"I don't think so. Since we passed the assessment, what he told us must be the correct route," Leorio said, frowning.
"But he didn't speak to me," Kurapika countered. "He only spoke to you, Gon."
"Maybe he assumed I'd tell you," Gon replied before turning to Kaizen. "What about you?"
"I think the bus route is wrong," Kaizen said calmly. "I overheard some examinees talking earlier. They said the bus route was a trap, and those who took it ended up turning back to this port town."
"By the way, Kaizen, why do you want to be a Hunter?" Gon asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm doing it to follow in my father's footsteps. He was a Hunter too."
Kaizen shrugged. "No particular reason. I've never seen it before, so I want to see it."
Kurapika, sitting in the back seat, watched Kaizen closely. There was something oddly familiar about him. He was sure they'd never met, yet the feeling persisted. It was like a distant memory, something deeply ingrained in his subconscious.
What Kurapika didn't realize was that this sense of familiarity stemmed from Sumus—the ancestral guardian spirit of the Kurta Clan. Having lived in Sumus' inner space for over a decade, the presence of something or someone connected to it would inevitably feel familiar.
...
As they continued their journey, a winding mountain path appeared ahead, leading to a towering tree at the peak. Midway up, they encountered an elderly woman flanked by masked figures, blocking the road.
"Quick question, quick answer!" she declared, her voice sharp. "The ultimate test of decision-making! I'll ask a question, and you have five seconds to answer."
The first examinee to respond was immediately eliminated.
Despite Kaizen's presence, the sequence of events remained unchanged. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio watched with intrigue, while Kaizen remained unimpressed. He had seen too many questions like these before.
In his past life, girlfriends had asked him similar impossible questions: "If your mother and I both fell into the water, who would you save?" No matter how he answered, an argument would follow. Over time, he learned the best response was often silence.
"Next!" the old woman called.
Kurapika, ever rational, quickly deduced the nature of the test. He understood that the question was designed to be unanswerable.
Leorio, however, was visibly irritated. He saw the test as a pointless nuisance and was more inclined to confront the person causing him trouble than solve the dilemma itself.
Gon, true to his nature, tackled the question like a puzzle, unaware that it was a trap designed to frustrate him.
As Kaizen observed the crystal ball used for the exam's progression tracking, he noted how slowly it was filling. Even after Gon and the others had arrived, the percentage had only reached 2%.
Hopefully, once the official exam starts, the pace picks up. If I can collect all the necessary traits in one Hunter Exam, that would be ideal.
...
Reaching the summit, they spotted a wooden house beside the massive tree.
Bang!
The door burst open. A massive, ferocious Kiriko stood at the entrance, clutching a beautiful woman in its claws. At its feet, a middle-aged man lay injured, groaning in pain.
The Kiriko glanced at the group, momentarily startled at the sight of Kaizen, before recovering and dashing away at high speed with the woman in tow.
"Please! Save my wife!" the wounded man pleaded.
Gon and Kurapika exchanged glances before immediately sprinting after the Kiriko.
"Sir, you need medical attention!" Leorio exclaimed, quickly kneeling beside the injured man. As someone aspiring to be a doctor, his instincts kicked in. "Damn it, I didn't bring enough medicine. I'll go find some herbs nearby."
Turning to Kaizen, he added, "Watch over him. Don't let him move too much, or he'll start bleeding again."
With that, Leorio hurried into the nearby forest.
The moment Leorio was out of sight, the middle-aged man's expression changed. He sat up effortlessly and turned to Kaizen with deep respect.
"It is an honor to meet you, Kaizen-sama."
Kaizen narrowed his eyes. "You know me?"
"Yes," the man confirmed. "My kin—the ferocious Kiriko—have served the Zoldyck family for generations. Half of our tribe still works as butlers at Kukuroo Mountain. As peripheral members, we are required to keep track of the family's key figures. I've seen your picture before, Kaizen-sama."
Kaizen remained silent as the man continued.
"The Hunter Association hired us to act as preliminary examiners for this phase of the exam," he explained. "If you wish, I can arrange for you to be transported directly to the official examination site right now."
Kaizen smirked. "Tempting offer... but I think I'll pass. I'd rather take the exam properly."
The middle-aged man nodded, his respect unwavering. "Understood, Kaizen-sama. I will await your command."
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