Unlike demons, ghosts do not have bodies as vessels.
Mastering "Breathing Styles" can enhance one's perception to capture the scent of demons, but it cannot sense ghosts.
Perhaps only when killing a demon, through the revolving lantern of their life, can one glimpse a corner of their soul...
This is why, after so many years, Urokodaki Sakonji could not sense Sabito, Makomo, and the others. In the original story, it was only when Tanjiro Kamado split the fox mask on the fox-boy's face with one slash that the old Water Hashira paused for a moment, faintly sensing something.
Giyu Tomioka found it somewhat hard to believe.
He turned his head to look at the boy sleeping peacefully in the corner of the kang. The face hidden under those fiery red bangs was quietly veiled in "mystery."
This was something he had not learned from the letters.
Urokodaki Sakonji patted his back. "Sleep."
Giyu Tomioka nodded slightly, then took another deep look at Roy. Without taking off his clothes, he hugged his Nichirin Blade to his chest and lay down just like that.
Shinsuke "whooshed" and said, "I'll get the lights."
A ghostly wind rolled past, blowing out the oil lamp.
The dim yellow halo vanished, and darkness emerged. Giyu Tomioka stared blankly at the ceiling, his emotions in turmoil. Filled with the joy of reuniting with his senior brother Sabito and his other junior brothers and sisters, and longing to see them, he forced himself to close his eyes.
Soon, drowsiness washed over him, and he fell into a deep sleep.
[Hint: Nen ability "Property Transformation" +20]
Hunter World.
The storm receded, and the sea gradually calmed. Occasionally, a wave would roll in, but against a large, three-masted sailing ship like the "Neptune," it could hardly make it sway.
Roy lifted the branch, hooking a "flying fish." Behind him, the wooden barrel temporarily serving as a net was filled with seawater and packed with fish. Occasionally, a few would flop their tails and jump out, landing on the deck, only to be knocked back in by Kurajing with a wooden stick.
The Kurta girl was observant. She put on the air of an on-duty butler, proactively taking on some small chores... Roy paid her no mind, letting her be... Gotoh, out of sight, out of mind, simply didn't look at her, focusing on protecting the Young Master's safety.
"It's a flying fish... This kind of fish isn't easy to catch." Captain Maxim walked over, smoking his pipe, and specifically looked at the branch in Roy's hand.
"Fishing without a hook"... only this monstrous boy in front of him could pull off something so ridiculous.
He thought of Ging. That year's exam had been quiet, far from being as intense as this one.
"Captain, how much longer until we reach Dolle Island?" Kurajing put down the wooden stick, catching her breath.
"Three days at most. If we're fast, two and a half." The old captain glanced at Kurajing. "Congratulations on passing the points battle."
After a full day and night, and enduring multiple trials like Pariston Hill and the storm, Maxim's phase of the exam had come to an end.
Kurajing was ranked exactly tenth. Those above her were also familiar faces... the bald ninja Yusuke, the bandaged man, the snake charmer, the boy with the bow, Kite, the eccentric man... Gotoh, and Roy.
"You're joking, Captain," Kurajing peeked at Roy's not-so-large back and said truthfully, "You saw it too, it was all thanks to my Young Master's help."
As the girl spoke, she tucked her hair behind her ear, and suddenly felt a chill on her neck. She didn't even need to look to know who it was!
"Miss, I must solemnly remind you... you have not yet passed the butler test. You cannot refer to yourself as a butler."
'I'll have this bitch fired the moment we get back! Since when did the Young Master become yours?'
Gotoh glared at Kurajing, warning her sternly.
Kurajing smiled, pretending not to hear. She simply sat down cross-legged, opened a travelogue, and began to read with relish. If another fish jumped out, she would grab the stick and give it another whack, though it was unclear if she was hitting the fish or someone else...
"Gurarara..." Maxim, feeling as if he had just watched a grand show, walked away with a smile, his hands clasped behind his back.
He would let these young boys and girls enjoy this last bit of peace.
'Once we reach Dolle Island, that's when the real test begins.'
The old captain looked up at the sky. The restrictions from above had clearly been tightened. They didn't want people to pass.
"Dragon Dive!"
On a giant airship marked with the "Hunter Association" logo, flying toward the official Hunter Exam site.
The aroma of... Zeno, his white hair flying, was fighting a monster with the head of a pig and the body of a man.
"A Pigman. This is a monster your father and I encountered back when we were in the Dark Continent... They live in tribes, call themselves children of 'God,' and often refer to themselves as 'barbarians.' The V5 rating is 'C'..."
"Hohoho... They're tough-skinned and not easy to deal with..."
Netero slapped another Pigman away with his palm. The ground trembled, and with a rumble... even more of them poured out.
Some wore heavy armor, some held giant axes, some swung flails... Other than their pig heads, they were no different from a unit of human soldiers.
And, every single one was an "Enhancer"!
Just as Netero said, their hides were thick and tough, completely unfazed by the attacks!
Zeno released his Nen, shaping it into a dragon. He aimed a swipe at the Pigman. The "Nen Dragon" raised its claw, pinned the Pigman down, and then, with one bite, tore its head off!
"Squelch—"
Blood spurted from the severed neck...
He finally caught his breath and glanced over. "You asked me to copy my father's memory, that's fine. But using it to test candidates is going too far."
'Wasn't having Botobai Gigant presiding over it enough? Do you have to wipe out all the candidates to be satisfied?'
The "strength" of these Pigmen was far beyond what an ordinary Nen user could handle. Not to mention, the vast majority of candidates didn't even know that "Nen" existed in the world. Suddenly encountering it, Zeno couldn't imagine any possibility of their survival, other than death.
In truth, Zeno had always understood Netero's intentions. It was simply that he had been too lenient in the past few exams, letting the world think the Hunter Exam was "nothing special." So... this time, he was going to be harsh to reclaim the "authority" the Hunter Exam had lost.
This was understandable, but the "correction" was a bit too excessive.
"Mmm... it's just a memory, anyway." Netero waved his large hand, and the "illusion" vanished... The "Pigmen," the axes, the flails, all disappeared.
In the vast training room, only he and Zeno were left, standing steadily by the floor-to-ceiling window. In his hand, he now held a roll of tape and a bottle of green liquid.
The tape was a memory Zeno had copied and brought from home. The liquid was sap extracted from the "Mind-Bending Sugi Tree," which primarily had the effect of "inducing hallucinations" and "confusing the mind."
In the original story, Leorio Paradinight was tricked by the great Tonpa and lost consciousness, all thanks to the sap of the "Mind-Bending Sugi Tree."
Netero's gaze drifted calmly out the window, the scenery flying by beneath them. He said softly, "I'm not some villain. As long as those kids can last one minute in the illusion, they pass."
'There can be no more weaklings!'
The recent "Clown Hijacking Incident" had been a major wake-up call for him.
The old man squinted, having learned his painful lesson. A cold glint, not easily perceptible, flashed deep in his eyes...