After nearly a year without grooming, Morrow's hair had become fluffy and messy.
If it were Ging, he'd probably just wrap it up with a random headscarf to avoid the hassle of styling.
Morrow wasn't as casual as Ging, but considering he might need to disguise himself later, he didn't plan to visit a barbershop either.
He condensed aura at his fingertips, neatly trimmed his sideburns, then swept his disheveled hair back and tied it up with a dried plant root he picked up from the ground.
After finishing, Morrow leaped onto Chimera's back.
"Let's go."
Morrow crouched slightly and patted Chimera's back gently, then straightened up to gaze at the endless forest ahead.
"Roar!"
Chimera let out a cry, flapped its wings, and stirred up a powerful gust of air.
Its rather bulky, massive body lifted into the sky and swiftly flew forward.
About two days later, Morrow arrived at a town and found a nearby Tree Hollow pawnshop.
If he needed to disguise himself later, items like the Abyssal Sheath that could reveal his identity definitely couldn't be carried on him.
So he planned to deposit the Abyssal Sheath in the Tree Hollow first.
Entering the pawnshop, Morrow skillfully walked toward the counter shielded by bulletproof glass. He exchanged 100 million for a Tree Hollow gold coin, then entered through the iron door beside the counter.
After passing through an enclosed corridor, he reached another iron door at the end.
Just as Morrow approached the iron door, it automatically opened, revealing dimly lit stairs leading downward.
Tree Hollow pawnshops were spread all over the world, but their architectural structures were surprisingly consistent, as if cast from the same mold.
Morrow descended the stairs and arrived at a candlelit basement.
By the flickering candlelight, he could see numerous cabinets lining the walls and a conspicuous antique long table.
Even this storage basement was identical to another Tree Hollow pawnshop he had visited before.
But what surprised Morrow even more was... he looked at an elderly man wearing reading glasses behind the long table.
Him again?
His gaze swept over the aura surrounding the old man, like thick, stagnant mud, remarkably steady.
Morrow remembered this aura state, which further confirmed the old man's identity: he was definitely the same person who had assisted him last time.
But the previous Tree Hollow pawnshop he visited was an entire continent away from this one.
Had he been transferred, and Morrow happened to run into him again?
Though astonished, Morrow didn't dwell on it and walked straight to the long table, placing the Tree Hollow gold coin and the Abyssal Sheath on it.
The old man looked up at Morrow.
His eyes, weathered by time, still possessed sharp vision. He quickly noticed some changes in Morrow, and a flicker of surprise passed through his gaze.
Morrow said calmly, "Storage."
"Alright."
The old man slowly stood up, collected the gold coin engraved with a tree pattern, then picked up the Abyssal Sheath to examine it.
After confirming the condition of the item for storage, the old man turned and walked toward the cabinets against the wall, placing the Abyssal Sheath inside one of them.
Throughout the process, Morrow kept his eyes on the old man and initiated conversation:
"The last pawnshop I visited was an entire continent away from here. I truly didn't expect to see you here, old sir."
"..."
After placing the items away, the old man leisurely turned back to the chair in front of the long table, showing no intention of responding, let alone proactively satisfying the curiosity in Morrow's words.
The business conducted at the Tree Hollow was inherently somewhat unique.
The high pricing also meant that the Tree Hollow's services were guaranteed, at least in terms of safety and timeliness.
This confidence stemmed from the fact that the Tree Hollow used Nen to construct a channel capable of transmitting items between major pawnshops at any time.
Of course, under certain conditions, that Nen channel could also transport people to another pawnshop.
This was the fundamental reason why Morrow was able to encounter the old man again at this pawnshop.
The old man's silence didn't surprise Morrow in the slightest. He continued on his own:
"Some time ago, I met someone who voluntarily accepted the "Eye of Truth's" invitation. She used that card and was actually able to freely create a Nen space with rule-based abilities."
The person he was referring to was none other than Eve, the third princess of the Kukan'yu Kingdom.
Hearing Morrow mention the Eye of Truth, the old man showed a slight reaction, lifting his eyes to stare directly at Morrow's face.
He certainly hadn't forgotten this young man.
He also remembered how the young man had once pressed him for information about the Eye of Truth.
Back then, he had even warned the young man not to delve too deeply into the Eye of Truth.
"I've already said..."
The old man understood Morrow's intentions and spoke coldly, "I only know how to help people store items."
"What would it take for you to tell me more about the Eye of Truth?"
Morrow pressed.
In truth, he didn't necessarily have to obtain information about the Eye of Truth from the old man, but since he had encountered him here, he might as well try to see if he could learn more.
The old man stared into Morrow's eyes but didn't see the expected obsession.
Remembering that Morrow had deposited an Eye of Truth card at the Tree Hollow, he remained silent for a while before slowly speaking: "Equivalent exchange is the truth... Don't use that card lightly if you want to live a long life."
"That card..."
"Take care, I won't see you out."
The old man cut Morrow off.
Morrow was slightly taken aback, sensing the firmness in the old man's tone, and immediately stopped pressing further.
"Thank you for the information."
Leaving behind a word of thanks, Morrow turned and left.
Only after Morrow's figure disappeared at the staircase did the old man look up, a trace of confusion slowly appearing in his eyes.
He was puzzled by the unusual changes in Morrow.
To have refined his aura to such a level in such a short time.
This was what the old man found most perplexing and astonishing.
Outside the pawnshop, Morrow glanced back at the tightly shut iron door beside the counter, thinking about what the old man had just said.
It seemed the cost of using that Eye of Truth card was indeed not low.
It was very likely that it required paying a price such as lifespan...
Morrow withdrew his gaze but didn't dwell on it further.
Ever since he had confirmed the card's ability, he had treated it with caution and wouldn't use it lightly.
It was only because he had run into the old man again today that he thought he might try to pry out more information.
Perhaps I could consider selling this card to that princess.
Morrow was inclined to believe what the old man had said. After learning that using the card might cost him his lifespan, his desire to keep it grew even weaker. Rather than letting it gather dust in the Tree Hollow, it would be better to sell it at a high price to that princess of the Kukan'yu Kingdom.
If that princess is still willing to pay a premium, then I can settle the debt with Kanzai and alleviate the financial pressure on Kurapika's side.
First, I'll scout out Visca Forest Preserve and Numere Wetlands. After that, I'll need to prepare some things for disguise in advance. Oh, and there's also Ging... I wonder if he's found any "work" for me.
Morrow temporarily set aside the idea of selling the Eye of Truth card to Eve and shifted his focus to the tasks ahead.
Scouting and preparing for disguise were both essential.
Additionally, before the training sessions ended, he had asked Ging for a favor to help him find some exorcism requests for removing Post-Mortem Will.
But it had only been two days since then, so it probably wouldn't be easy to find such requests so quickly.
What worried him more was the possibility that Ging had simply forgotten about it.
After all, that guy had vanished without a trace right after the training ended, even turning off his phone.
There's still about a month until the Hunter Exam begins. I'll just have to wait patiently.
Morrow glanced at the Tree Rings tattoo on the back of his hand.
The third ring's Tree Rings energy had reached around 93%, and his level had also risen to Lv.72.
It had taken him nearly a year to go from Lv.71 to Lv.72.
Even with daily, intensive training and a year of consuming medicinal cuisine, he had only managed to advance by a single level.
The process had been arduous, to say the least.
As for the increase in Tree Rings energy, Ging had received a request from a colleague and then took him to an excavation site, a tomb where he absorbed a considerable amount of resentful thoughts from those buried there, boosting the Tree Rings energy to 93%.
If Ging could find him some Post-Mortem Will removal work before the Hunter Exam began, he might be able to fully charge the third ring's energy in one go.
—--
December 9th.
Morrow and Chimera arrived at Numere Wetlands.
This wetland was also known as Swindler's Swamp, and true to its name, every creature here had evolved unique deceptive hunting methods.
In such a perilous environment, even Nen users couldn't afford to be too careless.
After all, aura output could only help a Nen user defend against attacks from ferocious beasts but offered little protection against invisible threats.
Such as lethal gases, or pollen and scales with hypnotic or anesthetic effects.
Of course, for those who had mastered Nen, as long as they remained cautious, there generally wouldn't be any major issues.
Still, one must always maintain a sense of reverence for nature.
That was something Morrow had learned from Ging.
Squelch.
Morrow stepped onto the damp soil, splattering mud around him.
All around, thick fog hung like a heavy white curtain, shrouding every corner visible to the naked eye.
The humid air carried a pungent mix of decaying plants and the stench of animals.
Morrow had already sent Chimera off to hunt on its own and now ventured deeper into the wetland alone.
He needed to familiarize himself as much as possible with the route from here to Visca Forest Preserve within the limited time.
It wasn't that he was worried about getting lost during the Hunter Exam, but rather that this environment was ideal for taking action.
If Illumi were to participate in the Hunter Exam, this fog-shrouded wetland would be the perfect place for Morrow to make his move against him. Morrow traversed the wetlands, encountering various plants and animals capable of killing humans along the way.
It was no exaggeration to say that he encountered one every few dozen meters.
Such a perilous place was merely the first stage of the Hunter Exam, which explained the high mortality rate.
Morrow wandered through the wetlands, avoiding confrontation whenever possible when attacked. Instead, he carefully observed the nearby environment and the deceptive hunting methods of these predators.
During his stroll, he even encountered a massive wolf with a robust physique and sharp claws and teeth, yet it deliberately mimicked human cries for help.
This gave Morrow a deeper understanding of the Numere Wetlands.
Though somewhat perplexing, he could only regard it as a phenomenon of biological evolution.
After wandering along the route for several hours, Morrow found a flat area to rest.
However, shortly after he sat down, rapid breathing sounds emerged from the thick fog.
It was the breathing of a woman.
Morrow calmly turned toward the sound and saw a petite woman in tattered clothes emerging from the fog.
Her face was covered in various scars, yet they couldn't conceal her panicked and terrified expression.
"Th-thank goodness, I finally... see someone."
Upon spotting Morrow, the woman immediately showed a look of excitement.
Morrow showed no reaction, merely tilting his head to observe her.
Bloodlust.
He easily sensed bloodlust emanating from the woman.
Besides the bloodlust, he could faintly detect a subtle, animal-like stench.
Disguise?
Morrow scrutinized the woman, instantly thinking of creatures like the Man-faced Ape in the Numere Wetlands, as well as Kiriko, the magical beast tasked with guiding Hunter Exam participants.
Both of these creatures possessed the ability to transform into humans.
Considering his future need for disguises, Morrow grew intensely interested, and the look in his eyes toward the woman gradually shifted.
The woman in tattered clothes noticed the change in Morrow's gaze, feeling as if she had been plunged into an icy wilderness, experiencing a sharp sense of crisis firsthand.
This human... is extremely dangerous!
The unidentified creature disguised as a woman suddenly trembled, abandoning any thought of hunting Morrow. Its mind was now solely focused on escape.
However... Morrow would never let go of such a research specimen.
—--
In a city on the Yorbian continent, inside a suite of a star-rated hotel in the city center, a corpse in a bathrobe lay slumped on the living room sofa.
Around it, several bodies in black suits, armed with firearms, were scattered.
Amidst the corpses, Illumi stood with an indifferent expression, looking at a severely injured Nen user leaning against the doorframe.
The Nen user breathed heavily, his expression fierce and menacing, snarling, "No matter who you are, if you dare attack an important guest of the Ten Dons, you're dead...!"
Illumi showed no reaction to such meaningless threats, casually raising the bead-head needle held between his fingers.
The injured Nen user struggled to his feet against the doorframe, then charged at Illumi with a ferocious expression.
At that moment, the lights in the suite suddenly went out.
Illumi remained unfazed, accurately driving the bead-head needle into the head of the charging Nen user. However, just as the bead-head needle sank into the Nen user's head, a sharp figure swept in through the open door, circling behind Illumi and thrusting out with a bare hand.
Squelch!
The palm surging with Nen directly pierced through Illumi's chest, bringing forth a large amount of blood and shredded flesh.
"Your flesh smells quite foul."
The one who struck was a man with a spiky hairstyle, dressed entirely in black, none other than Lizard of the Ten Dons' Shadow Beast Squad.
"It doesn't whet my appetite in the slightest."
Lizard slowly withdrew his arm, his gaze coldly fixed on the perpetrator about to die before him.
Suddenly, he grew alert, sharply turning his head toward the direction of the bathroom.
By the faint light streaming into the room from outside, he actually saw another Illumi standing at the bathroom door.
A clone ability?!
Lizard instantly entered a combat stance, yet failed to notice a figure standing quietly at the open doorway.
That figure was also Illumi.
But this one was the true main body.
As for the two Illumis in the room, they were merely his Needle People.
The ability's precision is high enough now. Hmm, no issues.
Outside the door, Illumi raised a hand to his chin, thinking to himself.
In the span of a year, it wasn't just Morrow who sought to climb toward the summit.
Illumi, with his regenerated limbs, and Hisoka, who couldn't forget Morrow, were both honing their abilities...