Chapter 113: Giyu Tomioka's Crazy Hunter Exam x Eagerly Awaiting Tomorrow
Ghosts, unlike demons, lack a physical vessel.
Mastering a Breathing Style can enhance one's senses to capture a demon's scent, but it cannot detect ghosts. Perhaps only in the moment of slaying a demon, through their life flashing before their eyes, can one glimpse a fragment of a soul. This was why, after so many years, Sakonji Urokodaki had never been able to sense Sabito, Makomo, or the others. In the original story, it was only when Tanjiro sliced open the fox mask that the old Water Hashira had paused, sensing something amiss.
Giyu Tomioka found it hard to believe.
He turned his head, looking at the sleeping boy in the corner. Beneath that fiery red hair, his face was veiled in mystery. This was something the letters had never told him.
Sakonji Urokodaki patted his back. "Sleep."
Giyu Tomioka nodded slightly, gave Roy one last deep look, and then lay down as he was, without removing his clothes, clutching his Nichirin Blade to his chest.
Shinsuke "whooshed" by. "I'll get the lights." A ghostly wind blew out the oil lamp.
The dim yellow glow vanished, replaced by darkness. Giyu Tomioka stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind in turmoil. Filled with the joy of reuniting with his senior brother Sabito and all his fellow disciples, and longing to truly see them, he forced his eyes shut. Soon, exhaustion took over, and he fell into a deep sleep.
[Notification: Nen Ability "Property Change" +20]
Hunter World.
The storm receded, and the sea gradually calmed. The occasional wave that rolled in was hardly enough to rock a large, three-masted vessel like the Sea God.
Roy lifted his branch, hooking a flying fish. The wooden bucket behind him, serving as a temporary net, was full of seawater and teeming with fish. A few flopped out onto the deck, only to be promptly whacked back in by Kurapika with a wooden stick.
The Kurta girl was perceptive. She had fully adopted the air of an apprentice butler, taking the initiative to handle small tasks. Roy paid her no mind, letting her be. Gotoh, finding her presence irritating, simply avoided looking at her, focusing solely on protecting the Young Master.
"Flying fish... those aren't easy to catch." Old Captain Mark Seam walked over, puffing on his pipe, his eyes drawn to the branch in Roy's hand. "Hookless fishing"—only a monstrously talented kid like this could pull off something so absurd. It reminded him of Ging. That kid's exam year had been quiet, nothing like the intensity of this one.
"Captain, how much longer until we reach Dolle Island?" Kurapika set down her stick, catching her breath.
"Three days at most. Two and a half if we're fast." The old captain glanced at Kurapika. "Congratulations, kid. You passed the point battle."
After a day and a night, through the trials of Pariston and the storm, Mark Seam's stage of the exam had concluded. Kurapika had just barely made it, in tenth place. The names above her were all familiar: the bald ninja Yusuke, the man in bandages, the snake charmer, the boy with the bow, Kite, the strange man... Gotoh, and Roy.
"You're too kind, Captain," Kurapika glanced at Roy's not-so-large back, speaking honestly. "As you saw, it was all thanks to my Young Master's help." As she spoke, she tucked her hair behind her ear, then suddenly felt a chill on her neck. She didn't even need to look to know who it was.
"Miss, I must remind you in all seriousness. You have not yet passed the butler aptitude test. You cannot refer to yourself as such." I'll have this witch fired the moment we get back. Since when is he your Young Master? Gotoh glared at Kurapika, his warning severe.
Kurapika just smiled, pretending not to hear, and sat down cross-legged, opening her travel journal to read. If another fish jumped out, she'd just whack it with the stick again. It was unclear if she was hitting the fish or someone else.
"Gurarara..." Mark Seam felt like he had just watched a soap opera. He chuckled and walked away, hands behind his back. Let the kids enjoy this last bit of peace. Once they reach Dolle Island, the real test begins. The old captain looked up at the sky. The higher-ups had clearly tightened the restrictions this year; they didn't want anyone to pass.
"Dragon of Ja-Po-N!"
On an airship emblazoned with the massive Hunter Association logo, flying towards the official exam site, Zeno, his white hair flowing, was battling a pig-headed humanoid monster.
"The Pigmen. Your father and I encountered these monsters on the Dark Continent. They live in tribes, call themselves children of 'God', and often refer to themselves as 'barbarians'. V5 rating: 'C'..."
"Hohoho... their hides are thick. Not easy to deal with." Netero swatted another Pigman away with his palm. The ground trembled, and more and more of them surged forth from the ground. Some wore heavy armor, some wielded giant axes, some swung flails. Other than their pig heads, they were indistinguishable from a human army. And, every last one was an Enhancer! Just as Netero said, their thick hides made them nearly impossible to damage!
Zeno released his Nen, shaping it into a dragon. He lunged at a Pigman. The Nen dragon pinned it with its claws, then bit its head off.
Squelch! Blood spurted from the severed neck. Zeno finally caught his breath and glanced at Netero. "I don't mind you copying my father's memories, but using them to test candidates is going too far." As if having Pariston as a gatekeeper wasn't enough, did he really want every single candidate to be annihilated? The "strength" of these Pigmen was far beyond what any normal Nen user could handle, let alone the vast majority of candidates who didn't even know Nen existed. To suddenly encounter them meant certain death. Zeno couldn't see any other outcome.
In truth, Zeno understood Netero's intentions. The last few exams had been too lax, letting the world think the Hunter Exam was "no big deal." So, this time, he was going to be ruthless to restore the exam's "authority." It was understandable, but the "correction" was a bit too extreme.
"Hmm... it's just a memory." Netero waved his hand. The "illusion" vanished. The "Pigmen," the axes, the flails—all disappeared. The vast training room was once again empty, save for him and Zeno, who stood calmly by the window. In Netero's hand was a roll of film and a bottle of green liquid.
The film was the memory Zeno had copied and brought from home. The liquid was sap extracted from the "Bewitching Cypress Tree," which primarily caused "hallucinations" and "mental confusion." In the original story, Leorio had been tricked by Tonpa and lost consciousness, all thanks to this sap.
Netero gazed out the window, the scenery flying by below. "I'm not a villain," he said softly. "As long as those kids can last one minute in the illusion, I'll count it as a pass." No more worthless candidates! The recent "Joker Hijacking" incident had been a huge wake-up call. The old man narrowed his eyes, a cold, imperceptible glint flashing in their depths.
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