"But he's Killua's dad. You can imagine what he's like just by intuition," Gon said quickly.
"Again with your intuition. Being that naïve, you'd never survive in the real world. Don't you think so, Lu?" Killua said, looking exasperated at Gon, as if frustrated that he wasn't more cautious.
"Not exactly," Lu replied, glancing at Killua. "Gon's intuition isn't naïveté. It's something between instinct and innocence. At critical moments, it can save his life."
"See? Lu's always right," Gon added immediately.
"However," Lu continued calmly, "judging from your every movement, Killua, you've clearly undergone extremely strict training. A family capable of such a professional and systematic upbringing couldn't have been assassins for just one or two generations. I'd say at least three generations. And once anything is passed down for more than three generations, it becomes something terrifying."
Lu analyzed methodically, "So we can assume your father is incredibly formidable."
Killua nodded deeply, feeling the weight of those words. At the same time, he was struck by how sharp Lu's reasoning was—able to deduce so much from the smallest details.
In reality, knowing the original storyline, Lu could easily imagine the monstrous strength of Killua's family even without seeing it firsthand. They wouldn't be much weaker than Chairman Netero—especially Killua's grandfather, who had once even attempted to assassinate him.
At Killua's current level, it would likely take him several more years before he had any real chance of resisting.
And that was assuming his exceptional talent and comprehension.
"If you want to rebel against your current life," Lu continued, "the most important thing is having the strength to do so. Yes, where there is oppression, there is resistance—but resistance without strength is just wasted effort."
He remembered how, in the original story, Killua had been taken away by Illumi before even finishing the exam—precisely because he wasn't strong enough yet.
"You make sense," Killua admitted. "But if I become a Hunter, that should be enough."
He still thought about it rather simply, believing his strength by then would suffice.
"Gon, Killua—this world is huge," Lu said. "There are countless things we haven't seen yet. There's always someone stronger. Only with absolute strength can you choose your own path and ignore anyone who tries to stop you. If we're not strong enough yet, then lying low for a while is the right choice."
Though Lu didn't want to disrupt Gon and Killua's natural development, they were his friends. He didn't want them to suffer unnecessary setbacks either.
"No matter how many obstacles lie ahead,"Lu said, "as long as we keep getting stronger little by little, one day the road in front of us will open up."
"Yeah. We'll keep getting stronger," Gon and Killua nodded slowly, their expressions firm.
"Alright, enough heavy talk. Let's relax and grab some tea," Lu said, patting their shoulders.
Killua was about to reply when that familiar sensation returned—the feeling of being watched. He immediately dashed toward the corner of the corridor.
"Killua?" Gon asked, confused.
When Killua reached the corner, no one was there. However, he noticed something on a nearby plant—a pink pearl about the size of a thumb.
"Killua, what's wrong?" Gon hurried over.
"It's nothing." Killua quickly pocketed the pearl, not wanting Gon or Lu to worry.
"Don't worry," Lu said knowingly. "When the time comes, whatever's meant to happen will happen."
Killua nodded thoughtfully. "Right. Let's go have some Lava Tea."
He walked ahead toward the dining hall.
"Lu?" Gon asked quietly.
"It's fine. If Killua says he's fine, we'll just wait and see," Lu replied.
Gon nodded and followed.
The dining hall was located in the middle of the airship. It was spacious, with seats scattered around. Quite a few examinees were eating, replenishing energy, or resting in their own ways.
The three of them picked a random table, each ordering a cup of the specialty Lava Tea and some snacks.
"That gaze earlier wasn't Hisoka's," Killua thought, studying the pink pearl earring in his hand. "It felt malicious… hostile. Is someone here holding a grudge against me?"
Danger should be eliminated while it was still in its cradle.
"But there's not enough information to guess right now. If the enemy doesn't move, neither will I. Lu's right—whoever it is will show themselves when the time comes."
After thinking it through and reaching no conclusion, Killua stopped dwelling on it. He took a sip of the Lava Tea the server had just delivered. Warmth spread through his body—it felt wonderful.
"How many more tests do you think there'll be?" Gon suddenly asked.
Killua shook his head. "No idea."
Both of them instinctively turned toward Lu. In their minds, he seemed to know everything.
"Based on my analysis, at least three more rounds," Lu said confidently. "The Hunter Exam's pass rate is notoriously low. If there were only a few stages, it wouldn't be that rare to pass."
"So at least three more—and each harder than the last. Honestly, it feels like the exam doesn't even want anyone to pass."
"That makes sense," Gon nodded.
"Yeah, sounds about right," Killua agreed.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The dull sound of boots stepping on carpet echoed.
"She's here," Lu murmured with a faint smile.
"Is this seat taken?" a woman's voice asked. It lacked softness; her large eyes shimmered strangely.
She positioned herself cleverly—right beside Killua, impossible to ignore.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Ring, ring—
Menchi pulled a cellphone from her chest and answered it. Her outfit seemed to function like a treasure chest—she had everything stored in there.
"What? The numbers don't match?" she said, surprised.
"Yes. After the Mountain test, the eliminated examinee count doesn't add up. I'm calling to confirm with your side," said the staff member responsible for escorting the failed applicants.
"I understand." Menchi hung up and tucked the phone back away. "Seriously, so many complications."
"What's wrong?" Buhara asked.
"It seems one of the eliminated examinees mixed back in—might've boarded the ship."
"Trying to stow away?" Satotz suggested.
"If Chairman Netero finds out about this, we're finished," Menchi said gravely.
"Find out about what?"
Chairman Netero's voice appeared out of nowhere—befitting the strongest man alive.
"C-Chairman?!" Menchi jumped.
"Excellent! This year won't be boring at all! Hahaha!"
Netero clearly sensed something interesting was unfolding. Not only was he not angry—he looked forward to it.
What an unexpected development.