"So…?"
"What I mean is, the Zoldyck family already has its own inheritance related to that. If they didn't possess that power, the Zoldyck family wouldn't be this strong, nor would they be so famous. And I think your family members probably know it too, right?"
Killua recalled the feeling Illumi had given him before, and nodded a little uneasily.
"I'll tell you clearly. The name of that is Nen, or Nen ability. Since your family all know Nen, yet they neither taught it to you nor even let you know it existed, then I think your family must have some kind of plan or reason concerning you."
"Nen, huh? I see..." Killua felt that did make a bit of sense, then lowered his head and sank into thought.
Gon and the others did not disturb him. On the other side, Menchi had already started calling the other examinees together.
Then Killua lifted his head, his eyes blazing.
"Yoshi, I've decided. I now have one more reason to throw my whole family into prison. It's one thing not to teach me Nen, but they even hid the existence of Nen from me!"
"If you only want to know information about Nen, I can tell you. If you want to open your aura nodes and learn Nen right now, I can help with that too. But as for what measures your family might take afterward, that's none of my business. Family matters are messy, and every family has its own problems, so think it through first."
After saying that, Roy hooked his arm around Android 18 and went off to chat with Kurapika, leaving Killua to think deeply on his own.
...
Just as they were about to board the airship, Roy called out to Netero.
"Chairman, don't forget the proposal I gave you!"
Netero's steps paused for a moment, then he calmly continued on board as if nothing had happened.
Earlier, after their fight had ended—
"Chairman, how strong do you think I am?"
"Very strong."
"How do I compare to the Hunter Association's Zodiacs?"
"...What are you trying to do?"
"Look, the Rat of the Hunter Association's Zodiacs is the Association's Vice Chairman, Pariston, and he opposes you at every turn. So how about replacing him and letting me take the position instead?"
Netero shot him a sidelong glance. "...You're overthinking it."
"All right, I know that's impossible. But you should know what kind of person Pariston is. It's not impossible that some of the Zodiacs are his people too."
Netero fell into thought.
...
On the airship, the examinees who had passed the supplemental test were being taken to the site of the third test.
Because Netero had gained many insights from his battle with Roy, he went straight into seclusion after boarding the airship.
Beans had also been sent by Netero to gather information.
As a result, there was no volleyball game between Gon, Killua, and Netero like in the original story.
Now Gon, Leorio, and the others were strengthening their Nen training.
Killua, meanwhile, was training his physical condition on his own.
According to Roy, the stronger one's body was, the greater the amount of aura one would have when awakening Nen, and the stronger one's overall power would become.
"Maybe once I awaken Nen, I'll surpass Gon and the others in one go."
That was what Killua was thinking.
The airship flew through the night and arrived at its destination right on time at eight o'clock the next morning.
And so, the group finally reached the third phase: Trick Tower.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. This is the top of Trick Tower, which is also the site of the third test. As for the contents of this test, the rules are simple: all examinees need to do is reach the ground alive. The time limit is seventy-two hours."
At this moment, Secretary Beans looked nothing like the goofy little underling he had been in front of Chairman Netero. His expression was serious, and he appeared incredibly imposing.
"The third test is about to begin."
After saying that, Secretary Beans stepped directly onto the already activated airship and left the area.
He acted decisively, without the slightest hesitation. He was actually quite efficient.
Rumble rumble.
The airship quickly flew out of sight, leaving the examinees bewildered. For a while, no one dared to be the first to make a move.
"The test begins." The chicken-combed chief examiner of the third phase, Lippo, announced the start of the test with a biscuit clenched in his mouth. At the same time, his ten fingers moved rapidly, and screen after screen lit up, each one displaying the images of the examinees.
The examinees gathered in small groups of two or three with those they were familiar with, cautiously discussing something among themselves.
But most of them, intentionally or not, kept glancing toward Roy.
It couldn't be helped. Roy was in the spotlight right now.
Wait, reach the ground alive? Reach the ground?!
For a moment, every examinee simultaneously recalled the flying ability Roy had displayed during the first phase...
What the hell, are we even supposed to be taking this exam together?!
This is way too unfair to the examinees!!!
(End of Chapter)
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