It resembled a Nen Ability, yet it was not a Nen Ability, and it was even less like the power of resentment.
"A new power? Did it come from the Dark Continent?"
This left him unable to help wondering.
Everyone obtained spider eggs through various methods, but quite a few chose to give up, while those who failed fell into the valley and died on the spot.
"All these people pass," the female examiner announced the results of this exam, then turned to Netero. "Chairman, how about that?"
"Ho ho, that works too." Netero answered the female examiner, but he was watching Hyuga Akira out of the corner of his eye.
Hyuga Akira also noticed Netero watching him and frowned slightly.
He seemed to have figured out why he was attracting other people's attention.
Chakra?
It looked like this server did not have any players either.
Fortunately, he did not belong to this server, so even exposing his chakra would have no effect.
After the second round ended, everyone boarded the airship, preparing to head to the site of the third round.
"Now this is where the Hunter Exam really begins." Hyuga Akira entered the room the Hunter Association had prepared for him.
He had not the slightest interest in tests like running or cooking.
But before he could rest, he heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Hyuga Akira had a bad feeling. When he opened the door, he saw Hisoka and Illumi standing outside.
"Yo." Hisoka raised a hand in greeting.
"I don't think we know each other that well." The corner of Hyuga Akira's eye twitched. Since when had Hisoka been so familiar with him?
"We just came to ask for information on the next round. You look like you know something," Hisoka said unconcernedly.
"I don't."
Hyuga Akira shut the door outright. He did not want anything to do with these two for now, unless he already possessed the strength of a Jonin.
But before he could return to bed, another knock came at the door.
"I said I don't know." Hyuga Akira opened the door, about to curse, only for the words to catch in his throat when he saw the visitor.
"Chairman?"
Chapter 68: Hyuga Akira Draws Attention
"What brings the Hunter Association's chairman to a candidate like me?" Hyuga Akira looked at Netero expressionlessly.
"Ho ho, don't be so serious. I just have a few questions," Netero said with a smile. "Won't you invite me in for a seat?"
Left with no choice, Hyuga Akira stepped aside and let Netero enter.
Watching Netero act as though he had returned to his own home, he asked helplessly, "Mr. Chairman, I haven't broken any rules, have I?"
This really did seem to be his home.
Netero sat on the sofa and said with a smile, "No, you haven't. I'm merely curious about what your power is."
Hyuga Akira folded his arms and looked at Netero. He had not expected such a blunt question.
"That's my secret. There's no need for you to concern yourself with it, Chairman."
Netero still wore that same smile, but an intense aura erupted from him, pressing down on Hyuga Akira. "You know about Nen, don't you? I must confirm whether you have any connection to the Dark Continent."
The Dark Continent was an unavoidable topic in the world of Hunter x Hunter.
That was the center of the entire world, while the continent humans inhabited was actually like a small island.
And quite a few things from the Dark Continent could directly destroy the entire little island where humanity lived.
For this reason, the Hunter Association prohibited exploration of the Dark Continent, but in the future, after Netero died, that prohibition would also begin to disappear.
Nen brimming with malice battered Hyuga Akira. He felt as though he were facing a harsh winter wearing only a thin layer of clothing.
And that layer of clothing was chakra.
"How terrifying." Hyuga Akira's face remained expressionless. It was only a harsh winter; ninjas had all undergone endurance training.
This level was not enough to affect him.
"I can't prove that I'm not from the Dark Continent, but my only goal is to pass the Hunter Exam. Afterward, I'll leave."
Hyuga Akira could not find a way to explain it either.
After all, a power completely different from Nen Abilities could only lead one to think of the Dark Continent.
If he told Netero about traveling between worlds, there was no way the man would believe him.
But his explanation was also somewhat thin, so he added, "During the exam, you can monitor me whenever you like. Once the Hunter Exam ends, you can imprison me too."
After the Hunter Exam, he should be sent back to the Hokage server. He would simply run off, and whatever they wanted to do then would have no effect on Hyuga Akira.
"Ho ho, a very good proposal." A smile appeared on Netero's face.
"Then what if I give you a Hunter License now and consider you to have passed?"
Hyuga Akira's heart sank. He was not sure whether this method would let him complete his class change.
But if it did not, and the other man refused to let him participate in the Hunter Exam, his class change quest would be ruined outright.
He had not expected the man to pull this move.
Hyuga Akira used Naufra to control his emotions and said with a brilliant smile, "If that's the case, nothing could be better. But I'd still like to experience the Hunter Exam."
Netero watched Hyuga Akira's expression, unable for the moment to discern his true thoughts.
"Then never mind. We'll wait until you've taken the exam."
Old fox, Hyuga Akira cursed inwardly. This guy keeps testing me.
"Then I won't disturb you any longer." Netero did not stay any longer and finally walked out of the room.
Hyuga Akira slowly exhaled.
"Please, no more complications."
He had only just attracted Hisoka, and now Netero had come to join the fun too.
He just wanted to finish this Hunter Exam in peace.
The next day.
The airship stopped atop a cylindrical tower. After dropping all the candidates off on the tower, it slowly flew away.
Hyuga Akira looked at the countless marks on the top level.
"Trick Tower."
He glanced at the protagonists in the distance, where someone was trying to climb down.
He had no intention of following the protagonists. Their eventual passing had been far too close a race against time.
If not for their plot armor, they would have nearly been eliminated.
Although Tonpa was not here to cause trouble this time, who knew what other complications might arise?
"Byakugan."
The Byakugan's penetrating vision quickly let him find a mechanism he could enter through, and he jumped down without hesitation.
Three watches sat on a small stand inside an empty room.
This was the room Hyuga Akira had found that required the fewest people.
These rooms had different difficulty levels, requiring anywhere from five people to three.
And the room the protagonists had found was clearly the hardest five-person room.
All he could say was that they truly lived up to being the protagonists: given easy and hard, they chose hell.
"Still need two more."
Hyuga Akira put a watch on his wrist.
Two figures darted down from above. Seeing the two who appeared, the corner of Hyuga Akira's mouth twitched.
"What a coincidence." Hisoka smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits.
Beside him, Illumi nodded at Hyuga Akira like a robot.
What coincidence? This guy had deliberately come here.
"Click." Illumi put on a watch.
Hisoka followed suit.
"It looks like we'll be working together this time."
Hyuga Akira looked expressionlessly at the door. Two options appeared on either side of it.
Open the door and leave it closed.
"Majority rules. I assume neither of you wants to fail this round," Hyuga Akira said to Hisoka and Illumi.
"Of course." Hisoka shrugged. There were already quite a few tempting apples in this exam, and he had no intention of looking for more before finishing them.
Hisoka the orchard keeper was not one to abandon the old for the new.
Illumi nodded too. He had a job that required a Hunter License, so he would not choose to give up on this exam either.
None of the three intended to start any disputes, and they selected "open the door" at the same time.
As the door opened, two passageways leading deeper inside appeared.
All three chose to enter the right one, but when they reached the end, three passageways appeared instead. This time, there were no selection prompts.
Instead, it directly stated that each person was to take one.
"It looks like we'll be parting ways this time," Hisoka said, looking at the three passageways with interest.
"Pick one each."
Hyuga Akira chose the middle without a second thought, Hisoka chose the left, and Illumi finally chose the right.
Hyuga Akira swept his Byakugan behind him. The passage entrance behind him had been sealed, and the area before the entrance was being reassembled.
This tower of mechanisms was controlled by people, and whatever they encountered ahead could be arranged manually.
"It looks like that examiner is looking to cause trouble for Hisoka." Hyuga Akira already understood that the examiner was secretly manipulating things.
As long as the trouble was not aimed at him, that was fine. He walked straight ahead.
As he advanced, the candles on either side lit automatically.
He soon reached a winding staircase, and Hyuga Akira slowly descended.
"Hisoka, you're finally here." A deep voice came from the darkness.
As the candle flames continued to light, they revealed a man with scars on his face sitting there.
Hyuga Akira: "???"
The man also saw Hyuga Akira at that moment.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Hyuga Akira: I'd like to ask that too.
Chapter 69: Hyuga Akira vs. a Professional Hunter
What exactly was going on now?
Hyuga Akira looked at the man before him and sank deep into thought. Someone Hisoka was supposed to encounter had ended up in front of him instead.
Who was trying to mess with him?
"Damn it, then I'll just have to deal with you first before settling the score with that bastard Hisoka," the man said angrily.
You're being completely unreasonable.
Before you continue