Hunter x Hunter: Infinite Growth.

"Candidates whose numbers and names have been called, please proceed..."

The broadcast was repeated three times.

The four of them exchanged glances.

"This part wasn't in the last exam."

Kate understood the questions on everyone's minds and answered them directly.

Then, the first candidate to be called was Kate, because his number was the first among the eight.

When Kate approached the chairman, Chairman Netero asked with a smile, "Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I need a hunter's license. The privileges it brings will make it easier for me to find the information and clues I need, and it will also make it easier for me to go to places I want to go."

Kate answered very directly.

President Netero nodded, then asked his second question: "Among the candidates in this exam, who do you think is the strongest?"

"Kevin, Kevin, number 49."

Why do you think that?

"Because he is my friend."

Yes, it's very simple and straightforward.

“Alright, you can leave now.” President Netero nodded and then called the next examinee.

Not long after, Kevin pushed open the door and went inside.

The room was spacious and served as a meditation room. On the wall behind it hung a large calligraphy work, the character "心" (heart), which was carefully framed.

Is it the source of the heart?

Kevin pondered to himself.

He looked around the room before sitting down in front of Chairman Netero.

"You know about the Heart Source Stream?" Chairman Netero asked with interest.

Kevin nodded: "Bisky is my mentor."

"Oh, I see."

Chairman Netero nodded, looking as if he had just realized something.

He vaguely remembered that Bisky had mentioned this during their last phone call.

President Netero knew that Bisky had always liked to take on apprentices and teach them. The fact that this young man was noticed and mentioned by Bisky meant that in Bisky's eyes, Kevin was like an uncut gem, and had already undergone Bisky's initial polishing. Now it was up to his own destiny.

"Why do you want to become a hunter?" Chairman Netero asked again.

"I need a hunter's license. Its privileges not only bring me practical benefits, but also provide me with many hidden advantages and help me avoid a lot of trouble."

Kevin bluntly stated that he felt most people who came to take the Hunter Exam and aspired to obtain a Hunter License were attracted by the various privileges that the license brought.

President Netero nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer.

"Among these candidates, who do you think is the strongest?"

Kevin pointed to himself without the slightest hesitation and said confidently, "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be me."

Chairman Netero nodded again, his expression unchanged.

Do you enjoy fighting?

To this question, Kevin answered without hesitation: "It depends on the type of battle. If it's a battle between people, frankly, I'm not interested at all."

"Of course, this does not mean that I will resist it. After all, violence is indeed convenient at times, especially when I use violence in the name of justice."

"After all, I really hate trouble."

This answer seemed to pique Chairman Netero's interest, and he looked up, staring intently at Kevin.

"What if it's not a battle between people?" Chairman Netero asked curiously.

"That's a different story. If it's not a battle between people, then in my view there are only two possibilities."

"Firstly, it was a battle I actively chose to participate in. Since it was something I did willingly, there's no need to say more, because I'm sure I'll gain something from it."

"Secondly, it was a battle I was forced to get involved in. In this situation of fighting against non-human opponents, it was often a matter of necessity and there was no way to refuse. So there was no reason to hesitate. For survival, life naturally had to fight."

Kevin understood that these words also applied to battles between people.

However, whether he was active or passive, he could not derive any enjoyment from fighting between people. In his eyes, fighting was merely a means and tool to achieve his goals.

Whether due to the peace of the world in the past or his own nature, Kevin truly lacked interest in fighting between people.

But he also knew that in this world full of extraordinary power, strength was an essential guarantee for survival.

“Okay, I understand. You can leave now,” Chairman Netero said.

Kevin nodded, got up, and left the room.

Subsequently, each candidate underwent an interview in turn. The interview questions were nothing more than, "Why do you want to become a hunter?" and "Who do you think is the strongest?"

Almost all the candidates knew in their hearts that there was a general consensus on who was the strongest in this exam.

Previously, they might have hesitated between Kate and Kevin, but after the third test, those doubts largely disappeared.

After all, Kevin is far ahead in points, and his strength is undeniable.

And that concludes the interview process.

The airship flew continuously in the sky for five days, allowing the candidates to fully rest and recharge, so they could face the upcoming exams in top form.

Finally, the airship landed in the territory of the Kingdom of Kakin on the continent of Ezhen.

Kakin is a superpower on another continent. Although it is not a member of V5, its sphere of influence and military strength are almost comparable to those of V5 countries, making it the strongest country below V5.

The candidates started their journey from the superpower Saheruta United Nations on the continent of Eurubian and arrived here.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Final X Victory

The airship landed smoothly in the private airfield of a super hotel.

The Hunter Association booked the entire hotel.

"President, your job isn't actually around here, is it?" the captain asked, rolling his eyes.

He kept saying he was busy, but he actually took several days by airship to get here.

If it's just a duel, you can easily find a venue locally; it's not a problem for hunters at all.

"Oh dear, you found out?" Netero responded with a hearty laugh.

Afterwards, they took the candidates to a spacious arena in the hotel.

After all the candidates had gathered, Netero cleared his throat, stepped forward, and said, "This is the examination room for the final exam. Now, I will explain the exam arrangements to everyone."

I will divide you eight candidates into two teams of four.

Each team member must fight against every member of their team. Weapons can be used freely during the battle, but killing is strictly prohibited. Violation of this rule will result in immediate disqualification from the exam.

Each candidate will participate in a total of four matches, and each candidate will fight me once. The matches will be played on a one-win-one-point basis, and the candidate with the highest final score will win.

As for your duels, I will act as the referee. The specific conditions for each battle will be tailored to the individual circumstances of both sides, with different restrictions and victory conditions.

The candidates understood the rules, but why did they have to fight the president? Everyone was puzzled.

Netero seemed to sense everyone's confusion and explained with a smile, "Don't worry, everyone. I'll set limits for myself to ensure they're within your capabilities. As long as you meet my conditions, you'll get 1.5 points. This is a real bonus challenge!"

The unsuspecting test-takers nodded involuntarily.

"The Hunter Guild Master is so kind."

"The president probably wants to test our abilities."

The test takers whispered among themselves.

Upon hearing these words, the examiners standing nearby couldn't help but inwardly rant.

“Next is the group assignment,” Netero said, as the cloth on the whiteboard next to him was lifted, clearly showing the group assignments for the two groups, each labeled with a number.

Group 1: Kevin (No. 1), Locke (No. 2), Kate (No. 3), Gawain (No. 4).

Group 2: No. 1 Iker, No. 2 Astlan, No. 3 Banana, No. 4 Gorenu.

This grouping is very clear.

Within each group, the students are also ranked according to their scores in the previous exam.

The president grouped the four candidates who could use Nen into one group, which meant that at least one of these four candidates would be eliminated.

"Then, let's begin with the first group's exam. Contestant number one—Kevin—will face off against Lord Netero, President of the Hunter Association."

The referee, wearing sunglasses and a suit, announced the news loudly.

To everyone's surprise, the first match was between Kevin and the president of the Hunter Association.

Kevin instantly realized that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was the strongest among the candidates.

Placing himself in the first position and arranging for the president to fight him first is likely an attempt to let other candidates know his strength and fighting style through this battle, so as to gain an advantage in subsequent duels with him.

After all, for Nen users, combat is about gathering information, though it also depends on the type of ability.