The transition from the mountain cliffs to the next stage of the Hunter Exam felt like stepping from one kind of danger into another, entirely different kind. Gone was the open sky and the shrieks of Spider-Eagles; in their place rose the Tallrock Prison Tower, a needle of stone and metal that stabbed upward from the plains like a buried titan's nail.
Its shadow stretched across the gathered examinees as the afternoon light dimmed. The air around the Tower felt dense, almost pressurized. The building wasn't tall by skyscraper standards—barely ten stories—but the weight it carried in the story of the Hunter Exam made it feel colossal. It was a place made not just to confine criminals, but to measure character with mathematical cruelty.
Ethan stood beside Gon's group as the contestants were funneled into an open courtyard. Three Proctors stood ahead—Menchi beside Buhara, and a third examiner Ethan didn't recognize; meaning that this was a modified timeline test, not a one-to-one recreation of canon.
The Panel tingled under Ethan's sleeve.
He lowered his arm slightly and allowed the translucent window to unfold.
---
PANEL MISSION — PHASE THREE
Mission: Complete the Tower Trial (Time-Descent Exam)
Objective: Survive 72 hours inside the Tallrock Prison Tower and successfully descend to the exit floor.
Party Allowed: Group of 5 selected by examinee decision.
Constraints:
• No killing examinees or altering outcome of pass/fail decisions.
• Maintain canonical survival of core characters.
• Avoid major deviation that draws examiner suspicion.
• Personal suggestion: Stay with Gon's group.
Known Hazards:
• Convicted criminals assigned as opponents.
• Time-windowed choice rooms.
• Falling traps, endurance tests, psychological pressure.
Bonus Extractables:
• Convict Aura Residue (20 PP)
• Tower Reflex Trait (80 PP)
• Minor Gamble Sense (50 PP)
Host PP: 1,530
Recommended Loadout: No overt skills; rely on stealth assistance.
Host Warning: Hisoka is observing.
---
Ethan erased the screen quickly.
Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio were huddled, murmuring.
"We need five people," Leorio was saying, counting on his fingers. "And obviously the four of us are sticking together."
Killua shrugged. "Yeah, but we need one more or they'll assign a random person."
Kurapika looked up. "Ethan. You've been keeping pace with us this whole time. If you intend to continue, you should join us for this section."
Gon gave his wide, earnest grin. "Yeah! Ethan should come too! He helped people on the cliff."
Ethan forced himself to look mildly surprised. "I'm in. If you'll have me."
He wasn't surprised by the invitation; the Panel had predicted it. But hearing Gon say it so simply tugged at something deep—something Ethan kept tucked behind caution and logic.
A chime rang from loudspeakers bolted onto the Tower's stone walls.
A voice echoed:
"Groups of five will enter one at a time. Descent must be completed within seventy-two hours. Good luck, examinees."
The great steel door hissed open.
Gon's group filed in. Ethan followed last, feeling the Tower swallow them into its dim belly. As soon as the door closed, a giant digital clock turned on, projecting red numbers into the dark:
71:59:59
Killua crooned. "Timer's already running."
Leorio groaned.
Kurapika scanned the hall. "It begins."
The chamber ahead was circular, with a single catwalk that forked into three identical corridors, each marked with a glowing "?" symbol. The air smelled faintly of rust and humidity. Somewhere far below, chains clanked.
The Panel pulsed again.
He glanced:
---
PANEL — HOST CHOICE POINT
Upcoming Choice Room
• Door chosen will determine opponent difficulty.
• Canon suggests choosing left door for optimal low-risk path.
• Host interference allowed: "Indirect persuasion only."
• Danger if Hisoka detects manipulation.
---
Ethan looked up.
Gon was already circling the three doors with a kind of fascinated excitement.
"So we just pick one and see what happens?" Gon asked.
Leorio scratched his head. "That sounds like a horrible idea."
Killua smirked. "It's a game. Obviously."
Ethan stepped closer—not commanding, just conversational.
"Left corridor has better airflow," he said quietly, touching the metal frame. "Probably means it's connected to a larger room or an easier path."
He said it casually, enough for it to seem like simple observation.
Kurapika nodded. "A reasonable deduction. I agree."
Gon beamed. "Left it is!"
The door opened with a mechanical whoosh.
Beyond it was a long walkway suspended over a chasm, lit by harsh industrial lamps. On the opposite side stood a man—muscular, shaved head, prison uniform, arms crossed like steel bars.
A convict.
He smiled with cracked lips.
"Five against one? Heh. Must be my lucky day."
A monitor lowered from above, flickering to life.
"RULE: Majority decision wins. Contest is chosen by the convict. If you win, you proceed. If you lose, you fall."
The walkway's floor panels trembled. Lose, and the platform beneath your feet would drop you into who-knew-what.
Leorio muttered, "Great. A psycho with a sense of humor."
Gon, unfazed, stepped forward. "What kind of contest?"
The convict grinned wider.
"A game of timing. Push the button at the exact second I say. Push too early or too late, and you lose."
Killua scoffed. "That's rigged."
Kurapika tensed. "It's meant to be."
Ethan felt the Panel hum, offering optional assistance.
---
PANEL — MICRO-MISSION
Micro-Mission: "Ensure group wins timing challenge."
Optional Host Actions:
• Enhance Perception for 10 seconds (cost: 2 PP).
• Whisper timing to chosen ally (low-risk).
• Directly press button (not recommended).
Reward: +20 PP, +1 Reflex Fragment.
---
He activated Perception Boost for a brief flicker—barely long enough to coat the world in sharpened detail.
The convict inhaled.
"Press at… five seconds… exactly."
The countdown began on the overhead screen.
Everyone's shoulders tensed.
Gon stared, eyes blazing with competitive fire.
Killua's fingers hovered.
Leorio sweat bullets.
Kurapika's breathing steadied.
Ethan watched the digital clock—each tick huge, clear, exaggerated in his boosted senses.
When the convict exhaled, ever so slightly before he said "zero," Ethan whispered without turning his head:
"Now."
Gon slammed the button.
A perfect hit.
The convict blinked, stunned.
The walkway beeped—green.
Gon laughed. "We did it!"
Killua blinked. "Huh. Nice call."
Kurapika gave Ethan a small nod of thanks.
Leorio collapsed with relief.
The convict snarled, stepping back as the door behind him unlocked.
As they passed through, Ethan felt the boost fade. Quietly, a reward screen flicked up beneath his sleeve.
---
PANEL — MICRO-MISSION COMPLETE
• +20 PP (×10 applied → +200 PP)
• +1 Reflex Fragment
• Path maintained: low-risk descent
---
The Tower opened into another corridor—darker, colder, lined with bridges and grated platforms.
Their footsteps echoed.
Gon whispered, awe in his voice, "This is amazing."
Killua's eyes gleamed. "This place is fun."
Leorio muttered, "Your idea of fun worries me."
Ethan smiled to himself as he followed them deeper.
The Tower was a trial of strategy, pressure, and the subtle choices that defined people. Gon's unbreakable spirit, Killua's deadly instinct, Kurapika's logic, Leorio's earnest loyalty—they were navigating not just the Tower, but themselves.
Ethan's part was quieter: a stabilizing presence, a shadow that nudged things back toward their destined route without taking their triumphs.
The next door slid open.
A heavier room.
Multiple platforms.
Three prisoners waiting.
A more dangerous phase.
Gon whispered, "Here we go."
Ethan breathed deep.
The Tower descended—and with it, the next collision of fate, danger, and the invisible hand of his Panel guiding him through the fractures of this timeline.