Killua looked at Kaizen.
"You're the strongest one here. You've seen Hisoka fight before, right? Do you think we stand a chance against him?"
After his last talk with Kaizen, Killua had pegged him as someone from a professional assassin background—definitely affiliated with the Zoldyck family. And more importantly, he trusted him.
"How do you compare to Hisoka?" Killua asked. "If we all attacked him together... would that even work?"
Everyone turned to Kaizen, including Kurapika.
Kurapika had once heard Hisoka mention Kaizen, but it was vague. Even Hisoka didn't fully grasp Kaizen's true strength, which made Kurapika all the more curious. What would Kaizen say about Hisoka?
"Hisoka's strong," Kaizen said plainly. "I wouldn't go out of my way to mess with someone like him unless I had no choice."
He paused, considering.
"It's hard to gauge exactly how strong he is. We've never fought seriously. Not all out."
"And if we worked together?" Gon asked.
Kaizen shook his head. "Even if the four of you teamed up... it wouldn't matter. Hisoka wouldn't break a sweat. You'd just get in my way. You wouldn't even count as backup."
Everyone fell silent.
The message was clear—Kaizen and Hisoka were in a different league. Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio weren't just weaker. They weren't even close. They couldn't tip the scales, not even as extra numbers.
...
"Beep beep!"
The boat's whistle sounded. They had arrived.
Zevil Island.
The ship docked at the port.
"Attention examinees: we've arrived at Zevil Island," the staff announced. "Please disembark and proceed ashore. Good luck to all of you—we're heading out now."
Candidates began filing off the ship, heading into the forest beyond.
The boat's engines roared to life as it departed, heading back toward the island.
Examinees entered the woods in staggered intervals—both to reward those with high scores from earlier tests and to reduce immediate large-scale conflict. After all, this phase of the exam wasn't just about combat. The assessment would take place over seven days.
Zevil Island wasn't huge, and everyone who made it this far was no pushover. Seven days was plenty of time for things to get intense.
Kaizen glanced at Gon.
"Believe in yourself. Do your best," he said. "You're Ging's son, after all."
Gon's eyes widened in surprise.
"You knew my dad?"
"Let's just say… we've met."
"Can you tell me about him?"
"After the exam," Kaizen replied with a small wave. "Later."
He didn't elaborate, but Kaizen knew Ging Freecss and the Hunter Association had already made arrangements behind the scenes. There was no need for him to interfere—just a nudge here and there.
Still, the presence of Gon and the others was useful to Kaizen. Their participation would raise the quality of this year's Hunter Exam. That meant better data for Kaizen's observer-based analysis—and faster results for his own mission.
He wasn't helping Gon just because he was the "main character." Kaizen returned goodwill when he saw it.
He disappeared into the woods without another word.
Gon stared after him for a while, then turned away.
Unlike before—when he'd felt one-third excitement, one-third curiosity, and one-third anxiety—now he felt strangely calm.
"Dad…"
Gon looked out toward the sea.
"I'll do my best. I'll follow in your footsteps. I'll become a Hunter—just like you."
...
Meanwhile, Kaizen's words echoed in Kurapika's mind.
"Hisoka is far stronger than me right now," Kurapika thought. "But he said something strange… something about how, after the exam, things might change."
"Does passing the exam unlock something more?" he murmured. "Do Hunters gain extra strength?"
He thought about the Phantom Troupe… and the Kurta Clan.
Kurapika remembered how strong some of his clansmen had been. Even now, he wasn't at their level.
And yet the Phantom Troupe—a much smaller group—had wiped them out completely.
That shouldn't have been possible, unless they had powers beyond normal human limits.
"Just what kind of secrets does the Hunter Exam hold?"
He clenched his fist.
"No use overthinking it now. I'll understand once I pass. First things first—focus."
...
Elsewhere, Kaizen turned his gaze toward a figure in the distance—Gittarackur.
After arriving on Zevil Island, Gittarackur had buried himself in the ground, disappearing into a secluded corner. He was lying low, as expected.
Illumi hadn't shown up yet.
Apparently, Illumi hadn't wanted "Gittarackur" to participate directly in the early stages. He planned to arrive later—perhaps even on the last day—once his other business was wrapped up.
Kaizen stared into a crystal orb floating before him.
The progress bar displayed: 43%.
"Almost halfway," he muttered. "If things go well, I can hit 60% by the end of the exam."
That would put him on track to fulfill the Hunter Association's assignment.
A gust of wind blew through the trees.
Kaizen raised his hand, and with a subtle shift in aura, the beast that had been trailing Gittarackur disappeared.
He turned and vanished in a blur, heading deeper into the island.
He wasn't worried about points or number badges. That part of the exam was irrelevant to him.
What mattered… was the trait absorber.
"The core of Observer's Will nen lies in perception," Kaizen thought, disappearing into the forest.
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