This should be a full gathering of the Phantom Troupe before the main storyline begins.
Morrow wasn't certain about the exact time the Spiders assembled, only that it was around July or August.
It was also possible they had already gathered earlier and were only now taking action.
They had ransacked the Navis National Treasure Museum...
The name "Navis" rang a faint bell for Morrow; it was a once-glorious ancient civilization that had declined after a devastating thirty-eight-year war...
Even in modern times, though Navis retained some remnants of its former self, the far-reaching consequences of that war had caused it to lose too much over the long passage of time.
What was lamentable...
Many of its once-prosperous cities had crumbled under enemy hands, yet their treasures had survived in another form.
Though Navis was now a shadow of its former self, in recent years, it had been making efforts to recover its lost national treasures.
These reclaimed treasures were all housed in the Navis National Treasure Museum in the capital.
It was easy to imagine how much effort Navis had poured into this endeavor.
And the Phantom Troupe's raid on the museum undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the nation.
Probably to upgrade 'Skill Hunter'...
Hearing the words "national treasure," Morrow's first thought was that Chrollo was enhancing his ability.
Skill Hunter was a Specialization-type Nen ability that could be upgraded.
To some extent, it shared similarities with another Specialization ability, Etude of Love.
In a way, Morrow's ability to upgrade through the Tree Rings tattoo also meant he possessed something akin to a Specialization ability.
The condition for upgrading Skill Hunter was likely stealing national treasure-level artifacts, though "stealing" was often just outright robbery...
Later in the main storyline, the Phantom Troupe's attack on the Yorknew Auction also seemed motivated by the presence of national treasures there.
In that sense, the Tree Rings tattoo's secondary ability to absorb aura from handcrafted items bore some resemblance to Skill Hunter.
After all, treasures bearing the title of "national treasure" were almost certainly infused with aura.
Morrow glanced at Kastro and Calista, who were still diligently closing their aura nodes, then sent Argo a message: "I'm here."
About a minute later, Argo replied.
"The Phantom Troupe raided the Navis National Treasure Museum and looted all the treasures. Navis immediately dispatched its military to pursue them, but the operation failed."
"Currently, the Phantom Troupe has left Navis territory. Confirmed intel indicates they've entered the neighboring Kukan'yu Kingdom. Additionally, a Zoldyck assassin has also arrived in Kukan'yu and doesn't seem to be hiding his movements."
Reading Argo's detailed report, Morrow immediately sensed something off. Frowning, he thought for a moment before recalling the Phantom Troupe's 12th member, Kortopi.
Given Chrollo's meticulous planning style, he would have surely factored in Kortopi's ability to replicate objects before targeting the Navis museum...
Yet the Phantom Troupe had opted for a far more brutal approach.
Well...
It didn't matter.
Morrow shook his head, then hesitated over whether to head to Kukan'yu Kingdom.
He wanted to kill Feitan.
But at this point in time, Feitan and the entire Phantom Troupe had no connection to him whatsoever. So under normal circumstances, as long as you don't actively approach the Phantom Troupe, there's probably no risk.
"Argo, can you track the Phantom Troupe's movements in real time?"
"Should be possible. The Phantom Troupe members are extremely confident. They entered Guan Jade territory as stowaways but made no effort to conceal themselves. As long as they don't deliberately go into remote mountains or forests, I can keep tracking their movements."
"Mmm. Another question - do you have a way to contact the Zoldyck assassins?"
"I can try starting from the client side to find a number that connects to the Zoldyck assassins, but I can't guarantee it'll work."
"That's enough. I'll wait for your update."
"Alright. But as the contractor, I should remind you - don't be too impatient for quick success."
Morrow looked at the last message from Argo and silently put away his phone.
Making a request to contact the Zoldyck assassins would inevitably make Argo suspect something.
I won't rush. The time I have left isn't much, but it shouldn't be wasted... What matters is always how the time is used, Morrow murmured to himself before turning his attention to Kastro and Calista's progress.
—--
Perhaps it was the pressure from facing death; within just a few minutes, Kastro had already managed to slow the rate of his aura leakage. At this pace, he'd likely master Ten and retain his aura completely in another minute or two.
In terms of talent, Kastro probably wasn't as gifted as Killua or Gon, but he wasn't far behind.
Calista, on the other hand, was somewhat weaker in natural ability, though she'd already grasped the key concept and was just one step away.
"Calista, use your imagination..."
Morrow approached Calista and said calmly:
"Imagine your 'aura' is like blood circulating through your entire body, flowing from your head to your shoulders, arms, waist, legs, and finally back to your heart. Now imagine your head is bleeding heavily, and you need to press hard to stop it, or you'll die from blood loss."
"...!"
Calista's tightly shut eyes twitched slightly.
Slowly, following Morrow's guidance, she gradually managed to suppress her leaking aura.
A few minutes later.
Both Kastro and Calista crossed the threshold, mastering the most basic Ten.
Morrow observed them and asked, "How does it feel?"
Kastro looked down at his hands and murmured, "It's like... my body's wrapped in a layer of stiff paper."
"I don't really feel much at all."
Calista lifted her legs a few times, her eyes shining brightly. "If I had to describe it, my body feels much lighter."
"This is Ten, the most fundamental of the Four Major Principles, and your first step in learning Nen. Starting today, you'll need to maintain this state regularly."
After briefly assessing their still-unstable auras, Morrow gave simple instructions before suddenly announcing, "I'll be leaving for a while. I'm departing before today ends."
"Huh?"
"What?!"
Both Kastro and Calista were startled.
Ignoring their reactions, Morrow continued matter-of-factly:
"Listen carefully. I'll only explain the basic Nen training methods once. Memorize them thoroughly and complete the most fundamental goals before I return. If you can't do it, then just disappear from my sight."
Kastro and Calista's expressions turned serious as they nodded solemnly.
—--
About an hour later.
Morrow left Heavens Arena and rushed to the nearest airport.
He was going to visit Kukan'yu Kingdom...