Zane glanced back at the iron gate before calmly continuing forward.
After rounding a corner, he saw light ahead.
When Zane reached the source of the light, an expansive octagonal room ca into view.
BOOM!!!
Just as he stepped into the octagonal room, another iron gate slamd shut behind him, sealing the passage.
Scanning the room, Zane quickly spotted a display screen mounted on one of the walls.
The screen indicated that he had to wait for a second candidate; the two would then duel, and only the winner could pass the stage.
'This feels a bit redundant,' Zane thought, his brow furrowing slightly.
If the goal was to have candidates duel, why not just arrange for two people to start on this path together from the beginning?
As he pondered, a realization struck him. He looked up at the surveillance cara in the corner of the octagonal room.
'It was a deliberate move to separate from Hisoka!' Zane mused.
According to the original plot, Hisoka had been given special treatnt during this phase of the test.
During the previous year's Hunter Exam, Hisoka had been disqualified for severely injuring an examiner.
Today, that sa man had sought revenge, specifically seeking out the examiner of the third phase to arrange a confrontation between himself and Hisoka.
Given how things were playing out, Zane couldn't help but suspect the examiners had manipulated the paths.
Their goal was likely to ensure that last year's examiner could face Hisoka alone.
Rumble...
While Zane was still piecing it together, a stone door on one side of the room slid open, and a man stepped out cautiously.
Just as Zane had experienced, the iron gate dropped from above as soon as the man entered the room, sealing the path behind him.
His train of thought interrupted, Zane looked at the newcor. His eyebrows rose slightly when he saw the man's appearance.
A number 191 tag was pinned to his chest.
A mane of long, greying hair was tied back behind his head.
The newcor was none other than Bodoro, the martial artist who had made it to the final phase in the original story.
Bodoro was startled by the gate closing behind him, but after a quick glance, he imdiately fixed his gaze on Zane.
"Take a look over there," Zane said, seeing the man's guarded posture. He gestured casually toward the nearby display screen.
Maintaining a safe distance from Zane, Bodoro glanced at the screen out of the corner of his eye and quickly read the prompt.
"I see. It seems only one of us will have the chance to pass this test." Understanding that they had to duel, Bodoro exhaled slowly. He settled into a combat stance, his eyes turning sharp as he looked at Zane.
"That's right. Are you ready then?" Zane stared back calmly, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.
"Co!" Bodoro barked, acting as if he were facing a formidable foe.
He naturally had a deep impression of Zane.
During the second phase, he had been astonished by Zane's strength when the young man had effortlessly tossed Todo out of the courtyard.
Now that he had to face Zane in a duel, his heart was undeniably heavy with caution and dread.
SHING!
The mont Bodoro finished speaking, Zane's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
His pupils constricted.
Seeing Zane suddenly disappear, Bodoro's expression changed drastically. He swung his head around, trying to find his opponent.
But just as his head began to turn, a sharp pain shot through his neck.
The next second.
THUD!!
Bodoro collapsed face-first onto the ground, completely unconscious.
Looking back at Zane...
He had sohow appeared behind Bodoro, his hand slowly lowering after the chop that had knocked the man out.
In terms of raw strength, Bodoro the martial artist was certainly considered a master among ordinary people.
But compared to Zane, the gap was astronomical.
'This is actually for the best. At least he doesn't have to lose his life,' Zane thought as he looked down at the unconscious Bodoro.
In the original tiline, although this man had reached the final phase, his end had been tragic—killed by a confused Killua who pierced his chest with a single strike.
Being eliminated early by Zane was, in a way, a stroke of good fortune.
The outco had been decided.
Soon after, an exit opened in the octagonal room.
Zane stepped through and continued his journey.
He hadn't walked for long before he entered another room.
Aside from the passage Zane had co from, the room featured two other doors.
RUMBLE!!
As Zane was examining the room, one of the sealed doors opened, and Hisoka walked out.
Zane's eyes shifted toward him, imdiately drawn to the blade wound on the magician's right shoulder.
"Yo!"
Hisoka looked at Zane the mont he entered. He didn't seem to care about the injury on his shoulder at all, raising a hand in a practiced, cheerful greeting.
Zane nodded slightly but said nothing.
Based on Hisoka's injury, he knew his previous deduction was correct.
In all likelihood, the examiner who had been severely wounded by Hisoka last year was now nothing more than a corpse.
With Zane and Hisoka reunited, the final door in the room opened.
The two set off once again.
This ti, things were much more normal. They encountered various traps and pitfalls along the way.
However, these obstacles posed no real threat to Zane or Hisoka.
Before they knew it, the pair had reached the bottom of the tower.
The base of the tower was a vast, open plaza.
"No. 375 Zane, No. 44 Hisoka. Both have successfully passed the third phase. Ti elapsed: 6 hours and 15 minutes!"
As Zane and Hisoka entered the plaza, a speaker mounted on the wall imdiately announced their success.
Taking in the situation at the bottom of the tower, Zane picked a random direction and walked until he could lean against a wall and sit down.
"How cold of you!" Hisoka said with a look of feigned helplessness as Zane walked away. He sighed as if deeply disappointed and sat down on the opposite side.
Ti ticked by.
Zane passed the ti practicing with his Nen orbs, while Hisoka played with his cards.
Tap, tap, tap...
Suddenly, one of the stone doors at the bottom of the tower opened, and another candidate stepped out.
Zane, who was now manipulating three Nen orbs circling his right hand, glanced over sideways.
The person entering his field of vision was Illumi, his face covered in needles.
Illumi scanned Zane and Hisoka, who had arrived before him. He completely ignored the wink Hisoka sent his way, turned around, and found a wall to sit against.
As more ti passed.
Following Illumi, other candidates began to arrive at the bottom of the tower one after another.
During this ti, a wall on one side of the plaza automatically slid open to reveal carts filled with food, provided for the candidates who had arrived early.
Possessing a massive appetite, Zane unceremoniously took nearly twenty servings and began to eat.
Fortunately, there was plenty of food, so Zane's massive haul didn't lead to any conflicts with the other candidates.
'It's almost ti. I hope Leorio and the others haven't actually been disqualified.'
Zane looked down at the watch he was still wearing. Seeing that there was less than a minute remaining, he frowned slightly.
The original plot was the original plot.
Now that he was involved, there was no telling what might change.
As for the 'protagonist halo,' that was even more of an unknown factor.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comnts are highly appreciated to keep going.....( 40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]
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