Chapter 76 – Chairman Netero (Part 4)
"Menchi, that's enough."
Satotz had originally been content to watch the chaos from the sidelines, but seeing Menchi about to seriously injure Todo, he had no choice but to intervene—
the spectator had to step onto the stage.
"Here it comes."
Osren felt the subtle shift in the air.
The timing, the pressure above—
Netero's airship was arriving.
Hearing Osren's words, Gon and the others immediately turned their attention to Satotz, assuming he was the turning point.
But Gon lifted his head and squinted at the sky.
Something felt off—
a prickling instinct, a wild animal's intuition—
but he saw nothing yet.
Osren smiled slightly.
"Gon's beast instincts… maybe only a few could match him."
Even without learning Nen, the kid's intuition was frighteningly sharp.
Satotz stepped forward, hands calmly behind his back.
"By now, I trust no one doubts Menchi's qualifications as an examiner. Whatever she decides, as the examiner of the First Phase, I have no authority to interfere."
Menchi folded her arms and huffed.
"Then please don't comment further. No matter what anyone says, I will not change my verdict.
Understand this clearly—
in the Second Phase, I wasn't testing only your fighting ability.
I wanted to see whether you have the courage… the resolve… to challenge the unknown."
Just then—
A deep, resonant voice rolled down from above.
"Even so, Menchi… declaring only one person qualified does seem a bit too strict, don't you think?"
The voice carried perfectly from a great distance, not fading even slightly.
"What was that?"
"Who's up there?"
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
A massive airship slowly descended into view, casting its shadow over the entire test site.
Menchi's expression froze in surprise.
The candidates, however, buzzed with curiosity—
Who could appear this flamboyantly, with such overwhelming presence?
As the airship drew closer, not only Satotz but several candidates also recognized the emblem on its hull.
"That… that's the Hunter Association's emblem! It's the Exam Committee's transport!"
A candidate shouted the moment he recognized it.
Whoooosh—
When the airship hovered directly overhead, the turbulent airflow whipped up a violent gust across the entire field.
"So this is the 'turning point' you mentioned?"
Kurapika immediately recalled Osren's words and realized he had misunderstood earlier—
this was what he meant.
"Most likely," Osren replied, though he didn't sound completely certain.
He looked up.
Hunters these days really loved dramatic entrances—descending from the sky, grand openings…
Very on-brand.
Boom.
Chairman Netero leapt straight off the airship.
He didn't fall faster as he approached the ground—
Instead, he maintained a perfectly steady speed, as if gravity politely stepped aside for him.
When he landed, the compressed air detonated outward in a spiraling shockwave, forming a swirling dragon of wind around him.
Osren silently applauded in his heart.
"Self-generated stage effects… all he's missing is background music."
Better not say that aloud—
With someone like Netero, you never knew if even your quiet thoughts might be overheard.
As the air warped and stilled, the figure revealed within the dissipating wind was unmistakable:
The Chairman—an elderly man in wide-sleeved robes like a kimono, wooden clogs on his feet, long hair tied back, and a shiny bald forehead gleaming like polished steel.
"C… Chairman!"
Menchi's expression froze.
She had half-convinced herself the voice earlier was just her imagination.
"Truly rare. Didn't expect the Chairman himself to intervene."
Satotz, a professional spectator at heart, knew that unless absolutely necessary, one should never step onstage during a performance.
Stand quietly in the shadows, let the story unfold…
That was the creed of a proper bystander.
Since someone far more qualified had arrived to deal with Menchi, Satotz slipped away again, finding a tall tree to perch on.
A good vantage point was the soul of proper spectating.
"Who's that old man?"
Leorio stared at the approaching figure and felt the pressure of his presence wash over him.
"The Chairman of the Hunter Association," Osren answered calmly.
"Must be. Menchi called him 'Chairman,' so logically…" Kurapika added.
"Whoa! He jumped from that height? Amazing!" Gon exclaimed.
"Does he have spring legs or something?" Killua tilted his head in wonder.
Only now, after Netero had stepped away, did the candidates notice the enormous crater beneath his landing point—far larger and far deeper than the imprint Menchi had left earlier.
"Whoa…"
"That's insane…"
"Who is this guy?"
Candidates nearby instinctively gathered around the crater, marveling at the sight.
For someone who landed so lightly… how could the impact be that massive?
"It's been a while since we last greeted you, Chairman Netero."
Menchi bowed respectfully, left fist cupped in right palm.
"Hm."
Netero responded with a single soft grunt.
The crowd exploded in whispers.
"Netero… Chairman Netero?"
"He's the Chairman of the Exam Committee—the highest authority in the Hunter Exam!"
Satotz, realizing the 'big boss' had arrived, could no longer hide in the branches.
He dropped down gracefully, offering a gentleman's bow.
A polite hunter must remain polite.
"He's that strong?" Gon murmured, wide-eyed.
"He is," Osren replied.
He knew of the Chairman's reputation, but feeling this suffocating aura firsthand was something else entirely—
every cell in his body felt pressured.
"No wonder…" Killua whispered, now understanding why the old man felt so terrifying.
"As Chairman, I'm mostly a behind-the-scenes figure. I only appear when conflict breaks out," Netero said modestly.
Then he turned his gaze toward Menchi.
"Menchi."
"Yes, Chairman!"
Menchi straightened instantly, her posture rigid with tension.
Leorio stared, dumbfounded.
"That ferocious little tigress… looks like a nervous kitten now?"
In his mind, this only confirmed Osren's prediction—
The turning point had arrived.
Leorio's mood brightened considerably.
Kurapika nodded.
"That proves how important he is. And for us candidates… he's practically a lifesaver descending from the sky."