Chapter 343

Killua and Hanzo were already there when Ron emerged. 

He glanced at the small crystal ball he carried; the reading had finally ticked past ten percent. 

That was when he noticed Hisoka's silhouette. Hisoka had Leorio slung over his shoulder. 

Looking in Ron's direction, Hisoka tossed Leorio aside. 

A short while later, two more figures emerged from the forest—Gon and Kurapika, both in rough shape. It was obvious they'd encountered trouble in the Swindler's Swamp and come out on the losing side of a fight.

Ron recalled a familiar scene: 

"Hisoka's 'examiner game.' He likes to test those who interest him, measure their potential, and decide if they could be a worthy target. He must have tested Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon. 

For Hisoka, Gon might have the highest potential… But here's a thought—Gon is Ging Freecss's son, and Ging has laid out a path for him, at least in broad strokes. 

To Hisoka, Gon is a future source of excitement. Would Ging, in turn, view Hisoka as a stepping stone for Gon's growth? Possibly. And Hisoka wouldn't object to that."

Gon and Kurapika first spotted Hisoka, who pointed to the base of a tree. There they found Leorio.

"Huh? Where am I…?" 

Leorio blinked as though part of his memory were gone. 

"This is the site of the second exam," Killua said, strolling over. "Didn't expect you to fall so far behind, but hey, you made it." 

He sniffed and shrugged. "I followed Leorio's cologne to get here." 

"Cologne?" Gon asked, puzzled. Killua twitched his nose as if he caught something, but it wasn't strong enough to be a reliable guide. Especially given the distances involved. 

Killua turned to Gon, his interest piqued once again. Another kid his age at the exam was already intriguing. After seeing what Gon could do, Killua became even more curious. 

"Killua, have you seen Ron?" Gon asked. "He got here ahead of me." 

Killua glanced over to where Ron stood. In this exam, the one Killua most wanted to compare himself to was Ron; at Heaven's Arena, he'd made Ron his goal. While he recognized Hisoka was way beyond his current level, Killua didn't feel inclined to challenge him. 

Ron then walked over to join them. 

"Ron!" Gon waved a greeting. 

Ron offered them a slight nod, then tossed Gon a small jar. Gon caught it on instinct. 

"This is for treating external wounds," Ron explained. "Likely more effective than anything Leorio might have on hand." 

"Thanks, Ron," Leorio said, forcing a grin despite his fatigue. 

Ron waved a dismissive hand. 

Kurapika stepped forward, his face solemn, and lowered his voice. 

"Ron, did you run into Hisoka in the Swindler's Swamp?" 

"I did. Your injuries are his doing?" 

Kurapika nodded. "Yes. You…didn't fight him?" 

"No, I didn't." 

Kurapika let out a breath of relief. "That's good. Hisoka isn't just strong—he's a psychopath. During the next phases, you should avoid him as much as possible. He could attack you at any moment."

Ron knew that, of course. But with Illumi also present in this exam, Hisoka wouldn't make a move against him right now. Moreover, Ron's own strength rivaled Hisoka's; he wasn't overly worried. 

"Thanks for the warning," he said.

Meanwhile, Hisoka had gone over to Illumi. 

"Illumi, mind if I ask you something?" 

"What is it?" 

"Exactly how close are you to Ron?"

Illumi paused, then nodded once. 

They were cousins, after all. Ron's grandfather was the brother of Zeno's grandfather—Zoldyck family ties.

"Then how is it you two have never met before?" Hisoka pressed. 

Illumi gave him a detached look. 

"That's a private Zoldyck matter. You only need to know that Ron is my younger cousin. Don't go after him."

They locked eyes for a tense moment. Finally, Hisoka let his aura recede, shrugging. 

"Got it. You really do look out for your own. Still, I wonder…what do you think of his strength?" 

"What do you plan to do?" Illumi asked guardedly.

"Nothing dramatic," Hisoka replied. "Just curious. Relax—I won't fight him unless you agree or he seeks me out. But I might know more about this cousin of yours than you do."

Illumi hesitated a moment, then nodded. He knew surprisingly little about Ron's capabilities. Ron had been raised mostly by Maha, rarely seen around other Zoldycks. From what Silva and Zeno said, Ron was extremely talented, but they never specified how talented, so Illumi was indeed curious.

Hisoka explained, "From what I can sense, Ron's aura output isn't that high—around the same as some members of the Phantom Troupe. But he's a summoner—a Nen Beast specialist. I've watched footage from his matches. At minimum, he has two known Nen Beasts: 

"One is a teenage brawler-type, physically strong, reminiscent of Uvogin or Phinks from the Troupe, with solid offense and defense. 

"The other is a red, catlike humanoid. Doesn't seem as powerful in direct combat, but it must have some hidden trick up its sleeve. 

"Combine those two with Ron himself, and beating him one-on-one would be difficult for any Nen user in the same tier. 

"He also seems to have some sort of Nen-infused weapon, maybe a sword, that looks decent. My estimate is Ron could take on two average Phantom Troupe fighters at once."