Grape Spider Valley was an enormous, bottomless gorge. Sheer cliffs rose on either side, their faces densely covered in webs belonging to the deadly venomous Grape Spiders. These spiders were small, but their venom was potent enough for a single bite to paralyze a full-grown, burly man within minutes. They laid their eggs in webs deep within the gorge, where the plump, rounded clusters resembled bunches of purple grapes—hence their name. To retrieve the Grape Spider eggs, the examinees had to jump off the cliff, catch a web as they fell, collect the eggs, then use the Elastic Net on the opposite cliff to bounce back to the top. One wrong move meant either plunging into the abyss or dying from a Grape Spider's venom. When Lin Ye and his four companions reached the mouth of the valley, quite a few examinees were already standing at the cliff's edge, trembling as they stared into the bottomless gorge, unable to bring themselves to jump. Others had already leaped, only to miss their grip on the webs and plummet with piercing screams. Still others were swarmed by Grape Spiders and fell screaming from the cliffs. "My God, isn't this way too dangerous?" Leorio swallowed as he stared down into the gorge. "If you fall, you'll be smashed to pieces! And one bite from those Poison Spiders will finish you!" "It is dangerous." Kurapika frowned at the webs on the cliff face. "The webs are scattered far apart, and the Grape Spiders are hiding in them. Getting the eggs while avoiding their attacks will be very difficult." Gon, however, showed no fear at all. Instead, he lay at the edge of the cliff, peering excitedly at the webs below with shining eyes. "Wow! This looks so exciting! Let's give it a try!" "Sure! Let's see who gets the eggs first!" Killua immediately chimed in, his eyes eager. Lin Ye smiled and shook his head at the two of them. His Observation Haki already covered the entire gorge, allowing him to sense every web, every Grape Spider, and even which eggs were the plumpest. "If you want to try, I can guide you," he told them. "Thirty meters to the left, there's a large web with the most eggs and the fewest spiders. That's your best target. Control your bodies as you fall and avoid the scattered webs. There are spiders hiding in all of them." "Got it!" Gon and Killua immediately nodded, exchanged a glance, then sprinted toward the edge together and leaped without the slightest hesitation. "Hey! Be careful, you two!" Leorio leaned over the edge and shouted down at them, his face tense. Lin Ye also approached the edge, keeping his Observation Haki firmly locked onto Gon and Killua. If either of them faced danger, he would immediately use Sky Step to rescue them. His worry proved unnecessary, however. Gon and Killua were incredibly agile, perfectly controlling their descent as they headed straight for the large web Lin Ye had pointed out. Relying on his animal-like instincts, Gon deftly avoided the Grape Spiders lurking out of sight and grabbed the largest cluster of eggs. He waved at Killua. "Killua! I got them!" Not to be outdone, Killua flicked his fingers in quick succession, precisely knocking away several Grape Spiders that lunged at him. He grabbed a plump cluster of eggs as well and grinned at Gon. "So did I! Let's see who gets back up first!" Both caught hold of the web and used its springiness to swing toward the Elastic Net across from them. They landed squarely on it, then used its rebound to shoot back to the cliff top, landing steadily without so much as a stumble. The entire process took less than a minute, fluid and clean from start to finish. The surrounding examinees were dumbfounded. They stared wide-eyed at Gon and Killua, who stood holding their Grape Spider eggs, their expressions full of shock and disbelief. They could not even muster the courage to jump, yet these two boys had easily retrieved the eggs and returned safely in under a minute. "Amazing, Gon! Killua!" Leorio ran over excitedly and patted their shoulders. "You two are incredible! You got them just like that?" Gon scratched his head and flashed a bright smile. "It was easy! You just have to aim for the web and avoid the spiders!" Killua curled his lip, looking completely relaxed. "It wasn't much. Way easier than the training back home." Kurapika smiled approvingly at them. Seeing them return unharmed, Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head with a smile. Just then, startled cries rose from the cliff's edge. An examinee had been bitten by a Grape Spider during his descent. His body instantly went numb, his grip loosened, and he plunged into the gorge, moments away from being smashed to pieces. The surrounding examinees cried out in horror, but none dared jump down to save him. They could only watch him fall. At that moment, Lin Ye moved. He shot off the cliff and instantly activated Sky Step, treading on the air as he hurtled toward the falling examinee. His speed was so great that he left an afterimage in the air. In just one second, he reached the examinee, grabbed his collar, then pushed off with his feet. Using Sky Step, he carried the man steadily back to the cliff top. It all happened too fast for the eye to follow. Only after the two landed safely did the surrounding examinees come to their senses, erupting into thunderous applause and astonished cries. "My God! He can fly?!" "That was incredible! What kind of movement technique was that? He's not even human!" "Thank you! Thank you for saving me!" The rescued examinee slumped on the ground, his face deathly pale. He bowed repeatedly to Lin Ye, his eyes filled with gratitude and relief at having survived. Lin Ye waved him off and said calmly, "No need to thank me. It was nothing. You've been poisoned. Go get your wound treated over there before the venom spreads and puts you in danger." The examinee immediately nodded several times, then let his companions help him aside to treat his wound. Leorio and the others gathered around Lin Ye, their eyes full of amazement. They already knew he could use Sky Step to fly by stepping on air, but every time they saw it, they still could not help marveling. "Lin Ye, you were so cool!" Leorio exclaimed excitedly. "That move just now was absolutely amazing!" Kurapika nodded as well and looked earnestly at Lin Ye. "Thank you, Lin Ye. You saved another person." Lin Ye smiled and was about to reply when he felt a familiar gaze settle on him. He turned and met Hisoka's eyes. Hisoka leaned against a tree a short distance away, toying with his playing cards. His eyes practically overflowed with excitement as he watched Lin Ye, and he kept licking his lips as though he had spotted the perfect prey. The speed, movement, and perfect control of aura Lin Ye had displayed during the rescue had brought Hisoka's interest in him to its peak. He could hardly wait to have a proper fight with this perfect, ripe fruit. Lin Ye remained calm. He merely gave Hisoka a brief glance, then looked away without acknowledging him. He had no interest in getting tangled up with Hisoka right now. Time passed, and the one-hour limit soon approached. One after another, examinees managed to retrieve Grape Spider eggs and return safely to the cliff top, either through their own abilities or by working together in small groups. Far more, however, fell from the cliffs or were bitten and poisoned, losing the ability to move and ultimately being eliminated. When time ran out, only twenty-four examinees had successfully retrieved Grape Spider eggs, passed Menchi's boiled-egg trial, and advanced to the third phase. Including Lin Ye and his four companions, who had already passed earlier, only twenty-nine examinees remained after the second phase. In just two phases, a field of several hundred had been reduced to fewer than thirty—a clear indication of how brutal the Hunter Exam was. That evening, all the successful examinees checked into a hotel arranged by the Hunter Association. They would rest for the night, then board the Air Bus early the next morning and head to the site of the third phase. In his hotel room, Lin Ye stood by the window, gazing into the night as he took out his Communicator and called Lina. The call connected quickly, and Lina's gentle voice came through. "Brother? How are you? Is the exam going well? Are you hurt?" "Don't worry. Everything's going smoothly. I've already passed the second phase," Lin Ye said with a smile, his voice full of warmth. "I'm not hurt. Everything's fine. What about you? Has anything happened? Any progress on the leads about Morin?" "Everything's fine here. You don't need to worry." Lina paused before continuing. "There's been a little progress on Morin. I found out that he will indeed be appearing at the Underground Auction in Yorknew City in half a month. Once you're back from the exam, we can go find him together." "Good." Lin Ye's gaze sharpened slightly, and he nodded. "Understood. Lina, don't act on your own before I return. You must wait for me, understand?" "I know, Brother," Lina replied immediately. "Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless. Focus on your exam, and make sure you come back safely." "All right." After ending the call, Lin Ye stared into the night outside and clenched his fists. Morin. The last man who betrayed Master back then is finally going to show himself. Once he passed the Hunter Exam and obtained his Hunter License, he would capture that man himself and finally settle the debt owed to his master and the two uncles who had died so tragically all those years ago. Early the next morning, all the examinees assembled on time and boarded the Hunter Association's Air Bus, bound for the site of the third phase. After a full three hours in the air, the Air Bus landed on an isolated island. At its center stood a massive, sinister cylindrical stone tower. It looked like an enormous prison and radiated danger. This was the site of the third phase—Trick Tower. The doors opened, and the examinees disembarked one after another. At the sight of the ominous stone tower, they involuntarily held their breath, their eyes filled with wariness and tension. An expressionless man in a black suit and glasses stood at the tower's entrance. He looked at the examinees and said coldly, "Congratulations on passing the first two phases. I am Lippo, the examiner for the third phase." "The third phase will take place in Trick Tower, which stands before you. Your task is to reach the exit at the bottom of this tower from its top within seventy-two hours. If you reach the exit within the time limit, you will pass the third phase." "A word of warning: this tower is filled with all kinds of traps, mechanisms, and countless dangers. Once you enter, there is no turning back. You can only move forward. There will also be various unexpected trials that test your teamwork, adaptability, willpower, and even your humanity." "You may now enter the tower. Your time officially starts the moment you step through the door." As Lippo finished speaking, the examinees exchanged looks, their eyes tense but tinged with excitement. Seventy-two hours to get from the top to the bottom sounded simple, but everyone knew that deadly dangers undoubtedly lurked within Trick Tower. Gon and Killua exchanged a glance, saw the excitement in each other's eyes, and immediately rushed toward the entrance. "Let's go too!" Leorio tightened his grip on the Scalpel in his hand, took a deep breath, and addressed the others. Lin Ye nodded, looking at his four companions with determination in his eyes. "Let's go. The five of us will make our way down together." The five walked side by side into the gloomy Trick Tower. The door slowly closed behind them, cutting off the light outside completely. Countless traps and trials already awaited them in the darkness. And this test of humanity and teamwork had only just begun.
Before you continue