"But you can only get into the outermost section. And that won't be enough for me to absorb what Gourmet Paradise has to offer.
So I'll need real connections on the inside.
Menchi's friend is one avenue, but I can't rely on that alone. I can also ask Grandfather Zeno. If Linne and Zigg were companions, there's a good chance Zeno knows Linne—much like his relationship with Netero.
Even so, talking with Menchi today wasn't pointless; building ties from both ends will make things smoother. That way, earning trust will be easier.
Elsewhere, inside the training room, the ball game ended. Killua gave up much earlier than Gon. Once he realized it was impossible, he simply quit. But Gon kept at it—even knowing there was no way, he still persevered.
Gon crashed hard onto the floor.
Alarmed, Killua hurried over.
"Just a bit more," Gon muttered as he stood and scratched his head. "But I did manage to make you switch hands, Chairman. That was my goal."
Killua froze momentarily. Partly because of Gon's words, partly because he caught sight of something on Netero's clothing—a small patch of singed fabric, still fresh.
"Who did that?" Killua wondered, expression flickering. "Gon and I couldn't even touch that ball. He was playing with us, not even serious. So who could pull it off? And how strong would they have to be?"
Then Killua remembered: he and Gon had seen Ron and Netero leaving this same training room earlier.
"Did Ron fight the old man before we came?"
"Is that Ron's doing?"
"How much stronger is Ron than me…?"
Killua only snapped out of his thoughts when Gon nudged him.
"Hey, Killua, what're you thinking about?"
Killua glanced around. Netero had already departed.
"Nothing. Let's go. We should turn in early."
They headed back to the rest area. Outside, night fell over the airship, starlight glinting as they flew on. By dawn, they reached a vast forest, split by a winding river. Rising from the forest's center was an enormous column towering into the sky. Atop that pillar stood yet another pillar—which, on closer look, turned out to be a building. A rather peculiar one, in fact.
It was a prison, reserved for the most violent, vicious criminals. Though not every inmate necessarily had blood on their hands, each had brought disaster to many people through their actions.
This was the infamous Trick Tower.
Ron studied Trick Tower. Prisons everywhere shared some common traits. For one, they were never situated in bustling cities—land in urban centers was far too valuable to waste on criminals. And if it was a maximum-security prison full of serious offenders, it had to be in a remote location where escape was near impossible: an island in the ocean, the middle of a desert, deep in a rainforest…
Trick Tower was built in such a way that even if a prisoner broke out, leaving the area would be extremely difficult. There were no roads, unless one could fly or was a rock-climbing master. But without proper maps, in poor condition, and lacking gear, survival was highly unlikely.
The airship landed atop Trick Tower, and a green-skinned person in a suit approached the examinees.
"Everyone! The third stage of the Hunter Exam begins here—atop Trick Tower. To pass, you must go from the top to the bottom alive. You have seventy-two hours. The test starts now. Good luck!"
With that, the green-skinned figure turned and boarded the airship again, which soon took off.
Ron watched it go. "That green fellow… doesn't look human, but he's definitely intelligent. Probably something like a D'Don—similar to the Man-Faced Ape we encountered before?"
He recalled the Numere Wetlands magical beasts, some of which had gained partial acceptance from humans, living quietly in society. This green-skinned man was likely the same sort of being.
Suddenly, a commotion arose. Ron glanced over to see several red creatures with wings flying overhead—ugly beasts, red or pink, shaped like naked human babies with two sets of wings, tiny eyes, massive mouths bristling with shark-like teeth. One of them was gripping a human in its jaws, presumably its next meal.
Gon noticed Ron's gaze and explained, "That guy claimed to be a master climber, tried to scale the outside. But these monsters appeared and attacked him—and no one else. Looks like going down the outside isn't an option."
Ron nodded. "Thanks."
He actually knew that much already—he recalled enough of the original storyline to know that going through the tower interior was the main path.