Chapter 48
After leaving the airship, Haruto walked to the edge of the platform and looked down.
The entire structure stood more than a thousand meters tall, while the platform at its summit stretched two or three hundred meters across.
"This is ridiculous..."
Haruto clicked his tongue under his breath, then remembered that this was the Hunter × Hunter world.
Greed Island was an entire island transformed into a game.
Heavens Arena rose nearly a thousand meters into the sky.
Even the underground tunnel they had crossed during the First Phase had been absurd.
They had spent seven or eight hours running almost a hundred kilometers through it, all while remaining deep beneath the earth.
The manpower and resources required to construct something on that scale were almost impossible to imagine.
Apparently, in this world, there was always something even more outrageous waiting around the corner.
Beans soon walked to the front of the group on his short legs, cleared his throat, and announced loudly, "Applicants, this is the starting point of the Third Phase!"
"You are now standing on the roof of the structure known as Trick Tower."
"Your task is to reach the ground safely within seventy-two hours!"
"The Third Phase of the Hunter Exam begins now!"
"Good luck!"
With that, Beans immediately turned and boarded the airship.
The aircraft slowly rose into the sky, shrinking to a distant speck before disappearing into the sea of clouds.
After a brief silence, the applicants began eagerly searching for a way down.
A few overly clever ones attempted to climb directly down the outside of Trick Tower, only to be snatched away by the strange birds circling around its upper walls.
...
Haruto remained much calmer than the others, since he already knew what they were supposed to do.
He was about to search for one of the movable floor panels when he suddenly stopped and looked toward the circling birds.
They were hideous creatures, with oversized heads, enormous jaws, dark-red bodies, and six legs.
Haruto’s eyes nevertheless brightened slightly.
’I wonder what their meat tastes like. Could they be decent ingredients?’
Once the thought entered his head, he could no longer ignore it.
Haruto walked to the edge of Trick Tower and pretended that he was about to climb down.
It did not take long to attract the nearest bird.
The creature released a piercing shriek and dived toward him.
Haruto was ready!
He flipped aside to evade its charge, then shot out one hand and caught it precisely by the neck.
The bird beat its wings wildly and lashed out with all six legs, but it could not break free of Haruto’s grip.
His fingers tightened and the creature soon went limp.
Haruto examined its flesh. The muscle was firm enough, though it carried a faint unpleasant smell and could hardly be considered exceptional.
"Barely edible."
Muttering to himself, he stored the bird inside Gourmet Restaurant.
Haruto was debating whether to catch a few more when he glanced across the platform and realized that most of the applicants had already entered Trick Tower.
Only a handful remained on the roof.
"Forget it. The exam comes first."
He shook his head.
The birds were not good enough to justify wasting much more time.
...
Abandoning the hunt, Haruto began searching the platform.
He soon discovered a loose stone panel and stepped onto it without hesitation.
The slab abruptly flipped beneath his feet, and Haruto dropped through the opening, disappearing from the rooftop.
The sensation of weightlessness lasted less than a second before he landed steadily inside an enclosed chamber.
He immediately regained his balance and swept a wary gaze around the room.
It was a stone chamber roughly twenty square meters in size.
Its walls were built from rough rock, and a round pedestal stood in the center. Aside from that, the room appeared empty.
Then Haruto noticed the figure standing within the shadows of the opposite corner.
His expression instantly darkened.
Hisoka was watching him with obvious amusement.
Haruto’s heart sank.
Of all the people he could have encountered, it had to be Hisoka.
"My, my... how wonderful."
Hisoka licked the corner of his lips, delight coloring his voice.
"I never expected to meet you here, my precious little fruit..."
His hungry gaze settled on Haruto, the desire within it almost overflowing.
At the same time, Hisoka’s bloodlust began spreading through the chamber.
For one brief moment, Haruto seriously considered abandoning the exam and leaving this world immediately.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm.
He was not completely without a way out.
Drawing a deep breath, Haruto met Hisoka’s gaze and said seriously, "Let me make something clear. I awakened Nen less than a week ago."
"And my Nen ability has absolutely no offensive power."
Hisoka’s bloodlust abruptly faltered.
He stared at Haruto for several seconds, narrowing his eyes as though judging whether he was telling the truth.
Gradually, the murderous pressure receded.
His smile faded slightly, and much of the interest in his eyes disappeared.
"Only a week... It seems I’ll have to wait a little longer."
Hisoka sounded openly disappointed.
He had believed Haruto was a fruit on the verge of ripening.
It turned out he was still thoroughly unripe.
Harvesting him now would be far too soon.
As for Haruto developing a Nen ability within a single week, Hisoka did not find that particularly strange.
With a sufficiently powerful desire, creating an ability in a short period of time was entirely possible.
...
Once it became clear that Hisoka had no immediate intention of attacking, some of the tension left Haruto’s body, though he remained firmly on guard.
He turned his attention toward the round pedestal in the center of the room.
A strangely designed wristband rested on top of it. A small display on its surface showed a prominent countdown:
71:23:32
This was clearly the remaining time for the Third Phase.
Beneath the display were two buttons marked O and X.
Hisoka was already wearing an identical wristband.
Haruto stepped forward, picked up his own, and fastened it around his wrist.
Then he read the instructions beside the pedestal.
’From this point onward, every challenge can only be cleared if all companions make the same choice.’
Haruto’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He immediately recognized the loophole hidden within the rule.
It required everyone to make the "same choice," but it never specified how many companions there had to be.
Nor did it forbid them from harming one another.
In other words, if someone killed every other member of the group and became the only person left, then whatever choice they made would automatically count as unanimous.
Haruto discreetly glanced at Hisoka, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Yes...
That particular solution was obviously unsuitable for his current situation.
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