Hunter x Hunter: Card Master, the Strongest in the World

"What? There's only one spot available after the exam?"

Leorio looked at the challenge list in surprise. He thought that only the final winner could become a Hunter. If that was the case, there was no need to compete at all, because the winner would definitely be his master.

"No, this form is a little different. Candidates only need to win one game to pass."

"Then the losers will continue to advance, and the candidates who fail in the last few challenges will be eliminated!"

In other words, only one out of ten of you will be eliminated!

Hearing Nitro's explanation, the candidates' hearts finally calmed down; they had almost been scared to death.

After calming down, the group realized something.

Eliminating only one person increases your chances of passing, that's fine. The problem is that eventually one person will be eliminated!

This person certainly wouldn't be someone like Lynn or Hisoka, so who can guarantee that it won't be themselves!

One out of ten people is chosen, versus nine out of ten people are chosen.

The feeling of being eliminated is completely different between the two, and neither of them would be willing to accept being the loser.

The rule is that the opponent must verbally admit defeat. If the opponent faints, it does not count as a successful match. However, you cannot kill your opponent, otherwise you will also lose your qualification.

It's fair to say that this year's final test was much more lenient than in previous years; normally only one or two people pass the Hunter Exam.

This is also because Chairman Netero saw that the quality of this year's candidates was high and did not want to waste these promising talents.

According to Netero, he has witnessed this cycle several times since he became president.

For several years, no promising talents have emerged, and only a handful of people have become hunters. Then, in a certain year, promising talents will emerge in an explosive surge!

After all the important points were explained, the final exam officially began!

Everyone stepped back to the wall, leaving the central area cleared out to serve as a ring. From left to right, there were the examinees, the challenge list in the middle, President Netero and the referees, and finally, the examiners including Menchi.

A middle-aged referee wearing sunglasses walked out and announced the list of the first match.

"Round 1, #436 Lynn versus #99 Killua!"

Lynn raised an eyebrow. So he was the first one, and his opponent was the silver-haired cat Killua.

That makes sense, since there are only ten people in total, and Leorio and his group alone take up four of the spots, so the probability of running into them is almost 50%.

"Huh? Me, fighting Lynn?" Killua said helplessly. "I choose to forfeit and play the next match."

He didn't even bother with formalities; he simply conceded defeat.

Although he had never fought Lynn, after spending these days together, he was completely certain that Lynn's strength was above his own.

There's no need to fight someone you can't beat.

Chapter 139 Kurapika Becomes an Apprentice! Secret Realm Trait Bar!

Three feet frozen, not a cold day.

Lynn gave Killua a deep look. Although he could understand it, Killua's choice to run away wasn't limited to opponents who were too strong. He would run away from opponents of similar strength as well.

Assassins need to weigh the pros and cons; there are only two outcomes: killing or not killing. If they are facing an invincible enemy, there is no need to fight... This is the consistent style of the Zoldyck family, and the same concept has been formed in the younger generation such as Killua.

Of course, besides that, the Nen needle that Illumi left on Killua's forehead is also a key point.

In order to better control Killua and ensure his safety, Illumi originally planted Nen needles in his own brother's head.

The effect is different from the usual strong control; it is a subconscious soft control that makes Killua's first reaction when facing a sufficiently threatening enemy always to run away rather than try to fight.

Lynn neither agreed nor disagreed with this idea.

It certainly has advantages; it can greatly ensure one's safety.

However, if one continues to harbor such thoughts, one will never grow into a true powerhouse. It seems that Killua will need quite some time to get rid of this mindset.

Perhaps because the effects of [Nen] are different, and it also includes a trace of obsession, the Nen needles in Killua's brain did not lose their function after the real Illumi died, and continued to operate normally.

Illumi, the stand-in, also checked and confirmed that there was no change from before, and he did not let Illumi deliberately pull it out.

Once Killua's strength reaches a certain level, he will be able to remove the needles himself. Being born into such a family is a tragedy. He was raised as the head of an assassin family from a young age and has an older brother who is obsessed with his younger brother. No wonder Killua would say things like he hates killing and wants to be friends with Gon.

The first match ended so hastily, but no one was surprised; in fact, most people thought it was to be expected.

After Killua conceded defeat, Lynn became the first candidate to pass the Hunter Exam.

After several rounds of competition, the only unlucky one among the ten was born, who happened to be a stranger who had never appeared in the original work.

Thus, the 287th Hunter Exam came to a successful conclusion, with a total of nine candidates passing, a rare and fruitful outcome.

At least Lynn looked at Netero with a smiling expression.

After passing the test, everyone received their Hunter Licenses, which are protected by various anti-counterfeiting measures and cannot be copied.

Benefits include, but are not limited to: access to 90% of countries that are generally prohibited from entry and 75% of restricted areas, and free use of 95% of public facilities.

The money from the sale could provide for seven generations of descendants, and could also be used as collateral to secure large loans.

In the courtyard of the final venue, in a deserted corner, before Lynn had even left, Kurapika approached with a serious expression, as if he had made up his mind.

Seeing this, Lynn remained outwardly calm, but secretly guessed Kurapika's thoughts.

Come to think of it, if it were him, he wouldn't have missed this opportunity either.

"Lynn, have you ever heard of the Kurta tribe?" Kurapika didn't directly ask to become his apprentice, but instead started by talking about his background.

Since the storm was absorbed by Hakuryu, many candidates on the Poseidon passed the test, so Gon and his two companions didn't reveal their reason for taking the Hunter Exam.

"I've heard some things about it. I remember they were wiped out by the Phantom Troupe, an A-class criminal group." Lynn pretended to be completely unaware.

"Does the Phantom Troupe, like you, possess that kind of magical power?" Kurapika asked the question he was most concerned about. As he uttered the words "Phantom Troupe," his dark eyes unconsciously turned into magnificent fiery red eyes.

Is it the fiery red eyes that make up one of the seven great beauties of the world...?

Lynn stared into Kurapika's eyes. This was the second of the Seven Beauties he had ever seen. He had to admit that Kurapika was indeed beautiful; otherwise, so many people wouldn't be pursuing him.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't appreciate the beauty derived from human organs.

Lynn nodded slightly: "To be honest, even among our group, the Phantom Troupe is considered a master, stronger than many others."

Kurapika was momentarily stunned. Sure enough, the Phantom Troupe also possessed that kind of power!

In that case, he needs to become Lynn's apprentice even more, otherwise, with the strength of an ordinary person, he simply cannot take revenge.

Kurapika was slightly agitated: "I am the sole survivor of the Kurta clan, and I am striving to avenge myself against the Phantom Troupe."

"If possible... please allow me to become your disciple!" Kurapika bowed deeply, his tone full of pleading.

He had never felt so close to achieving his revenge. A voice inside him seemed to be telling him that becoming Lynn's apprentice might be the best decision he had ever made!

Lynn crossed his arms and looked at the blond boy in front of him who bore the brunt of his clan's annihilation. After a few breaths, he slowly spoke: "I have very high standards for my disciples. Are you sure you can accept that?"

"I'm sure! No matter how hard or tiring it is, I can accept it!" Kurapika raised his head, his gaze firm.

As long as he could avenge his father, he would spare no effort, even at the cost of his own life! With this thought in mind, Kurapika's eyes burned bright red.

“Alright, from now on you will be my second apprentice.” Lynn continued in a calm tone, “I will train you to be a talent just like I trained Leorio, and I believe in your beliefs.”

"Yes, Master!" Kurapika said excitedly.

“I also feel deep sympathy for the plight of the Kuruta tribe. My goal is to travel to various regions, and I am quite curious about the Kuruta ruins. It’s just a pity that the location is too remote. It is said to be located in the deep mountains where outsiders can hardly find it.” Lynn changed the subject, expressing his curiosity about the Kuruta tribe.

"Oh? I didn't expect Master to be interested in our Kurta tribe as well." Kurapika was slightly surprised, then said with a hint of helplessness and indignation, "It's a pity that our homeland has been destroyed. Even if you go there now, you won't see anything."

"If you'd like to go, let me take you there."

"Okay." This was exactly what Lynn had been waiting for Kurapika to say.

Without further ado, Lynn told Leorio to go back to the Sky Arena and wait, while he and Kurapika headed to the Kurta Ruins.

Once the trait bar over there is finished, he will bring Kurapika to the Heaven's Arena. On one hand, he can train Kurapika, and on the other hand, it's time to challenge the boss!

With his current strength, he should have no problem even facing the previous fighting tournament champion and the strongest boss, whom he has never met.

……

Kuluta District,

The area is characterized by towering mountains and lush forests, forming vast expanses of trees. The once-famous Kuluta tribe lived here, but that is now a thing of the past, as the Kuluta tribe has been exterminated.

Swah——

"We should be there soon. I remember it's in this area."

Kurapika weaved through the woods, his voice slightly excited.

Taking my master back for a visit this time will also allow him to go back and pay respects to the deceased members of his clan.

Before long, Kurapika stopped in front of the two large trees and did not move forward.

"Have we finally arrived?"

Lynn looked around at his surroundings. Were we still in the forest? There was no open space or houses in sight.

"The entrance is right here."

Kurapika walked toward two adjacent large trees. Ahead was a rock covered in moss and had some tiny cracks, looking like it had been through many storms.

Kurapika walked straight towards the space between the two large trees, which could roughly accommodate two or three people at the same time.

Suddenly, as if Kurapika had touched something, a layer of white ripples appeared out of thin air around his body.

In the blink of an eye, Kurapika's figure disappeared from there, as if he had been swallowed up.

Upon seeing this, Lynn was taken aback at first, then suddenly remembered something.

"Could it be..."

Lynn followed Kurapika's example and walked in that direction. A moment later, he felt slightly dizzy and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in another place.

Kurapika explained softly, "The reason why our Kurta tribe can live in seclusion for so long without being discovered by outsiders is because we do not live directly in the mountains."

"Instead, they reside in a secret realm!"

Lynn thought to himself, "Just as I suspected, this is exactly what I was thinking!"

The opening lines of Hunter x Hunter: Monsters, rare beasts, treasures, hidden treasures, demonic realms, secret realms—the magic emanating from a language called "Unknown"...

Leaving aside the first four, the latter two, the Demon Realm and the Secret Realm, have almost never appeared.

When Lynn saw Kurapika suddenly disappear, those two words immediately came to mind. And that was indeed the case; it turned out that the Kurta tribe lived in a secret realm deep in the mountains and forests.

This also explains why the Kuruta tribe was able to remain hidden for so long without being discovered.

After all, Red Eyes is one of the seven most beautiful creatures in the world. No matter how deep in the mountains it hides, it will definitely be found. Only by living in a secret place with a hidden entrance can it be found.

At the same time, Lynn also noticed a new attribute bar appearing in his mind, which was obviously the attribute bar of the Kurta Clan's Secret Realm!

I wonder what kind of card will be revealed?

Based on his previous speculation, the Kurta clan ruins are very similar to the Uchiha clan's base where they were wiped out, so it is highly likely that the Sharingan will be found there!

"Master, let me show you around." Kurapika led Lynn forward.

The secret realm is also full of trees. The houses of the Kuluta people are built among the trees, but the architectural style is quite unique. They are not like ordinary houses, but semi-circular buildings similar to yurts, with strange patterns on them.

One thing that puzzled Lynn was something that had been on his mind since he read the original comic book in his previous life.

Here, everything from trees and grass to the houses of the Kurta tribe is covered in circular patterns, much like the patterns on Devil Fruits in the One Piece world.

"Kurapika, why are there circular patterns everywhere here?"

Unable to understand, Lynn asked Kurapika, a native, but he didn't know the reason either, because this was the scene around him since he could remember, and his tribe had never explained it.

As Lynn approached his dwelling, he saw traces of the past. Many houses were damaged, and these traces alone indicated that a great battle had taken place here.

After visiting the place where he had lived before, Kurapika arrived at a special place filled with small hills.

This is a cemetery.

Each small hill represents a deceased member of the tribe.

The Kuluta tribe has a total of 128 members, which is not a small number, so there are a total of 127 graves here.

What surprised Lynn even more was that there was a considerable amount of death spirit floating above the cemetery, which showed how much resentment the Kurta people had when they died, in order to form such a large amount of death spirit.

Lynn roughly estimated that these death thoughts were about the same size as the death thoughts contained deep in the swamp during the culinary competition.