Time slipped by in the blink of an eye, and now there was less than an hour left before the test ended.
After a while, the ship's whistle sounded from the sea. It had arrived early.
At the same time, Illumi walked out of the forest and glanced at Roy and the others sitting on the ground.
"Did I come too early?"
His gaze shifted and landed on the ship far out at sea.
A moment later, he casually found a place and sat down.
The ship slowly pulled up to the shore, but Roy, Android 18, and Illumi all ignored it.
"The fourth test has now officially ended. All examinees, please return to the starting point as quickly as possible."
It was still the voice of that young lady in the purple long dress from seven days ago.
Amplified through a loudspeaker, her voice rang out from the ship and spread across the entire island.
"From this moment on, all examinees have one hour to return to the starting point. Anyone who fails to return in time will be considered disqualified. Please take note."
"Also, after arriving at the starting point, transferring number plates is forbidden. Once discovered, you will immediately lose your qualification. Please take note."
All across the island, the examinees who heard the ship's announcement came out from their hiding places and headed toward the starting point.
The third person to arrive at the starting point was Hisoka, followed by Hanzo, Pokkle, Gon and the others… Within half an hour, all the examinees who had gathered six points returned one after another.
Roy, Android 18, Illumi, Hisoka, Hanzo, Pokkle, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Killua Zoldyck, and Bodoro—a total of ten people—returned to the starting point.
"Eleven," Roy thought to himself.
Gon and the others were just about to come over and share the good news, but the moment Killua saw that his big brother was also sitting there, he immediately hid far away.
"So he really did notice me."
Illumi thought this, then stood up and walked in Killua's direction.
The moment Illumi moved, Gon and the others noticed. Seeing that his target was Killua, they immediately stepped in front of him and stared at him warily.
"Judging by your expressions, you should all know my identity by now. This is a private matter within the Zoldyck family. You'd better stay out of it."
Illumi pulled all the needles out of his face. The clicking sounds stopped, and in their place appeared a refined, handsome face.
Even the way he spoke became smooth and natural.
"Killua is our companion." Gon did not yield a single step.
A powerful surge of Aura instantly erupted from the three of them.
The other examinees nearby sensed that something was wrong and immediately retreated far away.
"Oh? So there are a few fruits here too—still a little unripe, but very delicious."
A gleam flashed through Hisoka's eyes, and that "Heh-heh" laugh came from his mouth again.
"You've only just begun training in Nen, haven't you? You haven't even developed your abilities yet. Do you really think you can stop me?"
Illumi raised a Nen needle. Although the rules forbade fighting, there was still plenty of room to work around them.
But in the very next moment, Illumi realized that his body could no longer move.
He began to struggle, only to find that it was completely useless.
His entire body had gone rigid, as though bound by some kind of chain. At the same time, a powerful pressure bore down on him, leaving him unable to move in the slightest.
"Move one more time, and I'll cut your throat open immediately."
Roy's tone was calm. This was his first test of the Bind Technique's ability, and the effect seemed pretty good.
Illumi instantly went still. He did not doubt the truth of Roy's words.
"After the Hunter Exam ends, if Killua wants to go back with you, then he'll go back with you. But if he wants to keep adventuring with Gon and the others, then you're not allowed to stop him. Of course, you wouldn't be able to stop him anyway."
Illumi merely looked at Roy in silence, saying nothing.
"However, after the Hunter Exam is over, I'll take Gon, Killua, and the others to the Zoldyck family. If a child wants to go out and play, then the parents should at least be informed."
Only then did Illumi speak.
"Fine. I won't interfere in the remaining tests."
The moment he said that, he felt the pressure and restraint on his body disappear.
"What a strange ability. What formidable power."
Illumi sat back down in his original place.
Only then did Killua, who had been hiding far away, finally let out a sigh of relief.
He would still have to go back and see his family, but clearly this was far better than the scene he had originally imagined.
Gon and the others also relaxed.
When Illumi had raised that Nen needle just now, they had all clearly felt a despair-inducing gap between them.
A great reputation was not unearned. The Zoldyck family really was formidable.
And they truly were still far too weak.
At that moment, Killua walked over with his head lowered.
"Sorry. I dragged you guys into this."
"Killua, what are you talking about? We're friends!"
"Friends…?"
Killua made no sound, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"Yeah!"
(End of Chapter)
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