Hunter x Hunter: The Strongest Zoldyck

Chapter 119 Jesting...

Roy looked at the can of drink, then at Dongba's face.

The smile on that face was perfect... the curve of the corners of the mouth, the lines at the corners of the eyes, the height of the eyebrows—everything was just right.

It's like you've practiced in front of the mirror many times, knowing which expression to make people relax and be on guard the most.

Roy reached out and took the drink, staring at the cold metal can in his hand for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "Thanks."

Dongba's eyes lit up, and his smile deepened: "You're welcome, you're welcome. It's nothing. Well then... see you on the arena?"

He nodded to Roy and turned to walk towards the players' rest area.

He took a couple of steps, then turned back and added, "By the way, drinks should be drunk while they're cold; they taste best when they're ice-cold."

Then he left.

The tan jacket didn't stand out in the crowd and quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Fika stared at the disappearing figure, his brows furrowing even more: "Boss, that guy is so strange. I always feel... there's something off about the way he looked at you."

Roy looked down at the cold can of drink in his hand.

The water droplets on the aluminum can dampened his palm; they felt icy cold, like something stuck to his hand.

He turned the can over and glanced at the ingredient list. It was a regular carbonated beverage, containing nothing but sugar and carbon dioxide.

He brought the jar close to his nose and smelled the seal. There was no strange smell, no bitter almond smell, and nothing that shouldn't be in the drink.

A very ordinary, normal, chilled carbonated beverage.

Roy unscrewed the can and poured the drink inside onto the floor.

The amber liquid splashed on the dark green ground, bubbling and hissing, before being quickly absorbed by the cushioning pad.

Fika was stunned for a moment: "Boss? You..."

"He didn't come here to fight."

Roy casually tossed the empty can into a nearby trash can, the metallic clanging sound echoing in the empty space.

"He came to poison us."

"Poisoning?!" Fica's voice rose a octave, drawing sidelong glances from several spectators nearby.

Roy offered no explanation.

He simply stared at the corner where Dongba had disappeared, his silver-gray eyes reflecting the dim yellow light deep in the corridor.

"Dongba...a killer of newcomers."

He spoke softly, as if reciting a name he had known for a long time.

"He repeatedly failed the Hunter Exam and would drug newcomers during the exam, causing them to be eliminated due to physical discomfort."

"His record isn't about how many strong opponents he defeated, but how many promising newcomers he sent away."

Fika's mouth opened into an "O" shape.

"But how...how did he get to the 199th floor?"

"Didn't he fail even the Hunter Exam?"

Roy shook his head: "The Heaven's Arena is different from the Hunter Exam. The Hunter Exam tests overall qualities, and Nen is just one of the requirements."

"And in the Sky Arena, as long as you can win, it doesn't matter what means you use."

He paused, his gaze falling on the still bubbling beverage puddle on the ground.

"Drug administration is also a method."

Fica was silent for a few seconds, then clenched his fist: "Then boss, be careful, this guy is cunning."

Roy did not answer.

His gaze shifted from the ground to the center of the circular arena in the distance.

Sunlight streamed through the glass of the dome, illuminating the dark green cushions.

Dongba...

Ha... I never expected that my final battle before reaching the 200th floor would be against Dongba.

It wasn't Hisoka, nor any Nen user, but an ordinary person who couldn't even pass the Hunter Exams and specialized in drugging and ripping off newcomers...

As a battle before facing Hisoka, this was indeed a fight that couldn't even be considered a warm-up.

But... Dongba?

Having characters from the storyline as your rivals can be a nice change of pace.

With his eyes slightly closed, Roy's previously hidden excitement and fighting spirit began to subside, and a playful and mischievous look began to emerge.

Since we've run into each other... let's have some fun... newbie killer.

After all, you were the one who made the first move.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roy glanced at the amber liquid on the cushioning pad, and a hint of mockery silently arose in his heart.

"Fica, you go to the stands first."

Turning his head, Roy slowly walked towards the ring: "The match is about to begin."

"Oh... okay," Fica replied instinctively.

Then Fica turned and walked towards the stands, glancing back one last time as he left...

The white-haired boy had a slender back and light, quick steps, even with a hint of...excitement?

Fica rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

That was indeed jubilation... not murderous intent, not a sense of oppression, but jubilation.

Is it just my imagination...?

Shaking his head, Fica quickly walked to the far corner of the stands and casually found a seat to sit down.

On the ring, Roy had already taken his position.

A figure in khaki hue emerged from around the corner of the corridor.

Dongba changed his clothes; instead of the old jacket, he wore a clean white training uniform with creases.

The training clothes were clearly new; the tag was still hanging outside the collar, swaying gently in the wind.

His hair had also been styled up; it was no longer a messy plaster to his forehead, but instead styled with hairspray into a somewhat deliberate, overly neat hairstyle.

He seemed like a completely different person, having gone from a construction worker to an apprentice at a small martial arts school... Still ordinary, but at least he looked like a proper competitor.

He stepped onto the ring, stood opposite Roy, his eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Roy, and then gave him a standard, ingratiating smile: "How is it? Not bad, right?"

Roy looked into his eyes.

The murky brown hair was now trying its best to make the expression that should appear on the face of a good senior who cares about his opponent.

Unfortunately, his acting skills weren't good enough.

Or perhaps, Roy's observation skills were too sharp... He saw through the contempt hidden in Tonba's eyes.

It was a contemptuous look that had been practiced countless times, waiting for the prey to fall.

"It tastes great."

"It's sweet and cool, and it gives you energy all over after drinking it."

Roy smiled, a smile that was not aggressive at all, and even carried a hint of innocence.

Dongba's eyes lit up again, even brighter than before, and his smile deepened, the curve of his mouth almost reaching his ears.

"That's good, that's good."

He nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement.

"Young people need to drink more sweet things to replenish their energy. By the way, don't you feel... a little sleepy?"

He asked the question naturally, like someone who cared about Roy.

But Roy noticed that when he asked that question, his right index and middle fingers unconsciously flicked twice along the seam of his pants, as if he were counting something.

"A little."

Roy's voice carried a feigned languidness.

"I am indeed... a little sleepy."

Dongba's fingers paused for a moment, then plucked even faster.