Maha rolled his eyes at Netero. The way Netero was comfortably sipping lemon tea through a straw didn't look like the demeanor of someone with a crisis on their hands.
"Menchi? I'm an old man; I don't have much of an impression of modern youngsters."
Hunters were generally the type to get more monstrous as they aged—rich in experience, strength on point. Few young people could catch their eye.
But that didn't rule out certain freaks of nature. Like Ging, like Sean, or those top-ranked princes of the Kakin Empire, especially the Fourth Prince—Tserriednich Hoicoro!
That guy was naturally gifted. Among the princes, he had always been known for his 'astonishing talent' and 'twisted aesthetics.'
His learning ability was extremely abnormal... to the extent that if he heard about 'Nen' in the morning, he would open his micropores and sense 'Nen' by the afternoon.
So...
'Old man, you absolutely cannot underestimate the young people of today...'
Netero spoke in a leisurely tone, "That girl Menchi is one of the few youngsters this old man has looked upon favorably in recent years."
"Early twenties, already a Single-Star. It's not impossible for her to upgrade to a Two-Star in the future..."
Hunters were also divided by rank.
From low to high, they were divided into: Unlicensed Hunters — Licensed Hunters — Single-Star Hunters — Two-Star Hunters — Three-Star Hunters.
Unlicensed Hunters generally referred to those cultivated by the 'Temp Hunters' agency founded by the current Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association, Pariston. These were Hunters who had not yet obtained a license.
These people mostly served as support for Pro Hunters...
Licensed Hunters were those who had just obtained their licenses not long ago, perhaps hadn't even selected their professional direction yet—pure rookies among Hunters.
But anything above that was different. Anyone rated with a Star rank was extraordinary.
Even a Single-Star was a monster who had immersed themselves in 'Nen' abilities for a long time and broken their physical limits!
"Tch... Single-Star." Maha lay on the sofa, patting his small belly, and said disdainfully, "A tiny Single-Star can be an examiner too? Looks like your Hunter Association really has no one left."
'You've said that more than once, haven't you?'
Black lines appeared on Netero's forehead, and he couldn't be bothered to respond.
Maha didn't care. He glared at Beans on his own accord and said, "Can't you see it's almost mealtime? Go."
"Call your Association's Gourmet Hunters over. Have them cook a few dishes for this old man to taste."
Beans: "..."
He looked to Netero for help.
Netero let out a cold snort. An unwelcome guest showing up uninvited and expecting to eat?
'Probably haven't woken up yet, huh~'
"Hohoho~~ Sorry to disappoint you. Menchi is a Gourmet Hunter, but she is currently busy. No time."
Maha: "..."
He glanced at the TV, where the scene shifted—
In a jungle deep within the Numere Wetlands, there sat an abandoned, dilapidated factory.
A round clock hung above the factory door. Beneath the clock sat a sofa.
A girl with her hair tied up in several topknots was sitting on the sofa with one leg crossed. Behind her stood a giant who could wrap the entire sofa with just his legs. The contrast between the two was enough to leave one speechless.
"Gugu~ So hungry... Why haven't those guys arrived yet?"
Buhara patted his massive belly, large enough to fit a few cows, and stuck out his tongue to lick his lips. Saliva flowed out like a small stream.
"Yeah, so slow~" Menchi leaned back impatiently against the sofa, curling her lip. "I guess this year's examinees aren't much either."
"Taking so long just to cross a wetland. Made me look forward to it for nothing..."
"Mmhmm~" Buhara nodded in deep agreement, then suddenly thought of something. He spoke mysteriously to Menchi, "Hey~ Menchi, I heard from people in the Association that the Zoldyck family sent people to participate in the exam this year too~"
Zoldyck? One might not see the assassins in person, but everyone had heard the great name of the world's number one assassin family.
Menchi asked in surprise, "Who?"
Buhara held up three fingers and counted, "Their second son Illumi, the fourth son Killua, and what was the eldest called again..."
Buhara thought hard, then slapped his forehead. "Right, the eldest, Sean! It's that Ben An who draws Pot Shadow Ninja!"
'Hah? Giving up a perfectly good assassin career to draw manga... what Ben An...'
"Is the Zoldyck family crazy? They don't control him?"
"It's also possible they can't control him," Buhara said with a straight face. "Maybe the Zoldycks think that since they can't control him, they just let him out."
"Did you get some insider information?"
Menchi glanced at Buhara. Buhara patted his fat belly, opened his mouth, and was about to say something...
His expression suddenly changed. He looked forward together with Menchi. Suddenly, they felt an unusual restlessness.
"Caw~ Caw~" Several crows flew out from the depths of the jungle before them, dropping a few tail feathers.
In the nearby creek, fish leaped out of the water eerily.
Even worse—to "welcome" the examinees, Buhara had previously corralled a group of "Great Stamps" in a fenced area beside the warehouse.
But right now, these wild boars, capable of easily sending a person flying, were huddled together in a ball, shivering as if they had been terrified by something...
It was baffling!
"Something's wrong. There's a problem!"
There is a great terror between life and death!
The abnormality of the animals was by no means ordinary.
Just like how rats move in droves, frogs jump out of ponds, and poultry refuse to return to their coops before an earthquake...
There must be something incredible or some great terror approaching~!
Buhara exchanged a solemn look with Menchi and quietly raised his guard. Neither of them rushed to soothe the agitated Great Stamps; their gazes were locked dead ahead.
The restless mountain forest seemed to have been suddenly pressed with a "mute button," except for the "rustle~" of leaves blowing in the wind—
A string of steady footsteps transmitted from far to near.
"Gulp~" Buhara and Menchi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and looked on nervously.
A figure, with the great sun overhead and stepping on fallen leaves, strolled over.
A three-meter-tall body entered Buhara and Menchi's view. Every step that landed was like a heavy hammer striking Buhara and Menchi's heartstrings, making their scalps tingle.
"Oh my, oh my~ Did I arrive early?"
Sean wore a gentle smile on his face. He first glanced at the round clock hanging on the dilapidated factory, then shifted his gaze down to fixate on Buhara and Menchi.
The six-pointed star responsible for "Appraisal" quietly crawled out of his right eye, sweeping over them faintly—
Buhara and Menchi instantly felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads, shivering uncontrollably!
'Two with Double Limit Breaks. One with a Triple Limit Break in Strength, one with a Triple Limit Break in Nen ability... Not bad. Hunters who can be rated with Stars indeed have some skill.'
His gaze circled around, then retracted.
Buhara and Menchi hadn't expected that the newcomer would strip them bare with just a glance. Their hearts jumped uncontrollably.
Right then, they felt a suffocating, intense pressure!
And this pressure was far beyond even that of the Numere Wetland's most dangerous beast—the Man-faced Ape.
Fortunately, Sean didn't seem to have any intention of entering the exam venue early. He merely cast a trace-less glance at a nearby bush, placed his hands behind his back, and left in a leisurely manner.
"Phew~" Finally. Buhara and Menchi looked at each other and let out a sigh of relief in unison.
Watching Sean leave, the pressure in their hearts vanished. Coming back to their senses, they were already drenched in sweat.
"Sigh~ Finally, someone can understand how I feel."
'This batch of examinees is too hard to handle...'
"Rustle~" Satotz walked out from the nearby bush, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
That glance Sean had seemingly casually cast just now... it instantly made Satotz's breath hitch. He knew he had been exposed.
Thinking about it, having witnessed this lord's terror all the way here, trying to peek from under his eyelids without being discovered was impossible to begin with!
"Satotz, why did you come over?" Menchi wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead and looked at him curiously.
The first phase of the exam was about to end. Why wasn't he giving the "closing speech" instead of running over here?
Satotz stroked his mustache and coughed dryly. "Ahem~ Actually, I ran over specifically to remind you of something."
"What is it?" Menchi exchanged a look with Buhara. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced quietly in the direction Sean had left, feeling a hunch... perhaps it had to do with that person.
"It seems you've already guessed." Satotz noticed Menchi and Buhara's subtle movements. looking at Menchi with a serious expression, he said, "I'm not too worried about Buhara; he might have heard a bit about Sean Zoldyck... The key is you, Menchi. You must not throw your petty temper in front of Sean Zoldyck."
"Perhaps... sometimes turning a blind eye is a very good choice."
"And this is the Chairman's instruction!"
Message delivered, Satotz nodded to Buhara, his figure flashed, and he disappeared from in front of the two.
Menchi was stunned. A moment later, she came back to her senses, her two pink fists clenching tightly. "So, is that bastard telling me to go easy?"
"I tell you, IM! POS! SI! BLE!"
Gourmet food was her pursuit, being a Hunter was her job. No matter who she faced, let alone the Chairman's instructions, even if he came personally, she absolutely would not go easy for anyone!!!
'It's just... this way, something might really go wrong~'
"That Sean Zoldyck looks very, very strong..." Buhara looked at his good partner with worry, hesitating to speak.
Looking down and meeting Menchi's fiery eyes, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he was forced to swallow his words back into his stomach!
There was no helping it. Reasoning with an angry woman was worse than just killing him, Buhara, right there and then...