Chapter 341

Illumi was still in his Gittarackur disguise at that moment, but the change in his expression was clear. 

"You're Ron?" 

He had heard about Ron before—Zeno and Silva had both mentioned him. Yet Illumi had never actually seen Ron's face. 

Prior to the exam, Illumi noticed Ron but hadn't paid much attention. The only intel he had was that Ron was a Floor Master at Heaven's Arena. 

Now Illumi understood why he'd sensed something familiar upon seeing Ron— They were both Zoldycks. 

Bloodline alone wasn't something you could detect at a glance, 

But undergoing a similar childhood training brought about similar traits. 

Ron nodded. 

"My father and grandfather told me about you several times. Never expected we'd meet here. You came to take the Hunter Exam?" 

"Mm. I heard a few things about it, so I thought it might be interesting." 

"So, about Killua at Heaven's Arena—thanks for looking after him." 

"You're too polite, Cousin Illumi. I'm also Killua's cousin; it was only natural. Besides, I barely helped at all—I spent most of my time away from Heaven's Arena." 

In truth, Ron had merely looked out for Killua a bit; they'd hardly even met face-to-face. Which was exactly how Silva wanted it. Killua himself never knew Silva was there behind the scenes. If Killua realized he had people protecting him, it would ruin the training effect.

"Does Killua know your real identity?" 

"He still doesn't." 

Illumi raised an eyebrow slightly. 

"Ron, could you fill me in on what happened with Killua at Heaven's Arena?" 

"Of course. Let's walk while we talk." 

"All right."

They moved on side by side. 

Hisoka trailed behind them, not far off.

But in that moment, Hisoka's feelings were…complicated. Very, very complicated. 

It was like preparing everything—downloading a video, setting tissues on the table, opening your media player—only to discover the file was a bland news broadcast. 

That sense of utter disappointment consumed him. 

Even if it turned out to be some silly cartoon, it'd be better than this. At least something with a snake spirit could be entertaining. 

But the news? No thanks.

The fierce battle lust that had been boiling in Hisoka had to be forcibly suppressed, leaving him seething. 

He looked at Ron and Illumi's backs, eyes filled with a tangible bitterness.

He had never imagined Ron might be Illumi's younger cousin. That meant they were both Zoldycks.

In Hisoka's experience, even if Illumi hadn't met Ron before, now that he knew Ron was part of his family, he'd definitely protect him. 

Hisoka and Illumi had a strange friendship-enmity dynamic, but family trumped everything in Illumi's eyes.

Hisoka didn't know Ron's strength, but he was certain Illumi was formidable, and fighting the two of them together was suicidal. That was not the thrilling one-on-one combat Hisoka craved.

"This is such a buzzkill…"

He shook his head helplessly.

Ron relayed all the details he knew about Killua's time at Heaven's Arena, while Illumi listened attentively.

"So Killua never realized who you really were, and he's even set you up as his goal?"

"Exactly."

Illumi smirked faintly. "I'm looking forward to seeing Killua's face once he learns your true identity."

"But Killua's still too immature," Illumi went on. "He probably needs to become a real Nen user before he can grow out of that."

"Right. By the way, Cousin, how did you figure out who I am?" Ron asked.

"Well, I've seen photos of you before," Ron answered. "And I recognized the outfit you're wearing—it was in one of those photos. Besides, I sensed a certain Zoldyck 'feel' from you. After all, Killua showed up at this exam, so I figured someone else from the family would be watching him. That was my guess."

Illumi nodded. 

"Killua was part of why I came, yes. But there's also a job that requires a Hunter License, so I needed to participate."

He turned back, glancing at Hisoka. 

"Ron, that guy is dangerous. If you ever run into him in the future, keep your distance. He's a total pervert."

Illumi made no attempt to lower his voice, so Hisoka heard every word.

Hisoka: "…"

Now Hisoka felt even gloomier, more shut out than before. 

Because hearing Illumi blatantly warning Ron away confirmed there was zero chance for the fight he wanted—certainly not during this Hunter Exam.

Ron, meanwhile, knew Illumi didn't realize how strong he truly was. From Illumi's perspective, Ron's aura seemed relatively normal, given that Ron specialized in summoning Nen Beasts. He didn't mind the caution, but it wasn't necessary.

As for Hisoka, he vanished into the mist, silently sulking. Denied a showdown with Ron, he decided to vent his frustration on the other candidates. 

Screams of pain echoed in the distance.

Illumi looked forward. 

"Ron, do you want to stick together or go separately?"

"Separately. I've got a bit of personal business to handle."

"Alright."

Around four hundred people registered for the official Hunter Exam. 

Over three hundred managed to complete the "marathon" through that long passage. At least a hundred were weeded out purely from exhaustion.

Honestly, that might have been a mercy. With their capabilities, they'd have little chance of surviving the Swindler's Swamp anyway. Death by magical beasts was far more likely.

Now that more than three hundred had entered the swamp, they split off in three broad groups:

1. Those desperately trying to keep up with Satotz. 

2. Those on the brink of failure. 

3. A smaller number with enough skill to safely travel at their own pace—like Ron—unafraid of the local beasts.

They could more or less guess the route Satotz took, following subtle traces he left behind. 

Ron moved leisurely. Too slow or too fast would be bad for him.

"My Observer's Intention is barely hitting ten percent. At this rate, getting it to one hundred in one exam might be impossible. If I need a second exam, that means I'll have to keep Killua from blitzing through it next year. I'll have to inconvenience my little cousin a bit…

"I really used too much time in the Saheerta Federation."

Among those who possessed great ability yet chose to prey on others for entertainment was Tonpa, the "Rookie Crusher."

Spotting a brand-new contestant about to leap over a mud pit, Tonpa's eyes gleamed.

Boom!

Right as the person was mid-jump, Tonpa lunged— Landing on him and sending him straight off-balance.

Splash!

They both tumbled into the swamp, but Tonpa easily used the other man as footing, kicking away to push himself back to safety, while the unfortunate rookie sank into the mire…