The moment the airship landed at the airport in the Republic of Padokea, Lin Ye's boots touched the scorching earth. The air here was nothing like Yorknew City's. There was no urban clamor or hint of neon, only the thick smell of sulfur and mineral dust, sharp enough to make anyone cough. In the distance, Kukuroo Mountain loomed like a slumbering beast, shrouded in gray mist that never dispersed throughout the year. Only its vague outline showed through, towering slopes bristling with jagged rocks and radiating a suffocating oppression, as though every inch of soil was stained with blood and every wisp of mist carried murderous intent. Following the address Gon had left before setting out, Lin Ye wasted no time and boarded a carriage bound for the town at the foot of Kukuroo Mountain. The carriage jolted along the rugged mountain road, its wheels creaking over loose stones. The branches of the surrounding trees twisted like ghostly claws reaching toward the sky, and the occasional roar of a distant beast sent chills down his spine. Lin Ye remained alert inside the carriage, fully extending his danger-sensing perception—Observation Haki—to monitor his surroundings for fear of an ambush. Padokea was a chaotic place, teeming with desperate outlaws and bounty hunters. The area around Kukuroo Mountain was an especially dangerous mix because of the Zoldyck Family's presence; the slightest carelessness could cost someone their life. Two hours later, the carriage arrived at the town at the foot of the mountain. The town was dilapidated, its houses built from mud and wood, their walls riddled with cracks. Loose stones and rubbish littered the streets. The few passersby hurried along with wary eyes, afraid to linger. Following the address, Lin Ye found a shabby tavern. Its battered wooden door was covered in scratches and creaked as he pushed it open. The smell of cheap ale and stale sweat hit him in the face, harsh enough to make him frown. The tavern was dim, lit by only a few oil lamps whose weak glow barely revealed the interior. In a corner, a boy in a green jacket lay slumped over a table, clutching a crumpled map. His hair was a mess, his face smeared with dust and mud, and a shallow cut marked the corner of his mouth. Clearly, he had run into trouble on the way. Yet his eyes still shone like stars as he stared intently at a spot on the map. It was Gon. At the sound of the door opening, Gon sprang up, nearly knocking over the glass on the table. Ale sloshed out onto the tabletop, but he paid it no mind. His eyes fixed on Lin Ye, and an excited smile instantly spread across his face. He rushed over and grabbed Lin Ye's arm, his voice full of excitement and hurt. "Lin Ye, big brother! You finally came! I've been waiting for days. I thought you weren't coming!" Lin Ye patted his back and could clearly feel Gon trembling. He had evidently spent a long time waiting at the foot of the mountain and suffered a good deal along the way. Looking down at him, Lin Ye noticed that Gon's aura was steadier than it had been during the Hunter Exam. Though still faint, he could already use the basics of Ten. Clearly, he had not been idle on the journey and had kept working hard at his training. "Take it easy. I'm here now. We'll go in together and bring Killua out." Lin Ye led Gon to a seat, called over the owner, and ordered two glasses of ale and a serving of roast meat. His tone turned serious. "First, tell me what happened these past few days. Just how strong is the butler who stopped you?" Gon scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. He took a sip of ale and said dejectedly, "Her name is Canary. She's a really strong girl. Her whip is fast, and it's wrapped in Nen. I can't dodge it at all. I tried several times, but she stopped me outside the Testing Gate every time. She also said she wouldn't let us in unless we proved we were qualified to see Killua. I ran into some bounty hunters, too. They wanted to steal my map, so I fought them. I drove them off, but I got hurt." Lin Ye nodded and reached out to pat Gon's head, his voice softening. "Thanks for all your effort, Gon. Canary is the Zoldyck Family's gatekeeper and Killua's personal maid. Her strength isn't something to underestimate. Her Nen is powerful, and she specializes in extremely fast whip attacks. It's only natural that you couldn't beat her. Whatever happens later, stay behind me and don't act recklessly. The Zoldycks are far more ruthless than the Hunter Exam's examiners. They kill without blinking. One careless move could get us killed." Gon nodded firmly and drained his glass. The dejection in his eyes instantly gave way to resolve. He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms, and said firmly, "I know, Lin Ye, big brother. I have to get Killua out. We're friends. We promised to go on adventures together and get stronger together. I can't give up." A trace of warmth stirred in Lin Ye's heart as he looked into Gon's clear, determined eyes. Gon's sincerity was like a beam of light, dispelling the darkness around him and giving others strength. Lin Ye believed that as long as they worked together, they would surely be able to bring Killua out of the Zoldyck Family. An hour later, the two paid their bill and headed toward Kukuroo Mountain. The closer they came, the thicker the mist grew, until visibility dropped to less than five meters. The smell of blood in the air grew stronger as well. Occasionally, screams drifted from the distance, evidently from the brutal training underway in the Zoldyck Family's training grounds. Lin Ye fully extended his perception—Observation Haki—to sense the fluctuations of Nen around them. He detected quite a few Nen users patrolling nearby, all with steady auras. They were clearly the Zoldyck Family's butlers and guards. After another hour of walking, the two finally stood before the Testing Gate. Two enormous bronze doors, ten meters tall, rose at the foot of the mountain like a pair of small hills. Their surfaces were covered with grotesque demon reliefs, their vicious eyes and exposed fangs making them look ready to devour anyone who approached. The door rings were forged from pure iron and covered in rust, weighing several tons. Merely looking at them brought an invisible pressure that seemed to make even breathing difficult. Low barking came from behind the gate, along with faint fluctuations of Nen. Clearly, numerous guards and Nen Beasts waited inside, ready to attack any intruder immediately. "This is it, Lin Ye, big brother." Gon clenched his fists, his eyes filled with both tension and resolve. "Canary said that if we could push open this Testing Gate, we could enter the estate and see Killua. But it's too heavy. I tried several times and couldn't move it." Lin Ye stepped forward and gripped the icy door rings with both hands. Their chill bit into his skin, and the rough rust scraped against his palms. He drew a deep breath. His Ten aura instantly covered his body, while his special defensive aura—Armament Haki—spread from his palms along his arms and over his entire body. A faint black sheen appeared on his skin. His muscles swelled, veins bulged, and his knuckles whitened with exertion. His bones creaked as though unable to bear the strain. He could clearly sense three Nen barriers behind the gate, woven into an invisible net. They were evidently defenses laid by the Zoldycks. The moment he exerted force, they would trigger an attack, unleashing countless Nen Bullets and traps. "Gon, step back and get ready to defend yourself." Lin Ye's voice was low and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority. Gon immediately retreated several steps and spread his Ten aura over his body, readying his defenses. His eyes stayed fixed on the Testing Gate, afraid to miss the slightest movement. "Hah!" With a low shout, Lin Ye suddenly exerted his strength. Every muscle in his body tensed, and aura surged out of him like a raging tide, pouring into his arms. He forced the Testing Gate, which weighed several tons, open by half a meter. Cold wind carrying Kukuroo Mountain's mist rushed through the gap, bringing a thick smell of blood that made them want to cough. The barking behind the gate abruptly turned shrill. Three Nen Bullets shot out instantly, too fast for the naked eye to follow, whistling straight toward Lin Ye's face. Each held tremendously powerful Nen; a direct hit would tear him apart in an instant. "Gon, dodge!" Lin Ye's pupils contracted. He activated Flash Shave, leaving an afterimage where he had stood. The Nen Bullets skimmed past his shoulder and slammed into the rocks beside him. Bang! Bang! Bang! The rocks exploded into fragments, scattering debris that clattered onto the ground. Lin Ye twisted aside from the attack without pausing and kicked out at the same time. The air blade of his Tempest Kick sliced toward the three figures behind the gate like a silver lightning bolt, whistling sharply through the air. He had begun incorporating Nen into his Tempest Kick, making it stronger than before and capable of slicing through steel with ease. Clang! Clang! Clang! With three sharp rings, the air blade struck three walls of Nen. The walls rippled violently but did not break. Three tall butlers in black uniforms emerged from behind the gate, their faces expressionless and short blades in their hands. They stared coldly at Lin Ye and Gon without a trace of emotion, as though looking at two corpses. "Anyone who trespasses on the Zoldyck Family Estate dies." The lead butler's voice was flat, like a machine's. Before he had finished speaking, his short blade flashed out of its sheath. Nen gathered along its edge, gleaming coldly as he thrust toward Lin Ye's throat with tremendous speed, cutting off every route of escape. Lin Ye activated Kami-e, his body drifting aside as lightly as a feather. His movement flowed smoothly, evading the lethal strike perfectly. At the same time, he clenched his right hand into a fist. His special defensive aura—Armament Haki—covered his knuckles, and dense Nen gathered around his fist as he drove it into the butler's chest. With a dull thud, the butler flew backward like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood, twitched a few times, and could no longer rise. The Nen inside him instantly dispersed; Lin Ye's punch had clearly shattered his aura channels. The other two butlers exchanged a glance and charged without hesitation. Their short blades wove an impenetrable net of steel as they slashed toward Lin Ye and Gon. The Nen along their blades grew denser, carrying a suffocating murderous intent. "Gon, protect yourself with Ten! Don't move!" Lin Ye shouted, instantly activating Iron Body. All his aura condensed at the surface of his body, forming a hard suit of armor with a faint black sheen—the combination of his special aura and Iron Body, with defensive power far beyond ordinary Nen defenses. The short blades struck him with sharp metallic clangs, sending sparks flying. Not only did they fail to hurt him, but the impact curled their edges. Both butlers' arms went numb from the recoil, and they staggered back several steps. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Ye activated Flash Shave and appeared beside one of the butlers in an instant. He seized the man's wrist with his left hand and twisted hard. With a crack, the wrist snapped, and the short blade fell to the ground. At the same time, Lin Ye formed a Finger Pistol with his right hand and struck the man's Nen Points precisely. The butler's aura instantly faltered, and his body froze. Unable to gather Nen again, he collapsed unconscious. Just then, a whip lashed in from the side with a piercing whistle, moving at extreme speed straight toward Lin Ye's eyes. Dense Nen wrapped its tip, which glowed a spectral blue; it was clearly coated in poison. Lin Ye's pupils contracted, and he activated Flash Shave again, vanishing from the spot. The whip struck the ground with a bang, blasting up dust and leaving a deep furrow. He looked up and saw a girl in a black maid's uniform standing a short distance away. She was petite, with fair skin and cold eyes, and held a long black whip wrapped in Nen. It was Canary. Her aura was steady and far stronger than that of the three butlers, marking her as an experienced Nen user. "So you came after all." Canary's voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable authority. She stared coldly at Lin Ye and Gon. "Master Killua is the heir to the Zoldyck Family. His fate was decided long ago. He was born to be an assassin. You cannot take him away, and you shouldn't even think of trying." "Killua isn't a tool! He can make his own choices. He doesn't want to be an assassin. He wants to go on adventures with us and get stronger together!" Gon stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Ye, his eyes firm and his voice ringing with conviction. "I'm taking Killua with us. Even if it costs me my life, I won't give up!" Canary's expression shifted, and a barely perceptible flicker of uncertainty passed through her eyes, only to be quickly buried beneath her coldness. She raised her whip again and said icily, "Then get past me first." Before she had finished speaking, the whip lashed toward Gon like a venomous snake, too fast for the naked eye to follow, cutting off every route he could take to dodge. A new battle erupted in an instant.
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