Not So Normal Anymore - Clarita96 (2024)

Chapter 1: The Chase

Chapter Text

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hunter X Hunter

Chapter One: The Chase

It was raining heavily outside. Lightning flashed, giving light for just a few seconds. Thunder clapped from the distance. Two cloaked people knocked on the door.

A lady looked at the teenaged girl from head to foot as if assessing. The lady has shoulder length black hair and a fair complexion. She started to talk after a while. "Is this the house of the Normin's?" Her voice is too precise, too perfect; it was almost as smooth as silk and remarkably angelic.

"Yes." Morgan answered in her usual voice. Compared to her voice, her tone is like of a frog. The girl noticed the woman's eyes circling around inside the house.

"Are you the only one in here or is someone living with you?" the lady asked once again.

She tried not to sound intimidated. "Only me." Her response.

The lady raised a brow and walked inside she even bumped the teen's shoulder. Morgan wasn't sure if it was on purpose. She was followed by a man. "We work for the Rios family." She said while starting to touch things in the house. "We're looking for something."

Morgan can't help but take a look at the guy. He is tall with light brown hair with a matching pair of eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. His gaze was sharp and cold, like it saw right into her soul.

"Sir." The lady faced the man. "I'll begin the search."

That snapped her out after hearing those. Morgan faced the two. "No need." She snapped.

They stopped and looked at her. The leader raised his eyebrow as if she said something that interests him. That made her gulp but still managed to meet each of their gazes.

"I have the thing you've been looking for." She announced.

A ghost of amused smirk crossed the leader's lips. That seemed he wasn't expecting the teen would tell the truth. It took a whole minute before the lady spoke once again.

"And what would that be?" She seriously asked. Any form of enjoyment had now vanished from her face.

Morgan opened her palm to let them witness it themselves. A golden object carved with legionnaire's head and a crossed sword at the bottom rested in her palm. She was the crest's thief.

…..

Morgan contemplated the boats before her, trying to decide which one would take her to Zaban City. The first seemed simple, the second too flashy, and the rest were indistinguishable.

‘Why not just ask?’ she thought sarcastically. 'Thanks, captain genius – ME – that's what I intend to do.'

Her stomach rumbled. 'Right, getting mental. I'm hungry and being sarcastic to myself.' Morgan approached two guys talking.

"Um, Excuse me…" The two glanced briefly at her, then resumed their conversation, as if she's not of importance.

Annoyed, she cleared her throat and tried again. This time, they glared at her. "Miss, the road is wide. No need to excuse yourself," one said.

'I'm facing two idiots,' she thought. "I was calling your attention, actually."

The two individuals exchanged puzzled glances before redirecting their attention to Morgan. "So, what's the deal?" Guy Two inquired with a sense of urgency.

Suppressing the urge to physically express her frustration, Morgan forced a polite tone. "Could you kindly inform me which of these boats will take me to Zaban City?"

Guy One arched an eyebrow. "Zaban? Are you participating in the Hunter's Exam?" he asked. His companion burst into laughter as if the idea was utterly absurd.

"Come on, Tim. No girl would ever consider entering the exam. That's just absurd!" He continued with his laughter.

Morgan tightened her lips into a thin line, restraining herself from smacking the other guy in the head. "No, I just want to visit my family," she asserted, giving no indication that it was a lie. "Could you simply direct me to the boat heading to Zaban?"

All she needed were directions to the right boat, then she could leave these two infuriating individuals behind. Their condescending remarks were pushing her buttons. Every time she shared her intention to take the exam, people would either laugh, pass judgment, or regard her as if she had willingly stepped into her own coffin.

‘It's not like I wanted to take it,’ she thought, frustrated by the constant misunderstanding.

"There's no direct boat to Zaban City, but you can catch a boat heading to Dole Harbor. Once there, you can take a bus to Zaban. To get to Dole, you'll need to board a ship for either Lone Pier or Whale Island. The fifth ship is bound for Lone, and the eighth goes to Whale Island," explained Tim.

Morgan nodded. "So, which one departs first?"

The other guy pondered for a moment. "I believe it's Whale Island," he finally said, his sarcasm not lost on Morgan. "It sets sail in an hour. Lone Pier's ship departs at five. Anything else, or are we done here?"

Morgan nodded once more, offering a halfhearted "thank you."

'So, it's Whale Island, obviously,' she mused. However, before boarding, she needed to find a place to eat and wait for the scheduled departure time. Scanning her surroundings, Morgan finally spotted a place that seemed suitable.

Just as she walked happily toward it, someone bumped into her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice you," the apologetic voice came.

"The road's wide. Of course, you didn't," she replied with a hint of mockery, sizing up the boy in front of her. He had blonde hair and wore blue, almost tribal-like clothing. "Next time, watch where you're going."

The blonde teen looked equally irked. "You failed to notice, but you're at fault too. If you had just watched where you were going, you could have seen me," he retorted.

Oh, so it's her fault now?

"I am perfectly aware of where I'm going, pretty boy," she spat. "Look, I'm in a terrible mood today, and my stomach's not helping, and now you've made it worse. I don't have time for this. I have a stomach to feed and a boat to catch! So, why not try wearing glasses next time so you can see others too!" She snapped at him, turning away as fast as she could and marching towards the diner.

Morgan could hear him grumbling angrily behind her, but she didn't care. Her stomach was squeezing in hunger, and she felt like she might faint if she didn't eat soon.

The food made her mood flip 180 degrees. The delightful aroma reached her nose, intensifying her stomach's persistent grumbling. She eagerly grabbed some food and started digging in.

After relishing the meal, she paid for it and left the diner. With about an hour to spare before the ship departed for Whale Island, Morgan strolled through the bustling street.

As she passed a gathering of people, a child's scream and cries echoed through the air. Her feet instinctively stopped, and she turned to investigate the commotion. What she initially assumed to be a random scuffle among children appeared to be something more serious.

A six or seven-year-old girl was crying, her tear-filled eyes fixed on an older boy who seemed to be her brother. The two shared a striking resemblance, particularly with their hair, matching the color of a raven's feathers.

Morgan surveyed the scene, incredulous. Were people really going to stand by and watch these kids be mistreated? What was wrong with them?

Scanning the onlookers again, she noticed a common thread in their expressions - pity mingled with fear. The people around her were reluctant to get involved, paralyzed by their own anxieties.

Her gaze returned to the distressed siblings. What on earth could these children have done to warrant such treatment? Was it necessary to beat and humiliate them in front of a crowd?

"Where's my big bro?!" the boy screamed at the burly old man holding him up by his neckline.

A sharp, disconcerting laugh filled the air. Morgan couldn't even be sure if it was laughter or just the sound of a hungry sheep in the vicinity.

"Who knows what happened to your brother, boy. Maybe he's dead?" the man holding him sneered, followed by another round of malicious laughter from his companions.

So, he had allies with him.

Another burly man, sporting a maniacal grin, stepped forward. "What happens to him is up to us," he declared, and as the teen looked up at him, Morgan could tell he was the ringleader.

The little girl's cries grew louder, and the boy held by his collar struggled against his captor. Murmurs began to circulate among the onlookers, and anger throbbed in Morgan's head as she continued to witness the unfolding scene.

Morgan stepped out from the crowd, striding directly toward them. Before the man could register her approach, she delivered a powerful kick to his side, causing him to release the boy who landed on the ground with a thud. The man grunted in pain, now seated on the ground.

Gasps and comments erupted from the onlookers, labeling her as crazy. She didn't deny it.

"Who are you?!" the man demanded, his pain-laden voice revealing a mixture of surprise and anger.

“Sorry, I lost my way, and you people are standing in my way," the girl said childishly as she nonchalantly placed her raised foot back on the ground.

"Liar! Think we would buy that stupid excuse?!" a minion on the left yelled.

"Don't meddle with our issues, hag!" the boy retorted, attempting to insult her.

Facing the boy with hardened eyes, she responded firmly, making him cower under her gaze. "I'm doing this for your sister, kid," she said, her gaze shifting to the younger one. The boy's eyes softened.

"Hey, girl, why not play somewhere and leave us with our own business?" the self-proclaimed leader suggested, his smug grin persisting.

"And why not play someone your own size?" she spat back. "Come on, I'm in a hurry. Let's be mature here. Could you just answer the kid about his brother?"

The leader chuckled before stepping into the center. "I could do that… but someone should take our challenge."

"No! Sister, just leave—"

"Too bad the kid isn't allowed to be part of it. But if you're willing to take his place, that will work," the leader continued.

"No…" the kid said in a forlorn voice.

She smirked at him. "Then I'll play in his stead. How's that for a change?" Morgan tied her long auburn hair first. "If you win, I'll obediently go with you."

The older men looked excited. She could have expressed her disgust but maintaining her 'aloof' mask was more important. Morgan handed the boy her cinch bag, offering him an assuring smile as his worried eyes met hers.

"The instructions are simple," he declared, taking a seat on a barrel. "Beat me and make me surrender. Got it, girl?"

"Sure, old man," the girl saluted him.

His minions chuckled, displaying overconfidence that bordered on arrogance.

"Okay," he clapped. "Let the challenge... begin."

The crowd tensed as the match began, and within Morgan's peripheral vision, some were placing bets, clearly favoring the opposite side.

"Let's see who strikes first!" he declared, rushing towards Morgan. However, she swiftly evaded and seized the opportunity to pounce on the man, wrestling him to the ground.

He seemed caught off guard, and she took advantage. Jumping onto his back, Morgan tightly snaked her legs around his neck, locking her feet together and squeezing with all her might. The leader struggled beneath her iron grip, gradually turning blue.

"You bitch," he rasped, clearly shocked to find himself in this predicament.

"Surrender!"

It was almost comical how helpless the leader looked in front of his own crew. Morgan had him bound tight.

"Where is his brother?" she demanded, increasing the pressure.

The man groaned, attempting to wrench himself out of his predicament. With no blood flowing to his brain, he wasn't even sure how long he could endure. "H-He already e-escaped us. We heard he was in the neighboring town, s-so we wanted to use his sibling to bait him out."

"That was easy. Why should I believe you?" she questioned.

He made a pained noise at the back of his throat, grinding his teeth together. "Because you will see him inside the station jail! He chose to hide behind the protection of the police!"

Morgan released him automatically.

The leader's eyes flashed with anger. "You think you can make a fool out of me?"

This should have been an obvious outcome once she let him go.

Struggling, he called for his men. "Get her!"

Cursing under her breath, the girl swiftly turned on her heels, snatched her bag from the boy, and bolted into a sprint. She pushed herself to go faster, glancing over her shoulder to find all of them chasing after her. It was a relief that they had seemingly forgotten about the kids.

She navigated through long alleys, darted through dim corners, and took random turns, hoping it would lead her somewhere that might help her elude their pursuit. The occasional demands for her to stop echoed behind her, and their little chase was attracting a growing crowd of bystanders.

"Catch that girl! She's a thief!"

'Are you kidding me?! That's oral defamation!'

But the other side of her brain talked back. 'And yet I claimed a crime I didn't commit.'

"Thief!" The accusatory shouts persisted as she continued to weave through the crowded streets, desperately trying to put distance between herself and the pursuing group.

Along the way, she threw whatever objects she could find towards them, a desperate attempt to slow them down. The old and overused tactic worked like a charm, and the gang finally lost sight of her when the path she took split into two directions. Without hesitation, she dashed to the right, anticipating that they would likely split up at that point to continue the chase.

Colliding with a woman and another person along the way, a bunch of fresh fish splatted onto the ground. Catching the frustrated glare of the woman, she returned it with a sheepish smile and ran away as far as she could.

She scrambled to leave, sensing the gangsters were still in pursuit. Rounding a corner, she pressed herself against the wall. Reaching for her sheathed sword at her back, she gripped it firmly.

"Split up!" She heard their command, indicating that the gang was dividing to search for her.

As the footsteps grew louder, she swung her ready weapon, connecting it with the unfortunate person's forehead. A low grunt of pain followed as the person she struck fell to the ground. Satisfied that the immediate threat was gone, she scanned the scene and saw the same blonde teen from earlier lying on the ground, looking up at her.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were—" she began, then stopped herself. "Nevermind. Let me help you." She lowered the weapon to her side and extended a hand towards the teen, only to be brushed off in a rather rude manner.

The blonde dusted off his clothes. "It seems you have a habit of bumping and hitting someone," he said, annoyance lacing the tone of his voice.

Morgan raised a brow at his words.

He then turned to the girl. "Why are you carelessly swinging your sword? There are civilians here."

"I didn't have a choice," she said. Morgan opened her mouth to say something more when she heard loud footsteps and voices. Glancing over her shoulder, she attempted to run away but was stopped when the teen's hand circled her wrist and held her in place.

"Look, I admit I was harsh earlier, but I really need to go," she pleaded, attempting to wrench her hand away from his grip.

"Those men are after you. You stole something?"

"No! Of course not! There's this situation—" Her explanation was cut off by the shouting voices.

"Over there! Get that thief!"

Her eyes widened. While he set his eyes on her pursuers, Morgan bit his hand and swayed her leg to trip him. She didn't bother to look at what happened next to him. Morgan was already running away.

Morgan focused on finding a good hiding place, allowing her eyes to scan her surroundings.

Morgan cursed under her breath.

Even from afar, she could see other members of the gang near the boat for Whale Island. The boat for Lone Pier was the closest to her hiding place, and she didn't want to risk a confrontation with them.

"sh*t," she muttered. Walking at a brisk pace towards the boat, she paid the fare. The crew informed her that it was still too early to board. Her excuse was that she didn't have any other place to wait.

‘If it wasn’t for that blondie...’ She thought angrily. Then she scolded herself. “No, it was because I tried to become an idiotic hero.”

Morgan found a place to rest, sitting down on the wooden floor. Her thoughts drifted back to the kids she had saved.

'I hope they're fine.'

She breathed out, realizing she now had to wait for several hours. This is what she gets for helping.

But it's fine, maybe. She can't just leave those kids. After all, the exam is only a few days away. She’ll be on time.

‘This damned exam.’

Staring at the blue sky, she asked no one in particular.

“What's so good about being a Hunter?”

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2: Chaos in the Ship

Chapter Text

Less than two days later, Morgan found herself waiting in line near the docks in Lone Pier. The ship heading to Dole Harbor still wasn’t accepting passengers.

As she glanced around, frustration building with each passing moment, Morgan couldn't help but wonder what was causing the delay. "Nobody knows what’s taking them so long," she muttered under her breath, her impatience palpable.

The busy Lone Pier made her feel even more anxious. There was lots of noise from cars and people, making it hard to think. Cars honked loudly as they tried to squeeze through the crowds. Morgan just wanted to get on the ship and escape all this chaos.

Then, just as frustration threatened to overwhelm her, a commanding voice cut through the commotion. "The only passengers allowed here are the hunter exam participants! Come aboard, now! I repeat, hunter exam participants only!"

Relief flooded through Morgan as she realized the source of the disruption. Without hesitation, she joined the stream of eager participants making their way towards the waiting vessel, grateful to finally be moving forward.

As Morgan walked towards the gangplank, she felt a mix of excitement and irritation when she noticed the crew's surprised looks. "A girl? What’s a-" one of them started.

Morgan interrupted him with a tired reply. "Yes, I'm a girl and I'm taking the Hunter Exam. I'm doing it to reunite with my old friend, the grim reaper," she said, sounding weary of the usual reactions. "Well, I'll just go on the boat," she added, brushing past the crew and heading up the gangplank determinedly.

Ignoring the raucous chatter of some particularly loud passengers, Morgan navigated her way through the bustling deck, skillfully dodging the crew members doing their work. She found a quiet place below the deck and felt relieved to escape the hot weather outside.

Taking a moment to survey her surroundings, Morgan noted the aging appearance of the ship. The wood decks, though sturdy, bore the marks of years of use, lacking the polish and gleam of newer vessels. A pang of skepticism crossed her mind as she wondered whether the captain had any plans for maintenance or upgrades.

Shrugging off her thoughts, Morgan decided to focus on more immediate concerns. "Whatever... I need a rest," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes in an attempt to steal a few moments of sleep while seated.

As the ship started moving, Morgan could feel the gentle rocking of the ocean beneath her. Even though the ship looked old, it continued smoothly through the shiny water.

.

.

.

A considerable amount of time had elapsed, shrouding the ship in darkness. Suddenly, a boisterous group of ship crew members approached the area where Morgan was seated.

“Well, if it isn’t the young aspiring lady hunter,” one of them remarked with a smirk.

Morgan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was the same guy from earlier, and she was growing weary of his presence. With a nonchalant snort, she remained seated on the floor, one knee raised with an arm resting atop it. “You need something?” she replied curtly, her tone brimming with indifference.

Despite herself, Morgan couldn’t help but notice the ruggedly handsome appearance of the crew member. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with long blond hair, crinkly blue eyes, and a physique that strained against the confines of his crisp white shirt. Any snide remarks she had intended to make vanished from her mind as she found herself momentarily distracted by his charm.

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Morgan's thoughts as she pondered the crew member's intentions. 'Doesn’t it look like he’s... flirting?' she mused inwardly, her guard instinctively rising.

"We’ll play cards, you want?" the man offered, his tone light and inviting. "I'll teach you how to play!"

"I know how to play, old man, I just don't want to," Morgan retorted sharply, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice as she maintained her guarded demeanor.

As some of his crewmates laughed at the exchange, the man in question playfully feigned offense.

"He called you old!" they chimed in, their laughter echoing through the dimly lit space.

"Hey, do I actually seem old?" he joked, pretending to be hurt as he looked for reassurance from those nearby. "Missy seems upset about earlier. You left in a hurry before I could say sorry," he added mischievously.

Morgan's suspicions were confirmed as the man persisted in his flirtatious banter. "Hey, mister. Are you flirting? If you are, you’re giving me goosebumps,"

Amused, he laughed in response. "Oh, does it look like that? I’m not that low, you know," he replied, feigning hurt feelings. "Well, I'm just plain insulted. I just found you interesting," he added with a playful grin.

Unimpressed, Morgan swiftly gathered her belongings and made her escape, retreating to a quieter part of the boat. "Thanks... But I’m not interested," she declared firmly.

"Shame. I was going to give some pointers. Oh, well," the man called out, his tone tinged with disappointment as Morgan retreated.

Morgan looked back at him, feeling even more puzzled. His casual comment made her wonder about his previous actions and the sudden shift in his attitude. As the man and his crewmates turned their backs and walked away, a sense of unease settled over Morgan.

"Give it your all, missy," he called out, his final words sounding somewhat ominous, sending a chill down her spine.

Before she could think too much about the unsettling talk, chaos broke out on the upper deck. The air filled with loud bangs and terrified cries, making Morgan feel a rush of fear. The boat rocked violently, making it hard for her to stay steady. She let out a surprised cry as she almost fell over from the sudden jolt.

"Fantastic," Morgan grumbled quietly to herself, feeling more and more frustrated as the chaos continued. "Just the cherry on top of a wonderful day," she added sarcastically.

In the midst of all the loud noise and chaos, the passengers' panic became overwhelming. Morgan could hear screams of terror, along with the clashing of weapons, as people moved about frantically, adding to the commotion.

Morgan found it difficult to understand what was happening. Although she knew about the risks of traveling by sea, like pirate attacks, such events were uncommon, especially with naval forces guarding the waters. She couldn't help but feel ironic that the ship she was on would be the one to face trouble, she thought to herself with a hint of bitterness.

Feeling the weight of her bad luck, Morgan pushed down her growing fear. Instead, she concentrated on getting ready for whatever danger was coming. She quickly grabbed her sword, loading it with skill. With her cinch bag securely on her back, she got ready for action, her eyes full of determination as she stood ready in the dim hallway.

As she ascended, the smell of smoke grew stronger, thick and bitter. The sound of flames crackling reached her ears, and the overwhelming stench of smoke surrounded her.

"Fantastic," Morgan grumbled to herself, feeling frustrated. "Now there's a fire. I'll either burn alive or drown in the ocean before the exam even begins!"

Just as she was about to turn the corner, a person wearing white, smelling strongly of bourbon, rushed past her in a blur. It was another passenger. She started to follow him, but then heard him scream like a frightened child only a few seconds later.

She jumped. Concerned, she took off at a sprint down the narrow corridor towards the smoke. Scorching heat knocked her back as she crossed the threshold, threatening to topple her over. Another room was completely ablaze.

"Hey!" Morgan shouted, her voice filled with urgency as she searched the fiery room for the man she had seen earlier.

Suddenly, he appeared right in front of her, his panicked screams echoing loudly. Startled, Morgan let out a scream of her own and stumbled backward, crashing into the wall behind her.

"S-save me!" the man pleaded, his voice filled with terror. "Something’s attacking the ship!"

Morgan's eyes widened in disbelief as chaos unfolded before her. She was about to reach for the man she wanted to save when a loud roar shattered the air, startling her. Spinning around, she found herself confronted by a person dressed in black, charging at her with a menacing hooked knife, unaffected by the surrounding flames.

"Damn!" Morgan exclaimed, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the danger unfolding before her. Fueled by adrenaline, she acted quickly on instinct, pushing the assailant aside and dropping to the floor. She narrowly avoided the flaming blade as she rolled away from the attacker's reach.

Undeterred by her dodge, the attacker came at her again, driven by unwavering determination. Thinking fast and moving swiftly, Morgan hurled herself toward his legs, using her weight to trip him. He crashed to the ground in a tangled mess.

Morgan struggled to regain her bearings as she stumbled to her feet, her head swimming from the smoke and her body shaking with adrenaline. With urgency in her voice, she yelled at the man she had saved, her words sharp and commanding. "Why are you still here?" she demanded, pushing him forcefully toward safety. "Go! Run!"

Without a moment's delay, the man complied, dashing away from the raging fire as fast as he could. Morgan trailed closely behind, her heart racing in her chest as they maneuvered through the thickening smoke and the increasing crackle of flames, which seemed to intensify with each step.

The thick smoke and the roaring fire suggested a disaster of immense scale. The realization hit Morgan like a punch to the gut – the entire ship must be engulfed in flames.

"Take the girl!" the ungrateful man shouted, hiding behind Morgan as the new attacker approached them with aggressive intent.

Without a moment's hesitation, Morgan reacted, her instincts sharpened by survival and fueled by a growing frustration at the lack of gratitude from those she had assisted. As the attacker rushed toward them, yelling fiercely and swinging his scimitar, Morgan met his assault directly, expertly deflecting his strikes with practiced precision.

Morgan wasted no time in dealing with her attacker. She delivered a strong punch to his stomach, followed by a swift strike with the hilt of her sword to the back of his neck. The assailant collapsed to the ground, incapacitated by the force of her blows.

Morgan looked down at her defeated opponent, a smug grin appearing on her lips. "So much for helping," she remarked calmly, her words carrying a bitter undertone of irony.

The entire ship was in chaos. The fire was spreading all over the boat. More of the black-clad figures were swarming the deck, attacking without discretion.

"Are they truly pirates?" Morgan pondered aloud, addressing no one in particular.

The deck was filled with smoke and chaos, flames crackling on all sides. Bright orange sparks flew up into the dark night sky. Morgan hurriedly jogged, ducking her head to avoid the smoke as she moved forward.

The sprint to the railing was more of an obstacle course, and Morgan dodged skirmishes between the attacking men and a few passengers as she ran. Morgan could see some passengers jumping over.

Morgan's heart raced as she reached for the railing, planning to pull herself over and escape. But before she could, her movement was abruptly stopped by the swift whoosh of a long, jagged sword slicing through the air. It missed her ear by mere inches before lodging deeply into the wooden railing.

Reacting swiftly, Morgan turned to her left, wielding her katana to face the threat. The scimitar withdrew from the railing with incredible speed, creating a sharp sound as it swung dangerously close to her face. Acting on instinct, Morgan ducked and moved backward to avoid the incoming strike. The scimitar descended again, aimed at her face, forcing Morgan to block it with her own weapon.

The collision nearly caused Morgan to lose her grip on the katana. She crouched lower, smoothly sidestepping as the assailant swung the scimitar once more. This time, the blade missed her head entirely. Rising back up, Morgan cursed quietly as she realized her opponent had effectively blocked her retreat to the railing. With fire and combat surrounding her and a solid wall behind her, she found herself trapped in a dangerous situation.

Morgan uttered another curse under her breath.

With a snarl, he charged forward as she braced herself to strike with her sword. Once again, he swung his weapon forcefully toward her head. Reacting instinctively, Morgan raised her hand, using her katana to block the potentially deadly blow. The clash of their swords caused both of their arms to shake from the effort of pushing against each other. They both panted heavily, their breaths coming in short, labored bursts.

Struggling to keep up her defense, Morgan barely held off her opponent's relentless assault as he snarled and exerted pressure, trying to overpower her with his blade. Amidst their intense struggle, the scarf around his face slipped, revealing his identity.

Their eyes locked, and Morgan's expression shifted to one of recognition, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with a mix of shock and realization as she finally got a clear look at the person she was confronting.

The figure in the black clothing revealed himself to be the same crew member Morgan had encountered earlier. "Well, looks like I've been discovered. I dressed up for a bit of excitement," he remarked casually.

Morgan's expression shifted from surprise to anger. "What twisted game are you playing?" she demanded.

He grinned, "It's my ship. I have the authority to do as I please."

His ship. It dawned on Morgan that the man was the captain all along. No wonder he seemed to be goofing around. "Are you out of your mind? Planning to set your ship and crew ablaze?" she retorted incredulously.

"Of course not. My crew is cooperating willingly," he began, his tone tinged with amusem*nt. "After all, the Hunter Exam Committee assured us they would cover any damages. Besides, this ship is already old," he added dismissively.

Morgan's expression turned into one of confusion.

"The exam commenced the moment you boarded my ship. The Hunter Exam Committee lacks the time to evaluate every participant, so individuals like us are hired to weed out the unworthy by any means necessary," he explained. "Therefore, give it your all, missy."

Despite her trembling arm, Morgan continued to press her blade against his, while he kept his weapon poised threateningly above her head. However, he remained motionless, his gaze fixed intently on her face, as if anticipating her next move.

With a mighty push, and enough effort to strain the hell off her shoulder, she managed to knock the man's sword away.

Anticipating his next move, Morgan swiftly leaped to her feet, her own sword aimed directly at the man. With her blade pressed against his chest, she held her ground defiantly, even as he countered by resting the razor-sharp edge of his sword against her throat.

They found themselves in a stalemate. Regardless of the perspective Morgan took, they’re going to die. She suspected her opponent had reached the same conclusion, as he remained equally still. His blade, chillingly sharp, hovered dangerously close to her neck, and Morgan dared not even breathe.

They stared at one another again, neither moving nor speaking, their combined heavy breathing ringing in her ears. Her stomach was hollow and aching; her throat felt oddly swollen.

For a while, neither of them moved. Then, a loud crash followed by a small explosion broke the silence, and the sudden sound of flames crackling nearby grabbed their attention. They looked towards the disturbance with panic and saw that the fire had spread quickly. The masts collapsed, and smokestacks sent sparks into the air. It was clear the ship was doomed. Passengers and crew scrambled to escape, jumping into the icy waters one by one.

"Listen, old man," Morgan started, but halted abruptly as the swordsman fixed his gaze on her. She licked her lips nervously before continuing, "I believe this ship is about to explode."

"Obviously," he replied, his tone tinged with a hint of playful sarcasm.

Morgan rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm sure you're aware that I won't lower my sword. And I suspect you're of the same mind."

"Hmm, I agree," he responded.

After a moment of contemplation, Morgan locked eyes with him once more, noticing his unwavering gaze. "How about we call a truce for now and save the judgment for later?" she proposed.

"Ah, yes," he chuckled in agreement.

"Good," Morgan replied, slowly lowering her katana. In response, he withdrew his sword with equal deliberation, bringing it down to his side.

"Make sure to evacuate first," he quipped in that irritatingly playful tone.

"Sure thing," Morgan retorted nonchalantly. "I'll settle the score with you later."

Then she raced to the side of the ship, eager to escape the sinking vessel before it blew up… or before the captain change his mind about their ceasefire and kill her anyway. The captain followed closely behind her as they reached the railing. Without hesitation, they both vaulted overboard, plunging into the water mere moments before the ship erupted in a violent explosion.

She heard the final blow, but it was muffled by the water. Kicking her legs frantically, Morgan propelled herself away from the boat before the suction of the sinking vessel could drag her further underwater.

Moments later, Morgan emerged from the swirling surface of the ocean, gasping for air as she struggled to regain her bearings. Shouts of panic filled the night air, blending with the tumultuous sounds of the water.

"Defeat him, and then what?" she exclaimed, her voice barely audible above the agitated waters. "The ocean will claim me before the Hunter Exam even begins!" Her words were tinged with frustration and desperation as she grappled with the daunting challenges that lay ahead.

She could have gone into a full-blown tirade, really, berating herself for what happened. She had such back luck.

But Morgan didn't have more than a moment to marvel at her own stupidity, not when she was treading water in the middle of the ocean. With sudden speed and energy, she looked for sturdy floating objects to grab on.

Out of the corner of her eye, Morgan noticed small boats approaching her location, their occupants a mix of black-robed figures and crew members. At the center was where the captain stood.

One of the crew members reached out a hand, offering assistance to help Morgan climb into the boat. Grateful for the aid, Morgan accepted without hesitation, though she briefly pondered whether she should express her gratitude before deciding against it.

Will they continue to fight in the boat?

Noticing Morgan's apprehensive expression, the captain chuckled. "Relax, missy. You've passed," he reassured her.

"But... what about our fight?" Morgan queried, her confusion evident.

"Let's put that behind us. You've caught my interest, so you passed," the captain affirmed once more. “It's rare to find someone who can keep up with me in a fight.”

His crew erupted into cheers, celebrating Morgan's unexpected success.

"Congratulations, little miss. You passed! And only you!"

Should Morgan feel happy about that? She was almost killed or burned to death!

Morgan glanced around. She could still hear noise from a distance. She found her fellow passengers. What will happen to them? Left alone to die?

The captain noticed this and spoke up. "Don't worry. Someone will help them. I don't really want to be responsible for a number of deaths."

Morgan could only nod in response.

The captain summoned his crew and requested any available blankets or cloth. He instructed them to provide it to Morgan to shield herself from the chilly night air.

"We will arrive at Dolle Harbor tomorrow. As a bonus, I'll accompany you to the exam site tomorrow," he declared proudly.

If this isn't part of a big scam or prank, he could simply provide directions to the exam location instead of accompanying her, right?

And it appears she'd only grow irritated being in his company.

"Just give me directions to Zaban City," Morgan suggested.

His crew chuckled at her reaction.

"That's a clever way of saying 'I don't want you here' without outright saying it!"

"Captain, she really doesn't like you!"

Morgan became irritated by their loud laughter. She was the only one who didn't find their amusem*nt enjoyable.

“Hey, listen, there's a trap set up on the way to Zaban City. People like us will do whatever it takes to ensure that fools don't make it to the final exam," the crew member on the left explained.

"But there are navigators who can lead you to the exam site."

That's a possibility. They're conducting a comprehensive pre-evaluation for the candidates. However...

"Okay, let's assume that's the case. But how can I verify that you're actually part of the group sent by the Hunter Exam Committee?"

At that moment, the young captain stepped forward, revealing a card bearing an X symbol. "It’s not a hunter’s license but here's the evidence. Or do you want to inquire further to confirm its legitimacy?" He grinned. "You see, missy, with so many of us here on this small boat, it's likely that we would have already done something to you.”

The crew eventually handed her a thick piece of cloth. Morgan took it with a nod of appreciation. Standing up, she wrapped the cloth around her body. The cold air pierced through her flesh.

Based on her understanding, there are designated navigators stationed near the harbor to lead candidates to the exam site.

And what's that? Bonus point? For what? Because she almost died in the fire?

For him to guide her even if it’s not his job, would you blame her if she questioned his intentions?

But anyway... "Understood."

The captain’s grin widened. “Alright, folks! Let’s ensure to accompany little missy to the exam site, and she'll become a Hunter!” he announced, his crew cheered.

Their cheer seemed like Morgan was their favorite co*ckfighting rooster.

.

.

.

In Zaban City, the day appeared to be typical: partly cloudy skies, a wind slightly more forceful than a breeze, the air dry and just warm enough to discourage leisurely walks. It was perfectly deceptive, considering the day was anything but normal.

The streets were calm as a wooden open-air carriage pulled by a horse moved smoothly along the road. The horse, a spotted grey mare, didn't pay attention to the cars or people nearby. Its owner held the reins tightly from behind.

Of course, the mare's master is the captain of the ship. He's the one who literally escorted Morgan to Zaban.

True to their words, the buses from Dolle Harbor heading to Zaban City were indeed a trap. The bus would just go around in circles and never reach Zaban. So, they need to find the navigators to take them to the exam center.

Upon arrival of the boat in Dolle, Morgan was immediately put on a carriage. After several hours of travel, they finally arrived in Zaban City.

The captain was quite talkative and became an instant tour guide. He always had something to say or ask. Morgan could only respond with two or three words. He seemed to be amiable and carefree.

As they traveled, the captain pointed out a few beautiful fountains, but he drove them directly to their destination. He stopped in front of a majestic office building and hopped down from the front.

Morgan stepped down and looked at the towering building. "Is this it?"

The captain chuckled. "Nope."

Morgan looked at him in confusion.

He simply guided her to a modest, unremarkable restaurant next to it. Pushing open the door, they stepped inside. A stout man was busy behind the counter, serving two bowls of something hot to a couple of customers. Upon hearing the door, he offered a standard greeting, "Welcome."

Morgan understood it immediately. The Hunter Exam, with its vast number of candidates, would never be expected to be located here. The Hunter Exam Committee deliberately made it difficult for candidates to locate the exam site.

"Are there any empty rooms?"

At this, the man eyed the coachman, returning to a simmering bowl. "May I take your order?"

"I'll have the Steak Combo. Just for one, please."

The chef squinted. "How would you like it cooked?"

"Grilled slowly over a low flame," the captain smirked.

The chef nodded. "Got it. You can sit at the back."

The two moved toward the rear, attracting the attention of many restaurant patrons, with whispers circulating around. They could have been gossiping about various topics.

They arrived at a room in the back. He gestured for her to enter. The girl paused, as usual, to assess the situation before stepping inside.

"Missy."

She turned around.

"Good luck. Most rookies don't make it on their first try, but you will, won't you?"

"I will," Morgan responded. 'I have to.'

"Yeah, well, I hope you survive to do so. My crew and I were really impressed by you. We'll be rooting for you!"

She nodded. "Thank you for your assistance, captain."

"...I can't say I'd love to see you again, but if it happens, I'm willing to be your escort."

She nodded again, and he closed the door. Morgan took a seat at the table. A minute after Morgan had taken her seat, the elevator began to move.

Chapter 3: The Marathon

Chapter Text

397... That was the number given to her as soon as she entered the exam site. The 287th Hunter's Exam of the year officially welcomed those who were daring enough to join. The gathering of examinees took place in an underground passage in Zaban City.

Holding tightly to the number pinned on her loose gray sports sweatshirt, Morgan walked toward her fellow examinees—or, in more cautious terms, her now rivals in the exam. Her olive-green eyes traveled around, keenly observing the diverse group of people.

The atmosphere struck her first. It was unwelcoming. The barbaric stares of the men around her gazed back as if she were an unidentified creature they never expected in such a place.

Well, technically speaking, she was someone you wouldn't and will never expect to be there. It's the Hunter's Exam! This is truly a suicide mission!

Morgan sighed heavily and mumbled, "What have I gotten myself into?"

The exam hadn't even started, and she already went through a lot. First, she was chased by goons bullying little kids, and right after leaving Lone Harbor for Dole, the ship's captain decided to blow up his old vessel for the sake of screening the participants.

Lowering her gaze to her black combat boots, as if they were the prettiest thing in her current state, she managed to ignore the backstabbing stares of other candidates. Her sword remained ready at her side in case someone decided to try something funny.

"You're a rookie, aren't you?" A voice suddenly spoke up. It came from a round, chubby old man, numbered 16th on his tag.

Morgan nodded.

He laughed, "Figures, I didn't see you last year. I'm Tonpa," he greeted.

Was this kindness even genuine or not? Though he looked particularly weak... Maybe he's genuinely a good-natured guy. Maybe not all candidates are worse than she ever thought.

"Nice meeting you, Tonpa. I'm Morgan," she introduced. "You entered the exam last year?"

He nodded and smiled, "Yeah… well… actually, it's my 36th time this year," Tonpa shyly said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Her eyes widened, "What? No way. I'm actually speechless."

He laughed slightly, "Yeah, I realized that too. Say, would you like a drink? I brought so many with me, making my bag really heavy." He handed Morgan a can.

Morgan stared at it for a second, contemplating Tonpa's intentions.

She looked at the chubby man once again and shook her head, "No… thank you, Tonpa-san. You might need it more in the exam."

"Nah… it's ok. I really don't want to drink so many. Just accept it as a token of our acquaintance."

A soft sigh escaped from her lips, "I know this is poisoned." Tonpa visibly flinched and sweat started to form on his face. "But I won't blow your cover, so rest assured. As I said, you'll need it more in the exam," Morgan continued.

Tonpa's face lightened somehow, "Really?"

"Oh… So, it was really poisoned, huh?" A small smirk formed on her lips.

Tonpa couldn't believe himself that he fell for such an easy trick. That nasty smile from this young girl gave him a chill.

"You know… I detest it when people like you attempt to deceive the vulnerable, especially coming from a man who tries to trick girls like me." She took one step forward and gladly accepted the can from Tonpa. "But still… thank you for this." Morgan let out a forced, sweet smile to candidate number 16. She was about to walk away when she decided to add a few more words. "Make sure not to include me in your little game, because if you do… I'll stab your bulging stomach a hundred times."

Morgan turned on her heels and didn't even bother to wait for Tonpa's expression. No need to wait for it, really. He already knew that she was also not someone to mess with.

'So, what am I gonna do with this, really?'

"Ne, onee-chan."

The auburn-haired girl stopped in her tracks as someone tugged her. "Can I have that can?"

She glanced back, noticing a silver-haired boy with a skateboard tucked under his arm. He looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old. "No, actually it's-".

The young boy grabbed it from her hand and downed it as if he hadn't had a drink in a week. Morgan could only gasp in surprise.

"Wow! Man, I was so thirsty! This really freshened me up," the silver-haired boy remarked casually, wiping his lips afterward.

In a panic, she quickly slapped the boy's back. "What are you doing?!" she shouted. "Spit it out! Spit it out!"

"Are you a spiker? You’ve got a powerful slap," the boy grunted.

"You idiot! Why did you drink it? It was poisoned!" she scolded loudly.

"I know."

Huh?

She stopped, taken aback. "You knew? About the can?"

"If I were an ordinary kid, my backbone could have snapped," the boy said, pushing Morgan's hands away from him. She was puzzled by his comment about being an ordinary kid but decided to disregard it. "That fat man gave me one of those earlier, and I already knew something was off about it."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she glared angrily at the boy. "If you already knew, then why did you drink it?"

Is he a suicidal maniac?

The boy just shrugged, responding casually, "I'm immune to poisons, so it won't affect me as much."

What? Immune? How does that even work? Is that possible?

He seemed calm and self-assured. Meanwhile, Morgan felt foolishly horrified watching this silver-haired brat drink something potentially deadly.

That was embarrassing.

Morgan clicked her tongue. "I worried for nothing," she muttered.

"You looked like a concerned old grandma back there," he said, trying to hold back his laughter.

Morgan's expression shifted to annoyance upon hearing his remark. "This brat..." she muttered under her breath; her irritation evident.

"Killua."

"Huh?"

"You're also dumb, onee-chan… I said my name is Killua."

Morgan's eyebrow arched. "I didn't ask for your name, and I have no interest in knowing it," she retorted sharply. "Brat," she added with disdain.

"But you know it now, big sister," the boy retorted.

Ignoring his comeback, the older teen posed another question, "And why the sudden introduction?"

The white-haired boy simply shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt like it. Maybe for the juice?"

Morgan sighed, feeling defeated.

"I'm Morgan, and I'm not pleased to meet you," she said.

Killua just shrugged indifferently. "Not that it matters anyway."

Morgan grew more irritated at his nonchalant reaction. Perhaps she needed to consider moving to another place. "Well then, I'll be going." She turned around, not even waiting for his response.

As she searched for a place to settle, the elevator opened. There must be a new candidate. Not that she cared. She continued walking around, doing her best not to bump into others.

"Do you plan to tour this place?"

His sudden voice startled her. Had he been behind her the whole time? Morgan hadn't heard his footsteps. Or was it because of all the noise around them?

"Why the hell are you following me?" she demanded, her irritation evident.

"I wasn't. It just happened that you're heading in the same direction I was," Killua answered.

With that, Morgan made a sharp U-turn and marched back to where she came from. "I headed the wrong way."

Despite her efforts to distance herself from him, Killua either didn't seem to get the message or chose to ignore it, trailing after her like a baby duck.

"But I guess there's nothing interesting over there, so I'm coming with you. Plus, I'm bored," he stated casually.

Morgan stopped, her teeth gritted as she faced the younger boy. He was smiling, wearing an innocent expression, but she knew he was teasing her.

"Look, brat…" she hissed, her frustration evident. "If you're bored, following me might not be a good idea. I'm a boring person. If you're looking for fun, go play scotch hop with other kids."

"Now that's boring."

"Then go bother someone else!" she snapped. Throughout her entire life, the kids she knew adored her just as she adored them, but this brat was highly unlikeable.

A sudden, agonizing scream cut through the air, abruptly silencing Morgan and capturing everyone's attention.

Nearby stood a man with red hair, a red star on his right cheek, and a tear shape on his left. He was tagged number 44. His outfit resembled that of a clown or a joker. The man crossed his arms, a sinister smile etched on his face.

The other man screamed in pain, calling out as his arms seemingly turned into flower petals.

‘Oh, so he’s a killer magician, then?’ Morgan quipped sarcastically, though her thoughts belied her unease.

In just one glance, she knew he was someone they shouldn't mess with. It was more than enough to remind her that he could kill anyone in his way.

"That guy is dangerous," Killua suddenly spoke beside her.

‘Goodness, when will this boy leave,’ Morgan thought irritably.

"I could be dangerous, if you continue to piss me off," she sneered at Killua.

The boy just scoffed. "My mom doesn't even scare me even though her face looks like someone working in a horror house."

Morgan was perplexed. 'What the hell does that even mean?' she wondered.

BRIIIIIIING!

All eyes turned towards the source of the screeching sound as the examiner entered the waiting area. He was tall and very slim, with lavender-colored hair that curled at the ends and a thin, curly mustache. He wore a dark suit with a red tie.

"My name is Satotz. I'm your examiner for the first phase. The Hunter Exam will now officially begin," he announced. After his introduction, he walked towards a long and dark tunnel. "I want you all to follow me."

The rest of the examinees followed, and Morgan joined the run.

'This is it. No turning back,' she thought, feeling unease settle in as the reality of being at the exam site sank in.

"It's a good thing I brought this," the brat suddenly said.

Morgan turned her attention to the sound of rolling wheels. He was already riding his skateboard.

A show-off.

"You're still here? Go on. You have a skateboard. Shoo," Morgan said, dismissing him rudely.

"Did your mom crave something bad? Because you look cranky all the time," the boy retorted.

"Did your mom crave something annoying? Because you've been pestering me since the very first five seconds we met each other," she shot back, her annoyance evident in her tone.

"Studies say you'll easily look old being cranky. Well, there's not much of a difference if you stopped anyway," the boy quipped, his tone teasing and cheeky.

Do kids in other countries have rude mouths like this one?

"I'll be ahead. Let's just see each other at the finish line. Well, that's if you can reach it. I can't skateboard at a low speed." And just like that, he left.

Morgan shook her head. co*cky and annoying.

Well, it's good he left, thanks to his almighty skateboard.

One hour passed, two hours passed; some of the examinees had stopped running and dropped out. Many were still going, running behind Satotz, who didn't seem to break a sweat.

Morgan still wasn't feeling tired, thank goodness for that. But she needed to focus to conserve her stamina. No one knew when this marathon would stop.

Everything was going well when her eyes caught something. At first, she thought it was the silver haired brat again, but it turned out to be another boy.

Up front, there was a boy running like the rest of the candidates. He had spiky black hair, wore a green jacket matched with green shorts, and had a fishing rod on his back.

Is it just her, or did the exam become a hangout place for children?

And speaking of the devil, Killua was with him, carrying his skateboard once again, and they seemed to be talking. Finally, he found someone he could play around with.

Among the two boys, she scanned the other two running with them. Companions of the boy in the green jacket, maybe. First, her eyes landed on the taller guy wearing a business suit, holding a suitcase in his right hand. He appeared to be arguing with the younger teens.

As she observed the last member, younger than the taller guy, blonde-haired, and wearing strangely familiar patterned blue clothes.

Even his back figure was familiar…

Her eyes went wide. He's the guy she knocked down! He must've been so mad because of what she did.

Well, he almost stopped her from running, and she was almost captured. And it was because of him that he ended up involved in that crazy captain's scheme. Morgan had originally planned to ride on the boat heading to Whale Island.

Morgan was supposed to put a good distance between them when she noticed Killua looking around as if he were searching for something or someone.

When he looked back, their eyes met, and he grinned.

'I don’t like that grin,' Morgan thought to herself.

"Onee-chan!"

'sh*t. I thought so,' Morgan cursed inwardly as she realized he was calling out to her.

"Hey, are you deaf? Or pretending to be?" He shouted again.

Because of Killua’s persistent calling, his other companions looked back, especially the blonde dude. Morgan immediately looked down, trying to cover her face with her bangs and fringes. It was fortunate she let down her hair.

‘That kid brings trouble!’

Now, she’s running, facing down like a fool.

It didn’t take a minute when she heard footsteps approaching her. Two boys lowered their pace to run at the same speed as her.

Morgan didn’t face them.

"Are you Killua's friend?" Said by an unfamiliar young voice. Must be the boy in the green jacket.

"No," was her short reply.

"My name is Gon," he introduced himself.

Morgan didn't bother with introductions. She believed she wasn't obligated to share her name.

But there was a pest ruining everything. "Her name is Morgan," the other boy chimed in.

"I wasn't aware my mouth transferred to you," she snarled in irritation.

The boy in the green jacket, now named Gon, smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you, Morgan."

She didn’t dare to look up, so she just gave him a nod.

"Just noticed; do you have a stiff neck? Why is your head like that when we're trying to talk to you? Or does the floor interest you that much?" Killua quipped.

"I talk this way," Morgan answered curtly.

"Huh? You weren't like that earlier," Killua stated.

Unbelievable. Can't he just shut up for once? "You just didn't notice," Morgan retorted, feeling annoyed by his observation.

"Hey, Gon! Why are you over there? We can't be further away from the examiner!" a man shouted from the front.

"This isn't a race to begin with," said a familiar voice she last heard back at the pier. That's when she noticed they were already near her.

Morgan tensed even more, bowing her head further, and adding a sideways glance to where the blonde was not in sight. She most probably looked fool running that way.

Why was she even tense, anyway?

"Why do you seem so antagonistic about everything I said?" the tall guy questioned angrily.

"Because the examiner didn't mention that using a skateboard is not allowed, nor was this a race. He just said to follow him," Gon explained defensively.

"Then you're the smart ones," he mocked.

"Can't you just stop? You're wasting your strength by arguing alone," the blonde pointed out.

While the three were arguing, Morgan kept looking down and tried to stay away from the blonde.

"Did you break your neck? You're getting weird, onee-chan," Killua remarked once again, drawing the attention of the others to her.

'Should I stitch his mouth?' Morgan thought irritably.

"Oh, right. This is Morgan, Killua's acquaintance," Gon introduced gleefully.

Nothing changed. Her eyes lingered on the floor, but she nodded again to acknowledge them.

The taller guy slightly laughed, "She seems to be a shy type of person."

Killua snorted. "Huh? Nah, not really. But I wonder why she's been acting like she's hiding from someone—" He suddenly stopped talking. "Ah."

Morgan didn't like that tone. If this kid spouts more to bring trouble, she'll really yank that silver hair of his until nothing's left!

"Did you know someone from these three?" he asked with a tinge of amusem*nt. "Wait, wrong… Does anyone know this woman?" This time, the question was directed at them.

Morgan cussed in her mind. "I don't know them."

"We can't confirm your question if we can't even see her face," the older one pointed out.

"Wait…" The blonde interrupted, making Morgan sweat even more. "You... You look like the girl I met before Whale Island. The girl who knocked me down near the garbage bins."

Garbage bins?

"Huh? There were no garbage bins back there!" Morgan shot back, realizing how foolish she was for answering.

Once again, their eyes crossed each other. "So, it was really you. Who would have thought that you'd also take the Hunter Exam."

Was there really trash bins in there? Morgan wasn't even paying attention because she was being chased. "I didn't know they placed garbage bins there. And, if you hadn't stopped me, I wouldn't have tripped you." She said in her defense. "Did you know that because of you, I didn't make it to the boat heading for Whale Island?" And got almost burned alive in the middle of the ocean.

"It wasn't my fault you were being chased."

"If you had just let me go, I would have made it on time!"

"What are you still grumbling about? You're already at the Exam site, right?"

Morgan was silent and stared angrily at him.

"Ignore Kurapika. He tends to be rude in the first meeting. It happened to me as well. I'm Leorio." he introduced.

‘So, his name is Kurapika… Tsk. Even his name sounds girly.’

Morgan still looked at Kurapika with a sour expression but managed to avoid arguing. He was right; she was already at the exam site. Sure, she was a jerk at first. But his attitude irked her.

She's not really the type of person who easily gets pissed. (Hmmmm??)

"So, that explains the stiff neck. You were avoiding someone."

And then Killua joined in to tamper with her temper as well. She puffed out air and looked at Gon and then at Leorio. "Morgan."

"Ah! How come you said your name immediately? You were acting like you wanted to shave my head," complained Killua.

The girl glared at him, and Killua replied with a teasing smile. Why did it look like he was enjoying making her mood worse? She hadn't done anything bad to him to begin with.

.

.

.

The marathon continued relentlessly. It had been four hours since they started. They must have covered at least sixty kilometers. How much farther did they need to run? The population was rapidly decreasing due to excessive fatigue, and more of them were already reaching their limits.

Leorio was one of them. He almost collapsed and gave up due to overwhelming tiredness. However, he managed to strengthen his will and was determined to continue the marathon.

During the long marathon, their little group had separated. Leaving Morgan, Leorio and Kurapika together. They didn't realize that the two boys weren't running alongside them anymore; they were engrossed in a conversation.

They reached the 80-kilometer mark, and a long stairway lay ahead. The examiner quickened his stride even more as soon as he reached the stairs.

The walls narrowed in the tunnel when they reached the stairs, causing the three to run near each other.

Leorio, on the other hand, despite his body being covered in sweat, seemed to be a lot more energetic. You wouldn't think his strength left his system a while ago.

Morgan was curious why these four wanted to be hunters. All of them. She wanted to ask why.

Money? Fame? Glory?

Morgan has a different perspective.

She valued her simple life in her town.

She valued her life so much that she couldn't just waste it on this kind of activity that didn't even guarantee whether she'd live or not. But here she was, doing the same as the rest.

"Is money really your reason for entering the exam?" A sudden question from Kurapika.

Morgan immediately got interested; Kurapika’s question had perfect timing.

"I'm sure it's not. We only met each other a few days ago, but I've understood this at least. You certainly don't have a rigorous attitude, and you're not clever, but…I don't think you're a shallow person. I've seen a lot of people who only lived for money, and you're not that kind of person," Kurapika described.

So, his reasons were money? It didn't look like it.

"You're the king of logic," Leorio mockingly said.

"Scarlet eyes…"

Morgan's attention shifted to Kurapika. Now she was hearing an unfamiliar word.

"Scarlet eyes are the distinctive sign of the Kuruta. When we are overcome by a violent feeling, our eyes become scarlet, as if they were on fire. If we die in this state, our eyes never return to normal and stay in that color. That's why it's considered one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. They command high prices on the black market. It's the reason my clan has been massacred," Kurapika explained.

"Massacred?!" Morgan gasped in shock, making the two look at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Leorio cut in, "That's right, you're new. Kurapika is a member of the Kuruta Clan, and they were murdered by an infamous gang of thieves, the Phantom Brigade. And he's aiming to be a Blacklist Hunter."

Still in shock, she looked at Kurapika's expression, filled with hatred as Leorio mentioned the name of the gang. He bore the face of someone seeking vengeance. "Is it okay for you to tell blonde’s story? I don't think he does."

Kurapika closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "What's the point in asking that now? You already know. Besides, you don't look like someone who babbles things."

Morgan nodded, respecting the privacy of his story just as much as she wanted the same respect. "So, um, do you mean like your brethren's eyes were gouged out?" She wasn't supposed to ask it, and she wasn't being rude by asking.

"Their bodies were left with their eye sockets empty. Even in darkness, I can see their eyes seeking revenge... Whatever happens, I'll capture the Phantom Brigade, and I'll have my companions' eyes back." There was deep hatred in his voice, recalling that dreadful scene. "If I become a Hunter under contract, I'll become rich and I'll have access to many things."

"Under contract…?" Leorio looked at him like he's being crazy. "I thought you hate that type of Hunter? It's like you're ready to sell your soul and lose your dignity."

"What is my dignity… In comparison with the pain of my companions."

Morgan understood where his anger and motivation were coming from, but she wondered how he knew that his companions really wanted him to seek vengeance. His family might not want him to take that dark path. No family would want their child to do that… at least that's what she thought of most families.

But the bottom line is, will he be satisfied after?

She just wanted to scold herself. It's his life.

Leorio looked up the stairs, his eyes wandering afar. "Sorry, but I have no noble cause. I'm just after money."

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying! For the right price, you can buy not only treasures but dreams, hearts, and even people's lives!" Leorio blurted. "Because if I had money, my friend wouldn't have died! It was a treatable disease… The problem was that the operation costs a fortune. I was naïve. I thought I could become a doctor…" Tears formed at the corner of his eyes, and his voice faltered. "I wanted to cure kids who have the same disease and be able to tell them it was free of charge! That was my dream… What a joke!" He spat. "Turns out that to become a doctor, you need even more money, got it?! The world runs on money, so I want money!"

Morgan looked at Leorio with newfound respect and admiration. He claimed to be greedy and ambitious, but he had a noble cause for it. She ended up smiling upon hearing that.

"Say something, Morgan. Money is vital. You think so, right?" Leorio prompted.

She made a ghost of a smile. "I agree. Money runs the world now," Morgan replied, acknowledging the truth of his statement.

Kurapika, on the other hand, seemed to disagree with the idea. "Are you saying you also want to become a Hunter because of money?" he questioned.

"Yup," she affirmed, popping the word.

Leorio cheered. "Hear that, Kurapika? It's all about money!"

"Unbelievable. Why don't you just make your own company?" Kurapika suggested, clearly not approving of Morgan's reasoning.

Morgan scoffed. "Business needs money to start. You mentioned it seconds ago: you also need money to achieve your goal. Everything has its own price tag," she retorted, reflecting on the reality of the world.

'Because money and status enslave everyone, even the richest people in the world or criminals,' Morgan thought to herself, feeling the weight of this truth.

The blonde looked annoyed, but Leorio laughed. "It's good to know I have someone who thinks like me! Good going, Morgan. You silenced him," he said, giving her a thumbs up.

She released a lighthearted chuckle.

'Different paths, different goals, but they both have a noble cause for becoming a Hunter,' Morgan reflected silently, finding common ground amidst their differences.

Chapter 4: A Jog in a Swamp

Chapter Text

At the far end of the exit, a voice rang out, declaring, “I'm the true examiner!'" Everyone turned their heads towards the sound.

Morgan, still trying to catch her breath, thought, 'They haven't even had enough rest, and now this?'

They had just arrived, with Gon and Killua already present along with other applicants. Ahead of them sprawled a dense forest enveloped in thick fog.

Before the interruption, Satotz had mentioned that it was the Swindler's Wetland, a place teeming with various creatures that deceive and prey on humans. To complete the second half of the first phase, they needed to traverse the swamp once again.

Then came the interruption from the battered, bloody, and dirty man.

"He's a man-faced ape, one of the creatures inhabiting this wetland!" he shouted once more, drawing Morgan's attention to his appearance.

"How can we trust you? You could be one of them, or perhaps both of you," Morgan responded, capturing the attention of the others, who mostly agreed with her assessment.

The man abruptly tossed a white sack in front of the examinees, revealing the exposed body of a monkey of a different species, uncannily resembling the examiner.

Wide-eyed, Morgan couldn't deny the resemblance, albeit the bloody and lifeless state of the creature.

"He's one of them! He intends to betray you all by masquerading as the examiner!" the man exclaimed, using the evidence to sway the majority, even causing Morgan to question.

'If this place is infested with such creatures, why is he still alive here? He should have been devoured by now.'

Before Morgan could make sense of it, chaos erupted as objects were hurled seemingly from nowhere. In a blur of movement, the man who claimed to be the examiner collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, courtesy of Satotz wielding four deck cards.

"I see, I see," a voice interjected, drawing their attention. As the man shuffled his cards, they realized it was the magician.

Morgan's unease deepened as she recalled the magician's unsettling actions towards the first drop-out before the exam commenced.

As the Man-Faced Ape attempted to flee, Morgan realized it had only been feigning death. With a swift motion, the magician dispatched it with a single throw of his cards, ending its ruse for good.

"Well, that settles everything," the magician grinned, his expression sending shivers down Morgan's spine. He motioned towards Satotz. "You're the genuine one. A mere attack like that could easily be thwarted by a Hunter."

A Hunter? The realization dawned on Morgan as she scrutinized Satotz more closely. So, he is one of them? All this time, she had assumed Hunters were ostentatious individuals, boasting either muscular builds or extravagant appearances. Yet, it seemed appearances could be deceiving, or perhaps Satotz simply preferred to maintain a low profile.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Satotz responded calmly. "However, should you attempt such interference against me again, you will face disqualification. Is that clear?"

Hisoka turned around, his smile still unnervingly intact. "Yes, yes."

Large, vulture-like birds descended from above, greedily pecking at the flesh of the two corpses.

"This is the consequence of falling for their deception. This place is a haven for wicked creatures who employ any means of trickery to ensnare their prey," he cautioned, his words carrying a weight of solemnity. "Remain vigilant and exercise caution. Now, do your utmost to keep pace with me."

With that, he surged forward once more, darting into the forest shrouded in dense fog, the others trailing behind.

Dread hung heavy in the air as they ventured beyond the first line of trees, a sense of impending doom lurking at every turn.

The trees loomed large and twisted, their branches gnarled, and their foliage a deep, ominous shade of green. Vines snaked their way around some trunks, while others sprawled across the forest floor.

It was an environment tailor-made for deceitful and cunning creatures to thrive.

As the participants raced to keep pace with the examiner, the girl found herself separated from the four boys. Instead, she was accompanied by different companions in this marathon through the forest, delving deeper and deeper into its depths. As the fog thickened, she lost sight of the others ahead.

The landscape became a swirling blur of light gray and dirty white, presenting a significant challenge.

A mix of urgency and fear gripped her emotions, despite her previous experience navigating forests back in her home. Returning wasn't an option, so she pressed on, running alongside the others.

‘Where are the others?’ she wondered.

"There they are!" a nearby man exclaimed, pointing ahead. Through the dense fog, a silhouette emerged.

A piercing scream shattered the eerie silence, echoing through the mist-laden air. Suddenly, grotesque, mobile plants resembling giant pitchers emerged from the surroundings, their hideous forms snatching some of the runners with their grasping vines and launching large yellow, sticky projectiles like cannonballs.

"Ew… That's disgusting. I hope it's not toxic," she grimaced, her expression contorting in disgust.

Unfortunately, it proved harmful in a different way. Anything touched by the sticky substance adhered to it like super glue, solidifying rapidly.

"Oh, just fantastic," she muttered sarcastically as the sticky goo flew in her direction, striking her hair and pinning her to the ground. The substance emitted a peculiar odor, adding to her discomfort.

"Stupid hair," she grumbled, regretting not tying it back sooner. Attempting to free herself only resulted in searing pain shooting through her scalp, as if her hair was on the verge of being torn out.

"Aargh! Damn it!" she exclaimed in frustration, realizing she had no other option. With determination, she unsheathed her sword and began to saw through her entangled hair.

After freeing herself, Morgan examined the strands lying on the muddy ground, uncertain of what her new hairstyle would entail. She reached out to touch it, finding it now shoulder-length.

Her gaze hardened as she glared at the monstrous plant, but she knew better than to engage it directly. While the creature was preoccupied with capturing other participants, she stealthily slipped away, unwilling to waste any more time. Her priority remained following the examiner and the main group.

Circling the area, Morgan then retraced her steps in the direction she believed the others had headed—a decision she hoped was correct.

The key, she reminded herself, was to keep moving and avoid staying in one place, even if it seemed futile.

As Morgan ran, the chorus of screams intensified, amplifying her fear. Each cry served as a stark reminder that she could be the next victim. Yet, all she could do was push forward, driven by the sole objective of finding Satotz.

Her foot caught on something, sending her tumbling to the ground. Knees and hands met the unforgiving soil. When she glanced back, her eyes fell upon the lifeless form of another candidate. Blood pooled around the body, its vacant eyes frozen in a silent scream of agony.

Swallowing hard, Morgan forced herself to stand.

The surroundings fell into an eerie silence, as if someone—or something—was watching her every move.

Suddenly, a hand seized her arm, causing her heart to race. Reacting on pure instinct, she drew her sword, ready to strike at her assailant.

Her blade clashed against a wooden bokken, halting her attack.

"You have a habit of attacking first, don't you?" the familiar voice remarked.

Relief flooded through her as she recognized the voice. "Blondie?" she called out. "Don't scare me like that! You could have just called out to me!"

Paranoia gripped Morgan as the forest seemed to toy with her mind, amplifying her sense of dread.

"And what then? Draw attention to ourselves?" Kurapika retorted sharply. "Why did you stop? Planning to sacrifice yourself? Luckily, we spotted you first."

"Enough chatter! Let's find the examiner!" Leorio interjected urgently, his unease palpable as he avoided attracting further attention from the forest's enigmatic inhabitants.

Morgan snapped out of her trance, realizing the urgency of their situation. "Apologies. I got distracted," she admitted, turning around only to find that the figure she stumbled upon was nothing more than a log—or had it been a log all along?

Curious, Kurapika and Leorio inspected the object of her fixation.

"Where did the—" Morgan began, then cursed under her breath as she nearly fell victim to an illusion. What kind of creature could manipulate reality in such a way? The only encounter she could recall was—

Her jaw clenched as the memory flooded back: the viscous yellow substance from the monstrous plant, the peculiar odor it emitted... Gas components capable of inducing illusions.

Wonderful. It seemed as though these creatures were working in concert, each possessing its own unique abilities. Even if one managed to evade the deceptive plants, others lurked nearby, ready to strike while illusions danced in their minds.

"Let's keep moving," Leorio urged, interrupting Morgan's contemplation.

Despite the thick fog, Morgan scrutinized their faces. "I'd rather not follow someone with a girly face and an elderly appearance."

She knew her comment was petty and below the belt, but the recent lesson in the swamp had left its mark, compelling her to act on her instincts.

"Nineteen! What does my age have to do with our current situation? If you don't want to follow, then don't!" Leorio shot back, his frustration evident.

Morgan exhaled in relief. "My apologies. I know it's you now."

Leorio's confusion was evident, while Kurapika arched an eyebrow. "You thought we were those monkeys?" he asked incredulously.

Morgan offered a sheepish smile. "Just being cautious. The last thing I want is to end up on your chopping block."

Leorio shook his head, clearly unamused. "How could you compare this face to that of a monkey?"

"Well, scientifically speaking, humans did evolve from monkeys," Morgan replied with a hint of mischief.

"Enough! We've lost sight of the front-runners. We need to find them!" Kurapika interjected sharply, redirecting their focus.

Leorio's urgent hiss cut through the tension, signaling for silence. "Over there..." He pointed towards a distant figure. Initially a mere silhouette, as the fog began to thin, they recognized the familiar figure with fiery red hair.

"Number 44 again," Morgan muttered under her breath.

"Hisoka," Kurapika whispered, a sense of foreboding evident in his voice.

Hisoka? Was that his name?

"Do you know him?" Morgan inquired.

"I only know about the news of him killing an examiner last year," Kurapika replied grimly.

"What?" Morgan's confusion mirrored her thoughts. 'Why would they allow him to retake the exam?'

As they observed, a man clad in blue attire, flanked by companions dressed similarly, stepped forward. He seemed to be their group's leader, and they had cornered Hisoka.

"When I saw you last year..." the blue-clad man began, his tone filled with disdain. "I knew you weren't Hunter material."

A companion with chocolate-brown skin and a shaved head brandished a simple wooden staff. "We'll spare you if you swear not to attempt the Hunter exam again."

"Of course," Hisoka replied calmly. " I'm passing the exam this year, so I won't need a retake."

The leader scoffed. "Pass? Fool, with this fog, it's impossible to discern the main group's direction! It means we've all failed the exam!"

Hisoka let out a low chuckle. "Ah, I see now. Having already failed, you sought to play the role of examiner. But remember, hunters require prey," he remarked with a sinister smile. "So, why don't I play the examiner... and judge whether you're truly hunter material?" With a flourish, he revealed a four of spades.

Their teeth gritted and their grip on weapons tightened—whether spears, daggers, or swords. With a collective roar, they charged towards the lone figure.

In a blur of motion, Hisoka's hand moved, and it was over. With just one swift move, they all fell to the ground.

Though she was certain they were dead, not a single drop of blood stained their bodies.

What was he? What kind of power did he possess?

The leader collapsed to his knees, resembling a frightened rabbit fleeing from its predator, his limbs trembling uncontrollably.

Desperation drove him to plead for help, but with another deft throw, a card buried itself in his skull like a sharp knife. Morgan realized she had been holding her breath as she watched the scene unfold.

The leader lay lifeless, his eyes devoid of any trace of vitality. The most unsettling part was the final expression etched on his face—pure terror and the grim realization of imminent death.

Her gaze returned to the killer before them. 'He has already claimed so many lives, and they'll be added to his tally if they don't act quickly.'

As the fog began to dissipate, Hisoka's attention shifted to them. "Well... care to join in my little game of examiner?"

None dared to respond.

He advanced towards them, his footsteps stirring the grass beneath his feet. Despite the chill in the air, sweat trickled down their faces as Hisoka closed the distance between them.

'What should I do? Can I even escape if I run?' Panic gripped Morgan.

"Leorio, Morgan," Kurapika whispered urgently. "On my signal, we split up and run in opposite directions."

"What?" Leorio questioned.

"He's far more skilled in real combat. The three of us won't stand a chance against him. We can't waste time in a futile fight!"

Morgan couldn't agree more. She glanced at the lifeless bodies strewn on the ground, the recent grisly scene replaying in her mind. There was no doubt, they would meet the same fate if they didn't act wisely.

Hisoka continued to walk impassively. With a quick flick of his wrist, a card appeared between his pointer and middle finger.

He came to a stop and raised his hand.

"Now!" Kurapika yelled.

The three applicants scattered in different directions, their running footsteps gradually fading. Yet, something felt off to Morgan as they ran straight—or so she thought.

The sound of Leorio's scream pierced the air, indicating that he had likely foolishly turned back to confront Hisoka.

‘Idiot!’ Morgan scolded inwardly. His pride wouldn't help him if he was already dead.

Determined to prioritize her own safety, Morgan pressed forward, refusing to glance back towards the lurking danger of Hisoka.

"Morgan!"

At first, she thought it might be some creature mimicking Gon's voice, but then she spotted him running towards her. A briefcase was strapped to his back, along with his own bag. She halted in surprise. "Gon?"

"I'm relieved you're safe. There were so many screams..." Gon's voice trailed off, concern evident in his tone. "Where are Kurapika and Leorio?"

He came back for them? Is he oblivious to the danger? It's too risky!

"We got separated. We should—" Morgan began, but Gon cut her off.

"Is that so? I'll go find them. Thanks!" Without waiting for a response, he dashed off in the direction Morgan had come from—towards Hisoka's vicinity.

"Wait! It's too dangerous!" Morgan called out desperately, but Gon was already too far ahead, disappearing into the distance.

"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath.

She should have stopped him the moment she laid eyes on him. Morgan sighed in frustration, feeling a sense of helplessness settle over her.

"Aargh! That kid's making me feel guilty!" Morgan grumbled to herself as she turned around, hastening to follow Gon in a desperate attempt to catch up with him and pull him away from danger.

But by the time she reached the spot where she came from, it was too late.

She regretted her decision to come back. The sinking feeling in her gut intensified as she realized the gravity of the situation.

Leorio lay on the ground, his condition uncertain, as Gon desperately attacked Hisoka with his rod. However, the clown-like figure effortlessly dodged each strike, seemingly toying with him.

Morgan swiftly hid behind a tree trunk, taking a deep breath as she assessed the situation. What could she possibly do?

As she peeked out again, she did the stupidest thing in her entire life. Stepping out from her hiding place, her brave side took over, and she hurled a ball of mud at Hisoka, who was currently gripping Gon's neck.

Instantly, regret flooded her being. 'sh*t. sh*t. sh*t!' She couldn't believe she had exposed herself like that. What was she thinking? It was as if she was offering herself up to the grim reaper!

"Oh? You've returned as well," Hisoka remarked, his tone almost amused.

Ignoring his words, Morgan spoke firmly. "Let the kid go."

"Run, Morgan!" Gon's raspy voice managed to shout amidst Hisoka's grip.

"That's what I was supposed to do!" she shot back, regret gnawing at her. She should have never looked back; she should have left when she had the chance.

Drawing her sword, determination surged through her. 'I won't let myself be killed.'

Hisoka released Gon, who landed on all fours, coughing. "You looked like a scared bunny minutes ago. But now..." Hisoka's gaze shifted to Morgan, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling hunger. "Your expression looks wonderful."

'What the hell.' Morgan couldn't help but wonder if this guy had some loose screws in his brain.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you and your friends," Hisoka assured them. "The tall man passed. The boy passed. And you as well... Grow up and become fine Hunters."

Answering his beeping communicator, Hisoka rose to his feet. "It's always good to have friends." He approached Leorio, lifting him effortlessly like a sack of potatoes. "You can find your own way back, yes?" His gaze then turned to Gon, who simply nodded. "That's a good boy." With a final parting comment, Hisoka addressed Morgan. "Hope to see you in the next round, little bunny," he sang before departing, leaving them behind.

Morgan could only relax her tensed muscles once Hisoka disappeared from their sight, her fingers worn out from gripping her sword so tightly.

"Gon!" Kurapika's voice snapped them both back to reality.

Morgan rushed to Gon's side, finding him still gazing in the direction Hisoka had vanished.

Kurapika approached them, concern etched on his features. "Gon, Morgan, are you okay? Where's Leorio?"

"I'm fine. Thanks to Morgan," Gon replied. "Hisoka carried him. He said he won't kill him because he's qualified. Same as us."

Kurapika turned to Morgan. "I thought you would have been far away by now. Why did you come back?"

There was only one reason.

"Stupidity," she stated flatly. It was her only explanation.

The blonde's gaze bore into her, but he said nothing in response.

"It seems he’ll be carrying Leorio to the second site," Gon remarked.

Their focus shifted to Gon when he spoke up. "Morgan, you didn't get any wounds, right?"

She should be the one asking him that. After all, she hadn't done much except throw some mud balls.

"I'm fine, Gon. Nothing happened to me," she reassured him. "But our concern should be whether Hisoka will actually bring Leorio to the second site." For all they knew, Hisoka might have other plans for Leorio—none of them pleasant.

"We don't have a choice. We need to get there," Kurapika insisted.

The question remained: how?

"I bet we're already far from the main group. We can't catch up with them," Morgan pointed out. They might have reached the second site already.

"They're not far," Gon stated confidently, rising to his feet. "Follow me."

Without hesitation, Gon set off, leading the way. Morgan and Kurapika exchanged a glance before quickly following after him, trusting in Gon's intuition to guide them.

"This way!" Gon exclaimed, his nose twitching as if he were following a scent trail.

Morgan couldn't help but question his certainty. "Are you even sure?"

He didn't seem to be checking for tracks or footprints. Instead, he was simply running ahead with confidence.

"I'm sure! Leorio uses a unique cologne, so it's easy for me to track him even from kilometers away," Gon explained confidently.

Bzzt, bzzt.

She had guessed wrong. It wasn't footprints; it was the scent all along.

'Is he a dog?'

After a moment of silence, Gon spoke again as they ran. "Say... What did Hisoka mean when he said we passed?"

Did that even mean anything? From what she understood, he was just toying with their lives out of boredom.

"Hisoka was acting as a judge," Kurapika clarified.

"A judge?" Gon repeated, puzzled.

"Yes. He must have his own criteria for evaluating the candidates' strength. Apparently, you, Morgan, and Leorio met his standards," Kurapika explained.

His standards?

He seemed to be a seasoned fighter and a skilled killer. How on earth did she pass his standards? It felt cheap.

'Tell him that when you see him next time,' she thought to herself, shaking her head. But she knew she wouldn't dare.

"I felt completely powerless against him," Gon murmured.

"None of us can really fight him," Morgan pointed out.

"You managed to land a hit on him, though," Kurapika tried to lift Gon's spirits.

"Only because I caught him off guard. Besides, he passed Leorio and Morgan," Gon replied, his tone tinged with frustration.

"That was just a momentary display of bravery. I didn't even do anything to earn his approval," Morgan admitted. But she couldn't deny her gratitude. Whatever Hisoka saw in her, it spared her life.

"Hmm," Kurapika hummed in thought. "Most likely, Hisoka's instincts and experience told him that you had the skill and potential to become Hunters. Killing you now would have been a waste..."

Gon remained silent.

"Are you implying that we're like domestic pigs, only to be butchered when we reach the right age?" Morgan's tone was laced with displeasure. The notion of her death having a predetermined expiration date didn't sit well with her.

Her distaste was evident in the hiss that escaped her lips.

"I apologize... I realize how insensitive that sounded," Kurapika quickly backtracked, recognizing the insensitivity of his words.

Morgan sighed in response.

"Of course not, Kurapika," Gon interjected before Morgan could respond. "I was actually pretty excited. I mean, I was scared, sure. I wanted to run away. But I couldn't. At the same time, I felt excited." He looked back at them, his smile radiating a positive aura. "Isn't that strange?"

'Yes, it's strange. There's nothing to be excited about. Maybe I'll have to sign up for a pre-need death care company to offer me an affordable traditional memorial life plan.'

Morgan tended to think ahead, just in case.

Out from the grassy fields, they followed a dirt path between the trees, leading to the top of a hill. There, they saw a tall and imposing wall standing like something out of a fairy tale, every stone meticulously placed to fortify it against the outside world.

As they approached, they saw candidates scattered in front of the thick metal gates—some sitting, some standing, and some lying on the ground catching their breath. Despite their exhaustion, Morgan, Gon, and Kurapika had to push on to find Leorio.

A chill ran down Morgan's spine, and she quickly scanned the area. Gon seemed to sense it too. Their eyes landed on Hisoka, not far away, grinning mischievously and pointing towards a tree where Leorio sat.

They jogged towards him, calling out his name. Gon placed Leorio's briefcase beside him, and Morgan couldn't help but smile, relieved that Hisoka had done nothing more to harm him. Though his left cheek was swollen, distorting his face, he was otherwise intact.

"Man, that stings…" Leorio winced, his voice strained.

"Besides your arm, everything seems fine," Kurapika remarked as he examined Leorio's injuries.

Leorio scowled. "Are you mocking me? What about my face?"

Kurapika looked him straight in the eye. "I don't see any difference."

Morgan had to stifle a laugh.

"When did you wake up?" Gon asked.

"After we got here, I guess. But I still don't understand what happened. I don't remember anything after entering the swamp," Leorio replied.

Morgan exchanged a glance with Kurapika. Maybe it was best not to tell him. If Leorio remembered what had happened, he might charge at Hisoka again out of pride.

"What happened to your hair?" Leorio suddenly asked, noticing Morgan's new hairstyle.

Gon and Kurapika followed Leorio's gaze, finally noticing Morgan's altered appearance.

"Now that you mention it…" Gon trailed off. "What happened?"

"I wondered the same thing," Kurapika admitted. "I noticed it, but I didn't think to ask."

Morgan touched her hair self-consciously. "I had to cut it, or I would've been eaten."

"Well, at least you still have all your limbs," Leorio remarked.

Not yet, Morgan thought, uncertain about the challenges that lay ahead.

"When are we going to leave here?" Morgan asked, surveying their surroundings.

"It's been like this since the first group arrived," Killua replied.

"Killua!" Gon greeted him cheerfully.

Morgan couldn't help but wonder why these two were so casual. "Why are they acting like this?"

"Maybe because they're not afraid of the exam. It's just a game to them," Kurapika suggested.

Leorio laughed. "They're still young!"

Morgan nodded. "Maybe."

Killua finally noticed them. "Oh, what happened to your hair? Did you decide to get a new haircut after going to that swamp?"

Morgan rolled her eyes.

Satotz's voice interrupted their conversation. "Excellent work, everyone!" he announced from in front of the gate. "Phase two of the exam will take place here, in the Biska Forest Park. Best of luck to all of you." With that, he swiftly departed, disappearing into the forest.

As Satotz vanished, the grinding noise of the gates opening caught everyone's attention, signaling the beginning of the next phase of the exam.

Chapter 5: Cooking Exam

Chapter Text

As Satotz vanished into the forest, the candidates instinctively turned their heads at the sound of the gates grinding open.

Beyond the gate stood a white mansion with a tiled roof painted in alternating white and red hues. Its windows were bordered in white.

Resembling the opulent dwellings of the wealthy, the mansion boasted a vast courtyard adorned with a lush grassy expanse and trees standing sentinel along the perimeter. However, instead of the expected ornate gardens and fountains, the lawn was decorated with countertops, a gas stove, and roasting spits.

The scene resembled that of a cooking show set.

"Will all the applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" A woman's voice resounded.

Seated in front of the mansion's main entrance, a woman lounged on a sofa. Her physique was well-toned, accentuated by turquoise-colored hair tied into five top knots, complemented by a bikini top beneath a mesh shirt and daisy duke denim shorts. "I'm Menchi, the Second Phase Examiner," she announced.

Beside her sat Buhara, a massive man whose hulking figure was emphasized by a large potbelly - perhaps the most substantial Morgan had ever seen. It surpassed even the bellies of the drunkards she encountered at the beer house she frequented after work. Despite wearing a gigantic-sized t-shirt, it still resembled a crop top on him.

As Buhara introduced himself, a loud growl emanated from his stomach, sounding akin to a beast prowling outside the walls. Yet, it was his stomach itself.

Glancing up at Buhara, Menchi remarked, "You must be hungry."

"I'm starving," he responded, sounding akin to a child starved for a week.

The female examiner uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet. "There you have it. Phase two will involve…"

She paused dramatically, eliciting anticipation among the candidates as they awaited the theme for the next stage.

"Cooking!" she announced, catching them off guard. "As Gourmet Hunters, your mission is to satisfy our appetites by preparing a meal!"

Cooking? That sounded easy enough. But considering they were Gourmet Hunters, would they expect dishes of a higher caliber?

"This has to be a joke. I don't know how to cook," Leorio protested.

"I wasn't expecting this," Kurapika admitted.

"No one could have possibly expected this," Morgan added.

"Well, that means this phase is in your favor. They say girls know how to cook," Killua chimed in.

"Why do they always think that all girls know how to cook?" Morgan interjected, her voice tinged with irritation. "Don't go stereotyping girls. Not all of us know how to cook, and there are boys who are much better than girls. It really doesn't matter what gender; it depends on who's talented or not."

"So you don't know?" Leorio inquired.

"I can cook," Morgan replied. If it's just frying. She had to learn at least the basics; otherwise, she'd starve. It's not like she could depend on pre-made food every day—that would cost more.

"Really? What dishes can you cook?" Gon asked, his curiosity piqued.

"That's not important. The problem here is they're Gourmet Hunters."

"Gourmet Hunters?" Gon sought clarification once again.

Kurapika stepped in to explain. "Gourmet Hunters have extensive knowledge about worldwide cooking. They are cooks themselves, constantly seeking new flavors."

The boy looked amazed upon hearing this revelation.

Morgan nodded grimly. "It means we might have a hard time satisfying them."

"I say, this is boring," Killua complained from beside her, wearing an unsatisfied expression.

What a complainer. Would he prefer bloodshed? It's a relief that they're only tasked with cooking. At least in that scenario, even if they fail, no one has to die—unless someone decides to start slitting each other's necks.

"Cooking? We didn't come here to cook!" bellowed a large, rotund man with a rounded face, slicked-back hair ending in a ponytail, and each side of his head shaven. His number, 255, was pinned on his jumper. "Why do we have to cook?"

His complaints triggered a cascade of protests from other candidates, who chuckled at the examiners as if it were a joke.

"Because that's the theme of this phase," Menchi pointed out, her tone obvious.

The others fell silent immediately, but the same man shot a displeased look at the female examiner.

Morgan couldn't help but roll her eyes in disbelief.

‘Weren’t most of them screaming like little ninnies back in the swamp?’ Morgan thought, shaking her head. They were hypocrites.

"Buhara," Menchi called.

Buhara stepped forward. "The required ingredient is pork," the large man began his instructions. "I don't care what kind of pork it is, as long as it's from the Biska Forest. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork, and you'll only pass if we both find it delicious."

"And we'll evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking, got it? When we've both eaten our fill, the exam will end," Menchi concluded.

The man who had complained earlier wore a smug expression on his lips. He waved his hand, signaling for Menchi to cut her speech short and get straight to the point. "We get it. Let's just start."

"So let the second phase begin!"

With the sound of a gong echoing from Buhara's belly, they raced back into the forest.

As Morgan found nothing in the first area she inspected, she ventured towards a downhill area.

A rustle in the bushes caused her to freeze in her tracks. An enormous, wild pink pig emerged snorting from the underbrush.

Her jaw dropped as she took in the full image before her. The pig had enormous snouts curving towards its forehead. But what truly captured her attention was the sight of it chewing on bones.

Bones! They're carnivorous!

Morgan took a step back, immediately regretting it as the boar locked eyes with her. The two stared at each other, the boar clearly displeased with her intrusion into its domain.

"Nice piggy," Morgan said meekly. But the boar suddenly charged. She dodged it swiftly, her mind racing as she frantically looked around for a way to capture it. There was no way she'd let it devour her!

Every time she tried to turn her back on the ferocious beast, the boar would charge at her, attempting to knock her over and gore her with its snout.

"Morgan! Aim for the head! The head!" she heard Gon's voice shouting, though she was too preoccupied with running away to pay much attention.

The head? Was it the boar's weakness?

Dodging the boar once more, Morgan reached its feet, grabbing a handful of earth and unsheathing her sword. When the boar charged again, she tossed the dirt into its eyes before leaping into action.

In a hurried blur, it was over. The boar lay on the ground, its head bleeding from the stab wound Morgan had delivered. It died on the spot.

She hopped down to the ground, realizing the function of the large snout was to protect the vulnerable forehead. "Well, now that's over," she muttered, scanning her surroundings and spotting something that could be of use. "I'm gonna need some vines."

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.

.

Buhara and Menchi watched in amazement as the applicants rushed into the courtyard, each carrying their captured dead pigs with their own unique style.

Morgan dragged her pig behind her.

The first batch to arrive wasted no time in lighting fires on the spits. Morgan noticed a common approach among them: they simply skewered the pigs and began roasting them above the blazing flames. She looked on with a grimace.

They didn't even bother to clean them. Not even a sprinkle of salt.

'Unbelievable,' she thought.

Ignoring the others, she took the opportunity to survey her workstation: a sink, chopping board, a set of knives, salt, pepper, oil, various sauces in containers, and a bowl of vegetables.

She crouched down to check the cabinets below, finding neatly arranged fine china and cooking utensils.

Morgan glanced back at her pig. It was too large; the rest of the meat wouldn't cook properly over the flame.

It felt like preparing a meal for a town festival. She was accustomed to cooking chicken or frogs—those that were edible, of course.

She had never even attempted to cook a normal pig before!

Morgan grabbed a butcher knife and began the arduous task of skinning the pig. It took a while, but she managed to remove most of the hide and some of the larger slabs of meat.

Next, she sliced the meat into smaller pieces, enough to fill a bowl for marinating in the sauce. She added sliced onions and garlic, followed by a sprinkling of pepper and salt.

How it would turn out, she wasn't too sure. She simply applied the same techniques she used for roasting chicken and hoped for the best.

Morgan was still tending to the small blaze on the spit when number 255 placed his dish on the coffee table. "Now eat the pig and send me to the next phase already," he urged, a sense of urgency in his voice.

He had cooked a pig that big in just a few hours. Would it be okay?

"Okay, it's evaluation time," Menchi declared in a bored tone.

Buhara wasted no time digging into the dish. After a few bites, he raised the 'pass' sign.

Menchi, however, raised the 'fail' sign without even touching the food. "It's overcooked. The tough texture ruins the flavor of the meat," she explained.

"What? You haven't even tried it!" he protested.

"Are you blind? It's plain as day!" she snapped back angrily, pointing the sign at him. It seemed Menchi couldn't control her anger any longer.

Morgan peeked at the dish, and true enough, it didn't look edible.

"Damn!" he growled before storming off the terrace.

A bald ninja-like contestant followed suit. Buhara gave his approval, but Menchi failed him instantly. "Charred on the outside, uncooked on the inside. Your fire was too strong," she critiqued.

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.

.

"Rejected! Is that even food you're serving?!" Menchi's voice echoed across the courtyard.

They were still roasting their pigs at their own cooking stations. Many were brave enough to present their dishes, with Buhara remaining easy to please while Menchi hadn't passed anyone. Not. A. Single. One.

From Morgan's station, she could hear the repetitive rejections from the female examiner. In fact, hearing it depleted her self-confidence, making everything feel dull. But she continued to fan the flame using a plastic cover lid from a food container.

"Morgan! Still not done?" Leorio's voice came from the neighboring station. She only realized how close they were when he seared his hand and let out a screech of pain.

Coughing as she inhaled smoke, Morgan replied, "Not yet."

Gon and Kurapika gathered around Leorio's station as they observed Menchi continually rejecting every dish presented.

"No one's passed yet…" Leorio stated the obvious.

"And Menchi hasn't even taken a bite…" Kurapika added.

"The hell?! Can't someone give something good?!" Menchi screamed, giving in to rage.

With that, Kurapika snapped his fingers, as if he had finally grasped the essence of what needed to be done in this phase. "That's it! This phase of the exam is a cooking test, but they're judging us on originality and powers of observation."

And he managed to convince Gon and Leorio.

Well, partly. Blondie was right, but—

"How do you like my cooking?" Leorio interjected confidently, placing his whole roasted pig in front of the examiner with a miniature flag of the Hunter's Association pinned on its back.

'Thought so,' Morgan mused, realizing he had misinterpreted Kurapika's idea. "Uh, I think there's not much of a difference from other dishes aside from putting a tiny flag on top."

Leorio chuckled. "I'm sure this will be different. So, how is Leorio's special?"

With Menchi's raging temper, the woman grew even grumpier and tossed the dish away without a second thought. "Is this supposed to be a kiddie meal?!"

Leorio returned to his station in disappointment. "Damn…"

Gon was next.

As soon as Morgan saw what it was, she literally ran the lid over her face. Slowly sliding it off, she saw Gon's dish once again.

It was worse! She wasn't sure what was running through that kid's brain, but he had decorated the plate with flowers, circling its bodice. He even tied a ribbon on its tail.

"I don't feel like watching," she mumbled.

"Alright, I'm next," Gon said, stepping into the spotlight. He served his dish.

Menchi was quick to throw it out. "It's basically the same thing!"

Gon returned with a dejected expression, his shoulders slumping.

Right after Gon, Kurapika suddenly became hyped up as he chopped something on his station before carrying the platter with confidence.

Morgan spied his dish. Instead of presenting a whole roasted pig, Kurapika had sliced the meat into large patties, stuffed with vegetables.

"Oh," Morgan breathed in astonishment. 'At least someone thought of something.'

"Please judge my creation," Kurapika said.

Menchi looked at it with a skeptical stare as she twirled the sign. "Finally, something that resembles an actual dish…" She grabbed a fork and took a bite but spat it out right after chewing. "Yuck!" His food was instantly thrown out.

Kurapika looked shocked.

"Appearance is important, but only if it also tastes good. You're no better than number 403!"

It was like lightning struck Kurapika's whole being. It was as if he refused to accept being lumped in the same category as Leorio.

Now Morgan was intrigued by one thing: what the hell was their problem with Leorio's level?

The blonde teen walked back to his station with a defeated look on his face.

"No better than number 403…" Kurapika mumbled in a glum voice, sounding as if it were the end of the world. "I really thought taste was insignificant."

"How could you think that taste is insignificant?" Morgan asked, pulling Kurapika out of his overly depressed state.

"Huh?"

"Think about it. If you were in a fancy restaurant and they served you something that tasted dull or like crap, would you like that?"

Kurapika pondered over her words. His face showed a desire to argue back, but he realized he had nothing to counter. "Why haven't you presented yours?" he asked her, annoyance evident in his voice.

"Actually, I already planned to," she replied as she set down the last slice of meat on the plate. "I'll be going now."

She carried her dish and placed it on the examiner's table.

Menchi bent forward and sniffed it out. "Well, it smells good," she commented. Buhara neared with his mouth drooling.

As usual, Buhara was eager to taste it, but Menchi inspected the food like it was some sort of microorganism before taking a bite. "Pweh!"

To her shock, even Buhara choked and coughed it out.

"What is this? It's like tasting seawater straight from the ocean! It's too salty! Look, even Buhara's stomach flipped it out!" And just like the other dishes, she threw it.

Morgan blinked, processing what had happened to the meat she had prepared and cooked for hours. "Hey! I put a lot of effort into that food!"

"Effort in marinating the meat with too much salt and soy sauce?" Menchi retorted.

Morgan snapped, her face already red from anger. "Still! You didn't have to throw it! If you don't want it, then don't! Food shouldn't end up on the floor! I thought you're a Gourmet Hunter? Don't you respect and value food?!"

Menchi released a mock breath. "You're questioning my status? Well, here's some breaking news. You failed. There's no difference from the others. Oh wait, actually, I hate your dish the most," she said as she drank some tea, perhaps to calm herself down. "I'm full. I don't even know if it's the dishes or exasperation that made me full. All I know is that all of you failed! The Second Phase has already ended!" she announced, her voice reverberating across the lawn.

The candidates all stopped what they were doing.

Morgan’s eyes widened. ‘What? Failed? That can’t happen!’

Menchi called someone on her phone and reported the end of the exam. Morgan, being the closest to her, heard muffled shouts on the other side of the line, obviously against her decision. "Whatever you say, nothing could change my mind," she said firmly.

But her decision brought a different reaction from the others. None of them could believe that not a single candidate had passed the exam. Was this really how this year's exam was going to end?

"I absolutely refuse this!" Number 255 exclaimed, destroying the sink in frustration.

"Not even teaming up against me could change anything. You all fail," Menchi reiterated.

"Stop screwing around!" he continued. "You asked for pork, so we risked our lives to catch those pigs!"

Morgan calmed her nerves. "He's right. True, not all of us are good at cooking, but still— Is it necessary to fail all of us?" she asked, intercepting.

Menchi looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then harshly thumbed the end call button. "The objective is simple. Prepare a dish that we'll like, but none of you did anything. You almost did the same thing! The same outcome! No one made an effort. Yes, there are some who tried to make it presentable, but no one gave importance to taste. You took cooking lightly."

"Still, pork dishes are all the same…" Baldy ninja muttered with a shrug.

Menchi erupted at Hanzo like a mad bull, as if seeing a waved red piece of cloth. She rashly grabbed his scarf and shook him violently. "Just say that one more time! Any more crap from you, and I'll shove my arm right up your ass and knock your teeth out!" she said angrily to Hanzo, looking ready to eat him whole. "Don't mess with me! I don't want any lip from a bunch of amateurs who can't even roast a pig!"

"Shut up! I didn't take the Hunter Exam to cook or to be a gourmet!" Number 255 thrust his way into the conversation. "I want to become a Hunter!" The men on his back supported and agreed with him. "My goal is to become a black list Hunter. I refuse to let a mere Gourmet Hunter decide my fate!"

Well, that was low. But Menchi couldn't care less about the insults he was spewing. "Too bad you got stuck with a mere Gourmet Hunter as an Examiner. Better luck next year?"

Number 255 turned red with anger. "Why you…" He advanced towards the female examiner, attempting to attack her while sitting aloofly on the sofa.

Morgan genuinely thought he would run into her.

Buhara smacked Number 255 like a fly with only his right hand, sending him flying up against the walls. He landed with a heavy thud.

Despite his extra-large physique, Buhara moved with surprising speed, as if his body defied the laws of gravity when it came to giants.

"Buhara, don't interfere," Menchi confronted.

All the applicants stared in shock.

Number 255 attempted to attack first, but—

"Was that even necessary? That was too much," Morgan suddenly voiced out.

"Kid, that's just minor compared to letting Menchi strike at him. I saved him from her," Buhara said.

'What?'

Menchi sneered. "What do you even understand about the Hunter Exam? It seems like you joined the wrong group."

"Not the bigger scope of it, but I'm pretty sure you failed us not because we really failed, but because of your pride," Morgan retorted, facing the female examiner with boldness.

"She's right!" some candidates said, causing others to chant as well. Even if they didn't start off well with some candidates, they stood with her because of the current matter at hand.

"Hmm, probably…" Menchi stood up and held a total of four knives in her hands. The heels of her boots clacked with every step she took downstairs. She juggled the knives with effortless moves of her hands. "But did you know that as a Gourmet Hunter, we frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, searching for ingredients? And it's not just cooking I'm referring to here. Every hunter knows some form of martial arts. You're not open to new things. Some of you lack motivation and willingness to experiment." She finally stopped and caught all four weapons with such precision and grace. She pointed them at the examinees. "That's the reason you're not qualified!"

"But some made an effort!" Morgan debated.

"Yes, but you didn't mind the most important objective of the phase: the taste," Menchi stated. "You marinated the meat, but you didn't even mind if it was enough or not. Therefore, you failed as well!"

"That said," a voice emerged from the sky, amplified with a microphone, making their heads turn up. "It would be excessive to fail every single applicant."

An airship floated across the sky with the symbol of the Hunter's Association. They watched as it stopped midair.

Morgan narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the airship. They all followed suit. At first, she thought something was being thrown out until she had a clear image of a person jumping down.

The figure landed as if a grenade had been thrown at them, blasting off chunks of soil and rocks. Out of impulse, she ducked her head and covered her eyes with her arms as debris flew in every direction.

Morgan coughed, feeling like she had inhaled all the dust.

When the cloud of dust cleared, the girl cautiously tried to peek with one eye. In view was an old man walking closer. At first glance, Morgan perceived him as a helpless and ordinary man, but upon closer inspection, she was surprised by how muscular and fit he was for his age.

He had a ponytail, a thick beard, and stretched earlobes with two piercings in both ears. He wore a traditional kimono and a pair of geta with—

'Why geta with one tooth?' She thought, feeling it was a strange detail to focus on.

"Wh-Who's that geezer?" asked a random examiner.

"The Chairman of the Selection Committee. He's in charge of the Hunter Exam… Chairman Netero," Menchi responded.

Morgan looked on in amazement after learning who this geezer was. He didn't particularly look flashy (except for wearing geta with one tooth), but he stood out among all of them present at the area. A lot. Was it because of his presence?

"Well, I work behind the scenes," Netero said, his old voice sounding like he gurgled something. "I only take action when there's an issue, like now. So, Menchi…" He referred to the female examiner.

"Yes, sir," Menchi straightened.

"You failed all the applicants because you disapproved of their reluctance to try new things?"

"No. I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted Gourmet Hunters. And I made the exam harder than necessary," Menchi responded.

"In other words, you're aware that this exam is unacceptable," he pointed out.

"Yes, sir," Menchi weakly replied. "When cooking is involved, I lose control. I'm unqualified to be an examiner. I will resign as an examiner, so please redo the exam," she announced.

The chairman just hummed. "But it would be difficult to find another examiner on such short notice."

The examiner bowed. "I apologize…"

Netero smiled. "Very well. How about this? I'd like you to continue serving as an examiner. But you must also participate in the new test you propose. Is that acceptable? I am certain that will help the applicants to accept the results."

Morgan's eyes glinted for a split second. A second chance!

Menchi thought for a moment, then smiled. "That's true… the new challenge will be boiled eggs!"

‘Boiled eggs? Why did it become so easy? Well...Who cares! That would be an easy pass!' Her mind screamed in delight.

"Chairman, can you take us to Mt. Split-in-a-half in your airship?" Menchi requested, pointing in a certain direction.

The chairman's face lit up with recognition. "Oh! I see what you're going to do. Of course. I'll bring you there." With that, he used his phone to instruct someone in the airship to land.The airship made a few circles before deciding to lower down on the clearing until finally settling. Once the main entrance opened, the candidates entered and headed to Mt. Split-in-Half.

The mountain's appearance was true to its namesake. As they overlooked the view of the ecosystem below, Mt. Split-in-Half was noticeable, with no grass or any trees on top. It was sliced in the center, equally dividing the mountain in halves. At its foot, trees covered the earth.

When they reached the top and disembarked, Menchi started to give instructions.

They carefully looked down at the edge. A few feet away from the surface were web strings attached to either side of the cliff. The only difference from a regular spider web was that it was thick. Looking all of it from above, the webs pattern resembled an image of a plant cell under a microscopic lens of seamless vector pattern.

It was home to the Spider Eagles that built their nests between the cliffs on Split Mountain with their webs.

A strong wind blew from the abyss. Morgan's locks and fringes danced wildly along with the wind.

"Look below the web," Menchi told them.

And they did.

Morgan was amazed. She usually encountered common animals in their place—cows, horses, cats, dogs, rats—just to name a few. She had never seen a Spider Eagle before, aside from animal encyclopedias and zoology books, let alone its nest.

Past the strands were eggs clumped together encompassed in a network of strands.

"Those are Spider Eagle eggs," Menchi explained.

"Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines to protect their eggs from predators," Chairman Netero continued as he walked closer to the group. "These make their eggs one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain. They are also known as—"

‘Dream eggs!’ Morgan excitedly filled in her head. But then a realization slowly hit her, ending all stirred feelings. This means—

"W-wait a minute…" Number 255 stammered. "You don't mean we—"

"I sure do," Menchi sang before diving into the abyss.

Candidates gasped in shock and fear. The female examiner grabbed a strand from the first rows.

"Even if she can grab some eggs, how will she climb up?" Leorio wondered.

Morgan took the chance to look closer at the walls of the cliff. There were no footholds or handholds for climbing it. And considering she'd have to hold the egg—that's minus limbs to work.

It was suicide.

Menchi was hanging there, as if waiting for something.

The candidates stared wide-eyed when Menchi let go. Their cries chorused when they saw her falling down. When she passed a clump of eagle eggs, she reached and grabbed one of them.

And she went down straight until she was out of sight because of the fog.

Morgan crouched down, her hands touching the edges of the cliff as she observed the woman falling down.

"Is she trying to kill herself?" Leorio uncertainly asked.

"No, she's not," Kurapika responded.

Again, there was that same strong gust of wind escaping the abyss. It carried Menchi. Their eyes followed her until she was floating above the applicants, a wide smile on her lips and a large egg held in her hands.

"Whoa!" Gon exclaimed.

"That looks fun," Killua said expectantly.

Morgan spared the boys a look like they were crazy. Her eyes went back to the long abyss. Well, it looked thrilling to her. She had always wondered how cliff diving felt like. She wasn't really given an opportunity to do so.

But she only knew one thing. Her body will mess up if she fails.

"This ravine has updrafts that help the hatched chicks fly up to the web," Netero explained.

Menchi landed gracefully on land. She raised the egg to show it to everyone. "There. Now I just need to boil the egg."

"You must be joking. No reasonable person would jump down there…" Number 255 told the female examiner like it was preposterous.

Morgan ignored them. She was busy strategizing where to jump and to make sure where she can reach a strand…

"Afraid of heights?" Killua suddenly spoke, centimeters away from her ears.

Morgan visibly jumped because of it.

And because of shock, her hand slipped from her hold on the edge. Everything happened in a span of second but she knew she fell lamely into the canyon- with her head diving first.

It gave her a stomach drop sensation.

"You damned brat!" She screeched on top of her lungs. If she dies, she won't let her soul rest and haunt him. She'll probably curse him to the evil spirits.

The wind was slapping her body, her face. She could hear the loud swoosh of the wind as she plummeted down.

Good thing she was able to contain herself as she faced down. She extended her hands and she grabbed a strand of web.

She peeked below to locate the eggs but instead her eyes went straight to the other side.

The bottom.

'sh*t! I'm hanging. Dangling hundreds of feet above!'

As the tension eased and the strands stopped swaying, Morgan let out a shaky breath. However, her moment of relief was short-lived as the strands suddenly shook once again.

"Yo. Nice dive," came a voice beside her.

Turning her head, Morgan saw the four others dangling in the air beside her.

"Be grateful that both my hands are not available or I might've scratched you by now," Morgan snapped at Killua, her frustration evident.

Killua just shrugged uncaringly, seemingly unfazed by her remark.

"Are you okay?" Gon asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"The truth? No!" Morgan replied, her voice tinged with exasperation. Who wouldn't be rattled after falling over a cliff?

"Can you refrain from shouting?" Kurapika scolded her, his tone firm.

Morgan clenched her jaw, trying to contain her frustration. With a deep breath, she nodded in acknowledgment, realizing that shouting wouldn't help their situation. As they hung there together, she knew they needed to stay calm and focused if they were going to find a way out of this predicament.

As tension mounted, Morgan felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her. With each passing moment, the strands holding them began to weaken, threatening to give way at any second. She watched anxiously as Gon closed his eyes, focusing intently on listening for any signs of an approaching updraft.

The others remained silent, their attention fixed on Gon as he concentrated. Despite her doubts, Morgan couldn't help but hope that Gon's instincts would prove to be right. The alternative was too terrifying to contemplate.

But as the seconds ticked by, the absence of wind only heightened their sense of urgency. Morgan's heart pounded in her chest as the strand holding them continued to snap slowly, inching them closer to the edge of disaster.

“sh*t!" Leorio panicked.

"The strands can't hold our weight any longer!" Kurapika alarmed.

"Gon, not yet?" Kilua asked. The other kid remained silent.

Sensing the imminent danger, some couldn't risk waiting and let go too soon, plummeting to their deaths.

Morgan's gut churned with panic. She debated whether to let go or trust the kid. How sure was she that Gon's senses were reliable?

Should she wait? Or not?

Just then, a slight breeze brushed Morgan's cheeks.

"Now!" Gon yelled.

They all jumped and grasped hold of an egg as they plummeted. At some point, they were propelled upwards by a strong gust of wind.

When she found herself floating, Morgan's eyes were fixed on the remarkable sight before her. It differed from the views atop the mountain or inside the airship.

As far as her eyes could see, it was all breathtaking. It felt like she had the perspective of a flying bird. She never felt so free and so adventurous. Morgan could see the vast forest like it carpeted the earth. She could see mountains ranging beyond.

It felt as though she had been granted a new perspective on the world, revealing a beauty she hadn't known existed.

Sadly, the wonder she experienced ends as she landed on top of the mountain.

They successfully completed the task. The remaining examinees at the edge were awestruck, impressed by their courage.

Menchi commended their bravery and allowed them to proceed to the third stage. But before that, she instructed the examinees to boil the eggs they had collected. As they tasted the eggs, they were filled with astonishment.

Approaching Morgan, Menchi watched as she began to dig into the egg. "Well, how is it?" she asked.

It took a few seconds for Morgan to respond after finishing the egg. "It's the most delicious egg I've ever tasted. I won't forget its existence," she concluded.

Menchi smiled. "That's what us Gourmet Hunters do; we risk our lives to try these delicacies. It might sound ridiculous to some, but for us Gourmet Hunters, it's worth it," she explained.

In short, Hunters take risks because they're passionate about their work. No one has the right to judge or belittle what they do.

"Hunters are passionate, huh?" Morgan mused aloud. "Can I jump again? I really want to eat more eggs," Morgan blurted out, lightening the serious mood.

Menchi laughed and patted her shoulder before walking off.

"If you do that, you'll wipe out the eagle species," Killua remarked suddenly from behind her.

Her mood deflated upon hearing him. Morgan glanced at the area where they had placed the large cooking pot. Unfortunately, they had already extinguished the fire used to boil the egg. She could have doused him with hot, boiling water.

She couldn't do that now, could she?

The second phase officially ended with 43 applicants left.

Chapter 6: A Stroll in the Blimp

Chapter Text

All forty-three applicants gathered in an empty, spacious room. Netero formally introduced himself as the Hunter Exam Committee, accompanied by Beans, Chairman Netero's secretary, who had welcomed Morgan and assigned her identification number back at the underground tunnel.

They were scheduled to arrive at their destination the following morning at 8 am, so they allowed the candidates to rest for the night.

‘Thank heavens! My energy's completely depleted’, Morgan thought to herself.

"Gon, let's explore the airship!" Killua suggested eagerly.

Gon became excited at the idea of exploring and turned to Leorio and Kurapika. "Wanna come, Leorio, Kurapika?"

"Jeez, you kids really have too much energy," Leorio sighed. "I'll take it easy today."

"I'll pass on the offer too," Kurapika added with a smile as he kindly declined.

Gon looked at Morgan expectantly, his eyes pleading for her to join them. He resembled a puppy. "Sorry, Gon. I'm tired," she replied apologetically.

The boy seemed a bit disappointed. "Okay."

"I don't recall any challenging parts during the exam. What got you tired?" Killua suddenly interjected, his hands in his pockets, indicating his boredom for the whole day. "Let's go, Gon. They don't want to come."

Gon nodded. "You can catch up if you change your mind." He ran after Killua, who was already near the door, until they disappeared.

Unbelievable, Morgan thought, marveling at the amount of stamina and energy they possessed. Well, they're still kids.

She turned around to find a spot, preferably in the corner. Her eyes scanned the room, darting from one candidate to another.

She settled on the right corner next to the door. No one was there except for Hisoka. People avoided being near him as if he had a contagious disease, crowding together in spots where Hisoka wasn't present.

It's understandable, though.

"Let's rest there," Leorio suddenly said, still standing beside her. "Let's go, Kurapika, Morgan."

HUH?

"Uh, you go ahead," Morgan replied hesitantly.

"Don't you like the spot? We could still look around," Leorio suggested.

Oh, dear. So, what now?

Morgan rubbed the back of her neck. "Look, I know we've been together somehow, but basically, you're still strangers to me. We just met... like earlier today," Morgan confronted. Yes, they had shared their reasons for taking the exam. They had talked a bit and shared a moment of amiable atmosphere.

And thanks to that, it had lifted the pressure of the exam somehow.

But that was just it.

They could work together or whatever, but this was the Hunter Exam. It wasn't like a class opening ceremony where they could meet and mingle with new friends.

They didn't know what was going to happen next. They could end up fighting each other at the end of this, and they wouldn't have any other choice. It was better to block out incoming connections while it was still early.

"But--"

"Let her be, Leorio," Kurapika interrupted the man. He was the first to turn his back. It seemed like he was the remaining member of their group to not acknowledge her, unlike Leorio and Gon.

Well, it's not like she's pushing herself to be part of their team.

Leorio was reluctant, looking back and forth from Kurapika to Morgan. The girl simply gave a short nod, and Leorio responded the same before following the blonde.

Morgan decided to settle down against a wall near the door, with Hisoka on the other side. At least she could occupy all the space since no one would want to be within Hisoka's range.

She breathed out once she flopped onto the floor. It felt like she hadn't sat for days. Her back leaned against the wall. Worn out, her vision slowly zoned out, and she closed her eyes.

.

.

.

Her eyes snapped open. She wearily blinked until her vision cleared, sweeping over the candidates sleeping soundly in their respective positions.

"Right. I'm taking the exam," she reminded herself.

Morgan quickly located the wall clock. It was 2 am. What kind of ungodly individual woke her up at this hour without any reason? Her body needed rest until 8 am!

Groaning, she tried to close her eyes again, but she couldn't fall back asleep.

"This is the worst," she muttered, deciding to stand up and leave the room reserved for the candidates.

To give her body a reason to get exhausted, she opted to take a walk in the hallway. She allowed her feet to lead her wherever they wanted to stroll.

It was still dark, but Morgan could make out the dark silhouette of the mountains. The forest lay hundreds of feet beneath the airship.

They must be very far from Zaban City.

When she turned her gaze back in front of her, Gourmet Hunter Menchi emerged from the end corner. She was still wearing the same revealing clothes she had on yesterday.

‘Not a big deal. I've been wearing the same clothes for days. I could say the same thing to myself,’ Morgan thought.

Despite that, Menchi still looked fresh. Maybe she had taken a bath recently, or she naturally looked that way. She exuded the same confidence as she walked, the heels of her boots clicking on the floor. Morgan wondered how many workouts she did every day to maintain such fit muscles.

Even her stomach looked flat, with nice little abs.

Morgan had flabs. ‘Whatever,’ she thought, dismissing the comparison.

Menchi looked surprised to see her. She must have been expecting all the applicants to be resting by now.

The teen wasn't sure how to act in front of her, so she just gave a slight bow of her head, out of respect for Menchi's status as the examiner.

‘She smelled of green tea,’ the teen thought as she caught a whiff of the scent.

"You know," the examiner suddenly spoke right after they passed each other, "your hair looks horrible. It's been bothering me since I first saw you."

Morgan stopped and looked back. Menchi was already halfway facing her direction. "Yeah, I could tell my hair looks worse than an overused mop," she retorted.

Menchi chuckled. "Well, aren't you going to do something about it?"

Why was she so concerned about her hair? Did Menchi think the girl wasn't aware of it? There was no time to trim it! "Umm... maybe after the exam?" Morgan replied uncertainly.

Menchi sighed as her hand moved to her left hip. "I can do something about it," she suddenly offered.

What?

"Uh... no... I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I can't actually ask an examiner to do that," Morgan replied hastily. Nope, she couldn't possibly do that.

The woman turned on her heels and walked. "Come on. Just a little trim would do," she insisted.

Morgan just looked at her retreating figure. Should she turn around and pretend not to have heard that? Her hair seemed to be the least of her worries, right?

In the end, she followed the lady in defeat.

Not far, they entered a ladies' bathroom. Some might say it looked ordinary, but to her, it looked costly in contrast to her whole house.

The walls were covered with creamy white paint, and the floor was tiled in a light caramel color.

Why a ladies' bathroom?

Menchi opened a first aid cabinet just above the dryer.

When Morgan finally saw her reflection in the mirror—which was unavoidable due to its size—she winced at her appearance. She leaned closer to her reflection. "What the hell happened to you?"

Her hair was beyond ugly. She had expected an uneven cut, but it had BAD layers. This was literally the worst haircut she had ever had in her life. The layers were completely uneven, like it was just a blunt-chopped section of hair. And the hair that framed her face was really just a chunk of hair missing—on one side. So uneven!

Damn.

She had been walking around in this state? No wonder she had received weird glances.

"Horrible, right?" Menchi stated the obvious.

The girl nodded. "This is a very bad hair day. It needs help. Will you be my fairy god hairstylist?"

Menchi made a good laugh at that. "Well, that's what I'm here for. I'm no hair expert, but I can at least get it even." In her hands were scissors used for—

"Is that bandage scissors?"

"This is the only scissor I know to be present in this ship."

Gods help her. She started to worry now.

"This would be 100 times better than leaving your hair like that," Menchi insisted. She opened the last cubicle—which turned out to be the storage area for cleaning utensils. Lucky for them, there were two wooden stools stored there.

She took them out, and both sat on them. Menchi started cutting her hair after turning her back.

Morgan could only hear the sound of snipping. As Menchi continued, the girl slowly wondered how she could use the bandage scissors to cut hair. It might complicate things more. She used her hands as a makeshift comb, assisting Menchi with that.

"Don't worry. I can do my hair resembling a starfish; cutting it straight should be easy. Besides, I'm good at cutting and slicing things," Menchi reassured her.

Well, she might be good, but slicing and cutting meat and vegetables is different from cutting hair.

Menchi continued, “-And I have a technique for it. If you become a hunter. You’ll understand what I mean.”

‘What does that mean?’ Morgan wondered.

"So, why do you want to become a Hunter?" Menchi asked, her hands still working.

That was a sudden question. Why the hell would she ask? Was it still part of the exam?

"For money?" Morgan replied.

"You're not even sure. For what is it really?"

"Money," Morgan answered with more conviction this time.

"You seem to be the type of person who would prefer to be in a peaceful place than enter this dangerous exam," Menchi observed.

Was she being observed now? What the hell was this? "Well, dangers are part of the journey, right? We can't get something if we don't take risks. I want tons of money, and in order to have that, I have to take the exam," Morgan reasoned.

Menchi hummed, as if she wasn't convinced by any of the words Morgan was saying. "And you don't look greedy," she added.

It seemed like Menchi wanted her to slip up, but Morgan decided to play along. "I didn't say I am one. I just need money. But I'm not greedy," she replied.

"Do you want to become a Hunter?" Menchi asked.

Morgan was expecting the question. With their conversation, it was obvious where it would lead. "Yes," she answered right away.

'Liar,' she told herself.

It seemed Menchi finally got her answer, as she no longer pressed anything further. "Since you entered the exam, you should know a bit of martial arts," Menchi stated.

Was she concerned? It actually felt like she was concerned. "Yes... well, I actually have to learn some self-defense," Morgan replied, recalling street fights initiated by adults or teenagers trying to mug money.

"Uh-huh. And the sword? Did someone teach you?" Menchi inquired.

"I'm decent with it. It was hanging on the wall, so I decided to use it for the exam—just to add a little intimidating effect. I didn't want other candidates to oppress me," Morgan explained.

Menchi just hummed again. "Alright, done," she said. "Well, the scissors were a bit difficult to handle, but that'll do. The hair framing your face is a hopeless case, so I just left it."

Morgan stood up and took the chance to inspect her new hair. It was... better.

It wasn't the same as having a hair expert cut her hair. It was a bit shorter, but it would do.

Now it was above her shoulder. She ran her fingers through her hair.

Yep, she was satisfied with this one. "Thanks, Ms. Menchi."

"No problem," Menchi replied, wiping the scissors with a tissue before placing them back in the cabinet.

"If you want to eat or drink tea or hot chocolate, the cafeteria's just straight ahead," Menchi said.

Morgan needed rest, not food. "Got it," she replied, at least knowing where to find the cafeteria.

After that, Menchi left the bathroom.

The teen was left alone, staring at herself once again in the mirror. Her new image stared back at her: short hair, her olive eyes looking weary. She took in a deep breath and exhaled.

Nothing would happen to her. She'd make sure to pass the exam no matter what. And after that, all of this would be over, and she'd be back to her life.

Morgan remained like that for ten minutes before leaving the bathroom. Suddenly, she heard a scream.

"Gaaaaah!"

'What was that?'

The girl immediately followed the direction from which the voices came. She finally spotted two men, their backs facing her.

Morgan felt torn apart as she saw the reason behind their screams. Her eyes went wide in horror, and she could only clasp a hand to her mouth.

Dead bodies of another two men lay on the floor—the carpet was smudged with blood.

"What happened?!" she demandingly asked them.

"W-we don't know," the man wearing a black jacket said in a trembling and panicky voice.

"We just found them like that!" said the other man, who was wearing a yellow tank top with curly brown hair. He attempted to touch one of the dead guys.

"Don't touch them!" she roared at the curly-haired man, who promptly stopped.

"One of them could be knocked out and need first aid!" he bellowed.

Morgan took a closer look. They were obviously dead. "If there are traces of your handprints on their bodies, most likely you'll be the primary suspect. This is a crime scene. Don't touch anything around it."

"Let's go... We'll be blamed," the first guy insisted.

'Scaredy cat,' she only rolled her eyes.

She just ignored those two and went on observing the dead men. "One of you should report this to the examiners."

"But—"

Her eyes were dead serious as she looked at them. "They won't blame us, alright," she said in a firm tone.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Now go!" the girl demanded. The man complied and scurried off.

Morgan continued to circle around the corpses, still making sure she wasn't too near. It took ten minutes before the man returned. He brought Mr. Satotz and some staff with him.

"Didn't you know it's forbidden to be near dead bodies?" his right eyebrow curled up as soon as he neared them.

"Sorry, sir. We were just observing, but I assure you we placed enough distance from them," Morgan replied.

Satotz looked at the staff. "Prepare any available big pieces of cloth. We'll use them to cover the dead bodies. Make sure to use gloves in doing so. I'll report this and make arrangements to send their bodies to their families," he ordered.

"Yes, sir." The staff hurriedly left.

His attention was back on them. "You three, what are you doing here at this hour? You should go back." Morgan noticed Mr. Satotz making a quick glance somewhere behind them.

"We're innocent, sir! Please, we didn't do anything!" said the same coward from earlier.

Morgan stopped herself from glaring at him. He was too defensive even though the examiner was asking a different question.

The examiner raised an eyebrow at them. For a second, he looked amused—considering he didn't have a mouth. Maybe Morgan's eyes were deceiving her. "How can I make sure of that? There are cases where whoever sees the corpse first turns out to be the killer."

"But we didn't do it!"

"Your alibi?" the examiner asked. The two told their reasons. "And you?" he asked Morgan.

"I was in the restroom when I heard the scream. You can ask Miss Menchi for verification, since we were together earlier. But..." the examiner was anticipating what she was about to say next. "I can assure you that they're innocent."

"Oh?" Now, he obviously sounded amused by her response. "Care to explain?"

Morgan willed herself not to stutter in front of the examiner. "I happened to observe the corpses when I arrived so I could give you some of my insights," she said, puffing out confidence. "They were killed by someone whose expertise lies in killing. I have seen murder cases in my place. After meeting some of our co-participants for only a day, it taught me the big difference in their performance in contrast to veteran killers." She highly specified Hisoka. "These wounds are the work of a true professional."

"Are you saying we're just mediocre?" the curly man enraged.

Morgan just rolled her eyes. "I just proved your innocence, dumbasses."

Satotz looked way beyond pleased at the girl. He clapped as if to congratulate her. "I applaud your observations. True, it wasn't them. It was a good thing I tested you. You gave me a very short entertaining moment. Well, then," he was about to leave the three when Morgan stopped him.

"Aren't you going to look for the killer?" Morgan asked. "You're not going to do an autopsy or anything? It might point to the person behind this."

"Miss..." Satotz called out. "You should know by now the possibility of getting killed in the exam. And besides, we didn't forbid anything about tricking, pranking, hunting, or killing anyone while inside the airship," he said before turning around and leaving them for good.

What the hell?

Did that mean they weren't safe now? How could they let this slip? They should at least protect their applicants until the exam proceeds in a few hours.

And who would do this? Morgan's suspicion was Hisoka. Well, he was the only person she could think of doing this, considering she witnessed him killing people.

But the wounds they received said otherwise. Their skins were gashed out like a wild animal clawed them. It was highly possible there were others of the same breed as that clown. But who?

Or maybe Hisoka was using other methods to kill people this time. Was he playing examiner again?

The cowardly man thanked Morgan, and the other one did as well, though he still wasn't pleased with what she inferred. They left right after the staff returned with the cloth, as per Mr. Satotz's instructions.

She felt a sudden sense of alarm, knowing she might not be safe right now if she continued to take a stroll. Or worse, she might already be a target for butting in.

"What are you doing here, onee-chan?"

Morgan was quick to spin around, panicking. She heaved out a sigh of relief. It was just Killua, all by himself. "Oh, it's just you. Can you stop sneaking up on people? Someone could get a heart attack," she said irritably.

"Oh, miss grouch," the brat commented. "Oh, you don't look like a scarecrow now."

Scarecrow? Was that how people saw her with her hair a while ago? Or was it just him giving rude descriptions?

Morgan grumbled, her eyes shifting attention. "Are you numb? You have wounds." His right hand had some blood on it.

"It's not mine."

Morgan looked at him as if he was being stupid. "Then from who? From another person? Don't tell me you butchered someone here," she sneered. This kid could actually spout some nonsense jokes sometimes.

When she noticed how serious his eyes were, Morgan looked confused. She was waiting for him to shout out and say it's a joke. The boy had no reaction; he was silent. He didn't deny.

Then her thoughts went back to the corpses a while ago. She wearily stared at the boy. Her system became alert. She remembered what Killua said on their first meeting.

"If I was an ordinary kid, my backbone could have snapped."

"I'm immune to poison."

And he walks around like he has no presence at all. He moves as silently as the graveyard.

'Is it even possible?' she thought.

Morgan saw Killua's face break into amusem*nt as soon as he saw the girl's alert expression. "I guess that's a normal reaction. It's just Gon who's abnormal," he gave a lighthearted laugh—it was an ordinary laugh you could see in any ordinary kids. "He's the only one who seriously believed right away and did not fear the fact that I came from an elite family of assassins. Can you imagine that?"

Morgan's eyes widened. An elite family of assassins? But he's... he's just a child.

"See you around, onee-chan," he said as he turned around and left her.

Seriously? She had been squabbling with a young killer all this time? Death was doing its best to cling to her.

What surprises should she expect from now on? Gon being the son of a drug lord?

.

.

.

.

Morgan was awoken by the grumble of her stomach. "Is it breakfast yet?" she mumbled.

"Just in time."

Her eyes widened when someone responded. To what she recalls, she was alone. Morgan bolted from sleep. Right after Killua left last night, she found it much harder being with other candidates right now.

In front of her sat Kurapika, eating.

Eating?

Was she still half asleep? She rubbed her eyes.

They were seated on a caramel-colored booth seat. Ah, yes. She was in the cafeteria. The girl had happened to pass by and decided to make the seats her own bed.

The cushion was comfortable enough that she fell asleep right away. She looked around, and breakfast was already served on the buffet tables. Most of the applicants were there, grabbing the chance to eat good food before the exam started.

She was supposed to wake up before someone came in, but her body desired the nice sleep. This was embarrassing. "Have you been here for a while now?"

Kurapika's spoon stopped midway. "Yes. And while I eat, I was accompanied with the background music of your snores," he remarked casually before continuing to eat.

Morgan blushed in embarrassment, knowing too well she snored... well, sometimes. "Then you should've woken me up. I felt bad doing such a thing in front of your glorious eating," she said in sarcasm.

"Why did you sleep here?" he asked, ignoring the sarcastic statement.

"Just felt like it," Morgan replied shortly. Surely she didn't have to tell him that. "Why sit here?"

"Just felt like it," the older teen replied uncaringly.

Morgan clicked her tongue. He was countering back her own words. She just rolled her eyes and decided to look around. More than half of the candidates were present inside, eating as much breakfast as they needed or just plain coffee. Some must be hogging all the rest they need.

It wasn't the usual atmosphere in an ordinary cafeteria. She could only hear the slight clatter of spoons and plates. The majority were too alert to talk. They weren't exactly here to become friends with one another.

The only ones making noise in the place were that bald ninja Hanzo, who was talking rather loudly with the three brothers, even though they looked like they wanted him to stop blabbering.

She yawned, not even caring if it was unsightly or what. "What time is it?"

"It's a little past six," Kurapika answered.

Her mouth slightly opened when her eyes zeroed in on the food on his plate. Her stomach made a wild protest.

The blonde pushed another plate in front of her.

"Leorio already gathered some for you, in case other candidates might hoard the food. But if you don't prefer it, there's still some at the buffet table."

Morgan swallowed expectantly. Her stomach made a hungry rumble. She lifted her gaze to meet the blonde's eyes with appreciation.

"Thanks. This is enough." She never realized how hungry she was right after seeing real food, especially since she only ate boiled spider eagle's egg last night.

She dug in mindlessly and swallowed the food to the point her cheeks bulged. Kurapika watched her in awe, but then he went on with his breakfast.

"Oh, you're awake."

Morgan's eyes went from her food to the direction of the voice and saw Leorio. He was carrying a cup of coffee.

"Morning," he greeted as he took a seat in front of Kurapika. "New haircut? It looks way better."

Morgan just gave a nod. "Thanks."

"That's your third cup already," the blonde stated.

"I need cups of coffee to start my day. My body badly needs it for the exam."

"You sound like an old man. Well, it's not like you look in your teens, though," the blonde teen said with a straight face.

"Why don't you just focus on your food than pissing me off first thing in the morning?" Leorio said grumpily.

Ah, that's right. During the marathon, Leorio blurted out his real age. He looked older, but he's in his teens.

19 years old.

Still a shocker to all. Imagine that.

Kurapika is a year older than Morgan—he's 17. Gon and Killua are both 12 years old.

Speaking of—

"The boys? Where are they?" Leorio asked.

"Gon could still be at the ship's empty function hall with the old chairman."

When she heard the voice, panic surged, constricting her throat and causing her to choke. She pounded her chest, coughing repeatedly. The blonde swiftly offered her a glass of water. Morgan accepted it gratefully, draining it in one gulp. "Can you stop doing that?" She added, especially wary now around Killua.

"What? Stop doing what?" Killua inquired; his amusem*nt evident in his tone.

"That! THAT!" Morgan retorted, as if it should be obvious what she meant.

He grinned mischievously as he settled into his seat at their table. Morgan shifted uncomfortably; the food suddenly tasted like sandpaper.

Leorio continued sipping his drink. "Hey, brat, next time bring Gon along for breakfast," he suggested.

Would Killua retaliate if Leorio kept calling him a brat?

Morgan couldn't fathom the thoughts running through his mind. Why did he kill those guys? Had they provoked him somehow?

'I've snapped at him and made rude remarks before. Does that mean he'd kill me?' The thought sent shivers down her spine. Or was he just playing the role of an examiner like Hisoka?

"I bet he's still asleep at this time. He was probably playing with the old geezer until morning," he remarked casually. "I left them around 2 a.m. to blow off some steam."

The mention of the two dead men made her gulp. So, he hadn't been playing examiner, but rather indulging in a fit of bloodlust? The memory of the corpses made her lose her appetite completely.

The blood on the floor. The blood on his hands. She didn't even have a phobia of blood to begin with, but she feared she might develop one after witnessing such scenes.

"There's still food at the buffet table, Killua," Kurapika interjected.

"Nah, I'm not hungry anyway. Gon and I snuck into the kitchen last night and grabbed some meat."

"How could you brats waste your energies like that?" Leorio said as he shook his head before taking another sip. He made a satisfying grumble at the back of his throat.

"You doing that, makes you look like an old man," Killua commented.

The eldest placed his cup on the table. He clicked his tongue. "Listen brat, you'll understand the wonders of hot coffee in the early morning when you're older."

"Even though you're just two years older than me. You speak like you're in 30's." Kurapika said. He was finally done with his food.

"Being repetitive Kurapika?" Leorio mocked.

The blonde and the kid could only smirk.

Leorio clicked his tongue in annoyance. Suddenly he remembered something. "So, there’s a gossip…" He leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Gossip?” Morgan asked.

He nodded. "There was quite the commotion on the blimp last night."

Kurapika's curiosity was piqued. "What is it?”

Leorio lowered his voice for dramatic effect. "Word has it that the staff and some candidates found two dead examinees here inside the blimp. Can you believe it? It's all anyone can talk about."

Kurapika's eyes widened. "Deaths during the Hunter Exam are not unheard of, but hearing it happen as we were resting is quite disturbing."

Killua remained stoic, expertly masking his emotions. Meanwhile, Morgan couldn't hide the unease that had settled within her. After all, she had been at the crime scene hours ago. She knew who the killer was, and he was sitting at their very table.

Leorio continued, "Yeah, it's unsettling. Who knows? Maybe because they pissed off someone they shouldn’t have."

“Or maybe he just got excited and killed them to ease his bloodlust," Killua suggested, with a childish tone.

Leorio gasped. “Hisoka?”

‘Wrong guy! It’s that child beside you!’ Morgan wanted to shout it out.

Morgan, remained conspicuously silent. She wrestled with her thoughts about Killua but decided to keep them to herself for the time being. She swallowed her food and listened attentively but remained cautious.

Kurapika hummed in response, clearly intrigued by the news. “Well, it’s part of the exam. We don't have the time to bother ourselves with what happened to them. And the third phase is coming up. So, I suggest we just prepare ourselves mentally and physically."

Killua, for his part, maintained his usual air of nonchalance. "As long as it's not as boring as the second phase, I'm up for anything," he remarked, cracking a smile.

Leorio agreed, attempting to keep the conversation upbeat. "You're right, Kurapika. But, Morgan, you looked sick. Are you unwell?"

Morgan tried to appear composed. “I'm just... a bit on edge. The news of the deaths is unsettling, that's all."

It was rather odd observing these three having a normal conversation at the table. 'I wonder how these two will react to Killua.'

Chapter 7: Voting Wisely

Chapter Text

Morgan silently acknowledged the tension that existed whenever Killua was in their midst. Though she maintained a facade of nonchalance, she remained vigilant, wary of the unpredictable surges of bloodlust that could erupt from him at any moment.

Meanwhile, Leorio and Kurapika engaged in conversation, their voices a steady hum in the background. Morgan chose to distance herself, opting to remain a silent observer rather than an active participant.

Occasionally, Leorio directed a question her way, but she responded with no more than a curt nod or a brief shake of her head.

The sudden crackle of the loudspeaker demanded their immediate attention.

"Apologies for the delay. The airship is now prepared for landing," announced the voice.

As the three, along with the other candidates, approached the window to catch a glimpse of the next phase venue, Morgan's face pressed mere centimeters from the glass.

Not far in the distance, they beheld an immense earth spire jutting up from the plains, encircled by dense forest. Atop the spire's plateau stood a colossal, cylinder-shaped tower.

The design of the structure suggested its purpose: isolation. It seemed to be constructed either to keep outsiders at bay or to confine whatever lay within.

Upon landing on the flat surface of the tower, all the examinees disembarked, ready to begin the next phase.

"Attention, everyone!" Beans' voice echoed across the platform as soon as all the applicants set foot on the tower. "Welcome to Trick Tower, where the third phase of the exam will take place. Your objective is simple: reach the base of the tower within 72 hours. But remember, you must make it down alive to pass. With that, the third exam officially commences. Best of luck to you all." With those words, Beans retreated back inside, leaving the candidates to watch as the blimp departed into the sky.

Gon and Killua quickly regrouped with the trio.

Five of them cautiously approached the edge, peering over to survey the dizzying height below. Morgan couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what awaited them if they fell—a fate akin to jelly splattered on concrete.

"So, what now?" she pondered aloud.

While Morgan scanned their surroundings, her eyes found nothing but the barren expanse of the tower's rooftop. Even if there were ropes or ladders, it would take a lot of ropes to reach the ground.

"He mentioned reaching the bottom, but how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Morgan voiced the obvious question.

"Are we expected to climb down?" Leorio questioned, his briefcase clutched tightly over his shoulder.

"That would be suicide," Kurapika stated firmly, arms crossed in contemplation.

"For ordinary folks like you, perhaps..." came a voice from behind. They turned to see a robust man, number 86 pinned on his chest, grinning confidently as he approached the tower's edge and began to descend.

"A professional climber?" Morgan marveled at his effortless descent, despite the lack of visible handholds or footholds. Could he be the first to conquer this phase?

"I should've learned rock climbing," Morgan mused to herself.

"Wow," Killua exclaimed in awe.

Gon leaned over to watch the climber's rapid descent. "He's going down fast," he observed.

Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings filled the air, accompanied by loud screeches. They looked around to see four grotesques, flying creatures—resembling mutated infants with shark-like teeth and a sickly shade of pink skin—descending upon them.

"Stop! Get away!" the climber attempted to fend them off, as if they were mere nuisances.

The teens could only watch in horror as the creatures surrounded the climber, seizing him in their grasp. In moments, he disappeared into their midst, destined to become a meal for their voracious appetites.

"I don't think descending is a wise choice," Leorio finally broke the stunned silence, his voice trembling as they witnessed the climber's desperate struggle.

"Yeah," Morgan and Kurapika echoed, their faces reflecting the horror of the scene before them.

"Doesn't that mean we're in danger up here too? What if those creatures swarm up here and attack us?" Leorio voiced his fear, shuddering at the thought.

Morgan shook her head. "I don't think so. If they wanted us, we'd be a pulpy mess by now. It seems they only target those attempting to descend, like that unfortunate climber. May his soul rest in peace," she murmured, pressing her palms together in a silent prayer.

"He's not dead yet," Leorio pointed out.

"Yeah, a few seconds from now," Morgan replied dismissively.

Leorio's comment prompted the blonde to redirect the conversation. "Regardless, we can't afford to take any chances. We don't know what other dangers lurk in this area."

"So, we search for alternative routes?" Gon interjected, refocusing the group on the task at hand.

The others nodded in agreement, their resolve firm as they prepared to explore the tower in search of a safer path downwards.

They agreed to split up to search for the entrance, with Morgan venturing out on her own while Gon and Killua teamed up, as did Kurapika and Leorio.

Under the scorching sun, Morgan felt the oppressive heat bearing down on her, causing beads of sweat to form on her skin. Nearly an hour had passed since the blimp departed, and she was determined to find a way down.

Glancing around at the other examinees for the first time since their arrival, Morgan's brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

She began counting heads, then recounted, and counted once more. There were only 23 candidates present. Considering there were supposed to be 42, nearly half of them were already inside.

"There must be a secret entrance," she muttered to herself, chastising her own oversight.

With determination, Morgan resolved to inspect every inch of the rooftop. She methodically tapped her foot on each rectangular tile, listening for any hollow sounds that might indicate a trap door. Her patience paid off when she heard a distinct echo beneath one of the tiles.

"A trap door," she realized with a smile, kneeling to confirm her discovery. There must be several hidden entrances scattered throughout the rooftop.

Without hesitation, Morgan positioned herself beside the tile and leaped onto it, landing gracefully on her feet. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, a sudden burst of light illuminated the room.

She found herself standing within a chamber enclosed by brick walls, devoid of windows or doors. In the center stood a cylindrical podium, upon which rested five watches.

Curious, Morgan approached the podium and examined the watches. Each one had both an X and an O button.

"What are these for?" she wondered aloud as she fastened one of the watches onto her right wrist. As the material encircled her skin, securing itself like a prisoner's shackle, she tentatively pressed the button. Numbers appeared on the display: 71:26:25.

Instead of the typical digits found on a watch, the display showed a countdown timer. It was evident that this indicated the time remaining until the 72-hour limit for the exam.

Glancing at the inscription atop the podium, Morgan read it aloud, "The six of you must follow the will of the majority to reach the goal."

Six of them. Morgan couldn't help but ponder the significance of this discovery.

It seemed clear that they were meant for the other candidates who would eventually join her in the room. The inscription about following the will of the majority hinted at some form of decision-making process, likely involving the buttons on the watches.

But what exactly would they be voting on?

She sighed, feeling the weight of the situation settling upon her. With numerous hidden entrances scattered across the tower's rooftop and its wide circumference, it could take a considerable amount of time for the other candidates to find their way into the room.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, pushing herself away from the wall. Even if someone did manage to locate another entrance, they'd still have to wait for the remaining slots to be filled before they could leave.

It seemed like waiting would be a futile endeavor—a waste of precious time.

Morgan's hope surged as she listened to the rhythmic tapping echoing from above. Finally, someone had found their way to the hidden entrance.

"Come on, just enter," she whispered under her breath, her anticipation growing with each tap. Would her voice carry to the newcomer if she called out?

How foolish, she scolded herself. It couldn't possibly be that easy.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Her patience wore thin as the tapping continued. What was taking them so long?

Then, the sound of tiles flipping from above reached her ears.

Four sets of tiles. Four new arrivals? That certainly resolved her earlier dilemma, increasing their chances of escaping the room quickly.

With a thud, the newcomers landed on the cold floor, and Morgan quickly scanned their faces.

"You've got to be kidding me," Morgan muttered under her breath as she observed the four familiar faces standing before her. It seemed like Morgan, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio were inseparable, bound together throughout the entirety of the exam.

"That was a rather brief farewell," Blondie remarked, breaking the silence.

"So, all the doors lead to the same room," Leorio observed with a hint of resignation.

"Ah! Morgan!" Gon exclaimed, finally noticing her presence. "You're here too!"

They turned their attention towards Morgan, their expressions tinged with slight surprise.

Giving a short wave, Morgan replied, "Hi. Looks like we've all ended up here."

"How long have you been in here?" Killua inquired.

"Just a couple of minutes," Morgan responded.

"I noticed you were gone upstairs," Killua remarked.

"Yeah, got stuck and had to wait for people to jump down," Morgan explained.

"What do you mean?" Leorio asked, his curiosity piqued.

She gestured towards the podium beside her, prompting the others to approach and read the inscription above. Each of them took a watch and fastened it around their wrists.

"One watch remaining," Morgan pointed out.

"Then it seems we'll have to wait for one more," Kurapika concluded.

"That's correct!" boomed a voice from a speaker affixed to the brick wall, startling the five individuals in the room. "My name is Lippo," continued the voice. "I am the prison warden here."

"A prison warden?" Kurapika echoed, his expression one of disbelief.

"Multiple routes through this tower have been prepared. You have chosen the path of majority rule," Lippo explained. "Cooperation will be key if you wish to clear this phase of the exam. One person's selfish behavior can derail the entire group. And you can't start until you have six members. Best of luck, candidates!"

With a crackle, the speaker fell silent.

"We can't move on until someone else arrives?" Leorio grumbled, clearly displeased. "What are we supposed to do?"

"We'll have to wait, I suppose," Kurapika replied, his gaze drifting upwards, prompting the others to follow suit.

'Prison Tower?' Morgan pondered silently. So, this structure was designed to prevent those within from escaping. It seemed they were now trapped in a tower full of criminals, with the flying creatures outside serving as ruthless patrollers.

.

.

.

As they waited for the final member to join them, Morgan remained seated in the same spot, hugging her knees with her head resting atop them.

Morgan could hear Leorio's incessant tapping on the floor. His impatience was palpable after hours of being stuck inside the room.

Meanwhile, she found herself entertained by watching Gon attempt to ride Killua's skateboard. The green-clad boy seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself in the company of the young assassin.

Despite Killua's family and true to his words, Gon doesn't look affected by it at all.

Killua, for his part, seemed surprisingly attached to Gon. Despite his aloof demeanor, it was evident that he was enjoying himself, relishing the simple joy of playing with his newfound friend.

‘Why did he enter the exam?’ Morgan wondered, her thoughts drifting to Killua's motivations. It couldn't have been for money, given his family's wealth and their profession as assassins. Hunting criminals seemed unlikely as well. Perhaps he was seeking adventure or excitement, she speculated.

"Maybe for fun," she concluded, observing the carefree interactions between Gon and Killua.

Leorio's sudden outburst broke the tense silence, causing Morgan to straighten up from her seated position. "It's been two hours… What if the others all took a different route?" he exclaimed, his frustration evident as he stood up.

Morgan couldn't help but offer a pragmatic response. "Then we can't actually do anything about that," she stated matter-of-factly.

Leorio clenched his fist and struck his palm in frustration. "Only a fool would still be at the top of the tower," he muttered.

"Then let's hope there's still a fool up there," Morgan retorted dryly.

"Calm down, Leorio," Kurapika interjected, taking a seat next to Morgan with a notable distance between them. "Complaining won't help."

Morgan silently agreed with Kurapika's sentiment. Complaining wouldn't change their current situation.

"What if no one shows up before we reach the time limit?" Leorio continued to ramble, his frustration mounting.

'It's not like they can do anything,' Morgan thought to herself.

Their conversation was interrupted by a sound from above.

"I can't just-"

"Shh! Quiet," Kurapika hissed, silencing Leorio.

They listened intently as knocking echoed from outside. The sound grew louder, and Morgan and the others instinctively gathered at the center of the room. A tile shifted, releasing a cloud of dust and debris, until it finally flipped open, revealing a person who dropped heavily to the floor.

He groaned in pain, and Morgan turned away disinterestedly. "It's just the rookie crusher," she remarked casually.

"Tonpa-san," Gon exclaimed in surprise.

The three remaining teens looked at the newcomer with disappointment.

"Oh," Killua said flatly.

"It's the old man," Leorio remarked without much enthusiasm.

Morgan raised a brow at Leorio's reaction. Were they already acquainted?

Only Gon welcomed Tonpa and accepted him as part of the team. While Gon explained the situation to Tonpa and handed him the watch, Morgan approached Leorio and Kurapika.

"Let me guess, he gave you a can of tampered juice," Morgan remarked.

Leorio responded grudgingly, "Yes. Thanks to Gon, we were saved from it."

"I take it, you faced the same too?" Kurapika asked.

"Almost. I managed to trick that guy into confessing," Morgan replied, recalling her narrow escape from the tampered juice.

As soon as the last person put on the wristband, a door materialized on the other side of the room.

"I see," Kurapika murmured, observing the metal door with interest.

"At this door, select O to open, X not open," Gon read aloud.

Leorio voiced his irritation. "Forcing us to use majority rule already?"

Morgan couldn't help but roll her eyes internally. Of course, they didn't wait for hours just to keep the door shut. Obviously, they wanted to open it!

"The answer should be obvious…" Leorio muttered irritably, pushing the O button. Morgan nodded in agreement and pressed the O button as well. Who would be foolish enough to press the X button?

The results flashed on the black screen: five O, one X.

Morgan's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "My eyes must be playing tricks on me," she muttered, blinking repeatedly. But the result remained the same. Who in the world pressed the X button?!

"What?!" Leorio exclaimed as the door slid open and disappeared into the brick wall. "Who pushed the X button?!"

Tonpa gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Sorry, that was me. I pressed the wrong button by mistake."

Leorio grabbed Tonpa by the collar, a vein pulsating on his forehead. "Stop messing around, old man! Are you blind?"

"Like I said, it was an accident," Tonpa replied smugly. "Why are you so angry?"

"Accident? Or another one of your tricks?" Morgan interjected, her voice low and dangerous.

Tonpa's tone turned defensive. "It wasn't intentional. Can't a person make a mistake?"

Morgan couldn't help but roll her eyes at his attempt to play the victim.

"It doesn't matter," Gon interjected, trying to calm the situation. "The door is already open."

"No, it does matter!" Leorio snapped. "This guy deliberately pressed the wrong button…"

"Let's go," Kurapika interjected, heading towards the opened path. "We don't have time to argue."

"He's right. Even if he keeps pressing the wrong one, the rest of us just need to press the right one," Killua added before following Kurapika.

Gon turned around and passed through the door. Morgan shot Tonpa a glare before turning her back on him and following the boys. She didn't have time to deal with his antics.

In the next room, Morgan found herself faced with two gates: one on the right and one on the left. A sign upfront indicated that they needed to decide on which direction to go.

Morgan scratched her head, pondering her choice. While it was common for people to instinctively go left in such situations, she considered that the examiner might anticipate this and set traps accordingly.

So, should she go right instead?

With a sigh, Morgan pressed the O button. The others made their choices, and the screen immediately displayed the result. Only two pressed the X button, while Morgan and the other three chose O.

"Why would you choose to go right?" Leorio debated once he saw the number of votes. "Normally, you should go left."

"That's just it. Normally. It means it's already predictable," Morgan explained.

The gate on the right opened, confirming her intuition.

"That is true," Kurapika remarked. "Studies have indicated that people who are lost or stuck at forks unconsciously tend to go left."

"I've heard that before too," Killua added.

"I just chose right because choosing left is already predictable," Morgan clarified.

"Wait a second; the numbers don't add up!" Leorio argued. "Which button did you press?"

"Right," the three of them replied in unison.

"You guys…" Leorio said through gritted teeth. As with the first door, both Kurapika and Killua proceeded first.

"Let me ask you a question. If you're the examiner, which route would you try to make it more difficult for the other participants?” Morgan challenged.

"The left path," Leorio replied.

"Explanation?" she pressed.

"Are we in school?" he retorted sarcastically.

"Just answer it," Morgan insisted firmly. She could feel her frustration rising.

"Because that's what people would choose!" Leorio snapped.

Morgan gave him a deadpan look. "Exactly," she said. "All this voting is logical. It's their job to trick us with these kinds of tests. It's up to us whether we'll take the bait or think ahead."

"She's right," Tonpa chimed in, joining the conversation. "This tower has its own tricks, which obviously mirror its name. The participants must outsmart the examiner. And that's what the three of them were doing."

Tonpa smirked before leaving, leaving Leorio gritting his teeth in frustration. His eyes momentarily landed on Gon, who looked clueless about their discussion. "So, we're just simple-minded!" he muttered, stomping his way to the right passage.

"We?" Gon asked innocently before following him.

Morgan couldn't help but be entertained by Leorio's sulking reaction and Gon's clueless expression. She shrugged in good spirits. "Simple-minded indeed," she remarked, continuing to walk along with the group.

Leorio scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, his curiosity piqued. "What is this place?" he asked aloud, voicing the question that lingered in all their minds.

At the center of the spacious area lay an arena, encircled by what seemed like a bottomless pit. The only illumination came from four large torches positioned at each corner of the arena.

"Look over there," Killua pointed out, directing their attention to the other side where six masked individuals stood. Each figure wore a gray cloak that concealed most of their body, with only glimpses of their limbs visible.

One of them removed his cloak, revealing a muscular, bald man adorned with scars. He stepped forward, his presence commanding attention.

"Allow me to explain, gentlemen and miss," Lippo's voice echoed off the squared walls of the chamber. "In front of you are some of Trick Tower's prisoners. The Hunter Exam Committee has officially hired them as examiners. You will be fighting against six of them. The fights will be one-on-one, with each person only allowed to fight once. You are free to use any method you like. There will be no draws; victory is declared when the opponent admits defeat," Lippo elaborated.

Morgan couldn't shake the feeling of incredulity about the decisions made by the organizers of the Hunter Exam. Why would they enlist criminals as examiners? Weren't the trials challenging enough with the mindless beasts they had encountered earlier?

As the bald, muscular man stepped forward to indicate he would be the first opponent, the group faced a crucial decision: who would step up to face him?

"There's too much at stake without knowing what they have up their sleeves," Kurapika stated with a serious expression, seemingly resolved. "Given that, I shall-"

"I'll go." Tonpa interjected suddenly, surprising the others. "I'll act as a guinea pig so we can discover what they're up to. Consider this as an apology for before."

Morgan couldn't help but wonder about the sudden change of heart. Was Tonpa being genuine? Where did he find this newfound bravery?

"Hey, are you serious?" Leorio asked, his expression reflecting her disbelief at Tonpa's impulsive decision.

"You guys don't actually trust me, right? Do you really want me to be the tiebreaker when the score is 3-3?" Tonpa countered.

"...You have a point," Leorio conceded reluctantly.

"Then it's settled," Tonpa declared, his resolve apparent.

As Tonpa and the burly man advanced onto the metal bridge and squared off at the platform's center, a sudden rumbling accompanied by a slight tremor seized everyone's attention.

"Well, that's unexpected…" Leorio stuttered, shattering the stunned silence as they observed Tonpa stepping into the arena. "I didn't anticipate Tonpa volunteering."

"He referred to himself as a guinea pig," Kurapika clarified.

"Is Tonpa-san going to be alright?" Gon inquired, his worry palpable.

"Now, let's decide on the method of combat. I suggest a death match. My name is Brendot, and I'm serving a 199-year sentence for murder and robbery," the formidable man declared.

"A death match?!" Gon exclaimed, his disbelief evident in his widened eyes.

"They fight until one of them dies?!" Leorio blurted out, his voice tinged with alarm.

"No…" Kurapika interjected. "Don't allow him to provoke you."

'Hmm?' Morgan pondered, puzzled by the cautionary remark.

"Provoke?" Morgan finally spoke up. "You believe a criminal's words are merely a form of provocation?"

The blonde cast her a quick glance. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm saying it seems too significant to be mere provocation," Morgan responded frankly, her expression remaining impassive.

Kurapika observed her reaction. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"I'd be bothered if he fails," Morgan retorted, her irritation beginning to surface.

"What if he dies?" Kurapika pressed, his tone resolute.

Morgan felt her annoyance mounting. "It's all part of the exam, blondie."

"You're revealing how self-centered you are," Kurapika accused, his gaze penetrating.

"Oh, like I care now?" Morgan shot back defiantly. "Well, I haven't even displayed half of my personality yet, blondie," she retorted sarcastically, unapologetic in her demeanor.

The blonde continued to glare at her, his frustration evident. "You're impossible."

"Thanks, I've been practicing," Morgan quipped, a smirk playing on her lips.

The hefty man accepted the challenge with a resolute expression. Brendot prepared to attack while Tonpa assumed a defensive stance. The atmosphere crackled with tension, escalating the anticipation for the first fight, when suddenly Tonpa dropped to his knees and exclaimed, "I give up!"

The girl's jaw fell open.

'What in the world?'

They all wore bewildered expressions, as if his words were echoing repeatedly in their minds.

"Did he just surrender?" Gon questioned.

"Maybe he meant 'Give me a moment?'" Leorio speculated.

"I'm pretty sure he said, 'I give up,'" she clarified.

Tonpa clarified their defeat by reaffirming his surrender, prompting Brendot to retreat and return to their side, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events. Tonpa then rejoined his group, where most of them were glaring at him intensely.

Perhaps that's why she doesn't truly care about his fate, whether they're teammates or not. Regardless of his actions, his true nature still reeks.

"Bastard," Leorio seethed, once again grabbing Tonpa's collar. "You just confirmed all my suspicions! You're a worthless piece of trash who's only good at sabotaging other applicants!"

"Exactly, that's what I do every year," Tonpa admitted with a scheming grin. "And I plan to continue the tradition. I'm not looking to pass the Hunter Exam. I'm only in it for the thrills. The Hunter Exam is a trial meant to crush the dreams of confident young people. The moment of despair, when ambition and hope give way, gives me a sense of exquisite pleasure. Especially when I actively shatter those rookies' dreams. Being a Hunter was not on my dream list."

With that statement, the eldest teen clenched Tonpa's collar tightly, his teeth gritting with intensity as if he were ready to explode at any moment.

"Leorio, stop!" Kurapika intervened, attempting to calm him down before he could make any rash decisions. "They want us to waste our time, fighting amongst ourselves."

"Well, if their goal is to buy time, then the old man made the correct choice," Killua interjected. "He was probably a former soldier or mercenary. If fatty here had fought the guy, he would have started by crushing fatty's throat so he couldn't give up. Then he would have used the remaining time to torture him."

Morgan, unfazed by the situation, began a slow series of applause. "Well done, Tonpa. Quite the actor you are. I have an idea brewing in my mind right now, and I'm pretty damn sure you won't like it." She raised her fist as if she were about to punch him.

"Morgan!" Gon interjected, attempting to stop her.

Tonpa recoiled in shock, genuinely believing she might hit him. "I'll behave. It would be unfortunate if I couldn't control myself. You're lucky. The group still needs you," he remarked, relieved, as Morgan lightly tapped his cheek.

"Calm down! His action saved us some time," Kurapika intervened, but Morgan just rolled her eyes. "Regardless, we need to win four rounds and advance."

"Who's going next?" Killua asked.

"Me! I'll go!" Gon declared, waving his hand high in the air.

"Are you sure?" Leorio asked, his hands on his hips, clearly worried about Gon's safety.

Another contestant stepped forward, removing his cloak to reveal a petite man with shoulder-length brown hair that partially obscured one of his eyes.

"It's okay," Gon replied earnestly. "The next one doesn't seem mean."

Morgan sighed at Gon's naive response. He seemed to have forgotten that their next opponent was still a criminal.

Kurapika sweat dropped. "Well, he's still a child," he muttered.

"Don't worry," Gon reassured them, dismissing their concerns. "He doesn't seem like the fighting type." With that, he crossed the bridge and approached the center, greeting his opponent eagerly.

However, it was obvious. The man was extremely thin, almost to the point where his bones were visible through his skin. He appeared frail, like someone who could easily be targeted for bullying. It seemed as though a light push would be enough to knock him down.

"What crime did he commit?" wondered Morgan.

"I'm Sedokan," the man introduced himself. "As you can see, I'm not much of a fighter; running, combat... not my thing at all."

Gon simply nodded. "I prefer the opposite," he replied sheepishly. "I'm not good with mind games."

"I thought so," Sedokan, Gon's opponent, remarked. "So, I prepared an extremely simple game." He then revealed two candles from behind his back. "Both of us will light a candle at the same time. The one whose light goes out first loses. Do you agree?"

Obviously, there had to be a trick to this match. It couldn't be that straightforward, especially considering they were dealing with people who were imprisoned for heinous crimes. The prisoners seemed as eager to win as the team did.

But why?

Was it because the Exam committee had instructed them to? Or was there some motivating factor in exchange for defeating them?

"Yeah, that's easy!" Gon said in a relieved tone, evidently choosing to believe that his opponent was being virtuous. "That works for me!"

"Okay," the criminal replied, holding out the two candles for all to see. He then exposed the bottom half of the candles, revealing that one was shorter and the other longer. "Which candle will you choose? Use 'O' for the long one and 'X' for the short one."

"The long one is definitely trapped!" Leorio exclaimed.

Kurapika appeared more cautious. "Yes, it would seem logical to think so," he said slowly, "but precisely because of this, it wouldn't be surprising if the short one is the trap."

"Remember what I said? This is all about logic and psychology. Sedokan obviously set something up. There are endless possibilities to consider," Morgan cautioned the group.

In the center of the arena, the criminal took a seat. "Don't rush with your decision," he advised.

"He's wasting our time!" Leorio growled, tapping his foot impatiently. "We should choose immediately."

"We can't possibly guess which candle has been tampered with," Killua informed. "Neither choice is obviously right or wrong."

"Exactly," Morgan agreed.

"Looks like you've got a dilemma over there," Tonpa remarked from his position against the wall, arms crossed, clearly relishing the situation.

"Shut your mouth!" Leorio snapped at him, to which the fat man just smirked in response.

"Hey, which one should I choose?" Gon queried his teammates.

Kurapika seemed to have an idea. "Gon, you decide! We'll abide by your decision. Choose the one you think is best."

Morgan wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea, but they couldn't come up with a better solution. It was better for the team to reach a decision quickly. It was best to let a single person decide, rather than have several people argue over the possibilities.

And who knows, Gon might be able to sniff out something, given his intuition.

"Are you sure? He never thinks anything through," Killua reminded them.

"Instead of wasting time fretting over what to do, let's rely on Gon's instincts," Kurapika responded.

Gon turned back to his opponent. "Okay! Then I choose the longer one!" His decision was immediate, while his friends awaited a solid reason for this choice.

"Did he sense something or what? Did he notice any difference in the composition of the candles?" they wondered.

"Because a longer candle will burn for a longer time," Gon said cheerfully.

There was a slight pause as everyone in the room processed Gon's words.

Morgan ran a hand through her face. "Oh great," she moaned. Gon hadn't considered the possibility of it being a trap.

"Instincts, huh? Maybe it will be the first time Gon's instincts fail us," she thought.

"Wait, he's just taking it at face value?" Leorio asked incredulously.

"I knew he wouldn't think this through," Killua muttered, his hands on the back of his neck, his expression indicating that he had anticipated this outcome.

"Well, it's impossible to know which is which anyway," Kurapika said firmly, trying to convince himself of this.

They all voted for the long one.

Sedokan handed the long candle to Gon after their votes were displayed on the screen. They both walked to the edge of the platform where the torches blazed with fire and lit the candles simultaneously.

"In case nothing funny happens, waiting for the wax to melt completely might take a while. You understand that, right?" Morgan remarked.

"True. How long does it take before it goes out?" Leorio inquired.

"Normally, it would take 5-6 hours," Kurapika responded.

A strong breeze from the bottom of the pit found its way up to the fighting area. If they weren't careful enough, their candles could easily be extinguished.

Gon stood motionless, appearing very focused on his candle.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Gon's flame suddenly grew larger, rapidly engulfing the melting candle wax.

Gon's chances began to decline steadily. His candle became so short that he could barely hold it due to the intense flame.

"I knew something was strange," Morgan uttered anxiously, watching the candle burn at a rapid rate. At this rate, they were bound to lose.

"He must have hidden gunpowder or some other highly flammable substance inside to make the candle burn faster," Kurapika speculated.

"At this rate, his candle will only last another two or three minutes," Killua pointed out.

"He should've picked the short candle!" Leorio exclaimed, starting to panic.

Morgan shook her head. "I doubt it. He could have tampered with both, and he likely had spares of both that he could discreetly switch. Choosing the long candle was the better option."

Kurapika nodded. "She's right. No matter what Gon chooses, the results will probably be the same."

Just as everyone thought it might be over in a few minutes, Gon looked at his candle, his face illuminating with a big triumphant smile as he turned to his opponent. "If the fire is stronger," he declared, carefully placing the candle on the floor, "then a little breeze won't extinguish it." With that, he bolted towards the prisoner and blew out his candle, catching him by surprise. "I win!" Gon declared happily.

Morgan looked stunned by the turn of events. Gon had acted quickly and seized the opportunity presented to him. She couldn't help but smile slightly, starting to understand what they meant. 'What an unusual kid.'

"Good job, Gon! Once Kurapika, Morgan, and I win, we can advance!" Leorio congratulated.

'Er, what about Killua?'

Morgan was about to protest. Out of all of them, he had a better chance of earning them a point.

'Lucky for us, we had the brat on our side.'

"So, who's next?" Leorio asked.

"Me…"

Chapter 8: Beauty and the Freak

Chapter Text

"I'll go next," Kurapika and Morgan said in unison. Morgan shot him a challenging look, raising an eyebrow, and Kurapika mirrored the gesture.

"Ladies first!" Morgan declared, swiftly moving towards the edge where the metal bridge extended. "Any objections?"

"No…" Kurapika's expression was less than thrilled, but he stepped back.

"You can do it, Morgan!" Gon cheered as soon as the bridge connected to the arena. She simply waved a hand at them before proceeding.

Just like the previous criminals, her opponent removed his cloak, revealing a tall man who exuded an air of elegance even in his prison uniform. It was unclear how he managed that, but he definitely had a different kind of presence.

With olive-colored skin and military-style bleached-blond hair, he stood before her. Unlike the bulky man before, this one was leaner but still possessed noticeable muscles. "Hi, I'm Dether," he introduced himself.

Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, sizing him up.

Damn.

He looks...

'Good. Handsome. Fit.'

She mentally slapped herself.

But...

'Still a criminal. He could kill me with those well-toned hands.'

The man chuckled, as if he knew all too well her reaction. "Looks like I still have my charm." Morgan made a smug face. Even his voice sounded beautiful for a man. The world was unfair to lavish all the graces of good genes on him. "What's a cute teenage girl doing here in the exam?"

Morgan shrugged. "I'm just here to waste some time. Figured the exam would be as good a place as any."

Dether laughed this time. She just noticed that he was carrying a writing clipboard. "I like you already."

With a watchful gaze fixed on her opponent, she arched a brow. "So, what do you propose?"

Seated on the hard floor, he slid a clipboard towards her, revealing a few clipped bond papers. She couldn't help but wonder about their purpose. Were they going to use them as weapons?

Dether remained composed. "My challenge is straightforward. We each write down something that must be followed. If you can accomplish mine and I fail yours, then you win. If we both succeed, we repeat the process until one of us loses."

She stared at him, skeptical of his proposition.

Who did he think he was fooling?

Morgan held up her hand, signaling for him to pause before adding any further nonsense. "Hold up, Johnny Bravo. You could write down something like 'kill myself,' right? Do you really think I'm that naive to accept your challenge?!"

He remained impassive, even running his hands through his hair in a way that seemed almost like he was posing for a magazine. "Look, unlike others, I don't harm people—especially girls and kids. I'm not sentenced for murder, rape, or serial bombing. I'm convicted for smuggling massive historical artifacts."

"Archeological theft? You're stealing antiquities and artifacts?" Morgan questioned.

"Yeah, you could say that," he replied casually.

"What did you steal?"

"Oh, a lot. Artifacts worth billions," he answered vaguely. "That means, I'm not interested in your life. But if you don't believe me, then let's add something. Writing something that can endanger our lives is prohibited. Both parties should remain unharmed—no wounds, fractures, scratches, or bruises. Whoever fails to comply will have to jump into the abyss. Is that acceptable?" he suggested.

Morgan regarded him suspiciously. But then again, to avoid wasting time, she had to agree. "Fine. I accept."

"Morgan, hold on! Don't act impulsively!" Leorio's voice rang out, but she brushed it aside.

"Good," he said, a smirk playing on his lips, revealing those infuriatingly perfect white teeth that Morgan fantasized about punching. "Your assignment is inside. Just follow the instructions. There's no time limit," he added with a hum.

Morgan picked up the clipboard and flipped to the first page.

Her jaw dropped. It was a picture.

The image depicted a flat, intricately sculpted stone surface. Figures were carved into it, arranged in a grid-like pattern divided into five pieces, resembling a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece varied in size and was composed of different triangles and quadrilaterals.

At the top center, an intricately carved moon adorned the scene. To the left, a figure of a man emerged, adorned with a heavy beaded necklace and a feathered headdress, gazing toward the center. On the right, another man’s figure upper torso faced a different direction, partially disrobed, with its lower body completing the adjacent piece below.

The final piece depicted a sculpted square or box-like shape, resembling a stone table.

Yet, Morgan couldn't shake the feeling that something crucial was absent. Just above the square sculpture, a missing part marred the puzzle.

"What did he give you, Morgan?" Gon's voice interrupted her thoughts, drawing her attention back.

Above the image, instructions taunted her: "Guess what's inside the missing part?"

"Just a fun fact: that's the last artifact I stole from a historical site. It was whole when I took it. I had plans to sell it to a collector in York New. Unfortunately, I got caught, and the item was returned to its original location. When they tried to reassemble it, they discovered a missing piece. They wanted me to confess its whereabouts, but why would I ever tell them? I'll carry that secret to my grave," Dether recounted. "Then, I had this sudden idea to make it a challenge for anyone I face. So, what do you think is depicted in that final piece of the relief?"

As he finished speaking, a chime echoed through the room, and the large flat monitor beside the arena displayed the same image printed on the paper.

"So, my team could see it too... perhaps," she mused.

"You're cheating! How could she possibly know that?! She might not even recognize what the picture means!" Leorio protested.

Dether glanced back at Leorio. "It doesn't matter if she's unfamiliar with the relief. She just needs to analyze the image and provide an answer."

"I believe I know what this is," Morgan interjected, capturing everyone's attention. "This relief depicts a Champaca sacrificial ceremony. The square sculpture represents an altar, with the missing piece likely sitting atop it. The figures in the relief are Champacans, performing sacrifices to their moon god. So, the real question is: what's depicted on top of the altar?"

The man let out a low whistle. "Impressive. But how can you be certain it's from the Champaca civilization?"

"The style of the sculptures. It matches what I've seen in books," Morgan replied confidently.

A look of astonishment crossed his face. "Just from a book?"

"Even if we know that, we're still uncertain about the specific item," Kurapika pointed out, a sentiment Morgan echoed.

"Then why don't you all take a guess? Ultimately, this girl will provide the final answer. You can assist her in brainstorming if you'd like," he suggested, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, any ideas yet? Take your time."

They were being tested, that much was clear. Morgan had to approach this challenge carefully. There was undoubtedly a hidden trap, evident in his willingness to let her companions contribute to the answer.

'Think... Think...'

"Heart or a human sacrifice. Given their devotion to their moon god, it's a plausible answer," Kurapika suggested.

Blonde was onto something. Considering their cultural traditions, it was entirely possible that one of those could be the answer.

"How about animals? People back then often sacrificed them, and any part of the body could be used. Maybe even the brain," Killua suggested.

"They typically only sacrificed human bodies or just the heart," Morgan corrected him.

"Then that settles it! We'll stick to those two options and choose carefully," Leorio added.

"Ah, excellent teamwork," the prisoner commended. "Now, miss, you've narrowed it down to two options. And as a small reward for your efforts, you're all correct. They indeed sacrificed both the heart and the body. Now, it's decision time: O for heart and X for body."

Morgan remained unconvinced. Upon further thought, the heart seemed the more plausible answer. The missing piece appeared too small to depict a human body.

But is it really the right answer?

"Morgan, don't rush! Take your time to decide. We'll go with whatever you choose," Gon urged.

"No need for that," she replied.

"Oh?" The prisoner raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

Morgan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I've made my decision."

"And what might that be? Cast your vote for the answer."

As her eyes reopened, they bore into his with a fierce intensity, signaling that she had seen through his carefully laid trap. "How long do you plan to deceive me? Both choices you presented are fundamentally flawed."

The prisoner’s expression remained impassive as he shrugged. "And how can you be so sure? You've never laid eyes on the relief before, have you?"

"The missing piece isn't a 'heart' or a 'human'," she insisted.

"Hmm, elaborate," he prompted.

She took a deep breath. "The figure with the headdress is a priest, right? He's facing the moon, positioned at the top center. But the figure on the right is facing a different direction. What could he possibly be looking at?" She grinned confidently, sensing the tide turning in her favor.

"So? What does that have to do with the missing piece?" he inquired.

"Everything!" Morgan exclaimed, folding the paper in her hands. She then carefully tore the paper along the lines of the relief's pieces. "Here are the five pieces of the relief." She began rearranging the paper fragments. "We risk losing sight of the true form when we rely solely on initial assumptions. But if you arrange it like this, both figures are looking at the same thing."

The shape of the relief transformed into a vertical rectangle as Morgan adjusted the pieces. "Now, the half-naked man is also facing the moon," she began. "From the beginning, the relief was complete. You knew that because you assembled it immediately after stealing it. My hunch is, you dismantled it before you could deliver it. When you were apprehended and the relief was examined by experts, it was incorrectly reassembled. There's nothing yet on the altar because the sacrifice hadn't occurred. The answer is 'nothing'."

He stared at her in disbelief, then erupted into a series of applause, whistles, and cheers. "Absolutely brilliant! You're clearly the first one to deduce it correctly."

"It's just like what happened with that old lady in the deserted village!" Gon chimed in. "Presenting us with a challenging answer when the real one is silence."

"Yeah, I really despise mind games," Leorio added.

"Isn't that just because you're stupid?" Killua quipped.

"What was that, you little brat?!" Leorio retorted, his temper flaring.

"Well, even though he blurted out the answer unknowingly, it was still a close call," Kurapika remarked.

Despite their banter, Morgan struggled to relate. "Why did you lie about hiding the last piece?" she asked.

"And here I thought you were clever," he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm a thief. I steal things, not inform people about them. It's not my fault they couldn't figure it out. So, are you going to waste your time asking questions? I have all the time in the world to get to know you better," he said in a low, flirtatious tone, accompanied by a smirk.

Morgan recoiled. "No... I'm single, but not looking to mingle."

He chuckled at her reaction. "Your move now. You can ask questions or present me with a case or puzzle to solve. It's up to you. Take your time."

Morgan was determined to challenge him with something truly difficult. She pondered various options, contemplating puzzles or code-breaking tasks. However, if he could effortlessly infiltrate heavily guarded museums and retrieve artifacts, decoding passwords and hacking systems would likely be child's play for him.

She needed something far more challenging.

Detaching a pen from its holder, Morgan glanced around, ensuring there were no hidden CCTV cameras. Call it paranoia or caution, but she needed to be certain. Flipping through the pages, she delved into deep thought.

Three minutes passed.

Ten minutes elapsed.

Fifteen minutes slipped away.

Twenty minutes in, beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

"You look rather serious. Twenty minutes have already flown by. Please, go easy on me," he remarked in a carefree manner.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan flipped back to the first page. "If you can complete what's on this paper, you'll earn a point," she declared as she slid the board back to the prisoner.

He chuckled confidently as he reached for the board. "I'm intrigued. I wonder what—" His voice trailed off abruptly as his eyes scanned the paper.

She observed his teammates, who looked equally puzzled.

"Now what?" Leorio asked, breaking the silence.

Bling!

Morgan smirked as she glanced back, noting the number 'two' illuminated on their score screen.

"Huh?!" Most of her teammates exclaimed, their heads tilting back to check their current score points.

"What—how?" Leorio asked, his confusion evident.

Her enemy burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Now, I'm curious to see what she wrote," Killua remarked.

"You got me there, girl! You've impressed me! I'll be rooting for you in the exam!" he cheered. "And hey, if you ever feel lonely, you'll always have a spot in my cell." He winked suggestively.

Morgan's expression fell as she stood up and walked back to her group.

Their faces still bore expressions of bewilderment. Not even a cheer greeted her victory. "I've found more cheer in a graveyard. What's with your faces? I won, guys."

"Of course, we're happy..." Leorio greeted first.

"What did you write?" Gon asked, wearing his signature beaming smile as he offered a high five. "Nice win!"

"I wrote 'don't read this sentence.' Since it's impossible to complete the task without reading the instructions first, right?" she replied, reciprocating Gon's high five. "Thanks."

"Just that? But it took you twenty minutes," Kurapika remarked.

"That's nothing. It was all part of the act," she stated, feeling a bit proud of fooling her teammates. "I finished before three minutes were up. After that, I just pretended to be working on something complex."

Gon laughed. "You're amazing, Morgan! You're so smart! If it were me, I would've lost the round."

It wasn't the first time she'd received a compliment, but she felt her cheeks warm slightly. "Not really. The truth is, I couldn't think of anything else. That man was probably thinking he could win. Fortunately, I answered correctly."

Leorio chuckled.

"That was impressive." Kurapika praised.

Coming from Kurapika, it was an unusual compliment. "Well, thanks."

"So, who's next?" Killua interjected.

This prompted Kurapika to step forward. "I guess it's my turn."

His opponent, named Majitani, was serving a 108-year sentence for various crimes, including fraud and blackmail.

Beneath his gray cloak was a muscular body with an unusual blue skin tone. His face appeared distorted, as if he had undergone cheap plastic surgery. His left eye lacked eyelids and remained open, while his right eye was narrowed and surrounded by a purple—or possibly black—circle. His face bore a stitch, and he was noseless, with only six teeth visible. Nineteen hearts were tattooed across his chest.

He let out a piercing cry followed by a sinister laugh. "I'm next!"

"What a bizarre appearance..." Leorio muttered, his eyes wide.

"And his face..." Killua added, equally taken aback.

"I have a wild guess about his crime," Morgan suddenly interjected, her gaze fixed on the blue-skinned freak.

"What?" asked Killua, intrigued.

"Maybe he was scammed. He killed the quack doctor who performed the plastic surgery that made him look like an ugly version of Frankenstein," she proposed.

Leorio and Killua exchanged bewildered looks.

"Frankenstein was never good-looking to begin with," Leorio pointed out, eyeing her as if she had lost her mind.

"I know. What I meant is he's even uglier than Frankenstein," Morgan clarified matter-of-factly.

"Your way of thinking is something else," Killua remarked.

"But it's not impossible, right? If it were me, I'd probably want to burn the doctor alive," Morgan continued.

"Tsss. Whatever," Killua muttered, clearly disinterested in continuing the conversation.

"Look here!" the blue-skinned man suddenly exclaimed, pointing to his chest where the tattoos were located. "I've killed nineteen people, but it bugs me that nineteen is such an uneven number," he grinned. "I'm so glad I've gotten to meet number 20.”

They couldn't see Kurapika's reaction; he remained still, his posture calm and composed.

"Now we have a serial killer," Leorio grimaced.

On impulse, Morgan's eyes scanned Killua's visible skin. Did assassins also have tattoos? His skin looked neat and smooth, even for a boy, which was like a slap in the face for her. It was annoying.

Did assassins have a skincare routine or something?

"What are you doing?" Killua asked, clearly aware of her actions.

Well, they were standing close to each other, so of course, it would be noticeable.

"Nothing," she replied, still fixated on his bare skin.

The young assassin grew annoyed. "Stop doing that. You're freaking me out. And just so you know, we don't do that kind of stupid stuff," he said. "If you keep it up, I'll start thinking you're a creepy pervert."

His words earned him a glare. "Hmp!" Morgan huffed and rolled her eyes, deciding to redirect her attention to the blonde's fight.

"I insist that we put our lives on the line. I won't accept some half-assed contest," Majitani declared, his laughter sounding like that of a madman. "Blood! Entrails! Agony!"

"Very well. You can decide how we settle this contest. I'll agree to your choice," Kurapika replied calmly.

Was this some kind of act, or was the blonde just not affected by Majitani's antics? Watching from the sidelines, the contrast in their physical appearances was stark; one direct hit could easily knock Kurapika off balance.

"In that case, I also propose a death match. However, don't expect me to stop when you surrender and beg for your life!" Majitani continued, laughing maniacally at his own statement.

And this blue-skinned man... He was trying so hard to look frightening, laughing like some evil overlord, which only served to diminish his intimidation factor.

"Very well. I accept," Kurapika responded, still unfazed. He removed his tabard and tossed it aside.

Majitani's laughter paused momentarily as he looked bewildered by his opponent's composed demeanor.

'That was awkward. He got snubbed, actually seen-zoned. No effect. Nada. Zero.'

"Hold it! No weapons allowed!" Majitani added, laying down more rules. "We'll beat each other to death with our fists."

"Okay," Kurapika agreed, pulling out his bokken swords from under his shirt and tossing them aside. "Now, can we start?"

'Is he stupid?' Morgan wondered. Was Kurapika actually going to fight him bare-handed? Did he really think that highly of himself?

"Is Kurapika going to be okay? This guy looks dangerous," Leorio worriedly asked.

"You don't need to worry," Gon assured, grabbing everyone's attention. "Because when I look at him, I don't feel a chill."

The blue man lunged at Kurapika, letting out a battle cry as he aimed a heavy punch. As his fist collided with the floor, the cement cracked and shattered, sending debris flying. Kurapika swiftly leaped backward to evade the attack.

Morgan watched in wide-eyed astonishment. The blue man had just punched a hole in solid cement. If that fist had connected with Kurapika, it would have shattered bones.

As Kurapika raised his head, the man's bare back faced him, revealing a tattoo of a spider with twelve legs.

"Why would he show him that tattoo?" Morgan wondered silently.

"A tattoo of a spider with twelve legs…" Leorio trailed off, surprise evident on his face. "That's…"

"Yeah, I recognize it. Anyone aspiring to become a Hunter has heard of it. That's the symbol worn by members of the notorious band of thieves, the Phantom Troupe!" Tonpa chimed in, his face paling with alarm.

"Really?" Gon asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, they're famous. I heard about them directly from Kurapika," Leorio confirmed.

Morgan felt a surge of concern. "I thought they were hard to catch. How did a member of such a group end up here?"

"That's what I want to know as well," Leorio murmured.

Morgan looked at Kurapika with newfound worry. Seeing a member of the Phantom Troupe must have been a shock for him. Perhaps the man in front of them had been responsible for the death of someone close to Kurapika.

Kurapika remained still in his position, his face shadowed by his blonde locks, until he pushed himself to stand up slowlyHe chuckled. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" he taunted. "I'm Majitani, one of the Phantom Troupe's four kings! Consider that first strike my way of saying hello. This is your last chance to surrender. I'm still willing to…"

In an instant, the air around Kurapika changed. There was malice, deep-seated hatred—an aura ready to kill.

Morgan felt literal chills run down her spine, as if a beast lurked nearby.

What was this feeling?

She looked at Kurapika differently. Though his body seemed stiff, she sensed his sudden rage.

Suddenly, Kurapika vanished from Majitani's sight, reappearing in front of him in a flash. With clenched jaws, Kurapika lifted Majitani and delivered a powerful punch that sent him crashing to the floor.

Their eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief. Despite his thin and delicate appearance, Kurapika had managed to strike someone much larger than himself.

As she witnessed Kurapika lifting Majitani, what she saw was not just a teenage boy's back, but the embodiment of anger and vengeance—someone seeking revenge.

"Consider this a warning," Kurapika said, struggling to keep his voice even. "First: a real Phantom Troupe tattoo bears the member's number on the spider. Second: they don't bother counting their kills. Third: never mention the Troupe again. If you do…" Kurapika turned toward the unmoving Majitani. "I'll kill you."

Kurapika slowly made his way back to his team, retrieving his bokken and tabard along the way. Despite his face being obscured by his blonde bangs, Morgan saw it for the first time—the fiery red eyes behind them. Daunting and threatening.

Now Morgan understood completely. Those eyes, glowing red like flames, were beautiful yet deadly—like jewels shining in the darkness. And they were the reason he had lost his family.

"Wow…" she heard Tonpa gasp in stunned amazement.

The sound of stone scraping against metal signaled that the path was extending. Morgan's back straightened as Kurapika approached.

"You okay, Kurapika?" Gon asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm not injured," Kurapika reassured, his voice returning to its calm tone.

"Is it safe for us to be near you?" Leorio asked cautiously, taking a step back.

Kurapika raised a hand to his face. "From the moment I saw him, I knew he was weak," he admitted, a pained expression crossing his face. His eyes reverted to their usual gray. "And I knew that tattoo was fake. But as soon as I saw that spider, everything went red…"

"Yeah, it actually did," Morgan muttered under her breath.

"Well, I can't really blame you," Leorio said sympathetically.

"Actually… even when I see a real spider, my personality changes and I enter a frenzy," Kurapika confessed.

"That's worrisome," Morgan thought, looking around wearily, checking for any cobwebs.

"Dude, you need to tell us things like that sooner…" Leorio trailed off, his tone now tinged with nervousness.

He was right. What if a spider decided to hop on their heads and Kurapika saw it? His switch could turn on, and he might suddenly strike them.

Kurapika walked past them, moving farther into the tunnel until he was a good distance away from the other applicants. He sat down at the fringe of the shadows.

"We should keep Kurapika away from spiders," Gon whispered to them, and they all willingly agreed.

Supposedly, it was Leorio's turn to face his opponent. However, they couldn't proceed to the next match because the previous fight hadn't been settled.

Both fighters had agreed to a fight to the death, yet Kurapika hadn't killed the blue-skinned man; he had only knocked him out. Leorio cursed, muttering about stupid technicalities, and demanded Kurapika to finish him off, though Kurapika seemed detached from the situation.

"Leorio, we can't force Kurapika if he's not into this anymore," Gon reasoned.

"But the match hasn't ended!" Leorio argued.

"Let him handle it. Once he wakes up, we'll have our answer," Kurapika told him, maintaining his stance.

It seemed highly doubtful; the blue-skinned man could be pretending to be unconscious, or perhaps he was already awake and plotting. The only way to end this was for Kurapika to kill Majitani, but he strongly declined. Killua stepped in, offering to do it himself if Kurapika didn't want to dirty his hands.

If only it were allowed, Morgan would have deliberately cheered Killua on to end it. But unfortunately, it wasn't an option.

They waited for a couple of hours, but nothing happened. Impatience began to gnaw at Morgan's nerves as she leaned against the wall.

"Say, you do know we're working as a team, so you shouldn't be too selfish," Killua suddenly spoke up, addressing Kurapika.

"He's right," Morgan chimed in, backing him up. "This is teamwork. You should at least finish this round so we can proceed."

"I'm sorry, but I won't change my mind," Kurapika stated firmly, his resolve unwavering.

As time continued to pass, Morgan's patience wore thin. She let out a frustrated breath. "That's it? 'I'm sorry'?" Her back detached from the wall and she faced Kurapika directly. "You're not the only participant here, blondie! Gon, Leorio, and Killua—they have reasons! I have a reason! If this weren't a team effort, I wouldn't care if you curl up into a ball and act emo! So, who's the real selfish one here?" She ranted, her frustration boiling over. "Where's your courage from earlier? Where's that deadly aura you emitted? Finish him and earn us some points!"

"No matter what you say, I won't do it," Kurapika stated firmly.

Morgan pursed her lips, her anger intensifying at his response. "Or is your hatred just not deep enough?"

"Hey, stop it," Leorio interjected, stepping in. Despite his desire to proceed to the next challenge, he didn't like where the argument was heading. It reminded him of the tension between him and Kurapika on the ship.

Kurapika's eyes snapped at her, and he abruptly stood up, glaring. "Shut up. You don't know a thing," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.

Blinded by anger, Morgan failed to notice the warning tone. "I really don't know a thing. And I don't give a single crap about it!" she retorted.

"If you're so eager, you finish him off! Don't force someone who doesn't want to do it!"

It was as if her composure snapped like a broken branch. Morgan took quick, large strides towards Kurapika until they were just a few inches apart, both giving off challenging, angry stares. "I thought you were doing this for your dead comrades. For your dead family. It looks like all those harbored feelings were just shallow," she accused.

Kurapika grabbed her collar. "Shut the hell up," he growled.

"You can't make me." She reciprocated by grabbing his neckline. "If you're doing this for your dead comrades, then I'm enduring all this sh*t because mine are alive. I'm doing this because they're still alive!" She ended up screaming the last part.

She hadn't intended to reveal anything about herself. Why would she? They weren't even friends to begin with. They were just acquaintances.

Kurapika actually looked taken aback, and his grip loosened slightly.

"That's enough!" Leorio scolded once again. This time, Morgan was the first to release her hold harshly, and Kurapika slowly followed suit. "Gon, take Morgan away from Kurapika."

Gon nodded, addressing Morgan gently as he held her still-trembling hands and carefully led her outside the tunnel.

Morgan allowed herself to be guided near the pit, where Killua was waiting. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

'Damn it. I got carried away.'

Chapter 9: The Pretty Gambler and the Mass Murderer.

Chapter Text

"I observed something," Killua began, drawing everyone's focus. He seemed unconcerned about the recent fight. "It's quite likely he's already dead," he proposed.

"It's been a few hours, and he hasn't budged," Gon replied, glancing over at Majitani's body.

Morgan had never considered this option. "We can't verify his physical condition ourselves."

Leorio rushed to the edge and leaned over intently. As he aims to become a doctor, he hoped he could tell what was happening. "Damn, it's too far for us to know for sure," he admitted. He turned to the criminals across from them. "We need to inspect his body," Leorio suggested.

"I already told you he's just unconscious," the cloaked prisoner responded.

"Listen, cloaked face..." Morgan started, clearly annoyed. She gestured toward Majitani's prone body. "Even if that man wakes up, he could 'sleep' until our time runs out. Your goal isn't to win; it's to stall us, isn't it?"

"Exactly what she said," Leorio agreed. "We can't take a criminal's word for it!" he shouted.

"Well, in that case, would you like to make a bet?" the criminal asked slyly. "Is he dead or alive? Let's wager on it."

"A bet?" Leorio echoed, sounding perplexed. "What are we wagering? We don't have anything to offer."

The prisoner chuckled. "Time! We're betting time. Look at that black screen over there." They all glanced at where she pointed and saw the numbers glowing on the display. "We can bet in hours, with a minimum of 10 hours. The game ends when one of the players reaches zero hours. We'll alternate bets. If you lose, the time you have to leave the tower will decrease by 50 hours. If I lose, my sentence will increase by 50 years. If you agree to this, I'll allow you to check whether he's still alive."

"That's a woman's voice," Morgan observed.

"And she's reckless, willing to wager her prison sentence," Leorio murmured.

"Don't trust her, Leorio," Kurapika warned. "If we lose, we'll only have twelve hours to leave the tower."

Leorio growled, "You of all people are saying this?! We're only in this mess because you refused to finish him off!"

Morgan rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Truly ridiculous."

Kurapika pressed his lips tightly together. "I understand," he said, looking somewhat dejected. "I'll say no more."

'He actually has the nerve to sulk? That foolish blond…'

But...

"Still, he's right," Morgan agreed with Kurapika's caution. "If she's wagering her sentence, she must be very sure of her chances."

"I thought you weren't getting along with him?" Killua questioned.

Morgan sighed. "That doesn't matter. I'm just being practical."

Killua hummed, sounding amused.

"I should go check," Leorio insisted. "Waiting for him to wake up will only waste our time."

"That's a good point," Morgan agreed.

"I accept the challenge!" Leorio shouted to the other side.

"As I set the rules of the bet, you may choose the stake in hours," the criminal responded.

Leorio pondered for a moment. "I'll wager 10 hours that he's alive," he said.

"That’s a cautious choice," Kurapika noted approvingly.

"It's just common sense, isn't it?" Leorio replied, folding his arms.

"Alright, you can go across and check," the female criminal said.

The bridge extended, and Leorio hurried across it. He knelt beside Majitani and checked his pulse.

"See?" the female criminal asked, sounding uninterested. "He only fainted."

The numbers on the screen shifted to 40 and 60, in favor of the candidates.

"Yay, Leorio is in the lead!" Gon cheered.

"I don't like this," Killua muttered. "It's quite possible that he won't wake up for a long time. For them, it's more beneficial if he's alive and lying on the ground. If he stays down for the rest of the time, their sentences will be reduced by 72 years."

"Your turn now," the prisoner said to Leorio. "Choose the next bet."

"Has he really fainted or not?" Leorio posed the question. "This is the wager."

"Okay, I bet 20 hours he's still unconscious," the prisoner replied. "But how are you going to verify that?"

"That's simple," Leorio said as he picked up Majitani and hauled him to the edge. He propped him up, supporting him with his foot and hand. "I'll let him fall. If he's truly unconscious, he'll die from the fall."

"Are you serious?" the prisoner protested. "Might I remind you that the last match isn't over yet? Such a method won't be allowed!"

"Don't worry," Leorio reassured. "If he dies, we'll accept Kurapika's defeat. That would give you two victories. Any objections?"

"No, that's acceptable," the prisoner sighed. "But in that case, I'll make a change. I'm betting 40 hours that he'll open his eyes."

"There you go," Leorio smirked. "You're revealing your true intentions. Very well, I release him."

"WAIT, NO!" Majitani yelled, rushing back to the center of the arena. "DON'T LET ME FALL! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! You're crazy, and I'm foolish to have tangled with you! I give up! I'd rather stay in jail!" He scrambled back to the stage and out of harm's way.

"You knew he'd wake up," the prisoner accused.

"So did you," Leorio retorted. "Even though I'm just a medical trainee, I can still tell he wasn't unconscious by the movement of his eyes."

The screen adjusted to 80/20.

"You only have 20 hours left," the prisoner noted.

"Yes, but we're ahead with a score of 3 to 1," Leorio smirked. "Now it's your turn. What do you want to bet on?"

The team's advantage stood at 3-1 points.

Leorio's opponent lifted her hood, revealing herself to be a strikingly attractive woman. She had magenta eyes and long, pink hair styled into two large pigtails, each tied with yellow ribbons.

Leroute, sentenced to 112 years for illegal gambling, went ahead with her second bet. "Let's wager on whether I'm a woman or a man," she proposed.

Morgan furrowed her brow. 'She is clearly a woman. What's the point of this bet?'

She sensed trouble brewing.

"Even if you claim to be a woman," Leorio noted, "there's no way to confirm it for certain."

A sly smile crossed Leroute's face. "Well, you can search me until you're convinced," she said.

'What?' Morgan was taken aback by her audacious suggestion, blushing as the boys around her shook their heads.

"He's going to bet she's a male," Kurapika commented.

"Definitely!" Killua quickly agreed.

Gon, on the other hand, seemed confused. "What?" he asked, blinking.

"I'm sure Leorio won't do that. You're underestimating him," Morgan said nervously. "Let's trust him a little."

"I'll bet ten hours that you're a male!" Leorio declared.

'What in the world?!'

"Just as I expected," Kurapika sighed.

"Leorio!" Morgan growled, feeling exasperated. Leorio had just gambled ten hours simply to satisfy his curiosity! He had just chastised Kurapika for selfishness a short while ago.

"Perverted old man…" Killua muttered.

"How did you figure it out?" Gon asked, pouting at being left out.

Killua gave Gon a quick explanation about how the minds of perverts worked.

Morgan was taken aback. "You two are the same age. How can a twelve-year-old boy like you know such things?"

"Why shouldn't I? You know these things too, don't you? Our age difference isn't that significant," Killua responded. "And you were also entranced by your opponent earlier."

"No, I wasn't," Morgan lied.

"Yes, you were. Right, Kurapika?" Killua turned to the blonde.

Kurapika didn't enjoy being drawn into the conversation, but he nodded anyway. "Kind of."

"I'm a mature teenager! It's normal to be attracted to someone! My situation is completely different from Leorio's!" she tried to justify.

Killua merely shrugged, dismissing her reasons as unconvincing.

"Sooorry, but I'm a female." The woman simpered. It seemed she'd already known what Leorio would say.
"S-Seriously?" Leorio asked in fake surprise.

"You wanna check?" His opponent asked, folding her arms and glancing at her nails.
Leorio widely smiled. "For sure!"

He's having a great time examining and touching the woman, and his soul is already having a pleased trip to cloud nine.

Morgan groaned and buried her face in her hands. She wondered if Leorio had any sense of shame. "We're going to lose," she grumbled. "This was a terrible match-up."

Killua shrugged. "True, but now it's Leorio's turn. Maybe he can turn the tides."

They all watched Leorio intently, hoping he would choose a topic he knew well, such as medical knowledge or pressure points in the body.

There was no room for error. If Leorio lost the next wager, the overall score would be 3-2, and they would lose 50 hours from their escape time.

"Leorio!" Gon called to the oldest teen. "How about you bet on whether you are a teenager or not?"

Morgan felt a surge of hope. Gon had a good idea. If Leorio wagered on his age, they had a high chance of winning. "Yeah, Leorio, bet your age!" she agreed.

But instead, Leorio turned around with an annoyed expression. "Shut up, you brats! I told you I'm a teenager! Why is it even an issue for you?!"

And just like that, their hopes seemed to crumble. Leroute seemed momentarily taken aback.

"We're screwed," Killua said.

"That was a sensible bet," Kurapika noted.

Morgan couldn't take it anymore and ruffled her hair in frustration. "This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

In the end, Leorio chose to play rock-paper-scissors for his bet, a decision that seemed unnecessarily challenging given the stakes. His opponent, Leroute, claimed she would win for certain because she could read minds. This assertion troubled Leorio, and he struggled to keep his composure in the face of what seemed to be a clear bluff.

Leorio initially chose rock, the same as Leroute. His nervousness likely influenced his decision, as he avoided gestures involving opening up. In the next round, Leorio again chose rock, while Leroute went with scissors, resulting in her victory. Leorio returned to his team with a solemn expression, apologizing to the group.

Morgan sighed. While losing one point might have been tolerable, losing 50 hours was a significant setback. Though she wanted to scold him, she refrained, acknowledging that he had helped Kurapika in his match. Still, she couldn't resist giving him a flick on the ear, which made Leorio yelp but accept it without protest.

"Who's next?" he asked.

"Well, I guess I'll have to win quickly," Killua responded, taking in Leorio's horrified expression. He scowled. "Why are you making that face?"

"Damn it! Now that I've lost, we're at a disadvantage!" Leorio lamented. "I'm sorry, guys!"

Morgan's throat tightened as she watched the scene unfold, coughing nervously. Leorio's apparent underestimation of Killua raised concerns. She was aware of what Killua could do and what he was capable of, and she worried about what might happen next.

Killua took an aggressive step forward, but Gon held him back. "Gon, he's seriously starting to irritate me!" Killua complained.

Gon smiled nervously, trying to calm Killua down. "Now, now."

"Don't give up before we even know what the contest is. Well, if it's something like mental math, I'M surrendering," Kilua remarked.

"Ah, that's true—maybe we still have a chance," Leorio said, trying to stay optimistic.

Kurapika shook his head at Leorio's tactlessness, disapproving of his casual approach.

'Let's just hope Killua doesn't do anything rash before we make it out of here,' Morgan thought anxiously.

As Killua's opponent emerged, Leorio recoiled in shock.

"Killua," Leorio said, his eyes wide with alarm. "Forget about winning. Under no circ*mstances should you fight him!"

"You know him?" Morgan asked, surprised.

"That's Johannes the Dissector, the most notorious murderer in Zaban City's history!" Leorio exclaimed. "He randomly chose his victims—146 people, young and old, men and women, all met brutal deaths at his hands."

Killua approached his opponent with his usual nonchalant demeanor, allowing the information about Johannes to enter one ear and exit the other. He walked across the metal bridge calmly.

"Hey, Killua!" Leorio shouted, but Killua seemed unfazed and continued his path. "Damn, he's not listening."

"We should let him be. He might have a plan," Kurapika said, trying to reassure the group.

Morgan knew Killua was capable of taking lives, but she wondered how his abilities compared to Johannes, who had murdered people for decades.

As Killua faced Johannes, he asked with a relaxed smile, "How are we settling this contest?"

"Contest?" Johannes replied, his hand twitching as if he were ready to crush Killua. "I think you're confused. This will be a one-sided massacre. I have no interest in the exam or any offer of amnesty. I just want to hear you scream."

"Really, okay. Then the loser is the one who dies," Killua replied casually. Before Johannes could react, Killua made his move. In an instant, Johannes was left with a gaping hole the size of a fist in his left chest, collapsing in a grotesque and disturbing display.

Morgan's eyes widened in shock, her mouth agape, mirroring a horrified and stunned expression. The sheer speed and lethality of Killua's actions left her and the rest of the group speechless.

Johannes, despite being on the brink of death, turned around and saw Killua holding his still-beating heart, his nails sharp and erect. "G-Give it back," he managed to utter, his voice weak and desperate, before collapsing lifelessly.

Killua placed the heart in his outstretched hand and walked back to his team. The group now led 4-2 points, and the atmosphere was tense.

"Who is he?" Leorio asked cautiously.

"That's right, you guys don't know," Gon suddenly spoke up, noticing the look of newfound dread on everyone's faces except Morgan's as they stared at Killua. "Killua comes from an elite family of assassins."

Morgan already knew this information.

"A family of assassins?!" Leorio exclaimed, taking a step back as Killua returned to the group.

Killua seemed puzzled by Leorio's reaction. "What?" he asked, unsure of the reason behind Leorio's behavior.

"Umm, well… good job!" Leorio scratched the back of his head, offering a forced compliment.

Leorio noticed Morgan's lack of surprise and commented on it. "You don't seem surprised," he pointed out.

Morgan remained silent, her gaze steady and composed. She had expected this from Killua, but witnessing it firsthand was still unsettling.

"You knew?"

Morgan sighed. "Initially, no. I only found out last night, and it was quite unpleasant."

A panel in one of the walls opened, revealing a bridge that extended outward. "Cross the bridge, and you'll find a small room where you can spend the forty-nine hours you lost," Lippo announced.

"Let's go," Killua said, looking indifferent.

Even though the match had ended, the disturbing scene lingered in Morgan's mind, replaying over and over. She stole a quick glance at the young assassin in front of her. Killua was far too young to be involved in such violent work.

He was a deadly killer, yet he seemed completely at ease around them, especially Gon. It felt almost as though...

'Could it be that he's trying his best to act normal around Gon?' she wondered. The thought made her feel uneasy, yet hopeful that perhaps Killua sought a sense of belonging and normalcy.

They entered the waiting room, and the door locked behind them.

"We have to spend forty-nine hours in this room?" Leorio grumbled as he plopped down on one of the armrest-less leather sofas.

Leorio's complaint suggested he didn't enjoy the room, but Morgan saw nothing wrong with it. The room was spacious, with a large flat-screen TV, three black leather foldable sofas, two foldable chairs, a glass coffee table, a fridge, and a large bookcase in the far corner. The carpet was a lilac-grey shade and appeared plush. Two doors were located on the left wall.

"Killua," Kurapika called out. "Can you explain how that technique works?"

"Oh, that wasn't even a technique. I just ripped it out," Killua responded, raising his hand and showing how he could manipulate his body to extend his sharp nails like claws. "Mass murderers are just amateurs. I used to be a professional. But my old man would've done better. When he removes a heart, you wouldn't see a single drop of blood," he explained to the group.

Morgan listened to Killua's explanation with a mix of curiosity and unease. His casual demeanor when talking about such lethal actions was unsettling, but it was part of who he was and the upbringing he'd had in his assassin family.

Leorio wasn't sure whether to be impressed or unnerved by Killua's casual explanation. "How reassuring," he commented dryly.

As long as Killua was on their side, there seemed to be no cause for concern. Nevertheless, Morgan found herself intrigued by Killua's technique. She raised her right hand and stared at it, attempting to extend her nails.

"What do you think you're doing?" Killua asked, noticing her actions.

"Just trying. Maybe I could do it too," Morgan responded without looking up.

Killua scoffed. "One try won't be enough. It took me a while to perfect it," he explained. "Why are you interested?"

Morgan shrugged. "It seems more convenient than carrying around daggers."

"Good luck with that," Killua said indifferently. "Well, we've got more than two days left." He shifted the topic, glancing at the wall-mounted monitor.

49:50

Now the challenge was how to kill time.

Morgan chose a book from the shelf and settled down to read, scanning the covers and deciding on one to start with. She picked a book titled Social Studies and opened it up.

As she began reading about social and economic stratification and social classes, the conversation in the room continued.

Leorio addressed Kurapika, "Once we've spent fifty hours here, we'll have fewer than ten hours, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Kurapika replied, still browsing the bookcase for something to read.

Leorio grinned, though it seemed somewhat forced. "That's way more than enough time!"

Tonpa, who was sipping his tea, interrupted them. "You're a fool. Phase three lasts seventy-two hours. And each phase is designed to weed out half of the remaining candidates. So, on average, it's meant to take seventy-two hours. Just more proof that you're an idiot."

Morgan glanced up from her book at Tonpa's harsh comment, then turned her attention back to her reading, still absorbing the information on the page. The reality of their time constraints weighed on the group as they tried to make sense of their situation.

"Well, our chances of reaching the goal within ten hours will depend on the remaining trials." Kurapika added.

"Yeah, that's true." Leorio replied weakly.

"But when we've got a guy who's so down on his luck, he can't even win a simple game of rock-paper-scissor…" Tonpa added, just to annoy the tall guy.

"What was that?" Leorio said rather angrily.

"You deliberately lost a bet, just to satiate your libido. Then you chose rock-paper-scissors, a contest you couldn't win."

"Shut up!"Leorio rumbled. You surrendered without even a fight!"

"Sure, I surrendered. But I only wasted a second of our time. You lost, squandering fifty of our remaining hours. Take some responsibility, huh? Besides what kind of Hunter is so bad at gambling?"

Leorio had had enough and stood up. "Be quiet!" he yelled. "You don't even want to become a Hunter; you're just trying to sabotage us."

Killua's skateboard sped recklessly across the room, hitting the wall with a loud thud instead of Tonpa.

"What are you doing?" Leorio asked, his voice sharp.

"Sorry about that," Gon apologized.

"Don't ride a skateboard in this small space!"

"Aww," he grumbled.

Morgan snapped her book shut. "Nonsense."

The boys turned to look at her.

"Did we disturb you, Morgan? We're sorry," Gon asked, approaching her anxiously.

Morgan blinked and finally focused on the team. Gon appeared troubled. She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I just read something I didn't enjoy," she said, placing the book on the floor. "Besides, these two were already distracting me," she added, pointing at Leorio and Tonpa with her lips.

"That fatso is pushing my buttons!" Leorio grumbled.

"Ignore him. We might be stuck here for fifty hours, but I don't blame you," Morgan said.

Tonpa scoffed. "Is that so? You were furious when Kurapika wasted just a few hours during his match. Your hypocrisy is something else."

Morgan almost flinched at his words. She saw Kurapika shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye. Gon and Leorio exchanged worried glances.

Morgan bit her lower lip, realizing Tonpa was right. Her anger had clouded her judgment, and her words had been harsh. Even she doesn't have the guts to kill someone.

The situation was awkward, but she wouldn't let Tonpa exploit the tension to break the team.

A mocking half-smile crossed her lips. "Done? Whatever our internal issues, they're none of your business. Remember, Leorio was a major help during Kurapika's fight."

Tonpa fell silent. Morgan raised an eyebrow at him before looking away, not wanting to see his irritating face.

Morgan noticed Leorio's appreciative glance and his mouthed 'thank you.' She smiled back and playfully winked.

"Let's find something else to do," Gon suggested.

Killua was about to agree when Leorio stopped him. "It's already midnight! You kids should go to sleep!"

"Aww," Gon whined.

Killua clicked his tongue, clearly unaccustomed to being told what to do. "Buzzkill, old man."

Even Morgan agreed with Leorio. Did the two of them eat some chocolate? Despite everything that had happened with the prisoners, they still seemed to have energy to spare.

Morgan stood up and headed to the lavatory. She washed her face, arms, and neck, finding the cool water refreshing. She wished she could just pour it all over herself.

As she prepared to turn in for the night and get some sleep, she noticed there was no available spot to rest.

Gon and Killua had already taken the sofa near the lavatory and refrigerator. They lay perpendicular to it, with their heads on the sofa and their feet on the floor.

Leorio had the entire sofa to himself. Due to his height, he had to bend his legs.

Tonpa was lying on the cold floor next to Leorio, using his bag as a pillow.

Finally, the blond-haired boy was on the third sofa in front of the door, positioned like the younger boys. The sofa could accommodate two people, but the tension between them made sharing unlikely.

Morgan's gaze returned to Leorio. A thought crossed her mind: to wake him up and make him give her some space on the sofa.

But that would be rude. She herself despised being woken up from a good night's sleep.

Plus, Leorio's perverted soul could surface, so she quickly dismissed the idea.

Should she take the floor then?

No way.

This day had been chaotic enough. The least she deserved was a somewhat comfortable place to sleep.

She decided the boys could adjust for her. "Gon, could you scoot over a bit? If you don't mind."

He smiled. "Of course—"

"Not," Killua interjected.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"The space will shrink. And you look like you move a lot," Killua pointed out.

Wearing her stern face, one brow rolling up, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Gon looked like he moves a lot than me. Even you."

"I don't—" Gon tried to protest, but Morgan didn't pay him any mind.

"And to set the record straight, I don't move or snore. Does that work for you?" she asked.

"I think it would be okay—" Gon began, but Killua interrupted him.

"No, it won't. The issue here is space. How can we rest comfortably if we're all squeezed onto this sofa?" Killua complained, sounding almost childish.

Well, he was a child, after all.

"I wasn't really asking for your opinion," Morgan said.

"Hmm, still no."

Morgan wanted to argue back but restrained herself, taking a deep breath. "An assassin... Better a floor than a knife in my chest," she murmured to herself, trying to keep her cool.

Killua continued to be a mystery to her.

Someone cleared his throat, and "My sofa has space for one more," the blonde suddenly said. The three of them looked at him, making his invitation sound hesitant.

"Well, there's your solution. Go ahead," Killua said, dismissing Morgan.

She glared at him briefly before turning back to the blonde. "Uh, yeah. Thanks." Who was she to refuse the offer.

Morgan walked over to Kurapika's sofa and settled herself beside him. There was a comfortable distance between them, but they were still close.

Sleeping next to him wasn't the difficult part; she could easily ignore the blonde if she wanted.

She closed her eyes, then blinked, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before sighing.

Close, blink, stare, sigh...

She repeated the routine over and over, losing track of time. Had it been thirty minutes? An hour? Two hours?

Now that she could finally rest, her mind seemed determined to stay awake!

Morgan scanned the room, taking in the sight of Leorio sprawled across his sofa, already in a deep sleep, and Killua and Gon curled up together on their shared couch. While she doubted Killua was actually asleep—no assassin worth his salt would let his guard down in a room full of people—the scene still brought her a measure of comfort.

"Should I move?"

Morgan was startled by Kurapika's voice. He was awake. "Umm, no? Why would you?"

"You seem to be struggling to fall asleep. I thought I might be the reason," he said, facing away from her.

Her forehead creased. "Don't flatter yourself. It's not because of you, blondie."

"I see..." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about earlier."

She hadn't expected that. "No need to apologize. I was rude to you when we first met, and I kind of pushed you a bit," she said. "Quits?"

She sensed a slight movement, wondering if he nodded in agreement.

"Quits," he confirmed.

'Maybe he did nod,' she thought, clearing her throat as she stared up at the ceiling.

"We're basically strangers to each other. It's natural for us to have our disagreements. Maybe I'm just frustrated because I don't fully understand your stance on killing," she stated, and Kurapika turned to her curiously. "I thought you wanted to be a blacklist hunter."

Kurapika turned away, and for a moment she thought he might not respond. Not that she expected anything from him. "I don’t actually want to be a blacklist hunter," he confessed. "I’m not out to chase down every criminal in the world; my focus is avenging my clan."

"And do you think you can do that without taking a life?" she asked, referencing his reluctance to kill Majitani.

Kurapika took a breath. "The Phantom Brigade is a group of the most vile and violent murderers," he said, his voice heated with anger. "When I face the Phantom Brigade, I will kill, but only then."

"That will put you at a severe disadvantage," she warned, hoping his eyes wouldn't turn crimson.

"How so?" Kurapika asked, his tone neutral.

"From what I can tell, the members of the Brigade seem to lack any morals," she explained. "If you hold on to all of yours, you won't be able to face them on equal footing."

Kurapika was silent for a long moment.

"Anyway, we should probably use these fifty hours to get some rest," she said. "We might not get the chance later."

"That's true," Kurapika said, conceding the point. "But I don't feel comfortable letting my guard down in this room." He glanced around and pointed out the unhidden cameras. "We're being constantly monitored."

"I don't think anyone could sneak up on all six of us at once," Morgan noted, though she understood Kurapika's hesitancy. She, too, couldn't relax completely in the confined space, surrounded by potential enemies.

Maybe that was why she was struggling to fall asleep.

"We can't stay awake for fifty hours straight, either," he observed.

"It's been a long day," she agreed, contemplating the situation. She glanced around, envying Leorio, who seemed completely unconcerned with the environment. "I'm going to try to sleep now."

Chapter 10: Ways on Wasting Time

Chapter Text

Morgan quickly fell asleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, it seemed like she immediately opened them to find Leorio gently nudging her with a spoon—or at least she thought it was.

Morgan groaned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Hey! That spoon doesn't exactly have pads on it!"

Leorio responded, "That's the idea: we've been trying to wake you for nearly 20 minutes. The next plan was for Gon to hit you on the head with a prison tray, so you woke up just in time."

"Wonderful," Morgan muttered as she rubbed her sore cheek. "I can't imagine Gon would ever do that." With his kind personality, it was unlikely he would hurt anyone.

She got up, yawned, and stretched. Then she crawled towards the table where everyone—including Tonpa—was eating.

"Sorry for waking you, Morgan, but the Warden might take all including the untouched food," Gon said apologetically.

Given the situation, she decided to let it slide. "Okay, that's fine."

"Well, you were right about two things: you don't move or snore loudly when you sleep. You're as hard to wake as a rock," Killua remarked as he ate his breakfast.

"Thanks for pointing that out," she replied sarcastically, joining the others in eating.

The breakfast was simple—a bowl of soup, fried fish, and rice—but it was better than nothing.

"Or maybe you overslept because you were talking to Kurapika late into the night?"

Her spoon paused in mid-air. She looked at him and saw his playful grin.

"Really? Are you two friends now?" Gon asked, amused.

"Hey, Kurapika, smooth talker now, huh?" Leorio teased, nudging him in the side.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kurapika shot back.

Morgan let out a breath. "Eavesdropping... Really? Do assassins learn that skill too?" she said in an annoyed tone. "And what's wrong with talking to him?"

Killua shrugged. "I can stay awake for three days; it's part of my training."

"Okay, I understand that, but what's wrong with talking to 'blondie'?"

"Nothing," he replied, taking another bite. "I just mentioned it as a possible reason for why you overslept. Did it bother you?"

She forced a smile and responded, "Nothing," then continued eating.

It was clear that Killua was hinting at something, but Morgan decided it was best to let it go.

After breakfast, the group looked for ways to pass the morning. Leorio was engrossed in his usual dirty magazine, Kurapika was focused on reading an encyclopedia, and Morgan was flipping through a comic book. A double-page action spread had the word "CHOW" written in bold, muscular letters, something the blonde know-it-all clearly disapproved of.

The girl just scoffed in response.

After a while, Kurapika moved closer to her on the couch without speaking for some time.

"What happened to the Social Studies book?" he suddenly asked.

Morgan paused as she turned the page. She found it odd that blondie was initiating a conversation.

"I lost interest," she replied. "I needed some fun in this room, so..." She waved the comic book. "You know I've read a lot, but I've never encountered scarlet eyes."

Kurapika flinched, as if struck by a sudden memory. She thought she heard him mutter something unintelligible, likely recalling painful memories.

She was just genuinely curious.

"If you don't mind me asking, are your eyes a kind of power passed down through the Kurta people?" she asked. "Can you control the color change?"

"I wouldn't call it 'power.' It's a genetic trait that temporarily boosts my physical strength and speed," he responded solemnly, his voice deeper than usual. "But I can't control it. It just... happens."

Her thoughts returned to his fight with Majitani. "Right, spiders." The memory of their encounter with the spider came back to her.

Kurapika nodded.

Morgan was intrigued. How could a change in eye color enhance one's physical abilities?

Were the Scarlet Eyes directly responsible for these abilities, or was the color change simply a sign of activation of these powers?

She cleared her throat. "So, do only Kuruta possess this trait? Are there any other clans with similar abilities?"

"The irises are unique to the Kurta Clan members. Our clan was known for them, which made them highly sought after by collectors. Additionally, people outside the clan would often react with fear and violence upon witnessing the transformation. These factors led our ancestors to choose to live in seclusion in the forests of the Lukso Province."

Morgan recalled the first time she saw his glowing eyes, and the memory sent shivers down her spine.

She wouldn't argue that the Scarlet Eyes were among the most beautiful colors she had ever seen.

However, the rarity of his people's eyes likely made them targets and led to the massacre of the clan.

She wondered, 'How did he survive?'

"Hey, let's play rock-paper-scissors!" Gon suddenly suggested to Morgan, breaking the conversation.

Morgan didn't really want to join. "Nah, you'll just lose," she jokingly said, just to decline his offer.

Gon grinned. "Even better! I'm pretty good at it," he claimed confidently.

'Oh?' Morgan thought, now intrigued to see if Gon could back up his claim.

"Alright," she agreed, holding out her fist.

After thirty rounds of rock-paper-scissors, Morgan had lost every game, an incredible streak of thirty straight losses. By this point, the other boys had gathered around to watch her be completely defeated.

"Unbelievable," Leorio commented. "Thirty consecutive wins without a single tie? That's nearly impossible, even for Gon!"

"Okay, it's my turn next!" Killua declared, which made Morgan glare at him.

Morgan was fully engaged in the game and determined to win.

"No way—I'm not done yet!" she exclaimed. Turning to Gon, she continued, "Let's go! Rock, paper—"

Killua pushed her aside, causing her to fall off the couch. She quickly got up, annoyed, as Killua took her seat.

"Really, assassin brat? I'm not done yet!" she shouted, irritated.

The game continued with rapid rounds of "Rock! Paper! Scissors!"

Despite her irritation at being shoved aside, Morgan felt some satisfaction watching Killua lose game after game. Instead of trying to reclaim her spot, she sat next to Kurapika, who was also intrigued by Gon's impressive winning streak.

"Don't overthink it," she advised Kurapika sympathetically. "You might burn yourself out."

"There has to be a trick," Kurapika concluded, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Gon's approaching fifty straight wins without a tie. The odds of that happening naturally are less than 0.01 percent, even with individual preferences and nuances."

"Do you think Gon's capable of being deceitful?" she asked skeptically, resting her arms on her knees and leaning forward. "Just look at him—does that look like the face of a cheater?" Together, Kurapika and Morgan watched as Gon enthusiastically waved his fist, a huge grin on his face.

"Well, no," Kurapika admitted with a sigh. "You're right; I should stop overthinking it."

"You tend to overthink things, don't you?" Leorio added as he walked over and threw an arm around Kurapika's shoulder, though Kurapika quickly pushed him away.

He looked at Gon, who was closing in on his sixtieth win. "It seems to come more easily to some than others."

As Morgan turned to watch the younger boys, Killua shoved Gon off the couch, causing him to land on the floor with a surprised yelp. "I'm bored!" Killua complained, easily dodging Gon's attempt to retaliate. "It’s not fun if I keep losing! Honestly, how many games has it been? What kind of monster are you?"

"Maybe assassins aren't so good at it after all," Morgan smirked, though the smile faded as she remembered Killua's an assassin.

"Hah! Just wait till I figure out the trick behind this," Killua shot back, clearly annoyed.

She held back a laugh and pressed her lips into a thin line. 'How cute. He's still just a kid after all.'

.

.

.

Tompa's loud snoring echoed like a bear's, making it hard for the others to fall asleep at the same time as the short man. The four others remained awake, with Morgan returning to her books, a choice that puzzled the two younger boys.

"Hey, Morgan, Kurapika, don't you want to watch TV?" Gon asked.

Upon hearing Kurapika's name, her gaze briefly landed on him. He too was engrossed in reading. "What are you watching?" she asked.

"It seems to be a comedy," Killua responded. "But it's pretty lame."

"A lame comedy movie? That's a no-go then," she replied.

"How about you, Kurapika?" Gon asked.

"No, thank you," Kurapika answered, his attention returning to his book.

"What are you reading?" Gon asked, crawling over to where Kurapika sat against the wall.

"This? It's a compilation of writings by an anthropologist from his research..." Kurapika began.

"Wow, sounds boring!" Killua cut him off.

"It’s not. It's quite intriguing," Kurapika countered. "You two would benefit from reading as well, rather than watching mindless things."

"I don't like reading much. I wasn't a great student. Mito-san always struggled to get me to focus on schoolwork," Gon said.

"Who's Mito-san?" Morgan asked.

"My aunt. I studied through distance learning, so she was like my teacher. I think I often frustrated her," Gon admitted.

"I didn't like studying much either," Killua said, turning towards Gon and Kurapika. "But I didn't have to do much of it. Most of my education was in assassination techniques."

Leorio swallowed nervously, and Morgan turned pale. "I see," she said.

"So, it sounds like these two are the only ones who did well in school," Leorio pointed out, "since I also wasn't a fan of studying."

"Are you sure you want to be a doctor?" Killua teased. Leorio gave the white-haired boy a look.

"Actually, I never attended traditional school either," Kurapika said.

Gon looked at Kurapika. "Did you do distance learning, too?"

Kurapika shook his head. "No. I didn't go to 'school' because there weren't many children among the Kurta at the time." He sighed. "Luckily, I always enjoyed reading, or my education would have ended with my tribe..."

His voice trailed off as he finished his sentence.

"Oh, how about you, Morgan?" Gon quickly shifted the conversation towards her. He didn't want the discussion to end now that everyone was starting to share their experiences.

"Going to school is just a waste of money. I'm not much of a bookworm, but I read whatever interests me," she responded.

"Really? You come across as a nerd, though," Killua said, then looked at Kurapika. "Not that reading a lot or being a nerd is a bad thing, no offense."

"None taken," Kurapika said with a nod.

Killua went on, "I meant you raced Kurapika to finish all the books here." He gestured towards their stacks of books on the floor.

"Well, there's not much else to do around here," she replied.

"Wow! So, you learned most of what you know on your own?" Gon asked, intrigued.

"Yes," Morgan confirmed.

"Just by reading?" Gon continued. Morgan nodded. Gon seemed thoughtful. "Maybe I should try reading more."

"You need to remember what you read to be educated, Gon," Killua teased, causing Leorio to laugh.

"Leorio!" Gon exclaimed. "Don't laugh! You didn't know that people would prefer the left route either!" That immediately shut Leorio up.

"Quiet, Gon. You'll wake up his majesty, Tonpa," Morgan warned.

"Nothing's going to wake him up," Killua said. "He's still snoring loudly enough to wake the dead."

"Maybe I should stuff something in his mouth so we can all sleep," Leorio suggested.

"How about one of your ties? You've got enough of them in your briefcase," Killua snorted. "What are you, a tie salesman?"

"He may be an ass, but that's rude," Kurapika remarked.

"You just called Tonpa an 'ass.' That's rude too, you know," Morgan retorted.

"Because he is one," Kurapika replied, unfazed.

Morgan blinked, trying to suppress a laugh.

"Get used to Kurapika. His words are often sharper than you might expect," Leorio said as he lay back on the sofa.

"Aren't you going to offer us a seat?" Killua asked.

"You guys were watching TV."

"You were just on the sofa moments ago!" Killua pointed out.

"There's not enough room for three here," Leorio said.

"You heard the man; there's not enough space," Morgan quipped, mocking Killua's complaints about the lack of space from the previous night.

"Come on, Killua, we're fine right here," Gon interjected.

Killua shot Leorio and Morgan a knowing look. Morgan raised an eyebrow in response, and Killua turned back to the TV. Morgan shook her head.

'This is going to be a long confinement...' she thought.

.

.

.

Leorio stretched his arms above his head, then glanced at the clock. He had only been asleep for a few hours. Sitting up, he surveyed the room.

Kurapika sat against the wall, a light blanket draped around him, head resting on his knees, seemingly asleep.

Killua and Gon were seated too close to the television, their eyes fixated on the screen.

Morgan was... Leorio blinked. He noticed Morgan, now without her book, seated on Gon and Killua's sofa, staring intently across the room. He followed her gaze and saw it was directed at Kurapika.

"Why do you look like you're ready to shoot holes through Kurapika's head?" Leorio asked after a moment, amused by the intense focus the girl had on the blonde.

Morgan shifted her gaze away, slightly flustered. "Oh, I was just... well, uh... when I first met him, I thought Kurapika's face looked a bit feminine, and sometimes I wondered if he might be a girl. But after seeing him fight that Frankenstein guy and seeing him without all those layers, I'm sure he's male now—or at least, 95% sure... I was just looking..." she trailed off awkwardly.

"You thought Kurapika was a girl?!" Killua exclaimed, bursting into laughter. "If Kurapika was a girl, Mister Pervert over there wouldn't keep his hands off!"

"Hey!" Leorio protested, although his earlier behavior during his match made it hard to deny Killua's point.

"Why did you think Kurapika was a girl?" Gon asked, curious as he turned away from the TV. "He's clearly male," he pointed out.

Morgan frowned. "Can we please not talk so loudly as if the subject isn't within earshot?"

"Clearly male?" Leorio burst out, disregarding Morgan's request. He then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, I guess you can tell the difference between male and female kiriko..."

"Yeah," Gon agreed.

"Kiriko? You've met one?" Morgan interjected, but her question went unanswered.

Killua shrugged next to Gon. "I don’t think it’s visually obvious, but Kurapika doesn’t act or talk like a girl."

"Ms. Menchi wasn't particularly feminine either," Morgan pointed out.

Leorio exclaimed as if it were blasphemy. "Are you kidding? She's one attractive woman!"

"Not her appearance, her demeanor!" Morgan clarified.

"Whatever, you don't look or act particularly girly either," Killua interjected, inserting himself into the conversation.

Morgan narrowed her eyes. "Why am I suddenly the topic here?"

"Because you're a girl, and you brought this up," Killua said bluntly.

"Let's stay on topic!" Leorio interjected. He was clearly enjoying the discussion and didn't want it to veer off course. "So, do you remember how she was dressed?" Leorio asked. He and Morgan exchanged glances, and they both nervously imagined Kurapika in a similar outfit.

"You guys are sick," Killua remarked, picking up on their line of thought. "And this is pointless. Does it really matter what Kurapika is?"

"Well... uh..." Morgan stumbled.

"If you're so curious, why not just ask?" Gon added.

The two of them turned to Gon with shock. "Ask?!" Leorio exclaimed. "Gon, you can't just walk up to someone and ask them their gender!" Morgan nodded in agreement.

"Why not?" Gon questioned. He stood up and walked over to the sleeping Kurapika, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No! Stop!" Morgan and Leorio shouted, visibly alarmed.

"Kurapika?" Gon gently shook the young man awake. Kurapika's eyes snapped open, his expression immediately alert and assessing the room. He quickly noticed the tension in Leorio and Morgan's faces, and the mischievous look on Killua's face, who seemed to be struggling to hold back his laughter.

"What's going on?" Kurapika asked cautiously, his words nearly drowned out by Morgan's desperate cries of "Don't! Don't!"

"Well, even though I've already told them, Morgan isn't fully convinced, so I thought you could clarify for them," Gon explained.

“What?! I didn’t say I wasn’t convinced!”

Gon ignored Morgan's frantic attempts to stop him, while Killua finally succumbed to laughter.

"What?" Kurapika asked, even though he was starting to suspect what the conversation was about. His gaze sharpened slightly.

"Whether you're male or female," Gon clarified.

Kurapika closed his eyes as Morgan and Leorio cried out in protest, both taking nervous steps back as the blond young man stood up, fists clenched at his sides.

"Do you really have nothing better to do than discuss my gender?" he asked coldly. He stepped past Killua, who was now laughing hysterically on the floor. Kurapika pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Leorio. "And if I tell you, are you going to ask me to prove it like you did back there with the female convict?"

Leorio shook his head rapidly, holding his hands up defensively. "No! No, it wasn't me! Morgan was the one staring at you while you were asleep because she wasn't sure what you are. I know your gender—never had any doubt," he lied.

"Hey!" Morgan objected. "I just mentioned that you looked feminine despite your gender! I was joking around with them!"

"Really?" Kurapika asked smoothly, raising an eyebrow. "And you two?" he directed his question to the two young boys.

"Obviously," Killua said, still chuckling.

"Uh-huh," Gon echoed.

Kurapika turned back. He put his weapon away and sighed deeply. "I didn't think my gender would still be a matter of concern at this age," he remarked tiredly. Returning to the sofa, he picked up the book he'd been reading earlier and resumed reading as if nothing had happened.

The other four stared at him in silence for a few moments.

"So... uh..." Morgan started.

"Just let it go, Morgan," Leorio warned.

Kurapika looked up from his book with a calm expression. "Is there anything else?"

"You're... not going to tell us?" Morgan asked hesitantly.

"Tell you what?" Kurapika responded, his tone light but with a hint of mischief.

"Your gender?" Morgan asked cautiously.

"Well, you all seem so certain already," Kurapika replied, giving them a sly smile. "It doesn't seem necessary for me to confirm anything."

Killua burst into laughter again, and Morgan and Leorio exchanged uneasy glances.

Leorio noticed Kurapika's tone and demeanor, realizing that he might be annoyed. He quickly shifted his gaze to the countdown clock above the exit door, anxious for their time in confinement to end.

.

.

.

Tonpa and Leorio were loudly snoring, sounding like construction crew as they slept. Tonpa leaned back against a large cushion with his mouth hanging open, while Leorio was sprawled out on the sofa, one arm stretched above his head.

"They sound like they're building something," Morgan joked.

Gon giggled and glanced at Kurapika, who was sleeping quietly on the sofa. Morgan, noticing the direction of his gaze, and compared their sleeping habits. "They're like night and day, huh?"

Kurapika was curled up on the sofa again, his back to the group. His blonde bangs fell away slightly, revealing an earring that shook slightly with his steady breathing.

"Now that I think about it, I can understand why you thought Kurapika might be a girl," Gon said thoughtfully.

"It wasn't the earrings," Morgan said.

Gon chuckled. "You two are actually quite similar. You're both smart and enjoy reading. Why were you at odds with each other?"

"You forgot to mention they're both a bit unsociable," Killua inserted which earned him a raise of brow from her.

"If opposites attract, maybe similar personalities repel each other," she replied.

"Oh, so that means you don't dislike me, onee-chan?" Killua teased.

Morgan scoffed. "You are an exception."

Killua shrugged. "Well, there is a significant difference between Kurapika and you."

"Really? What?" Gon asked, intrigued.

"Well, Kurapika just seems more refined," Killua said.

Morgan frowned. "I see what you're doing—just trying to find a way to insult me."

Gon shook his head. "Morgan's refined too, you know! How about... gentle?"

Morgan's jaw dropped. "Are you saying I'm not gentle?"

Killua tilted his head. "Not exactly... but that's not quite it." He remembered Kurapika's precise and graceful demeanor.

"Maybe delicate?" Gon offered.

"Are you implying I'm not?" Morgan asked, annoyed.

"Not necessarily... " The dark-haired boy scratched his head. "Patient?"

"Getting closer, but that's not exactly it either."

"Skinny? Short?" Gon suggested.

"Eccentric? Overly moralistic?" Morgan threw out, frustrated.

Killua rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay," Gon said, focusing on observing Kurapika and Morgan. The two oldest were still snoring, mouths agape and limbs sprawled. Kurapika hadn't moved and continued to sleep silently, wrapped in the light blanket.

Gon smiled. "I've got it. Kurapika's more disciplined!"

Killua nodded. "And more serious and focused too. He has to be, especially considering he aims to avenge."

Morgan rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Great job turning a conversation into an opportunity to insult someone."

Killua snickered. "Well, he just doesn't seem like you at all," Killua said, "so I can understand why some people might think he's different from them."

"What about us?" Gon asked.

"Yeah, he's different from us too," Killua added.

"What do you think, Morgan?" Gon asked the girl.

"Hey, I'm disciplined and refined! Killua's just being a brat," Morgan responded.

"Morgan!"

"What are you three arguing about?" a soft voice asked. The three looked over guiltily at Kurapika as he raised his head and rubbed his eyes. He straightened up, stretching his neck before turning his gaze toward them.

"Uh, nothing much," Morgan replied, hoping Kurapika hadn't overheard their earlier conversation.

Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "And you all look guilty because...?"

"Guilty? Us? Not at all," Morgan said, elbowing Gon and giving him a pointed look. Gon and Killua quickly nodded in agreement, trying to appear innocent.

Kurapika sighed and stood up, heading towards the bookshelf as he shook his head.

.

.

.

They were all prepared and ready to leave.

"Okay, we have about 9 hours and 43 minutes remaining," Leorio announced, checking his watch. "We need to pick up the pace!"

With that, he dashed out of the room, and the rest of them followed. They jogged for a while until they halted in front of two staircases: one leading up and the other down.

Morgan raised an eyebrow, thinking, ‘What’s going on? This is absurd!’

"Wait, what?" Leorio exclaimed. "Which way do we go?"

For some reason, the group chose to ascend. Morgan didn’t question it and just followed them. After running for about 30 minutes, they found themselves back in a familiar room. They had returned to the fighting arena!

Morgan threw her hands up in exasperation. "Oh, come on!"

"We wasted 30 minutes running back here!" Leorio shouted in frustration.

"We should have taken the downstairs staircase," Killua stated nonchalantly.

"Quiet! You agreed to the choice we made!" Leorio shot back at him. Killua seemed unperturbed and gave Leorio a bored look.

They retraced their steps and this time went down the stairs.

After taking the stairs down, they were once again faced with Majority Rules. Their decision triggered a boulder that suddenly appeared and chased them down a hallway. There were more tricks and traps, but one thing was clear in every instance:

They all RAN LIKE CRAZY.

Leorio panted. "We don't have much time left!"

A sign read, 'O to open door, X do not open door.'

"Clearly, we want to open the door!" Leorio exclaimed, pressing O.

Unexpectedly, someone pressed X.

Leorio, now completely irate, whirled around and grabbed Tonpa by the shirt collar. "You'd better stop!" he shouted. "I'm at my limit with you!"

"Relax, it wasn’t me who pressed X," Tonpa said, trying to calm Leorio down.

"Leorio!" Gon interrupted. He raised his hand. "It was my fault. I accidentally pressed X."

Leorio released Tonpa and turned away. "Oh."

"Hang on, Leorio," Tonpa said. "You owe me an apology."

Leorio shot a glare at Tonpa. "I don’t owe you anything. From the start, you’ve been going against us."

Tonpa returned the glare. "You're one to talk. Who's the one who lost 50 hours? That was your mistake, not mine!"

‘Here we go again,’ Morgan thought.

"That's enough!" Kurapika yelled. He tried to calm Leorio down by placing his hand on Leorio's arm.

Leorio shoved Kurapika aside. Sensing a confrontation, Morgan watched as Leorio pulled out his knife and Tonpa assumed a fighting stance.

"Both of you, stop acting like children!" she yelled.

"Calm down, you two!" Gon added.

"Well, I'm going ahead," Killua announced, walking through the door. He stopped and turned back. "Hey, the exit's close by!"

"Thank goodness," Morgan exclaimed, hurrying into the room.

Once inside, the group paused. Two doors faced them, and above them was a bizarre statue-like figure.

"Last junction," the statue spoke. "Now is the moment for your final decision. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Does it even matter?" Leorio asked as he pressed a button. "Of course, we're ready!"

Once again, someone pressed X.

Morgan suspected it was Tonpa this time.

Leorio looked ready to explode, and Kurapika shouted at him. "Cut it out! Do you really think we have time for this?"

Just then, the voice from the statue returned.

"Well, choose one of the two doors. The first path allows six people to go through, but it is long and challenging. The second path permits only four people, but it is short and straightforward."

Morgan closed her eyes, sensing the inevitable and disliking the path it was leading to.

"Realistically, it is impossible to complete the first path in under 45 hours, even if you hurry. If you take the second path, you will reach the end in about 3 minutes."

Her sense of unease was never wrong.

"Press O for the long and challenging path, and X for the short and quick path. If you press X, the door will open once two of you become prisoners and use the chains on the wall."

Morgan noticed manacles and various weapons on the wall that she hadn’t seen before. There was an assortment of swords, knives, clubs, and even spears.

"Well," Leorio said, "I should tell you now that I don't intend on becoming a prisoner, so I'm pressing X."

Gon and Kurapika looked shocked by Leorio's declaration.

"It doesn't matter which path we take," Leorio continued. "I'll be one of the people leaving this room."

He looked around the room. "This room is well-equipped with weapons. Do they expect us to resolve this through fighting?"

"I'll press O," Gon said. "We arrived here together, and I want us to leave together."

"Gon..." Kurapika murmured.

"Even if it's risky," Gon continued, "my choice will remain the same."

"Hey!" Killua exclaimed. "That's not only risky; it's impossible! We don't even have an hour left! Our only choice is the short path!"

Leorio turned to Morgan. "What about you, Morgan? Which path do you choose?"

Morgan looked at him for a moment before sighing.

'You knew this would happen...' her inner voice scolded.

Hating to admit she was somewhat right. She knew what to do, and yet… she hated her next decision.

She drawn out her sword. "…I'm sorry."

Tonpa chuckled. "See? Even Morgan showed her true nature. She's just as selfish as I am."

"Shut up, Tonpa. No matter what my decision is. You and I are leagues away." She spat.

"Morgan…" Gon said.

She composed herself and looked at Gon. "I value our time together, truly. I want us to leave as a group." She gave a sad smile. "But if there's no other choice, I'll… I have someone to save." She swallowed hard.

"That's two votes in favor," Leorio remarked.

"Can you really say that?" Tonpa interjected. "Leorio should volunteer, considering he wasted fifty hours. We could have chosen the long path and all passed, but he squandered our time."

"What did you say?!" Leorio shouted back, his temper rising. "You're the one who tried to make us fail at every turn! You should stay behind!"

Kurapika intervened, trying to defuse the situation. "Now isn't the time to dwell on the past!"

As Leorio seemed ready to lose his temper, Gon stepped in. "Let's focus on finding a way to leave together!"

"If none of us are willing to give up, the only option left is combat," Killua warned, his eyes scanning the area. He extended his nails, preparing for a fight, while Kurapika also got ready with his bokken.

With Killua's stance, the situation was growing dire for everyone.

"I have an idea!" Gon suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone to turn to him curiously.

.

.

.

Morgan emerged from the dark passage into the light with Gon, Kurapika, and Killua beside her. A loudspeaker announced they had 30 seconds remaining. Gon exhaled a sigh of relief.

"We made it just in time," he said.

"I can't feel my hands," Kurapika remarked, staring at them.

Leorio's voice echoed from behind her. "It was a gamble, but it paid off." He and Tonpa stepped out of the shadows just as the time ran out.

"We all made it out together," Leorio said with a grin.

Morgan returned his smile.

"And it's all thanks to Gon," she said, giving his shoulder a congratulatory pat.

Gon blushed modestly. "It wasn't just me; we did it as a team!"

They had chosen the long, challenging route and then used axes to break through a wall, creating an opening that led them to the short and easier path.

"By entering through the long, hard way and using the remaining 50 minutes to carve our way through the wall to reach the short and easy path," Kurapika summarized, "we ensured we could all finish together."

"Exactly, Kurapika," Morgan laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.

Kurapika seemed a bit taken aback by the friendly gesture.

Morgan laughed again at his reaction. "Come on! We all passed dude. That's enough reason to be happy!"

Kurapika chuckled. "Yes, that's right..."

"Children!" Leorio scolded them playfully, joining in the laughter.

Now that the third phase was complete, only 37 had passed. Although one person had died just after walking through the door, technically reducing the count to 36. But what mattered most to her was that she had made it through.

They had all survived and were prepared for the next stage.

Yet, she felt a growing sense of anticipation. What would the next phase entail? Her excitement was mounting. She couldn't wait to find out.

Chapter 11: A Litte R & R

Chapter Text

The 36 candidates were aboard the airship, pondering the next phase.

Morgan found herself near four boys by the window.

Killua was gazing outside, half-listening to their chatter; Leorio felt airsick, having forgotten his medication, and Kurapika was engrossed in a conversation with Gon.

Suddenly, Gon pressed his face to the window, exclaiming about the clouds. "We're descending. I wish I could watch the clouds longer..."

Leorio turned even paler. "The sooner this ends, the better..." he muttered, looking queasy.

'Poor guy,' Morgan thought sympathetically.

The airship continued its descent, the clouds thinning.

"Hey, look! An island! That must be our destination," Gon said, capturing everyone's attention.

They looked down to see a small, crescent-shaped island—the first land since Trick Tower.

"Yeah," Morgan agreed, noticing, "There are lots of sunken ships around it."

"They're all shipwrecks," Killua remarked.

"I don't care; I just want off this thing," Leorio moaned, covering his mouth.

"Please don't puke; it's making my stomach turn too," Morgan recoiled, hoping he wouldn't.

The airship descended on the island. They disembarked, stepping onto solid ground—the deck of an old battleship to be exact. The large ship ran aground on a rocky cliff.

Morgan fell in love with the splashing waters and cool wind; the blissful sensation of the beach. The surface of the sea is seen to appear blue. A breeze blows by, filled with a refreshing smell of the salty seawater and then followed by the scent of rusting metal.

Except, this place is going to be the site for the exam.

It would have been nice without those ships.

'Why are there so many shipwrecks here? Is it just a coincidence they were all washed up here?' Morgan wondered.

"This must be the test site for the Fourth Phase," Kurapika mused.

"Probably," Morgan agreed.

"What will it be?" Gon asked excitedly.

Leorio, still looking sick, groaned, "I don't... feel... so good..."

"If you're going to puke, not here," Killua said, annoyed.

"I should have taken... motion sickness pills..." Leorio trailed

Morgan rolled her eyes. "We've been riding the airship since phase two. Dude, why now?"

Leorio groaned, "I'm still not over that rough ride at Trick Tower. Things got worse as soon as we boarded the airship."

"Oh, man..."

"Hello, applicants. We are your hosts," a voice called out. They turned to see an elderly couple standing before them.

The woman, with brown hair, wore a blue dress. The old man beside her had light purple hair streaked with gray, a red cap, and glasses.

Both bowed and greeted them, "Welcome to our hotel."

"Do you think they're the next examiners?" Leorio asked, still struggling with nausea.

"No. They're not," Killua responded confidently.

"How do you know?" Leorio questioned.

"I just have a feeling. Isn't that what Gon always says?" Killua replied.

"And what do your assassin instincts tell you?" Morgan inquired. "What do they say?"

"They say they're an easy target."

"Well, I guess they aren't," Morgan concluded.

"We're so pleased that all of you could make it," the woman continued. "My name is Banner, and I'm the manager of this hotel. I run it with my husband, Jinner."

"Nice to meet you all," Jinner said, waving.

"Did I hear you say this is a hotel?" Hanzo asked, approaching the elderly couple.

Morgan looked around again. A hotel?

'This is a hotel? Why would they build a hotel here?'

It's too far from the mainland and... With all these shipwrecks, it doesn't seem very welcoming. Were they really thinking this through?

But then again, they could use these shipwrecks as highlights of the resort. With the right target market, it has potential. It could be used for cultural heritage purposes, like recreational diving, and become a tourist attraction with scientific, educational, and monetary value.

Jinner gave a welcoming smile as he nodded. "That's correct. Part of this ship has been transformed into a first-class hotel with all the amenities. In the past, we've had the honor of hosting His Majesty, the King of Nebra. Additionally, this hotel is a favorite among celebrities, who fondly refer to it as 'The White Palace on the Ocean.'"

He seemed poised to say more when Hanzo stepped closer, his tall figure casting a shadow over Jinner.

"Yeah, uh, I didn't ask for a sales pitch. Let's get to the point: are you the Examiners or not?" Hanzo interjected.

Jinner turned to his wife. "Are we?"

Morgan face-palmed. "Oh boy…" she muttered.

"Yes, that's an excellent question," Banner said cheerfully. "The Exam Committee has entrusted me with a message for all of you applicants. 'If you've made it this far, then congratulations on a job well done. The fourth phase will commence three days from now. Until then, please take a break and enjoy all that this island has to offer.'"

"Wow, a break!" Gon exclaimed with joy.

"Ah, that's too bad. I was looking forward to diving right into the next phase," Leorio remarked arrogantly.

"Well, you sure recovered quickly," Morgan smirked. "Isn't this a bit too good to be true?"

"Oh, stop being so doubtful for once, Morgan. The committee must have realized we need a short breather," Leorio retorted.

He then abruptly turned around and leaned over the side of the dock, vomiting.

Morgan sweat-dropped. "Maybe we do need it."

"I spoke too soon…"

"I told you to go throw up somewhere else," Killua grumbled in annoyance.

"This has been pretty intense from day one; a little relaxation would do us a lot of good," Kurapika said approvingly.

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement as they began walking towards the entrance, expecting three days full of excitement.

"Ah…I can't wait…" Leorio moaned. "I'm going to take the longest, hottest shower in history."

"Just a minute, please," Banner halted the crowd.

They turned to her.

"Great, now what?" Leorio complained.

"Here, you have to pay in advance," Banner announced. "10 Million Jennys per person."

It was as if they had stepped on a landmine. Gasps filled the air, and jaws dropped in shock. Morgan nearly fainted.

"10 Million Jennys?!" Leorio cried out.

"That's the price?" Gon exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Killua asked.

"That's way too expensive!" Kurapika argued.

"How could the accommodation on this ship be worth 10 million Jennys?!" Morgan complained.

"For that price, I could stay at the most deluxe hotel in York Shin City for six months!" Tonpa exclaimed.

Gon approached the couple tentatively. "Um…is there a special rate for kids who don't have a lot of money?"

"Who do you think we are?" Leorio shouted. "Do we look like royalty or something? Hardly anyone in the world has that kind of cash to spend!"

"Do you even know how to set reasonable prices for your business?" Morgan pressed. "There's just no way this could be so expensive!"

"If you can't afford to pay, we can't allow you to stay," Jinner stated regretfully. "Sorry."

Leorio threw his hands up. "Fine by me! I'd rather camp out on the island than stay in one of your ridiculously overpriced rooms—"

"Well, we can't stay outside either, Leorio," Morgan pointed out.

"Huh?" Leorio responded, puzzled.

Kurapika nodded solemnly. "The main issue here is water. On an island this small, finding a freshwater spring is unlikely. Our only hope would be rain, but even if it does rain, we wouldn't regain enough strength to endure the rest of the Exam under this tropical sun. We'd be completely dehydrated in two days."

Morgan looked up, feeling the sun's intense heat on the seashore. The warmth and moisture in the air were palpable, making it clear that staying outside for three days wasn't an option.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?!" Leorio exclaimed. "I've never had that kind of money, not even in my wildest dreams!"

"For those unable to afford our rates, we do offer…an alternative form of payment," Jinner interjected suddenly.

"…Such as?" Morgan inquired.

"It's quite simple. What do you have to trade? Besides managing this hotel, my wife and I also operate a small antique shop. Given the numerous shipwrecks around the island, if you were to retrieve some treasures from them, you could use those to offset the cost of your accommodation. The quality of the room we provide would depend on the value of the items you find."

Morgan couldn't help but exhale in disbelief. Truly unbelievable.

.

.

.

Their initial expectations for the day were gone as they focused on scavenging for antiques, moving from one shipwreck to the next.

Morgan began rummaging through the first pile of junk she came across. "This is troublesome..." she muttered, tossing a broken jar aside.

"Hey, watch it!" came an irritated voice from Killua.

"Sorry!" Morgan apologized, glancing back to see Gon and Killua taking their outer clothes, preparing for a swim.

"Are you trying to break everything you find?" Kurapika scolded.

"It was already broken," Morgan retorted. "Do you really think an old battleship like this could be worth so much?"

"I highly doubt it," Kurapika agreed.

"Those two old folks are taking advantage of our situation," Leorio grumbled, also joining the search and tossing aside unnecessary items. "We're working hard as if it's still part of the..." He trailed off. "Exam?"

"That's a possibility," Kurapika suggested. "This could be another part of the exam. Think about it. Hunting for treasure is a fundamental skill for a Hunter."

"So, like a Treasure Hunting Exam?" Leorio speculated.

"Yeah, exactly," Kurapika confirmed.

Well, he's got a point, Morgan thought.

"Don't think I haven't considered that," Morgan retorted, frustration evident in her voice. "But this whole situation is just too strange. A hotel in the middle of nowhere surrounded by shipwrecks? Have you ever wondered why they're all gathered here? And the Hunters Association giving us a three-day break? It's all too suspicious!" With a grunt of frustration, she flung a weird-looking clay figurine that resembled an angry Super Mario.

Kurapika contemplated her words. "I don't blame you for being skeptical. We should consider the possibility that this could be a trap."

Morgan groaned and abruptly stood up. "There's nothing of value here." She stripped off her sweatshirt, shoes, and running tights, leaving herself in a white tank top and cycling shorts.

"Are you planning to go for a swim?" Kurapika inquired.

"Yeah, there might be more valuable treasures underwater," Morgan replied. With deliberate steps, she made her way to the edge of the shipwreck and then submerged herself into the now refreshing water. "I'm going to dive and take a look around," she announced before taking a deep breath and plunging beneath the surface.

Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by blue. It was like being in a vast pool filled with multicolored rocks resembling sea creatures, sandy expanses akin to giant cotton beds, and various fish darting around. She spotted corals, some of them massive like mushrooms, and observed sea urchins, large white ones, as well as numerous goby fish hiding in the sand.

Morgan had been mesmerized by the underwater scenery until she noticed the ships below, now repurposed as habitats for marine creatures.

Feeling overwhelmed by the choices, she surfaced, gasping for air.

"Morgan!"

She turned to see Gon and Killua approaching her.

"Hey. Find anything interesting?" she called out.

Gon shook his head. "Not yet, but there's a ton of treasure down there. You should come check it out!"

"But if we all go together, we'll have to split the treasure," Killua grumbled, floating lazily on his back.

"Someone's not very welcoming," Morgan remarked, giving Killua a pointed look.

"Nah, don't mind him. We wouldn't have even found the treasure without Tonpa-san's help. Plus, the more of us there are, the more treasure we can gather," Gon reasoned before swimming away, prompting Morgan to follow.

Killua sighed and followed Gon, with Morgan trailing behind.

They arrived at the bow of a sailboat before diving beneath it, descending to a depth of 10 meters where they encountered a sunken ship, a pirate vessel to be exact.

As they touched the decaying wooden hull, Morgan looked around and felt a sense of awe at being in that moment, in that place. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Exploring further, they discovered treasure chests within the ship, filled with an abundance of coins and jewels in various colors.

Morgan selected a ring adorned with a shimmering sapphire stone, even in the dim light that filtered through the water. She marveled at the treasure trove, realizing that these pirates must have plundered it from someone of high status.

Gon and Killua retrieved a large chest and signaled to Morgan that they were ready to ascend. She nodded in acknowledgment.

Grabbing an empty, smaller chest, Morgan began transferring whatever treasures she could salvage from the larger chests until it was full.

As her lung capacity neared its limit, Morgan prepared to ascend when a glint caught her eye. Intrigued, she swam towards it and discovered a silver necklace hanging delicately on a piece of coral, as if on display in a jewelry store.

The celestial design of seven sparkling crystals arranged like a star, set in finely engraved sterling silver or white gold, left Morgan in awe.

‘Wow,” she thought, mesmerized by the beauty before her.

.

.

.

As everyone finished, they gathered on the dock, surrounded by numerous trunks and treasure chests. Gon and Killua carried their chests to the table where Mr. Jinner was inspecting the goods. Placing their chest on the table, they eagerly opened the lid.

"How does it look?" Killua inquired, a smirk playing on his lips. "It's got to be worth at least a hundred million."

Jinner used a magnifying glass to examine the jewels. "I'm afraid it's only worth about a hundred thousand," he declared.

"What?!" Killua exclaimed, disbelief evident in his voice. "Are you kidding me?"

"Well, for starters, there's a mixture of jewels and diamonds here, and most of them need to be re-cut," Jinner explained.

"A second-class cabin for you," Banner announced, handing Killua the room key. The young assassin growled in frustration and followed Gon away from the table.

Gon let out a sigh. "Even if they aren't perfect, I'm sure Aunt Mito would love to have some of these…" he mused.

Morgan smiled warmly. "You're so thoughtful, Gon. I'm sure she’ll love them."

Gon grinned back. "Yeah, seeing her happy would be the best!"

Their conversation was interrupted as Leorio stumbled over, struggling under the weight of a massive chest.

"Whoa!" Gon exclaimed. "You hit the jackpot!"

"I certainly did!" Leorio declared proudly. "With this treasure, I won't even need to finish the Exam!"

"Really?" Gon asked, intrigued. He and Killua crouched down to examine the chest.

"Of course! With this, I can become a doctor and live a life of luxury!" Leorio proclaimed confidently, before opening the lid and recoiling in shock.

"Uh, what are those?" Gon inquired, poking one of the large black balls.

"They look like cannonballs to me," Killua remarked casually.

Gon turned to him. "Do you think they're worth a lot of money?"

"I don't know; why don't you ask him?" Killua suggested, gesturing towards Leorio, who was on the ground, twitching.

Gon looked at Leorio with innocent curiosity. "So, Leorio, do you think you can live a life of luxury with these?"

Leorio let out a defeated groan, realizing his hopes of wealth had been dashed.

Morgan was on the verge of falling over from laughing so hard as Kurapika stepped up to the table, presenting a large golden pendant in the shape of a lizard adorned with red jewels.

"Oh…" Jinner breathed, intrigued. "And what is this?" he asked, delicately taking the pendant from Kurapika's outstretched hand.

"The legendary Golden Pendant of the Kurta Clan, said to offer protection to whoever wears it," Kurapika replied calmly, his expression stoic.

Jinner examined the pendant under the light before meeting Kurapika's gaze. "...It's genuine," he confirmed.

Gon and Killua approached, curious. "Is it worth a lot?" Gon asked eagerly.

"I'm afraid its monetary value is not much," Jinner admitted.

"I have no intention of exchanging this for a room," Kurapika stated firmly. "As the owner of this hotel, I was wondering if you could provide me with some information." He gestured towards the red ship visible from the dock. "How long has that ship been there?"

Jinner followed Kurapika's gaze. "Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. The ship was here before we were."

Kurapika lowered his head sadly. "I see…"

Jinner returned the pendant to Kurapika's hand. "Here. You can have this back. And this," he added, placing a key on the table, "is yours as well. It's the key to your room."

Kurapika accepted both items with a slight bow. "...Thank you very much," he said softly.

By now, most of the examinees had retired to their rooms, leaving Morgan to step up to the table.

"And what do you have there?" Jinner inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Morgan opened the lid of the chest, revealing its contents. Jinner's eyes widened as he focused on the uniquely shaped pendant among the treasures.

"Oh my…I've never seen anything like this before…" he murmured, clearly impressed. "Where did you find this?"

"I discovered it underwater, hanging among the corals near a sunken pirate ship," Morgan explained. "Do you know what it is?"

"No, I'm afraid not. But I can tell you, it's an enchanting pendant you have there. It seems like a fitting gift for a lady, perhaps even a queen." Jinner mused.

"Is it genuine?" Morgan asked, hoping for confirmation.

"Yes," Jinner responded, glancing up at her. "It’s priced higher, but still doesn’t match our most luxurious suites. Would you like to exchange this and the rest of your chest for a room?"

"Can I just have the same room the others got?" she asked. What was the point of having a slightly more expensive room anyway?

“Are you sure?”

"Um, yeah, sure," Morgan nodded.

Jinner nodded in understanding and handed her a key. "Room 212."

"Thanks," Morgan said, accepting the key with gratitude.

After stealing one last glance at the pendant, Morgan entered the hotel and navigated her way to the cabins. The initial impression she had from the exterior persisted as she stepped inside. It lacked the grandeur she had anticipated.

Despite the presence of a carpet, everything felt mundane. There were no lavish decorations, not even an extravagant flower arrangement to be found. It certainly didn't exude the opulence one would expect from a hotel with such a hefty price tag. The absence of see-through elevators or sparkling Swarovski crystal stairs further reinforced her disappointment.

Finally reaching her designated room, Morgan entered and surveyed the space. It was bare-bones, containing only the essentials: a bed, bathroom, and closet.

She couldn’t really complain, not after giving up the room she was originally supposed to have.

Already inside the room was a boy, a few years older than Morgan, dressed in white pants, a white shirt, and a red vest. He had shoulder-length brown hair, partially covered by a light purple cap.

"Oh, so you're my roommate. I was wondering when you'd show up. You wouldn't mind having a boy as a roommate, would you?" he greeted, neatly arranging his bow and quiver beside his bed for easy access.

Morgan shook her head and placed her bag and sword on the remaining bed. "Not at all, uh..."

"Applicant number 53, Pokkle," he introduced himself.

"Pokkle, alright. Nice to meet you. I'm Morgan," she replied as they shook hands.

"I'm headed for the shower. So if you want to freshen up, you better wait," Pokkle informed her as he headed into the bathroom.

"That's fine, I'll just step out for a while," Morgan said before leaving the room.

"Oh, Morgan! Join us. We're going fishing!" Gon called out, with Killua, as always, standing beside him with a bored expression.

Surprisingly, their room was only three doors down from hers. Since Morgan hadn't eaten since Trick Tower, the idea of fishing sounded appealing. So she decided to follow the boys.

It was already lunchtime, the sun blazing at its highest peak. As she breathed in the fresh air, the salty scent of the sea tickled her nose once again.

Since Killua insisted on learning to fish, Gon eagerly offered to teach him. Left with nothing else to do, Morgan tagged along.

Gon demonstrated how to attach the worm to the hook, but Killua recoiled in disgust. "How can you touch that thing?" he exclaimed, his face twisted in pure disgust.

Both Morgan and Gon exchanged amused glances. "Even though you spill people's guts," Gon pointed out.

"That's different!" Killua protested.

"If you want to learn fishing, then you'll have to learn how to hook a worm first," Morgan remarked, rolling her eyes at Killua's aversion.

Left with no other choice, Killua reluctantly tried his hand at fishing for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Morgan gazed out at the water and noticed something stirring beneath the surface. Suddenly, Killua felt a heavy tug on his line.

His excitement was palpable, and his shouts earned an unexpected stare from Morgan. She couldn't help but smile. "Hold up the fishing line! Hold it up!" she instructed him.

"Pull it slowly," Gon advised his friend.

They spent a few minutes reeling and pulling in the fishing line until Killua eventually caught the fish.

It landed on his stomach.

The two of them marveled at the enormous fish wriggling.

"Get it off me! It's creepy!" Killua screamed in hysterics.

Gon and Morgan couldn't help but laugh, wondering if this was the same person who was known as an assassin.

They remained on the deck for a while, enjoying the grilled fish they had caught. Morgan listened intently to Gon's numerous camping stories from Whale Island. Eventually, she learned that Gon's motivation for joining the exam was because of his dad.

On the other hand, Killua entered the exam simply because he heard it was fun. However, according to Gon, it was more about Killua wanting to escape from his family and not wanting to be an assassin anymore.

As the sun grew increasingly intense overhead, they decided to retreat inside the ship. They explored various areas including the armament, chart house, and then the bridge.

Their exploration of the ship consumed most of the day, with the sun beginning its descent in the sky.

As streaks of red and deep orange painted both the skyline and the water, casting everything in a dark golden light, Morgan separated from the boys and made her way to the foredeck. There were quite a few candidates scattered across the deck, taking in the breathtaking view.

Morgan soon spotted Leorio, leaning against the railing and gazing out at a burned ship not far off in the distance. She recalled it as the Kuruta Ship, the same ship where Kurapika had found the pendant. And her guess, the blonde must've burnt it down.

She guessed some memories... Just aren't meant to leave traces.

Lost in thought, Morgan debated whether to approach Leorio or not. However, before she could make a decision, Leorio looked up and caught sight of her. He waved her over, making it impossible for her to sneak away unnoticed.

"Hey Morgan!" he called across the deck, making it impossible to ignore him. "Come here!"

Morgan waved back and, feeling somewhat reluctant, stood beside Leorio.

"Hey," she greeted him, leaning against the railing and admiring the stunning sunset over the sea. The colors of the sky were unusually beautiful, but Leorio seemed more focused on the burning ship.

"How was your day?" he inquired.

"It's been nice," she replied.

"Ah, it would have been nicer with a beer," he remarked suddenly. "A cold can of beer. Don't you think so?"

Morgan blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion of alcohol. "I've never tried liquor before," she admitted.

"You should give it a try," Leorio encouraged.

Morgan raised an eyebrow, surprised by his suggestion. "Aren't you underage?" she asked.

"In my country, you can drink when you're 16," he explained.

She hadn't realized there were countries with such lenient laws. "Well, maybe I'll give it a try sometime," she said tentatively.

"You know, I have you figured for a hard liquor type gal," Leorio announced with a grin.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think so?" she asked, propping her elbow on the railing and supporting her head with her hand.

He shrugged casually. "Just a hunch."

Morgan chuckled. "Well, then I already know who to call if I need to chill."

Leorio laughed in agreement.

"Honestly, you two…"

Both turned to see Kurapika approaching them, wearing a disapproving expression. The scent of smoke emanated from him, confirming Morgan's guess that he had indeed burned the ship. "What good could alcohol do for you?" he questioned.

"Stop being such a stick in the mud, Kurapika," Leorio retorted, his tone smug.

Ignoring Leorio's remark, Kurapika turned his attention to Morgan. "A girl should not drink either," he stated firmly.

Morgan snorted. "Whatever you say, mom. I suppose I'll have to watch my actions around you," she quipped sarcastically.

"Being very drunk can be dangerous. It can cause seizures, dehydration, injuries, vomiting, coma, and even death," Kurapika interjected, his tone serious as always.

Morgan couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. 'Why does he always have to be so serious?' she thought.

Leorio chuckled at Kurapika's solemnity. "Well, now, you're just focusing on the negative side of drinking, aren't you? The key is to drink responsibly. It's all about moderation," he explained proudly.

"And what happens when you don't drink responsibly?" Morgan asked, genuinely curious.

Leorio grinned mischievously. "Well, in that case… You'll get a very bad headache in the morning!"

Morgan burst into laughter, finding the situation unexpectedly amusing. She never thought she'd be poking fun at Kurapika.

"So, what do you think Kurapika's type is?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"The 'get drunk quick' type, I reckon?" Leorio replied with a smirk.

Kurapika responded dryly, "You're a wonderful judge of character, Leorio."

Morgan couldn't help but agree silently. Yes, she figured that was Kurapika's type indeed.

The blonde shook his head, turning his gaze back out to sea. The full moon was visible now, competing with the dim golden sunlight melting along the Western shore. "I don't intend to drink in the future," Kurapika stated firmly.

"Ooh, careful with your words. You might eat them someday," Morgan teased.

"One shot is only the beginning, blondie," Leorio chimed in, joining in Morgan's amusem*nt.

"I like that phrase," Morgan said with a grin, and she and Leorio high-fived.

Seeing Kurapika's increasingly irritated expression, Morgan knew she should probably stop, but she couldn't resist. "You two already speak like drunkards," he snapped, clearly annoyed. "I'll go ahead first."

"Oh, come on, Kurapika, be a sport!" Leorio protested. "Stay here and join the fun!"

"Don't you prefer our company?" Morgan added, snickering.

Kurapika rolled his eyes. "I prefer civilized company," he retorted before turning and leaving.

Morgan smiled, looking at the blonde's retreating form. "I see you don't get along with Kurapika sometimes."

"I rarely get along with the guy," Leorio returned, jokingly. "He's a pain in my ass."

"I got the impression you were rather fond of him."

"Oh, I'm very fond of him. But that doesn't make him any less pain in my ass."

Morgan's smile grew. "He is rather difficult."

"Difficult? A smartass, know-it-all like him is impossible!"

"I believe we have something in common, Leorio."

They shared a knowing grin. But their bonding experience, however, was short-lived, when she noticed it was completely dark outside. "Well, I've had a good chat," she said. "But I'd better get some sleep."

"All right, good night then!" Leorio called.

Morgan began the trek back to her room. Getting along with Gon, Killua and Leorio had turned out to be quite easy, and Morgan had just started to think that maybe she was finally going to make friends in the Hunter Exam. And then, she'd almost had a bonding moment with Kurapika, which was nice, even he's a bit aloof.

"There you are. I'm done with my shower… six hours ago." Said Pokkle jokingly, right after Morgan opened the door.

She just smiled and took a shower before hitting the bed. It was a tiring day that she fell asleep almost immediately. Not even worrying that she's with a stranger that could attack her in her sleep.

Morgan only woke up when she heard a loud commotion coming from up on deck. She looked at their window. It was still dark outside.

She suddenly heard the familiar sound of the airship.

"Pokkle, wake up! Something's going on!" They bolted outside their room, seeing everyone else is doing the same.

The candidates ran outside to see that Banner and Jinner took the airship and left them.

"This is probably what that shiver was trying to warn me about " She heard Kurapika muttered.

"Shouldn't you be a little bit mad? They took off and left us here!" Leorio exclaimed.

"We were being careless," Killua said.

Morgan felt a sense of unease settle over her. Her instincts were telling her that something bad was about to happen, and she couldn't shake the feeling that their situation had just taken a turn for the worse.

Chapter 12: Stranded

Chapter Text

Morgan gazed at the island. The beach exuded vitality and joyfulness with its abundant natural vegetation. Palm trees stood tall, swaying to the gentle rhythm of the sea breeze.

She had planned a brief excursion to the island on the second day, but it seemed unlikely now.

She shifted her gaze back to the deck, where most of the candidates appeared troubled and sleep-deprived. Her attention returned to the pressing issue at hand.

After the hotel managers departed, they opted to remain outside, waiting to see if they would return.

However, they never did.

"it's been five hours. What kind of manager would leave thirty-six guests behind and just take off?" Leorio suddenly started.

"Yeah. And they charged us a lot. Where the hell are they?" Tonpa voiced.

That isn't the right question to be asked at the moment, is it? It should be  'Why would the old couple leave them in an inhabited island?'

Moreover, they utilized the Hunter Association airship, which doesn't seem like theft either.

Could this be yet another scheme orchestrated by the committee to test the examinees? Is this location the designated site for the next phase?

"But it's not like we paid them money." This time, Kurapika decided to join.

"We paid with treasure and got our rooms in exchange. It's the same thing!" Tonpa blurted out.

"You got that right! Hey Tonpa, we agree on something for a change!" Said Leorio.

"It doesn't make me happy."

Morgan rolled her eyes. 'Oh for goodness sake, these two.'

"Speaking of which, I just checked the managers' room. They left all the treasure behind." The bald ninja, Hanzo, informed the candidates.

"You think they forgot to take it?" Gon asked as he sits on the edge of the deck, playfully swinging his legs.

"Of course not," Killua answered, sitting beside Gon.

They don't know what's going on. All of them don't have enough information to conclude anything.

"But if this was part of the Exam, shouldn't there be an examiner here?" Someone asked.

Morgan shook her head. "You do have a point. But the examiner doesn't need to be here."

This seems to confirm their suspicions that this is indeed part of the exam. However, the real challenge lies in determining their next course of action.

Shortly after, a girl named Ponzu, adorned in a large yellow hat with white flaps, a salmon blouse, pale yellow pants, and orange flats, beckoned them to enter the bridge.

Inside, Pokkle was seen wearing a headset, its ear cups pressed against his left ear, while he navigated around with a radio.

"Is that thing broken?" Gon asked.

"No, the radio is still working." Said Pokkle.

"But we can't get a signal in any channel for some reason." Ponzu continued.

"sh*t." Morgan cursed. That's bad news.

"What does that 'sh*t' mean?" A distressed Leorio inquired, not liking Morgan's reaction to it.

"That means we can't contact anybody. It's like all thirty-six of us are lost on this island..." Pokkle remarked.

His words sparked another wave of anxiety among the group. Stranded on a deserted island with no means of communication, they felt the weight of their predicament sink in.

They knew they had to take action.

Realizing that standing idle wouldn't resolve their situation, they collectively decided to split up in hopes of uncovering clues. Pokkle and Ponzu were assigned to continue managing communication.

"I found this," Leorio announced, holding up a box brimming with compasses, as soon as they reconvened.

"Compasses?" Hanzo inquired.

"Yeah, and there's one for each of us, for some strange reason," Leorio replied.

"I found these measuring tools," Hanzo added, displaying them to the group.

"I searched through the managers' room, and I found a map," Kurapika disclosed, holding out the map for everyone to see. He pointed to it. "This here would be the battleship island we're on right now. And this line indicates the route to Zevil Island."

"They left this for us to discover. Which suggests that this is part of the exam. They're signaling for us to reach that island. Fortunately, the sea is calm at the moment," remarked one of the applicants.

"You're all acting on impulse," Morgan interjected.

"Huh?" Another applicant grumbled. "What does a girl know about these kinds of situations?"

Hearing that remark irked her.

"I'm referring to distance. While we have the map and compass to determine our direction, we lack the means to gauge the distance," she explained.

"What do you mean?" Leorio asked, looking puzzled.

"She means the water does appear calm, and there's no sign of a storm. But if we don't know the distance to the island, then we won't know how much food or water to bring," Kurapika reinforced.

"We know which direction to go. The sub will serve as our reference point from then on. We'll simply sail without provisions and endure it as part of the exam," the guy insisted.

"Look, all I'm saying is we need to think this through. We don't even know which option is safer—staying here or venturing out!" Morgan countered.

"This is clearly a test to find a way to reach Zevil Island! That's the essence of this challenge!" the guy retorted.

Morgan sighed, conceding defeat, and raised her hands in resignation, having made her point.

"That's too risky. Have you forgotten that the exam is rife with traps? If this is indeed part of the exam, this map itself could be a trap," Kurapika warned.

"Aren't you being overly suspicious? I also believe they want us to reach Zevil Island," Leorio chimed in.

"I don't disagree with you there. But I'm suggesting it might be safer to wait until nightfall, allowing us to use the stars to navigate as accurately as possible."

The primary focus here should be proceeding with caution. This situation is undoubtedly part of the Exam, but it's unlike anything they've encountered before. They need to consider the broader purpose of the scenario.

However, despite any advice given, other candidates were insistent on moving forward, especially Applicant 384, Gerreta, whose statements only served to heighten everyone's nerves.

Apparently, Gerreta had inspected a water tank and found it nearly empty. With three days allotted and one already lost scavenging for treasure, leaving them with two, he concluded that Zevil Island could be reached within that time frame.

For all Morgan knew, Gerreta might have been capitalizing on the situation to manipulate their mindset. He openly admitted that eliminating competition was part of the exam.

However, the more Morgan pondered the situation, the more she realized that both sides had valid points. While they may be right, Gerreta's concerns were also valid.

It was a never-ending cycle, but a decision needed to be made.

"So what are we gonna do?" Gon asked.

'Ah, to hell with all of this.'

"We don't need to wait until dark," Morgan suddenly declared, capturing the attention of the remaining applicants. "There's bound to be something on this ship that could assist us."

Kurapika nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Let's divide once more, scour the ship for anything that might provide insight into our current location," Hanzo directed.

The girl sighed, hands on her hips, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in. "If we don't find anything useful, then we'll leave this place as soon as possible." It was a better alternative to idleness. At least, they had something constructive to focus on for the time being.

With that resolve, each of them dispersed in different directions. The more eyes scouring various areas, the greater the likelihood of uncovering something helpful. Meanwhile, Hanzo took it upon himself to track down the other applicants and attempt to reason with them.

As Morgan made her way below deck, she passed by an ajar room. Curiosity piqued, she peeked inside and discovered the treasures and antiques they had found the previous day.

It was the managers' room...

.

.

.

They stood in the ship's control room, awaiting the return of Leorio and Hanzo.

The door swung open, and Hanzo entered.

"How did it go?" Kurapika inquired.

He shrugged, emitting a low growl of frustration.

"I take it, not too well," Morgan remarked.

"Not surprising," Kurapika sighed. "Everyone who's made it this far has endured a great deal. We've all relied on our strengths and skills; otherwise, we wouldn't have survived the first three phases." He glanced out the window. "I can understand why they're hesitant to listen to us and cooperate for the group's benefit. But I fear they're making a grave mistake. It could cost them their lives."

"I couldn't agree more," Hanzo nodded. "My instincts tell me we're right, even if I can't fully explain it. But they won't be swayed by mere intuition."

Morgan sighed. "We've tried our best to persuade them. Continuing to do so would only waste precious time."

Kurapika's gaze remained fixed outside. "You're right. I fear we have no choice but to take action, with or without their cooperation."

"So, what now? Do we leave or what?" Morgan asked.

"You two," Hanzo spoke up. "There's something else that's been bothering me. Call it another one of my instincts, but I have an ominous feeling about this place, and it's growing stronger. Time is not on our side."

Kurapika nodded. "Whatever it is, I'm certain it's integral to this phase."

"I doubt there's anyone on this island who would disagree with you, Kurapika," Leorio's voice emerged from the shadows as he stepped forward. "The issue is, nobody's certain how to address it. But I've got an idea."

"Yeah? What's that?" Hanzo inquired.

"Simple," Leorio declared, casting a glance behind him. "We need to appoint a leader." He gestured towards a group of examinees standing behind him.

Hanzo and Kurapika exchanged a knowing look and grinned.

Morgan couldn't help but grin. Surprisingly, Leorio proved to have better communication skills than expected. He suggested a vote, and they agreed.

"Does anyone have any objections?" Leorio asked, taking on the role of presiding officer. No one voiced any dissent.

"Alright, it's settled," he declared, stepping aside. "From now until we reach Zevil Island, Hanzo will lead, with Kurapika as his second-in-command." He turned to Hanzo. "It's in your hands now, Hanzo."

Stepping forward, Hanzo addressed the group. "I don't want to overstep my authority, but there's something I need to share. As you all know, I'm a ninja, and when ninjas work together, nothing can stand in their way. In my culture, this teamwork is known as 'Wa.' This situation puts our Wa to the test. Please bear with me; it will only be for a short time." He concluded with a respectful bow.

The group smiled, and Morgan regarded the bald ninja with newfound respect. He possessed the qualities of a good leader as well. "I believe we're in capable hands," she remarked.

Hanzo met her gaze with appreciation.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a bang.

"Hey, look at what Gon found!" Killua's voice echoed as he dashed into the room, with Gon following closely behind, wearing a broad grin. Gon handed a leather-bound book to Kurapika, who eagerly opened it and flipped through a few pages.

"What does it say?" Hanzo inquired.

Kurapika hesitated for a moment before responding. "Ah, so that's what transpired."

"What is it?" Morgan asked, stepping closer.

"This ship was grounded here towards the end of the war to serve as a gun battery. The logbook was penned by the commanding officer at that time."

"Does it contain anything beyond the ship's history?" Morgan pressed.

"Or anything about Zevil Island?" Hanzo added.

Kurapika thumbed through the book once more. "Here it is!" he exclaimed, pointing to a page. "According to the logbook, it's nearby! We could likely reach it within a day using a small boat."

"Alright!" Gon and Killua cheered, exchanging a high-five.

"Excellent! We should prepare immediately," Hanzo suggested. But before they could finalize their plans, interruption struck.

"Ponzu here," came the girl's voice over the intercom. "We're picking up something on the radio."

Her tone was tinged with panic.

"There's noise across a wide frequency range."

"The atmospheric pressure must be changing," Pokkle reasoned.

They rushed to the window, greeted by an eerily calm scene.

"Hey, look at the birds!" Gon exclaimed. "Something's spooked them."

Indeed, the gulls outside were in a frenzy, scattering in all directions; one even collided with the window in front of Leorio, causing him to recoil.

Kurapika's expression darkened. "...This is bad," he uttered in a monotone voice.

"Seeing a disturbed flock of birds without a visible cause is indeed concerning," Morgan remarked astutely.

"What the hell is that?" Leorio exclaimed, pointing out the window.

At first glance, it appeared as though there were two suns, one atop the other.

"The atmosphere... it's distorting," Kurapika choked out.

The sight sent shivers down Morgan's spine. Something ominous was looming.

And then, the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. The feeling of icy fear intensified, accompanied now by the ominous sounds of crashing waves... monstrous waves, to be exact.

"Hey... I can hear that sound again," Gon remarked.

"What?" Killua inquired.

"Blondie, check the logbook," Morgan instructed softly.

"What for?"

"Just check it," she insisted, gazing out the window. "An atmospheric disturbance..." She smirked bitterly. A storm... This explains the numerous shipwrecks on the island. "The Hunter Association knows how to pick a spot for an exam."

Kurapika nodded and retrieved the logbook.

"That noise is coming from somewhere out at sea!" Gon exclaimed, pressing his face against the window.

"I can hear it now!" Killua confirmed. "But it's very faint. Gon, you were right, I can hear it!"

"...It's grown much stronger since this morning," Gon observed gravely.

Kurapika began to read from the logbook. "The entry for July 4th: Strange atmospheric disturbance. Upon detection, preparations for evacuation commenced. Tomorrow morning at first light, the entire garrison will abandon this post; it's our only recourse. Predictions suggest the first storm front will strike the island at dusk tomorrow. Before it does..." he trailed off.

"First storm front?" Leorio voiced his confusion. "What does that mean?"

"...This environmental phenomenon only occurs once every ten years."

And that 'once every ten years' occurrence was happening right now. This was no ordinary storm.

Before they could digest this information, the sound of a motor reached their ears. Kurapika whipped his head around to the window, revealing a boat and a hot-air balloon departing from the battleship.

"They're still here?" Morgan mused internally. They must have found a boat in decent condition and gathered whatever supplies they could before making their escape. Perhaps they even managed to siphon enough gasoline from other boats.

But the looming storm outside was impossible to ignore.

Morgan rushed to the window. "Are they completely stupid? This storm is going to kill them!"

"Morgan, calm down," Kurapika urged, placing a calming hand on her shoulder.

"... I can't help it. We warned them, and..." She trailed off. Then, something outside caught her eye, and her expression turned to one of alarm. "Oh, sh*t!" she exclaimed, breaking free from Kurapika's grasp and dashing outside.

The storm was advancing rapidly. A waterspout began to form not far from the battleship, growing larger by the second.

"Hey!" Kurapika called out as he joined her on the deck.

"What the hell is that?" Hanzo shouted.

"A merging waterspout and whirlpool!" Tonpa exclaimed.

"The sudden atmospheric pressure distortion, the rising tide... The phenomenon that occurs every ten years has begun," Kurapika explained grimly.

"Oh no, look!" Gon cried, pointing at a boat filled with examinees. "They're getting pulled in!"

"We have to help them!" Gon attempted to rush forward, but Kurapika halted him. "Don't do it!"

"Yeah, but-"

"It's too late, there's nothing we can do!" Kurapika's voice rose above the roaring wind. His expression was panicked as he gazed out at the water.

Then, one of the examinees, the one with the monkey, cried out, "Oh no! Gerreta!"

They turned to see Gerreta in a small motorboat, careening towards his demise. He couldn't control the boat; the waves were dragging him towards the waterspout!

Suddenly, Gon darted from the deck and leaped into the water!

"That idiot!"

"Gon!" Kurapika's shout echoed over the chaos. Morgan had to yank him back so hard she nearly slipped, almost taking Kurapika down with her.

"The waves are crashing onto the deck!" Morgan yelled, struggling to maintain her footing.

"Everyone, back inside!" Hanzo's voice boomed over the storm.

"Hanzo, quickly, the lifeboat!" Kurapika called out, turning to Morgan. "Morgan, get inside!"

"Hell if I will!" She shouted back, refusing to budge. "Gon needs all the help he can get!"

"Fine!" he yelled back, but before they could react, another wave crashed over the deck, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

She was hit by another wave almost immediately.

Morgan screamed, her voice lost in the tumult of the waves. "Curse you, Hunter Association!" she yelled at the raging sea, her words carried away by the wind.

Suddenly, Leorio appeared out of nowhere, his strong grip pulling her up. She had never noticed his strength before, but now it was undeniable.

"You look like a madwoman, screaming like that," he remarked, his usual grin on his face.

"This exam drove me insane!" she retorted.

Kurapika's voice cut through the chaos as he reached them. He was completely drenched but managed to give orders right after tumbling over. "Morgan, Leorio, we need to help pull the lifeboat ashore! Quickly!"

The lifeboat carried Killua, Hanzo, along with candidates number 371 and 191, named Bodoro. Meanwhile, Gon appeared to have made it to Gerreta's boat, and Hanzo's group threw a rope from their boat to Gerreta's, connecting the two vessels.

"Right!" Leorio and Morgan responded in unison. They dashed over and seized the rope, rallying with the other examinees. Through their combined efforts, they succeeded in pulling both boats back to the safety of the ship.

Morgan bent down to help both Gon and Killua to their feet, urging them to run swiftly inside the ship, away from the tempest outside.

They all gathered in the ship's control room, bracing themselves for the storm's fury. The winds howled with such force that the ship's awnings were torn away, and the vessel groaned under the strain.

"...All we can do is wait and hope for the best..." Hanzo's voice broke through the din.

Morgan had no inkling of how long the storm would persist, but when it finally abated, darkness still blanketed the sky. As the clouds gradually dispersed, the stars emerged, twinkling in the night.

The ship was flooded. Morgan was grateful she had brought her bag and sword with her. They now stood outside, practically at the ship's highest point, surveying the aftermath.

"Hey look, I think the tide's going out," Leorio observed.

Tompa sighed. "It's finally over."

"I'm afraid it's just begun," Kurapika interjected, still clutching the logbook in his hand. "We can expect a second storm in 24 hours, and this time it's going to be worse." He glanced up at the ship's highest point.

Morgan followed his gaze and was shocked to see barnacles. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "...Right, challenges, never tend to end, do they..." she muttered under her breath.

"Wait, are you saying the water's going to get that high?" Leorio exclaimed.

"No," Kurapika replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon, his expression stoic. "In 24 hours from now... everything you see... will be underwater."

Chapter 13: The Battleship

Chapter Text

When the water finally receded, the remaining applicants found themselves gathered on the ship's deck. The sky and sea appeared relatively calm for the moment.

Then Leorio voiced what none of them dared to acknowledge.

"...We have less than twenty hours until another storm front hits us," he stated gravely.

Kurapika regarded him solemnly. "Which means we have that amount of time to formulate a plan of action."

Hanzo nodded grimly. "Yeah... or we're all as good as dead."

Optimism wasn't exactly his strong suit... Morgan sighed and sank down onto the deck, silently listening to their deliberations.

"And on top of that, we still have to find a way to reach Zevil Island," Kurapika added, emphasizing the daunting challenge ahead.

"Yeah, we know that," Leorio acknowledged. "But how are we supposed to do that?"

"There's no escape…" Gareta muttered despondently. "Not by air, or across the water."

"Why don't we use a boat while the storm's not here yet?" someone suggested, their idea carrying a glimmer of intelligence.

'Yeah, right, like that hasn't been considered,' Morgan thought sarcastically, punctuated by an eye-roll.

Note the sarcasm.

Morgan didn't even bother to look up. "We don't have one that's big and fast enough. So, can someone please suggest something that's not suicidal?"

She heard a grunt in response, sensing the disapproval in her tone, but she couldn't bring herself to care. They could dislike her all they wanted. Right now, the priority was finding a way to escape before the next storm struck.

"Oh, but we do!" exclaimed a voice from above.

They all looked up towards the tallest part of the boat and saw none other than Gon and Killua.

"Gon?" Kurapika questioned, surprise evident in his tone.

Morgan gave him a skeptical look. "Are you really that surprised to see him up there? Come on, Blondie, it's Gon; where else would he be?"

"Shut up…" he muttered. "Why are you suddenly so grumpy?"

She just scoffed in response. 'From overthinking,' she thought.

Gon waved enthusiastically at them. "Why don't we use this ship right here?"

She blinked. 'What ship?'

Blondie was gazing up at Gon as if he'd just heard the most profound statement ever uttered.

"Gon, don't be an idiot!" Leorio exclaimed. "This is nothing but a pile of scrap metal!"

Morgan's eyes widened as she recalled their exploration of the ship. Gon had accidentally triggered a loud honking sound by pressing a button. "Oooh!" she exclaimed.

She stood up, cheering. "That's what I'm talking about: useful ideas!" she shouted. "Gon, you're a genius!"

"Yeesh, I don't really understand Morgan's mood," Leorio muttered. "Did you pick up on anything?" He asked Kurapika.

"...Aside from everything, not much," Kurapika mumbled under his breath.

They made their way to the control room.

"The engine still works?!" Kurapika exclaimed as they all gathered around the controls.

"But do you think this ship is actually capable of moving?" Leorio questioned, addressing no one in particular.

Killua turned to him. "I don't know, but it's worth a shot."

Kurapika rested his chin in his hand. "Yeah... this might actually work. But since the ship is grounded, we'll have to make it buoyant enough to break free."

They all nodded in agreement.

Ponzu stepped forward. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Well, that's a different perspective..." Hanzo remarked. "Rather than abandoning ship, we're taking the ship with us... I like it. I'm sure this is the primary objective of this phase."

Kurapika glanced out the window. "Our only concern now is whether or not we can complete all the work before the second front arrives." He turned to the other candidates. "The first thing we need to do is assess the condition of the ship. Let's all spread out and reconvene here in one hour."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Kurapika distributed a sheet specifying which part of the ship each group was responsible for checking. With clear instructions in hand, the group split up and hurried off to their designated areas.

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.

.

.

"You found the ship's blueprints?" Leorio inquired, addressing Hanzo, who was spreading out the said blueprints on the floor of the control room.

"Yeah, and the manual too," Hanzo confirmed.

"Now that we have these, let's brainstorm," Kurapika suggested, resting his chin in his hand.

Morgan inwardly groaned. Good grief, just how long was this going to take? They didn't exactly have all the time in the world...

"Hm... by examining the ship's blueprints and considering how it's stuck in the cliffside," Kurapika began, pointing to the blue paper, "if we weaken the rock, we should be able to free the ship."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Morgan questioned. "Did you see the size of that cliff? We won't be able to break it with an ax. Not within the time we have anyway."

He rolled his eyes. "No, we won't need an ax."

"Then how do you suggest we do it?" Gon inquired.

"We could use the guns," Hanzo suggested. "They're mounted on turrets, so we could turn them to face the cliff."

"What about ammunition?" Morgan inquired.

"I think I spotted some shells when I was exploring earlier," Leorio replied. "They were too large to be for anything else."

"Okay," Kurapika said, a slight smile appearing on his face. "This could actually work."

"What about the hull?" Morgan persisted. "The ship will tip if the water isn't evenly distributed throughout the bottom."

"How about using explosives?" suggested another examinee, stepping forward to join the conversation.

"And uh, who are you?" Hanzo asked, wearing an almost skeptical expression.

"The name's Kyu," he introduced himself, pointing to himself. "Demolitions are my specialty. There are plenty of materials around here to make explosives, so just leave it to me," he assured.

Pokkle interjected, "Regardless, we should prioritize getting the engines running. Where's the engine room?"

"It's right here," Hanzo indicated on the blueprints. "But the passageway is flooded."

"They could navigate through the air ducts from C-deck," Morgan suggested.

"Alright then, Pokkle and I will go," Ponzu volunteered. They received nods of agreement.

"I think we need to displace as much of the water as possible from this level. The first half of the ship was converted into a hotel, so the weight distribution isn't even anymore," Hanzo observed.

"Let's blow a hole in the storehouse ceiling so the water can flow in," Siper suggested.

Morgan nodded in agreement. This plan was shaping up well. Now they just needed to ensure everything functioned properly. Then, she remembered something.

"Wait, what about the propellers?" Morgan voiced, capturing everyone's attention.

"What about them?" Hanzo inquired.

"I haven't seen what they look like, but given that the ship has been still for nearly ten years, those propellers are either completely gone or fully covered in seaweed," Morgan explained.

"Killua and I can check them out!" Gon volunteered eagerly. "Right, Killua?"

The silver-haired boy grimaced. "What? Sounds like a lot of work to me…"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Gon persuaded.

"Oh...okay…"

"Now that that's settled," Kurapika said, with a smile. "Let's put our plan into action."

And so it began...

Completing everything before the next storm front might be impossible. But they didn't have a choice. They all had to pull together to complete the task. It was the only way to survive and reach Zevil Island.

Everyone dispersed, wasting no time in performing their assigned tasks. Gon and Killua headed for the propellers, Ponzu and Pokkle went to the engine room, Leorio prepared to dive to retrieve shells with the assistance of Bodoro and Goz (371), Siper (80) took charge of firing the cannonballs, Morgan and Kurapika remained in the main cabin, checking the engine controls, while Hanzo joined the Amori brothers to inspect the guns.

Morgan wasn't certain about the additional tasks Hanzo had assigned to the others, but they were all diligently carrying out their assigned duties.

"Why am I back at the command center again?" Morgan exclaimed in frustration, opening a cabinet on the wall to inspect its contents: a flare gun, flares, batteries, and flashlights.

She would have preferred to search for the shells or assist Gon and Killua in removing seaweed from the propellers. After all, the command center involved a lot of ... well commanding, which she wasn't particularly fond of. She needed something physical to do.

"We only found one diving suit and…" Kurapika paused, looking up from the logbook, his eyes narrowing at her. "And you're the only one I know who reads books."

Hmm... that sounded like a compliment. "But not manuals about old battleships," Morgan complained. "My brain can't handle the stress here. There must be another nerd among the candidates."

Kurapika glanced sharply at her. She cleared her throat. "I mean someone who loves books."

He seemed to be getting annoyed when she labeled him as a nerd. When Killua said it, he was fine.

It seemed like anything she did or said easily irked him.

Well, whatever.

Kurapika tossed the book to Morgan, who caught it. "Now, Morgan."

Morgan offered a sloppy salute to the blonde before flipping open the book.

According to the book, the bridge of a vessel contains the main steering equipment, navigation charts, communication systems, engine controls, and various other features. It offers a clear, unobstructed view of the surrounding areas.

"Okay… This is the horn," she muttered, pointing to a peculiar funnel-shaped object, "and these are the lights." The lights were functional, which was a relief. "Is the steering wheel locked? No? Good. Next is the throttle…"

Morgan switched on the microphone to test it out. "Ah, mic test. One two. If you can hear me, please raise your hand."

Everyone visible outside raised their hands. She smiled and switched off the microphone.

"Thanks. Over."

Next were the controls... She glanced at the pages, which were filled with numerous random drawings. She felt confused looking at the real control panel.

Why on earth did Kurapika assign her to this?

Staring at the sheet, she tried to discern any similarities. She cracked her neck. "Well, there's no point in complaining."

A few hours passed.

Glancing out the window, she observed the sky progressively darkening, a reminder that time was running out for everyone.

A sudden tremor shook the ship. Morgan hurried to the intercom. "Is everything alright down there?"

Immediate positive responses came through. Morgan gave Kurapika a thumbs-up.

Relieved, Kurapika returned to his frantic calculations, tapping away on his calculator.

"Pokkle! Ponzu! What's the status on the engine?" Morgan asked over the intercom.

"We've managed to route power to the guns. Now let's just hope we can get this engine up and running," Ponzu responded.

"Copy that." Morgan then turned to Kurapika. "Are you finished now?"

"Done." Kurapika rose from his seat and approached the intercom. "Okay. Now we'll start the—"

"We've got a problem!" Hanzo's voice came through the intercom. "Leorio hasn't resurfaced yet."

"What?" Morgan gasped, feeling as if someone had doused her with cold water. Kurapika was stunned into silence, visibly shocked by the news. "Then send someone to dive!" she instructed.

"He was wearing the only diving suit we had," Hanzo reasoned.

That sent her into a rage. "There must be someone who can dive without a suit!"

"Rescuing Leorio may lead to more casualties. I'll leave the decision to you both," Hanzo firmly responded.

Morgan cursed under her breath. This couldn't be happening. "Fine, I'll do it myself!"

"Morgan, wait!" Hanzo called out. "Can you hear me?! Gon went after Leorio. Let's trust Gon to handle it."

His words only added to her distress. "You let a kid go on a rescue mission without diving gear in this storm?!"

"He dove in as soon as he knew Leorio was still out there!"

"Gon will save Leorio, Morgan," Kurapika reassured her calmly, though his expression betrayed his uncertainty. "They'll both be fine. It's Gon we're talking about."

Morgan exhaled deeply, still unconvinced. She wanted to argue, to point out the contradiction between Kurapika's words and his expression. She glanced outside. The waterspout was drawing nearer. "Fine, fine."

Hanzo continued speaking over the intercom. "You should be able to estimate how much time we've got from its speed. I'm turning command of the operation over to both of you. Killua and I are gonna go take care of the cannons."

And now, she was finally promoted as the new second-in-command.

"Don't worry, I'll be able to estimate the time easily. Just give me the speed, and I'll do it," Morgan assured.

"Okay." Kurapika then focused his binoculars on the approaching waterspout. "It's moving at approximately two hundred meters per minute."

As soon as he finished speaking, Morgan began furiously calculating on a sheet of paper. "That's it," she declared once she had the answer. "It will hit us at exactly 18:30."

Kurapika nodded in acknowledgment.

"All stations!" Kurapika's voice echoed throughout the ship. "The ship will achieve maximum buoyancy on the rising tide just before the waterspout hits us. It will reach us at approximately 18:30, roughly ten minutes from now. We're going to shell the rock around the box that's grounding us using all four cannons. Simultaneously, we'll engage the engines in full reverse thrust to get out of here. All stations, make your final preparations. The countdown will start on my mark..." He glanced at the wall clock. "Mark!"

A sudden tremor jolted through the ship as they began firing the cannons at the cliff.

"Is everyone alright? Any injuries?" Kurapika inquired.

Immediate affirmations came in. Kyu from the lower deck reported that the water was flowing in as planned to stabilize the ship.

Morgan sought a report from Pokkle. They had successfully calibrated the four turbines. All twelve boilers had been brought up to full operating pressure, and they were about to connect them.

Everything proceeded according to plan. All four engines were fully operational. They were ready to send power to the four pressure pumps for the cannons. Siper was ready to fire.

But as they counted down the remaining time, they never received a report about Gon and Leorio.

It felt like something was stuck in her throat, the taste of blood already present as she bit her lip hard, time slipping away.

"Wait for my signal," Kurapika said, his fists clenched.

"Kurapika! We can't wait! We have to fire! Hey, Kurapika!" Hanzo yelled. "Morgan, talk some sense into him! We have to fire!"

Did he really think they weren't aware of that? They were currently at the main control center of the ship, where both Kurapika and Morgan were overseeing the entire operation. Their decisions would be commands.

This meant the lives of 23 candidates on board now rested in their hands. It would be a huge sacrifice if they insisted on waiting for Gon and Leorio.

‘Being in command is a pain in the neck,’ Morgan thought.

"Do it, blondie," Morgan commanded. "I'll go."

"But..."

"Just do it." Morgan smiled. She rummaged one of the cabinets and grabbed a flare gun and flashlight she found earlier, pocketing three flares. She reached the intercom. "Can someone please operate the searchlight for a rescue? I'll give you a signal where to spot the light."

"Copy that. I'm currently at it." It was Gerreta's voice.

"Roger." She turned to Kurapika and gave a slight pat at the back. "Trust me and just lead everyone."

He nodded in response.

As soon as her flare guns were ready, she moved quickly down the corridor. She raced down a flight of stairs until she was out. It was completely dark below because the lights were switched off to direct all the electrical powers to the cannons.