Notice: From now on, Chimera will be considered a magical beast rather than a mythical beast, as this is more consistent with canon. Enjoy your reading!
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As parting approached, every second spent together felt especially precious.
Though Kalluto was excited, he couldn't help but feel envious of how easily his brother handled their mother's interference.
But this envy was quickly forgotten.
After all, he could now spend an entire day playing freely with his friends in the town.
Killua had explored Chiselwood Town countless times and long lost interest in it.
He'd even given names to the stray cats and dogs lingering in the streets and alleys.
But this time, he was unusually enthusiastic, actively taking on the role of tour guide and excitedly leading the way ahead.
"This is the first time I've seen Brother Killua so excited."
Kalluto leaned closer to Morrow, speaking softly while keeping his eyes fixed on the excited, bouncing figure ahead.
Morrow watched Killua waving and urging them from not far away. Of course he understood why Killua was so excited, but as usual, he didn't mention Illumi in front of Kalluto, only offering a casual guess.
"Perhaps it's because you've been away from home for so long, and it's rare to meet at the foot of the mountain... Hurry along, your brother is waiting for you."
"Mhm."
Kalluto smiled and ran toward Killua in his wooden clogs.
Morrow smiled as he watched Kalluto's back retreating toward Killua, then turned to look at Kurapika behind him.
"Kurapika, the street food in this town is quite good. You should try some."
"Alright."
Kurapika nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged stalls lining both sides of the street.
The air was thick with the rich aromas of spices like cinnamon and rosemary.
Though he didn't feel particularly hungry, the scents still stirred his appetite somewhat.
Kurapika unconsciously slowed his pace, his eyes lingering on the enticingly colored foods.
Caramel-colored honey pastries, spice-coated meat skewers, steaming rice balls, freshly baked fruit pancakes...
Noticing Kurapika's hesitation, Morrow matched his pace, maintaining just the right distance, neither leaving Kurapika behind nor appearing too deliberate.
Ahead, Killua and Kalluto's figures had already blended into the bustling crowd, with only Killua's clear voice faintly audible from the distance: "Kalluto, over here! I found it!"
"Would you like to try some?"
Morrow pointed to the freshly baked nut flatbread at a nearby stall, its golden surface still sizzling with oil.
Hearing this, Kurapika stopped walking. Before he could speak, Morrow had already approached the stall.
He bought two nut flatbreads, then took one and broke it in half.
One half for himself, the other for Kurapika.
The second nut flatbread was for Kalluto and Killua.
There were too many specialty foods on Chiselwood Town's streets. If one wanted to sample more varieties, they couldn't eat too much of any single item.
Morrow handed the broken piece of nut flatbread to Kurapika.
Kurapika accepted it and softly said thank you.
Morrow smiled, took a bite of the flatbread, and the roasted aroma of various nuts immediately filled his mouth.
This stall certainly didn't skimp on ingredients.
The seemingly small flatbread contained at least half nuts.
Morrow quickly finished the flatbread and gave the plump auntie running the stall a thumbs-up.
The gesture earned him a broad smile from the auntie, the wrinkles on her face creasing together. Seeing this, Kurapika hesitated for a moment before also giving the plump aunt a thumbs-up.
These nut crisps were truly delicious; the crust was flaky and crisp, the nutty aroma was rich, and it blended perfectly with the caramelized fragrance of the honey.
"Come here, child."
The plump aunt cheerfully waved Kurapika over.
Puzzled, Kurapika walked over.
The aunt immediately stuffed a few candied nuts into Kurapika's hand, smiling as she said, "I made these just this morning. Here, try a few."
"Thank you."
Kurapika looked at the brightly colored candied nuts in his hand, a faint smile appearing on his face.
After bidding farewell to the aunt, Morrow and Kurapika continued along the market street.
In the short time it took to buy two crisps, Killua and Kalluto had already vanished from sight ahead, leaving no trace of where they had gone.
Morrow simply slowed his pace, accompanying Kurapika as they leisurely browsed the stalls along the street.
Kurapika finished the last bite of his crisp, the faint scent of nuts still lingering on his fingertips.
He gazed at Morrow's back, then glanced around at the bustling street scene, suddenly realizing...
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had strolled and lingered in a place so carefree and relaxed.
The air was filled with the sounds of vendors calling out and laughter, while the aromas of various foods intertwined.
An important companion was right before him.
Though it was an utterly ordinary scene, it suddenly made Kurapika feel as if he had stumbled upon a treasure.
"What's wrong? Is there something you want to eat?"
Morrow's voice came from ahead.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Kurapika met Morrow's inquiring gaze, smiled, and shook his head before quickly catching up.
"Morrow, Kurapika."
Killua's voice suddenly called out from the bustling crowd.
Morrow and Kurapika turned toward the sound and saw Killua holding a bulging paper bag, with the ends of a few bamboo skewers poking out from the opening.
Kalluto followed closely behind Killua, having already unfolded his purple bamboo fan at some point, hiding most of his face behind it.
"Here, I brought these especially for you."
Killua darted in front of Morrow and Kurapika, clutching the bag's opening with both hands, his expression unusually earnest. "This is the most authentic specialty skewers in Chiselwood Town."
Just as Morrow reached out to take it, he caught a glimpse of Kalluto's fan trembling slightly out of the corner of his eye.
Puzzled, he turned back to Killua just in time to catch a fleeting, mischievous glint in the young man's eyes.
"Is that so."
Morrow calmly withdrew his hand, his gaze shifting between the paper bag and Kalluto's trembling fan.
Kurapika, smelling the strong aroma of spices wafting from the paper bag, leaned in slightly and asked, "Are they skewers?"
"Yep, this shop's skewers are really famous around here."
Killua quickly glanced at the already wary Morrow and swiftly turned the bag toward Kurapika. "It'd be a shame to miss out."
Hearing this, Kurapika unsuspectingly grasped two of the bamboo skewers.
Thinking he might as well take one for Morrow, he held the ends of the skewers and pulled them out.
But what met his eyes was far from the roasted meat he had imagined.
One skewer was threaded with several amber-colored caterpillars coated in spices, their plump bodies writhing wildly amid the seasoning.
The other skewer held several earthworms dyed pale gray by the spices, painfully curling and stretching. The fragments of spices rustled down with the worm's struggle, scattering across the back of Kurapika's hand.
Kurapika instantly froze in place, his pupils trembling slightly as he reflexively shuddered.
Then...
His face turned slightly pale as he swiftly stabbed the bamboo skewer back into the kraft paper bag.
"Hahaha!"
Killua could no longer hold back, clutching his stomach with one hand while laughing uproariously.
Beside him, Kalluto struggled to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking with the effort.
"Brother, I told you Morrow wouldn't fall for it. Only a fool like Kurapika would."
"Pfft haha, you're absolutely right."
Successful in their prank, Killua watched Kurapika's reaction and laughed until tears streamed from his eyes.
Morrow watched from the side, shaking his head with an amused smile as he took the kraft paper bag from Killua. He opened the bag to look inside and found it full of insect skewers.
Besides caterpillars and worms, there were also centipedes, bees, ants, and other insects.
Their only common trait was that they were all still alive.
"Don't tell me these are meant to be eaten raw."
Morrow looked at Killua and Kalluto.
"Of course not~!"
Killua wiped away his tears of laughter, raising two fingers as he explained: "There are two ways to eat them, grilled or fried. I wasn't lying, this really is a specialty food of Chiselwood Town. It's just..."
He glanced at Kurapika, who was still stunned, and couldn't help laughing again, "You have to grill them first! Hahaha!"
Kalluto covered the corner of his mouth with his fan, quietly urging: "Brother, stop playing around and go get them grilled already."
Actually, the stall had several types of spiders too; in terms of prank potential, they would have been Killua's ultimate weapon of choice.
But Kalluto had quite thoughtfully prevented that.
Killua glanced at Kurapika, burst out laughing again with a "pfft," then snatched the kraft paper bag back from Morrow and ran ahead to have the vendor grill them.
A short while later.
Killua came running back carrying a large wooden platter.
The insects from the kraft paper bag had been grilled to a golden crisp, evenly coated with aromatic spices that emitted an enticing fragrance, filled with the scent of roasting.
"Here, try some."
Killua raised the wooden platter.
Morrow picked up a skewer of roasted ants about the size of a thumbnail and popped them into his mouth. The fragrant outer shell shattered like crisps, surprisingly revealing a meaty texture.
"Not bad."
With the spice flavor lingering between his lips and teeth, Morrow nodded.
Killua showed an 'I told you so' expression and picked up a skewer of roasted centipede to eat himself.
"Kurapika, come have some."
Morrow turned back to look at Kurapika, who had moved some distance away, and called out to him.
Kurapika quickly shook his head, covering his mouth as he turned his back, muttering quietly: "Absolutely... absolutely not!"
Watching Kurapika's reaction, Killua and Kalluto exchanged glances and couldn't help laughing again.
After finishing the insect skewers, the group continued forward along the bustling street.
Kalluto got his wish and bought the newest flavor of sugar pancake.
Meanwhile, Killua was drawn by the commotion coming from a candy shop not far away.
"There's a lottery event here."
He ran up to the candy shop, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the prizes on display.
Among them was an exquisitely crafted blue-and-white skateboard. The deck was made from Patterned Wood from the Dentora Region, dyed with natural plant extracts into a gradient ocean color that shimmered with pearl-like luster under the sunlight.
"Want to try your luck?"
The shopkeeper warmly greeted, "Buy one pack of our store's special chocolate candies and you'll get one lottery draw! The grand prize is this limited edition skateboard!"
"Give me ten packs first!"
Killua's cat-like eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Ten minutes later.
Piles of chocolate candy wrappers and numerous consolation prizes of little value surrounded Killua's feet.
"Another ten packs!"
"Darn it, it's the second prize! So close!"
"Twenty more packs!"
Killua rolled up his sleeves, radiating a determined aura of not giving up until he won the grand prize.
The shopkeeper smiled and brought out twenty packs of chocolate candies, then pushed the lottery box in front of Killua.
A few minutes later.
More consolation prizes and 'thank you for your purchase' lottery tickets joined the pile at Killua's feet.
"Darn it, another twenty packs!" Killua shouted unwillingly.
Not far behind.
Kalluto and Kurapika exchanged glances.
Morrow wasn't surprised at all. He vaguely remembered that Killua had quite a gambling streak.
Moreover, the environment the Zoldyck Family provided for Killua allowed him to explore and master many hobbies from a very young age. Things like skateboarding, yo-yos, darts, and billiards went without saying, and card games were probably among them too.
So it wasn't strange that he had a bit of a gambling tendency.
However, Killua's luck seemed particularly bad this time. Despite countless draws, the best he got was only the second prize.
"Ahhh!"
After another round of draws yielded nothing but consolation prizes, Killua clutched his head in frustration.
"I don't believe it!" he yelled, then suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Morrow and the others who were watching. "Why don't you guys try too?"
"Then I'll take one draw," Morrow said as he walked over and casually picked a lottery ticket from the box.
Seeing this, Kalluto and Kurapika also drew one ticket each.
Morrow opened his ticket first and made a surprised sound when he saw the 'first prize' written on it.
Killua's ears perked up immediately as he looked toward Morrow.
Holding up the ticket, Morrow smiled and said, "Not bad luck... I got the first prize."
"!!!" Killua exclaimed.
"Huh?"
Kalluto also made a surprised sound.
Killua instinctively turned to look at him.
Kalluto showed his ticket and said, "Brother, I also got the first prize."
"!!!" Killua was stunned again.
"Congratulations to both of you! Your luck is truly amazing," the candy shop owner said, shaking a small bell in his hand with a smile.
"Eh?"
This time it was Kurapika's turn.
Killua looked at Kurapika in disbelief, his eyes wide as he said, "Don't tell me you got the first prize too? There are only three of those! How could each of you get one?!"
"Not the first prize," Kurapika shook his head.
Hearing this, Killua breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Kurapika held up his ticket, showing Killua the side marked 'grand prize.'
"It's the grand prize."
"!!!"
Killua instantly turned to stone, his face frozen in an expression of utter disbelief.
This has to be a joke...
He had drawn hundreds of times, and the best he got was only the second prize.
But, but...!
Killua stared blankly, for the first time in his life questioning his existence.
However, after receiving the skateboard that Kurapika handed over, Killua instantly recovered, happily hugging the limited edition skateboard.
"It's about time to send you all back," Morrow said, glancing at the sky.
Kalluto, who had been beaming with joy, slightly toned down his smile upon hearing Morrow's words.
Killua didn't overthink it, casually selecting a silk scarf from the pile of prizes as a gift for his mother.
After all, a promise made should be kept.
The group quickly ascended Kukuroo Mountain, arriving at the Testing Gate by evening.
Inside the security booth.
Zebro, wearing a hat and full security uniform, looked astonished upon seeing Killua and the others.
He recognized Morrow and hadn't expected him to return with Killua.
After a brief moment of surprise, Zebro stepped out of the security booth and respectfully greeted Killua and Kalluto.
Killua gave a slight nod to Zebro, then turned to Morrow and Kurapika with hopeful eyes: "Why not stay for dinner before leaving? I'll have the butler prepare a separate feast."
"No, we'll be leaving soon."
Morrow shook his head in refusal.
Illumi, whom he had crippled, was currently lying at home recovering.
How could he possibly swagger in as a guest under such circumstances?
Seeing Morrow's firm refusal, Killua couldn't hide his disappointment.
He had genuinely enjoyed today and wished this happiness could last a little longer.
Even if just for the duration of a dinner...
But observing Morrow's resolute stance, Killua ultimately didn't press further.
Kalluto beside him looked even more disappointed, pursing his lips and gazing sadly at Morrow.
Morrow reached out and placed his hand on Kalluto's small head.
Only to have it predictably swatted away by Kalluto's fan.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Morrow's lips before he suddenly strode toward the magnificent Testing Gate ahead.
The towering, massive stone gate cast a deep shadow under the setting sun.
Morrow stepped into the shadow, approaching the Testing Gate.
His gaze slowly traced the mottled patterns on the stone surface, clearly seeing the numerous marks left by time.
In a way, this gate that had tested Gon and the others' growth in the original story had also witnessed his own development over the past year.
Morrow raised his hand, pressing it flat against the stone gate.
He could feel several pairs of eyes watching from behind but paid them no mind. Opening his aura nodes to their maximum capacity, with his aura surging like raging torrents, he mustered all his strength to push the stone gate open.
Rumble...
With heavy grinding sounds, the first gate swung open, followed by the second, then the third...
Until even the tallest and largest seventh gate was pushed open.
The fading sunlight streamed through the gap, falling upon Morrow and casting an orange-red glow around him.
Both Zebro and Killua stared in shock as Morrow pushed open all the Testing Gates in one go.
Killua was astonished because he sensed an aura from Morrow that felt similar to their father's immense presence, while Zebro simply couldn't believe his eyes.
"He actually... pushed open all seven gates...!"
Zebro stared wide-eyed at the radiant Morrow, recalling his previous encounters with him. The dreamlike sensation in his heart grew even stronger.
What was happening before his eyes felt intensely unreal.
This was followed by deep confusion.
How had this young man achieved so much in such a short time?
Just then, from within the forest beyond the gate, a massive white figure emerged from among the trees. It was a giant hunting dog strictly trained by the Zoldyck Family, named Mike.
It was clearly drawn by the commotion of all seven Testing Gates swinging wide open.
Upon seeing that the one pushing the gates was an unfamiliar face, a flicker of curiosity appeared in Mike's cold, machine-like beastly eyes.
But the next moment,
The curiosity in those beastly eyes receded like a tide, replaced by a primal, instinctual fear.
Mike abruptly looked up at the sky, and after just one glance, trembled all over and pressed itself against the ground, its head firmly pressed into the earth, not daring to move.
Morrow, who was bracing the stone gates with both hands, as well as Kurapika and the others, all noticed Mike's strange reaction.
Just as they were puzzling over this, they suddenly heard a roaring sound from the sky.
Everyone looked up and saw a massive, bizarrely-shaped magical beast, flapping a pair of Flesh Wings that seemed to blot out the sky, slowly descending from the air toward them.
Zebro, who had never witnessed such a spectacle before, was so frightened that he fell onto his rear end.
Even Killua was startled.
This bizarre magical beast before them was even larger than the magical beast raised by his family!
Morrow looked up at the sky and recognized this beast as Chimera, immediately understanding why Mike had suddenly become so terrified and prostrated itself.
It was frightened by Chimera.