Zevil Island.
"Woo—woo—!"
The loud, long blast of the steam whistle tore through the island's tranquility, echoing over the beach for a long time.
The sound penetrated the dense jungle, crossed the jagged rocks, and reached the ears of every Examinee hidden throughout the island.
Immediately after, the ship's broadcast rang out.
"The second half of the fourth phase has now officially ended! All Examinees, please return to the starting point as soon as possible!"
"From now on, you have one hour to return to the starting point!"
"Examinees who fail to return by then will all be deemed disqualified! Please take note! Repeating..."
The broadcast paused, its tone becoming more serious.
"Additionally, once you reach the starting point, any form of number plate transfer is invalid!"
"Once discovered, you will immediately lose your eligibility for the Final Phase! Please take note!"
Several figures stood by the shore.
Nico and Kastro stood in the open space at the starting point, waiting quietly.
After these few days of testing, both were in excellent physical and mental condition.
Hisoka leaned alone under a tree in the distance, his crimson hair fluttering gently in the sea breeze.
He toyed with a playing card at his fingertips, a half-smile on his face, his golden pupils scanning the returning Examinees as if he were picking something out.
In the shadows of the trees, Gittarackur stood silently.
The dense needles on his face glinted coldly in the island sun, and his black-hole-like eyes watched the crowd without any expression.
Killua walked out from his hiding place, hands in his pockets, his pace so relaxed it was as if he were just taking a stroll.
His gaze swept through the crowd, looking for Gon and the others.
Hanzo, Pokkle, Bodoro... one weary face after another appeared on the beach.
Some had confident smiles, some looked nervous, and some remained silent.
Time passed minute by minute.
At the very last moment, three figures burst out of the jungle, stepping onto the beach almost at the time limit.
Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio.
The three were panting and covered in sweat, but their eyes sparkled with excitement.
Gon looked up at the gathered crowd and grinned.
"We made it!"
Kurapika let out a long breath. Leorio sat directly on the ground, gasping for air.
With that, all the successful candidates of the fourth phase had arrived.
In the distance, a Hunter Association airship was slowly approaching Zevil Island.
Leo stood by the porthole, hands in his pockets, quietly looking down at the island below that was becoming clearer.
His injuries had recovered by ninety percent.
Activating the conversion of "Shivering Soul" to push his recovery ability to the limit, it took only fifteen minutes for those injuries—which would have sidelined an ordinary person for months—to basically heal.
The only cost: he was currently in a state of "Zetsu," unable to use Nen, which would last for an hour.
But that didn't matter; even without Nen, his physical strength and power remained.
He looked at the ant-sized figures below, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio—the four protagonists of the original work were about to face their final test.
He didn't plan on having much contact with them.
They had their adventures, and he had his own pursuits.
Being able to see them with his own eyes as an examiner in this test was already a small dream come true from his days as a Hunter fan.
That was enough.
Leo turned and left the porthole.
Inside the airship, a spacious dining room was filled with a relaxed and even somewhat noisy atmosphere.
The long table was covered with various delicacies—golden roasted beast legs, mountains of seafood, fresh fruit, exquisite pastries, and steaming thick soup.
All the examiners of this year's Hunter Exam—Menchi, Kastro, Satz, Leo, Lippo, and Satotz—were dining together with Chairman Netero.
"Nine out of eleven are Rookies? Ho ho!"
Chairman Netero scooped a large spoonful of dessert into his mouth, squinting in satisfaction.
"Good! Very good!"
Buhara was buried in a large piece of beast meat; hearing this, he looked up and asked indistinctly with bulging cheeks.
"Is this situation common, Chairman?"
Netero stroked his beard, his gaze drifting into the distance as if reminiscing.
"Hmm... based on past conventions, usually there isn't a single Rookie passer for ten consecutive years."
He paused, a glint flashing in his eyes.
"But occasionally, special circumstances arise, and many good prospects pop up at once."
He put down his spoon, his tone carrying a hint of subtle pride.
"Since I took over as Chairman, this is the fourth time."
"Eh—?!"
Except for Satotz and Leo, the other examiners stopped their cutlery in shock.
Menchi almost choked on her juice and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Menchi secretly nudged Satotz next to her with her elbow, lowering her voice, unable to hide her curiosity.
"Hey... how old is the Chairman?"
Satotz looked troubled, his voice even lower.
"That... I heard he was already over a hundred twenty years ago."
He shrugged helplessly.
Menchi gasped, her gaze toward Netero becoming even more reverent.
Netero didn't care at all and continued eating his dessert.
Satz picked up a piece of beef with his fork and put it in his mouth, timely changing the subject.
"Speaking of which, what exactly is the content of the Final Phase?"
"Chairman, we still don't know."
He looked at Netero.
Buhara also quickly nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, yeah! We're still in the dark!"
Leo showed a slight smile; he knew the Final Phase very well.
Menchi clasped her hands behind her head and leaned back against the chair, her tone full of anticipation.
"Whether this year is truly full of rising stars, this final touchstone needs to be well-polished!"
Chairman Netero made indistinct sounds with a spoon in his mouth.
"Mmm... it's like this."
He swallowed the food, his eyes sparkling.
"I plan to hold an interesting duel."
He paused, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
"Yes, a very interesting one."
Menchi and Buhara immediately leaned in closer, their faces written with curiosity.
"To prepare for this duel..."
Netero added slowly.
"I want to talk to those eleven little fellows... individually first."
Menchi immediately turned to Satotz again, asking silently with her eyes.
Satotz held up his hands, looking completely helpless.
"Mmm... I can never quite figure out the Chairman's thoughts either."
Leo did not participate in the discussion.
He just quietly ate the roast meat on his plate, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him.
When he was almost finished, he put down his knife and fork and stood up.
"I'm heading back to my room first."
Menchi looked up at him.
"Not eating anymore?"
"I'm full."
Leo nodded and bowed slightly toward Netero.
"Chairman, everyone, enjoy your meal."
Netero waved his hand with a smile.
"Go ahead, go ahead."
Leo turned and left the dining room.
After seeing Leo leave, Menchi remarked with emotion.
"Leo's body is simply too abnormal! Before boarding the ship, those heavy injuries were healed in just over ten minutes. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!"
Buhara muttered while eating the beast leg.
"Yeah, this has already exceeded my understanding of Enhancers! It's terrifying!"
Lippo looked at Menchi and Buhara with a blank expression and asked curiously.
"What are you talking about? Why don't I understand?"
Satz took the initiative to explain.
"Menchi is talking about examiner Leo; his strength is truly eye-opening! You missed a once-in-a-lifetime battle while hosting the fourth phase!"
Lippo was very surprised.
"Ah?"
Menchi said excitedly.
"That's right, a battle between Chairman Netero and Leo—it's very rare to see. Their fight was earth-shaking! Leo could actually go toe-to-toe with the Chairman!"
Lippo looked at Chairman Netero in shock and exclaimed.
"Is... is that true? The Chairman actually fought? Is Mr. Leo that strong?"
Then, Menchi and Kastro told Lippo about the past few days' battles, making Lippo quite frantic.
He greatly admired Chairman Netero and somewhat regretted hosting the fourth phase, as he missed seeing the Chairman's heroic fighting form.
Netero chuckled and ate his dessert without refuting.
Leo returned to his room and pushed open the door; two figures were already waiting inside.
Nico and Kastro stood up simultaneously and spoke respectfully.
"Master Leo."
Leo nodded and sat on the sofa.
The two also sat down again, waiting for him to speak.
"The fourth phase is over."
Leo looked at the two.
"Only the Final Phase remains."
Nico and Kastro glanced at each other, both seeing anticipation in the other's eyes.
"Chairman Netero will arrange a duel."
Leo continued.
"Among the eleven of you, only one will likely be eliminated. The remaining ten will all become official Hunters."
Nico's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
Leo nodded.
"You both know Nen. As long as you don't run into Hisoka or Gittarackur, becoming a Hunter is a sure thing."
Kastro frowned slightly.
"Gittarackur?"
"The one with his face full of needles—that's his disguise. His true identity is Illumi Zoldyck."
Leo said.
"He is very strong. If you really encounter him..."
He paused: "Do what you can. There's no shame in losing; staying alive is most important."
Kastro nodded thoughtfully.
Nico asked somewhat nervously.
"What about Hisoka? If I encounter him..."
"Surrender."
Leo said decisively.
"Right now, you are no match for him."
Nico swallowed and nodded hard.
"Understood."
Leo gave a few more instructions regarding combat and finally waved his hand.
"Go on. Get some rest and prepare for the Final Phase."
The two stood up, bowed respectfully, and left.
The room became quiet again.
Leo walked to the window, watching the sky gradually darken outside.
The distant sea shimmered with light, and seabirds circled low.
He closed his eyes and began to enter a state of meditation.
Although it wasn't convenient to train on the airship, mental cultivation was equally important.
The upcoming Final Phase had nothing to do with him.
He only needed to wait quietly—
Wait for the conclusion of this Hunter Exam.