Chapter 28 : last phase X unlucky Pokkle (1)

Shinji and other applicants are heading toward the location of the final phase of the hunter exam by airship.

"I have an announcement for all the applicants." Mr. Beanz's voice attracted the attention of all the applicants, everyone didn't dare to neglect him and listened carefully to his every word.

"The chairman wishes to interview the remaining candidates."

"When your number is called, please come to the first reception room on the second floor."

"Then we will start with number 44, Hisoka-sama."

…

Hisoka followed the instruction, opened the reception room, and entered.

He stood for a while in front of the door looking at Netero.

"Well, have a seat." Netero looked at Hisoka and said calmly.

"Don't tell me this is the exam's final phase." Hisoka said as he sat on the ground in front of Netero.

"It may be related…" Netero responded with a vague answer.

"I'll just be asking questions to satisfy my curiosity." Then he took an ink brush and a piece of paper and starts asking.

"First, why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I'm not particularly interested in becoming a hunter, but…"

"A hunter license can be very useful."

"Oh, any example?"

With an evil smile on his face that can scare children till they wet their pants, he said: "hunters usually can't be punished when they kill someone."

"I see." Netero didn't show any reaction after hearing Hisoka's words.

"Then I'll move to the next question."

"Which one of the other eight candidates are you keeping an eye on?"

Hisoka smiled and said without hesitating: "number 406, and number 99 second, number 405 is also in my radar."

"Oh…" Netero was surprised by Hisoka's paying attention to three kids.

"But if you were to ask me which one I'm looking forward to taking on in the future then without doubt it's number 406, he is full of surprise and unknown, I really want to…taste him." Hisoka starts chuckling after finishing his words.

Netero's face was calm, even though His apprentice Shinji is being targeted by such a pervert like Hisoka and being talked like that in front of him, it didn't arouse any wave in his heart, this is problem of Shinji, so he is the one who must solve it.

"Well, one last question, which of the other eight applicants the least you want to fight?"

"It's number 406, 99, and also 405, I'm not interested in fighting green apples that hadn't grown yet, I'm afraid I'll lose myself and destroy them, so they are the ones that I don't want to fight."

"Oh…" Netero wrote down Hisoka's answers while making surprised expressions.

"By the way…I should mention that the one I most want to fight at this moment …Is You."

Hisoka's eagle-like eyes looked at Netero with a burning desire to fight.

"Yep, nice job, you're excused." Netero as if he didn't hear Hisoka's words and directly told him to get out.

Then after interviewing all applicants, it was finally the turn of Shinji.

"Netero-sensei." Shinji saluted his teacher respectfully.

"Shinji-kun, take a seat." Netero caressed his beard and mentioned to Shinji to sit down.

Shinji took his seat and looked at the room curiously, well nothing special, it was an ordinary simple room with no luxury furnishing, only a simple table in front of him.

"So Shinji-kun, why do you want to become a hunter?" Netero repeated the same question he asked other applicants, but he is more interested to know his apprentice's thoughts and motivations for becoming a hunter.

Shinji put his hand below his chin and thought for a while, then said: "I think my goal isn't to become a hunter, my goal is just to learn Nen, and becoming a hunter is currently the only way I think is suitable to achieve it."

"but I believe the real motivation for me to come here is to become stronger! So be it a hunter or whatever else, as long as it can allow me to gain more power then I will chase it!"

It seems as if he was talking to Netero but in fact Shinji was revising himself and analyzing his goals and motivations, so that he can remember why he is here, and know where to go.

Netero was silent for a while then chuckled: "I didn't expect you already know the existence of Nen…"

"I only know some furs about it, I heard that everyone can have this power, but it needs to be awakened."

Shinji said with excitement overflowing from His eyes, he looked at Netero with expectation and continued:

"Currently there are two methods I discovered to awaken it, one is through practicing martial arts and meditation, and the second one is to let a Nen user baptize you with their aura."

Shinji smiled and said with a flattering tone: "Nah Sensei, you're the president of the Hunter Association and the strongest person in this world, right? Isn't it a trivial matter for you to open the aura nodes of someone?"

Netero kept caressing his beard, he smiled and nodded his head, he replied: "it's true, as long as you have good control over the aura then any nen user can do it."

"Really!…Then…"Shinji smile got bigger, maybe his goal of learning Nen will be achieved this moment.

"I know what you want to say, you want me to baptize you right?" Netero already saw through Shinji's intention the moment he started the topic but pretended to be ignorant.

"Right, please master help me awaken my Nen!" Shinji said with full expectation.

Netero expression suddenly become serious, and he said in a firm tone.

"No!"

"…"

Shinji's smile froze, only after a while he regained his sense, he looked at Netero dumbfounded and asked

"Master, is there any reason for your refusal?"

Netero nodded his head, he said: "during the ball game we played before, I noticed that your physical capabilities before transforming into that Leopard form are very… average!"

"What does it have with the baptism?" Hearing Netero's words, Shinji didn't get what Netero is hinting at, so he asked.

"Of course, it has a relation." Netero starts explaining.

"The baptism is having your body make direct contact with Nen, forcibly opening the aura nodes, the aura that resides in your body will gush out, and then as long as you can control it you will become a nen user, it sounds simple right?"

"But this situation will only happen if you have a good and strong body. in your case, I'm afraid you will faint the moment my Nen touches your body, then your life energy will keep dissipating until you die!"

Shinji's eyes were filled with shock, he didn't expect that the easy way he thought to learn Nen was so dangerous, he isn't afraid of being killed, but losing his lifespan? He isn't sure if his Ajin immortality can counter it.

'I must exchange rob lucci's Body talent as soon as possible!' Shinji clenched his head and felt the importance of a strong body again even more than before, he knows his physical talent is mediocre, so he can only rely on the inheritance boundary to defy his fate!

"So what should I do, master?" although he had the solution, but he want to see the opinion of his master.

Netero smiled like a kind ordinary grandpa and said "it's easy, you just need to receive my devilish training and you will solve your problem."

"Devilish Training…" Shinji looked at Netero then grinned wildly "I'm very excited!"

"Good, that's the spirit!" Netero nodded with satisfaction at Shinji's determined will to get stronger.

"Now let's move to the second question, which of the other eight candidates you are keeping eye on?"

Shinji didn't need to think about this question, he replied instantaneously.

"Number 44 Hisoka, number 301 Gittarackur, number 294 Hanzo, Number 99 Killua, and finally number 405 Gon, they are the only ones I think are worth paying attention to."

Netero dotted down Shinji's response and then asked the last question.

"Which of the eight candidates the least you want to fight?"

"Hisoka, Gittarackur, these two I stand no chance against them before I learn Nen, then there is both Leorio and Kurapika, they are my friends, I don't want to be an obstacle in their way to becoming a Hunter."

"Done, you can leave now." Netero chased out Shinji, but the latter reluctantly left, he still wants to chat with Netero about Nen and how he plans to train him, but it seems Netero is very busy.

…

The nine applicants rested for one night in the airship before it reached its destination.

"Well, gentlemen."

"Did you get plenty of rest?"

Inside a luxurious hotel that seems more like a palace, Netero stood in front of the applicants, behind him on the right side stood professional-looking guards wearing black suits, while on the left side stood the examiner and the secretary Mr.beans.

"This hotel is owned by the hunter exam selection committee."

"This place is all yours until the battles have concluded."

While Netero is talking, someone brought what seems to be a board covered.

"For the final phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament."

Netero lifted the cover on the board, revealing its content, which is an empty tournament plan.

Seeing this, the applicants were surprised, because…

"So only the last person standing passes?" Leorio looked at the top of the board where all the brackets gather, according to common sense, this should mean that from all other competitors, only one will make it to the end and he should be the winner, but…

"No!" Netero lifted one finger and said.

"One win is all you need to pass."

"One win!" Leorio and others repeated in surprise.

Netero continued his speech: "the winners are removed from the competition while the loser continues up the bracket."

"In other words, the person who finishes at the top will not pass."

"Does everyone understand now?"

"And here is the bracket." Then Netero revealed the opponent of each one.

On the left side, the first match is between Hanzo and Pokkle, which is different from the original.

Gon should be the one facing Hanzo and get brutally tortured by him.

But it should be the butterfly effect caused by Shinji's presence.

Then after that, the loser between Hanzo and Pokkle will face Gon, then the loser again will have to face Killua, and after that, the loser will face Gittarackur.

On the right side, the first match is between Hisoka and Kurapika, which is still the same as in the original, the one who loses will meet Shinji, and after that, the loser will face Leorio.

And finally, the losers from each side will meet in the final battle to determine the final loser!

(damn it, I repeated the word loser until I lost myself…no! I'm not a loser!"

"The battle's rules are simple." Said Netero.

Everyone concentrated on Netero's words, the rules of the battle is something they mustn't neglect, it will determine whether they win or lose this hunter exam.

"Weapons are allowed, no cheating, if your opponent admits defeat you win, however!"

"If you kill your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified, all the remaining applicants will pass, and the exam will end, are we clear?"

Everyone remained silent, which is an acceptance of the rules.

"Then we shall begin the exam's final phase!"

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