Longing and Pursuit

The fourth exam, which lasted a week, finally came to an end amid the booming broadcast that covered the entire island.

When Allen arrived at the starting point just before time ran out, he found that nine people were already waiting there.

They were Hisoka, Killua, Illumi disguised as Kalluto, Bodrō, Hanzo, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Pokkle, whose number tag Allen had stolen but who had collected three one-point tags and one three-point tag from other examinees.

It was hard to say whether the guy had simply been incredibly lucky, or whether his arrows coated in powerful anesthetic really posed a huge threat to most ordinary examinees who could not use Nen when launched in sneak attacks.

In any case, Pokkle had barely passed the fourth exam and successfully made it into the final trial.

But the moment he saw Allen, his whole body trembled slightly as if he had seen a natural predator. He did not even dare meet his eyes.

Clearly, that powerful and terrifying Nen had been deeply etched into his memory, just as Illumi had left a huge shadow in Killua's memories with Nen.

Was this the so-called inertia of the plot, or some arrangement of fate?

Allen grumbled inwardly before boarding the Hunter Association's airship again and setting off for the final trial venue.

Since he had given Hisoka a thorough beating, the resentment and irritation he had felt before had finally vanished, replaced by a relaxed and cheerful mood, as well as an interest in the various strange creatures, secret realms, treasures, and ruins of this world.

In his view, exploring the unknown was the true appeal of being a Hunter.

Just as he stood by the window admiring the scenery outside, Killua suddenly emerged from a dark corner and asked curiously, "You fought Hisoka on the island?"

"Yeah! It was an agreement between us," Allen answered without thinking.

"What was the result? Did you win, or did he?" Killua pressed impatiently.

"Heh, isn't that obvious? Haven't you noticed that the current Hisoka is different from the Hisoka before the fourth exam?" Allen asked with a faint smile.

"I see! You won!"

After thinking for a moment, Killua immediately arrived at the correct answer on his own.

Because he was extremely sensitive to Nen, he could clearly sense that the terrifying aura around Hisoka had disappeared, leaving behind only pure killing intent.

Seeing the glint in Killua's eyes, Allen smiled and nodded. "That's right! So you don't need to worry about him doing anything dangerous during the final test. More precisely, he's now on the same level as the other examinees. The only difference is his combat experience, willpower, and resolve."

"I understand. Thanks."

Having gotten the information he wanted, Killua immediately waved goodbye and went off to find his friend Gon.

No sooner had he left than Chairman Netero appeared out of nowhere and said with a smile, "What spirited youngsters, aren't they?"

"Yeah! Their friendship is enviable—pure and untainted by anything else," Allen remarked with a sigh.

Killua and Gon, Leorio and Kurapika—the four protagonists were in fact tightly bound together by an exceptionally special emotion.

For the first pair, Killua had been born into darkness yet longed for the light.

Gon, with his simple and straightforward personality, was the light that illuminated Killua's life. It was only natural that the two would develop such an intimate friendship.

In comparison, the latter pair was somewhat more complicated.

Kurapika saw himself as an Avenger. As long as he could recover his clansmen's eyes and take revenge on the Phantom Troupe, he would not hesitate to fall into the abyss.

Leorio, meanwhile, felt guilty for failing to save his former best friend. He had therefore transferred those feelings onto Kurapika, wanting to pull him out of the abyss—or at least keep him from continuing to sink deeper.

"Since you envy them, why not join them? I believe they would be more than willing to accept a reliable friend like you," Chairman Netero suggested with great interest.

"Me? I'll pass. Compared with being with like-minded companions, I prefer acting alone," Allen replied with a smile.

"Taking the path of pursuing the strongest at the cost of solitude, huh..."

Chairman Netero truly deserved to be someone who had lived for over a hundred years. He immediately understood the goal Allen had set for himself, and excitement and anticipation appeared on his aged face.

Because before he died of old age, he longed for a powerful opponent who could make him go all out in battle.

"Hmm! In my fight with Hisoka, I realized what I truly desired deep in my heart. Perhaps in the near future, I'll challenge you, the strongest Nen user among humans. So please take good care of yourself. Don't die before that day comes," Allen said solemnly.

"Ho ho ho ho! I look forward to that day! Also, take this. You're already a qualified Hunter."

Amid his signature laughter, Chairman Netero took out the Hunter License from his pocket.

This time, Allen did not refuse. He took it and turned it over in his hand as he asked curiously, "Now? Don't I need to participate in the final trial?"

"What, is there someone else you want to fight?" Chairman Netero asked with an amused expression.

"Of course! Don't tell me you failed to see through Kalluto's disguise. He's a good opponent, and I hope to have an all-out fight with him at the end."

Allen made no attempt to hide it and openly expressed his intense interest in Illumi.

After all, what he lacked most right now was experience fighting all kinds of Nen users.

If he could use the Hunter Exam's rules to observe and understand the Zoldyck Family's eldest son's Assassination techniques and level of Nen abilities, he would be able to make a more accurate estimate of most Nen users in this world.

Otherwise, relying only on Hisoka and that brief spar with the Chairman left him with far too few reference points.

Chairman Netero clearly hesitated for a few seconds at this request, but he ultimately nodded. "All right! I can arrange it for you, but you must promise to control your strength."

"I understand! I promise I won't cause too much destruction, and I certainly won't accidentally injure or kill anyone, including my opponent," Allen replied without hesitation.

He was filled with anticipation for this battle with Illumi.

Because if he missed this Hunter Exam, he would never get a second chance to face the Zoldyck Family's eldest son in a fair duel.

You must know, Illumi's true profession was that of an Assassin, and assassins did not care about fairness when dealing with their targets.

He would only exploit everything he could, appearing suddenly to launch a fatal strike when his opponent was at their most relaxed and least vigilant.

Moreover, he was a typical Manipulation-type Nen user, making him perfectly suited as an "experience pack" for understanding abilities of the same type.

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