"I heard this whole mountain belongs to the Zoldyck family."
"So rich..."
"As expected from the world's number one assassin family."
"Did Kaizen and Killua grow up here?"
"So jealous!"
Leorio was always quick to get envious when it came to wealth—but not for his own sake. Ever since he decided to become a doctor, Leorio's dream had been to help people who couldn't afford treatment. If he had enough money, he wouldn't hesitate to save someone, even if they couldn't pay.
That was what Leorio truly wanted.
"Killua told me a little about his childhood," Gon said. "He trained constantly—no real time to enjoy being a kid. It was way tougher than anything I went through."
"That's why Killua's stronger than me now."
"Kaizen probably had a similar upbringing," he added. "Stuff like building resistance to poison."
"You remember those bottles Tonpa gave us before the Hunter Exam started?"
"To get to Killua and Kaizen's level, it's not something you can just train into."
Leorio and Kurapika exchanged glances, both nodding in agreement.
Especially Kurapika. After the Kurta Clan was exterminated, he'd trained with extreme discipline. But even then, he couldn't imagine the kind of harsh upbringing Gon was describing.
"I wonder what the Testing Gate is like?"
"If it's called Testing Gate, then it must be some kind of test. It won't be easy to open," Kurapika said.
He added, "Kaizen told us not to try climbing over the walls like those with malicious intent. There must be a reason—probably because something bad would happen if we did."
"And those kinds of intruders might not even make it past the gate."
...
The bus rumbled and bumped its way up the mountain road.
The driver and guide were used to it. Most of the tourists weren't.
Someone pulled out a plastic bag just in time.
A foul smell quickly spread. It felt contagious, clinging to the air.
Gon, Killua, and Kurapika didn't get motion sickness, but the smell still made them uncomfortable. Gon, especially—his sense of smell was sharper than that of a beast.
Finally, the bus came to a stop.
The doors swung open, and the tourists rushed to get out. Gon and the others climbed out the window instead.
"Phew! Saved!" Leorio gasped.
Their attention was immediately drawn to the massive wall ahead. At its center was a colossal gate etched with intricate patterns.
Just looking at the size of the fence and the grandeur of the entrance, it was obvious the Zoldyck family's wealth matched their terrifying reputation.
Tourists chattered as they gazed around in awe.
The tour guide raised a loudspeaker, trying to keep people in line.
The Zoldycks didn't care much for these sightseers. Letting the gate become a tourist attraction was one thing—but if anyone crossed the line, they wouldn't even need a real family member to deal with them. A cleaner or trainee butler would be more than enough.
In a small side room, half-hidden in the wall, an older man sat sipping tea.
Zebro glanced up toward the noise outside, then went back to his cup.
"Another one?"
He sighed softly. "Another quiet day..."
...
Leorio stared at the massive main gate.
"Is that the Testing Gate?"
"Gon, what do we do now?"
Kurapika answered, "According to Kaizen, that's it. But there's no sign of any kind of trial. No one's around."
Gon didn't wait. He walked up to the gate.
He raised both hands, but one arm was still recovering from the fight with Hanzo, so he focused all his strength into the other.
He pushed.
The door didn't budge.
Gon stood there, confused.
A nearby tour guide noticed and rushed over.
"Hey, kid! What do you think you're doing?"
"I already said—this is private property! If you go in, you'll die for sure!"
Gon pulled his hand back and looked at the man. "But I have to go in. I have a reason."
Kurapika turned to the side—something caught his eye.
Two intimidating figures approached the small guardhouse. One of them kicked the door open and grabbed Zebro by the collar. With one hand, they snatched the key from him.
"Gon, Leorio—look!"
They all turned toward the side entrance.
Click.
The key turned.
The door opened.
The two figures disappeared inside.
Leorio blinked. "That's it? Just like that?"
Kurapika shook his head. "No... something's wrong. Kaizen warned us not to take shortcuts. That was probably what he meant."
"But they did go in," Leorio pointed out. "We could just follow—"
A scream echoed from beyond the door.
Leorio froze.
Gon ran to help Zebro, who had collapsed.
"Old man, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Thank you."
Then the door creaked open again.
A huge, monstrous hand emerged, dragging two skeletons—nothing but bone. Every bit of flesh had been stripped clean.
Everyone turned pale.
"Run!!"
Panic exploded. Tourists screamed and scrambled back onto the bus. The driver stomped on the accelerator and took off.
Only Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika stayed behind.
...
"You three aren't leaving?" Zebro asked, still catching his breath.
Leorio couldn't even respond yet.
Kurapika's expression hardened. Kaizen had been right.
"We can't go. We're Killua's friends. We came here to see him—we're not leaving without him."
"Master Killua's friends?" Zebro looked them over carefully.
Kurapika continued, "Before we came, Kaizen told us the Zoldyck Manor can be entered—but not through tricks or shortcuts."
Zebro's eyes widened slightly.
"You know Master Kaizen too?"
"In that case... follow me."
...
They walked up to the Testing Gate.
"There's only one proper way inside," Zebro said. "You push open this door—and walk through it."
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