"That Gittarackur is insanely good at hiding. I just managed to track him down…"
"But now I've lost him again. No clue when I'll be able to pick up his trail."
"If I can't find him soon, I might have to come back next year."
"Getting six number plates is just too damn hard."
Kaizen looked at Siper, who was struggling to stay on her feet.
"Siper, right? I think you've misunderstood something."
"Misunderstood? What do you mean?" Siper blinked, confused.
Kaizen crossed his arms. "You think it was unfortunate that I attacked you earlier. But actually, it was your luck."
"If I hadn't intervened when I did, you'd be dead by now."
Siper frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Kaizen said calmly. "You seriously underestimate Gittarackur. His strength is way above yours. If you laid eyes on him, I guarantee he already sensed you."
"If you'd taken the shot… he would've killed you on the spot. And you wouldn't even have had time to react."
Siper instinctively shook her head. "That's impossible."
"We're all Hunter Exam candidates. At this point, there shouldn't be that big a gap between us. Gittarackur can't be that much stronger."
"And I was at a huge distance. No way he could out-range my sniper rifle."
"I had more than one opportunity to take him down."
Kaizen chuckled. "That's because right now, you're like someone sitting at the bottom of a dry well."
"When you've never seen what's outside, it's easy to think the well is the whole world."
"But out there, the real world—there are people way stronger than anything you've imagined."
He looked at her with a slight smirk. "Wanna bet on it?"
Siper hesitated. "…A bet?"
Kaizen held up a leaf. "Let's say… I bet I can pierce this stone with just this leaf."
Siper's eyes widened. "What? That's absurd. A leaf can't pierce stone."
Kaizen shrugged. "Then bet on it. If I fail, I'll help you get Gittarackur's number plate."
"But if I succeed, you have to promise me one condition. Deal?"
Siper thought about it. From her perspective, this was a guaranteed win. If he failed, she'd get help; if he succeeded—which she was sure he wouldn't—it'd be a weird fluke.
"…Alright. I'll take that bet."
Kaizen plucked the leaf, and in the next second, a layer of aura wrapped around it.
A high-level Nen technique. By extending one's aura to objects, it dramatically reinforces them. Kaizen had already mastered Zhou to a refined degree.
He reached down with his other hand and picked up a stone, tossing it to Siper.
"Make sure it's solid. No cracks."
Siper examined it closely.
"No gaps. It's just a regular stone."
"Good. Throw it back."
She tossed it back to him. Kaizen held the stone in one hand, the leaf in the other, and gently pressed the tip of the leaf against the stone.
Stab.
A clean, sharp sound.
Pfft.
The leaf sank into the stone like a needle through cloth.
Kaizen tossed the stone back. "Take a look."
Siper caught it, staring in disbelief. She turned it over, checking for tricks, recalling every moment to see if he'd swapped anything.
But the leaf was still there—lodged clean into the stone.
Fresh. Not pre-cut or staged.
She plucked the leaf out and pinched it.
It crumbled in her fingers.
She tried to press the leaf into the stone again—no dice.
No mark. Not even a scratch.
She looked up at Kaizen, voice low. "…Are you a magician or something?"
He smiled. "Nope. Just Nen."
"If you're interested, I can teach you. After the Hunter Exam ends, wait for me in a nearby city."
"I won't interfere with your actions during the rest of the exam."
"But take my advice: don't go after Gittarackur."
"If you do, you will die."
...
Kaizen's attitude toward Siper wasn't as forceful as with Ponzu.
Because their situations were different.
Ponzu needed power—for his village, for survival. And more importantly, Kaizen wanted the queen bee ability she carried.
That's why Kaizen insisted Ponzu join his team.
But Siper… she didn't seem desperate for strength. She was competent, but her drive wasn't as urgent. Kaizen was just observing her potential.
Sally's growth had already plateaued.
But that didn't mean Siper had more potential—Kaizen wouldn't know for sure until she learned Nen.
Only then would he decide if she was worth inviting.
Ponzu was a different matter entirely.
Even if her raw talent was average, the queen bee ability alone made him valuable.
...
"This is my number."
Kaizen handed her a slip of paper.
"Stay alive. I want to see you again."
"Ponzu, let's go."
"Yes, Captain."
Ponzu followed without hesitation.
Siper stood still, watching their backs fade into the trees, eyes flickering with emotion.
"Was that… really magic?"
"Or some kind of real power?"
"If it's real… what kind of power is that?"
"How strong is someone who can wield it like that?"
"Could Gittarackur really be… out of my league?"
She thought long and hard.
In the end, she made a decision.
She'd hunt down three unrelated people, get their number plates, and secure three points.
Only then would she consider whether to go after Gittarackur.
If she still couldn't beat him—she'd give up.
Her number plate was already gone.
To pass the exam, she needed six points.
Challenging Gittarackur without a plan was meaningless.
Subconsciously… she had already accepted Kaizen's words.
She glanced at the stone in her hand again.
Plucked a leaf.
Pressed it against the stone.
It snapped instantly.
The stone didn't even budge.
...
Meanwhile, Kaizen had already crossed to another part of the island.
A clearing.
Two people stood facing each other.
One of them—was Illumi, whom Kaizen had encountered not long ago.
The other—an old martial artist, expression unreadable.
Tension thickened in the air.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
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