Isaac Netero

Esdeath did not agree with Bred's suggestion to "leave more Hunter Exam participants behind to serve as cover for the four-person team's infiltration of the Hunter Association." She had her own idea—within the rules permitted by the Hunter Association's exam, eliminate every Hunter Exam participant outside the four-person team!

Then, regardless of whether the Hunter Association, which held the initiative, accepted the four-person team into its ranks, at least the team's passivity and unpredictability would be reduced. After all, the Hunter Association could only recruit candidates from the four-person team.

Thus, Esdeath domineeringly sealed off the endpoint of the Hunter Exam's first official trial, tirelessly knocking down one participant after another who was not part of the four-person team. She had even alarmed the Hunter Association's chairman.

Bred and Esdeath each had their own merits and flaws in their plans for the undercover mission within the Hunter Association. Bred sought the quiet security of slipping in unnoticed, while Esdeath craved swift and aggressive efficiency. Neither approach was inherently better than the other.

Yet before Kurando Akabane, who favored keeping a low profile, and Melard, whose head was filled with lewd thoughts, had realized it—or perhaps before Bred and Esdeath themselves had realized it—they were trying to seize the right to speak for the four-person team and become its leader.

A total of 3,141 people took part in the Hunter Exam's first official trial. Though Greed Island's harsh environment had naturally eliminated many, and competition among them had eliminated many more, the number who safely reached the finish line was still considerable. Among them were quite a few capable individuals who had reached the threshold of awakening their life energy on their own, needing only the slightest guidance to learn Nen, Haki, or chakra. No matter how formidable Esdeath was, she was exhausted beyond measure...

So Bred stepped in and took Esdeath's place.

The plan to "leave more Hunter Exam participants behind to serve as cover for the four-person team's infiltration of the Hunter Association" had been ruined. Bred could not change the established reality, so he could only revise the plan and uphold Esdeath's approach.

"Completely unnecessary!"

After a brief silence, Bred and Esdeath looked at each other and spoke in perfect unison.

"You're an agent! A shadow that walks in dark places—you blend into your surroundings and cleverly make use of the resources around you..." Bred reproached her in a low voice. Seeing Esdeath turn her head aside as if she had heard nothing, he added before falling silent, "I seriously wonder whether you ever paid attention during the instructors' lessons."

Esdeath said dismissively, "Quit nagging!"

"..." Bred said nothing.

In that moment, Bred could not help recalling a certain instructor's lesson. The topic had been assassination, and the instructor had asked how one could carry out a perfect assassination.

Everyone offered their own opinions.

When it was Esdeath's turn, she answered without hesitation, "Kill the target and every witness."

"What about intelligence gathering? Assassination strategy? Preparations for the operation and retreat?!" the instructor fumed.

Esdeath replied as if it were only natural, "There isn't that much time in life to waste. As long as you're strong enough, everything falls into place."

"..."

"Joanna evolved?" Esdeath noticed Mosquito Girl's unusual change.

Bred nodded. "Yeah. She has enough power to help us eliminate all the other Hunter Exam contestants."

"Including that guy you've gotten pretty close to?" Esdeath asked.

Bred paused, then understood that Esdeath meant Ging Freecss. "No. I intend to make him the one and only lucky survivor."

"He's too weak." Esdeath's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Bred said, "I hope we can reach an agreement."

"And if I don't allow it?" Esdeath asked, having recovered some Nen through the four major Nen principles.

Bred remained calm. "Pay me back! Two pairs of blue-and-white striped panties, two blue sports bras, four packs of large Band-Aids, North Blue specialties..."

"You win." Esdeath cut off Bred's endless list.

In the end, the five fixed people who gained the qualifications for the Hunter Exam's subsequent official trials were Bred, Esdeath, Melard, Kurando Akabane, and Ging.

Then Bred saw Isaac Netero, the chairman of the Hunter Association.

"Whoosh!"

"Boom!!!"

A person jumped down from an airship modified to resemble a cartoon shark, its red diamond-shaped logo blurred beyond recognition.

Even wearing wooden clogs and a baggy kimono, the old man looked short and withered. He had large ears, soaring eyebrows, and a beard like calligraphy brushes dipped in ink at their tips. Atop his bald head was a ponytail resembling a foxtail grass stalk. This was the famed chairman of the Hunter Association, Isaac Netero—an absolute monster who, despite being over ninety, still firmly occupied one of the world's peaks of individual combat prowess.

"Oops, I made quite a commotion." Amid the billowing dust, Netero walked out of the enormous crater he had created and scratched his head. "I'm Netero, chairman of both the Hunter Association and the Review Committee, as well as the person in charge of this Hunter Exam. Nice to meet you!"

He paused slightly.

"They're all newcomers! This is only the second time since I became chairman of the Hunter Association that, after nearly ten years without a single newcomer passing the Hunter Exam, newcomers have suddenly sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain." Netero spread his hands as he gestured, his pose somewhat comical.

Everyone: "..." Who was he trying to act cute for?!

"Anyway, congratulations on completing the Hunter Exam's first official trial. I'll personally oversee the second official trial," Netero said with a beaming smile.

Esdeath was eager to fight. "Do we fight you?"

"Ha ha ha ha~~~ Such an energetic young lady." Netero's expression did not change. "No fighting. I'll simply ask you a few questions. Now then! We'll go in numerical order."

A moment later.

"Please sit." Netero picked up his brush. "Why do you want to become a Hunter?"

Esdeath answered with ringing conviction, "Battle! From battle to battle, from victory to victory—that is what I pursue!"

"I see. What kind of Hunter do you want to become?" Netero pressed.

Without hesitation, Esdeath replied, "A bounty hunter. Those 'walking money bags' are all powerful people. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to remain at large and unharmed."

"Number 99 Melard, Number 210 Kurando Akabane, Number 514 Bred, and Number 515 Ging—what is your opinion of them?" Netero asked with great interest.

Esdeath's answer was concise, matching each person to a description. "Pervert, squinty eyes, troublesome blondie, and trash clinging to troublesome blondie's leg."

"Oh." Netero twirled his brush. "Got it. Call Number 99 Melard in for me."

"So far, you're the person I most want to challenge. My desire has never been stronger," Esdeath said before leaving. "Though I understand that I'm absolutely not your opponent right now, please believe that day is not far away."

Watching Esdeath's departing figure, Netero murmured, "Terrifying wildness and ambition."

PS: Second update. Please vote and bookmark. The contract status changed—faster than I expected.