You're Larry?

The Trick Tower stood tall in the middle of a vast wilderness. Surrounded by forests, the structure was a thick stone pillar, stacked with another smaller pillar on top.

At first glance, it looked like some sort of ancient relic—but in reality, it was something far more sinister. A prison. And not just any prison. It housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the world, Fraudsters, serial killers, and others with sentences so long that they would never see the outside world again.

Many of them had over a hundred years on their sentences, meaning they were essentially prisoners for life. The remaining candidates would have to find a way through this hellhole.

As the candidates gathered in front of the tower's entrance, the air grew thick with anticipation. Larry narrowed his eyes. A prison full of criminals and an exam centered around deception? This was going to be fun.

Despite its gruesome reputation, the Trick Tower was officially chosen as the third stage of the Hunter Exam. The reason? The warden had struck a deal with the Hunter Association… Inmates were given a chance to reduce their sentences if they managed to prevent candidates from reaching the bottom within the 72-hour time limit.

A completely rigged system. This was a practice that Pyorn, one of the Zodiac, had always opposed. To him, it was already a generous mercy that these criminals weren't executed outright for their heinous acts. And now, they were being rewarded simply for wasting time? Larry agreed completely. This entire system was childish. Yet, here he was—about to deal with it firsthand.

As the Hunter Association airship docked at the top of the Trick Tower, the remaining 40 candidates stepped out. Some looked well-rested—but others, exhausted. The culprit? Tonpa. The man had spent all night spreading false rumors, filling people's heads with paranoia to keep them on edge and sleep-deprived. Even now, he smirked to himself, pleased with his work. 

Meanwhile, at the front of the group, the bean-faced examiner stood tall. "Welcome to the Trick Tower, the site of your third exam," he announced. "The rules are simple—all candidates must reach the bottom within 72 hours. If you fail, you're eliminated."

The top of the tower looked deceptively empty. But if one paid attention, they'd see the thin cracks forming a pattern across the surface. A hidden mechanism was at work. 

CRACK! 

Without warning, several floor panels suddenly collapsed inward! Within seconds, over half the candidates vanished into the tower below! When the dust settled, only about twenty people remained standing. Larry, still observing the strange pink bird circling the tower, remained motionless at the edge. "Mr. Larry," a voice called out. Turning, he saw Kurapika approaching, his gaze steady. "If you don't have a group yet, would you like to join us?"

Larry raised an eyebrow. They had found five separate floor panels—just enough for a team of five to drop together. And since Larry was still above ground, Kurapika had extended the offer. Among the remaining candidates, Larry was one of the few people they actually trusted.

For a moment, Larry remained silent. A thought crossed his mind. Kurapika. The last survivor of the Kurta Clan—a people massacred for their Scarlet Eyes. The location of his clan's ruins was something only he would know. Larry's ability had always allowed him to travel to strange places… 

Would the ruins of the Kurta Clan count as one of them? And if so— What kind of Pokémon would be found there? A plan began to take shape in Larry's mind. The key to getting Kurapika to reveal the location? Spiders.

Larry accepted the invitation, stepping toward the group. Within moments, the five of them each chose a panel And jumped. The sensation of falling lasted only a few seconds before they landed inside a dimly lit chamber. 

All four of them landed with ease, Except for Leorio, who landed face-first with a groan. "Is this what they meant by a 'brief separation'?" Kurapika murmured, brushing off the dust on his coat.

Then, as the five of them secured the bracelets provided in advance, a voice echoed through the chamber. A voice filled with mockery. "Welcome, candidates." The voice came from a monitor installed in the corner of the room. "You have chosen the path determined by the majority. In the upcoming challenges, you'll need to make a series of group decisions. Work together—or fail together."

Deep inside the surveillance room, multiple monitors displayed live footage from various parts of the Trick Tower. Some screens showed candidates already struggling with their challenges. Others were empty, waiting for the next unfortunate victim to arrive. And at the center of it all sat Warden Lippo.

A thin man with a purple mohawk and beady, untrustworthy eyes. Even behind his round glasses, his narrow gaze gave him the unmistakable aura of a schemer. He leaned back in his chair, watching the monitors with amusement. This was his favorite part. Watching the candidates struggle. His fingers reached for a biscuit, snapping it in half as he spoke into the mic.

While Lippo continued explaining the rules, Leorio—still rubbing his bruised face—suddenly had an idea. The first two examiners had recognized Larry immediately—but this new guy didn't react at all? It felt strange. So, without thinking, Leorio pointed at Larry and asked— "Warden, don't you know who this guy is?" A moment of silence.

CRACK! 

The sound of a biscuit snapping in half. Lippo froze. For the first time since the exam started—his smug expression faltered. "Boy," he sneered, gripping the mic, "not everyone is worth knowing." The monitor camera adjusted, turning to focus n Larry's calm expression. Lippo scoffed. "I don't waste my time memorizing random nobodies—" Then he actually looked at Larry's face. And suddenly— His entire demeanor changed. "Wait a minute." His voice dropped. "…What did you just say his name was?"

Before Leorio could respond— A loud clatter came from the surveillance room as Lippo began frantically flipping through documents. Within seconds, he had found what he was looking for. His beady eyes darted back and forth between the monitor and the photo on the file. Then, his head snapped up in realization. His entire body stiffened."It's HIM." A visible shudder ran through the warden. "The new bounty hunter… Larry!!"The color drained from Lippo's face. "The one who personally executed Wrath and Envy…! The S-Class criminals from The Seven Deadly Sins!" His shaky voice echoed across the chamber.

Larry simply stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He hadn't expected even this guy to know about him. But ever since his battle on Mount Kira'Zan, his name had begun to circulate within certain circles. Among Nen users, his reputation was starting to grow— Especially because of his mysterious Pokémon-like summons. 

A top-tier Nen user, known for erasing deadly curses with ease, A man who eliminated two S-class criminals from the infamous Seven Deadly Sins, A Hunter candidate who shouldn't even need to take the exam— These were just a few of the names and rumors swirling around Larry. For Warden Lippo, this realization was unbelievable. Someone like Larry shouldn't be taking the Hunter Exam.

Someone like him should have already been a Hunter—if not something far greater. If every rumor was true, 'What the hell was he doing here?'