"What is wrong with you?"
Seeing that Liam had frozen completely still, Menchi leaned forward and waved a hand back and forth in front of his eyes. "Hey! Earth to Liam!"
Liam shuddered, snapping out of his daze. "Shizuku... Shizuku has never spoken with a pitch that high before. She sounded so strange! What on earth did you do to her?" He glared suspiciously at Menchi.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like I committed a crime?" Menchi shot back, her own voice rising defensively. "She lost the cooking matches, so she is bound by the rules of my ability! I get to give her three absolute commands."
"Could you at least make her speak normally?"
"I was being merciful!" Menchi huffed, crossing her arms. "I used one of my commands to make Shizuku act sweet and serve you a nice meal! Are you seriously complaining about that?"
"Sweetness?" Shizuku blinked, looking slightly confused. Having fulfilled the humiliating condition of acting like an obedient maid, she immediately straightened her posture. Her expression and tone snapped right back to their usual, quiet apathy.
Liam coughed awkwardly. "Is that it?"
Menchi chuckled evilly. "What else were you hoping for?"
"I am supposed to cook you a dish now," Shizuku stated matter-of-factly. She turned around and walked toward the far side of the massive bird's nest.
Liam followed her, only to find a rudimentary, makeshift stove set up against the woven branches. Neatly arranged next to the stove were various fresh ingredients—poultry, eggs, and vegetables.
Liam stared at the setup, completely speechless. "You are literally cooking poultry inside a giant bird's nest? That is a little messed up, don't you think?"
"To be fair, Shizuku originally wanted to try cooking the giant chick," Menchi explained casually, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. "I had to talk her out of it."
Liam glanced at the massive, five-meter-tall baby bird huddled in the center of the nest. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn he saw a massive drop of cold sweat slide down the back of the terrified bird's head.
Menchi extended her hand, summoning her heavy cast-iron pan. She walked over and set it firmly on the makeshift stove.
"Wait, can your magical conjured pan actually be used for normal cooking?" Liam asked, genuinely surprised.
"Listen to yourself," Menchi rolled her eyes dramatically. "If a pan cannot be used as a pan, then what is the point of conjuring it?"
In a blur of rapid, dazzling motion, Shizuku chopped the ingredients and threw them into the pan. She tossed and stir-fried the pork and vegetables with a level of terrifying proficiency that rivaled a seasoned master chef. Within minutes, she plated the dish and handed it to Liam.
Liam picked up a pair of chopsticks, pinched a piece of the glistening pork, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed, his eyes widening in absolute shock.
"This is incredible!" Liam exclaimed, reaching for another piece. "Menchi, you need to rebrand your Nen ability. Forget the death matches; you should call this the 'Zero-to-Master Culinary Bootcamp'!"
"Even if I wanted to open a cooking school," Menchi said, looking exasperated, "do you have any idea how few people could actually survive the entry fee?"
"Gourmet Hunters are terrifying," Liam muttered, happily devouring the rest of the stir-fry and wiping his mouth clean. He turned to Shizuku. "Alright, so my reward for clearing the island was a blank, customizable card. What did you end up getting?"
Shizuku reached into her back pocket.
"Wait, is this the weird game card thing you guys were talking about?" Menchi asked, leaning in close. "Why is yours totally blank, Liam? It says you can permanently change it into any other card. What kind of options do you even have?"
"Are you interested?" Liam smirked, waving the blank card. "Next time we free up a console, you can come play. We veterans will guide you through the newbie zones. Do not worry, we have plenty of spare memory cards."
He tapped the blank card against his chin. "As for the options, the game's reward pool is split into two main categories: Designated Slot Cards and Spell Cards."
He rattled off the list of high-tier cards as if he were reading a restaurant menu.
"There is the Ruler's Blessing, Patch of Forest, Plot of Beach, Beautifying Hot Spring, Wine Spring, Pregnancy Stone, Harvest Tree, Golden Scales, Golden Passbook, Severing Scissors, Fickle Genie, Breath of Archangel, What-If TV, Witch's Rejuvenation Potion, Witch's Slimming Potion, Sage's Aquamarine, Blue Planet, and the Rainbow Diamond."
He took a breath. "Then you have the high-level Spell Cards: Peek, Clairvoyance, Magnetic Force, Accompany, Exchange, Leave, Fluoroscopy, Blackout, Prison, God's Eye, List, and Contact."
"I think we can safely ignore the Spell Cards," Liam concluded. "Even if I materialize them out here in the real world, they are single-use items meant for the game's internal mechanics. It would be a waste."
Menchi's eyes were sparkling with sheer enthusiasm. "I am incredibly interested in this 'Virtual Restaurant' where you can order any dish imaginable! But that 'Harvest Tree' that grows every kind of fruit sounds amazing too! Oh, wait, the 'Wine Spring' is also fantastic! This is so hard to choose!"
"Who said it was your choice?" Liam deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "Why are you acting like this is your reward? Besides, I have already decided exactly what I am going to use it on."
"It could be this... or maybe that..." Menchi muttered, completely ignoring him as she paced back and forth, lost in culinary fantasies.
Liam shook his head and looked at the card in Shizuku's hand.
Because the magical game cards were technically constructs made of Nen, Shizuku could not store them inside Blinky's vacuum space. She had to carry it physically. She handed the card over to Liam. She had mentioned earlier that she had received a random item.
Liam looked at the text.
Designated Card No. 010. Rank: A-20. Name: Golden Guidebook.
Description: A specialized travel magazine that records the exact locations and times where the holder is destined to meet a person of the opposite sex who perfectly matches their romantic preferences.
"Wow. You have terrible luck. This is completely useless," Liam said, handing the card back.
"To be fair," Shizuku reasoned calmly, "the difficulty level of the trial I faced in the basement was significantly lower than whatever you had to deal with at the Zoldyck estate. It makes sense that my system reward is of a lower tier."
"What do you mean useless?!" Menchi snapped, looking highly offended. "This is an incredibly useful card, okay? Shizuku, just ignore him. He is a typical, arrogant straight man!"
Menchi grabbed Shizuku's arm and leaned in to look at the card. "So, how do we actually use this thing?"
"Do you want to use it?" Shizuku asked. She honestly shared Liam's opinion that the card was a meaningless novelty, which was why she hadn't bothered activating it. But seeing Menchi's intense excitement, she shrugged.
Holding the card flat in her palm, Shizuku spoke the activation command. "Gain."
With a soft poof of smoke, the glowing card vanished, instantly replaced by a thick, seemingly ordinary, glossy travel magazine.
Menchi giggled with excitement. She practically pressed her cheek against Shizuku's shoulder as they opened the magazine together, flipping to the first page. Menchi immediately let out a loud gasp of surprise.
Liam, trying to look disinterested, fought the urge to look. But his curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned over to peek at the page.
Menchi slammed the magazine shut with a loud snap. "Are you trying to peek?!"
"Then why did you gasp so loudly?" Liam retorted defensively.
"I was just stretching my neck! After climbing that massive tree, my muscles are tight!" Menchi lied smoothly.
"What a terrible excuse," Liam scoffed. "We reached the top in less than ten seconds. What muscles did you possibly strain?"
"Hey!" Menchi pointed an accusing finger at him. "Were you watching me climb up? You pervert!"
"We were a thousand meters in the air! I could see everything from top to bottom whether I wanted to or not!"
While bickering loudly with Menchi, Liam turned away and began pacing the perimeter of the giant nest, pretending to admire the breathtaking, high-altitude view. Behind him, Menchi and Shizuku huddled together, whispering as they flipped through the magical magazine that supposedly held the secrets to their perfect romantic matches.
Liam curled his lip, actively suppressing a smile. After giving them a few minutes, he turned back around, his expression shifting to complete seriousness.
"Alright, enough distractions," Liam said, checking his phone. "I haven't been able to contact Bisky. It has been several days, and she has completely gone off the grid. Given the state of the world right now, it is very concerning."
Shizuku pulled out her own phone, pulling up her call log. It displayed dozens of unanswered calls to Biscuit's number. She nodded, confirming the radio silence.
Liam looked at Menchi. Shizuku looked at Menchi.
Menchi slowly lowered the magazine. She looked at Shizuku, then back at Liam. "Why are you two staring at me?"
"Because we need a guide," Liam said flatly. "I need you to take us directly to the headquarters of the Hunter Association. Biscuit Krueger is Isaac Netero's direct disciple. If anyone knows where she is, or what kind of classified mess she got dragged into, it is him. We are going to ask the Chairman directly."
"So, that is the current situation. While there is a solid opportunity to hunt down a Spider, we cannot make a move until we receive concrete intelligence from the Zoldycks. The Phantom Troupe is notoriously difficult to track, but with the entire Zoldyck assassination network mobilized, they will eventually find a lead."
Sitting in Leorio's ruined apartment, Kurapika listened quietly to the giant tiger's explanation, nodding slowly.
Liam was speaking with absolute confidence. He remembered a very specific detail from the canon timeline: Killua had once casually mentioned that his father, Silva, had successfully killed a member of the Phantom Troupe in the past. Calculating the rough timeline of events, Liam was almost entirely certain that this current assassination contract was exactly how that canon event happened.
Sitting on the floor nearby, Leorio looked completely numb. He had barely gotten used to the fact that a giant tiger was speaking to him telepathically, but now they were casually discussing assassinations? What the hell was a Spider? Why did this sound like a meeting between high-level crime syndicates? Everything they said sounded like terrifying, coded underworld jargon.
Kurapika pulled out his cell phone. "I will arrange to rent a specialized transport vehicle to get you out of here. Given the size and weight of Lumos, we will probably need a medium-sized covered truck to avoid suspicion."
"There is no need to go through all that trouble," Lumos said, standing up on all four paws.
The massive tiger took two heavy steps backward, then suddenly lunged directly toward Kurapika, who was sitting on the sofa.
Leorio and the two young sisters screamed in shock, but before the beast could crush the blond teenager, the tiger's physical form warped and collapsed into a swirling mass of aura. The aura wrapped tightly around Kurapika's waist, instantly transforming into a stylish, heavily patterned tiger-skin skirt. The construct merged seamlessly with Kurapika's own aura field.
Kurapika stared down at his hands in absolute shock. A strange, powerful surge of inspiration and instinct flooded his mind. Wearing this tiger-skin construct, he felt an urgent, immediate impulse, as if he suddenly possessed the knowledge to perform a highly specific action.
"Wait... you can actually force animals to practice Nen abilities?" Kurapika asked the air, utterly bewildered. He paused, correcting his own logic. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. Animals possess life energy and aura just like humans. There is no biological reason they cannot utilize Nen."
Before leaving the apartment, Kurapika reached into his coat and pulled out his thick leather wallet. He extracted a large wad of cash and placed it firmly on Leorio's dusty coffee table.
"What is this for?" Leorio asked, confused.
"Based on the sheer caloric intake required to sustain a beast of that size, feeding him for the last two days must have completely drained your food budget," Kurapika explained simply.
Kurapika then turned his sharp gaze toward Akane and Aoi. He took in their ragged, torn clothing, their defensive postures, and the raw, unrefined state of the aura clinging to their bodies. He could easily guess the miserable living conditions they had come from.
"Listen to me," Kurapika said softly, addressing the two sisters. "Follow the instructions he gave you. Practice your aura control diligently for the next few years. When you are ready, take the official Hunter Exam. I promise you, the moment you secure a Hunter's License, your entire lives will change forever."
He tapped the tiger-skin skirt wrapped around his waist. "He gave you a massive head start."
"But... isn't the Hunter Exam supposed to be impossibly difficult?" Aoi asked, her voice trembling slightly with doubt.
"For someone who has already awakened their Nen, the difficulty of the exam is effectively cut in half," Kurapika stated.
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
Leorio scrambled to his feet, rushing after him. "Wait! The reason all those professional Hunters are so incredibly powerful and mysterious... it is because they all know how to use this invisible power, isn't it?!"
Kurapika did not answer. He stepped out into the hallway.
"Thank you!" Leorio shouted at Kurapika's retreating back. "And thank you, Mr. Tiger, whatever your real name is!"
Kurapika walked down the stairs, casually raising a hand in a silent farewell without looking back.
As he reached the street, he reached down and tapped his waist. The tiger-skin skirt instantly vanished, turning completely invisible. The Seventy-Two Transformations ability operated on a simple rule: the greater the physical alteration to the base form, the more aura it constantly consumed. By reducing the transformation to a simple, invisible wrap, Liam could minimize the passive aura drain on his end to almost nothing.
The Headquarters of the Hunter Association.
Under the confident leadership of Menchi—a One-Star Gourmet Hunter who had already made a significant name for herself within the organization and disciple Ginta one of the Zodiac—Liam and Shizuku bypassed the grueling security checkpoints. They took the private, high-speed VIP elevator all the way to the heavily guarded top floor, where the Chairman's office was located.
The Hunter Association was an incredibly elite, exclusive organization. Even at its absolute peak, the total number of licensed Hunters worldwide rarely exceeded five hundred individuals. The vast majority of those members would never set foot inside this headquarters building unless Chairman Netero issued a direct, personal summons. A significant portion of the membership actively ignored Association politics entirely, viewing the organization as nothing more than a convenient licensing board that provided them with the legal immunity and funding needed to pursue their own selfish goals. The Association, inherently loose and fiercely independent, allowed this behavior to flourish.
Liam was genuinely expecting a quiet walk down the hallway. Just as he assumed they would not run into anyone important, the heavy mahogany doors of the Chairman's office swung open.
A young man who looked exactly like a delinquent, overly cheerful high school student strolled out.
Kanzai.
Kanzai's eyes immediately locked onto the approaching group. His cheerful smile did not waver, but his eyes carried a sharp, unkind glint. As he passed Menchi and her companions, he offered a perfectly polite, exaggerated bow before striding smoothly toward the elevator banks.
Liam stopped, glancing over his shoulder to watch Kanzai's retreating back until the elevator doors slid shut. With a dark scowl, Liam turned back around and followed Menchi and Shizuku into the massive office.
"Ah, Gourmet Hunter Menchi," a small, green, bean-shaped man squeaked from behind a massive stack of paperwork. Beans, the Chairman's perpetually stressed secretary, quickly checked his daily reservation ledger. Comparing Beans' bizarre appearance to the Dark Continent entities Liam had recently dealt with, Nanika suddenly looked quite pretty.
"Who are these two?" Beans asked nervously, looking at Liam and Shizuku.
"Ho ho ho! Well, look who it is!"
Isaac Netero spun his high-backed leather chair around to face them. The ancient Chairman broke into a wide, genuinely delighted smile the moment he saw Liam and Shizuku. He raised a bushy eyebrow. "It has been quite a while since we last crossed paths! You two have grown significantly! How rare to see you in my office."
"Well, famous teachers naturally produce great disciples!" Liam replied smoothly, leaning against the doorframe. "It is just a massive pity that our famous teacher has completely vanished off the face of the earth. Which is exactly why her two great disciples are currently very worried."
"Oh?" Netero stroked his long, white beard, his eyes twinkling with amusement. After listening to Liam briefly explain their concerns regarding Biscuit's sudden disappearance, the old man waved a hand dismissively. "Do not worry about that little girl. She is in her fifties, you know. A seasoned master like her will not die easily. But regarding you two... are you interested in playing a little game with this old man?"
"You go check your secure channels and find out exactly what happened to Biscuit first," Liam countered firmly, crossing his arms. "Once we know she is safe, we will gladly stick around and play whatever games you want."
Netero pointed a bony finger at Liam, chuckling softly. He reached across his massive desk and picked up his secure, encrypted telephone.