The cabin was thrown into chaos.
The ship rocked violently.
In essence, this storm was a kind of test. But compared to previous years, today's storm was particularly intense—stronger than even the captain had expected.
Kaizen sat back against the cabin wall, completely unfazed. To him, the ship's violent motions were no different from an amusement park ride. It didn't excite him, nor did it discomfort him in the slightest.
For the other candidates, however, it was a different story.
Many struggled to stay on their feet, clinging desperately to nearby pillars, their bodies shaking uncontrollably. The relentless motion was too much for their internal organs—vomit and the stench of sickness filled the cabin. Some were flung against the walls, injured and bleeding.
Kaizen, unaffected, instinctively used his aura to create a barrier, shielding himself from the foul odors.
Among all the candidates, only Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio remained relatively steady. Not only were they holding their ground, but they even had the capacity to observe the others around them.
That was the difference.
After what felt like an eternity, the storm finally passed. The ship steadied.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the cabin.
"It finally stopped."
"I thought we were done for."
"Thank god…"
The cabin door swung open. A short, stocky old man stepped inside, a pipe clamped between his teeth. His sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in the sorry state of the candidates.
"And you lot want to be Hunters?" he scoffed. "Pathetic."
Disdain flickered across his face as he muttered to himself. Then, his gaze settled on Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. His expression softened.
"You three, come with me."
Leorio hesitated, blinking in confusion.
Kurapika's eyes gleamed slightly, sensing something more beneath the invitation.
Gon, however, instinctively glanced at Kaizen.
Kaizen simply smiled and put a finger to his lips. "Shh."
Gon gave a small nod before looking away and following the others.
As they left the cabin, Kaizen watched them go, only looking away once they had disappeared completely.
Kaizen had chosen to keep a low profile.
For one, just by being on this ship, he had already gained enough insight into the way Hunters operated. He didn't need to draw any further attention to himself.
More importantly, he didn't like the captain.
As an external examiner for the Hunter Exam, the man abused his authority.
Kaizen had done his research—gathering intelligence through sources like Altan. The only real requirement for passing this qualifier was surviving the storm in decent condition. That was it. The captain's role was simply to inform the candidates of the next exam's location.
But instead, he played games.
Pretending that the reason Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio were chosen had something to do with their motivations for becoming Hunters. As if the Hunter Association cared about that.
They didn't.
Shalnark—a member of the Phantom Troupe.
Illumi—a cold-blooded assassin.
Hisoka—a sadistic pervert.
Many Hunters had their own selfish or questionable reasons for taking the exam. The Association didn't discriminate. If you passed, you became a Hunter. That was it.
And yet, the captain singled out Gon while withholding information from Kurapika and Leorio. Had Gon not been there, the other two might have missed the exam entirely.
This wasn't about filtering out the weak.
This was about eliminating strong candidates arbitrarily.
It was like a university entrance exam where, instead of testing academic ability, a teacher decided to rank students based on a subjective speech about dreams. Two students who could have placed in the top ten ended up failing because of the examiner's personal bias.
That kind of behavior disgusted Kaizen.
But people like that existed everywhere.
Small men with small power, using it to make themselves feel important.
The ship rocked again.
Kaizen looked toward the deck and saw a confrontation unfolding.
Leorio versus Kurapika.
It wasn't surprising—they weren't exactly compatible.
Leorio came across as brash and materialistic.
Kurapika, on the other hand, saw the Hunter profession as something noble and meaningful.
A clash of perspectives like theirs was bound to cause friction.
But at this moment, Kaizen saw a bigger problem.
Kurapika was too careless.
A genocide survivor.
A man who bore the weight of an entire slaughtered clan.
Someone who lived for revenge.
And yet, he was far too quick to reveal his identity as a Kurta.
Who was the captain?
An external examiner of the Hunter Association.
Gon and Leorio barely knew each other at this point. And yet, Kurapika openly exposed himself in front of them.
Too naive.
Suddenly, a startled cry rang out.
A crew member lost his footing and plunged toward the ocean below.
Without hesitation, Gon sprinted forward.
Leorio and Kurapika abandoned their argument and rushed to help, working together to pull both Gon and the crew member back to safety.
Kaizen watched in silence.
...
Morning came.
The ship docked at a port, and one by one, the candidates disembarked.
Kaizen walked ahead of the crowd.
The captain never noticed him—exactly as Kaizen had intended.
But that hardly mattered.
He already knew where the next phase of the Hunter Exam would take place.
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