The Fourth Phase of the exam, which lasted one week, finally came to an end with a massive broadcast covering the entire island.
When Allen arrived at the starting point, just making the final deadline, he found nine people already waiting. They were Hisoka, Killua, Illumi (disguised as Gittarackur), Bodoro, Hanzo, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Pokkle—who, despite having his badge stolen by Allen, had managed to collect three 1-point badges and one 3-point badge from other candidates.
It was hard to say whether this guy was simply lucky or if his arrows coated with powerful anesthetics truly posed a significant threat to most non-Nen users when used for sneak attacks. In any case, Pokkle narrowly passed the Fourth Phase and successfully qualified for the Final Phase.
However, when he saw Allen's figure, his entire body trembled involuntarily as if he had seen his natural predator, lacking even the courage to meet his gaze. Clearly, the powerful, terrifying Aura from before was deeply etched in his memory, much like how Illumi used Nen to leave a massive shadow in Killua's deep memory.
Is this the so-called inertia of the plot, or perhaps some arrangement of fate?
Allen briefly internally mocked the situation, then boarded the Hunter Association airship once again, embarking on the journey to the venue for the Final Test. Having severely beaten Hisoka, the previous resentment and frustration finally vanished, replaced by a feeling of ease and joy, and a keen interest in the unique creatures, hidden realms, treasures, and ruins of this world. In his view, exploring the unknown was the true charm of the Hunter profession.
As he stood by the window admiring the scenery outside, Killua suddenly emerged from a dark corner and asked with a highly curious tone, "Did you and Hisoka fight on the island?"
"Ah, that was an agreement between us," Allen replied without thinking.
"And what was the result? Did you win or did he win?" Killua pressed eagerly.
"Heh heh, isn't that obvious? Don't you think the Hisoka now is different from the Hisoka before the Fourth Phase?" Allen countered with a half-smile.
"I see! You won!"
After a moment of thought, Killua immediately reached the correct conclusion on his own. Being extremely sensitive to Nen, he could clearly sense that the terrifying Aura on Hisoka had vanished, leaving only pure killing intent.
Seeing a glimmer of brightness flash in the boy's eyes, Allen smiled and nodded: "That's right. So you don't have to worry about him doing anything dangerous during the Final Phase. To be precise, he is currently standing on the same level as the other candidates. The only differences are experience, willpower, and resolve."
"I understand, thanks."
Having obtained the information he wanted, Killua waved goodbye and immediately went to find his friend, Gon.
No sooner had he left than Chairman Netero appeared out of thin air, saying with a smile, "A truly spirited bunch of young people, wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed. It's enviable friendship, pure and untainted by anything else," Allen couldn't help but sigh with feeling.
Killua and Gon, Leorio and Kurapika, the four main characters were actually firmly linked by a very special kind of emotion.
In the first pair, Killua came from darkness but longed for the light. The pure and straightforward Gon was the light that illuminated his life, so it was only natural for them to develop an extremely close friendship.
In contrast, the second pair was somewhat more complex. Kurapika saw himself as a revenger; as long as he could retrieve his clan's eyes and take revenge on the Phantom Troupe, he would not hesitate to descend into darkness. Leorio, on the other hand, felt guilty for failing to save his best friend and projected that feeling onto Kurapika, wanting to pull him out of the abyss, or at least prevent him from sliding further down.
"If you envy them, why don't you join them? I believe they would be very happy to accept a reliable friend like you," Netero suggested, intrigued.
"Me? I'll pass. I still prefer to act alone rather than with like-minded companions," Allen refused with a smile.
"Treading the path to achieving the strongest, at the cost of solitude…"
Netero, having lived for over a hundred years, immediately grasped the goal Allen had set for himself, and an expression of excitement and anticipation appeared on his aged face. He longed for the appearance of a strong person who could force him to fight with all his might before he died of old age.
"During the battle with Hisoka, I understood my deepest desire. Perhaps in the near future, I will challenge you, the strongest Nen user among humans. So please take good care of yourself, and whatever you do, don't die before that day comes," Allen said in a solemn tone.
"Ohohohoho! I look forward to that day! Also, take this. You are already a qualified Hunter."
With a burst of his characteristic laughter, Netero pulled out the previous year's Hunter License from his pocket.
This time, Allen did not refuse. He took the license and fiddled with it in his hand, asking curiously, "Now? Do I not need to participate in the Final Phase?"
"Why, do you perhaps have another opponent you'd like to face?" Netero asked playfully.
"Of course! Don't tell me you didn't notice Gittarackur's disguise. He's a worthy opponent, and I hope to fight him without restraint at the end."
Allen made no attempt to conceal his strong interest in Illumi. After all, what he currently lacked most was experience fighting a variety of Nen users. If he could use the rules of the Hunter Exam to observe and understand the assassination techniques and Nen proficiency of the Zoldyck family's eldest son, he would have a much more accurate estimate of the skill level of most Nen users in this world. Without that, the brief skirmish with Hisoka and the short spars with the Chairman provided too few reference points.
Netero clearly hesitated for a few seconds regarding this request but finally nodded: "Very well! I can arrange that for you, but you must promise to control your strength."
"Understood. I guarantee I won't cause too much destruction, nor will I accidentally injure or kill anyone, including my opponent," Allen gave an affirmative answer without hesitation.
He was filled with anticipation for this battle against Illumi. If he missed this opportunity during the Hunter Exam, he would never have a second chance to face the Zoldyck heir in a fair duel.
Illumi's true profession was that of an assassin, and an assassin does not concern himself with fairness when dealing with his targets. He would only use everything at his disposal to launch a fatal strike when the opponent was most relaxed and unguarded. Furthermore, he was a typical Manipulator, making him an excellent "experience package" for understanding that type of ability.
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You can read the ahead chapter on Patr if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]