"It depends on your mood?"
Hearing the captain's words, Leorio's expression darkened slightly. Did this mean that, until they reached the exam venue, the ship's captain had absolute authority over who continued or was eliminated?
"Isn't this a bit too arbitrary?" Kurapika asked, his brows furrowing. He found it hard to believe that someone who wasn't an official examiner held such significant power.
Of course, Kurapika didn't yet understand the scale of the Hunter Exam. Each year, millions attempted the test, but only a fraction ever made it past the early stages. With the examiners being so few in number, the Hunter Association had no choice but to enlist intermediaries to conduct preliminary screenings.
After all, not everyone who signed up for the Hunter Exam was elite or even particularly strong. Some were thrill-seekers, others simply wanted to see how far they could go, and then there were those who, like the seasick passengers from earlier, were woefully unprepared for the challenges ahead. If they couldn't even withstand a storm, how did they expect to become Hunters?
At that moment, the captain shifted his gaze toward the four who remained—Lan Fei, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. He exhaled a puff of smoke, then asked, "Why do you four want to become Hunters?"
Before anyone could answer, he waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. I'll ask one by one."
His sharp eyes landed on Lan Fei first.
"Name?"
"Lan Fei," he replied with a grin.
"And your reason?"
"Can I refuse to answer?"
"You can," the captain said with a smirk, tapping his pipe against the railing. "But in that case, you'll be eliminated. And since I have the final say on this ship, that's that."
Lan Fei's smile stiffened slightly.
"Of course," the captain continued, "you could always kill me—but then all four of you would be disqualified." His eyes gleamed with amusement. "So, let's keep things simple, shall we?"
Lan Fei sighed. He couldn't afford to fail before even reaching the exam venue—it would be too embarrassing to return to Whale Island empty-handed.
After a brief pause, he met the captain's gaze and said, "I want to become the strongest Hunter in the world."
"Oh?" The captain chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Ambitious one, aren't you?"
Lan Fei didn't respond.
At that moment, before the captain could prompt him, Gon eagerly stepped forward.
"My name is Gon! My dad is a Hunter, and I want to know what's so special about being a Hunter that made him choose it over raising me!"
"Hey, kid, wait your turn!" Leorio said, hands on his hips.
"It doesn't matter who goes first," Gon replied with a shrug.
Kurapika, who had remained quiet until now, took a deep breath and stepped forward. "My name is Kurapika. I am the last surviving member of the Kurta Clan." His voice was calm, but there was an underlying intensity to it. "I became a Hunter to exact vengeance on those who massacred my people—the Phantom Troupe."
The atmosphere tensed immediately.
The captain exhaled another puff of smoke. "Ah… a bounty hunter, then?"
Lan Fei, arms crossed, observed Kurapika's expression. "The Phantom Troupe… a Class A criminal organization, and each of its members is incredibly powerful."
"You know about them?" Gon asked, looking at Lan Fei in surprise.
"Uncle Hustable from Whale Island told me a little," Lan Fei lied smoothly.
"That makes sense," Gon nodded. Uncle Hustable was one of the most well-informed people on the island.
Kurapika clenched his fists. "Yes. And I will become the strongest bounty hunter to bring them to justice. For the sake of my people, I will not die so easily."
Leorio adjusted his glasses. "If it's revenge you're after, why do you need to be a Hunter? Can't you just train and go after them on your own?"
Kurapika scoffed. "That is one of the dumbest questions I've ever heard." He turned away slightly. "There are places only Hunters can access. Information and resources only available to Hunters. If I am to find them… I need this license."
Leorio opened his mouth to argue but closed it again.
Lan Fei, however, remained unfazed. "If you want to take on the Phantom Troupe, you'll need to learn Nen first. Otherwise, you won't stand a chance."
Kurapika's eyes widened slightly. "Nen?"
"Nen?" Gon repeated, tilting his head. He had never heard the term before.
Leorio crossed his arms. "What's Nen?"
Lan Fei smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
Nen was the foundation of strength in this world. Without it, one could never hope to match the true monsters of the Hunter world.
The captain's hand trembled slightly as he tapped his pipe, his face showing rare shock. "A kid like you… you actually know about Nen?"
Lan Fei remained silent, but inwardly, he was just as surprised.
Ding!
A mechanical voice rang in his mind.
His eyes flickered with recognition.
"Host, this world revolves around Nen."
"Even though your Eight Gates are fully mastered and you've devoured the Glint-Glint Fruit, you haven't yet awakened Nen."
"To address this issue, the system will reward you with a Nen ability suited to your affinity each time you pass a stage of the Hunter Exam. Additionally, an accelerated training space will be provided to enhance your Nen mastery."
Lan Fei's heart pounded.
So it's finally time…