Bisky reveals herself to the group and she has a few choice words directed at Raphael's training method.

The group fought a series of different types of monsters, Raphael explaining the mechanic of every single one along the way. He told them how to deal with every single one, leaving none of the boys to have to second guess any of the possible solutions.

When Raphael saw the knight stumbling towards them, like a puppet fighting the strings of their master he was getting ready to open his mouth "Oh, that's-"

"Use Gyo, damn it!" An unexpectedly loud voice swore, booming across the open wasteland.

Raphael turned in the direction where the voice was the loudest, spotting the young girl they thought they got rid of ages ago. She had been secretly following them, and she did this without any of them picking up on her presence.

She was stronger than she presented herself to be.

Killua out of instinct focused Gyo on the monster, noticing the trail of aura that connected from the pieces of armour to somewhere else. It was a dud; the real enemy was further away.

Still, knowing that didn't explain why she was screaming that information to them, rather than waiting for Raphael to say it. He was already planning to tell them so there was no need for her to speak up and reveal herself.

The knight swung their sword, and Killua nimbly avoided the attack.

As Gon took the opportunity to deal with the manipulator, Raphael addressed the assistance. "So not only have you been following us, you force your way into something I was already planning on telling them."

"No!" The young lady leapt from the ledge, landing safely on the group. From a few feet away, she pressed her fist into her sides, glaring daggers at the teen in front of her, "I objected to your way of teaching them. You gave them every answer… every solution to all their problems. Sure, I could see there were moments where you gave them the freedom to learn, but that was only a fraction of your teaching."

"I didn't just give them the answer…" The boy crossed his arms, "I showed them how to reproduce the solution."

"Not enough times…"

Raphael heard the armour clatter to the floor behind him, but he hadn't dared look away from this girl. She oozed strength, a formidable amount of knowledge that seemed to rival him, even though she was the newer player in comparison "You just told them the answer."

"I told them to use Gyo, not that the armour was being controlled by something else… nor the creature's location. You would've told them more than I would've…"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Without you, they would've been stumbling around like buffoons, moving on if they couldn't figure out a way to beat the creature."

"Hey!" Killua was about to object, but she pointed an accusatory finger at him, "I saw the two of take a step back when that giant lizard showed up. Had he not told you the monster was easy to beat, you two would've ran."

Her expression shifted, frowning at how Killua failed to come up with a rebuttal "Had Raphael not captured the puffball, it would've run away. Oh, and don't get me started on that worm you launched at my face. The annoying little monster would've ruined my dress had I not gotten out of the way and destroyed the blister on its back. Oh, by the way, I heard you tell them that…"

"You managed to beat it without it making a noise?"

"I'm stronger than I look…" She offered an innocent smile at the teen, "All I did was hold its head down then with a little bit of aura, smack the blister from afar."

"So, you're an Emitter like me…"

"I'm many things, but Emitter is not one of them." She held up a finger, the trio confused.

"Are you trying to p-" Aura flowed into his eyes, expecting her to be preparing to launch some kind of projectile at them. At that point, he would've figured out she just lied to their face. But instead, he saw her aura extending from her body, shaped into a single digit "I only see one person using Gyo, where's the rest of you?"

Killua and Gon focused, gleaming at what she had been hiding above her finger "Now everyone is on the same page, what do you see?"

"One…?" Gon was more confused than uncertain about his answer.

"Do the rest of you see the same thing?"

"Yes…" Killua and Raphael agreed.

She brought down her hand "At least you can follow rules. From now on, every time I raise my finger, you better use Gyo. The longer it takes for you to use Gyo, I'll increase how many" She started to raise her finger again, "push-ups you do."

Gon's eyes lit up once he saw that her finger was up "The number seven."

"Good! Now you two, drop and give me two-hundred push-ups!"

"Wait!" Killua shifted the conversation, now pointing at this stranger who was now ruining their fun "Why are you ordering us around?" She turned a single gesture into a game, a challenge, and she was doing it for no other reason than a single argument born from Raphael's introduction to monster game mechanics.

"You two failed the test and that's your punishment."

"To hell with your request!"

"Oh…" The girl raised her fist, "would you rather have a more fitting punishment for your insolence."

Raphael objected, "Nobody learns anything from those types of punishments except how to lie better."

She turned to the teen, "You better drop and give me four-hundred push-ups then."

"You only doubled the request. You invited yourself into our lives without even introducing yourself. You gave us no reason to trust you since the beginning…"

"Oh…" She smiled innocently "I guess I never did introduce myself. I'm a pro-Hunter Biscuit Krueger. I first learned Nen forty years-"

Killua's eyes widened, "You're an old hag!"

From the time he finished his sentence to the moment Biscuit reacted, not even a split second went by. She was already upon Killua, her fist connecting with his chin. She hit him hard enough to launch him into the air, then continued the conversation like she hadn't just physically hurt anyone "I'm going to use my wealth of knowledge and experience to coach you boys. You should be grateful."

Killua landed on the ground with a thud, the two remaining boys silent.

"Now you give me eight hundred and I want you…" She pointed at Raphael "to give me four hundred."

Raphael didn't even waste time, getting on his hands and knees to perform her request, rather than earn her ire. She's already hit Killua for calling her an old hag. He doesn't know what she'll be like if he keeps rejecting her requests.

She smiled at the teen before looking over at Killua who was still groaning "If you start now, I'll let you get away with just four hundred."

Although reluctantly, Killua performed his push-ups. He didn't want to be punched again by the old hag.

"Good, now I'm not normally big on formalities, so call me Bisky. In return," She pressed her hands to her hips, eagerly watching the two boys continue to perform press-ups for her "you must obey every word of what I teach you."

At that point Raphael got up, already finishing the task set on him.

Killua grits his teeth, still annoyed at her treatment towards him. He was only pointing out a fact "Why should we continue to let us order us around? We're not desperate enough to beg a total stranger to train us!" Even if she has forty years of training under her belt.

The boy got up having already finished his four hundred push-ups, his gaze shifting towards his friend, "You tell her, Gon." I don't want to be forced to do push-ups again.

"We do have a Nen Master though… Wing-San."

"Yeah!" Killua's eyes gleamed brightly. Why hadn't he thought of that? Getting rid of her by using the excuse that they already had someone that could ask for guidance to improve "We already have a master to look after us. We don't need anyone else to take over when we could just ask him." The boy waved his hand, hoping that was enough information to get rid of her "Now shoo."

Bisky's eye twitched for a moment, that was until she recognised the name "Wait, Wing? Oh, by chance do you mean that little boy with messy hair and glasses?"

The boys frowned. He was less of a little boy, and more a grown adult man. Bisky must be reminiscing on someone she hadn't seen for decades at this point "He's actually an adult now…"

"But it doesn't sound like he changed much over time. I bet he still never tucks in his shirt too…"

Killua's expression fell further. The Wing she was thinking of, was the same that trained them. Yeah, that's him…

"Do you know him?" Gon wondered how she knew him.

"Do I know him…" Bisky found herself cackling, "He's actually one of my students."

Bisky looked over to Raphael, "Did he train you as well?"

"No, my father was my trainer…"

"Who is…" Bisky looked the boy up and down, trying to gauge if she met anyone who had any similarities with the boy.

"I don't think you'd be beneficial to have as a trainer, considering I've been soloing this game for a couple of months now."

"I see…" Bisky brought a hand up to her chin, assessing the teen once more. It wouldn't hurt to take on more training, but she doesn't think she could give him any incentives right now. She needs to find a way to push him into it… "Well, it never hurts to take on more experience. Maybe not to the same degree as the others, but I'll think of something."

"I'm not interested…"

"Your loss…" Glancing at the boy one last time, she shifted the conversation back to the duo "Well, if Wing has become a master now, that would make me your master's master. I assume that means you're pro-Hunters."

Killua pointed towards Gon "He is, I'm not."

"Raphael is a pro-Hunter as well." Gon pointed to the teen in question.

He offered a simple wave in response, considering he didn't want to give that information to someone he was still weary of. She's shown no reason why she should be trusted. Even her age was up for debate. He's heard of very skilled Nen users able to retain their youth for years, but she looks like a young girl, borderline pre-teen… that apparently is older than fifty, give or take "I am, a year before Gon though."

"Then all three of you have passed the secret exam? Given that you can use Gyo."

Gon gave a nod "We did."

"Wow…" Bisky smiled widely, reminiscing on her past once more "This takes me back. Given I trained Wing, you shouldn't have any objections to me teaching you."

"That's if she's telling the truth…" Killua glared at Biscuit, "For all intents and purposes, she could still be lying to get in our good graces." Crossing his arms, he offered her a sly grin, "She's already lied about being a damsel in distress… When she's actually a granny in distress."

Bisky shoved a finger into the boy's chest, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Pressing the finger against his skin, Killua winced. It felt like she was trying to stab him in the chest with a single finger "I've seen stubborn, but you're next level. I like to see that in kids… but if you ever call me a granny again, I'll make sure to knock you out."

Bisky pulled her finger away, "Got it…"

Killua rubbed at the spot "Sure…" She's stronger than she looks.

"Now, about not being desperate." She held out her hand, "Book."

Pulling out a single card, she showed off the worm to Killua's face "I suppose this will prove my skills."

Raphael's eyes narrowed "Arrakis Mountain Worm. That's proof you did kill it without anyone noticing or hearing its cry of agony."

"Look at the rank…"

"I know it's a rank D." Raphael raised an eyebrow in concern, "What's your point?"

Bisky turned the card to the others "How many monsters did the boys fail to capture that was considered a D rank?"

"Two… Marimo-chi and Bubble Horse, but to be fair I wanted the second card for myself."

"Do you think they could've captured it, if you hadn't told them how to beat it?"

When Raphael remained silent, the woman raised her voice a little louder this time "Do you think they could've captured it, had you not explained how they could beat it."

"No…" The teen relented, "No, I don't think so."

Bisky's smile grew, "Then I would say they're quite desperate, for someone who can train them on how to beat these monsters. A professional trainer who has years of expertise under her belt."

Killua let out a huff of annoyance. While it's true they couldn't capture Marimo-chi, the fast creature that Raphael could capture effortlessly. That doesn't mean they couldn't capture any of them. Right now, Killua has a Melanin Lizard card on him, which while it is considered a weaker rank… that doesn't mean without Bisky's guidance, they'd fail to capture a Marimo-chi or even a Bubble Horse.

Raphael could teach them… he could show them how to pull it off.

But that was the reason Bisky was interfering in the first place because she despised the way he had been teaching them so far.

"To top it off, it's not even a card worth obtaining… a restricted card slot. If they can't beat those monsters, how do they expect to obtain the cards that thousands of other players want? At least those players-"

Raphael opened his mouth to object, which was immediately shut down, "Yes, I'm well aware of the players that struggle to even steal cards from weaklings like these two." Bisky gestured to Gon and Killua, "I'm focused on the players that can capture monsters like these ones, with ease."

The two boys' expressions fell, feeling defeated by the argument being presented to them. Even though they did get the Sword of Truth, it was won through a simple game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

There are going to be more difficult cards to obtain, and they can't depend on Raphael to do it for them. Gon wouldn't allow for that. He wants to beat the game without resorting to stealing everything, so that means they'll need to get stronger… strong enough to compete on Raphael's level, someone who's been playing the game for almost a year at this point, solo.

Bisky let out a long sigh, "If they run into someone who's stronger and has evil intentions, they might not even-"

Raphael felt it, something that made even Bisky pause. It was a brief, uncomfortable feeling that washed over him. He didn't know what it was, but he felt uneasy by whatever presence escaped for those few seconds.

"Sit down…" Bisky kneeled on the floor, lightly patting the ground in front of her "Pretend that we're chatting."

"That's not hard to do…" Raphael sat on the floor, "When we're already talking."

"I know you felt that too…"

"I felt something…"

Bisky's expression fell, "You've never felt bloodlust?"

Killua's eyes widened, snapping towards the teen who failed to recognise the feeling of danger lurking. Bisky and Raphael sensing it while he remained unaware of the sensation was a testament to their training. The problem now… is why hadn't he felt it?

He's been wrapped around that environment for ages. He knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of intense bloodlust… yet he didn't feel anything at all until Bisky pointed it out.

"I've felt it, but never could quite put a name to it. If I ever felt something like this, and I couldn't sense where they were, I would immediately leave the area."

Bisky found herself smiling at the news "That's some good instincts on you."

"I was trained by the best…"

She looked over the boy, eyes carefully watching every facet of the teen's aura. He was better than the other two boys, but to her, he still felt rough around the edges. She could see the small parts that were being chipped away, well on their way to being refined… but he was still an imperfect gem.

Raphael had a long way to go… almost as long as Gon and Killua did. He just happened to have a head start "Then a test. Do you know where they are?"

"No…"

"They're behind me." Bisky saw Killua's reaction, the way he focused on his surroundings as if probing for their exact location, "Don't probe for them. They'll notice."

Bisky directed her attention to the teen, eyeing him curiously "Do you-"

"How did you sense his bloodlust?"

She turned to give the boy her attention "It was only a tiny bit that escaped. They saw that there were four kids and relaxed, believing none of us are a concern." She turned back to Raphael, "Which makes me believe he doesn't recognise you."

"So, a player killer that avoids towns…" Raphael hummed over the idea, "It's difficult to do, but it's possible. Maybe they despise crowds or people in general, rather wanting to pick them off one by one than deal with groups."

"You would think so, but I believe if he can hide his presence this well, they're above average in terms of strength."

Killua pieced the information together, trying to gauge what's the best plan of action. Either Bisky or Raphael could probably take them on with ease, so splitting the groups into equal teams of strength would be the best plan of action.

The boy looked up, leaning into Bisky's knowledge considering she was the one who pointed them out first "What's the best plan of action?"

"What would you say?"

Gon offered a plan first. "We should move together."

"Why?"

"I'm guessing he decided to use caution because there's four of us. If we stick together, he'll be less eager to attack."

"I agree!"

Raphael thought about their plan. Moving together was the safer option… but the safer response would be to use Accompany to get out of there if they were trying to be safer. That, however, would give away they knew they were there.

"And your response Raphael?"

"If we're trying to leave safely, I have an Accompany on hand to get us to Masadora since I've already gone there. But it doesn't look like you want to…"

"Bingo." As Bisky's smile grew, Gon and Killua's expression looked worried "We're going to draw them out. If I go on my own, the enemy is one hundred percent guaranteed to attack me." She pointed in the opposite direction of Masadora "I'll go south. You three, go north. Walk about five hundred meters without concealing your presence."

Oh, no…

Turning her head, she looked for a landmark that would best suit that distance, spotting the large rocky formation "That'll do. Aim for that pillar. Once you get there, use Zetsu, then rush back immediately!"

"And let's say for…" Raphael rolled his wrist, "Clarity's sake, that one or more of us are bad in that department."

"Then I'd advise you to lag behind the others, or switch directions when you come back to follow me so others aren't caught up in your mess." She offered a frown at the boy, "Didn't you learn Zetsu?"

"I did… I'm just not good at it, sue me. I have an easier time with releasing my presence, than I do with hiding it."

"I can use that to my advantage. New plan. You two…" She pointed to Killua and Gon, "Aim for the rock. Raphael, I'll have you head east instead. When you three regroup, I want you to release your Ren to alert me of your presence. It should spook them, but that'll make my job of taking them down easier, and if they do decide to go after you, I trust that you can take them down."

"If he's just as strong as the average player, it'll be easy."

Killua's smile grew, "So a pincer attack mixed with a-"

A loud whack resonated in the wastelands, everyone stunned by the action, including the one who received it.

Killua was still processing the fact he got slapped when she announced her action "Fine, then! Be that way!"

He was fuming, forcing himself to not launch into a tirade of insults. Why did she have to slap him to use him as a distraction to her fake anger?

"I've had enough! Bye-bye." With that, Bisky walked away.

Raphael thought about how he should depart from the others. If he left on his own now, the enemy could target either himself or Bisky. He supposes he should leave with them to make sure he wasn't alone to be a target for the enemy, then split once they reach the rock so they aren't put in danger once he alerts the enemy of his presence.

"YEAH, GET LOST!" You dumb old hag… Killua finally broke out of his stunned expression. At least he'll have a chance of releasing a tirade of insults without having to worry about her coming back to slap him across the face "Nobody wants you around! Come on, Gon! Raphael!"

Gon was still processing everything when he heard his name being called. He hadn't expected the scenario to run like that, for Killua and Bisky to get into an argument when they both seemed to agree with the plan.

Raphael was the first to get up, "She really is ruthless toward you… Girls must not like you."

"No, just old hags…" Killua muttered under his breath, moving forward before Bisky turned around to slap him again for that insult.

Seeing the two get up, it finally clicked for Gon. It was all just an act to them, a play to entice the enemy to target the solo player, rather than the group of players. They're really good actors…

"So long, stupid!"

Bisky's eye twitched. The boy was playing into the act. Maybe she shouldn't have slapped him so hard… then again, the reason for her stomping off wouldn't have been legitimate. She needed the fight to be real for whoever let their bloodlust escape for the briefest of moments.

"~"

Raphael could see it coming into view, the tall pillar.

Everyone was off in their own minds, Bisky's words still weighing heavily on them. Killua found himself breaking the silence first, voicing his concerns on the matter "That woman is something else…"

"She did slap you before you realised what was happening. She was even faster than I could perceive her actions…"

"Is what you said true? About bloodlust?"

"It is… I've felt it directed at me, but I considered it more malicious intent than bloodlust. It makes me feel uneasy, worried."

"Do you always run from danger like that?"

"If I know I can win, I'll fight head-on. But if it's intense danger, a feeling that makes me desperate enough to avoid it… I will run. I met a guy like that, the way he'd look at others… at me… eyeing us down like pieces of meat to fuel his hunger. I'm thankful he failed the Hunter's Exam last year. And I hope he never joined again the following year… I hope you never had to meet him."

"What did he look like?"

"He had blue hair combed back, leering eyes that pierced your soul. Definitely on the more skinny and flamboyant side. He had a sort of… charm to his actions, but he's one I wouldn't want to be on their bad side, let alone good side."

"Sounds like someone we know…"

"Oh, no…"

"Did he dress up in outrageous clothes and wear makeup, a star and tear?"

"No, I don't believe so…" Raphael thought more about his past, the way the man looked. He couldn't recall any features drawn onto his face. He just looked like an average skinny dude with dyed blue hair "No…"

"Then they're probably different guys." Killua tried to compare whom Raphael met against Hisoka. It sounds like they were different people "Ours had red hair anyways. And he was less charming and more… well, creepy."

"Noted…" Raphael touched the rock first, "I'll meet you at Bisky, stay safe. There could be another lurker hanging around using that person's bloodlust as a cover."

Gon found himself smiling widely, "Likewise. Except, you'll meet us there."

Raphael snorted at the challenge "Last one there is a rotten egg." With that, the teen ran towards the east, rounding a corner to change trajectories. He's not going to lose to those two, even if he veers far off course to make sure they aren't in danger of someone bumping into them on their way to meet up with Bisky, he'll make damn sure they're safe.

A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.