Chapter 89: Blonde Twin Tails
Southernpiece Auction Hall.
"Thank you for your patience. The Greed Island Player Selection Conference will now begin. Participants must possess Nen abilities, as I believe you are all well aware."
"The selection method involves testing everyone's Nen abilities, and we will determine whether you qualify."
Battera's bodyguard stood on the elevated platform, looking down at the numerous skilled participants below. He paused briefly before continuing, "The judges for this session are the professional hunter Tsezguerra, who has been awarded the title of One-Star Hunter..."
"And also Mr. Mord, who is likewise a One-Star Hunter!"
Backstage.
Tsezguerra looked at Mord's calm expression, his own astonishment still not fully subsided. To think he had truly adapted to the game completely in just four days.
After some discussion, he discovered that Mord's understanding of the game was no less than his own, despite Tsezguerra having played it for a full five years.
In merely four days, Mord had uncovered the game's most core secret: that Greed Island was actually a real island existing somewhere in the world.
For a moment, Tsezguerra began to suspect that Mord might have played this game before.
But there would be no reason to hide such a thing.
...
"...Mr. Tsezguerra, Mr. Tsezguerra?!"
The voice in his ear pulled Tsezguerra back to reality. He turned to see one of Battera's personal bodyguards looking at him.
"It's your turn to go on stage, Mr. Tsezguerra."
Tsezguerra nodded, collected his emotions, and slowly walked out from backstage onto the platform.
As a long-established jackpot hunter, Tsezguerra had considerable fame, and many people in the audience recognized him.
But the man standing beside Tsezguerra—Mord—was completely unknown to them, sparking murmurs throughout the crowd.
"Who's that person standing next to Tsezguerra? I've never seen him before."
"I heard from Battera's bodyguard earlier that he's also a One-Star Hunter. A One-Star Hunter so young?"
A lolita with golden twin tails, dressed in an exquisite little dress, rested her chin in her hands and watched Mord with great interest.
From the beginning until now, her gaze had never left him.
In Bisky's eyes, what was so interesting about an old man like Tsezguerra? Naturally, a young and handsome fellow was far more appealing.
Aside from Bisky, Killua and Gon were also staring intently at Mord. It was easy to guess what these two troublemakers were thinking—they wanted to shock Mord and make him take back his previous remarks.
Mord yawned; honestly, he was quite tired from the training these past few days. He scanned the crowd below, and aside from Bisky, no one else could pique his interest.
Relying on his memory, he located the Nen exorcist—a young black man with no eyebrows, easily recognizable, who seemed to be named Abengane.
Mord picked up the staff list beside him and glanced through it, confirming that his name was indeed on it.
Such rare talents were hard to come by.
"Now, let the evaluation begin!"
Tsezguerra looked out at the crowd and announced loudly, "Please come up to the stage one by one to demonstrate your Ten. The stage is divided by iron shutters and curtains to prevent others from seeing."
"The evaluation will end once 32 qualified individuals are selected."
Creak, creak—
As soon as he finished speaking, the curtains on both sides dropped, and the central shutter slowly descended.
"All challengers, please come this way," a bodyguard directed from the side.
The instructions were brief and vague, lacking any detail, yet some of the participants naturally stepped forward.
Mord observed that most of this first batch had some level of skill, though not much.
At the very least, they had resolve.
They understood that here, they were the ones being evaluated.
To achieve great things, they would face countless trials in the future, all of which they must pass. These individuals were already aware of this, so they queued up without asking questions, knowing that no answers would be given even if they did.
Standing on the stage, Mord scanned the venue; there were about 200 candidates undergoing the evaluation.
Around 100 were currently waiting in line, while 50 stood by, watching and waiting for the right moment.
Finally, about 20 remained unmoved.
"Are you wondering which choice is the right one right now?"
The sudden voice startled Killua, who instinctively leaped back a considerable distance, crouching low with his hands transformed into sharp claws, ready to attack.
Only when he saw it was Mord did he relax.
Mord, the examiner, had now casually taken a seat in the audience area, leaning back with his arms spread wide.
"Over a dozen people have already gone in, but not a single one has come out. You're probably thinking, 'Did everyone who went in pass? Should I hurry and join the line?'"
He had seen right through me.
Killua stared at Mord in shock. In his mind, Mord was now the second most terrifying person in the world, right after his brother Illumi.
Mord waved him over and said, "Don't worry, none of them will make it."
Killua approached Mord, pursed his lips, and said, "Is it appropriate for you, as an examiner, to say such things?"
"What's inappropriate about it?"
"If you were the examiner, how would you ensure you selected the strongest and most suitable candidates, to avoid overlooking any hidden gems?"
Watching the pensive Killua, Mord continued, "The passing criteria for the selection will definitely be set very high—high enough to eliminate the vast majority of participants."
"As for the number of qualifiers, rest assured it absolutely won't exceed thirty-two."
"Mr. Mord!"
While Mord was chatting with Killua and Gon, a staff member suddenly ran over and spoke up.
"There's a contestant who insists on having you specifically as her examiner."
"..."
Mord nodded. When he arrived at the examination room, as he expected, the contestant who had requested him was indeed Bisky.
Tsezguerra looked at Mord, his expression conveying that he would leave the rest to him.
Unexpectedly, Mord directly pointed at Bisky and declared, "You pass."
"Huh???"
Everyone present was baffled.
"I haven't even demonstrated my abilities yet, and you're already passing me?" Bisky also looked up at Mord, blinking her eyes, her gaze filled with curiosity.
"The fact that you chose me as your examiner proves you have exceptional judgment. With that kind of insight alone, there's no reason not to let you pass," Mord said with a laugh.
Tsezguerra wore an expression that seemed to say, "Are you serious, man?"
But since Battera had appointed Mord as an examiner, he had the authority to decide which contestants passed the assessment.
Especially after witnessing Mord's strength firsthand, Tsezguerra believed that every word and action of Mord carried profound meaning.
He carefully examined the little blonde girl before him.
There must be something I'm missing.
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