Cold. Pain.
The familiar homeland had turned to ruins. Flowers and plants withered, devoid of life.
Familiar faces had lost their color. Empty eye sockets remained, filled only with blood.
Family, close friends, tribesmen...
When the voices and faces of the past became mottled, cold corpses, when spilled blood soaked every inch of the land.
If there was a hell, it must be like this.
Kurapika's eyes snapped open. His face was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving rapidly.
Leaning against the tree trunk wall, he buried his head deeply, pressing his forehead into his hand, sinking into a deathly silence.
That wasn't a nightmare. It was the cruel reality that had once happened.
Moonlight, carrying a cold temperature, slipped in through the tree hollow opening, falling on the ground before him, casting a layer of silver frost on the Kurta Clan's clothes lying there.
Kurapika silently reached out, picked up the coat, and gently draped it over himself.
The hand gripping the corner of the coat suddenly tightened, crumpling a large section of the fabric.
Morning.
Kurapika left the tree hollow and walked into the forest.
He couldn't take Law's tag. If he wanted to pass this phase, he had to obtain three other tags to reach six points.
Including himself, there were twenty-eight examinees participating in the third phase. He needed to pick out the easier targets. After filtering layer by layer, the remaining options would be around ten at most.
That meant, within seven days, he had to obtain three tags from these ten targets.
'I absolutely cannot be eliminated,' Kurapika thought to himself.
He walked through the forest. After an hour, he unexpectedly saw Leorio. He initially intended to pretend he hadn't seen him, but the sudden appearance of another person made him change his mind.
Sixty meters away, Leorio held a short knife, warily watching the Needle Man who had appeared out of nowhere. His heartbeat gradually quickened.
"390."
The Needle Man raised his hand and pointed at Leorio, a strange sound coming from his mouth.
Leorio swallowed hard, immediately understanding that he was the other's target. He waved his short knife demonstratively and said in a heavy voice, "Sorry, but I have no intention of handing over my tag."
"Oh," the Needle Man said, holding three needles, his Aura spreading out.
The cold Aura swept over Leorio, causing his body to tremble several times.
"Leorio, give him your tag."
Just then, Kurapika suddenly stepped out, looking gravely at the Needle Man.
"Kurapika." Leorio, who had been startled by the Needle Man's aura, felt slightly relieved seeing Kurapika appear.
"Give it to him."
Kurapika came to Leorio's side, his tone exceptionally serious.
Leorio wanted to refuse, but the Aura emanating from the Needle Man made his movements somewhat stiff.
"Even if we join forces, we stand absolutely no chance of winning," Kurapika said heavily.
This Needle Man before them gave him a feeling similar to Law's… it seemed like a boundary, unclear yet despairingly distinct.
"Tch."
Perhaps because he had already experienced Law's Aura pressure, Leorio seemed to grasp something. He took his tag out of his suitcase and threw it to the Needle Man.
"A wise choice." The Needle Man caught the tag, then put away his pinhead needles. He said coldly, "You're lucky. If not for someone's warning, I wouldn't be this gentle."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed away and left the area.
Seeing the Needle Man leave, Leorio sat down on the ground as if all his strength had drained away. Despairingly, he said, "What kind of monsters are these people?"
Kurapika remained silent upon hearing this, 'Someone's warning...?'
"By the way, what did he mean by that just now?" Leorio asked, puzzled.
Kurapika shook his head. "I don't know either."
Leorio got up from the ground and asked two questions in a row: "Why are you here? Who's your target?"
"Number 405," Kurapika replied.
"Ah? That guy." Leorio exclaimed.
He hadn't specifically memorized the examinees' numbers, but Law's number, 405, was deeply impressed upon him.
"I can't take his tag, so I can only try to collect three other tags," Kurapika said calmly.
Only then did Leorio remember that not only had he failed to get his prey's tag, but he had also lost his own. His face immediately fell.
"Our situations are similar now. Should we cooperate?" Kurapika suggested.
At this point, Leorio had no room for refusal.
…
By a stream, a small monkey shivered in the arms of a man whose face was badly swollen, looking utterly miserable.
This man was examinee 118, Somi, who raised a mischievous little monkey. He was considered a veteran examinee.
"Should have handed it over earlier."
Tonpa tossed the tag in his hand.
"Tonpa, you..." Somi looked at Tonpa with fear.
"What?"
Tonpa pinched the tag and then willfully attached it below his own number tag.
Somi's lips moved, but ultimately, he said nothing.
Tonpa wasn't interested either and turned to leave.
He had gathered six points. All he had to do was wait until the seven-day time limit was up. However...
'So it seems Gon's target is me?'
Tonpa left the stream and walked into the forest.
From the first day, he had noticed Gon tracking him, though Gon left after a while.
Initially, Tonpa didn't pay it much mind. He spent a few days in the forest looking for food and wandering around casually before starting his hunt.
But just today, Gon appeared again.
The moment Tonpa subdued Somi, he clearly sensed Gon's desire to strike. However, Tonpa habitually left no openings, making Gon hold back immediately.
Without a doubt, Tonpa was sure Gon's target was him.
"This is troublesome."
Tonpa rubbed his head, recalling what Law had said.
It seemed Gon was the son of Law's old friend.
In the shadows, Gon was disappointed.
'As expected of Tonpa-san. I can't find any opening at all.'
Gon thought fretfully, then quietly followed again, completely unaware that his movements were entirely within Tonpa's grasp.
…
Under a large tree with exposed roots, Killua casually crushed the laptop computer with his hand, its various components scattering on the ground.
The chubby boy was wedged between the tree roots, looking at the expressionless Killua, trembling with fear.
"Hand it over," Killua extended his hand.
Without a word, the chubby boy took the tag from his pocket and gave it to Killua.
Killua took the tag and turned to leave directly.
"Boring."
He muttered to himself.
After Killua left, the chubby boy slumped to the ground.
…
On a cliff edge, a stylish woman wearing sunglasses lay prone, her curvaceous figure clearly outlined.
She held a cold sniper rifle, searching for prey through the scope.
Within the crosshairs, Xiaoyu's figure appeared.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Siper said flatly.
…
Time passed day by day. Almost every examinee had given their all. Now, less than an hour remained before the test ended.
On the shore, Law still sat there, and Geretta still lay unconscious in the same spot.
"One more hour," Law looked towards the forest ahead, wondering if Kurapika had managed to gather six points.
After this test ended, he planned to give Kurapika a push from behind, personally teaching him Nen. He also needed to make Machi and the others leave the Troupe.
That way, Uvogin probably wouldn't die, and Machi and Nobunaga wouldn't end up opposing Kurapika.
Some things might be more suitable for Kurapika to handle himself. However, if necessary, it wouldn't be bad for Law to take action himself.
After all, the current Troupe included Hisoka, and Hisoka had participated in the Kurta Clan's incident.
After a while, the ship's horn sounded from the sea, arriving earlier than expected.
At the same time, Illumi walked out of the forest. He glanced at Law sitting on the ground and Geretta lying there, still unconscious.
"Too early?"
He shifted his gaze to the ship in the distance on the sea.
A moment later, he found a random spot and sat down.