Chapter 104: The Rules of Pawnshop No. 8
Night Owl suddenly felt his limbs become light. In the blink of an eye, the corpses of his companions had vanished, and the Phantom Troupe members restraining him were gone too.
He found himself inside that strange building.
Where were they?
Had he survived...?
"This is a special space—only those who are chosen may enter it."
Inside the pawnshop stood a man cloaked and faceless, his features hidden.
The owner of Pawnshop No. 8 — Yamcha.
"They're still there. Everything happening here depends solely on your will."
"You mean... I'll be going back? Those vicious criminals are still there?"
For someone like Night Owl—one of the Shadow Beasts, who worked in the shadows under the Ten Dons, the mafia leaders—to call others "vicious criminals" showed just how terrified he was.
Yamcha nodded.
"Please! Please help me!"
With a thud, Night Owl decisively dropped to his knees before Yamcha, his forehead slamming repeatedly against the floor, making dull thump-thump sounds.
At this moment, Night Owl didn't care whether it was real or not. As long as he could survive, he would do anything. Even if it meant eating... well, anything, he'd do it without hesitation.
Like a drowning man clinging to his last straw.
"Staying alive isn't hard," Yamcha said calmly.
"This is Pawnshop No. 8, a place only the most desperate can perceive."
"Here, you can trade anything—as long as you offer something worthy."
As he spoke, Yamcha placed a mask and a bean in front of Night Owl.
"For example, this mask—called the Stone Mask. Wearing it can turn an ordinary person into a master who can brutally slay Nen users. It boosts physical abilities tenfold and grants immortality, making you an undying, unkillable being."
"And this bean—it may look small, but even if you're on the brink of death, as long as you're still breathing, consuming it will restore you instantly."
As Yamcha explained the mask's power, Night Owl's eyes lit up with a desperate will to survive. He pointed at the mask, barely able to contain himself.
"I want this! I want this!"
Classic gangster—his first instinct was to grab it.
Yamcha didn't stop him, only watched.
But the moment Night Owl's fingers touched the Stone Mask, a searing, bone-deep pain made him recoil instantly.
"Without my permission, it's best not to touch the exchange items. That's one of the rules here."
"What you just felt was only a warning. Next time, not even your soul will remain."
Rule of Pawnshop No. 8: Without the owner's permission, no one may touch the items. Violation results in loss of soul—or its complete destruction.
As Yamcha put it: "My rules are the rules here."
"Please give it to me! I'm begging you!"
Night Owl pleaded again.
"I can let you use it... but what will you trade for it?"
Yamcha remained unfazed, leisurely sipping tea.
"Anything of yours is acceptable—the rarer and more valuable, the better."
"Of course... it must belong to you. You can't trade someone else's property."
In this pawnshop, anything can be traded—powers, objects...
It was similar to a TV show, but not exactly the same.
The transaction must follow the principle of equivalent exchange—although value is somewhat subjective and ultimately judged by the owner.
But one thing is clear: the buyer must agree. You can't exchange a pebble for a Sharingan—that's not happening.
Both parties must consent. Any form of manipulation or coercion is nullified in the pawnshop. (Verbal manipulation doesn't count, though.)
Once the deal is done, the traded item is lost forever.
Even Kastro, whose Nen ability was "Doppelgänger", lost it in such a trade.
Regretful? You can still retrieve what you gave up—by offering something of equal value and getting Yamcha's approval. But finding the pawnshop again is part of the challenge.
Strictly speaking, this isn't a combat ability—but as a support ability, it's incredibly powerful, much like Yamcha's Crimson Heretic stand—it grows stronger over time.
"Rarer means more valuable...?"
Night Owl murmured. He couldn't think of anything he had that was worth trading.
Money?
Yamcha clearly didn't care about that.
What do I do? What do I do? I don't want to die. I don't want to die!
His not-so-bright brain spun at full speed.
Then it hit him!
He had something others didn't!
"If it means surviving... I'm willing—I'll trade my Nen ability!"
As he declared that, a glowing white aura burst out from his body and floated to Yamcha.
"Let me see… let me see…"
After inspecting it, Yamcha finally said, "Nice item. Deal."
He handed the Stone Mask to Night Owl.
"Just wear it and smear some of your blood on it."
"Oh, and one friendly reminder: while you'll gain immense power and surpass human limits, from that moment on you'll only be able to exist at night. You'll be a king of the shadows—sunlight will be deadly poison to you."
Right now, Night Owl just wanted to live. Sunlight was a problem for future him.
Transaction complete.
In the next moment, the pawnshop faded, and Night Owl returned to his original position.
"Weird... why is there suddenly a mask on his face?"
"Did he have it on before?"
Shizuku was the first to notice the change.
Without hesitation, Night Owl lunged forward, slicing himself open with sharp Nen threads and smearing fresh blood on the mask.
Seeing this, Feitan sensed something was wrong. "Machi! Kill him—NOW!"
With the strongest instincts in the troupe, Machi responded instantly, yanking the Nen threads—Night Owl's neck was sliced open.
But she was a step too late.
Before his death, the Stone Mask's bone spikes had already embedded into his brain.
Thud.
His body collapsed.
"Dead?"
Shizuku asked curiously.
"The mask... disappeared?"
As Shizuku exclaimed—
"He's gone! He was right here just now!"
"Are you looking for me?"
A cold, lifeless voice came from behind.
It was Night Owl—who should have been dead. His wounds were completely healed.
Vampiric transformation... complete!
Even a regular person becomes superhuman with the Stone Mask. For a Nen user, the effect is amplified.
"Amazing! This feeling is incredible!"
His eyes glowed red. Long fangs protruded from both sides of his mouth. Saliva dripped constantly.
He looked like a starving beast scanning the troupe, eyes filled with bloodlust.
He was hungry. He wanted to drink blood.
"Thanks for the warm welcome earlier…"
"Now, let's eat!"
A vampire vs. the Phantom Troupe.
Without Ripple energy, can they defeat an immortal monster?
(End of Chapter)