"What date is it today?"
Kukuroo Mountain in the Republic of Padokea, the residence of the Zoldyck Family.
In the dim small room on the first floor of the castle, next to the garden... Maha was enjoying a massage on a rocking chair, with Zeno not around, the "technician" changed to Tsubone.
A few days ago, Silva mentioned he would come in person, but was sent back with an "attend to your wife properly" from the old man.
Killua's belly was visibly getting bigger day by day, if anything went wrong, she'd go mad... hence they replaced Zeno with Tsubone.
"The 23rd." The old butler's technique wasn't as precise as Zeno's, but it was enduring. It seemed like... the two young masters weren't at home, giving them more leisure time.
'Almost a month already...' Maha hummed, the blanket slipped down his knees, deftly caught and covered again by Tsubone.
"Yes, almost a month. The Master called saying he'd be back in a few days, just about the same time as the young masters."
Tsubone knew what Maha was referring to, and while massaging, she idly chatted to break the monotony: "I heard this Hunter Exam will end quickly. The Hunter Association intended to tighten restrictions, not planning to recruit anyone from the start."
"More water, more flour; more flour, more water, it's the same old story..." The old man sneered with irony: "People tend to get muddled as they age. It's only after the influx of subpar candidates that they think to tighten up, too late."
Indeed, it was somewhat late.
Relaxing the restrictions makes the Hunter Exam seem easy, thereby lowering the "value" of the license. Once they realize this, opting to increase the "value" by recruiting none can often discourage society's enthusiasm in obtaining a "Hunter's License."
The Hunter Association has Netero, the "strongest human," as their brand, and many grassroots personnel, but lacks a "mid-level" for overall organizational planning, at least from the viewpoint of Tsubone, managing the Zoldyck family for over forty years...
Currently, the Hunter Association's organizational structure is unhealthy.
This could be one reason Netero plans to form the "Zodiac Twelve" in the future.
But doing so... 'It's a shame for Young Master Roy and Young Master Illumi.'
Tsubone frowned: "I heard from the master that besides Botobai Gigante, whom Netero values, the examiner for this session includes the 'Pig-headed Man' extradited from Jager's memory."
"That C-class demon?"
"Yes."
Tsubone clasped her hands, gently tapping Maha's shoulders, her two pink braids hanging behind, expressing concern: "Ordinary Nen users find it challenging to breach their defenses, and the association requires candidates to last ten seconds just to pass."
"It wouldn't even need Botobai Gigante to act, the Pig-headed Man alone would give everyone a hard time."
Hmmm... Maha closed his eyes, tapping the armrest with his fingers, remained silent for a while before saying faintly: "Nothing is absolute, just like you, Silva, and Zeno... always relying on your experience to judge the young, even more conservative than me, an old man..."
"Tap... tap... tap..." His fingers rhythmically struck the armrest, just as the wind lifted a corner of the curtain, spilling a beam of sunlight... casting a glance outside,
Silva was helping Killua finish breakfast and stroll in the garden, suddenly recalling the determined and strong-willed face of the youngster that kept appearing in his mind these days.
He snorted coldly: "Ten seconds can't stop the Zoldyck..."
"Did Netero just decide no one would pass? Call Zeno and ask whether he's a Zoldyck or an Isaac? Who authorized him to copy those memories?"
"Can't answer..."
Maha paused, "Then there's no need to return home."
If you enjoy testing your grandson's limits, so be it... the old man, itching for some action, will give you a proper challenge.
In the dim small room, today seemed unlikely to remain calm.
Tsubone attentively responded with a "yes," took out her phone and made a call across to Saba City.
The official venue.
Coordinating with the "Memory Roll" and the "Mind-boggling Cedar's Aroma," along with the Divine "Illusion" simulating a false environment, Botobai had already gone back and forth seven times.
It had been a long time since he had such an exhilarating fight.
As a naturally "enhanced type" Pig-headed Man, it not only adeptly employs "Four Major Principles" like humans but surprisingly, with five in total, they're also subdivided into "professions."
Axe specialist leading the way, the "Barbarian," throwing concealed weapons to scout, the "Scout," providing central support and opportunistic ambushes, the "Wanderer"... and stationed in the back, noticeably a level above the previous four, the "Pig-headed General"...
Botobai felt refreshed leaving the "illusion" for the last time, glanced at his right shoulder, thankful it was just a memory, otherwise, the destructive axe from the "Pig-headed General" could have really severed his arm.
'This guy is more than just a C,' Botobai adjusted his right shoulder, snorting out two streams of vapor from his nose.
Nearby,
Gail closed the "Pharmacology," covering the "Illusion" character, casting an odd glance, rarely seeing his colleague this consumed, secretly jesting: "Only the Dark Continent could fascinate such a brute."
Unlike Gail, Botobai, as Netero's valued junior, undoubtedly knew more details.....
More than once, Netero has mentioned that the Dark Continent is full of uncivilized magical beasts...
But,
'That pig-headed squad is well-trained, with the "Pig-headed General" overseeing them. They don't seem uncivilized, but rather like regular soldiers from some tribe or country.'
Botobai aspires to become a "Three-star Terrorist Hunter," simultaneously serving as a "prosecutor" and "military analyst" in the future, a naturally sharp observer.
He shook his arms, puzzled why the chairman lied about the "Dark Continent." He vaguely guessed it might be connected to the "disasters" Netero brought back from the continent years ago.
Fearing these "disasters" might endanger the human world or even lead to humanity's extinction, he chose silence.
Even going so far as to establish "Constraints and Oaths" to stop Beyond from exploring the Dark Continent, though Botobai was unaware of these facts at the moment...
Behind the mask of Beijing opera makeup lay a square face, deep in thought.
Coming back to reality, the man embraced his arms, his tall figure standing by the corridor entrance like a gatekeeper, patiently waiting for the candidates.
At a certain moment, he and Gel simultaneously looked forward...
"Clang~"
At the basement entrance...
The elevator doors opened, and candidates with their respective numbers displayed on their chests walked out one after another...
Among them were many familiar faces, like the bald ninja Yuusuke, the bandage man suspected to be from the minority Jodondulu Tribe, Snakekeeper, Sakamato Days, as well as Kate and Illumi.
The latter two began searching for someone at the venue as soon as they arrived, only to find they were among the first batch, each finding a corner to hide in.
Subsequent elevator arrivals brought another batch of people, including a guy with spiky blonde hair, apparently in a bad mood, complaining about the venue's remote location. Every sentence was riddled with idioms, often mixed up, evoking laughter...
"Hey~ What's so funny? Be careful or I'll flatten you!" Whenever this happened, he would verbally threaten others but never acted. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he furiously tugged his hair, landed a punch on the corridor, leaving a pit, forcing the other party to wisely remain silent.
"Kangzai....."
Someone called out his name, stating they had seen him during his time as a bodyguard.
Yet, it wasn't just Kangzai,
Similar situations would unfold as candidates continued arriving.
While there were conflicts, most maintained a high level of vigilance and subtle hostility. Being competitors meant they could be friends one moment and enemies the next.
Keeping an eye open never hurts.
"100...200...300...400..." As 2 PM approached, the venue grew increasingly crowded.
Gel was responsible for tallying numbers, and based on the "quota" reported from various regions, a total of 408 individuals had passed the "preliminary test" to reach the venue, with 405 currently present, leaving three more to arrive.
1:56, 1:57, 1:58... Less than two minutes from the official exam at 2 PM, "Clang~"
The last elevator opened, three people and a bird stepped slowly into everyone's view.
Various gazes converged... Kurajing's throat tightened, subtly leaning towards Roy.
Wutong lagged half a step behind Roy on the left side, adjusting his glasses without even glancing at her... Given the current circumstance, with over 400 pairs of eyes staring, many imbued with hostility, the pressure was incredibly heavy.
"Caw——" Jinx and Roy were mentally in sync, thus perceptively sharper than Wutong.
Instinctively, it struck a defiant pose, glowering back as if declaring... "What are you looking at? I'll kill you all later!"
Indeed, fiercer than Wutong!
"Don't be nervous." Roy patted Jinx's small head, clutching his staff blade, slowly making his way forward with Wutong and Kurajing following closely, eventually settling in a sparsely populated corner.
His gaze wandered over several positions briefly, finally resting on the exaggeratedly built man in the Beijing opera mask directly ahead, squinting slightly, recognizing him...
It's the Three-star Terrorist Hunter, rumored to be the man closest to Netero in terms of strength, Botobai Gigante!
Hmm?
Botobai, sensing something, looked straight at the young man... The youth slightly nodded at him, resembling Silva Zoldyck, a man he'd encountered several times in various settings.
His thick brows immediately raised, recognizing him.....
He is the eldest son of the Zoldyck Family, specifically advised by the chairman not to hold back against this kid...
What is his name again?
Roy Zoldyck!