If Hisoka had revealed the real reason for coming here to Shalnark...
Even just mentioning Morrow's name would have immediately made Shalnark list Morrow as a person of interest or a key possibility to investigate.
Hisoka would never let that happen.
He had waited far too long to allow anyone to ruin his current excitement.
Shalnark knew full well that Hisoka's response was just brushing him off.
But since the battle traces here had nothing to do with Hisoka, he had no reason to demand a truthful answer from him.
Right now, all he wanted was to quickly confirm the true identity of the charred corpse in the cemetery.
However...
An ominous premonition lingered in his heart.
Before proceeding to identify the body, he tried contacting Feitan again but still failed, leaving three consecutive messages instead.
Next, he called Phinks and briefly explained the situation.
Hisoka, who had been observing from the sidelines, overheard Shalnark's conversation with Phinks and learned that the scorched earth in the cemetery was actually the result of Feitan's ability.
This made the identity of the corpse on the ground all the more intriguing.
Was it Feitan himself, or someone who had fought against Feitan?
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Hisoka silently stared at the charred remains.
After a moment, he casually asked Shalnark, "Need any help?"
Shalnark had just put away his phone and couldn't help but look surprised at Hisoka's offer.
Though he hadn't interacted much with Hisoka, he didn't think the man was the type to volunteer assistance.
"Hisoka, are you serious, or is this just empty courtesy?"
"Empty courtesy."
Holding an umbrella with one hand, Hisoka pressed the back of his other hand against his waist in a rather flamboyant pose, answering without hesitation.
Shalnark was speechless and promptly ignored Hisoka's existence.
He felt that exchanging even one more word with Hisoka would be a waste of life.
Hisoka showed no particular reaction to being ignored, merely raising his umbrella with a faint smirk as he walked out of the cemetery.
Rather than waiting here for answers, he'd much rather find Morrow as soon as possible.
Exiting the cemetery, Hisoka looked up at the torrential rain pouring from the gloomy sky. After a brief contemplation, he still took out his phone and sent Illumi a text asking to borrow money.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the world...
Illumi stood beside a pool of blood, reading Hisoka's message.
Without hesitation, he transferred a large sum to Hisoka and specifically reminded him in his reply not to lay a hand on Kalluto.
After all, Hisoka was the type...
To grow unusually sensitive during bloodshed.
And in that state, he might very well target Kalluto.
"Hisoka, you must kill Morrow."
The faint glow of the phone screen reflected in Illumi's pitch-black eyes.
The fact that Hisoka had set his sights on Morrow was both unexpected and pleasantly surprising to Illumi.
Honestly, if not for Hisoka's obsession with one-on-one battles and his refusal to allow interference, Illumi might have even stepped in personally.
Now, all he hoped was that Hisoka would go all out and cleanly eliminate Morrow.
"No problem."
Illumi recalled his own encounter with Morrow months ago. He found Morrow to be quite troublesome, but more so due to his expressive use of Nen abilities, while his Nen techniques had obvious weaknesses.
If not for his great-grandfather's intervention back then, he was fully confident he could have killed Morrow.
So in his view, Hisoka, whose strength was on par with his own, would undoubtedly succeed as long as he was determined to pluck Morrow, this ripe fruit.
Illumi slipped his phone back into his pocket, eagerly anticipating the outcome of Hisoka's next move.
After leaving the cemetery, Kurapika, likely due to overusing his Scarlet Eyes, compounded by the rain and his injuries, soon developed a fever.
Morrow had no choice but to make a temporary stop in a nearby town and asked Kalluto to help find a clinic that catered specifically to underworld figures, assassins, and the like.
In this regard, Kalluto was quite familiar with the process. Using his own connections, he quickly found a suitable clinic.
Morrow then took Kurapika there.
The clinic doctor, upon seeing the alarming number of wounds on Kurapika and noticing something unusual in the ointment, didn't ask any questions and immediately took him in.
That was the advantage of such clinics, minimal fuss.
Inside the ward, Kurapika lay on the bed, eyes shut tight, his face slightly contorted in pain.
His right hand gripped the sheets tightly, whether from the torment of the fever or a nightmare, it was hard to say.
Morrow stood by the bedside, slightly bowing his head as he gazed at Kurapika's pale, bloodless face.
You're too impatient...
He muttered inwardly before picking up a towel to wipe the sweat from Kurapika's forehead.
Though he felt Kurapika was still far from mature, he had to admit that he himself had played a part in this.
It was he who had set Kurapika on this path, one inevitably fraught with suffering, far too soon.
Setting the towel aside, Morrow's eyes darkened with contemplation.
On the way to this town, he had already made up his mind.
He realized that facing an existence like the Phantom Troupe with mere luck would only lead to disaster.
So he cast aside any thoughts of complacency and resolved to strike first, to eradicate the entire Phantom Troupe.
With Kalluto's tracking ability, he could pick off the Troupe's members one by one.
But Morrow wasn't naive enough to think the Phantom Troupe would remain oblivious.
That spider's brain.
Once he sensed someone targeting the Troupe, he would undoubtedly respond with swift precision.
If the Troupe went on high alert or prepared countermeasures, even with Kalluto's tracking, every attack could risk walking into a trap.
This wasn't Morrow overestimating Chrollo's abilities, he simply understood that against an opponent like him, any underestimation or carelessness could cost him his life.
And the worst-case scenario? The Troupe shifting to a concentrated offensive mid-hunt, using the unique properties of Nen to track him down...
Under normal circumstances, such excessive caution might be unnecessary.
But when the opponent was Chrollo, conventional thinking didn't apply.
Because, within Skill Hunter, there were far too many variables.
In any case, this can't be rushed.
Morrow thought silently. He always reminded himself this way, never rush things, whether in action or decision.
Kalluto glanced at Kurapika lying on the hospital bed and asked, "Morrow, is he the last survivor of the Kurta Clan?"
While the doctor treated Kurapika, Kalluto had already learned from Morrow why Kurapika dared to confront Feitan.
"Mhm."
Morrow nodded.
Kalluto immediately looked at Kurapika with pity, murmuring softly, "How tragic."
"Are you sympathizing with Kurapika, Kalluto?"
Morrow tilted his head slightly, observing Kalluto, who sat primly on the chair.
Hearing this, Kalluto tilted his head in thought before shaking it lightly. "No. I just think he's pitiful."
"Is that so..."
Morrow studied Kalluto's indifferent expression, faintly seeing traces of Killua, Illumi, and others in it.
When it came to people or things they didn't care about, members of the Zoldyck Family truly only reacted this way.
After all, they lacked the empathy or compassion ordinary people possessed.
Sensing something off in Morrow's reaction, Kalluto hesitated before asking, "Morrow, is this... bad of me?"
"Not at all."
Morrow smiled gently. "Kalluto, I've told you before, don't worry about or accommodate others' judgments. Just do what you believe is right."
"Oh."
Kalluto nodded obediently.
Morrow then turned his gaze back to Kurapika. "Kurapika shares one thing in common with you."
"Hm?"
Kalluto glanced at Morrow's profile, curious.
Morrow chuckled. "Like you, he doesn't need anyone's pity. And he has a certain... resilience beyond his years."
"..."
Kalluto's eyes shifted, silently observing Kurapika on the bed.
Outside the window,
Rain poured relentlessly, battering the ground and rooftops with a sharp, rhythmic clatter.
It was April, and this storm had arrived with overwhelming force, unlikely to stop anytime soon.
Until Kurapika woke, Morrow and Kalluto had no plans to leave, choosing to remain in the hospital room.
BANG!
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the first floor.
"Where's the damn doctor?! Get out here! Hey, Hayden, keep your eyes open, you bastard!"
A rough, violent voice followed, soon drowned in a cacophony of noise, the most grating being the man's relentless stream of curses.
Soon, heavy footsteps thudded up the stairs, each step pounding uncomfortably against the ears.
As the footsteps drew closer, Kalluto's right hand subtly reached for the fan at his waist, casting a questioning glance at Morrow.
Morrow shook his head slightly, signaling Kalluto not to act rashly.
Places like this, catering to underworld figures and assassins, were bound to be chaotic.
But as long as they weren't provoked, there was no need to interfere.
SLAM!
The door was kicked open violently.
"Damn it, I don't care if there's space or not!"
A burly man with a scarred face barged in, his expression twisted with aggression.
His fierce gaze swept over Kurapika's unconscious form before settling on Morrow and Kalluto.
Morrow's eyes gradually turned cold, an ominous aura faintly radiating from him.
But the scarred man seemed oblivious, stepping forward as if to approach Morrow. At that moment, a hand pressed down on the scar-faced man's shoulder, forcibly pulling him back.
"My apologies, my friend here doesn't know any better."
The one who pulled the big man back was a man with narrow, fox-like eyes.
He gave Morrow an apologetic smile before gently closing the door with his hand.
After shutting the door, the fox-eyed man exhaled in relief, turning his head to glare coldly at his companion. He raised his index finger to his lips, signaling the scar-faced man to stay silent.
The scar-faced man opened his mouth but ultimately closed it obediently under the fox-eyed man's icy gaze.
Seeing this, the fox-eyed man turned and headed downstairs, with the scar-faced man following closely behind.
Downstairs, a doctor was treating a man covered in blood.
The fox-eyed man stood nearby and suddenly said, "That guy isn't someone to mess with. Don't be reckless."
This was clearly directed at the scar-faced man.
The scar-faced man frowned but said nothing, only looking worriedly at his injured companion.
A long while later.
The front door on the first floor suddenly swung open, letting in a gust of cold wind mixed with rain that soaked the floor.
The abrupt disturbance made the scar-faced man and the fox-eyed man tense up, both swiftly drawing pistols from their waistbands.
They shot the doctor a threatening look to continue treating their companion before striding toward the entrance.
At the door, a woman with striking black-and-white hair was closing her umbrella sword, shaking off the rainwater. Beside her stood a tall woman with long golden hair and a centipede-like scar on her face.
The scar-faced man and the fox-eyed man emerged from the hallway corner, aiming their guns at the two women.
"Morena, have you lost your mind?! How dare you act so recklessly!"
The scar-faced man shouted angrily, pointing his gun at the golden-haired woman.
The fox-eyed man remained calmer, his voice low as he asked, "Morena, I'll ask you just one question, was this unprovoked attack your own doing, or was it the decision of the Heil-Ly family?"
"Does it matter?"
Morena smiled, her eyes as emotionless as an abyss.
Hearing this, the fox-eyed man didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets poured out, but when they struck Morena, they seemed to hit an invisible barrier, clattering harmlessly to the ground.
Despite the fox-eyed man's rudeness, Morena maintained her faint smile, though the aura gradually radiating from her carried a faintly bloody scent.
Upstairs.
Morrow sensed a fluctuation in aura and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Kalluto, I'm going down to check. Stay here and watch over Kurapika."
After giving Kalluto the instruction, Morrow left the ward and descended the stairs to the first floor.
What greeted him were two corpses lying on the ground, the scar-faced man and the fox-eyed man from earlier.
Morrow's gaze swept past the bodies before settling on the two women standing nearby.
When his eyes landed on Morena, his expression shifted slightly.
Morena also noticed Morrow descending from the second floor. A flicker of surprise crossed her face before she smiled and said, "I didn't expect to run into the Battle Olympia champion here. I've seen your matches, your strength is truly admirable."
"..." Morrow remained silent, not responding to Morena's words. Instead, as if sensing something, he suddenly looked up toward the second floor, his brows slightly furrowed.
During the brief time he had been downstairs, an unmistakable aura had appeared on the second floor, though it made no movements and carried no hostility or bloodlust.
Seeing Morrow's silence and odd reaction, Morena understood he had no intention of conversation and didn't press further.
With the matter already resolved, she turned and left without hesitation.
The woman beside her, with black-and-white hair, immediately unfurled her umbrella sword, holding it above Morena.
After taking a few steps, Morena suddenly paused and glanced back at Morrow, asking curiously, "Is this our first time meeting?"
"Yes."
Morrow's expression remained calm as he finally spoke.
Morena lowered her gaze, pondering his earlier reaction, then carefully searched her memory, confirming she had indeed never crossed paths with him before.
She didn't dwell on the question, offering the Battle Olympia champion a polite smile before striding away.
As Morena exited through the doors, Morrow swiftly made his way toward the stairs.
From her reaction, it was clear the sudden aura on the second floor didn't belong to her people.
Returning to the hallway outside the second-floor ward, Morrow immediately spotted Kalluto, who stood on high alert inside the room, and Hisoka leaning against the windowsill, idly shuffling a deck of cards.
So it was him...
At the sight of Hisoka, Morrow's eyelids drooped slightly. Having already braced himself, he wasn't the least bit surprised by Hisoka's appearance.
Unlike Morrow's indifferent reaction, the moment Hisoka saw him, his fingers froze mid-shuffle.
His face, marked with teardrop patterns, gradually twisted into an expression of ravenous longing, genuine, literal hunger.
So intense that his features contorted, and even the aura around him began warping unnaturally.
"Morrow... you've kept me waiting far too long."
Hisoka slowly stretched, deliberately, or perhaps not, emphasizing his hips.
The distorted aura radiating from him made Kalluto's face pale. Like a startled kitten, he retreated, though not too far, remaining stationed by the bedside.
After all, Morrow had instructed him before leaving: "Watch over Kurapika..."