Hunter X Hunter: Tombbound Power

He didn't want to implicate his companions due to his own personal affairs, especially when it could mean endangering their lives.

Kurapika sat in the dim waiting area, his mind clouded with conflicting thoughts. The tension in the room was thick, stretching each moment painfully.

"Hey! I must be the first one to clear this stage and reach the bottom!"

A boastful voice echoed through the chamber. The stone door rumbled open, and a shiny bald head emerged into view—Hanzo. He strode in with a triumphant smirk that quickly vanished.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7..." Hanzo counted the candidates already present.

"What?! I'm the eighth?" His voice dropped, laced with disappointment, the previous joy and pride dissipating. He slunk to the corner, his mood casting a low pressure over the room.

"I really thought being the first one down would help in the next phase, so I rushed like mad... only to end up eighth..."

Hanzo's boastful demeanor quickly deflated into self-pity, turning the once boisterous ninja into a sulking figure in the corner.

Leorio, who had been about to wave hello, awkwardly dropped his hand and focused on pretending he hadn't noticed Hanzo at all. Despite his constant chatter, Hanzo was undeniably strong.

In fact, during the Hunter Exam, Hanzo was one of the top examinees, second only to Hisoka and Gittarackur. Even Killua had once admitted to Gon that Hanzo's strength surpassed his own. The bald ninja was a force to be reckoned with, even if he couldn't stop talking about it.

As silence once again enveloped the room, Ronnel yawned, feeling the weight of boredom settling over him. The flickering candles cast soft, uneven shadows, and Hanzo's muttering served as a lullaby.

Leorio, on the other hand, was on edge, nervously tiptoeing around the others. But Ronnel? He was already thinking about the next phase of the exam.

"If everything goes as expected, the next phase will be on Zevil Island... an opportunity to push myself even further."

(T/N: Zevil Island is the site of the Fourth Phase of the 287th Hunter Exam.)

Suddenly, Ronnel's instincts flared. He glanced toward Illumi, whose expressionless face belied the sharp focus in his eyes. A faint pulse of nen energy drifted toward Ron.

The soft crackle of Ronnel's nen echoed in the still room. With a flick of his wrist, he formed a delicate orb of nen on his fingertip, tracing out words in the air. Hunter script glowed faintly in the dim light.

"I want the contact information for the Zoldyck family. There may be business opportunities in the future."

Illumi's gaze hardened, but only for a moment. How did he know? His eyes flickered toward Killua, who was deep in conversation with Gon.

"So... he must have traveled with Killua. That's how he figured it out," Illumi mused. "He sensed the same aura from Killua and connected the dots."

For a moment, Illumi felt a rare twinge of pride. His younger brother resembled him enough that it made people instantly recognize the family connection.

After a pause, Illumi nodded slightly and traced a series of numbers in the air. It was his personal number—if Ron needed anything, he could reach him directly. Of course, the cost would vary depending on the difficulty of the task.

Ron noted the numbers with a faint smile of acknowledgment before letting the glowing symbols dissipate into the air.

Across the room, Hisoka noticed the exchange but, true to form, merely smirked to himself. He had more important things to focus on, like reaching new heights in the Battle Olympia. His pursuit of the strongest fighters, of finding and cultivating the ripest "fruit" for battle, kept him occupied.

Minutes turned into hours. Eventually, Geretta (No. 384) entered the room. He had an uncanny resemblance to an Indian from Ron's previous world, though his height and build were quite different. As he entered, the countdown clock ticked down to 30 hours left in the Trick Tower.

Despite the extended phase, only nine candidates had cleared this so far.

As the clock continued its steady countdown, the iron gate opened once more, and prison guards wheeled in trays of food for the remaining candidates. Gon was the first to stand, quickly grabbing some food and offering a plate to Leorio and the others.

They had cleared another hurdle, but the real challenge still loomed ahead.

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