A fax was printed out by a green bean printer and delivered to Netero's hands."Chairman, here is the list of candidates who will move on to the final exam."
Menchi and the others quickly turned their attention to it.
"Eleven of them, that's quite impressive," Netero said as he looked over the list, stroking his beard.
"Except for those few, the rest are all rookies. It's been a long time since we've had such a lively exam."
Menchi couldn't help but ask,
"Chairman, may we see the list?"
Netero nodded and passed the list over.
Menchi took it and quickly began scanning it, while the other examiners gathered around.
"Hisoka could easily kill Tetsuya Suzuki, so it's only normal for someone like him to make it to the final test. However, if such a person becomes a Hunter, it could be problematic."
"Gittarackur, Ron, these two are on the same level as Hisoka in terms of Nen abilities. Their participation in the Hunter Exam is a completely over-the-top situation."
Aside from Netero, none of the examiners present were a match for Ron or the others.
"Killua, the heir of the Zoldyck family, has extraordinary talent."
"Gon, as expected, is the son of Ging Freecss. Since he started the Hunter Exam, his progress has been astounding, completely different from when he first began."
"Kurapika, the last survivor of the Kuruta Clan."
"Bodoro and Pokkle have both participated in the Hunter Exam multiple times and have achieved good results before."
"Hanzo is very strong, with outstanding abilities, making him an excellent rookie."
"Elita is participating in her first Hunter Exam but is not a rookie, as she has the background of the World Mafia."
"Leorio might be the weakest among the successful candidates. However, as a doctor, if he develops his ability in that direction, he could be a valuable addition to the Hunter Association."
Menchi read through the list while providing her own evaluation.
"Chairman, what kind of final test are you planning? All of these candidates are quite impressive. I feel like they have all reached the level to become Hunters. Leaving anyone out would be a waste."
As a Hunter, Menchi was very familiar with what it took to become one.
When she first became a Hunter, she was ranked among the lower levels compared to the current candidates, on par with Pokkle, Bodoro, and Kurapika.
She might have been slightly better than Leorio.
But Ron, Gittarackur, Hisoka, Elita, Killua, and Hanzo were all far above where Menchi was back then.
"But if the final test includes most of the names on this list, it would seem a bit unreasonable—it would make the final exam feel less important."
Buhara agreed with Menchi's point.
"Gon and Kurapika are both highly talented."
"Bodoro and Pokkle have certainly met the standard."
"It's just that Bodoro is a bit older."
Satotz spoke up,
"Gon reminds me of Ging Freecss from back in the day, but Gon is younger now than Ging was when he took the Hunter Exam. Given his performance, it's impressive."
"More importantly, Gon has a very strong will and an intuition that's even sharper than any beast's."
Lippo hesitated before adding,
"If anyone has to be eliminated, I think Hisoka could be one of them. He's a big problem. Also, Bodoro is too old and lacks potential. As for Leorio, we could have him take the exam a few more times."
"Gon and Killua are the same."
After a pause, Lippo continued,
"But I didn't expect that three people from the Zoldyck family would be participating."
"Ron, Illumi, Killua."
"Indeed, the Zoldycks are terrifyingly talented."
"Illumi and Ron have already reached A-rank Nen abilities. Killua will certainly improve quickly if he learns Nen."
"Ron is only sixteen."
Netero smiled and said,
"These young Zoldycks are impressive. I've already decided how the final test will go, but before that, I need to speak with them."
The airship landed.
Meanwhile, the ship carrying Ron and the other candidates had also docked.
"Captain, where do I go next?"
"Find a bigger city and send me the address. After I finish the Hunter Exam, I'll come find you."
"Alright."
Ponzu left alone.
Ron and the other candidates boarded a car that took them to where the airship had landed.
Everyone boarded the airship.
A voice came over the intercom.
"Attention, all candidates. The chairman will be meeting with each of you individually. When your name is called, please proceed to the second-floor meeting room."
"First up, Hisoka."
"Please, Hisoka, go to the second-floor meeting room."
Hisoka, having his name called, walked toward the second-floor meeting room.
When he reached the door, he knocked.
"Come in."
Hisoka opened the door.
It was a small meeting room, with a tea table in the center and carpets on both sides.
"Please, sit."
Hisoka eyed Netero carefully, his eyes narrowing.
During the second exam, Hisoka had observed Netero from a distance. Ultimately, he had given up on challenging him, realizing that Netero was someone beyond his reach at the moment. If he tried to challenge him, there was a very high chance he'd end up dead, not to mention no pleasant surprises.
Hisoka categorized his potential targets into three types.
The first was those he needed to grow stronger to face—like Netero.
The second was those he could challenge right away—like Chrollo, Illumi, and Ron.
The third was those who would grow stronger first—like Gon, Killua, and Kastro.
However, after entering the meeting room and standing face to face with Netero, Hisoka couldn't help but feel his blood racing faster. Hisoka's gaze moved back and forth across Netero, hoping to find a flaw or weakness…
"Is this the final test?"
"Unfortunately, not exactly. But it's related to it. I'll ask you a few questions, and I hope you'll answer with your heart."
Netero pulled out a notebook and pen.
"First question, why do you want to become a Hunter?"
"I'm not particularly interested in becoming a Hunter. I mainly want the Hunter's license. With it, a lot of things will be more convenient."
"Like?"
"Like… killing people."
"Alright, second question. Among the other ten candidates, who do you care about the most?"
Hisoka thought for a moment.
There were many people in the exam that intrigued him.
Kurapika, Leorio, Killua, Gon, all of them could spark Hisoka's interest.
And then there was Illumi, whom Hisoka had already decided would be his opponent after his battle with Chrollo.
But if he had to choose the one he cared about the most…
Hisoka lifted his head and looked at Netero.
"Ron Zoldyck."
Even though he had already fought Ron, Hisoka still felt that he knew the least about him.
He knew more about Illumi, Killua, and Gon than about Ron. And the less he knew, the greater the potential for surprise.
Thinking about this made Hisoka excited.
"Ron Zoldyck, huh? Next question: Among the ten candidates, who do you least want to fight right now?"
"Gon."
This time, Hisoka answered much more quickly. He had already ranked his targets for battle.
At the top was Chrollo.
Next was Illumi.
Kastro was somewhere in between.
After that came Ron.
At that point, Hisoka felt that he might lose interest in fighting Killua.
After fighting two Zoldycks, facing another one wouldn't bring much excitement.
Kurapika and Leorio didn't stir Hisoka's fighting spirit as strongly.
"But I must say, the person I want to fight the most is you, Chairman Netero."
"Alright, I've finished asking my questions. You can go now."