Kaizen left.
But his name had already spread like wildfire across the three major venues of the Fiora Kingdom.
"A genius from the Zoldyck family!"
"Nen mastery from the world's top assassin clan!"
"He consecutively defeated Wendy, Ted, and Roben."
"Unbelievable."
"For the younger generation, he's practically at the pinnacle."
Some were intrigued by Kaizen. Some admired him. But there were also those who harbored jealousy.
"He's not a citizen of the Fiora Kingdom—he's an assassin. If we eliminate him before he matures, we could prevent a future threat."
But others quickly dismissed the notion.
"He's from the Zoldyck family! If we attack him, we'll bring their vengeance down upon us!"
"So what? Do you really think the Zoldycks can challenge the entire Fiora Kingdom?"
"They don't have to. They work in the shadows. If they decide to take revenge, how do you expect to stop them?"
"Do you have any idea how many people could die before we even locate them?"
"Who's willing to take that risk?"
"Besides, Kaizen isn't our enemy."
"Not only that, but he and Wendy seem to be on good terms."
"There's no need for unnecessary conflict."
No matter where you go, there will always be dissenting voices. But most of Fiora's officials were rational enough to leave the matter alone.
...
Kaizen boarded the airship.
"Altan, give me the latest intel."
Altan immediately handed over a freshly compiled report.
Before arriving in Fiora, Kaizen had already analyzed the kingdom's structure and identified the capital as its most vital hub. His fieldwork had confirmed it—seventy percent of his goal had already been completed there.
A few minor locations still remained, but once he finished absorbing their traits, he estimated his progress toward mastering the Observer's Ultimate Will would reach ninety percent. Only ten percent more to go.
There were two ways he could complete this process.
The first option was to remain in Fiora's capital and continue absorbing at a slower rate. It would take time, but it would be steady.
The second option was to visit other scattered key locations outside the capital. Though fewer in number, they might allow for faster absorption.
Kaizen decided to have Altan compile data on this second approach.
Three days later, Kaizen returned to Heavens Arena.
"Captain!"
"Woof!"
As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by Nina, Shizuku, and Polar Bear.
Sally was still away for the Hunter Exam and hadn't returned yet.
Kaizen nodded and stepped in. "How's everything going?"
"Nothing much has changed," Nina reported. "I'm close to earning my promotion to the 200th floor."
"Shizuku's progression is still on track as well," she added. "But when it comes to advanced Nen techniques… we're not improving as fast as we'd hoped."
A hint of frustration crossed her face. "Are we just too slow?"
Kaizen placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "You're doing fine."
He continued, "I'll give you both a new training regimen. It'll be tailored to your individual strengths, so the efficiency should improve significantly."
With that, he signaled Altan, and within seconds, Nina and Shizuku each received an email.
"Thanks!"
"Thanks, Captain."
"Woof!"
Polar Bear wagged its tail excitedly and rubbed against Kaizen.
Although Nina was comparing herself to Kaizen, she was failing to acknowledge one crucial fact—her talent, while good, was nowhere near his. Compared to an average Nen user, both she and Shizuku were exceptionally gifted.
But Kaizen was different.
On top of his natural abilities, he had received personal guidance from Maha Zoldyck. Meanwhile, Nina and Shizuku had been learning from him instead. The difference in instructors alone made a significant impact.
Now, with a refined training regimen, their progress would accelerate.
"Any updates on Sally?" Kaizen asked.
"Yes," Nina nodded. "She recently found a Hunter Association pre-selection testing site. Once the time comes, she'll qualify for the official exam."
"Good."
Kaizen recalled details about the Hunter Exam— 287 in particular.
This year, however, was 282, and his knowledge about it was limited.
The only certainty? Tonpa would be there.
Tonpa had been taking the exam for years, making it his mission to sabotage rookies. While his own strength was unimpressive, there were theories that he was actually a hidden powerhouse.
Kaizen had yet to meet him in person, so he couldn't judge for himself.
"If I follow my usual pattern, I'll need at least two Hunter Exam cycles to fully absorb the characteristics."
"It would be ideal if one of those cycles included 287."
"After all, among recent Hunter Exams, 287 had the highest caliber of participants."
"The stronger the examinees, the more beneficial the absorption process—and the more powerful the Nen Beast I create."
After a short break, Kaizen headed to the registration desk to sign up for his next match.
This time, however, luck was not on his side.
No other competitors had registered for matches on the 200th floor recently.
And those who had been planning to apply withdrew their applications the moment they heard Kaizen had signed up.
Nobody wanted to enter a match they had no chance of winning.
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