I once gazed upon the fires of purgatory in hell. I have crawled and scrambled through the human world, experiencing the warmth and coldness of its relationships, the changes of the world, all while keeping that pitiful flame in my chest from extinguishing...
In the year of my death, I shed my mortal flesh and my soul returned to the spirit world. A millennium has passed. I have endured countless battles, commanded legions of Shinigami, and forged an era that belongs to me... Looking back, I still cannot resist the cycle of time. My spiritual body decays...
I am unwilling... unwilling to sink into oblivion just like this. I often ask myself... what is eternity? And how does one become "eternal"?
Until I looked up and saw the sun.
"Pffft..." Orange-red flames, with terrifying white at their center!
The heatwaves scorched the air, forming distorted ripples...
Roy's somewhat disheveled face gradually calmed. He grasped his twin blades as if holding two suns. Under the shocked gazes of Beyond, Pariston Hill, Netero, and Zeno, he calmly raised his blades and swept them horizontally...
A thin, crimson line fluttered out from the blades' edges...
It swept past the Ghost-Head Spider army, cutting them in half as silently as scissors cutting paper.
"Boom!"
Time seemed to freeze for an instant. Then... the remaining nearly eight hundred Ghost-Head Spiders self-detonated simultaneously!
The shockwave peeled up the ground and rolled toward Roy. Before it even got near the youth, it was melted on the spot by the flames burning from his twin blades!
"Hooo~"
A few seconds later, the world finally quieted down.
The youth let out a soft breath, turned gracefully, and sheathed his blades... In a flash, he vanished from the ravaged wilderness.
[Notification: Life Energy +8]
At this moment, in the yakiniku restaurant at the entrance of the venue.
Netero and Zeno looked at each other. For a moment, neither spoke.
The flame-infused "sword aura" was clearly the youth's [Ken], concentrating a massive amount of "Nen" onto the blades, using the "sun" as his visualization object!
"It seems I just heard someone say my grandson couldn't hold on," Zeno, his white hair defiant, looked at Netero, a trace of mockery on his lips. "May I ask, is he holding on now?"
Nearly a thousand Ghost-Head Spiders were incinerated by a single fiery slash. Besides [Ken], it also demonstrated the vast "aura capacity" Roy was hiding! How could anyone say he couldn't hold on?
"Hohoho..." Netero played dumb and didn't take the bait. What could he say? Refute Zeno? Criticize the kid?
He, Netero, was no fool!
The kid was participating in the "Hunter Exam." By passing the test and getting his Hunter License, he would be part of his Hunter Association in the future... The old man would have plenty of opportunities to bond with the child.
'Sooner or later, I'll make him change his last name to Isaac!'
A certain "strongest human" thought deviously....
"Clap, clap, clap..."
Applause echoed in the luxurious study...
Kakin Empire.
Beyond stood before the massive television, watching the Ghost-Head Spider army that Roy had annihilated with a single slash. The ground was littered with mangled limbs and debris, a veritable Asura's hell. He clapped and praised, "He's got the old man's flavor from back in the day."
The same "tyranny," the same "unreasonableness"...
The only difference was... one used "fists and feet," the other used "blades."
The man turned his head to glance at Pariston Hill. The young man had clamped his legs together and buried his head, trying hard to keep from groaning. Beyond frowned and said, "Control yourself."
"You're not his match right now. It's useless to go back and find him."
"Hehehe... I know... I've always known..."
Pariston Hill, both excited and in pain, twisted his face into a savage grin. "That's why I told you to hold me down!"
"Roy Zoldyck, he's just too wonderful! It would have been better if he had just stabbed me to death back then, saved me all this suffering..."
Understood... He understood it all. Beyond looked out the window. At four in the afternoon, a massive ship was being built at a feverish pace at the seaside dock. That was Beyond's only hope for the latter half of his life.
Just like Roy Zoldyck was to Pariston Hill... the Dark Continent was also Beyond's permanent and only dream.
Unattainable love is the most painful. The old man wanted to destroy his dream. He, Beyond, had no choice but to destroy the old man, even if he was his father!
Milsy Wetlands.
The aftershocks of the explosion dissipated...
Botobai, hunkered down in the rear command post, shuddered as the Nen thread connection to the Ghost-Head Spider army was forcibly severed.
The walkie-talkie in Captain Yuke's hand crackled with static...
He immediately reported: "Report!"
"The self-destruct unit has been martyred. The enemy has not yet been eliminated. Requesting deployment of the special operations team!"
"Denied!" Botobai directly refused his request.
He simply kept his arms crossed, staring at the youth through the camera. It was unclear if he was comforting himself or explaining to Captain Yuke, as he said in a low voice, "This is an exercise, not counter-terrorism. There's no need for the soldiers to make more pointless sacrifices."
"Sir!" Captain Yuke clicked his heels and gave Botobai a solemn military salute.
A moment later, as Botobai willed it, Captain Yuke dissolved into Nen and flowed back into Botobai's body through his brow.
After that, the man just waited quietly in the command post... Not long after, the door to the underground command post was pushed open. Looking again, the youth's figure was gone from the surveillance monitors.
"Congratulations." Botobai turned around, seemingly having known the youth would find him. He looked deeply at Roy. "That slash was stunning!"
"I was forced into it," Roy said truthfully. "If there had been just a few more of those self-detonating spiders, I wouldn't have been able to hold on."
The power of the [Zanka no Tachi] imbued with [Ken] was too strong. One slash cleared the enemy, but it also nearly emptied Roy himself.
In the future, he must use it cautiously unless absolutely necessary.
"Regardless, you made it here in the end." Botobai dropped his formal demeanor and extended his right hand to Roy, saying with a serious expression, "Roy Zoldyck... congratulations on passing this Hunter Exam."
"Thank you." The large and small hands clasped. Roy looked at Botobai seriously. "May I be so bold as to ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
The youth narrowed his eyes. "May I ask, how much of your strength did you use in the assessment just now?"
"Twenty percent."
Being blunt, Botobai looked down on the youth. "I was not as good as you when I was your age, but the current you... is still too green."
Roy nodded. "Thank you for telling me."
Botobai waved his hand indifferently. "Turn right when you go out. There's a small room five kilometers away."
"Go there to receive your Hunter License."
"Alright." The youth turned to leave. Just before he stepped out, he suddenly heard Botobai call out to him, "Young man, I look forward to your growth!"
Roy smiled and stepped out the door.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew, separating the large and small figures inside and outside the door into two different worlds.
Botobai leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the youth depart. In a daze, he seemed to see the turban-wearing youth from the past—just as young, just as full of limitless potential... Truly enviable...
"Knock... knock... knock..."
About ten minutes later.
Roy leisurely admired the unique scenery and landforms of the Milsy Wetlands along the way. Amidst a concealing grove, he found a small wooden cabin and raised his hand to knock on the door.
"Enter."
"Creeaak~"
The door opened.
The first thing he saw was Netero sitting behind a rough wooden table, waiting for him. He glanced around but didn't see his grandfather, Zeno.
"No need to look, he left."
Netero pointed to the chair in front of him. "Sit."
Beanman served them both a cup of black tea.
As the steam from the tea curled upwards... Roy didn't stand on ceremony and sat down magnanimously.
He saw Netero give Beanman a look... "Beanman, give him the license."
"Yes." Beanman cleared his throat, took out the prepared Hunter License, and handed it over, while routinely reciting the Hunter Association's regulations and precautions to every candidate who passed the Hunter Exam—the "Ten Hunter Articles"!
"One: A Hunter must hunt something."
"Two: A Hunter must have learned the basics of martial arts."
"Three: Once a Hunter, always a Hunter. A license may not be revoked for any reason. Likewise, a license will not be reissued for any reason."
"Four..."
Roy took the license from Beanman and listened quietly. In his view, the so-called rules weren't important. Only one thing was worth valuing: strength!
Possessing "absolute strength" meant one could not only ignore any rules but even create rules according to one's own will.
Just like Netero. Because he was the "Strongest Human," the Hunter Association held immense influence in the world... was granted various special privileges... and attracted large numbers of elites to sign up every time it "recruited."
Of course, it couldn't be denied that over the years, the Hunter Association had indeed recruited many outstanding talents who supported this "enterprise," making it bigger and stronger.
For example, Geru... for example, Botobai... for example, Ging!
"Ten: All other matters shall be decided by a council composed of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and staff. Furthermore, the Chairman has the right to select the Vice-Chairman and staff."
With the tenth article finished, Beanman proactively stepped aside, leaving the space for Roy and Netero.
The old man, sporting a stylish topknot and earrings in his Buddha-like earlobes, took a sip of black tea and looked at Roy with a smile. "Little Roy, you heard that just now. Are you interested in being my staff?"
'Be "staff" or be your "toy" to spar with when you're bored?'
Roy didn't deny that the future Zodiacs held a transcendent status in the Hunter Association, but status also corresponded to responsibility, to "working," to "endless meetings," to "incessant-yet-irresolvable office politics"...
The youth held up the back of his hand. Half a day had passed, and the mark reminded him that his lifespan had shortened by nearly eight more hours. So...
Without even thinking, he refused Netero's proposal. "I need to save my life first."
Netero nodded, seemingly having expected this answer from Roy. With a flick of his large sleeve, he tossed a "round object" over. Roy caught it with one hand. Upon careful inspection, it looked like a "medal." The front was imprinted with a person's likeness, and the back was engraved with two crossed axes!
"This is your grandfather Zigg's thing. It's just collecting dust here with me, so I might as well give it to you."
Roy weighed the "medal" in his hand; it was quite heavy. He asked, puzzled, "Does this thing have any special meaning?"
Netero drank his tea. "He said this was the 'Knight's Medal' bestowed upon him by Domir, the King of Giants. With this, one can enter the Giant's palace at will without being announced and not have to bow before the king. It's very precious..."
The old man imitated Zigg's accent, chuckling. "Your grandfather was quite the boaster back in the day. I don't know if it's true or not. After all, I've never been to Doragon..."
'Wait a minute... Didn't Grandfather Zigg team up with Netero and Linne to go to the Dark Continent?'
'Were they separated halfway?'
However, it wasn't halfway... Netero, old and cunning, seemed to see Roy's confusion and glanced at him sideways. "Your grandfather said you've already paid respects to Zigg. You must have seen that 'Sandworm' by now."
The old man said grimly, "Thanks to it, we were separated right from the 'start'..."
'No wonder.'
Roy thought of that Sandworm, capable of suppressing people so they couldn't even lift their heads with [Ren] alone. He had no idea what level of creature it was!
The youth pondered this and solemnly put the "medal" away.
Seeing this, Netero put down his teacup, his eyes shining as he looked at the youth. "Alright, let's talk business... kid."
"What kind of Hunter do you want to be?"
The first of the "Ten Hunter Articles": A Hunter must hunt something.
"Professional Hunters" are also divided into "professions" and "classes."
There are Blacklist Hunters responsible for "arresting criminals," Gourmet Hunters who seek ingredients, Beast Hunters who collect various rare "Magic Beasts," "Rare Beasts," and "Phantom Beasts"... and ruins hunters like Ging, who enjoy exploring ruins...
A person's life and energy are limited. The path one chooses determines one's future encounters.
Netero quietly awaited the youth's answer.
Roy looked at his reflection in the black tea, rubbed the mark on the back of his hand, and calmly looked up. "It seems I have no choice. I can only slay a god... for fun."
"Let's just go with 'God-Slayer Hunter'."
Beanman: "..."
'Listen to that, does that sound right? What does he mean, "slay a god" for fun? Besides... there's no such "profession," okay.'
"What, is it not allowed?"
"Hohoho..." Netero burst out laughing, scattering a flock of birds perched on the cabin roof. He squinted at Roy. "It's allowed!"
The old man's eyes gleamed. He remembered his conversation with the youth by the river yesterday; the kid was aiming to pursue freedom. His expression turned serious. "If that day truly comes in the future, and this old man isn't dead yet, please be sure to let me be a witness!"
"Tick... tock... tick... tock..." The "curse" was counting down like a death knell...
Roy took the license, stuffed it in his pocket, stood up, and pulled open the door.
"I hope I won't keep you waiting too long."
"Bang~" The door closed.
"Tap... tap..."
The youth's footsteps faded into the distance...
Netero, like Botobai, sat behind the desk, watching the youth depart through the glass window. He tilted his head back and downed the remaining black tea in one gulp...
He proclaimed, "Good tea!"