Chapter 27: Final Test x The Most Troublesome Opponent
"This is such a headache…"
Stepping out of the reception room, Lorlin let out a sigh.
He hadn't expected that a simple interview for the Hunter Association would turn out to be so troublesome.
Even his identity as a transmigrator had been discovered.
But there was no helping it. This was his first time crossing over, and he didn't have much experience.
To make things worse, the first world he crossed into was Hunter x Hunter, a world where every major figure had a sky-high IQ, and because of the existence of the Dark Continent, the V5 in this world had an absurd amount of control over global intelligence.
It didn't take them long to confirm that Lorlin had left no trace of himself anywhere in the world.
And then he encountered Netero, the cunning Chairman of the Hunter Association—highly experienced, holding a powerful position, and with a sly, unpredictable nature.
Because of all this, even the slightest irregularity in Lorlin's behavior had attracted attention and led to a thorough investigation.
What were otherwise small flaws in his disguise as a transmigrator were completely exposed by Netero.
Thankfully, Lorlin had another chance to cross over to a different world thanks to his system, which gave him some confidence in front of Netero.
At least he had a bargaining chip while managing to keep his most important secrets intact.
"Who knows what kind of trouble that old man will try to stir up later!" Lorlin thought with a headache.
Although he had reached a certain level of understanding with Netero, there was no guarantee that the old man wouldn't go back on his word.
After all, with someone like Netero, no matter how outrageous his decisions were, it wouldn't be surprising.
"It's all because I'm too weak," Lorlin muttered with a sigh.
It wouldn't take much. If he had been at level 10 or 20 when he crossed into this world, it wouldn't matter if Netero or the V5 found out his true identity.
All the problems in this world boiled down to his lack of strength.
But unfortunately…
This was his first time crossing over, and his level was only a pitiful one.
And to make matters worse, it seemed he hadn't even fully tapped into the potential of that single level.
Now, Lorlin could only hope that Netero would be distracted by the prospect of fighting the formidable opponent he had hinted at for the future.
"After all, that's Netero's life goal. It should buy me some time, right?" Lorlin wasn't expecting Netero to completely ignore him or forget what they had discussed, but a little breathing room would be nice.
All he wanted was enough time to learn nen, the unique ability of this world.
He wasn't ready to leave this world just yet, not without mastering nen.
…
Back in his room aboard the Hunter Association's airship, Lorlin cleared his mind of distractions, focusing entirely on his training.
At this point, everything depended on how Netero would react.
Worst-case scenario, Lorlin could always leave this world behind.
Whatever happened next would have nothing to do with him.
The next few days passed quietly.
Lorlin didn't see Netero again, and it was as if their conversation had never taken place. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Three days later…
After three more days of flight, the Hunter Association's airship finally reached the site of the final Hunter Exam.
A luxurious hotel, run by the Hunter Examination Committee.
The Hunter Association had reserved the entire hotel for the final test, and it would serve as the venue until the exam concluded.
Inside a spacious hall in the hotel…
The remaining candidates, the examiners from the earlier stages, and the Hunter Examination Committee staff, including Netero, had all gathered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the venue for the final test. The content of the final test will be one-on-one duels. As for the matchups…"
Netero, standing before a whiteboard, turned around with a smile and dramatically pulled off the cloth covering the board.
On the whiteboard were pictures of the nine remaining candidates along with their numbers. The nine were split into two groups: one with five people and one with four.
The moment Lorlin saw the groupings, his brow furrowed.
Because…
Group A consisted of Gon, Lorlin, Hanzo, Killua, and Gitarakuru.
Group B consisted of Kurapika, Hisoka, Bodoro, and Leorio.
They would face off in pairs according to the order, and only one person from each group would advance.
Lorlin was first in Group A, which meant his first opponent would be Gon— the incredibly troublesome little kid.
At this point, the expressions of all the candidates changed as they stared at the whiteboard.
"Does this mean only the last person standing will become a Hunter?" Leorio couldn't help but ask.
If that were the case, Leorio was tempted to say he didn't even need to compete. As unwilling as he was to give up, he knew very well that most of the people here were stronger than him.
"No, no, no!"
Netero shook his head with a smile, waving his hand. Then, looking at everyone, he explained, "You only need to win one match to pass the test. The losers will continue to compete. The person who loses all their matches will be eliminated."
Hearing this, many of the candidates visibly relaxed.
Although it felt a little disheartening, most of them had a pretty accurate understanding of their own abilities.
No one dared to claim they were the strongest.
Not even Hisoka or Illumi, despite their confidence, could be certain of victory in every match.
"Wait, if that's the case, why is the grouping so unfair? Candidates 405 and 294 get five chances!" Bodoro suddenly asked with a frown.
"Good question!" Netero stroked his beard with satisfaction.
"I based the grouping on your performance in the earlier tests. The better you performed, the more chances you get."
"Can you explain the scoring criteria in more detail?" Killua asked, frowning.
He was clearly dissatisfied with his placement. Based on his performance, he couldn't believe he was on the same level as someone like Bodoro.
And…
The gap between him and Gon was even wider.
"Hmm… no!"
Netero pretended to think about it, then made a goofy face and refused.
"Huh?"
Killua was startled by Netero's playful antics.
"The scoring criteria are top secret. I can't disclose them!" Netero said, his face suddenly serious.
"But…" Netero quickly added.
"While I can't give you the specifics, I can tell you the general idea!"
"The scoring is based on three main categories: physical ability, mental ability, and impression scores. For physical and mental abilities, most of you are on a similar level. So, the impression score is the key difference."
"As for what the impression score is… to put it simply, it's your suitability to become a Hunter!" Netero explained with a serious look.
After hearing Netero's explanation, the candidates each had their own thoughts but chose not to say anything further.
After all, they were just candidates. They couldn't interfere with how the exam was conducted.
"If there are no more questions, I'll now explain the rules for the final test," Netero said, stroking his beard with a smile.
"The rules are simple: you will fight one-on-one. You can use any weapons, and there are no restrictions. Victory goes to the person who can make their opponent admit defeat. However…"
"If you kill your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified. At that point, all remaining candidates will pass, and the Hunter Exam will end!"
Netero said sternly.
Upon hearing this, the candidates' brows furrowed.
What kind of rule was this?
Make your opponent admit defeat?
But no killing—if you kill, you're out.
Netero didn't give them much time to think about it before announcing the start of the matches.
The Hunter Association referee, who had been waiting on the sidelines, stepped forward and shouted loudly, "The first match of the final test: Gon versus Lorlin. Candidates, please take your positions."
On the field, Lorlin looked across at Gon and sighed inwardly.
"Why did I have to end up with the most troublesome opponent?"