When it came to the most authoritative tool in the Hunter world for measuring changes in physical strength and bone density...
Morrow could only think of the Zoldyck Family's Testing Gate.
Moreover, as long as the Testing Gate wasn't damaged, the Zoldyck Family couldn't care less about outsiders attempting to push it.
Originally, Morrow had planned to visit the Testing Gate every two weeks to track his progress in physical strength.
However, plans often don't survive contact with reality.
It wasn't until the end of his training that he finally went to the Testing Gate to assess his results.
—--
Two days later.
The airship landed at an airport in the Dentora Region.
Instead of rushing to take the shuttle to Kukuroo Mountain, Morrow first stopped by the airport's parcel storage to pick up a package.
Inside were Big-Eyed Frog merchandise, mostly daily items like glasses, hairbands, clothes, and slippers.
But these were all upcoming seasonal products from the Big-Eyed Frog brand.
The only reason Morrow could get his hands on these new items was thanks to his status as a martial arts Olympic champion.
After unpacking and stuffing the Big-Eyed Frog merchandise into a canvas bag, Morrow left the airport.
Outside, a bus bound for Kukuroo Mountain happened to be waiting, so he boarded it.
Once inside, Morrow immediately noticed several brawny men sitting at the back of the bus, along with long objects wrapped in thick cloth beside them.
Those were clearly weapons like swords or blades.
Judging by their physique and aura, these men were anything but ordinary passengers.
Morrow paid them little mind and simply took an empty seat.
This bus was headed for the Testing Gate, a tourist hotspot in the Dentora Region.
Given that, it wasn't hard to guess the intentions of the brawny men at the back.
They were likely just another group of reckless Blacklist Hunters with their sights set on the Zoldyck Family.
At times, Morrow truly couldn't understand people like this.
The Zoldyck Family was a colossal entity that had stood unshaken for years. Just its mere presence was like a merciless abyss, swallowing countless lives without a trace.
And yet...
People still flocked to their doom without end.
It was as if they could only see the unimaginable rewards reaped from challenging the Zoldyck Family, while completely blind to the cliff beneath their feet.
For this phenomenon, Morrow could only come to one conclusion.
It was desire.
Desire, the very thing that clouded humanity's instinct for self-preservation.
—--
Several hours later.
The bus arrived at its destination.
Tourists filed out one after another, their eyes immediately drawn to the towering, dark-gray Testing Gate ahead.
Its solemn, mysterious aura, coupled with an indescribable visual impact, struck the tourists like a sudden revelation.
Excited gasps and exclamations filled the air, but Morrow ignored them all. After disembarking, he headed straight for the Testing Gate.
But he had only taken a few steps when a commotion erupted behind him.
The brawny men from earlier were shoving tourists aside, their sights locked on the Testing Gate.
Each of them carried long objects wrapped in thick cloth, but now they tore off the coverings, revealing cold, gleaming blades.
At the sight of the weapons, the knocked-over tourists froze in fear, quickly silencing themselves. Morrow suddenly slowed his pace, allowing the brawny men to walk ahead while he took out his phone and sent Kalluto a text message: "Arrived."
Before coming to the Dentora Region, he had informed Kalluto in advance.
Moreover, this trip wasn't solely to test his training results, he also intended to "commission Kalluto long-term."
To level up faster, Morrow thought of using Kalluto's tracking ability to precisely locate targets that met his experience criteria.
For example, those A-class fugitives on the bounty list or the Shadow Beasts under the Ten Dons.
Last September, he had killed Worm and Mosquito.
Several months had passed since then, and given the Ten Dons' resources, they had likely already selected new Shadow Beast members.
If conditions permitted, Morrow considered intermittently killing one or two Shadow Beasts, then waiting for the Ten Dons to replenish their ranks.
The only issue was accounting for the Ten Dons' retaliation.
But risk and reward went hand in hand.
Morrow had always understood this principle.
Putting away his phone, Morrow glanced at the brawny men.
They had already reached the Testing Gate, seemingly intending to enter the Zoldyck Family's territory openly, so they set down their weapons and attempted to push open the gate.
—--
Inside the nearby security booth.
Zebro set aside his tea, keeping a close eye on the brawny men's actions.
He wasn't worried they might open the gate, he was concerned they might damage it.
Moreover, uncivilized behavior like hacking at the stone gate with swords was something he had to watch out for.
One by one, the brawny men tried pushing the gate, but all failed.
At best, they could only open a palm-width gap.
"Damn it. We'd heard about it before coming, but actually trying it, it's unbelievably heavy," a bearded man muttered, frowning.
They had hoped to enter through the main gate but hadn't expected it to be so difficult.
After several attempts, they had to pause and rest before even setting foot in the Zoldyck Family's territory.
Nearby tourists observed their efforts with curiosity but refrained from mocking them outright, wary of provoking trouble.
Morrow stood quietly to the side, letting these Blacklist Hunters, eager to rush to their deaths, busy themselves.
He wasn't in a hurry to test his training results and could wait for Kalluto to come out.
Inside the security booth.
Seeing that the brawny men were at least somewhat civilized, Zebro relaxed slightly and picked up his now-cooled teacup.
As he raised it to his lips, his gaze inadvertently swept over the crowd of tourists, and suddenly landed on Morrow.
Instantly, the teacup trembled in his hand, freezing mid-air.
That young man…
Zebro's heart jolted. He quickly set the cup down and scrutinized Morrow's appearance, afraid he might be mistaken.
It's really him!
The memory from several months ago still sent a chill down his spine.
Having guarded the Zoldyck Family's gate for nearly twenty years, he had never witnessed anything like that before.
Noticing Zebro's gaze, Morrow met his eyes and gave a slight nod in greeting.
Zebro was taken aback but promptly averted his gaze, silently impressed by the young man's courtesy. He couldn't help but recall the scene at that time, how this young man had remained composed and courteous even when facing the terrifying aura emanating from the enraged Madam.
What an impressive young man, Zebro thought to himself.
Suddenly, he overheard the conversation between those brawny men.
"Forget it, let's push it together!"
After several attempts, they finally abandoned the idea of opening the gate by themselves.
But they hadn't given up on entering through the main gate.
So they decided to push the stone gate together.
Just as they were about to act, the Testing Gate suddenly emitted a deep rumbling sound.
"Huh?!"
"Someone's coming out!"
Startled, they saw the Testing Gate swing outward.
Immediately, they drew their swords and other weapons, retreating step by step as the gate opened.
"If they're coming out, it'll save us the trouble of... What?!"
Seeing the Testing Gate open outward, the brawny men thought it would spare them the effort of going inside, only to be stunned as the massive, towering stone gate was pushed open, one after another, six gates in total!
The tourists present also witnessed this scene, their mouths agape in shock.
Inside the security booth.
Zebro abruptly stood up and hurried outside, assuming a posture of readiness to receive orders.
Morrow's gaze swept over the six gates moving with the heavy rumbling sound, his heart filled with astonishment. He immediately realized that the person pushing the gates wasn't Kalluto.
With this realization, his eyes abruptly lowered, focusing on the slender figure gradually revealed as the stone gates opened.
The figure wore green attire adorned with numerous bead-head needles, had pitch-black, indifferent eyes, and shoulder-length black hair.
"Illumi."
With just one glance, Morrow recognized the newcomer.
Illumi pushed open the Testing Gate with an indifferent expression and stepped out, casting a sidelong glance at the brawny men, whose faces had turned deathly pale.
"How nice."
He murmured softly.
"W-what?!"
The brawny men heard Illumi's whisper and grew uneasy, unable to suppress the fear welling up inside them.
That majestic stone gate...
They had all tried pushing it earlier.
But no matter how hard they exerted themselves, they couldn't fully open even the smallest gate.
Yet this black-haired young man before them had effortlessly pushed open six gates in total.
So...
The larger gates weren't just for decoration.
They could actually be opened.
But what kind of monster would it take to push open such enormous gates?
The brawny men finally "woke up."
The existence of the Zoldyck Family was like the Testing Gate before them, a true behemoth, something they couldn't hope to budge even slightly.
Unfortunately, their realization came too late.
"I'll use you as my 'justification'."
Illumi flipped his hand and extended his index finger, pointing at the stunned brawny men.
In the next instant, several bead-head needles infused with aura shot through the air, piercing their heads.
A Coercive-type manipulation ability activated instantly.
The consciousness of the brawny men was erased, turning them into puppet-like Needlemen.
This sudden turn of events finally snapped the tourists out of their daze.
"Murder!!!"
Watching as several bead-head needles were inserted into the heads of those brawny men, some tourists screamed in terror.
The scream seemed to serve as a signal.
The tourists, who had been taking photos and checking in moments ago, immediately scrambled toward the bus in a panic.
Fortunately, the bus driver was a responsible man. Not only did he not flee immediately, he even opened the door right away, urging the tourists to board as quickly as possible.
In just a short while, all the tourists managed to get on the bus.
"Driver, don't leave yet! There are still people who haven't boarded!"
"Huh?"
The bus driver was about to step on the gas and flee when a middle-aged woman, her face filled with worry and urgency, called out to him.
He immediately switched his foot to the brake, rolled down the window, and shouted at Morrow, who stood motionless not far away, "What are you waiting for? Get on the bus now!"
"..."
Morrow didn't respond, only turning his head slightly.
A faint trace of killing intent followed his gaze, striking the eyes of many passengers, including the driver.
The driver's face stiffened instantly, and without hesitation he slammed on the accelerator, sending the bus speeding down the mountain road ahead.
As the bus swiftly drove away, Morrow withdrew his killing intent and turned his attention to Illumi and the four vacant-eyed Needlemen.
Illumi studied Morrow for a moment before remarking coolly, "Killing intent is indeed more efficient than 'persuasion.' However, I have no intention of wasting Nen needles on that crowd."
"I noticed."
Morrow tossed the duffel bag aside and drew the Poultry Scarlet Knife in one fluid motion, his aura surging like waves around him. "But if they had lingered, it would've been a different story."
"Ah, that's true. Once the battle begins, their existence would have taken on a different nature."
Illumi deftly plucked a bead-head needle from his collar with his index and middle fingers, his expression indifferent as he asked, "So I'm a little curious, was your earlier action out of concern for their safety, or simply to fundamentally limit my ability?"
"Think what you want."
Morrow leveled the knife in front of him and said calmly, "At this point, asking why your 'killing intent' is so strong is meaningless, isn't it?"
"Hmm? How so..."
Illumi tilted his head slightly, pointing at the Needlemen before him as he murmured, "Because... you and they are the same."
"..."
Hearing this, Morrow suddenly struck, his aura sharpening in his palm as he instantly condensed a Shooting Star and launched it.
The projectile tore through the air, striking one of the Needlemen in the neck.
Thud!
Blood blossomed.
The Needleman's head fell with the impact, and its body collapsed heavily to the ground, motionless.
Illumi merely glanced at the headless Needleman from the corner of his eye, realizing that Morrow had accurately deduced that severing the head was the only way to completely neutralize a Needleman, based solely on the fact that their heads were impaled with needles.
With this in mind, Illumi remained unfazed as he issued his next command: "Tackle him."
The remaining three Needlemen sprang into action at his words, their eyes rolling and mouths twisted as they lunged at Morrow like rabid dogs.
Objects controlled by Manipulation abilities are typically enveloped in the manipulator's aura.
Thus, they are effectively enhanced by Nen.
But three Needlemen alone were hardly enough to pose a threat.
Yet Morrow didn't hesitate to activate his ability.
Starlight Convergence.
Brilliant starlight scattered across the surroundings.
The next moment, Morrow perceived movement information from Illumi that was even faster than the Needlemen.
As expected...
The Needlemen were merely a distraction.
The real trump card was Illumi's rapid approach and the Nen needles that could strike at any moment.
The combination of martial arts and Nen needles...
That was the most troublesome aspect of Illumi's ability.
Because the opponent had to...
Constantly guard against the Nen needles that could end the battle in an instant!
Thus, they were more easily forced into making mistakes.
Anticipating this, Morrow decisively and promptly used starlight to help him react in advance.
Swish!
A swift, straight-line retreat.
Illumi, who had used the Needlemen as cover and slipped around from the blind spot in Morrow's peripheral vision like a ghost, could only watch as the Nen needle between his fingers struck empty air.
"Such quick reflexes... Is it because of these light points?"
Illumi, who was extremely skilled at striking from blind spots, immediately realized the reason upon seeing Morrow execute such a near-predictive evasion.
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Bonus chapter for the new review.
Remember: I'll publish a bonus chapter for every new review and for every 10 Power Stones the story gets.