After the call ended, Zebro let out a sigh and looked at the four of them helplessly. "I'm sorry, I can't help you. You should head back."
"If we push open that gate behind us, would that make us qualified to find Killua?" While the other three looked disappointed, Zane suddenly gestured toward the Testing Gate outside the guardhouse with his thumb.
Zebro paused for a mont. He looked Zane up and down before slowly explaining, "That's right. That gate is known as the Testing Gate. If soone can push it open, as long as they don't cause trouble, the family will generally recognize and receive them."
"I see. Thank you for your help. Gon, let's go!" Zane nodded slightly in response. After thanking him, he signaled for the other three to follow him out of the guardhouse.
Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio perked up upon hearing Zebro's answer and quickly followed behind Zane.
Zebro obviously guessed what Zane intended to do and followed them out as well.
Soon, the group stood before the Testing Gate.
"This door can't be opened with a key; it can only be pushed open with strength?"
"A stone gate this big... can it really be pushed open with brute force?"
"Let try!"
Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon looked up at the towering Testing Gate.
While Leorio and Kurapika were still sizing it up, an impatient Gon had already stepped forward to give it a shot.
He pressed both hands against the seam of the gate and exerted all his strength to push.
Learning Nen had indeed significantly improved Gon's power.
But Nen wasn't a magic fix for everything.
Simply wrapping himself in Nen aura only improved his offense and defense.
Even though it nourished the body, the effect was naturally limited since he had only recently awakened his Nen aura.
Despite his best efforts, the Testing Gate didn't budge an inch, standing firm before him.
"Let try too!" Seeing that Gon couldn't open it, Leorio rolled up his sleeves and stepped up.
The result was predictable—another failure.
Seeing their results, Kurapika knew that he wouldn't be able to open it either.
"The Testing Gate is divided into seven levels. The number of doors that open depends on the amount of force applied."
"However, even for the first level at the bottom, each side of the gate weighs two tons."
"For every level higher, the weight doubles!" Zebro reminded them from the side.
"Two tons?" The three of them turned to look at him in shock.
"Yes. And by the way, when Master Killua returned, he pushed open the third level," Zebro explained.
"The third level? If each side of the first level is two tons, doesn't that an the third level requires sixteen tons of force to open?" Kurapika asked, stunned.
He knew Killua was strong, but he clearly hadn't expected that soone the sa age as Gon would possess such staggering power.
At this mont, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon finally truly grasped the weight of the Zoldyck na.
"Let do it." Seeing the three of them intimidated, Zane stepped forward with a calm expression.
*Step aside, he's about to show off.*
As Zane, who had consistently been the strongest among them, took his place, Leorio and the others quickly moved aside, watching with anticipation.
Zane braced his hands against the gate, leaning his body forward. He planted his feet firmly and channeled his entire body's strength, shoving hard against the stone.
Rumble...
As Zane's power surged, the previously immovable Testing Gate suddenly groaned and vibrated.
The gap in front of Zane widened rapidly, and the doors swung inward, opening all the way up to the fifth level.
Zane's eyes narrowed as he noticed this.
'This isn't enough.'
'While Gon and the others successfully brought Killua back in the original story, the process wasn't exactly smooth.'
'If things still go the sa way even with here, then my presence is pointless.'
'He didn't want to be looked down upon.'
Within a single breath, a sound like crackling thunder suddenly erupted from within Zane's body.
The next second...
BOOM!!!
A ferocious force, far greater than before, suddenly exploded from Zane's palms.
In an instant, to the absolute shock of the other three and Zebro, the Testing Gate shook violently once more.
The doors, which had only opened five levels, saw the final two levels swing inward amidst the tremors.
"Se... Seven levels? All of them?" Zebro's jaw dropped, his face filled with awe.
"Incredible!"
"Zane actually has such ridiculous strength!"
"So this is Zane's true power!"
Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika were similarly stunned. Watching Zane push open all seven levels of the Testing Gate left them completely speechless.
At the Zoldyck estate.
"The Testing Gate... it's been completely opened!"
"Is it the Head or the Old Master?"
"No, both of them are inside the house."
"Could an outsider have arrived?"
"How long has it been? I never thought I'd see an outsider push open all seven levels of the Testing Gate again."
"..."
The commotion from opening seven levels of the Testing Gate was quite significant.
Because of the gate's height, the movent was clearly visible even from within the estate grounds.
The butlers, who were busy with their respective duties, were all struck with amazent when they realized the Testing Gate had been opened—and all seven levels at that.
"Impressive. It seems Killua has made so remarkable friends outside," Silva said calmly, staring at the Testing Gate from a window.
Behind him stood Gotoh, waiting respectfully.
It was clear.
Although Gotoh had hung up on Zebro, he had still reported the arrival of Zane and the others to Silva.
"Let's go. Inform the others to welco our guests," Silva ordered as he turned toward the door after watching for a mont.
Although the Zoldyck family operated an assassin business, they acted more like businessn.
There were only two ways to gain their recognition and hospitality.
One was money; the other was strength.
Setting aside the forr.
As for the latter, being able to push open all seven levels of the Testing Gate was clearly the standard.
"Stop dazing off. Let's go!"
After taking a brief mont to recover his rapidly drained stamina, Zane turned back and called out to the stunned trio.
"Uh... Right!!"
Zane's call brought them back to their senses, and they quickly jogged through the Testing Gate.
Rumble...
After a short while, as the four of them walked onto the path through the inner forest, the Testing Gate slowly groaned shut.
"Master Killua really has made so wonderful friends out there," Zebro remarked with deep emotion as he watched the gate close.
That was just the Zoldyck way.
Even if one wanted to be their friend, they had to possess sufficient strength.
"Is this the magical beast that just ate those rcenaries?"
Before they had even gone far along the forest path, a giant beast lying by the side of the road gave the three of them a fright.
It was a massive hound with thick white fur.
Even just lying on the ground, it looked like a small mountain.
The magical beast hound, known as Mike, stared at the four of them with eyes devoid of any emotion.
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