10 Chapter 9

The same evening.

At the port where the boat that was supposed to transport candidates to Dolle Harbor was docked.

The early stages of the hunter tests took place in various zones.

For some reason, Kurapika and Leorio reported to the location I was in and were counted there.

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I quickly exited the boat that had brought me here from Whale Island.

I was overjoyed at the prospect of finally taking the hunter exam.

I was mostly impatient and excited about finally meeting the cast and making new friends who weren't animals or kids younger than me.

As a result, the boat ride was mentally taxing…

Even with my tried and true patience inside the island's forests, the trip to the main boat through the numerous islands surrounding Whale Island was somewhat drawn out.

Severus didn't hesitate because he could sleep whenever he wanted… Exactly like I could, speaking of which…

My snake slept the entire journey while I kept an eye out for our safety because we weren't at home and because people's hearts and motives were frequently unexpected.

It had gotten late. Night was approaching.

We arrived at our destination, the main island, after the majority of the candidates from the other islands were loaded onto the boat one by one, and occasionally two by two or by a higher tally.

I looked around the port as I descended the boat with the other candidates from the same geographical zone as mine.

The level of the candidates who stepped off the boat with me was low, and those who came directly to this port from other zones were not stronger.

They were all around tier 0, and the few rare ones, which I could all count on my fingers, were all around tier 1.

Tier 1 was generally reserved for people who had developed abilities beyond those of a normal human. In comparison to people from the Earth I came from, those tier 1 people would be Gold medal champions.

It only became stronger as the tier increased, and the difference between tier 1 and tier 2 was greater than the difference between the capacities of a small pebble and a boulder.

The sailor I previously questioned was was a tier 1 person… It wasn't until much later that I realized who he was.

He was employed by the ship's captain, who would permit us to take the preliminary exam.

The young seaman I was referring to was the one that Gon and the others were going to save from drowning in the episodes when he fell from the boat.

He was now leading me, along with the other test takers, to the boat that would take us to the mainland.

When I got to that big boat, I saw the two people I had been eagerly anticipating seeing. Before I even found the renowned and experienced captain's figure.

The two who were obviously just as impatient as I was as they stood there were Leorio and Kurapika.

… Around me in the enormous crowd, there was a circular area that was unusual and spacious… I grinned and quickly went over their specifics as I stood in the center of that crowd waiting to get on the bear-sized boat. Starting with the person who was stronger and more talented.

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Name: Kurapika

Threat levels: scouting (tier 2), regular fighting (tier 3), assassination (tier 2)

Singularities, gifts and buried talents: kurta, kurta warrior

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[Kurta: A bloodline that boosts all stats and abilities in the face of intense, positive, or negative emotional stress. The greater the stress, the more power is granted to the holder. The granted power, however, has a finite limit that is determined by talent.]

[Kurta warrior: Kurtas who are born to be skilled fighters frequently possess this trait. Increases fighting abilities and the effects of the Kurta bloodline by a larger margin than usual.]

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Name: Leorio

Threat levels: scouting (tier 0), regular fighting (tier 2), assassination (tier 1)

Singularities, gifts and buried talents: medic

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[Medic: A rare talent only those truly born to be doctors possess. Improves general dexterity, medical aptitude, compatibility, and adaptability to a wide range of medical fields and disciplines.]

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Not just today, but for years, they were the only humans I'd seen with tiers higher than 1. In fact, my entire life…

Kite, who was obviously superior to all the humans I'd ever seen and was most likely of a higher tier, didn't count because neither the system nor my memories were available at the time.

[Gon, compared to all the weaklings we've met so far, the blonde miss and the masculine black haired, spiky haired dude in a suit and glasses don't look half bad…] Since we left home, Severus had been wrapped around the majority of my body.

The large snake had made nervous some potential hunters and still scared some away. He took note of Kurapika and Leorio, as he was able to determine some degree of ability thanks to his keen perception. He could kind of do that right away.

'You did notice, didn't you? But that blonde guy isn't a girl…' Although people had no right to question why I was speaking alone or with my snake, I decided not to respond to Severus in public. That was because they were already overly tense around us.

Severus gave a hissing nod.

Then he inquiringly asked, [Not a girl?]

He had excellent perception, but he was unable to distinguish between genders in people. He took in the faces just like we did. [Are you sure? She looks like a tomboy to me.]

I snorted and told him to stop his jokes.

However, when we finally got on the boat, Severus had managed to confuse me. Ready, the tier 0 captain had come down, and when he asked us to board, he appeared proud and emotionless.