Chapter 335

Once the Kiriko finished speaking, it turned to leave.

Ron stepped into the elevator first,

Followed by Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio.

Up above, four Kiriko stood watching.

"These examinees seem pretty good this time."

"That Gon was actually able to tell us apart—hardly anyone ever notices the difference. Interesting."

"Kurapika's judgment was very sharp."

"Leorio could turn out to be a fine doctor."

"As for Ron, I really can't figure out his level at all. I have no idea how strong he's become."

"By the way, Illumi and Killua are taking this year's Hunter Exam too."

"That Gon kid's full name is Gon Freecss. Could he be from the same Freecss family…?"

"Ging Freecss?"

"Quite possible. If he really is Ging's son, having that kind of ability, potential, and talent wouldn't be surprising at all."

Suddenly, the elevator began to shake, dropping at high speed.

Leorio struggled to keep his balance. Kurapika's face turned slightly pale.

Until a piercing metallic scraping sound rang out,

And the elevator stopped.

The doors opened.

Ron and the others stepped out.

Ahead lay a vast space,

Already occupied by hundreds of examinees.

Hearing the commotion, many turned their eyes toward the newcomers.

"Fresh meat?"

"Doesn't look like much."

"Definitely cannon fodder."

Almost no one recognized Gon,

Even fewer recognized Leorio or Kurapika.

But there was someone who knew Ron.

"Ron?"

Killua's pupils shrank the instant he saw Ron.

Scenes from Heaven's Arena flashed through his mind:

When Killua had just arrived at Heaven's Arena, Ron was already competing on the 200th floor.

Because he'd watched Ron's matches, Killua made Ron a short-term goal:

He wanted to reach Ron's level of strength.

But over time, Killua realized that his own progress didn't seem to match Ron's pace.

By the time Killua finally earned his ticket to the 200th floor two years in, Ron was already a Floor Master—

And he hadn't just beaten the previous Floor Master; he'd completely overwhelmed him.

Killua had wanted to fight on the 200th floor, but Silva had vetoed the idea, and Killua hadn't gone against that decision.

Now, more than three years had passed.

During that time, Killua felt he'd improved substantially. His father once said he was still unready for fights on the 200th floor, but now he believed he was ready.

Hence his plan: after passing the Hunter Exam, go back to Heaven's Arena from zero, rush to the 200th floor as quickly as possible,

Win ten matches,

Then challenge Ron, the reigning Floor Master.

"I wonder if Sadaso got what he wanted," Killua thought, recalling Sadaso. Killua had never thought much of Sadaso's talent,

Yet he respected the guy's work ethic—Sadaso had helped him out a bit at Heaven's Arena.

But Killua never expected he'd see Ron here, at the very start of the official Hunter Exam.

Nearby, Hisoka also glanced over—

Eyes narrowing, brimming with curiosity.

Two years earlier, Hisoka had gone to Heaven's Arena.

Before that, he'd already set his sights on the Phantom Troupe's Chrollo, wanting a grand duel with him.

He even killed the Troupe's former No. 4 and took that spot himself—though in truth, that member hadn't actually died, merely used the moment to break away from the group.

Hisoka himself wasn't really part of the Phantom Troupe—just in disguise.

After multiple failed attempts to corner Chrollo, Hisoka got bored and turned some of his attention elsewhere, waiting for the right chance.

He went to Heaven's Arena and took the Hunter Exam for amusement more than anything. The License didn't matter much to him.

That was why, in last year's exam, he lost his temper and attacked an examiner, severely injuring him and getting disqualified.

At Heaven's Arena, Hisoka found several targets of interest, one of whom was Ron.

But Ron was rarely around when Hisoka was there; he only stayed briefly. They never actually met in person.

Still, Hisoka had watched Ron's matches, and seeing that raw talent thrilled him.

It was exactly the kind of potential and unknown factor that Hisoka found exhilarating.

Another who intrigued Him was a certain Floor Master—an elderly, emaciated-looking fellow. From what Hisoka could sense, that old man harbored a terrifying power that gave Hisoka zero hope of victory. So he shelved that idea.

He'd also taken note of Kastro, who, as in the original story, reached the 200th floor quickly thanks to solid talent.

Yet before Hisoka could approach Kastro, Ron had already reached out to him.

At this stage, Ron's team wanted a front-line tanker, akin to Natsu among Ron's Nen Beasts or Uvogin in the Phantom Troupe.

Nina, Shizuku, Sally, Miste—none of them fit that role.

Kastro, being Enhancement-type with decent potential, could develop into a fantastic tank if guided properly—rather than going down the wrong path as he did in the original story.

So Nina managed to recruit Kastro before Hisoka made a move.

As a result, Hisoka's interest in Kastro was lukewarm.

Right now, Hisoka's interest ranking looked like this:

1) Chrollo, the Troupe leader.

2) Illumi.

3) Ron.

He hadn't seen enough of Ron to feel the same thrill he did for Chrollo or Illumi, both of whom he'd spent considerable time around.

A third gaze came from Illumi.

He sensed a kindred aura in Ron, but stronger than usual.

Illumi frowned.

Ron knew Illumi was here; Illumi knew Ron existed too, but they'd never officially crossed paths, and Illumi had never gone out of his way to see a photo of Ron.

So at the moment, Illumi didn't realize who Ron was, though Ron could recognize Illumi easily—disguise or not.