Rumble.
The second Gate opened and closed several times before Higuruma's wide-eyed stare.
What did that mean?
That every aspiring butler could push at least 8 tons.
In the end, the seven candidates crossed the gate one after another, except for Higuruma and Zebro.
The elderly man simply stared at the teenager, saying nothing, save for a slightly impatient look.
"Good luck, young man."
As Higuruma took a deep breath and stepped forward with determination, Zebro's encouraging voice echoed beside him.
The boy briefly turned his head and gave him a somewhat bitter smile, before reinforcing his frail body with cursed energy.
The amount he deployed was nothing compared to what he had used during his fight against Sukuna, after Gojo and Kashimo's defeat.
Yet, he still sensed an anomaly in this new, seemingly slender body.
'I'm physically stronger than back then…' he analyzed, placing his hands against the cold panels of the gate.
Because of the seven people who had touched it before him, the metal was still damp with sweat and slightly warm.
"Hmph…"
He inhaled deeply, fixed his gaze, concentrated all his body's strength into his arms, and pushed with all his might.
Rumble!
Rumble!
The difficulty he had anticipated did not materialize.
The Testing Gate yielded without much resistance, opening under his force.
As he withdrew his hands, Higuruma alternated his gaze between the colossal gate and his own trembling palms, his expression filled with disbelief.
'Did it really open? That easily? Does the second gate really weigh eight tons?'
A torrent of questions flooded his mind.
But without thinking further, he placed his hands on the third gate.
A third rumble echoed slowly. The difficulty was clearly etched on the teenager's face as he hurried through the opening of the third gate.
A dull thud sounded as it slammed shut behind him the moment he entered the Zoldyck domain.
"1… 16 tons… *panting*… I managed to push 16 tons… hehe…"
A nervous laugh involuntarily escaped his lips after successfully opening the third gate.
"Not bad… but you'd better hurry, my boy."
Zebro's voice brought him back to reality.
Higuruma straightened up, regained his composure.
He turned to the elderly man, who had just entered the Zoldyck domain right after him, and gave him a polite smile.
The old man nodded in return.
After this silent exchange, Higuruma turned back and ventured into the darkness of the forest stretching out before him.
'It seems this apprentice butler exam is going to be quite thrilling,' he thought to himself as he walked over the damp grass.
Behind the gate lay a dense forest, but Higuruma quickly spotted a path carved through the wild grass.
"Where are the others? Have they already left?" he muttered, scanning the surroundings.
Once inside, Higuruma immediately noticed that the seven people who had accompanied him were nowhere to be seen.
A situation that put him on high alert, because it was abnormal.
Higuruma remembered that in the forest behind the Testing Gate lurked a giant dog, trained by the Zoldyck family.
A massive creature used to eliminate intruders who dared cheat by crossing the Gate without the strength to do so.
Even after pushing the second eight-ton gate, Higuruma wasn't naive enough to believe he could underestimate such a monster.
The Hunter x Hunter universe was filled with things without clear explanations, and that hadn't changed since Claud's death in his first life.
"They wouldn't just release that thing, would they? Zebro said opening the Testing Gate was the first test. There must be a second one… maybe even a third."
After pondering for a moment, Higuruma resumed walking along the grassy path.
Even if the dog was loose, he couldn't leave the Zoldyck domain as he pleased.
At the very least, he had to become a butler.
Step. Step. Step.
In the silent forest, only his cautious footsteps echoed.
Dark bushes surrounded him on all sides, as if an unknown beast could leap out at any moment.
This oppressive atmosphere was putting Higuruma's nerves to the test.
As for using his cursed energy? His reservoir was far weaker than during his second life.
He had to start from scratch.
Thus, he relied on his physical senses, his experience, and above all, his intuition.
Fortunately, his instincts told him there was no immediate danger.
That's why Higuruma allowed himself to continue venturing deeper into this gloomy place.
'Huh? There's light over there…' he noticed, squinting his eyes.
After about ten minutes of walking, a small wooden cabin finally came into view.
The light was coming from a window.
"Could this be the location of the second test?" he whispered to himself.
Humans are social creatures.
Seeing others of their kind in a strange place instinctively soothes their hearts.
In Higuruma's life as Claud, he had never truly had close relationships beyond his colleagues. Even among the sorcerers in Tokyo, he hadn't been able to form deep bonds.
The only exception was Yuki, but she had left before him.
Yet, he still appreciated the presence of others despite everything. Even an introvert like him was no exception to human social nature.
After walking for so long in such an oppressive forest, spotting this lit cabin—even ignoring what awaited inside—brought him slight comfort.
"At least there are people inside…" he murmured, clearly sensing the presence of several individuals within.
As for the possibility of beasts inside? Impossible, according to common sense.
'After all, beasts don't light lamps,' he thought, before suddenly recalling the creatures from the Hunter exam test.
Higuruma grimaced, displeased with his own naivety. This universe is different from Earth and has bizarre fauna that he hadn't fully understood in his first life.
However, he still decided to approach the unknown cabin in the forest.
He hesitated for a moment, then knocked gently on the door.
"Is anyone inside?"
No response. After a few seconds, Higuruma raised his hand and knocked again.
"Is anyone there?"
Still no response.
'Strange.'
Frowning, Higuruma reached out and slowly pushed the door.
The door creaked against the floor, producing an unpleasant noise. Higuruma then realized it was much heavier than an ordinary door.
Even if it didn't match the Testing Gate, it would be difficult for a normal person to open it.
"Are you kidding me? This trick again?" Muttering to himself, Higuruma pushed the door further and peered inside the room.
A square table sat in the center, surrounded by several chairs. A bright chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a staircase led directly to the first floor at the back of the room.
"Go up…"
As Higuruma surveyed the place, a calm voice came from the staircase.
"Indeed, they're here."
Higuruma headed toward the staircase after confirming his senses were correct.
He soon reached the second floor, where he saw the seven other people waiting for him.
Near the window stood a very familiar figure: a tall man with short hair, dressed in an impeccable tuxedo and wearing glasses. He occasionally toyed with a shiny coin.
Gotoh.
(Image)
This man is the future head butler of the Zoldyck family.
Higuruma recognized him at a glance, having glimpsed him upon arrival.
"If you had arrived any later, you would have been disqualified." After Higuruma's arrival, Gotoh's gaze turned to him.
Crunch!
As he spoke, the coin in his hand made a sharp sound after falling back into his palm and being crushed by Gotoh.
"Well, congratulations to all of you for passing the first test. Pass the second, and you will officially become apprentice butlers," he said in a calm, drawn-out voice.
With those words, Gotoh slowly scanned them with a stern look.
"Follow this dirt path straight ahead, and you'll reach the inner forest. There, you'll find a small iron gate marking the boundary. The first two to reach it will pass the trial, no matter the means used." Gotoh looked at them all, articulating each word precisely.
"Very well, begin." With that, Gotoh stepped slightly aside, revealing the open window behind him.
Boom!
Boom!
The moment Gotoh finished speaking, two people moved almost simultaneously.
They left afterimages behind as they leaped out the window.
Those two were the tall, thin man who had been the first to open the massive gate of the Zoldyck domain, and Higuruma.