NenMaster
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Chapter 66
🕑 Added 2024-11-29 19:52:00 +0000 UTCSeeing how enthusiastic you are about my tools," Morin said, his eyes darting slyly before reaching into his pocket again. He pulled out another item and held it out. "If you like them so much, consider this a gift. A token to celebrate our first meeting."
"Oh, how can I possibly accept this!" Kanzai exclaimed, but his hands moved faster than his words, snatching the item out of Morin's hand with lightning speed.
When Kanzai took a closer look, his eyes lit up with excitement. It was a pair of gloves that looked nearly identical to the ones Morin had worn during his earlier fight with Tonpa. His grin widened, making him appear even more approachable.
"The examiner for the third round is someone named Botobai," Kanzai continued after receiving the gift, his tone suddenly becoming more casual. "He's a serious and pretty formidable guy."
Having received Morin's gift, Kanzai's willingness to share information increased significantly.
"He's a well-known terrorist hunter," Kanzai said, holding up two fingers. "A Two-Star Hunter, actually. Word is he's on the verge of qualifying as a Three-Star Hunter. He’s not far off from the standards required."
"Botobai? That famous hunter?!"
Tonpa, who had been quietly scheming how to remove the green hat atop his head, was visibly shocked upon hearing this.
Unlike Kanzai and Kurapika, who were still unpolished, Botobai had already made quite a name for himself as a top-tier hunter, earning widespread recognition worldwide.
As a terrorist hunter, his reputation struck fear into criminals far and wide.
And beyond that, he was also a prosecutor and military strategist—a true ally of justice, someone who radiated a sense of righteousness as bright as the midday sun.
"The future Dragon of the Zodiac, Botobai," Kanzai said, his tone full of admiration, "is considered the person whose honor and strength most closely rival Chairman Netero's!"
Hearing that Botobai would be the examiner for the third round, Morin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Botobai, the strict enforcer of justice," Morin muttered to himself.
As a member of the Phantom Troupe, Morin knew his reputation hadn’t yet caught up to him. But it was only a matter of time before his name was added to the list of infamous criminals Botobai despised.
"Light and shadow, justice and evil—what an intriguing match-up," Morin thought, a strange hint of anticipation flickering within him.
"The third round might be tough to pass with Botobai as the examiner, but that’s only for ordinary people," Kanzai said, winking at Morin. "For someone like you, it shouldn’t be an issue."
He continued, "The fourth-round examiner, though, is an old veteran who passed the Hunter Exam ages ago. And from what the Chairman says, she’s a woman."
Kanzai shared everything he knew. "And the final round will be overseen by Chairman Netero himself. You’ll get to meet him in person! He’s a fun old man—just, uh, a bit too unpredictable sometimes, which can be a headache."
"Is that so?" Morin chuckled. "Thanks for sharing all this intel with me."
"Oh, don’t mention it!" Kanzai waved it off.
"But isn’t it a bit risky to leak information about the exam like this, being a proctor for the Hunter Association?"
"Ah, come on," Kanzai dismissed the concern with a wave. "I’m only telling you who the examiners are, not the actual content of the tests. Besides," he added with a mischievous grin, "anything goes in the Hunter Exam—even bribing the proctors is allowed!"
With that, he shot Morin a knowing wink.
"Well, I appreciate it," Morin said.
Kanzai’s enthusiasm left Morin feeling a bit embarrassed.
"By the way," Morin added, "those gloves? You’re better off giving them to someone you don’t like. Don’t use them yourself."
"Give them to someone I don’t like?" Kanzai blinked in confusion.
"Anyway, see you around!" Morin called as he climbed into a cannon and signaled Tonpa to pull the rope.
Boom!
Morin shot out of the cannon like a human projectile, soaring toward the distant Alba Mo Mountains.
"They’re off," Kanzai muttered, looking at the gloves in his hand, then at Tonpa, who was still wearing the green hat. With a grimace, he began pushing the cannon to follow the others.
Left alone in the tunnel, Kanzai stared down at the gloves.
"Give them to someone I don’t like? Don’t tell me these things are rigged," he mused.
Still...
"Well, might as well test how ‘rigged’ they are. Let’s see what this thing can do!"
Driven by curiosity, Kanzai chuckled to himself and slipped both gloves onto his hands.
"Huh, nothing feels off," he murmured, clenching his fists experimentally. "Seems totally fine—"
Thud!
Before Kanzai could finish, one of his fists moved on its own, punching him square in the eye.
"What the—?!"
He barely had time to react before his other hand swung around and clocked him in the opposite eye.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
A series of dull, meaty thuds echoed through the underground tunnel.
Tool: "Self-Combat Gloves"
Effect: Once worn, the gloves force the user’s hands to automatically attack their own face. A completely useless and hazardous tool.
This was an item Morin had drawn in a previous sign-in event—something he had planned to let gather dust in his dimensional storage.
But as a gag gift? Perfect.
"Wonder if Kanzai likes it," Morin mused, grinning to himself as he flew through the underground tunnel with pinpoint precision, thanks to the cannon’s navigation system.
Along the way, he caught glimpses of other stunned examinees, their faces frozen in shock as he zipped past.
Morin ignored them.
None of these people seemed worth knowing—not a single familiar face among them.
Even if some of them did pass and become Hunters, they were likely the kind of candidates Hisoka would rate in the teens out of a hundred.
In other words, not worth Morin’s time.
The underground tunnel was neither too long nor too short, but with the cannon’s optimal trajectory, Morin reached the Alba Mo Mountains in less than two hours.
As he slowed down and rose through a vertical shaft, he emerged into the daylight, greeted by a sign that read:
"Welcome to the Alba Mo Mountains!"
Standing beside the sign was a man.
"That was quick," the man remarked as he approached. "I’m the proctor for the third round. Take a break here while waiting for the others to arrive."
Thick eyebrows, a face painted in bold red and white reminiscent of a Chinese opera mask, and twin tufts of hair tied into towering pigtails.
His square face radiated an imposing sense of justice, his sharp, gleaming eyes seeming to pierce through all evil in the world.
This man exuded righteousness, from his appearance to his very presence.
The Dragon of the Zodiac, Botobai—
A future leader of the Zodiac Twelve, known for his unshakable sense of justice and as one of the Association’s most accomplished Hunters.
"No wonder they say he’s the one who comes closest to Chairman Netero in terms of both reputation and strength," Morin thought as he studied Botobai’s powerful stride.
Typically, examiners would wait until the final hours to show up, but Botobai had been here well in advance—a testament to his sense of duty.
That same sense of responsibility, coupled with his overwhelming aura, made him a truly formidable figure.
Even after his extended training with Biscuit, Morin still felt a clear difference in power. While his skills had improved, he was not yet at the level of someone like Botobai—a seasoned Two-Star Hunter with extensive experience in Nen.
This was undoubtedly the strongest individual Morin had encountered so far.
"Now I understand why they say he’s the Hunter Association’s best after Netero," Morin thought.
As Morin assessed Botobai, the man’s piercing gaze seemed to linger on him for a moment longer than usual.
