Gon and Killua were looking out the giant window with awe and excitement as the island came into their sight. Gon was pressing himself into the window to get a closer look their destination as the boy next to him stood back and watched.

"There are so many broken and destroyed ships in the sea near Zevil Island," Gon said mindlessly, earning a pat on the head from Kiyoko.

"Those are all shipwrecks," Kurapika told the boy.

"I don't give a crap... I just want to get off already!" Leorio complained.

"Kuromi said you complain a lot.. Or, well, too much," Kiyoko told the man, looking over to face him.

"Great, she can go plug her ears or something cause she'll have to deal with it," Leorio grumbled.

"Actually, I agree with her," Kurapika jumped in.

"Well you can go do the same thing then!" the man exclaimed.

The airship was now flying over the wrecked ships, showing a perfect view from above.

"From here on out, it just looks like a perfect graveyard for ships that'll passes by here..." the Kurta commented.

'That's horrible..' Kiyoko told herself as the airship got closer to a perfectly safe sailing ship.

The airship the contestants were on finally landed, allowing them to climb back out and take in their surroundings once more from the outside of shelter.

"This must be the test site for our next phase..." Kurapika stated.

"I wonder how the test will be like!" Gon said with anticipation. "Must be very exciting like the others!"

A groan suddenly sounded behind the little group causing them all to turn around and watch Leorio complain and moan in disgust.

"I... I don't feel so good..." he said sickly.

"Motion sickness..?" Kiyoko asked, patting his back. "You seemed fine in the last airship ride.."

"It you want to and are going to puke, go somewhere else. Don't think about doing it here," Killua told the man.

"I should have just taken my motion sickness pill before we got on the damn thing..." he continued.

"Hello, applicants of the Hunter Exam!" an old couple said. "We are you host for today!"

The two bowed respectfully to everyone as the old man greeted them all kindly.

"Welcome!"

Everyone stared while Kiyoko smiled at them both softly.

"... Are they the next proctors...?" Leorio asked stupidly

"Don't be ridiculous.. They aren't," Killua answered immediately.

Leorio looked over at the boy and gave a quick squint with his eyes.

"And just how do you know that...?"

Killua didn't answer him immediately, his face expression staying blank as ever. He then adjusted his skateboard underneath his arm to get a more comfortable feel and stuck his hand back into his pockets, finally replying.

"I don't know, I just feel... Actually, let's put it this way... I don't feel excited. There's no adrenaline overwhelming my body like how Gon was trying express," the boy reasoned.

"What's up with this layout then?" Leorio mumbled.

The woman with brown hair and low pigtails cracked a larger smile to everyone and began to speak once more.

"My name is Banner and this is my husband, Genner," Banner said warmly, holding her hand out in front of her husband as she introduced themselves.

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet everyone of you," Genner greeted kindly.

Their smiles were stuck onto their faces, never twitching or fading away.

"I am the manager of this hotel you all will be staying at-"

Hanzo began walking closer to the lovely old couple curiously with a messenger bag in his hand as he cut off the woman and asked, "Wait did I hear you call this place a hotel?"

"That is correct! This ship has been partly converted into a hotel with all the beneficial resources stocked on," Genner responded, pushing up his glasses. "We were granted the honor of hosting His Majesty, the King of Nebra. This hotel is also the most popular among celebrities of the continent who would refer it to the White Palace on the Ocean.."

'Is he bragging?' Kuromi groaned. 'Somehow, I can't stand this old man.'

'Be nice..' Kiyoko told herself.

Hanzo was now towering over the two old hosts, blocking the light from their view and staring down at them intimidatingly. Genner gave a soft 'huh?' and looked up from the floor and to the younger man.

"I ever asked for the sales pitch for this place," he stated. "You both aren't proctors, right?"

Genner questioningly looked over at his wife and asked whether they were or were not with a quick innocent, "Oh, are we?"

Of course the woman had to reply in her husband's stead, but she didn't look like she mind it too much or even at all.

"Yes, that is a good question, young man," she replied. "The Hunter Committee gave me a message to deliver it to you all. 'To all who passed Phase Three, a job well done! Congratulations with your passing. The Fourth Phase will begin three days from now, so until then, please enjoy the short break you will be spending on this island.'"

"A break!" Gon exclaimed excitedly.

Leorio's now cocky self was back into shape and functioning correctly again after getting a few minutes of fresh air into his lungs.

"Aw, a break? That's such a disappointment... And here I was, readily waiting to take the next exam," the man said, closing his eyes and holding his chin up high.

He then felt nauseous and the need to puke, covering his mouth up and turning away quickly to groan and regurgitate loudly and disturbingly.

"I thought I told you to go do that somewhere else and not here," Killua complained, glaring at the vomiting man.

"Just let him be.." Kiyoko told the boy as Leorio said something about thinking that he puked his guts out just now in the background.

"A little rest here and there would do us lots of good actually," Kurapika said calmly, smiling at the idea. "It has been quite tough from the start ever since day one.."

'You're cleaning that up!' Killua exclaimed from behind.

Kiyoko sighed and decided to drag the boy with her as everyone began walking off to do their own business.

"Alright then! I'll just take a shower and get all squeaky clean and refreshed again," Leorio stated, slumping forward and sagging his arms as he walked.

"Just wait a minute please," Banner called.

The group of participants looked over at the old woman and old man curiously with Leorio responding to her call.

"What is it now?" he asked boringly.

And of course, their inviting smile has never left the faces, even as Genner pulled out his wallet for some reason they weren't aware of yet.

"Here, you'll have to, in advance, pay ten million jenny per person," the benign woman stated happily.

Everyone stared at the two in disbelief their eyes wide, jaws either dropped open or twitching nervously. The woman suddenly turned over to Kiyoko and tilted her head to the side.

"For you, dear, is a special case," she said, sending a bad feeling in the girl's guts.

'Damn it. She probably knows about me,' Kuromi said.

"T-ten million jenny?! Are you nuts?!" Leorio exclaimed.

"You're actually going to charge us?!" Gon added frighteningly.

"More over..." Killua said just as scared.

"That is way too expensive!" Kurapika finished for the boy.

"S-special case for me?" Kiyoko asked in shock.

"For that price, I could stay at the most deluxe hotel in Yorknew city for at least six months, but this?" Tonpa exclaimed.

Clearly, no one was accepting the price value and the couple's deal, still very irritably shock from the charge of such a rundown looking place.

"Um, is there... a special price for kids who don't have that much money in their pockets...?" Gon asked nervously.

"I mean, seriously. Do we look like nobly rich aristocrats to you both or something?" Leorio asked in a fidgety way, running up to them both. "Even a respective adult wouldn't have such a monumental amount of money!"

"If so... Then we can not allow you all to stay.." Genner said bluntly.

"WELL, THAT'S FINE BY ME!" Leorio exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air. "I'd rather sleep outside on the island somewhere than such a hideously overpriced place like this anyways!"

The man began to walk off on his own stubbornly as everyone watched him go.

"We have three days, Leorio," Kurapika reminded him. "The problem we have here is water. Not food or shelter. On a small island like this, there will be little hope in finding water from a spring that'll be fresh and accessible to us all. All you can do is hope for rain to suddenly come."

Leorio stopped walking and opened all ears to the teen.

"Under the burning hot sun like this tropical one here, we would be completely dehydrated within two days though even if it did rain, it's still a low chance that we'd be able to recover enough strength from that for endurance in the rest of the exam."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" the man exclaimed angrily. "Not even in my corybantic dreams did I even have that kind of money in my possession!"

"For people in your situation though..." Genner suddenly jumped in. "We are both more than happy enough to suggest a substitute method of the payment.

"An alternative... way?" Leorio repeated curiously.

"What is it..?" Kurapika asked in everyone's place.

Genner closed his eyes and tilted his head lower to the floor.

"Why it's quite simple... Anything interesting you have to trade?"

"Trade? You mean our belongings?" Kiyoko asked.

"Well, you see, my wife and I own an antique shop and the shipwrecks around the island may have great treasures contained in there..."

"It you were to bring back any valuable treasure from those ships, you could put it towards the cost of your room," Banner said.

"WHAT?!" Leorio exclaimed.

"Though depending on the item's value... the type of room will be decided by us."

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

"Those two oldies sure are taking advantage of us in this situation..." Leorio complained. "THEY'RE TOTALLY SCAMMING US! I bet their just making us work off our butts so they could make more than a living... Just taking advantage of us poor applicants year after year!"

"Quit complaining already..." Kurapika groaned as he walked around.

"Take a break... YEAH RIGHT!" Leorio yelled as he picked up a brown pot. "We have to work right now so WHY CAN'T WE JUST TAKE THE DAMN EXAM NOW?! THIS IS POINTLESS!"

"Right... There is a chunk of possibility that this might be a part of the exam since treasure hunting is a fundamental skills for those who aim to be a hunter..." Kurapika agreed.

"Please stop complaining I think I have my hands filled with one person already..." Kiyoko stated, trudging around to look for items.

"Hey, is that...?" Kurapika asked pointing at a golden embroidered flute.

"Correct. A noble's hand crafted flute presented to the King Britain. The only one that has ever existed in the world and made the most melodic sound that can lull anyone into relaxation and peace," the girl explained.

"Wait, wait, wait, what?" Leorio asked.

"I'm not repeating," Kiyoko said, looking for another treasure.

"Then why are you looking for another valuable item?" Leorio asked.

"They know..." Kiyoko said disappointingly.

Hanzo and Gon emerged out of the sea and held up their treasure excitedly.

"I found something!" they both exclaimed childishly.

After all the hunting was done, everyone began to turn in the items they found, getting their room keys and frowning at the old couple irritably. Something seemed off with Kurapika though as he stared at the item in his hand.

"You said that was an item from the Kurta clan, right?" Kiyoko asked, earning the teen's attention. "Are you thinking about whether there's a sliver of chance that maybe someone else is out there?"

Kurapika smiled at the girl and pulled her closer to show the gold and ruby pendant.

"I'm sure there's no one else out there in this world... At least I don't think. But I was only curious when that boat got there and why the Kurtas were out there for."

Kiyoko looked up, their faces unexpectedly close. The girl looked back down and blushed, trying hard not to make the same mistake again.

"W-well, it doesn't hurt to think and have some hope..?" she questioned instead of said, earning an embarrassed laugh from Kurapika.

"Maybe.." he said, resting his forehead on top of the girl's head.