Training x Evaluation

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Boom!

Illumi slammed into the base of a large tree, sliding down slowly. The moment his feet touched the ground, he immediately spun around and darted into the forest, running at full speed.

"Oh~? He can still run after taking one of my punches?"

Zeponio's face lit up with surprise. With a whoosh, she sprinted through the forest as well, quickly closing the gap between herself and Illumi.

"Hmph..."

Suddenly, Illumi let out a soft groan of pain, his pace slowing noticeably.

"My stomach hurts... and I can't use my left hand anymore."

Illumi hadn't taken Zeponio's punch directly earlier. Instead, he had blocked it with his left forearm before it could hit his abdomen. The force of the blow had transferred from his arm to his stomach, sending him flying backward.

Even so, the pain was excruciating. His left forearm was already swollen and bruised, and without the Zoldyck family's special medicinal bath, recovery would take time.

"Hohoho..."

A strange laugh echoed through the forest. Illumi turned his head toward the nearby path, where Zeponio stood smiling warmly.

"What's wrong, Illumi-sama? Are you already too tired to keep running?"

Before her words even faded, Zeponio suddenly lunged forward, throwing a punch straight at Illumi's face.

Illumi's eyes narrowed. As Zeponio swung her fist, he bent over and aimed a counterpunch at her side.

Thud!

The sound of flesh colliding rang out.

"Ugh..."

Illumi doubled over, his eyes wide open, mouth agape, and drool dripping uncontrollably from the corner of his lips.

He had anticipated Zeponio's attack and bent low to strike her waist. But Zeponio seemed to have foreseen his move entirely.

Just as his fist was about to connect with her side, her left knee shot up, slamming into his abdomen with a resounding thud. His entire body curled inward like a shrimp.

"Phew..."

Illumi was sent flying backward, skidding across the ground for quite some distance before finally coming to a stop, lying sprawled on the dirt.

"Cough... cough..."

Lying flat on his back, Illumi stared up at Zeponio's blurry figure above him. Every attempt to breathe brought waves of agony, forcing him into fits of coughing.

Clutching his stomach with both hands, his eyes bulged, his mouth wide open, and saliva dribbled uncontrollably from the corner of his lips.

Pain—unbearable pain.

The intensity of it made even breathing feel like torture.

"You definitely used more than three-tenths of your strength just now..."

Trembling all over, Illumi rolled onto his stomach, his lower body unmoving while his upper body shifted from lying flat to facing downward. His right arm pressed against the ground beneath him, sweat dripping from his chin.

"Hohoho, Illumi-sama is absolutely correct. I used five-tenths of my strength."

"But reality is that Illumi-sama is weaker than me. Whether I choose to use three-tenths or five-tenths of my power against you—it's entirely my decision."

"Weaklings don't get a say in such matters. That privilege belongs solely to the strong."

Zeponio smiled warmly, her tone almost kind.

"However, Illumi-sama has surpassed ninety-nine percent of others your age."

"I didn't expect you to dodge that last attack either."

Over the past three years, Zeponio had been thoroughly impressed by Illumi's performance.

His comprehension abilities far exceeded those of children his age. Whether it was learning assassination techniques or theoretical knowledge, his progress was lightning-fast.

His growth in strength had been extraordinary. Training that should have taken six or even nine years to complete, he managed to finish in just two and a half years.

And his talent wasn't limited to this alone. His unwavering determination, his relentless drive to grow stronger through grueling training—all these qualities combined made Illumi a true prodigy in Zeponio's eyes.

"Can you still move?"

Zeponio crouched down, looking at the sweat-drenched Illumi with a faint smile.

"Illumi-sama?"

Illumi's eyebrows twitched as he shakily flipped himself over, planting both hands on the ground and struggling to rise.

"Remarkable. After taking a knee strike at five-tenths of my strength, you still have the willpower to stand."

Zeponio watched as Illumi painstakingly got to his feet, offering praise. Though Zeponio wasn't yet at her peak, it was important to note that five-tenths of her strength equated to sixteen tons of force.

"It hurts like hell."

Illumi frowned briefly at Zeponio before limping toward the Zoldyck mansion. Today's combat training session was over, but there were still daily routines awaiting him—poison resistance, electrocution endurance, impact absorption, and other brutal exercises.

By now, all of this had become routine.

*

*

*

That evening, 8:30 PM.

In Silava's room, Zeponio stood rigidly before Silava and Kikyo, her posture respectful.

"How are Illumi and Killua's training sessions progressing?"

Silava sat on the couch, his right hand propping up his chin as he asked casually.

"Killua-sama's training is proceeding according to schedule."

"Though still very young, it's clear that Killua-sama will become an exceptionally meticulous assassin." Zeponio answered truthfully.

"Meticulous, huh?"

Silava muttered under his breath. Kikyo glanced at him.

"Meticulousness is a trait every top-tier assassin must possess. Killua will undoubtedly grow into a first-rate professional killer."

Silava nodded slightly, acknowledging Kikyo's point, then asked again.

"And what about Illumi?"

A flicker of sharpness flashed in Zeponio's eyes as she adjusted her glasses, speaking seriously.

"I believe Illumi-sama is already fully capable of serving as a qualified assassin."

Her words caused Silava's brows to furrow immediately. Kikyo's mouth opened slightly in astonishment.

"Zeponio, why do you think so?"

Silava narrowed his eyes at her, a sense of oppressive authority radiating outward.

"Illumi is only six years old—far too young to leave home."

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Zeponio's temple, but she pressed on with her thoughts.

"No one understands Illumi-sama's training progress better than I do."

"In fact, Illumi-sama completed the training regimen meant to take six or nine years in just half that time."

"The past six months have merely been additional practical combat training under my supervision."

Zeponio recounted Illumi's achievements over the past three years, causing Silava's furrowed brows to relax slightly. The tension in the room eased.

"Silava-sama, Illumi-sama is the most talented individual I've ever encountered."

"He may very well achieve strength comparable to yours before reaching adulthood."

"I believe it's time for Illumi-sama to be exposed to the darker aspects of our world sooner rather than later."

"This will allow him to fully unleash his potential and grow rapidly."

The room fell silent momentarily. Silava paused, then turned to Zeponio.

"Very well. Let's test his abilities first."

"I'll take him to the Heavens Arena. If he can reach the 200th floor..."

"...I'll assign him an assassination mission."

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