HxH: I Will Be Supreme

Oboro left the city aboard an airship with distinctive chevron markings.

His destination was a mountain town in the region of the Padokea Republic, which hosted one of this year's Hunter Exam preliminaries.

The basic information was publicly available

The Hunter Trials were held annually, barring extraordinary circumstances.

For the general public, even if they were unfamiliar with the concept of "Nen," the title of "Hunter" was deeply respected and considered the mark of an elite professional.

The hunter's license carried tremendous weight. Successfully becoming a Hunter opened doors to many prestigious career paths and opportunities.

Currently, many members of the Hunter Association hold positions in various organizations and social institutions, or run their own businesses.

For example, Mizaistom Nana, one of the Zodiacs, ran a prominent private security firm.

Hunters were integrated into every facet of society.

Of course, there were more specialized paths, such as the archaeological pursuits of Ging Freecss or biological researchers like Kite.

While the mastery of Nen was crucial to the development of one's strength, the importance of a hunter's professional expertise couldn't be ignored.

These were individuals who had mastered certain fields.

As for their individual abilities, they varied greatly.

The main reason why the Hunter's Exam limited the information about Nen was that it was impossible to judge a person's character beforehand.

After all, while physical strength alone could earn someone a Hunter's license, if a person of questionable character gained easy access to Nen, it could lead to serious consequences with far-reaching societal implications.

The Hunter Exam attracted numerous candidates each year.

Furthermore, learning and developing Nen was inherently a "private and personal" journey.

Typically, after obtaining a hunter's license, newcomers were introduced to Nen by a "mentor".

Each mentor had the responsibility of teaching, training, and supervising; they would evaluate whether an individual was qualified to become a Nen user and whether his or her character met the necessary standards.

This system greatly reduced the emergence of "dangerous elements".

These details were shared by Wing.

However, these were only general circumstances. The methods and opportunities for learning Nen varied greatly from person to person; nothing was absolute.

With half a month left before the preliminaries, there was no need to rush.

It took two days to reach his destination, a small town called Tandon.

The area was barely one-tenth the size of Glam Gas Land, with a sparse population, and the atmosphere had none of the hustle and bustle of the big city, instead exuding the peaceful air of a quiet retreat.

The architecture was similar to ancient Roman design, with modest building heights. Mountains and forests surrounded the city, and the climate was pleasant, far more temperate than the heat of Glam Gas Land.

This wasn't the final location. Oboro still had to take a bus to a smaller city in the region.

He treated it as a welcome opportunity to relax - almost like a vacation.

Under the cover of night, a bus with twenty to thirty passengers bounced along the rough mountain road.

The passengers included elderly people, women, and children, all dressed in simple, matching clothes - clearly locals from the area.

Oboro occupied the last row, his head tilted back, emitting a soft snore.

He wore a newly purchased black suit and sunglasses.

The outfit had become something of a habit.

A little girl with pigtails noticed the sleeping man and covered her mouth, giggling softly.

She had discovered a trace of drool.

"Driver, how much longer?" Someone called out.

"Once we get over the mountain and onto the flat road, we'll be there in about two hours." The driver shouted back.

Besides Oboro, several other passengers were clearly outsiders.

Their faces showed growing impatience.

"Why is it so remote? What's wrong with it? Couldn't they have chosen a more accessible place?"

A yellow-haired youth complained.

At that moment, Oboro shifted slightly, turning his head to a different angle before resuming his sleep.

Noticing this, the yellow-haired man shot him a glare.

Despite the bumpy road and the constant jostling, this guy could still sleep.

The blonde felt a pang of annoyance.

Another half hour passed before the bus finally left the mountain road and entered a modest stretch of flat land.

Someone opened a window to let in some fresh air, hoping to combat her fatigue.

Oboro chose this moment to wake up, adjusting his sunglasses with a finger.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Sudden, piercing honks came from outside.

Three black vehicles materialized behind the bus, honking aggressively.

"What the hell! Are you crazy?"

The yellow-haired man, already irritated, cursed and stuck his head out the window. Before he could scream further, a sharp crack split the air, a bullet struck his forehead without warning, leaving a clean hole.

His life ended instantly.

"Ahh!"

Chaos erupted on the bus.

Screams pierced the air, children began to cry

Screech!

The sharp sound of emergency braking filled everyone's ears. The driver slammed on the pedal, causing the bus's tires to skid across the asphalt. The vehicle slid sideways before finally stabilizing.

In the next instant, the night before the windshield was transformed into an artificial day.

Powerful beams of light flooded in, so intense that the passengers couldn't keep their eyes open.

The glare revealed a line of black vehicles parked across the road. Dozens of figures in suits and ties stood among them, all carrying weapons.

Meanwhile, the three vehicles behind the bus had sealed off any retreat.

"These are the Mafia."

One of the blonde's companions, his face drained of color, spoke in a shaky voice.

Under the harsh lights, a dozen men in suits trained machine guns on the bus, then broke into wild grins, pulled the triggers, and opened fire indiscriminately.

Rat-tat-tat

Metal casings rained down in a steady stream, the acrid smell of gunpowder filling the air.

The metal frame of the bus was instantly riddled with holes, its windows shattered.

Bodies crumpled as blood splattered.

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

The gunmen laughed maniacally, reveling in their display of firepower.

Finally, the gunfire stopped.

The bus was reduced to a pitted heap of scrap metal.

A well-dressed man with gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward and gestured to his men.

He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled the smoke.

His eyes were cold as he studied the silent bus compartment. "The guy from Heaven's Arena, he shouldn't be that easy to kill."

As his words faded.

Two associates with rocket launchers emerged from the group, took position, and aimed.

Boom!

Twin missiles streaked through the night, trailing fire and smoke before hitting the bus.

The massive explosion filled the air with intense light and thick smoke, raising the temperature noticeably.

"You dare to betray us, I doubt you'll live to spend this profit!

"This is what you deserve!"

The bespectacled man took another elegant drag on his cigarette, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Put out the fire."

"Yes, sir."