"It is so beautiful! We are actually up in the sky!"
"Yeah, this is my first ti seeing such a beautiful night sky! Riku-nii! Look! Look over there, it's the stars!"
Beside him, Killua and Gon-kun were chattering non-stop.
Because he had promised Aunt Mito and the residents of Whale Island that he would take good care of Gon-kun, Riku looked out for him most of the ti.
These two little guys had even just sneaked into the kitchen to steal so chicken legs, generously giving Riku one so they could all sit here and admire the night sky together.
Killua and Gon-kun were hitting it off incredibly well.
Whoosh—
A sudden gust of wind swept past.
Riku narrowed his eyes slightly.
He saw it with his own eyes... a walking treasure trove of traits had just slipped past right behind him.
Incredibly fast!
It was practically teleportation.
It was the Association's Chairman, Netero!
Sure enough. Boarding the airship gave the chance to run into this NPC, the world's strongest Hunter. Absolutely fantastic!
Gon-kun didn't have much of a reaction, only looking slightly bewildered.
Killua, however, had a slight change in expression, his gaze instantly turning razor-sharp.
Clack, clack, clack~~
The sound of wooden geta sandals echoed from the other end of the corridor.
The three of them looked toward the sound.
They shockingly saw...
That flashy old man Netero casually strolling over from the opposite direction.
This guy had clearly just done a full lap in the blink of an eye.
With that kind of speed, the so-called "world's fastest sprinters" from Riku's past life wouldn't even be fit to tie his shoes.
"Mr. Netero, did you see soone run past from over there just now?"
Gon-kun pointed toward the other end of the hall, asking with a look of innocent confusion.
"Nope."
Netero smiled amiably, but his gaze skipped right over Gon-kun and Killua, landing squarely on Riku.
Seeing that the young man didn't look the least bit surprised, a sudden realization dawned in his heart.
This kid...
As expected, his perception is incredibly sharp!
Moreover, I actually sensed a faint trace of Nen radiating from his body.
Does that an... he awakened his Nen all on his own?
It was very strange. During the day yesterday, he hadn't sensed this kind of aura from him at all.
But to be able to open his aura nodes completely independently, without any guidance whatsoever!
This was the mark of a true, absolute genius!!
Netero couldn't help but sigh in admiration inwardly, and the look he gave Riku held a hidden trace of fiery enthusiasm.
"For a man your age, Chairman, you are quite agile," Killua shot him a disdainful look, unceremoniously calling him out.
"Ahem, cough, cough. Just now? I was just taking a little stroll. I'm feeling a bit bored, you see, and I was looking for soone to play with. What about you three? Do you have any thoughts on your first ti taking the Hunter Exam?" Netero asked with a smile.
"Mhm, it's really fun! And it's totally different from what I imagined. There are no written tests where you have to use your brain," Gon-kun said excitedly.
"I think it's a letdown. I thought there would be so actually difficult hurdles. Is the next phase going to be any more interesting?" Killua said, looking bored.
"What about you, young man Riku?" Netero looked at Riku with a beaming smile.
"It has been pretty good. I've had a very bountiful harvest during every phase," Riku smiled, speaking with natural composure.
His answer made Netero pause for a mont. At least in Netero's eyes, given Riku's strength, these past few phases should have been incredibly easy, posing no difficulty at all—perhaps even boring.
But in the instant the other party spoke, he clearly sensed that the boy wasn't lying.
How interesting!
It seems I can't quite see through this little guy.
Netero chuckled inwardly.
"Are you three interested in playing a little ga with ? If you win, I'll directly grant you your Hunter qualifications right now."
Netero suddenly offered with a smile.
...
The rules of the ga were incredibly simple.
As always, it was to snatch the volleyball from Netero's grasp!
There were no restrictions on the thod of attack.
The old man would not attack back.
As long as they could take the volleyball, it would be considered their victory!
Gon-kun was buzzing with excitent, while Killua stared warily at Netero, clearly having entered a combat stance.
The two kids made their move first.
Netero treated it like he was teasing children—which, to be fair, he was.
Gon-kun was led around in circles, and the tsundere little shota Killua, who prided himself on his strength, was covered in sweat.
The two of them couldn't even touch the hem of Netero's clothes.
Let alone snatch the volleyball.
Even when the two developed a tacit understanding and coordinated an attack, coming within a hair's breadth of grabbing it...
The flashy old man Netero simply used his real speed and instantly snatched it right back out of their reach.
"I'm not playing anymore! I quit!"
Killua looked frustrated and annoyed.
"We were so close! Why are you giving up so quickly?" Gon-kun didn't seem to understand.
"Haven't you noticed? This old man hasn't used his right hand or his left leg this entire ti. If we keep going like this, we wouldn't be able to take it even if we spent a whole year trying. Riku-nii... this old man is way too strong..." Killua sighed helplessly.
He understood that the other party was completely toying with them on purpose. Taking a shortcut like this was impossible.
"Hehe, young man Riku, are you interested... in giving it a try as well?"
Netero smiled without saying a word to Killua, turning his gaze toward Riku.
His true target was this boy.
Although Gon-kun and Killua showed promise, it wasn't enough to make his heart race.
But Riku was different.
It had been many years since he had felt such an urge to spar with a junior simply out of sheer admiration for their strength.
He could feel it.
Riku was a completely different tier of player compared to Gon-kun and Killua.
However, Riku seed to be waiting for sothing, lacking the motivation to move.
[Ding! You and Netero have entered a combat stance. Defeating the opponent grants a 10% chance to copy the opponent's trait.]
A voice like heavenly music rang out.
Tch!
Defeat him?
That's... way too difficult, right?
Riku felt a strong urge to complain.
[Ding! According to the current agreent, you only need to take the volleyball from Netero's hands for it to be considered defeating the opponent.]
The system prompted again.
Now that's more like it.
"Of course I'm interested, Chairman Netero," Riku smiled.
"Riku-nii, this old man is actually incredibly fast. You definitely have to be careful," Killua warned.
"You can do it! Riku-nii! You definitely have to get the volleyball!!" Gon-kun cheered excitedly.
The two brats obediently went to sit on a bench in the corner, staring unblinkingly at the two n.
Riku slowly stepped forward, walking to the center of the hall to face off against Netero.
"My, my! What an astonishing aura. It is a completely different presence from those two children. It even gives the feeling that a truly evenly-matched opponent is standing right in front of ."
"But according to the agreent, I will not attack. As long as you can take..."
Netero spoke with a beaming smile.
His facial expression was composed, but internally, he was clearly vastly more cautious than when dealing with Gon-kun and Killua.
Unfortunately for him.
Before he could even finish his sentence, Riku had already made his move.
[Extre Speed] (Gold)!
[Natural Born Assassin] (Gold) (Passive)!
[Super Copy] (Gold)!
Riku had just witnessed Netero's footwork and directly copied the Chairman's unique steps.
He also copied Killua's Rhythm Echo assassination steps!
He already had this ability in his traits, but using it directly might give away clues, so... he used Super Copy!
In an instant.
More than a dozen Rikus surrounded Netero and charged at him.
Seeing this scene, Killua was utterly dumbfounded, his heart filled with shock.
W-wait... isn't that the advanced assassination technique, Rhythm Echo!?
"My, my? How truly surprising. To think... you learned such profound footwork techniques simply by observing. This is simply unbelievable. To a certain extent, young man Riku, you are a true martial arts genius."
"But if you want to take the ball from my hands, this still isn't quite enough."
Netero paused in surprise, but then chuckled lightly.
He had no intention of using a tiny fraction of his strength like he did with Killua and the others. Dealing with Riku naturally required him to use more of his real power.
Anyway... he was just smurfing against rookies.
"Is that so?"
The dozen or so Rikus suddenly smiled.
In perfect unison, they raised their fists and aid them directly at the floor of the airship, entirely ignoring Netero.
[Divine Power] (Red)!
"Holy shit!"
Netero's expression instantly changed drastically, the curse word slipping out of his mouth in sheer panic.
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