January 7, 1999.
2-5-10 Eshi Street, Zaban City.
This was an unremarkable restaurant.
Nico stood at the entrance, looking up at the building with a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
"Is this the place?"
Uvogin stood beside him, also sizing up the building.
"It should be. The address Sophia gave is correct."
The two entered the building and exchanged the secret code with the waiter.
Led by the waiter, they passed through the dining area and arrived at a room at the very end.
After they entered, the waiter pressed a button.
Suddenly, there was a soft "click," and a slight vibration came from the floor beneath their feet.
The entire room acted like a massive elevator and began to descend slowly!
"Ding!"
A crisp chime sounded, and the descent stopped.
The metal doors slowly slid open to both sides.
A scent mixed with dust, sweat, and unfamiliar odors wafted toward them.
Behind the door, a vast, deep underground tunnel venue constructed of many giant pipes and brick walls was revealed before them.
And—the crowd.
At least dozens of people had already arrived, scattered here and there in small groups.
Some stood against the walls, some sat on the ground, and some gathered together, talking in low voices.
The air was thick with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
"Whoa..."
Nico marveled softly.
"As expected of the Hunter Exam, it's hidden quite deep."
Uvogin scanned the area, his gaze sweeping over the Examinees.
Suddenly, Uvogin froze; he saw the figure he had been thinking about day and night.
Hisoka.
He was leaning in a corner, playing with the poker cards in his hand.
Uvogin took a deep breath, suppressing his inner impulse.
He withdrew his gaze, his tone calm.
"These people don't know Nen."
Nico nodded.
"Master Sophia said that the vast majority of Examinees are ordinary people who rely on physical strength and willpower. Examinees who can use Nen are as rare as a Phoenix."
"Mm."
Uvogin said.
A moment later, Satotz—who wore a black suit and had a completely round, green head—walked up to the two and handed them each a number badge engraved with a number.
Number 65 for Nico, Number 66 for Uvogin.
The two walked to a corner, leaned against the wall, and waited quietly.
Time passed minute by minute.
From time to time, the elevator opened with a "ding," and new Examinees walked out.
There were those dressed fashionably, those in formal suits, burly men carrying huge backpacks, and also frail-looking young people.
After a while, a youth with short silver hair, wearing a long-sleeved blue high-collared shirt and carrying a skateboard under his arm, also arrived at the Hunter Exam venue.
There was also the old-timer of the Hunter Exam, the Rookie Crusher—Tonpa.
With a smiling face, he was making friends with Examinees participating in the Hunter Exam for the first time, offering them specially made laxative drinks.
The expressions on everyone's faces were different—nervous, excited, indifferent, expectant.
A long time later.
When the elevator doors opened once more, three figures walked out.
Walking at the very front was a boy dressed in green, carrying a huge backpack on his back and holding a fishing rod in his hand.
His hair was black and stiff, standing upwards, and his face had a pair of large, bright, and spirited eyes that curiously observed everything around him—Gon.
Following behind him were two figures, one tall and one short.
The tall one wore a dark suit and glasses, appearing to be in his early twenties, with a somewhat nervous expression on his face—Leorio.
The short one had short golden hair and wore highly distinctive ethnic clothing; his features were delicate and handsome, but his gaze was sharp—Kurapika.
The three looked at the underground space crowded with people and were simultaneously stunned.
"Th... This many people?"
A drop of cold sweat appeared on Leorio's forehead.
Kurapika looked around, his expression becoming even more solemn.
"So this is... the Hunter Exam..."
After being stunned for a few seconds, Gon suddenly grinned and laughed.
"Incredible!"
His eyes grew even brighter.
"So there are this many people who want to be Hunters!"
His laughter echoed in the open space, drawing the attention of many Examinees.
In the corner, Nico looked at those three, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
"Those three... they look very interesting."
Uvogin also took a look but quickly withdrew his gaze.
"Ignore them. Our goal is to get the license."
Nico nodded and stopped looking.
At the same time, elsewhere.
Leo stood on a hillside, looking at the giant tree in the distance that reached into the clouds.
The World Tree!
This tree was 1,784 meters tall, recognized globally as the tallest tree.
Although it had stopped growing, its ancient and solemn Aura was still breathtaking.
Unfortunately, in the hunter world, it was impossible to provide a soil environment for it to continue growing; at over 1,700 meters, it was merely a sapling.
The true World Tree grows in the Dark Continent, absorbing volcanic magma, rooting in mountain ranges, and soaring directly into the atmosphere, becoming incredibly massive.
These were Ging's exact words.
The distance from the ground to the atmosphere is about 500 kilometers, which is 500,000 meters high—this is absolutely terrifying.
With this size, if it went to a cultivation world, it would be an invincible Demon God.
"Truly spectacular."
Leo sighed softly in admiration.
He walked down the hillside and, half an hour later, arrived at the foot of the World Tree.
A small log cabin was built at the roots, which was the residence of the staff guarding the World Tree.
A middle-aged man in uniform was sitting at the door sunbathing; seeing Leo approach, he stood up to meet him.
"Hmm?"
The staff member sized Leo up.
"Are you going to climb the tree?"
Leo nodded.
The staff member took out a document from the house.
"Please sign here. According to the regulations, even if the President comes, he has to sign. The signature is to indicate that—if an accident occurs while climbing, you will bear the consequences yourself."
Leo took the pen and signed his name on the document.
"Done."
He put down the pen and prepared to set off.
"Wait!"
The staff member wanted to say something else, but Leo had already moved.
He kicked off the ground, causing it to tremble slightly, and jumped directly onto the trunk!
The staff member's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open.
On the trunk, Leo ran upwards as if on level ground!
His speed was astonishingly fast, and in just a few leaps, he had already surged up to a height of a hundred meters!
"Wh-who is this guy..."
Leo could not hear the exclamation behind him.
He focused on climbing upward while pulling out those specially made tags from his backpack.
These were props he had collected from the Hunter Association—palm-sized special metal tags with markings engraved on them.
As he climbed, he randomly placed these tags on the surrounding trunks and branches.
Some were hung on the tips of branches, some hidden in hollows, and some nailed directly into the trunk.
Ten minutes later.
Leo stood at the top of the World Tree.
The top of the tree was a giant natural nest, over ten meters in diameter. In the nest were five plump chicks, covered in creamy-yellow down, their black-bean-like eyes curiously observing this intruder.
"Chirp—chirp—"
The chicks let out tender cries, showing no fear at all; instead, they wobbled toward Leo.
Leo crouched down and reached out to gently stroke the head of the chick in the very front.
The down was soft and warm; the little fellow narrowed its eyes comfortably and let out a louder cry.
The other chicks also crowded over, rubbing their heads against his hand. He did not disturb them for too long.
Leo casually tossed the last tag into the nest, stood up, walked to the edge of the nest, and sat down on a flat area.
Below him was a height of over a thousand meters.
In the distance was the boundless blue ocean.
The sea and sky were the same color, shimmering with ripples under the sunlight.
The wind blew past, carrying the crisp scent unique to high altitudes.
Leo relaxed his body and leaned against the edge of the nest, letting his thoughts drift.
No fighting, no plans, no thinking.
Just sitting quietly, looking at the distant seascape, and listening to the occasional chirps from the chicks behind him.
The sunlight spilled over him, feeling warm and cozy.
At this moment, time seemed to slow down.
Just like that, at the top of the world, he spent a rare and leisurely day.