Knov walked straight toward a large door not far away, holding a universal key in his hand. He used the key to open the door.
Palm followed Knov, walking in small steps and looking like a timid follower.
Knov stood by the door, adjusted his glasses, and pointed to the dark space outside.
"You can leave now. And Morel, don't pretend my Nen ability' is your own and boast about it."
"Oh, I understand. Hahaha..."
After everyone left the "Fourth-Dimensional Mansion," they found themselves in a dark cave. An unfamiliar SUV was parked next to the stone wall.
"This is the farthest transfer location from the hospital I could arrange," Knov explained. "The car was parked here earlier, and I don't even know who did it."
"I see." Morel circled the SUV and said with admiration, "Even though Chairman Netero seems unreliable sometimes, he is quite skilled when it counts."
Knov snorted, "Isn't that obvious? The Chairman is incredibly powerful. He's a legend who has lived for over a hundred years."
"Okay, I know you have great respect for the Chairman, and I do too," Morel said, pointing at the SUV. "But let's check the vehicle just to be safe before we head out."
Knov agreed with this cautious approach.
Morel and Knov thoroughly inspected the SUV and only let everyone get in after making sure there were no eavesdropping or tracking devices.
Morel drove, Knov sat in the passenger seat, Germain and Palm sat in the second row with a space in between, and Knuckle and Shoot sat in the third row.
As the SUV drove down the mountain road and onto the main road, Morel suddenly remembered something and burst out laughing.
"What's wrong?" Knov asked, surprised. "Did something funny happen?"
"Ah, no, I just suddenly remembered a funny thing that happened to Knuckle last year." Morel took off his sunglasses while driving and wiped away tears of laughter with the back of his left hand.
Hearing this, everyone turned around in confusion and looked at Knuckle, who was in the last row.
Knuckle scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled.
"Last summer, at the bay, don't you remember?" Morel prompted, and Knuckle immediately recalled it, his face turning red. "Hahahaha..."
Morel laughed while driving, his sentences coming out in bursts.
Finally, Shoot recalled the full story and explained.
"That day, teacher and I finished our investigation and wanted to meet up with Knuckle. We saw Knuckle sitting in the passenger seat of a rented car, shouting excitedly."
"We were confused, wondering who Knuckle was talking to, and heard him yell, 'Come on, Bruce, you can do it!'"
"We were still puzzled about who 'Bruce' was, and then we saw a golden retriever with its tongue hanging out and a confused look on its face, with its front paws on the steering wheel."
"After asking for a while, we finally realized that Knuckle was teaching this stray dog how to drive..."
As Shoot recounted this, he couldn't help but laugh, covering his mouth with his hands.
Morel laughed loudly again, shaking the SUV.
Knov, sitting in the passenger seat, frowned and held his forehead. This kind of thing was indeed something Knuckle would do, and Morel, who taught him, wasn't very reliable either.
"But..." Knuckle, his face still red, defended himself, "I did see a video on YouTube where a dog could drive and even turn..."
Germain thought for a moment and confirmed, "I've seen that video too. There is indeed a well-trained dog that can shift gears, step on the accelerator, and turn the steering wheel."
"See!" Knuckle jumped up excitedly, but his head hit the car roof with a clang, so he sat back down, holding his head. "Ah, it hurts..."
Morel was different from Knov. He didn't care at all about his disciple making a fool of himself. In fact, he was happy to share such funny moments and laughed for a long time. Only after Knov's reminder did he calm down and drive steadily.
Soon, the SUV merged onto the main road.
Germain was watching the passing scenery outside when he suddenly felt a burning stare from the side. He looked over and saw Palm glaring at him from across the aisle.
"What's wrong?" Germain asked with curiosity.
"I..." Palm, looking disheveled, paused and spoke in a rough voice, "I heard… you might have a chance to become a 'One-Star Hunter' like the teacher and Mr. Morel?"
"Maybe." Germain shrugged. He wasn't pushing for it.
Morel honked the horn, sped up, and overtook the car. He then said, "You can definitely become a 'One-Star Hunter'. By the way, Knov, before you came, how did the Hunter Association feel about this?"
"It seems like they're not too worried." Knov adjusted his glasses. "You know, Rat Pariston loves this kind of thing. He's an expert at hindering the Chairman."
"However, the Chairman still has more influence. Pariston was probably outmaneuvered by the Chairman, and a few people from the association were removed. This issue is pretty much settled."
Many people know that the real power behind the Hunter Association's Vice Chairman, 'Rat of the Zodiac' Pariston, is significant.
If Pariston is the best at balancing and obstructing Chairman Netero, then Chairman Netero is equally skilled at countering Pariston's methods.
Hearing this, Knuckle and Shoot looked at Germain with envy. They had been professional hunters for many years but hadn't yet become 'One-Star Hunters'.
If Germain, who had just received his hunter's license less than four months ago, became a 'One-Star Hunter', he would be the fastest professional hunter in history to achieve this.
At this moment, unlike Knuckle and Shoot's envy, Palm looked self-reproachful and guilty.
This heavy atmosphere almost filled the entire SUV, making it feel stifling.
"What's wrong, Palm?" Knov, sitting in the co-pilot seat, didn't turn around. He could tell without looking that the tension was coming from his disciple. "Are you worried about something?"
"Teacher, I… I…"
Palm hesitated for a long time before lifting her messy long hair, revealing her beautiful face.
"If I… had been better… and became a 'one-star hunter' sooner… then you… would have become a 'two-star hunter' long ago."
Upon hearing Palm's words, Knuckle and Shoot fell silent.
The "Hunter's Ten Articles" state clearly: "A senior hunter (a one-star hunter) who serves as an executive will be awarded two stars if they help a junior hunter they train achieve a star rating."
If these disciples had been more capable and reached 'star level' like Kate earlier, teachers Morel and Knov could have become 'two-star hunters' or even 'three-star hunters' like Ging.
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