Become the strongest!

"You're pretty impressive, Killua."

Killua flushed slightly, snorted, and escaped Cordis's clutches.

Taking Gon by the hand, he went off to play somewhere else.

After everyone left the bottom of the tower.

Lippo, the examiner for the third phase, stood before them.

His narrow eyes swept over the group.

"Congratulations on escaping the Trap Tower."

"I'll also be in charge of the fourth phase."

As he spoke, he pointed to an island behind him.

"The fourth phase will take place on Sabir Island."

With a snap of his fingers.

A tall man came over, pushing a small cart.

A box sat on the cart.

"You'll now draw cards in the order of your completion times."

Someone asked, "What's the draw for?"

Lippo curled his lips and chuckled.

"To decide who hunts whom."

The man felt as though a cold wind had swept over him, and he shivered twice.

Hisoka and Cordis had finished first.

Hisoka stepped forward first and drew a numbered card.

He chuckled at the number on it, looking eager.

Seeing Hisoka's smile, Cordis could only sincerely pray that the man hadn't drawn his number.

He reached into the box and picked a card at random.

He glanced at the number on it.

115.

After searching the crowd, he found that it belonged to a man with a monkey.

The man looked incredibly weak.

Gon walked over to Cordis, looking a little nervous.

"Cordis, when he says hunters and targets, does that mean we have to kill each other?"

Gon had always been a kind child.

Naturally, he disliked the idea of them killing one another.

Cordis bent down and pinched Gon's soft cheeks.

"You only need to take the other person's number badge."

"You're so strong, Gon. You can definitely do it."

Hearing that he only needed to take someone's number badge, Gon finally sighed in relief.

With his brows furrowed and a smile on his face, he looked earnestly at Cordis.

"Cordis!"

"I'll definitely get stronger! Really strong!"

Cordis knew that Gon had always wanted to become stronger, so he held out his pinky.

"Sure. Let's pinky promise."

Gon held out his own pinky and hooked it around Cordis's.

"Pinky promise, cross my heart. Gon will become the strongest person in the world, and if he doesn't, he'll swallow ten thousand silver needles."

Before Gon could react, Cordis pressed their thumbs together to seal the promise.

"Wait a second! Cordis, I said I'd get stronger, not become the strongest person in the world!"

Cordis shrugged indifferently.

"Too late. We've already sealed it. If you don't follow through, you'll have to swallow ten thousand silver needles."

Gon froze for a moment, then looked utterly serious.

"I will, Cordis! I'll become the strongest person in the world!"

Cordis gave him a smile full of faith.

Killua watched everything from the sidelines.

Though he really didn't want to admit it.

He was a little envious.

Once everyone had finished drawing, Lippo spoke.

"You may use any means to take your target's number badge."

"Your own badge is worth three points, your target's is worth three, and anyone else's is worth one."

"As long as you collect six points during your stay, you pass."

Once he finished speaking.

Everyone boarded a speedboat.

A beautiful young woman in a lovely dress addressed them cheerfully aboard the boat.

"Thank you for your efforts in the third phase of the Hunter Exam, everyone. I'm Kara, and this speedboat will reach our destination within two hours."

"All twenty-four remaining candidates will automatically qualify to take next year's Hunter Exam."

"So even if you don't pass this year, you can come back next year!"

Kara found that no one answered her. Instead, an oppressive atmosphere hung over them.

It left her feeling terribly awkward.

"You're free to do as you like during these two hours."

With that, she hurried away as though fleeing.

Cordis yawned and gazed idly at the boundless sea.

It was a sight he had never seen before.

Feeling the sea breeze brush against his face.

Cordis found it incredibly pleasant.

If he could, he truly wished he could live in this moment forever.

Gon, however, sat beside him looking nervous.

Seeing this, Cordis patted Gon's head and asked.

"What's wrong?"

Gon showed Cordis his target's number.

The number 44 was clearly written on it.

No wonder.

Number 44.

Hisoka, that enormous creep.

"Cordis, is Hisoka strong?"

Gon looked nervously at Cordis.

After all, Cordis was the only person present who had fought Hisoka.

So only Cordis knew how strong Hisoka really was.

Cordis rubbed his chin, troubled.

After thinking it over.

"Hisoka's only a little strong. Of course, I'm stronger than he is, so you can definitely beat him easily, Gon!"

Seeing Cordis's strained expression, Gon knew he was lying.

He also knew that Cordis was lying to make him less nervous.

He suddenly stood and stretched from side to side.

"All right! I'll definitely beat Hisoka!"

He still said it very loudly.

Which meant that Hisoka, standing nearby, unsurprisingly heard him again.

Hisoka's lips curled upward, and he raised an eyebrow as he looked at Gon.

Gon looked right back, refusing to back down.

Cordis distinctly sensed a flicker of murderous intent in Hisoka's eyes.

He hurriedly stepped in front of Gon, blocking their line of sight.

Taking Gon by the shoulders, he said.

"We'll be at Sabir Island soon. Want to rest a little first?"

Gon obediently nodded.

Then he found somewhere to sit and closed his eyes to rest.

As the boat gradually approached the shore.

The gangplank was lowered.

Kara spoke in a cheerful voice.

"You'll now disembark in the order you passed the third phase."

As she spoke, she took a timer out from inside her clothes.

"Each person will disembark two minutes after the previous candidate."

Killua muttered from the side.

"Looks like we've still got a while to wait."

Gon gave a simple hum of agreement beside him.

"You'll be staying on the island for one week. Do your best to earn six points during that time."

Killua and Gon watched Kara attentively as they listened.

Just then, a pair of hands vigorously ruffled their hair.

Neither needed to think to know whose paws those were.

"Cordis! That hurts!"

"Idiot! Let go!"

After ruffling their hair for a while.

Kara called out, "First candidate, disembark!"

Cordis gave the two boys a thumbs-up, then followed Hisoka onto the island.

As their figures gradually receded into the distance.

Kara pressed the timer and said.

"Next candidate, please step forward."

Early on, Cordis will have a few more interactions with Gon.

Later, his interactions with Killua will naturally increase too.

Right now, I'm personally pretty torn.

I want to write this with everyone falling for him.

But I'm worried some people won't like it.

After all, I'm afraid of online harassment.