After leaving the trap tower, the group boarded another airship. They were taken to a nameless island for a "break." Of course, the Hunter Exam was never that simple. This time, they faced a new challenge:
To stay at the hotel, they had to find high-value treasure on the island.
They had three days to rest, meaning—if they wanted to relax and be ready for the next exam, finding treasure was a must.
There were lots of shipwrecks around the island, full of hidden treasure.
This was clearly part of the exam too.
For Saiki Kusuo, this was way too easy. With just a little use of his X-ray vision, he could spot treasure hidden all over the place. He strolled along the beach, bored, while catching bits of people's thoughts.
[That's… the royal scepter of the Umiyasa tribe? There's a bunch of royal items from that tribe here.]
"That's it! The crown worn by the tragic 16-year-old prince, who vanished on his coronation day!"
[Looks like jewelry from the Zaran tribe. Their gold-thread weaving is so good it keeps the shape even after hundreds of years. Really impressive craftsmanship.]
"That was supposed to be a gift for the Queen of Ingu…"
What's going on? It's like both sides are trying to outdo each other. Saiki Kusuo looked out from the shore.
The voices giving all that analysis were Kurapika and Chrollo. They were each searching in different directions, but both were basically walking encyclopedias.
Jeez, those two really are similar in some ways, even if they're enemies.
Saiki Kusuo jumped down. He saw a small dip in the ocean floor nearby. Something like a cloak had been left in it, and it looked expensive.
Just as he was about to go after it, a bag of diamonds dropped right in front of him.
He looked up—it was Illumi.
Illumi: [I checked already. 900,000 is enough for a second-class room. These gems should cover it.]
[Thanks, big bro.] Saiki Kusuo took the bag gladly. But he wasn't aiming for a second-class room. He remembered that Leorio had a private room. It was hot, but with his powers, Saiki didn't mind.
So he switched rooms with Leorio before Leorio even got inside.
The hotel had been made from a large, stranded ship—probably a warship. Saiki Kusuo sat on the deck, enjoying the sun, calmly waiting for Leorio, who was one of the last ones to arrive and switch.
The sunlight was warm. He felt like taking a nap.
They were far from the mainland, and aside from the exam takers and the two old folks running the hotel, no one else was there. Saiki Kusuo got the peace and quiet he wanted.
In the distance, Killua, Gon, and Alluka were happily exploring, picking up random stuff and looking for anything interesting.
So full of energy, those kids.
"Granny! Take a good look at this box of treasure. It's gotta be worth a lot!"
Jeez, finally showed up?
Saiki Kusuo teleported down and used X-ray vision.
Leorio was hugging a big box of useless cannonballs. Before handing it over, he probably should've checked what was inside!
"These aren't worth much," the old lady said. "So you'll get a third-class room." She handed him a key.
[Leorio.] Saiki Kusuo walked up and greeted him.
Leorio was still groaning, but when he saw Saiki Kusuo, he stopped complaining. "Oh! You're Killua's brother, right? Haven't found your treasure yet? I've been meaning to ask—what's that red on your jacket? Are you hurt? I can help if you need treatment!"
That was fast—his bad mood vanished instantly. His emotional control was impressive.
[I'm not hurt. It's someone else's blood. Anyway, can I trade rooms with you? I noticed yours is the only private one. I don't like sharing.]
"So I get my own room? That's… great!" Leorio cheered after finding out.
Don't get too excited. Your room is super hot.
[My room is with Kurapika, so—] Saiki Kusuo hadn't even finished speaking when Leorio snatched the key from his hand.
"If it's with Kurapika, I guess I'll take it! Don't thank me!" Leorio tossed his own key aside and walked off.
Yare yare… I thought he'd have to check his room first before switching. Well, at least the swap went through. Saiki Kusuo turned to go register the change with the old lady.
[Sigh, child… we're leaving tonight. With the way things might turn out, it's better for second-class rooms to have roommates who can help each other…] She couldn't say it out loud, but that was what the kind old woman was thinking.
Let's just say thank you to Grandma.
Actually, there was one more room left. Killua and Gon were sharing, and Alluka had been placed with some others. Saiki Kusuo originally planned to switch into Alluka's room.
Too bad—just his luck—the other person in Alluka's room was Illumi. Saiki Kusuo immediately gave up on that and chose the single room instead.
Illumi currently looked like Getou Takuro. Killua saw Illumi as a dangerous cursed monster, so Alluka would probably end up sleeping with Killua and Gon. Three little boys in one room wasn't a big deal.
*No little brother wants to sleep with his older brother.*
No, no need to point that out. Avoiding danger is a very smart choice. Even Illumi would agree with Killua on this. So don't go thinking the Zoldyck family is all warm and cuddly.
Saiki Kusuo entered the scorching hot single room. The ship was safe, and Illumi would be keeping an eye on the kids, so he could finally relax a bit.
As soon as he stepped in, the room's temperature dropped quickly. The metal parts that had been baking hot cooled down in seconds. Everything settled at the most comfortable level.
The small room had a bed by the window. The window was a large round porthole and the only source of light. This room was at the top of the ship, so it had great sunlight—and of course, got really hot too. There was a desk and a chair, a private bathroom—small room, but fully equipped.
Saiki Kusuo took off his coat, and then layer after layer of clothes and pants.
Even though psychics can repair clothes, Saiki Kusuo still liked to take showers. He enjoyed the feeling of water hitting his body—warm water flowing over his skin was a simple kind of happiness.
He stepped into the bathroom and put his blood-stained outer robe into warm soapy water. It had been stained for three days already. Even if he used his powers, he could only restore it to the way it was a day ago. Taking off his wristbands would bring it back to seven years ago. Neither option solved the problem. So Saiki Kusuo decided to wash it by hand.
After he finished showering, he felt fresh. He used his powers to wash, spin, and dry the rest of his clothes like a human washing machine, then dried them at the right temperature.
All except the outer robe.
The outer robe had bloodstains that had dried and set in over three days. Saiki Kusuo tried soaking and machine-washing it on its own, but the blood clumps just wouldn't come out no matter what.
No way. What kind of psychic would get beaten by a dirty robe?
---------------------------------------
You can read 15 chapters ahead on patre on