Chapter 4

A slender young man stands on the street, his soft golden hair reaching past his ears, brown eyes, and a ruby earring in his left ear. He wears a unique, loose-fitting ethnic outfit, and his androgynous, delicate appearance exudes a sense of masculinity.

At this moment, the young man is studying a map, with a small suitcase by his feet, completely unaware of the two onlookers in a nearby restaurant.

"Is this him, the new hunter?"

Heather tossed a fork loaded with several loops of tomato pasta back onto the plate, asking with enthusiasm.

Izunabi nodded, his gaze on Kurapika carrying a hint of scrutiny: "Yes, Kurapika, one of the seven who passed the 287th Hunter Exam."

So, it's Kurapika indeed? The legendary teacher from the manga who trained a Nen user of the Twelve Zodiac level in just half a year is you, Izunabi.

Heather called the waiter for a glass of iced orange juice and then asked her makeshift teacher: "By the way, does the Hunter Association always assign senior hunters to conduct the final assessment of new hunters?"

"Yes, but not all new hunters can learn Nen. It depends on their innate qualities."

Izunabi stroked his stubbled chin, his expression filled with nostalgia.

"What if they don't have the right qualities?"

"Then this person will likely never learn Nen. Nen isn't like ancient poetry or literature that can be memorized with effort and time. Even though everyone's body contains 'aura,' most people cannot harness or utilize it."

Hearing Izunabi's explanation, Heather looked somewhat smug: "So, I'm closer to the finish line than others? I must be a natural."

"Don't get too cocky, kid. Even if you're a natural Nen user, without a qualified teacher to guide you in opening all the spirit pores in your body, you still won't learn true Nen."

Izunabi immediately struck a blow to his makeshift apprentice's pride, showing no mercy.

Heather waved her hand helplessly: "You're such a teacher who likes to show off... Speaking of Mr. Kurapika, how do you plan to assess him?"

"Hmm... How about I pretend to be a drunk causing a ruckus in town, and use Nen to play with the local thugs? What do you think of this script?"

Clearly, this script was something Izunabi had spent a lot of time thinking about and was quite proud of: "If Kurapika has the potential to learn Nen, he will definitely notice the unusual when Nen is activated. Then I'll test him for a few days to see if he has enough patience and perseverance before deciding whether to teach him Nen."

Heather clapped her hands expressionlessly.

Talent? Kurapika is undoubtedly talented, being the second protagonist in the "Hunter x Hunter" manga, a super genius whose popularity rivals that of the main character.

After just half a year of Nen training, he was invited to join the "Twelve Zodiac," which ranks just below the Hunter Association President, and he almost defeated the leader of the Phantom Troupe, a Nen user with the strongest offensive and defensive abilities. In some ways, Izunabi is indeed a formidable teacher.

"Your script is really low, teacher."

Heather chuckled: "How about... I meet my prospective junior?"

"You? You don't know your own strength, and I don't want to see my new disciple get arrested for beating up a new hunter."

Izunabi looked disdainful: "Just say what you have in mind."

"Trust me, it'll be interesting, hehe... Waiter, can I have a pen, please?"

...

Kurapika folded the map and put it back in his pocket, his gaze distant and filled with confusion.

Three days ago, he finally found the secret employment agency after much hardship, hoping to get a suitable job, one that would help him find the whereabouts of the "Scarlet Eyes" who killed his clan.

But the strange woman dismissed him with a flimsy excuse—

"You can't even see what's around me, can you? It seems you're not a true hunter yet. Come back when you figure it out!"

Damn, is the Hunter Exam still not over? What am I missing?

Kurapika, lost in thought, walked down the street and inadvertently brushed past Heather.

Suddenly, Kurapika raised his head and looked around, sensing a strong killing intent directed at him.

He can't start a fight on this busy street; it would cause innocent people to get hurt! Kurapika made up his mind instantly, grabbed his suitcase, and darted through the crowd toward the distant forest.

As expected, the killing intent locked onto him and followed closely.

The air was filled with the smell of earth, and the evening sun was obscured by gathering clouds, indicating an impending rain. Pedestrians hurried home, while the beautiful young man with golden hair ran against the flow toward the forest.

About 20 minutes later, a slightly sweaty Kurapika stood in the dense forest at the foot of the mountain, the dim light making it difficult to see what lurked in the darkness.

"You've been following me for a while, come out!"

He pulled out two short knives from behind his loose ethnic clothing and gripped them tightly, his beautiful brown eyes narrowing as he stared into the darkness of the forest.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a roll of thunder a few seconds later, and fine rain began to fall.

In the brief flash of light, Kurapika saw a figure perched on a high branch nearby.

His wavy, medium-length black hair covered his forehead and eyebrows, and the large black glasses on his nose made it hard to see his face. The intense killing intent that had been targeting him undoubtedly came from this person, and his slightly worn work clothes only made him seem more dangerous.

The darkness returned as the lightning faded.

"Ah, are the standards of hunters so low now that they can't even protect the most important 'proof' for a hunter?"

A sinister voice emerged from the darkness, filled with malice:

"If you're really that weak, you've done me a big favor."

Proof? Kurapika instinctively touched the inner pocket of his clothes, but the Hunter Proof was gone! When?

"Whoever you are, return the Hunter Proof immediately! Otherwise, I will have to resort to force!"

Kurapika crouched slightly, holding his two knives in a defensive stance. Despite the increasing rain, he didn't relax his vigilance, still staring into the darkness of the forest.

He had been maintaining a sharp sense of awareness but was still robbed of his Hunter Proof without realizing it. This guy is not to be underestimated!

In the heavy rain, the strange man in the work clothes casually tossed the Hunter Proof in his hand and slowly stepped out of the darkness:

"Right now, the heads and licenses of professional hunters are very valuable on the black market. It looks like the Troupe will have some extra income."

Kurapika's eyes suddenly froze, and his brown eyes turned a fiery red!

The man's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and a bandage wrapped around his right forearm, with some loose bandages revealing a spider tattoo! Despite the poor lighting and the rain, it was definitely a spider tattoo with the number "6" in the center!

"I'll only ask you once..."

With a metallic clang, Kurapika raised his two knives, his voice cold and emotionless: "Are you a member of the Phantom Troupe?"

Heather looked down and smiled nonchalantly: "Oh, the tattoo gave it away? I thought the bandage was tight enough. By the way, do you have any..."

Before he could finish, Heather tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the two crossing knife blades!

He kicked the knife that was about to strike again, and the sharp blade seemed to hit a thick, slippery leather! Using the recoil, both of them leaped back a few meters, facing each other in the rain.

"Is this a breakdown in negotiations?"

Heather took off his black glasses and carefully placed them in his shirt pocket, then wiped his wet, wavy black hair back, revealing his true face.

He looked like a perfect, otherworldly beauty, a handsome face that lacked any feminine softness, with the fiery intensity of a male. His features were clearly Asian, but his deep, chiseled features were impossible to look away from. His eyebrows were straight like swords, and his eyes sparkled like the stars, a perfect embodiment of "sword-like brows and star-like eyes."

Even in an adversarial state, Kurapika was momentarily taken aback. Don't misunderstand, Kurapika definitely didn't have any issues with his sexual orientation, but even as a man and someone who was used to his own beauty, he couldn't help but think—do you even let other men live?

"Stop staring, you golden-haired sissy! If you want to fight, then fight. Are you just going to stand there and glare at me?"

Tsk, his mouth ruined it! What a waste of such a beautiful face, too bad he's not mute.

Kurapika focused his mind, his tone cold: "When I capture you, I'll make you spill all the information about the Phantom Troupe!"

He burst forward, water and mud splashing from his feet, the blue figure bringing two knife blades toward Heather, aiming for his elbow joints. Heather's fist, seemingly covered in invisible armor, grinned and punched toward the approaching Kurapika.

...

Izunabi, dressed in a white martial arts uniform, walked toward the forest as agreed.

The rain was torrential, and the entire forest seemed to be covered in a curtain of water.

Not far into the forest, he saw a chaotic battlefield.

Trees were broken and fallen, and the trunks and ground were marked with knife slashes and small dents. Kurapika was kneeling on the ground, looking dazed, while Heather was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, humming an incomprehensible tune.

"How could the difference be so great..."

Kurapika looked incredulous, with no obvious wounds but his two short knives broken and scattered on the ground. The mental trauma seemed more severe than the physical.

Izunabi raised an eyebrow, well done, Heather. He turned to look at Heather, about to say something, but then froze.

Whoa, who are you, handsome?

"Hey! Boss!"

Heather saw his makeshift teacher coming and waved, then said to Kurapika with a mocking tone: "This guy is your lucky break, the leader of the Phantom Troupe is here to deal with you, so get ready!"

That mouth... definitely Heather! Izunabi relaxed, realizing it wasn't his makeshift apprentice being replaced.

Leader? Kurapika turned to look at Izunabi, his clenched fists pale in the rain. I couldn't even beat a member, how can I defeat the leader... Damn, I'm still too weak.

Seeing Kurapika's dim eyes, Izunabi scratched his head, Heather went a bit too far, I just wanted you to put him in his place, not crush him completely.

Izunabi beckoned to Heather, who reluctantly threw the Hunter Proof to him.

"Don't worry, this was just Heather's prank."

Izunabi walked to the kneeling Kurapika, squatted down, and looked at the golden-haired young man: "But, it seems you still haven't realized what you're missing."

Kurapika's eyes gradually focused: "You, you're not the Phantom Troupe?"

He was afraid they were members deliberately mocking and humiliating him, but when he turned to look, he saw that the bandage on Heather's arm was stained with ink, and the spider tattoo had disappeared in the rain.

"You're... hunters?"

At this point, Kurapika realized he had been tricked, but he had no energy or time to be angry. Instead, he seized the opportunity to ask quickly: "When I fought this person, something seemed to wrap around his body, that must be what a true hunter needs! Please tell me!"

Izunabi glanced at Heather, who shrugged: "Don't look at me, I didn't say anything, he figured it out on his own."

"You've realized the existence of 'Nen,' which means you have the potential to learn it."

Izunabi stood up and extended his hand to Kurapika, who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Nen?"

Kurapika took Izunabi's hand, using it to stand up, and looked at Izunabi with burning eyes:

"Please teach me this technique called 'Nen'! I will fulfill any conditions or requirements!"

"Very good, you need this unwavering determination. To be honest, our meeting was not a coincidence."

Izunabi didn't waste words, picked up his bag, and led the way into the depths of the forest: "I can teach you how to develop and use Nen, but the process will be tough, and you need to be mentally prepared. I'm Izunabi, and I'm also a 'Hunter.'"

"I'm Kurapika, please teach me!"

Kurapika didn't