The remaining applicants were picked up by boats one by one.
A Hunter airship with the XX logo quietly floated above the island.
"Swoosh!"
A figure descended like a meteor from the sky, this sudden entrance startled everyone around him.
Dust kicked up as he landed, spreading outwards.
Bajiao and Goreinu instinctively looked up at the airship in the sky, secretly surprised.
Isn't that distance two to three hundred meters? Jumping directly from an altitude of two to three hundred meters? Is that really okay?
Not just them, other applicants also found this difficult to comprehend.
However, many people recognized the figure descending from the sky on the spot—the current President of the Hunter Association, Isaac Netero.
After all, in order to participate in the Hunter Exam, they had done a lot of homework on the information of the Hunter Association beforehand.
The image of President Netero is not difficult information to obtain. As the President of the Hunter Association, his great name and appearance are not unfamiliar among the applicants.
Kevin gazed at the old man.
He had long, snow-white eyebrows, and a full white beard that curved into a unique hook shape at his chin, with the tip dyed black.
The hair around the top of his head was cleanly shaved, with only a single ponytail tied at the very top.
His earlobes were unusually large, giving him a sense of solemnity like a Buddha statue.
He wore a loose white garment adorned with blue stripes, and the years had etched deep wrinkles on his face, signifying his advanced age.
However, his outward age could not hide the vitality emanating from his entire being.
The Nen surrounding the old man's body was exceptionally stable, as if it were a layer of indestructible armor tightly attached to him, without any fluctuations.
Although it was difficult to judge the depth of his strength from the surface, Kevin's intuition strongly told him that this old man was unfathomable and awe-inspiringly powerful.
Kevin was one hundred percent certain that this was the most powerful person he had ever seen, and it would likely be a long time before he encountered anyone stronger than him.
Just standing there made Kevin's intuition feel an insurmountable sense.
But despite being such an extraordinarily powerful old man, his mental state was so relaxed and unguarded that even Kevin could easily detect his completely exposed and flawed state.
Is this the legendary peak realm of martial arts?
Kevin speculated in his mind, but couldn't reach a definite conclusion.
These thoughts of his were merely vague impressions from movies and various entertainment works he had seen before.
Is this Bisky's Master? Truly impressive.
"Haha, are these the applicants for the final exam this year?" President Netero let out a laugh like a mischievous old man, his voice light yet with a hint of sharpness, giving off the feeling of a typical eccentric old man next door.
It diluted the seriousness that his identity brought.
His gaze slowly swept over the eight applicants before him.
The examiner for the third exam, the man who was usually as wild as a beast, unconsciously restrained his unrestrained aura at this moment.
With a touch of respect, he said to President Netero, "That's right, President, these are the eight applicants who passed the third exam."
"Oh! The quality of this year's applicants seems quite good." President Netero nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with the applicants before him.
After all, there were four wild Nen Users here, and the four applicants next to them also looked good.
"Then, please board the airship, everyone."
As the airship slowly descended, everyone boarded in order and were soon assigned to different lounges.
In a certain reception room on the airship, the examiners for this exam and President Netero sat around, chatting while enjoying refreshments.
"Little Frog, why do you look so unhappy? Did this old man offend you?" President Netero asked with a smile.
Wa Hachi looked at the Captain next to her with a dissatisfied expression.
She then briefly recounted the situation of the second exam, as well as some misleading information the Captain had deliberately inserted in the first exam.
The problem was that even she herself was kept in the dark, which made her feel very unhappy.
She and the other person were partners, and this guy had even set up misleading information in her test area.
The Captain just said lightly, "I didn't lie to you. If I wanted to, couldn't I sink the ship?
It's just that in the end, I decided it wasn't necessary."
He had always been prepared for both possibilities, adjusting freely according to the situation at the time.
He held the ship's rudder.
"Is that so? That's quite interesting, hehehe." President Netero couldn't help but laugh after listening.
This was also very interesting to him.
Normally, the details of the exam arranged by the examiners did not need to be reported to him in detail, unless special circumstances arose midway.
"Among these eight applicants, are there any that left a particularly deep impression on you?" President Netero continued to ask.
Every year, he would ask the examiners for their different thoughts.
"Deep impression?" The examiners fell into contemplation.
Wa Hachi was the first to raise her hand and said, "Yes, yes, applicants number 49, 50, 51, and 8.
"They are clearly some of the strongest people in this exam, but they've been sticking together. Hmph, how boring!"
She had originally expected to see the strongest applicants compete against each other and determine the winner, but she didn't expect that in this exam, the strongest ones spent most of their time together.
And because of their strength, they naturally had basic trust in each other, which allowed them to pass all the previous exams very smoothly, making her feel quite bored.
She didn't come to be an examiner to see this!
She wanted to see blood flowing like a river! Turning against each other! Intrigues!
But who told her she was in charge of the first exam? The first exam has always been used to filter out applicants with poor basics.
"As for me, it should be the young man with number 351," the Captain said slowly, "because in the battle on the ship, he learned how to control his Nen.
D"
The Captain could see every corner of the cruise ship through the surveillance equipment, so he witnessed the entire battle between Gawain and Tonpa.
He clearly saw how Gawain erupted with a powerful will in a desperate situation, successfully controlled his Nen, and finally knocked Tonpa to the ground.
In the Captain's opinion, Gawain was a young man who demanded a lot of himself and must have been constantly training his physique and will in his daily life.
It was precisely because of this that when faced with Tonpa's twisted behavior, he was able to be stimulated by his inner anger, and then, following the eruption of this will, successfully developed his hidden potential.
This is not an easy thing, nor is it a lucky thing.
This is an inevitability, a reward for talent and effort.
So the Captain felt that Gawain was a young man with great potential.
What's even more commendable is that, based on the current situation, he belongs to the rare righteous faction among Nen Users. In the Captain's understanding, the stronger the Nen User is, the more they tend to have firm beliefs, twisted wills, and extreme personalities.
However, this extreme personality is easily generated, but people who uphold justice like Gawain are very rare.
More often, they are the kind of people who do a mixture of good and evil things according to their own will and preferences.
Thinking of this, the Captain couldn't help but sigh, "If this young man can become a Hunter, perhaps he can somewhat restore the reputation of the Hunter Association."
After all, within the Hunter Association, there are many Hunters who are deeply dissatisfied with those who use their hunter licenses to commit crimes and accumulate numerous offenses.
They feel that these people simply treat the hunter license as a get-out-of-jail-free card, and as long as they don't go too far, they won't be wanted by the Hunter Association.
President Netero nodded slightly, silently noting the Captain's opinion.
Finally, Zakaru scratched his fluffy lion-like hair, thought for a long time, and then slowly said.
"If I have to say someone who left a particularly deep impression, there really isn't one. If I had to say, it would be number 49.
"That guy is a Strengthening System Nen User, and you can see that he has meticulously honed his Nen Ability.
"I can feel that he has received guidance from a master and hasn't taken any detours, fully utilizing his strengths.
"And he is a thorough power type. I look forward to his future growth, and he also seems quite interested in hunting."
In Zakaru's opinion, this point made him feel that he might have some common ground with Kevin, after all, for him, hunting is a serious matter, and the hunting here refers to regular hunting activities of wild beasts.
After listening to the three people's speeches, President Netero nodded, then took out a pen and lightly tapped his chin, the mechanism on the pen tip making a "click, click" sound.
"So President, have you thought of some interesting exam method?" Wa Hachi asked curiously.
According to the tradition of the Hunter Association, if nothing unexpected happens, the final exam is usually personally presided over by the President of the Hunter Association.
And every time President Netero presides over the final exam, he can always come up with some strange but interesting exam plans.
Therefore, Wa Hachi was full of anticipation for this, and even hoped to be a spectator for the final exam every year.
Hearing Wa Hachi's question.
President Netero's expression suddenly became a little downcast, and his head also drooped.
"I can't help it, I've been too busy lately, I don't have time to design that kind of time-consuming exam game.
>"
His tone was like a child who had lost his beloved toy.
Besides Wa Hachi who sighed helplessly, the Captain and Zakaru couldn't help but roll their eyes in their hearts.
This is the Hunter Exam, not a children's game or playground!
Regarding this President, whose actions were unconventional and who showed no respect for his age, they were truly a little dumbfounded.
But they had already gotten used to it.
"Then let's use the duel method. Since time is relatively tight, the rules should be set to be simple and direct."
"Hmm... I will personally serve as the referee, so it's settled."
Saying that, President Netero quickly wrote and drew in the notebook in his hand, then showed the set rules to the few people.
After reading them, large question marks simultaneously appeared above their heads.
"We can understand the other rules, and they are still considered normal, but what does the last one mean? Why do you have to personally participate?"
The Captain finally couldn't help but ask.
"I'm already this old, and I'm about to get busy with work again."
"If I can't wholeheartedly design an exam, then let me personally test them."
President Netero said with a calm expression, completely ignoring the strange looks cast by the few people.
He said it so righteously, but you clearly just want to play yourself! The three of them shouted in their hearts.
"Alright, it's decided."
In other areas of the airship, Kevin, Kate, Bajiao, and Goreinu gathered in the hall.
"The final exam is about to begin, sigh, I really don't know if I can get the hunter license."
Goreinu sighed worriedly.
In the third exam, he had just barely passed the cutoff line, so he wasn't sure if he could pass the final exam and was inevitably a little pessimistic.
He had already seen that the surrounding candidates were all powerful opponents.
"What does that matter? Last year I didn't even get close to the final exam. Being able to participate in the final exam this year is already a big improvement."
"Worst case scenario, I'll just come back next year. As long as I keep improving each time, I'll get the license sooner or later."
Bajiao, on the other hand, was optimistic and said with a laugh.
After speaking, he looked at Kate curiously: "What about you, Kate? You should have participated in the final exam last year, right? What was that exam like?"
Hearing this, Kate thought for a moment and gave a strange evaluation: "It was... quite... quite strange."
"What kind of evaluation is that?" Kevin asked with a puzzled expression.
"Playing volleyball."
"What?" Kevin suspected he had misheard and widened his eyes.
Goreinu and Bajiao also stared intently at Kate, wanting to confirm if he was joking.
The final Hunter Exam was actually playing volleyball? This was too unexpected for them.
Kate sighed helplessly and explained: "You didn't mishear, it was playing volleyball."
"At that time, there were a total of ten candidates who advanced to the final stage. We were divided into two groups, using a best-of-five format, and the losing group would all be eliminated."
"We had a week to prepare. During this time, we could practice together, familiarize ourselves with the rules of the game, and even allow warm-up matches between team members."
Kate recalled the scene at the time and continued: "In that exam, two Nen Users were assigned to the two teams respectively and both became the main attackers of their respective teams."
"That scene really showed us what superpower volleyball was like. The balls hit out were like bombs."
"However, at that time I had just learned Nen Ability and wasn't very skilled. Plus, the cooperation among our team members wasn't as good as the other side's tacit understanding, so we ended up losing the match."
As everyone listened to Kate's description, they gradually fell silent.
It wasn't until Kate finished speaking that everyone blinked, still wanting more.
"Hmm, it's not quite what I imagined. It sounds quite intense," Bajiao had to admit this point.
Just then, a broadcast sounded inside the airship: "Please prepare yourselves, all candidates, to participate in the personal [Interview] with President Netero."
"Candidates whose numbers and names are called, please proceed to..."
The broadcast repeated three times.
The four of them exchanged glances.
"The previous exam didn't have this segment."
Kate understood the doubts in everyone's hearts and said directly.
Subsequently, the first candidate to be called was Kate, because his number was the earliest among the eight people.
When Kate arrived in front of the President, President Netero asked with a smile: "Why do you want to become a Hunter?"
"I need a hunter license. The privileges it brings allow me to more conveniently search for some information and clues I need, and also allow me to travel to some places I want to go more easily."
Kate answered very directly.
President Netero nodded, then asked the second question: "Among the candidates in this exam, who do you think is the strongest?"
"Kevin, Kevin of number 49."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because he is my friend."
Hmm, it's simple and direct.
"Alright, you can go out," President Netero nodded, then called the next candidate.
Not long after, Kevin pushed open the door and walked in.
The room was spacious, a meditation room, and on the wall behind it was a large calligraphy work - the character [Heart], which was meticulously framed and hung there.
Xin Yuan Stream?
Kevin thought to himself.
He looked around the room, and then sat down in front of President Netero.
"You know Xin Yuan Stream?" President Netero asked with interest.
Kevin nodded: "Bisky is considered my Master."
"Oh~ So that's how it is."
President Netero had a sudden realization and nodded.
He vaguely remembered that during his last conversation with Bisky, Bisky seemed to have mentioned this matter.
President Netero knew clearly that Bisky had always liked taking in disciples and teaching. The fact that this young man could be favored and mentioned by Bisky indicated that in Bisky's eyes, Kevin was like an unpolished raw gem, and had already undergone Bisky's initial refinement. Now it depended on his own fortune.
"Why do you want to become a Hunter?" President Netero asked again.
"I need a hunter license. Its privileges not only bring practical convenience, but those implicit privileges can also provide me with many conveniences and help me avoid a lot of trouble."
Kevin said bluntly. He felt that most people who came to participate in the Hunter Exam and were eager to obtain a hunter license were attracted by the various privileges the license brought.
President Netero nodded, seemingly not surprised by this answer.
"Among these candidates, who do you think is the strongest?"
Kevin hardly hesitated at all, pointed to himself, and said confidently: "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be me."
President Netero nodded again, the expression on his face not changing in the slightest.
"Do you like fighting?"
Regarding this question, Kevin answered even more without hesitation: "That depends on the type of fighting. If it's fighting between people, forgive me for being blunt, but I really can't get interested."
"Of course, this doesn't mean I will resist, after all, in some cases, violent means are indeed convenient,"
Especially when I use violence on behalf of justice.
"After all, I really hate trouble."
This kind of answer seemed to pique President Netero's interest. He raised his head and looked at Kevin with bright eyes.
"Then what if it's not fighting between people?" President Netero asked curiously.
"That's another matter. If it's not fighting between people, in my opinion, there are two situations."
"Firstly, it's a fight that I actively choose to participate in. Since I am willing to do it, there is naturally no need to say more, because I will definitely gain something from it."
"Secondly, it's a fight that I am forced into. In this situation of fighting against non-human opponents, it is often forced by circumstances and cannot be refused, so there is nothing to hesitate about. For survival, life must naturally fight back."
Kevin knew in his heart that these words actually also applied to fighting between people.
However, whether it was active or passive, he could not gain any so-called pleasure from fighting between people. In his eyes, fighting was merely a means and tool to achieve a purpose.
Whether it was due to the peace of his previous world or his own nature, Kevin was indeed uninterested in fighting between people.
But he also knew that in this world full of extraordinary power, strength was an indispensable guarantee for survival.
"Okay, I understand, you can leave," President Netero said.
Kevin nodded, got up, and left the room.
Subsequently, every candidate underwent such an interview in turn. The interview questions were nothing more than "Why do you want to be a Hunter?" and "Who do you think is the strongest?"
Almost all the candidates knew in their hearts that their opinions on who was the strongest in this exam were basically the same.
Before, they might have hesitated between Kate and Kevin, but after the third exam, this doubt basically disappeared.
After all, Kevin was far ahead in points, and his strength was evident.
Just like that, the interview segment ended.
The airship continued to fly in the sky for a full five days, allowing the candidates to fully rest and recuperate, so that they could face the upcoming exam in peak condition.
Finally, the airship landed within the borders of the Kakin Empire on the You Lu Bi An Continent.
The Kakin Empire is a superpower on another continent. Although it is not a member state of the V5, in terms of sphere of influence and military strength, it is almost comparable to the V5 countries, and can be called the strongest country below the V5.
The candidates departed from the superpower on the You Lu Bi An Continent - the Saherta United Nations, and came all the way here.