January 1, 6:00 a.m.
The dock was already packed with people, and the vendors had started setting up shop.
White smoke curled into the air, carrying all kinds of mouthwatering scents.
The strongest smell, of course, was the lingering fishiness. After all, eighty percent of the vendors sold seafood of one kind or another.
Amid the lively atmosphere, Su Wu took a few pills, then began wolfing down seafood.
He was a little envious of Sukuna's mouth. It could move around at will and even grow on his stomach. Eating with two mouths at once would surely be much more efficient—and let him eat a lot more, too.
Thinking of that, he touched his stomach again.
Strangely enough, before going to the convention, he'd drawn two extra pairs of eyes on his face and a big mouth on his stomach. But after he'd crossed over, they'd inexplicably disappeared.
Still, if he had four eyes on his face, people would probably think he was a monster. It was a good thing they'd vanished.
Once he'd eaten his fill, Su Wu began searching everywhere for the airships.
Ships docked at the pier, and of course airships had their own designated area.
It wasn't hard to find. Any passerby could point him in the right direction. The real problem was—
Airships stood in neat rows across the open field, all looking exactly alike. The only way to tell them apart was by their numbers.
When he asked about the flight schedule, he found out that there were at least dozens of airships heading to different locations across the Aijin Continent.
And Su Wu had no idea which one he was supposed to take. He couldn't just pick one at random, could he?
The information he'd found earlier only mentioned the Aijin Continent, not a specific destination.
"So this is part of the test, too...? What a pain." He scratched his head, realizing that his hair had grown longer since he'd first arrived in this world.
It had been a wig before. He could accept that it had become real after he crossed over, but how could it keep growing?
"If I just find the person nearby with the strongest life energy, I should be able to find the airship for the exam..." He rubbed the straps of his backpack between his hands and muttered to himself.
Anyone connected to the exam should have stronger life energy than ordinary people.
All he had to do was focus on analyzing the information the Six Eyes gave him...
The individual with the strongest life energy stood out like the brightest figure in a crowd of thermal images.
An hour later.
The white-haired, blue-eyed boy plugged his nose with paper and grimaced as he swallowed his medicine.
According to what the Six Eyes showed him, there were quite a few people with special abilities nearby. Most of them seemed to have similar levels of life energy, though a few stood out as stronger than the rest.
"I'll check out those few first..." He headed for the nearest person with the strongest life energy the Six Eyes had detected.
A moment later, he stood outside a rather shady-looking establishment, lost in thought.
There was no guard at the entrance, so Su Wu stepped inside.
Outside, the sun shone brightly. Inside, everything was dark. The threshold between them seemed to divide day from night.
The place was very quiet. The people inside seemed to have spent the whole night partying and were now sleeping like logs in various spots.
The person the Six Eyes had identified as having the strongest life energy was a man.
A disheveled man with a woman tucked under each arm.
His belt hung loose and his fly was wide open. He was bare-chested, his muscular body marked with scars and lipstick stains.
He sat on the sofa, one arm around each of two women whose clothes had slipped halfway off. His head drooped as he slept deeply, like a worn-out lion.
The scene might have been a little much for a child, but Su Wu's expression didn't change. He was completely unmoved.
The guy didn't look like he had anything to do with the exam. He seemed more like a gigolo, but... there was no harm in checking.
Su Wu took a couple of steps toward the sofa. The sleeping man suddenly raised his head and opened his eyes.
His amber eyes showed none of the grogginess of someone who'd just woken up, only a keen sharpness.
When he saw that his visitor was a young, delicate-looking boy, his tense body gradually relaxed.
"This isn't the kind of place a kid your age should be. Hurry up and get out." He groaned from his hangover, pressing a hand to his forehead as he spoke.
The white-haired, blue-eyed boy simply stood a short distance away and asked coolly, "Are you an examiner for the Hunter Exam?"
The Hunter Exam had taken place a long time ago for the man.
"No, I don't have time for that. Can't you tell? I'm busy." He gestured toward the women beside him, making his meaning clear.
Busy drinking himself into oblivion and partying every night, huh?
Su Wu turned and left without a word.
He wasn't an examiner, so there was no point wasting time on him.
The second person with abundant life energy was a chef who specialized in preparing magical beasts. He was probably a Gourmet Hunter.
His restaurant was in the center of Banato, surrounded by upscale shopping centers and landmarks. When Su Wu showed up, the man was busy refining his cooking skills—or, more accurately, using the kitchen to train his abilities. When asked, he readily admitted that he knew nothing about this year's exam.
The third was a woman with long, curly black hair, fair skin, and long legs—a sexy, mature beauty.
When she saw Su Wu appear out of nowhere, she wasn't surprised. Instead, she calmly said that she'd answer his questions if he was willing to wear women's clothes.
Her scream after Su Wu cut off half her hair echoed across half of Banato.
By the time he went looking for his last target, there wasn't a trace of a smile left on Su Wu's face.
"You're the examiner for the Hunter Exam, aren't you?" The white-haired, blue-eyed boy spoke in a low voice, sounding thoroughly displeased.
You'd better be. If you're not...
Ugh, what a pain. If he isn't, I'll just find some excuse to beat him up and let off some steam.
"How did you find me?" The man looked puzzled, as if wondering who had given him away.
He wore a well-tailored suit and slicked-back hair, dressed like a gentleman.
"...Not you either." Su Wu clenched his fist.
"Wait, don't get angry..." The man immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"Long live peace, long live peace." He repeated the words twice.
"I'm not an examiner, but I do know a little about what's going on~" He smiled as he spoke.
Su Wu slowly relaxed his clenched fist and stared at the man without expression. "Did you use an ability on me?"
"An ability that makes people lose their will to fight you, or their hostility toward you?" he analyzed aloud.
"Interesting." The ability seemed to have amused him, and he laughed.
"Go on." He gave a slight nod, prompting the man to continue.
"My motto is: information is never free." The man's smile was full of slyness and cunning.
"Tell me what you want to know, and I'll give you a price based on how valuable the information is." His tone was polite.
"Which airship do I need to take for the Hunter Exam?" Su Wu asked calmly.
"..." The man looked conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Ah, that's the only thing you wanted to ask?" he said, sounding faintly disappointed.
The white-haired, blue-eyed boy nodded matter-of-factly.
"The Hunter Association's airships don't stop with the ordinary ones, and they have their own designated routes."
"It's common knowledge among Hunters and anyone with a bit of status, so I won't charge you for it." The man sighed, having lost a customer.
So the reason I couldn't find the right airship was that the Hunter Association had special privileges...
Su Wu thought about it coolly.
Before you continue