WENT TO MASADORA, BUT...

Biscuit points ahead and declares there are about thirty kilometers left, estimating they can cover the distance in three hours. Gon and Killua react with surprise. The trio enters a rocky canyon where they spot a cluster of small huts. Biscuit wonders if it is a village or a camp. They approach the empty settlement and confirm it is deserted. The three then sprint across an open plain. In the final panel Gon and Killua stand together; Gon excitedly points and shouts "THAT'S IT!" while Killua exclaims "AH!"

A vast, surreal landscape unfolds under a cloudy sky, filled with towering structures shaped like striped mushrooms, swirling spheres, checkered eggs, and floating jellyfish-like forms. Sound effects drift through the air as the group walks along a dirt path. In the town below, a man in a cap addresses Gon and Killua directly. "HEY, YOU TWO. LOOK FOR A DEPARTMENT STORE INSTEAD." Nearby, Biscuit smiles coyly with her hands behind her back. "UFUFU. IT'S A SE-CRET. ♥" Killua glances toward the bizarre buildings while Gon stands beside him. Another voice wonders aloud, "WONDER WHERE THEY SELL SPELL CARDS." Killua turns slightly and asks, "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BUY?"

Inside a building with shelves and displays, Gon and Killua discuss the limited selection. "I GUESS IT SAVES ON STORAGE SPACE. BUT WE'RE THE TYPE THAT ONLY BUY AFTER SEEING THE MERCHANDISE, RIGHT?" A round smiling figure stands among striped and polka-dotted decorations. Biscuit looks back over her shoulder at an elderly shopkeeper. She suddenly brightens and declares, "BISKI! WE'VE LEARNED WHERE THEY SELL SPELL CARDS!" Biscuit spins around with fist raised high, shouting enthusiastically, "THEN LET'S GO BACK TO THE STONY REGION WE WERE AT BEFORE!" Gon and Killua react with shock, their faces showing surprise as large "EH !?" and "!!" effects burst around them.

Gon and Killua stand facing Biscuit, who has transformed into her tall, muscular adult form. Gon says, "WELL... THAT'S TRUE... BUT..." while Killua adds, "IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE ANY HIGH-VALUE SPELL CARDS." Biscuit, holding a fan of cards, retorts sharply, "WHAT ABOUT SPELL CARDS?" Both boys react with shock, shouting "WHAT?!" A close-up shows Gon exclaiming "EH" as motion lines emphasize surprise. Biscuit continues, "THIS TIME RETURN IN TWO AND A HALF HOURS. YOU DON'T NEED THEM FOR TRAINING, DO YOU?" The scene shifts to a wide rocky canyon where Biscuit, now holding the cards prominently, declares, "SO LET'S BEGIN." Gon and Killua look on from the side. At the bottom of the page, Biscuit's foot steps forward with a bold SFX "ポッ!!" as she says "GAIN."

Killua, looking skeptical, says, "NOW LET'S GO TO MASADORA." In the next panel Biscuit stands alone on the rocky ground near scattered mining tools and a wheelbarrow. Killua questions, "BUT, IS THIS OLD HAG MAKING FUN OF US?" with Gon beside him. Biscuit points forward and states firmly, "I MEAN IT LITERALLY. THIS TIME, TAKE A STRAIGHT ROUTE." A close-up shows Biscuit's determined expression. In the final panels, Biscuit smiles and tells the boys, "YEP! YOU'RE GOING TO DIG YOUR WAY THROUGH." Gon and Killua react with wide-eyed disbelief, Killua exclaiming, "WHAT? ALL STRAIGHT? WHAT ABOUT THE MOUNTAINS... NO WAY!"

A massive cracking sound echoes as the rock wall splits open with a loud ガク!. Gon and Killua swing their pickaxes into the stone face, steadily chipping away at the cliff. 'We're making good progress like this.' 'Yeah.' 'This stone is softer than I thought.' The two boys continue their rhythmic digging, sending small rocks tumbling down the slope. Nearby, Biscuit stands with her arms crossed, watching their work with a focused expression as digging sounds ザッ ザッ fill the air. The scene shifts to a wide view of the rocky canyon under a darkening sky, followed by a bright circular moon rising in the distance. In the final panel, a sharp ザ! rings out as a pickaxe strikes a pile of rubble at the base of the cliff.

Gon pauses with a tired expression, sweat on his face, as he considers the work ahead. Killua suggests they take turns digging and hauling rubble with the cart. The boys begin pushing a loaded cart together through the narrow tunnel, the wheels rumbling loudly ガラガラ. Biscuit watches with wide eyes, noting that the earth seems to be getting harder and harder. Gon comments that his whole body is getting a workout from the effort. Killua adds that even pushing the cart uses lower body strength a lot, and if he eases up on his arms the cart will spill over. The two continue maneuvering the heavy cart deeper into the rocky passage.

The group smashes through a thin rock wall with a loud crash. Gon and Killua burst out from the hole, both looking exhausted and covered in dust. Gon pants, 'I can't do it any more,' while Killua adds, 'We're through.' They tumble forward into a wider cavern space. In the next moment both boys are shown mid-air with arms outstretched, motion lines and impact symbols emphasizing their sudden fall or leap. Below, Biscuit stands with a surprised expression, a question mark floating above her head. She calls out, 'Wait! If you're going to rest, at least sit up!' Gon and Killua sit on the ground looking drained. Biscuit continues speaking, 'And I'm already a hundred times more exhausted than yesterday. We only made about 300m of progress.'

Gon examines a rope anchored to the cliff face with a stone weight at the end. Biscuit warns that releasing the rope is not allowed and that they must stay in this position from now on. She holds up a knife and explains she will cut the rope with it to keep part of the team alert at all times. Killua accepts the situation, noting it will at least keep them on edge. Biscuit mentions that her father also had her practice this kind of training. The boys sit down and close their eyes to rest. Suddenly a large trap mechanism activates with a loud 'ズゴゴゴーン!!' sound, showing a spiked weight and a skull-and-crossbones warning symbol swinging toward them.

Gon clings to a rope on the stone wall, muttering, "OKAY, THIS TIME I'LL HOLD ON TO IT," only for the line to snap with a sharp "SHIT." He tumbles backward onto the rocky floor. Biscuit, standing with her back to the viewer, points at the fallen boy and laughs, "HAH! NOW, SINCE IT FELL, PUT IT BACK IN PLACE YOURSELF." Gon yelps in pain as impact SFX explode around him. A tight close-up shows Gon’s sweating, strained face as heavy grinding sounds "ガラガラ" echo from the walls. Biscuit’s voice cuts in firmly from off-panel: "DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO MUCH. YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY SLEEP, RIGHT?" Gon answers, "I'M FINE," while another grinding "ガラガラ" rumbles. In the next panel Killua and Gon stare into a sudden dark crevice that has opened in the wall; Killua blurts, "WHAT?"

Biscuit stands with hands on hips, declaring, "ESPECIALLY GON'S. THAT'S FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION EARLIER." She adds, "THE STONES ARE SLOWLY GETTING BIGGER." Gon, bruised and sitting on the floor, replies, "I CAN STILL HANDLE A STONE THIS BIG HITTING ME. AT LEAST, I HOPE SO." The two boys now sit side by side against the wall, each holding a rope with a rock weight dangling above them. A sudden impact panel shows a starburst and motion lines. Biscuit, now holding a pickaxe, says, "I HIT A REALLY HARD ROCK PLATE." Killua asks, "WHAT'S UP?" Gon, examining his bleeding hand, mutters, "TSSS-." Biscuit continues, "NOT WITH A SHOVEL, I'D SAY," while Killua questions, "CAN YOU DIG THROUGH IT?"

Killua stares ahead with wide eyes and a determined expression, declaring that a nen-charged punch could still achieve something. The air crackles with the sound effect ズ"ズ"ズ" as he raises his fist. Beside him, Gon looks on with a question mark floating above his head while Killua continues speaking. A large rocky mass labeled Alira comes into view as Killua calls out, asking what Gon thinks about their Alira when they are using the shovel. Gon, gripping the shovel tightly, replies that the shovel can also be considered part of the body. He adds that it is normal any way you look at it. Killua smiles and confirms with a cheerful "RIGHT?" as Gon responds with an understanding "AH..."

Gon grips the shovel with both hands and channels aura into it, causing the tool to glow and emit powerful energy. The aura reinforcement visibly strengthens the digging action as Gon smiles confidently. He declares that if he puts an aura on the shovel, the digging strength becomes reinforced. With a loud battle cry of "YAAAA!" Gon swings the shovel downward. The impact creates a massive cross-shaped crack across the rock surface accompanied by the sharp sound effect ズ"ズ" as debris flies outward.

Gon digs furiously into the rock face, his hands moving with surprising ease. "The rock is like pudding!" he exclaims as impact lines and cracks spread outward. "This is great! Digging like this is so easy!" he adds with a wide grin. Nearby, Biscuit watches the boys from behind with her arms crossed. "Seems they got the hang of 'Shu,' the secret technique," she notes. She continues explaining that special techniques differ from base ones because they consume a lot of strength and Ki, warning "If you're not careful..." Killua stands nearby looking drained, sweat drops flying as he mutters "Urg... why do I feel so..." Gon, still digging, complains "I just can't feel any strength. And the aura isn't coming out right." Biscuit declares the goal of their training: "By the time we've reached Masadora, the sum of all three is needed to use 'aura.' This training will improve them. The strength, endurance, and will-power of the entire body... The end of level one will be attained!!"