Hunter X Hunter: Tombbound Power

"I know what you're about to say, but it won't change anything."

"When you actually face the Phantom Troupe, you'll have to pass your own test first."

With that, Kurapika bit her lip, holding back more words. He bowed deeply to Ronnel and then turned to leave.

As he walked away, Kurapika paused for a moment before adding one final statement.

"Ronnel, I do consider you a friend."

Ronnel watched his leave, glancing at Gon and Leorio, who were peeking from behind a nearby pillar. He shook his head but remained silent.

He could sense the sincerity in Kurapika's words, but in this world, some things aren't so simple.

When Kurapika, someone who's never taken a life, faces Uvogin, the internal struggle will be far worse than it seems now.

It's only after killing Uvogin that Kurapika will fully understand.

When the transformation comes, everything will fall into place.

For now, though, Kurapika is still just a 16-year-old boy.

Eventually, as the distant outline of Zevil Island came into view, all the examinees realized that the real fourth phase of the exam was about to begin.

Lippo, the examiner for this round, stepped forward once again to explain the rules.

First, all the examinees drew lots in the order they exited from Trick Tower.

Ronnel drew number 16.

When he saw the number on his slip of paper, he laughed.

What a coincidence—Tonpa, the rookie crusher.

Once everyone had drawn, Lippo began explaining the phase's details.

The trial was a hunt. Examinees would be both hunters and the hunted, and it would take place on Zevil Island. The rules were simple: each examinees needed six points to pass. Three points for holding onto their own number plate, three points for acquiring their target's number plate, and one point for any other plates they gathered.

Within a week, the examinees needed to gather six points by any means necessary. When the boat returned to the island's shore, those who had collected enough points would be deemed successful.

The rules were clear, and everyone understood them.

As Lippo finished his explanation, all the examinees removed their number plates, stashing them away.

The tense atmosphere was briefly interrupted when the young woman who had been in charge of the lottery spoke up, excitedly sharing what she thought was good news.

"Next year, every participant who makes it to the Hunter Exam will automatically get a promotion to the next phase! So even if you fail this time, you can always come back and try again!"

This so-called "promotion" felt like a marketing ploy at a supermarket sale. After all, why would anyone want to fail and come back again next year?

Ronnel glanced at the woman, then at Lippo, whose fox-like grin made him smirk.

This seemed like another mental game to shake up the examinees . He had never heard of any such discount in the Hunter Exam before.

When next year comes, Tonpa and the Amori brothers will be starting from scratch, going through the first phase again. No discounts for them.

Lippo certainly knows how to throw in a little twist.

The ship eventually stopped near Zevil Island, and the examinees disembarked one by one, heading into the dense forest.

Hisoka went first, followed by Ronnel.

Gon, Leorio, and Killua followed suit, with others like Illumi, Hanzo, Pokkle, and Ponzu trailing behind.

Ronnel was one of the few confident enough in his abilities to not bother hiding his number plate.

He had activated his Nen, easily sensing who was sneaking glances at his number plate. Unsurprisingly, it was an old acquaintance.

As Ronnel stepped off, Amori looked at the lottery slip in his hand, almost ready to cry.

He remembered the trauma from last year, when Ronnel had taken him down without a word.

This year, he had done his best to avoid that monster. But of course, when he drew his lot this time, it was Ronnel's number that appeared.

It's true what they say—what you fear, you attract.

Why am I so unlucky?

Realizing who his target was, Amori's brothers, Umori and Imori, advised him to change his target immediately and try to collect three other number plates.

Amori agreed, but his bad luck wasn't over yet.

He forgot one crucial detail: while he was hunting, he was also someone else's prey.

"Number 199? Who's that?" Killua muttered as he disembarked, still holding his lottery slip.

The number plate pinned to his chest. Like Ronnel, Killua wasn't one to hide his number either.

"Eh, whatever," he shrugged. "When the person hunting me shows up, I'll just beat them and take their plate. Easy enough."

With that, Killua flicked his lottery paper into the air, letting it drift away in the wind.

Poor Amori. Not only was his target one of the strongest candidates, but those hunting him were also among the top contenders.

Talk about bad luck.

In fact, the tables had turned. In the original exam, Amori's target had been Killua. Now, Killua was targeting him. The situation had flipped, but the outcome remained the same.

Zevil Island got its name from its shape—two large landmasses connected by a thin, bridge-like passage, resembling a pair of glasses.

Ronnel and the others disembarked on the southeast side of the left landmass, and the examinees were expected to stay within this area for their trial.

As the second examinee on the island, Ronnel settled on the shore, waiting calmly for Tonpa to arrive.

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