Franklin and Bonolenov's corpses were roughly stuffed into the back seat of the car, their limbs twisted and tangled together.
Morrow lifted a plastic bottle filled with gasoline, unscrewed the cap, and splashed the pungent liquid over the seats, the bodies, and every corner of the car's interior.
Kalluto watched from the side and suddenly spoke up, "Morrow, wouldn't it burn better if we cut them into pieces?"
"Pieces?"
Morrow glanced back at Kalluto and shook his head. "Probably wouldn't make much difference."
"What if we minced them?"
Kalluto pressed.
Morrow replied, "If they're minced, they'll definitely burn faster."
"Then should we mince them before burning? That way, we wouldn't have to wait around here."
Kalluto raised his fan, pointing at the two gasoline-soaked corpses in the car.
Morrow nodded. "Not a bad idea, but mincing two bodies would be too much work."
"I can use my 'paper blades' to shred them!"
Kalluto volunteered eagerly.
Morrow noticed Kalluto's unusual enthusiasm and asked suspiciously, "What, are you hungry or something?"
"Yeah, a little."
Kalluto admitted sheepishly.
Morrow chuckled. "Then save your energy. I'll handle this."
"Mm-hmm."
Kalluto nodded obediently, then suddenly had an idea and pointed his fan at Kurapika, who was approaching them.
"Kurapika's chains can extend freely, right? Couldn't he use them to grind the bodies into pieces?"
"That's actually not a bad idea."
Morrow mused.
Kurapika, who had already arrived nearby, naturally overheard Morrow and Kalluto's conversation. He immediately stopped in his tracks, refusing to take another step forward.
A few minutes later,
The car was engulfed in roaring flames.
Amid the flickering tongues of fire, glimpses of blood and minced flesh splattered across the interior were faintly visible.
Morrow had taken Kalluto's suggestion and shredded Franklin and Bonolenov's corpses before setting them alight.
This ensured a more thorough burn, and more importantly, they didn't have to wait around for the fire to finish.
"Let's go."
Once the flames reached their peak, Morrow turned and walked away.
Kalluto followed, falling into step beside him.
Kurapika took one last glance at the blazing car before turning away and quickly catching up to Morrow and Kalluto.
Behind them, thick plumes of smoke rose like pillars into the sky.
And so.
The spider had lost four more legs.
After disposing of the bodies, Morrow sent Hisoka a message: "Back to work."
As long as Hisoka could provide more intel on the Phantom Troupe's divisions, Morrow could seize the opportunity to continue his hunt.
Ideally, he needed to sever as many of the spider's legs as possible before the Troupe could react.
If he couldn't make it in time…
Then he would simply retreat into the shadows and wait for another opening.
After all, he could afford to slow the pace of his hunt, but he absolutely couldn't afford to slip up.
Just like a Hunter, he would only pull the trigger when he was certain of his shot.
In a lavish casino somewhere in the world,
Hisoka lounged lazily in front of a slot machine, idly picking up his phone. The screen displayed Morrow's message.
"How efficient~~"
The moment he saw the message, Hisoka knew that Franklin and Bonolenov had likely fallen to Morrow's hands.
Counting this...
Morrow had now taken the lives of four Spiders.
If the Troupe didn't act soon, there was a real chance Morrow might wipe them all out.
Hisoka toyed with his phone, his slender index finger resting against his chin, a glint of amusement flashing in his golden eyes.
The Troupe's future?
Something that boring didn't concern him in the slightest.
What he craved was another exhilarating deathmatch with Morrow.
But before that,
He needed to secure a one-on-one battle with Chrollo.
So really, what did it matter if the Troupe was destroyed?
Hisoka slowly lowered the hand resting on his chin and instead pulled the lever of the slot machine, which emitted a crisp clicking sound.
Immediately, the reels began spinning rapidly, the colorful patterns blurring into streaks under the bright lights.
Hisoka put away his phone and focused on the spinning reels.
Soon, the wheels stopped, aligning three identical symbols in a row, triggering the cheerful jingle of a jackpot.
Hisoka narrowed his elongated eyes slightly, watching the rapidly increasing prize amount on the screen.
In the past, he wouldn't have cared about the final payout.
But now...
He was desperately short on money.
The prize amount on the machine finally settled, followed by a metallic clinking as coins poured down like rain, piling into a small mountain in the tray.
The jingling sound stood out amidst the noisy casino, drawing the attention of nearby gamblers.
Hisoka paid no mind to the stares but suddenly sensed something, turning his gaze toward a tall figure approaching him directly.
The man had sleek, jet-black hair and wore dull-toned clothing adorned with what appeared to be decorative round beads.
It was Illumi.
Under the dazzling lights of the casino, his hollow black eyes looked particularly unsettling.
"Found you, Hisoka."
Illumi stopped in front of Hisoka, his flat, mechanical voice devoid of warmth. "Were you deliberately ignoring my calls?"
"Not at all~ My phone just happened to die~"
Hisoka flashed an innocent smile.
Illumi stared coldly at Hisoka's face.
He had just seen Hisoka holding a phone with its screen still lit.
"Did you get the money ready?"
Not bothering to call out Hisoka's lie, Illumi cut straight to the point.
Hisoka smiled and pointed at the still-pouring coins from the slot machine.
Illumi didn't care how Hisoka earned the money. With just a glance at the remaining prize amount and the pile of coins, he quickly calculated the total.
"Not enough. As we agreed, if you can't gather the full amount today, the interest will increase tenfold."
He stated plainly.
Though he had agreed to installment payments, the penalty for defaulting was non-negotiable.
"..."
Hisoka fell silent for a moment, then pulled out his phone, feigning surprise. "Oh, looks like it still has battery."
Without waiting for Illumi's reaction, he immediately sent Morrow a message asking to borrow money.
Somewhere in the wilderness of the Kukan'yu Kingdom.
Morrow picked up his phone.
Initially thinking it was a reply from Hisoka along the lines of "received," he glanced at the faintly glowing screen only to see an extremely brief message: "Lend me a billion."
Borrowing money again? Oh, I didn't lend him any last time.
Morrow muttered to himself.
Beside him, Kalluto, noticing Morrow's reaction, immediately perked up like a curious kitten and peeked at the message displayed on the phone screen.
And there it was, Hisoka's loan request.
"Ah!"
Seeing the words "borrow money," Kalluto suddenly seemed to remember something and let out an annoyed exclamation.
Morrow couldn't help but look over and ask, "What's wrong?"
Kurapika also turned a questioning gaze his way.
Kalluto clutched his small head. "I forgot something important!"
"What is it?"
Morrow raised an eyebrow, pressing further.
Pouting in disappointment, Kalluto said, "I forgot to search the bodies earlier. I might've found a lot of money!"
"..."
Morrow and Kurapika exchanged speechless glances.
"Don't worry about it."
Morrow tried to console him. "Bonolenov's outfit didn't look like he'd carry money around, and as for Franklin… even if he had any, it was probably destroyed in the fight."
Kalluto tilted his head, thought it over, and found it reasonable. His expression softened slightly before he blinked his big eyes and pointed at Morrow's phone. "So… Morrow, are you going to lend that pervert money?"
"I will."
Morrow's fingers swiftly tapped the screen as he sighed. "After all, Hisoka really helped us out this time, and we're counting on him to keep working hard."
"Fine."
Even if Kalluto was reluctant, he wouldn't oppose Morrow's decision.
Far away in a distant casino.
Hisoka received the money Morrow transferred, a timely rain.
Otherwise, if he couldn't gather enough today, his debts would only snowball.
But even after paying Illumi back this time, there was still a huge gap left.
So he had to get money fast and clear all his debts in one go…
Hisoka never imagined a day when "debt" would restrict some of his freedom.
Well, sometimes, he found a certain pleasure in it.
Thinking this, Hisoka swiftly transferred the money to Illumi.
Illumi took out his phone and confirmed the transaction.
"Received."
Satisfied, he pocketed his phone.
Hisoka, meanwhile, pointed at the now inactive slot machine and extended an invitation to Illumi: "Want to stay and play for a bit?"
"No, I'm busy."
Illumi declined Hisoka's offer and turned to leave without hesitation.
But after just two steps, he suddenly paused.
Should I tell Hisoka about the deposit I took from Chrollo?
Illumi stared ahead, lost in thought.
Feeling Hisoka's probing gaze, Illumi resumed walking.
Forget it. Hisoka's a snitch now. If I tell him, it'll only benefit Morrow. Anyway… I just need to ensure Kalluto's safety.
With that self-directed thought, Illumi quickened his pace.
Watching Illumi's retreating figure, a strange glint flickered in Hisoka's eyes.
—--
August 15.
A full week had passed since Franklin and Bonolenov turned to dust in the wilderness of Kukan'yu Kingdom.
The spiders of the Phantom Troupe continued moving along their respective paths. Unless absolutely necessary, they rarely contacted one another for information exchange.
Thus, they remained unaware of Franklin and Bonolenov's deaths.
Jappon, a certain town.
The streets were bathed in the warm orange glow of lanterns, the night breeze carrying the scent of incense.
Today marked Jappon's traditional Obon Festival.
The people of Jappon believed that ancestral spirits returned to the mortal world on this day, giving rise to customs such as welcoming spirits, sending them off, and floating lanterns.
Every year on this occasion, lanterns adorned every corner of Jappon, and crowds gathered spontaneously. Professions like Spiritualists and Onmyoji also faced their busiest time of the year.
Chrollo weaved through the bustling crowd, clutching an old flip phone engraved with an arrow piercing a heart.
Ring-ring, ring-ring…
"The owner of the number you dialed is not currently nearby. Please try again later or change locations before redialing…"
Listening to the cold automated message from the phone, Chrollo's indifferent gaze swept across the noisy crowd, lingering deliberately on the Spiritualists clad in red and white hunting robes.
Even with so many gathered here… still nothing?
During the Obon Festival, locals often sought the help of Spiritualists and Onmyoji, yearning to communicate with departed loved ones.
Though Jappon had many officially registered Spiritualists and Onmyoji, most were mere charlatans peddling superstitions.
Only a handful who wielded Nen possessed genuine abilities.
Chrollo had come all this way after hearing rumors in Jappon about those who could converse with the dead.
Coinciding with the annual Obon Festival, he had hoped to find his target more quickly. Yet after a full day of searching, he still hadn't found anyone who met his criteria.
This was the limitation of the Love Dial 6700 ability.
While it could help the user locate targets matching specific skill conditions, its detection range was limited, forcing a slow, methodical search with no shortcuts.
Though Chrollo could narrow his search to Jappon based on "rumors," he couldn't guarantee the country actually held a suitable target.
To confirm this,
He would have to comb through every corner of Jappon.
Finding one would be ideal.
Not finding one would mean wasted time and effort.
This Limitation, rooted in the "unknown," was much like love; no matter how much time and effort one poured in, there was no guarantee of success.
But Chrollo was patient, unbothered by anxiety or similar emotions.
Until he accomplished his goal, he could maintain this mindset, steadfastly moving forward.
In the original story,
before formally accepting Hisoka's challenge, Chrollo had used this very method and mentality to collect the Nen abilities he needed, leading to Hisoka's crushing defeat and death.
Only one place left here.
Chrollo moved through the crowd, his eyes fixed on the distant back mountain.
On the mountain path, lanterns formed a winding dragon of light, spiraling up the stone steps until they converged at the summit, illuminating even a portion of the night sky.
"Ring-ring."
"The owner of the number you dialed is not."
Along the lantern-adorned path, local residents carrying lanterns made their way toward the mountaintop.
Chrollo walked among them, his figure flickering in and out of view amidst the swaying lantern light.
"Ring-ring."
"The owner of the number you dialed has been located, but remains some distance away."
Midway up the path, Chrollo's footsteps paused slightly as he lifted his gaze toward the summit where countless lights gathered.
At last... found.
--------
Bonus chapter @100 power stones.