HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

January 1st, 6:00 a.m.

The dock was already bustling with people, and vendors had begun setting up their stalls.

White smoke curled into the air, carrying an assortment of aromas.

The strongest scent, of course, was an overwhelming fishiness. After all, 80% of the vendors were selling seafood—of all kinds and varieties.

Amid this lively atmosphere, Cyr first swallowed a few pills before digging into the seafood with gusto.

At this moment, he envied Sukuna's actual mouth—a mouth that could move freely and even grow on his stomach. Eating with two mouths simultaneously would definitely increase efficiency, and he'd be able to eat so much more.

Thinking about this, Cyr touched his abdomen.

It was strange. Before attending the cosplay event, he had painted two extra pairs of eyes on his face and a large mouth on his stomach. Yet after transmigrating, they mysteriously disappeared.

Still, if he really had four eyes on his face, people would probably treat him as a monster. In hindsight, their disappearance wasn't such a bad thing.

Once full and satisfied, Cyr began searching for the airship.

While boats docked at the pier, airships had designated landing areas.

Finding the airships wasn't hard; any random passerby could point Cyr in the right direction. The real problem lay in the fact that—

The airships were neatly arranged on the flat ground, looking nearly identical. The only way to distinguish them was by their serial numbers.

Upon asking for more details about the flights, he found that even for destinations on the Azian Continent, there were more than ten different options.

And Cyr had no idea which one to take. He couldn't just pick one at random, could he?

The information he had only mentioned the Azian Continent, with no specifics.

"So this is another test, huh... What a hassle," he muttered, scratching his head. He noticed his hair had grown longer since arriving in this world.

What had initially been a wig had somehow turned into real hair after the transmigration—and now it was growing longer.

"Maybe I'll just locate the person with the strongest nen nearby. That should lead me to the right airship for the exam..." he whispered, adjusting the straps of his backpack.

Anyone related to the exam should have stronger life energy than ordinary people.

By focusing on the feedback from his Six Eyes, he could identify them...

The individual with the strongest life energy would stand out, like the brightest spot in a heat map.

---

An hour later.

The white-haired, blue-eyed boy stuffed paper into his nose and sipped some medicine.

Based on his observations with Six Eyes, there were quite a few ability users nearby. Most of them had life energy levels that were fairly similar, but a handful were notably stronger.

"I'll start by checking out those few," he murmured as he made his way toward the nearest individual with the strongest life energy.

Moments later, he found himself standing in front of a shop that looked anything but respectable. He paused, contemplating his next move.

There were no guards at the door, so Cyr stepped inside.

Bright sunlight outside gave way to dim shadows inside, as though the boundary between day and night was marked by the threshold of the shop.

The interior was eerily quiet, the occupants seemingly having passed out from an all-night revelry. They were sprawled across various corners, fast asleep.

The person with the strongest life energy, as observed by the Six Eyes, was a man.

A disheveled man, at that—his belt loose, zipper undone, and shirtless upper body covered in scars and red lipstick marks.

He sat on the sofa, arms draped around two barely-clothed women, his head hanging as he slept deeply, like a lion exhausted after a long hunt.

For a child, this scene might have been shocking, but Cyr's expression remained calm and indifferent.

This guy didn't seem related to the exam. He looked more like a host, but... worth a shot.

Cyr took a couple of steps toward the sofa. Suddenly, the sleeping man's head snapped up, amber eyes sharp and devoid of any drowsiness.

When he saw a young boy with striking features standing before him, his tense body gradually relaxed.

"This isn't a place for kids your age. Leave," the man groaned, holding his head as if nursing a hangover.

The white-haired boy remained at a distance and asked coldly, "Are you a Hunter Exam proctor?"

Hunter Exam, huh? It had been ages since the man last thought about that.

"No, I don't have time for that. Can't you see? I'm busy," he said, gesturing to the women at his sides with a suggestive smirk.

Busy with drunken debauchery, huh?

Cyr's expression didn't change as he turned and left.

If he wasn't a proctor, there was no point wasting time.

---

The second individual with strong life energy was a chef, specializing in preparing Nen beasts—a likely Gourmet Hunter.

His restaurant was located in the heart of Banato City, surrounded by high-end malls and landmark buildings. When Cyr arrived, the chef was busy refining his cooking skills—or perhaps training his abilities through cooking.

The chef bluntly stated that he had no information about this year's exam.

---

The third was a woman with long black curls, pale skin, a stunning figure, and an air of sophistication.

Seeing Cyr appear suddenly didn't surprise her. Calmly, she said she'd answer his questions—if he agreed to wear women's clothing.

The scream that followed Cyr cutting off half her hair echoed throughout half of Banato.

---

By the time he reached his final target, Cyr's expression was devoid of any humor.

"You're the Hunter Exam proctor, aren't you?" the white-haired, blue-eyed boy asked, his tone low and clearly annoyed.

He better be. Otherwise...

Ugh, this was exhausting. If he wasn't, Cyr might just punch him out of frustration.

"How did you find me?" the man asked, his expression perplexed, as though wondering who had exposed his presence.

He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his hair slicked back in a gentlemanly style.

"...So you're not," Cyr muttered, clenching his fist.

"Wait! Don't get mad!" The man immediately raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Peace! Peace!" he chanted twice.

"I'm not a proctor, but I do know a little about the exam," he said with a sly smile.

Cyr's clenched fist slowly loosened as he stared at the man, expressionless. "Did you use an ability on me?"

"Something that suppresses hostility or battle intent?" he asked, analyzing aloud.

"How interesting," Cyr said, cracking a small smile as if amused by the man's skill.

"Go on," he added with a nod.

"My motto is: no information comes free," the man said with a crafty grin.

"Tell me what you want to know, and I'll quote you a price depending on the value of the information," he said politely.

"Which airship do I need to board for the Hunter Exam?" Cyr asked flatly.

The man hesitated, looking conflicted. "That's all you want to know?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

The white-haired boy nodded matter-of-factly.

"The Hunter Association's airships don't dock with the regular ones. They have their own exclusive route," the man explained.

"This is common knowledge among Hunters and those in the know, so I won't charge you for it," he added with a regretful sigh, lamenting his lost business opportunity.

So the reason Cyr couldn't find the right airship was because of the Hunter Association's privileges...

Cyr thought, his expression cold.

°°°

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