A strong yet playful voice echoed from the second floor hallway of the museum.
"Ho, ho, ho… did I scare you?"
"..."
At that sound, Haze's tense body suddenly relaxed.
He knew he wasn't yet at his peak, but he wasn't weak enough to be fooled by just anyone he t on the street. At the very least, ordinary Hunters from the Association couldn't deceive his perception—unless they had special abilities.
Otherwise… even Biscuit would've had trouble sneaking up on him.
But if it was this person… then it made sense.
Haze turned around and saw the figure who had leapt down from the second floor, landing gracefully on the ground.
The Chairman of the Hunter Association Isaac Netero.
With his signature robe, topknot, long eyebrows, heavy earlobes, and wooden clogs, the old man looked utterly pleased with himself for pulling off the "surprise." His eyes twinkled mischievously as he watched Haze's expression—like a child showing off a prank—with a touch of pride.
"I never imagined that a nobody like would be personally greeted by the Chairman of the Hunter Association… Should I be honored, or cautious?" Haze sighed, resting one hand on his hip and the other on his forehead, exhaling theatrically. "Planning to disqualify from the exam? That's unnecessary… there's no explicit rule about the preliminaries," he joked.
Wing had ntioned that Biscuit contacted the Chairman, but Haze hadn't taken it seriously. So when the old man actually appeared, he was genuinely surprised—though it seed he had predicted he'd be the first to arrive.
"With your skill, becoming a Hunter is guaranteed," said Netero, stroking his beard with a smile. "If it weren't unfair to the other candidates—and for the bad publicity—I'd have no issue giving you a license right now."
"Don't worry, I'm very discreet," Haze replied earnestly, imdiately extending his hand. "So, give it here."
Netero closed his eyes and pretended not to hear.
"Young man, don't be in such a hurry. There are many things in life… If you reach the end too quickly, you lose the fun. Life's about enjoying the process." He opened one eye slyly. "It's like when you joined the mafia. If they'd made you a Ten Don right away, what motivation would you have left? You wouldn't even get to experience your own growth."
—There was sothing behind those words.
Haze smirked. "So, you ca all the way here to see … You're trying to confirm my motives, aren't you? Do you think, to , the Hunter Association and the mafia are the sa thing?"
"There are many reasons to beco a Hunter," Netero said calmly, shaking his head. "Everyone has different goals—that's normal. I ca to see you simply because… I've had too much free ti lately. Biscuit wouldn't stop talking about you, so I thought, why not?"
Watching the old man casually dig in his ear, Haze was montarily speechless.
He knew exactly who he was dealing with. Netero was unpredictable—his words carried hidden intent one mont, only to seem completely genuine the next.
Impossible to read…
"Ah," Netero muttered, blowing on his pinky after cleaning his ear. Then he glanced sharply at Haze. "Did I misunderstand you? Don't be so uptight. Honestly, even if you want to use the Association to beco a Hunter, that's perfectly fine. Personally, I find it refreshing! If you can pull it off, even better!"
"…This old man's infuriating."
Indeed, Netero's personality was that of a mischievous child. The Twelve Zodiac mbers of the Association—including Pariston—were essentially his "playmates." Biscuit, too, was one of them.
And Haze had no intention of becoming the next toy for this old man.
"Oh! I suddenly rembered sothing important I haven't done yet," Haze said abruptly, clapping his head. "Thanks for coming to see , but I've got to run! Let's chat another ti."
He waved quickly, turned around, and tried to slip away.
But just as he turned, Netero suddenly appeared behind him, grinning.
"My, my… how rude! I'm such an old man, and I ca all the way here to see you. You're leaving before we've even spoken properly? Leaving all alone?"
"You sound so happy. You're not miserable at all," Haze replied dryly, eyes half-hidden behind his sunglasses, expression serious.
At that mont, Netero's aura flared—deliberately provoking him.
Wham!
Haze instantly shifted his stance and spun around. A burst of dark energy exploded outward as his arms swung forward like iron bars toward Netero's position.
As expected, only the air rippled.
Haze's vision cleared, and when he looked up, Netero was twirling Haze's sunglasses in his hand before putting them on. Standing on one foot, he bead.
"Not only do you ignore this poor old man, but you actually attack him, too. Hilarious! So, how do I look? Do these suit ?"
"…I guess there's no escaping this. You were never here just to chat, were you? Why didn't you just say you wanted to test my strength?"
As Haze steadied himself, he shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, letting his Nen surge through his body to the hilt.
A single thought crossed his mind—
Biscuit tricked .
That old hag… definitely revenge.
anwhile, far away in a shopping district, a blonde woman humd cheerfully as she carried her bags.
"Hehehe… It's been ages since I exercised. My arms and legs are all stiff. It's rare to find soone young who can help loosen up… Surely you wouldn't refuse an old man's request, right?" Netero rolled his shoulders, then added with a teasing grin, "Besides, you're enjoying this too, aren't you? Your face says it all."
Indeed, Haze's expression burned with excitent—a fierce eagerness to fight that contradicted his irritated tone.
"Fighting the strongest Nen user in the world… That's truly sothing extraordinary."
He stepped toward Netero.
"I'm getting old," the Chairman said with false modesty. "Decades ago, I might've claid to be the strongest… but not anymore. With so many gifted youngsters like you, it's only a matter of ti before these old bones of mine pass the torch."
Then his aura spiked suddenly—his tone sharpened.
"But before that… you'll have to earn the right to make step down! If you can't—then stay down there! You young ones aren't the only ones with ambition!"
BAM!
A sharp crack split the air as a cold gaze t his.
(End of Chapter)
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