Wing's loss was entirely justified.
This was Biscuit's genuine thought at the moment.
Morrow, however, didn't notice Biscuit's reaction, his mind entirely occupied with the concepts related to the Mind Illusion Style.
A personality clone...
Though extremely risky, it was still a Nen knowledge point worth referencing.
Moreover, it could enrich his understanding of the Nen System.
However, unless absolutely necessary, he would never touch such ideas or concepts.
Right now, while he needed many shortcuts to bridge the "time gap," this kind of shortcut, akin to a dark path, was definitely not one of them.
Seeing Morrow so absorbed in these concepts, Biscuit felt a twinge of regret for having said too much.
Had she known Morrow was the type of Nen user who thirsted for strength like a sponge, she would have been more cautious about such matters.
"Morrow, you..."
At this moment, Biscuit believed she should interrupt Morrow's train of thought and deliver a strong enough warning.
This wasn't mere precaution.
Nen users, under the influence of Nen, would inevitably develop stronger desires without realizing it.
The most typical example was Manipulators—as their strength progressed, their desire to control something would often expand accordingly.
Suppressing this unavoidable phenomenon was one of the original intentions behind the creation of the Shingen-ryu Style.
"What is it?"
The moment Morrow heard his name, he looked up, his expression unchanged as he met Biscuit's gaze.
Biscuit, in turn, stared into Morrow's eyes.
With just that one glance, all her worries instantly dissipated, and she couldn't help but mock herself a little.
Right.
How could a young man with such a strong and resolute disposition ever be drawn to dark paths?
Her concerns were completely unnecessary.
"Nothing."
Biscuit slowly shook her head.
Morrow didn't dwell on it, his thoughts already shifting to the Nen user named Orion.
The biggest obstacle to reaching the top...
Perfect.
If every opponent he faced from now on was at Merry's level, the battles would lose some of their meaning.
What Morrow sought wasn't just simple victory.
He valued the tangible benefits each real battle could bring—experience, expanded understanding, and the like.
So he had no interest in crushing weaklings; he only wanted to face powerful opponents.
"You seem quite confident."
Biscuit had already explained Orion's strength, yet she could sense Morrow's fighting spirit—his readiness to challenge someone stronger.
Hearing this, Morrow replied, "I can't very well admit defeat before the fight even begins, can I?"
"Hey, that's a perfectly normal thing to say, so why does it feel like you're lecturing me?"
Biscuit's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Morrow.
"No need to feel it."
Morrow's tone was calm. "That sentence was indeed directed at you."
"..."
Biscuit clenched her fists, a vein visibly popping on her forehead.
But she held back.
Morrow looked at her, no longer interested in playing games for the so-called upper hand, and cut straight to the point:
"Given that you're a broke person who can no longer afford Corundum Heart, here's the question. When you can't buy it but absolutely must have it, how do you obtain Corundum Heart?"
At this, Morrow's gaze at Biscuit once again turned meaningful.
"The answer to that question... is the reason you're here, isn't it?"
"Sometimes, I really doubt your age."
Her intentions seen through, Biscuit's eyelids drooped slightly.
Morrow remained silent, thinking to himself, Isn't the reason you have such doubts precisely because you're the one who should be doubted the most?
Outwardly appearing to be just a girl of eleven or twelve, yet proudly claiming to have already earned a two-star title.
Given that, she probably has more than just Wing as her disciple.
Honestly, who would believe you're only eleven or twelve on the surface?
If it weren't for not wanting to step on a landmine, simply pretending not to know or notice such things was already difficult enough.
Not to mention constantly being wary of your ability as a seasoned Transmuter to detect lies.
Morrow sighed inwardly.
Unaware of the thoughts swirling in Morrow's mind, Biscuit pondered for a moment before speaking up:
"Then I'll just say it outright. I can help you improve your chances against Orion and increase your odds of winning the championship through 'practical combat' training. In exchange, you'll sell me Corundum Heart at a lower price. As for my strength, do I need to prove it again?"
"..."
Morrow fell silent for a moment, then frowned. "Are you sure you're not just looking for an excuse to beat me up and then take advantage of the deal?"
"Oh?"
Biscuit blinked, then slowly, a gleam lit up in her eyes.
Her reaction was practically screaming "I hadn't thought of that, but now that you mention it..."
For a moment, Biscuit suddenly found this transaction far less troublesome than she'd imagined.
Originally, she had thought that if money could solve the problem, she'd rather stay up all night flipping through a few more magazines of handsome men than waste time and effort on something like this.
After all, she'd had enough of similar hardships back when she was striving for her two-star title.
But now, realizing she could use this proposal to legitimately pummel Morrow...
Huh?
What was this inexplicable sense of anticipation?
Maybe taking a loss on the deal wouldn't be so bad after all?
The more Biscuit thought about it, the brighter her eyes became.
Suddenly...
She heard the sound of a door opening and turned toward it.
There stood Morrow, holding the door open with a gesture of invitation, his face expressionless. "Don't let me keep you."
"???"
Biscuit inwardly cursed. Damn it, I made it too obvious that I wanted to beat him up!
"Wait..."
"Please."
Morrow's intent to shoo her away was clear.
Left with no choice, Biscuit could only stand and walk over.
As she reached the door, she suddenly met Morrow's eyes. "You have something to say, don't you? No need to hold back."
Morrow's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly.
After two or three seconds of silence, he met her gaze and asked:
"When you have money, you naturally want to spend it on things you love. But when you don't, with your strength, forcing a deal or even outright stealing the gemstone would be effortless for you, wouldn't it? All it'd take is a bit of time waiting here to see who wins the championship."
"Oh? One test wasn't enough for you, was it?"
Hearing Morrow's words, Biscuit instinctively planted her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "I'm telling you, the fewer internal flaws a gem has, the higher its value and significance. So I would never resort to underhanded methods to obtain one. That kind of approach would only tarnish the gem with an indelible flaw."
At this point, Biscuit fixed Morrow with an intensely serious gaze.
"So, this is why you've been 'guarding' against me all along? Some of your behaviors aren't obvious, but don't think I haven't noticed."
"..."
Morrow fell silent again, thinking to himself that this was indeed troublesome. But his wariness had nothing to do with so-called underhanded tactics.
Both were difficult Transmuter to deal with, but Hisoka was easier to understand and control...
Seeing Morrow remain silent, Biscuit shook her head and said, "You still have some time before facing Orion. You can take your time considering my proposal."
With that, she strode past the doorway, then suddenly raised her hand to point at the corner at the end of the hallway.
—--
There stood a blond young man peeking furtively.
"Hey, stop gawking. I'm talking to you, yes, you, the sneaky little peeping tom with your camera."
"??!"
The blond youth was actually Kurapika. Being accused like this by Biscuit left him questioning his life choices.
"Me? Sneaky? Me? A peeping tom?"
Kurapika pointed at himself in shock, his brown eyes reflecting utter bewilderment.
Biscuit finally got a clear look at Kurapika and noticed his bulging satchel. "Ah, shift change, huh? You guys are quite professional. Whatever, come here."
"??!"
Kurapika walked over stiffly.
Then he heard Biscuit's next words:
"Listen, he used me and threw me away. How's that for tabloid material?"
"??!"
Kurapika didn't understand but was thoroughly stunned.
--------
Bonus chapter.