snuck right past her without her noticing, all hell is gonna break lose.
Since there will be a bit of time before then, he'll return to mainly hunting down quest-giver cards. Trying to recount his memory, going through a list of possible cards that Tsezgerra might not have obtained yet, his brain fell onto one card.
Given the context clues around the name of the card, there's no way, that man would attempt to get #007.
From what he understands, it's got… quite the description.
Time to obtain the most absurd card within Greed Island…
"~"
The teen walked through an unnamed forest, hands in his pockets. He has the location and a way to obtain the quest. Apparently, there are multiple NPC that can trigger the start of the quest to obtain the card.
But it's always through the same method, which is to woo a villager… it didn't say who, just that he had to do it.
He came to the outskirts of a small village, like the one involving #075, there were a lot of NPCs roaming the town. There wasn't a single player in the vicinity, but given the quest… he was not surprised.
Further observations showed females with bloated stomachs, more rounded than flabby in design. When his eyes looked towards the males, he saw some of them in a similar position, "Odd…"
Moving around to what he assumed was the front entrance he stepped into the village, noticing a few kids running about, some even being held by a parent. Time to find one of the many quest-givers, I guess…
The teen asked around, receiving nothing but hesitant responses, there was no concrete information. The vagueness of responses gives off this illusion that there's either mysticism involved or it holds some sort of ritualistic charm, kind of like a piece of history being passed down from adult to child.
The teen found himself falling into a slump against a tree, tired from failing to find a single clue. Did the quest require multiple party members? He thought about giving up, until he heard the voice of a kid, "Why are you asking for a piece of our history?"
Raphael looked up, confused by the question asked of him. He's not asking for their history, was this part of a mistranslation error between a quest giver and the game, "What do you mean?"
"It's a way we show our affection…"
The teen's eyes widened; eyes drawn to the NPC. It was a young boy of similar age, a graceful smile directed at him. It was this kind of quest… Given that the village was within distance of Aiai, he kind of expected it. But not to this extent, "My apologies…" Could he go through with this quest, now knowing it's gonna be this kind of quest?
The teen shifted uncomfortably in his position, "I didn't know it was that special to your people, I'll leave."
The NPC waved their head, "We're fine sharing our history, it's just the older generation hesitates. You're an outsider that could judge us… would you?"
Raphael shook his head, "I would never judge…" He paused, taking a second glance. The kid was definitely, his age, just a little shorter, and pretty to look at… at least from a subjective view.
He thought nothing of it, finding himself smiling momentarily, "I'm kind of like an information hunter myself, history is a wondrous thing to keep passing down. When it gets lost, it may never get found again… or twisted into something that loses its entire meaning."
The kid offered a nod, "How about you come with me?" He offered his hand, Raphael taking it. He was brought to another part of the village, a large tree overshadowing the rest, rocks lining around the bottom of the trunk.
Observing the tree, he saw a series of hearts drawn into the tree, some more faded than the rest. They always had two letters, a plus between them. There was no distinction between the letters, just that they were confessions of love between two people.
He found himself smiling, "You don't carve your names into the tree?"
"No, we paint it across the bark. When the old bark falls off, it melds with the dirt, making room for other confessions. When we get older," The kid points towards the rocks, "we gift them to our lovers."
"Oh, I don't suppose I can grab one."
"No, you can only be given one as a gift. It loses its meaning if it's not given. I could gift you one…"
"Really?"
"But I would like something from you…"
"Oh?" Raphael hid a smile. So, the quest has a requirement to be met?
"I'm missing something from my collection. If you find me a stone that glitters like a mirage of colours, I'll give you one in return."
Raphael gave a nod, "I'll find your stone, then I'll come back with it."
The kid jumped for joy, Raphael unconsciously bringing his hand to the top of the kid's head. Seeing him happy reminds him a little of his childhood, his father handing him a gift. His eyes always lit up with joy during those moments.
With the knowledge granted to him, he left the village. There's only one thing that comes to his mind, which means he has to complete another quest before this one, much like it came to getting #075.
But there were other ways of getting it… the easiest method is to go gambling.
Given he didn't have Risky Dice on him went ham at Dorias, the city of Gambling. It took him a couple of hours, but eventually, he got the item he needed.
Rainbow Diamond
079 A - 20
A diamond that shines in a rainbow of colours. Propose with this diamond, and she is guaranteed to say "yes."
He returned to the village, a copy of the gemstone in his hand.
He couldn't understand why the kid wanted it, given that it was meant to be used as a proposal from a man to a woman. Though given the context clues, maybe it was due to the description. It's just different NPC request it for different reasons.
The kid wanted to complete his collection…
Maybe an adult male would want it to propose to his wife?
A female may expect a proposal from a man, hence an expectation of a ring with this gem before she hands over #007.
Holding the stone in his grasp, the NPC broke out into a huge smile, cheering loudly. It was like he had received the world as a gift. He was beyond happy, giddy at the prospect of receiving the stone as a gift, a gift that helps him complete his set.
Raphael wished he could've done this for a real person, to see them smile at him the same way.
He received a hug from the gift, a series of thank you making the teen blush. When those glittering eyes looked up at him, a part of him melted at the expression.
The NPC grabbed his hand, bringing him back to the tree in a hurry. He let go momentarily, reaching under the tree to grab two different coloured stones. Turning around, the kid offered them to Raphael "Which one would you like?"
One stone was blue, the other was pink. Not thinking that there was a difference between the two, other than the symbol etched into the stones, he grabbed the blue one, the object turning into a puff of smoke.
His eyes widened from the thank you gift, #007 Pregnancy Stones firmly in his grasp.
Pregnancy Stones
007 S - 10
Carry a stone (weighing 7 lb. each) for one month, and you will get pregnant, even if you're male. You may choose the sex of the baby by the female or male stone.
Oh… Raphael found himself blushing from the idea. The card was gender neutral, the sex of the person being a non-requirement. That's probably why a male offered him the quest in the first place because it was randomly generated, with age being the only factor why the NPC was young in the first place for him.
The NPC gave him another hug before running off, disappearing into a puff of smoke. But that wasn't the only thing affected by the boy's disappearance in the process, the tree was too.
A new heart was painted into the tree, the initials 'H + R' printed within the heart.
His cheeks tinged red, now understanding the implication of the requirement and the reason why it needed to be gifted. Between the tree with the multiple heart confession, the requirement of obtaining a Rainbow Stone was proof of circumstance.
Still… if there was this extra step involved where the first letter of his name is used in a confession between a player and an NPC, why was he, a male?
He shook his head, thinking it was just for aesthetic purposes.
Neither of them confessed to liking each other. There was no confession of love from the kid, he was only extremely happy with his gift, happy enough to give him the stone…
He ignored the ending of the quest, focusing entirely on the fact he had collected another card. It was time to get another big cut of the major prize, towards completing the game.
A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.