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

Chapter 134 A-Rank Hyōrinmaru! He doesn't play by the rules!

Who is Netero?

An ultimate martial artist, who spent his entire life pursuing the so-called martial way.

When he was young, he set a goal to punch 10,000 times a day with full concentration, and he has kept it up to this day. He went from being exhausted after a whole day to being able to complete it in less than an hour.

The reward for all that hard work is that incredible punching speed and impressive power!

In his youth, he had already defeated all the martial arts styles in the world, and later became known as the world's strongest!

Until he became the president of the Hunter Association and trained senior Nen users such as Bisge, the Mind Source School became famous all over the world and was crowned as the strongest school.

Time waits for no one, that's certainly true, but it also depends on what you're comparing it to.

Even though Netero's strength has declined considerably and he can no longer be called the "world's strongest," he is still at the very top of the pyramid of Nen users on the six continents.

And it was this very person who extended an invitation to him to spar!

Anyone else might have thought Netero was joking, but Lynn definitely saw a fighting spirit in Netero's eyes—he was serious!

Perfect timing! He also wanted to try his hand at fighting Netero!

Anyone who pursues strength would find it hard to resist a contest with this so-called "world's strongest".

Seeing this, Lynn's gaze sharpened, showing no fear or timidity, but rather a renewed interest: "Good, to be able to spar with the world's strongest is a rare opportunity."

"Hehehe, I feel the same way." Netero smiled, finally able to spar with Lynn. He then said, "It's inconvenient on the airship, let's do it in a couple of days."

"Even if I give it to you, I'll give this old man some time to prepare."

"By the way, because someone caused a huge explosion at the military base last year, I have to give you an advance notice," Netero said quietly. "Hopefully there won't be another explosion this year, otherwise the association will have to bear a lot of pressure."

"Ahem." Lynn coughed twice, his face expressionless, and said, "I don't think there will be any explosions this year."

"I hope so," Netero said with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle.

After a brief chat, Lynn went back to her room.

Not long after Lynn left, Chairman Netero also left the room. He needed to vent his pent-up fighting spirit, so he decided to find two kids to play volleyball.

Back in the room, wait until after midnight.

After drawing a very lucky number from the [Fortune-telling Tissue], Lynn began the exciting monthly card-drawing session.

First, there's the gacha system in the Onmyoji Guild.

【Name: Dove】

[Rank: B]

[Type: Character Card]

[Background: Onmyoji]

[Description: A monster transformed from a poisonous bird, with bright green feathers and a striking appearance that seems to remind people of its danger. It is extremely skilled at making poisons and can create the potent poisons and antidotes it needs by tasting various toxins.]

Not bad, I got a B-grade character card.

In Onmyoji, Kujira is an SR-level shikigami, just like Yuki Onna. However, one is good at ice and snow, while the other is good at making poison.

Poison has great potential in the Hunter world; even the Chimera Ant King can be poisoned to death. He once considered recruiting Gal, as talent like her is truly rare. But now that's not necessary, Dove is also a good choice.

Not only can the dove be used to make poison, but it can also be used to make antidotes, which shows that it is very practical.

Lynn then started drawing cards from her Yu-Gi-Oh! deck.

My luck was a bit off this time, but it's still a B-level character card, so it's not bad.

Coincidentally, he had a B-rank card contributed by Illumi, which, like the character card from before, was related to swords, perfect for [fusion].

In an instant, a familiar vortex appeared before me.

The two cards surged in the vortex, eventually merging into one card, which shone brightly.

This is a sign that an A-grade card has been issued!

[Name: Hyōrinmaru]

[Grade: A—]

[Type: Item Card]

[Background: Death]

[Description: A damaged ice-type Zanpakuto. It can unleash ice-type attacks, consumes a large amount of Nen, and enters its Shikai state by shouting its name. The power of Hyōrinmaru increases during this state. However, since it lacks the consciousness of a blade, it cannot perform Bankai.]

It's a Zanpakuto from Bleach!

Moreover, it's the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto, [Hyōrinmaru].

However, this is a damaged Hyōrinmaru, lacking its own blade consciousness, so it cannot be Bankai. Even so, it is still a rare and excellent sword, especially with its ice and snow-related abilities that suit it perfectly!

With a slight thought, Lynn transformed the card into a seemingly simple longsword with a deep blue hilt and a layer of frost on the blade, occasionally brushing past with a barely perceptible frost pattern.

Hyōrinmaru's current appearance is not outstanding, but it will show its true handsome appearance after it is released.

Lynn casually made two slashes, causing the air temperature to drop sharply, accompanied by falling snowflakes, demonstrating that even before its Shikai form, Hyōrinmaru could still unleash considerable power.

He couldn't even imagine how powerful his ice and snow techniques would be if he were in the form of the Snow Woman, wielding Hyōrinmaru and using his swordsmanship.

Immediately, Lynn patted his waist again, and the sword-shaped Demon Sword Princess instantly transformed into human form, bowing slightly to Lynn in respect: "Lord Lynn."

"Yoto Hime, it's yours." Lynn handed the Hyōrinmaru directly to Yoto Hime.

Since the Demon Blade Princess can fully inherit the effects of the sword, it's natural to feed her the sword once you have it, maximizing its value.

"Yes!" Yaodao-hime seemed very excited, her beautiful eyes staring straight at Hyōrinmaru, just like Erina's expression when she saw the Eternal Spirit Sword, eager to "eat" it.

Lady Lynn is so kind to let her eat such a delicious knife.

Yaodao-hime praised Lynn in her heart once again, while her hands continued to work, absorbing Hyōrinmaru. Since it was an A-rank famous sword, Yaodao-hime spent a little more time on it this time.

After absorbing the energy, Yaodao-hime transformed into Hyōrinmaru form on her own, allowing Lynn to experience the effects. Lynn also noticed that Yaodao-hime had successfully advanced from A- to A-rank.

【Name: Yoto Hime (Hyōrinmaru Form)】

[Grade: A]

[Type: Character Card]

[Background: Onmyoji]

[Description: This form is obtained after absorbing Hyōrinmaru. It can unleash ice-type attacks, consume a large amount of Nen, and shout the sword's name to enter Shikai state, where Hyōrinmaru's power increases. Bankai can be unlocked after Yōtōhime grows to a certain level.]

A-rank Yaodao-hime is equivalent to two or even more A-rank swords. She is equivalent to possessing the famous A-rank swords Shusui and Hyōrinmaru.

Since the Demon Blade Princess will continuously level up, the more swords he feeds to her, the more swords will level up along with her. It's like getting multiple things for the price of one – there's no better deal than this.

Currently, Yaodao-hime has three sword forms: a basic form without special effects, Shusui used for sword practice, and Hyōrinmaru used in battle.

Furthermore, since Yaodao-hime ate Hyōrinmaru, she essentially replaced Hyōrinmaru and regained the self-awareness of the blade. As long as she continues to grow, she will have the opportunity to achieve Bankai.

With the A-rank Hyōrinmaru, his combat power has reached a new level!

the next morning.

Because the airship departed on time the day before, it arrived at the location of the third exam, the Tower of Tricks, at 8:00 a.m. today. The area is surrounded by forests, and in the very center stands a stone pillar. The Tower of Tricks is located on this huge stone pillar, as if another relatively smaller stone pillar is placed on top of it.

Its true identity is a prison, which holds many criminals, such as fraudsters and serial killers.

What they have in common is that they mostly have extremely long prison sentences, usually over a hundred years.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will remain in this prison until they die of old age.

However, this place was chosen as the venue for the hunter exam, and the warden arranged for anyone who hindered the candidates from passing the exam to receive a reduced sentence.

As the airship docked at the top of the "Tower of Tricks," countless examinees emerged from it one after another.

"Hello everyone, this place is called the Tower of Tricks, which is the location of the first half of the third exam."

"All candidates must reach the bottom of the tower within the specified 72 hours, or they will be eliminated."

The man with the bean-shaped face enthusiastically explained the rules to the test takers.

"First half? Is there a second half of the exam?" Xiao Jie raised his hand and asked, demonstrating his spirit of asking questions when he didn't understand.

"Yes, once you all reach the bottom of the tower, the second half of the exam will take place here. The specific details cannot be revealed yet, so please do your best," the Bean-faced Man said gently.

"I see, thank you, Mr. Bean Man." Xiao Jie suddenly realized.

The Bean Man then returned to the airship and disappeared from everyone's sight.

The third exam has now begun.

This seemingly empty top is covered with grooves and lines, clearly indicating that there is some kind of mechanism inside.

"Leorio, it's your time to shine." Lynn patted his capable apprentice on the shoulder. "This is a great opportunity to hone your skills."

"In this exam, you'll have to dig all the way down to the very bottom, using the operating room as your guide!"

Nen abilities need to be mastered and even further developed through repeated use, and Leorio's [Portable Operating Room]...

The best way to get proficient is to find something and keep creating space and cutting. Gradually, the range of space, duration, and cutting intensity will also be upgraded.

This Tower of Tricks is a great place to practice.

"Huh? Okay!" Leorio was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what was going on.

Yeah, he already has Nen abilities, why would he need to look for mechanisms or go downstairs? He could just carve out a path straight to the bottom of the tower!

The next moment, Leorio's gaze sharpened. He crouched down, placed his hands on the ground, and activated his [Portable Operating Room]. He then used the [Finger Gun] to enhance his fingers and began digging.

His Nen ability already allows him to cut and destroy objects more easily; it's just that his Nen can resist some of the effects.

Therefore, even the hard stone ground was like tofu in front of Leorio. He could cut it into several square blocks without much effort, and soon he dug out an entrance that could accommodate a person to pass through.

Seeing this, the other candidates were stunned.

Is the ground really that fragile? Could a person dig it through by hand?

Dongba, somewhat skeptical, inexplicably squatted down and plunged his hand into the ground—a mere 0.01 seconds later, he jumped up in agony, clutching his finger, his face ashen, and letting out a bloodcurdling scream, "Ah!"

It wasn't that easy after all.

Seeing the tragic consequences for Dongba, those with strong empathy instinctively covered their own fingers, as if they were the ones in pain.

The floor is fine.

But why was that person able to dig it open like digging tofu?

Is his hand as hard as a diamond?

This question also arose among Kurapika and others.

Kurapika stared intently at the hole in the floor, then glanced at Leorio's unchanging hand, and frowned.

This unscientific!

There must be some special ability that he doesn't know about that allowed Leorio to do such an incredible thing.

Just like before when Lynn took something out of the shadows.

"Kiyo, did you see that? Leorio dug right through the ground!" Gon exclaimed, marveling at Leorio's incredible power.

"Hmm————" Ki's mind wasn't on Gon. Like Kurapika, he was also very puzzled as to how Leorio could do this.

He just tested the floor; although it's not thick, it's quite firm.

Even if he dug with all his might, it would be difficult for him to do what Leorio did—how could this be? Could it be that Leorio was also an assassin, and even stronger than him?

If even his apprentice has such abilities, then how strong is Lynn?

Will he be as strong as his older brother?

Lin En and his apprentice were clearly not simple people, and Qi Ya wondered how much information his family had collected about them.

"Master, please." Leorio cupped his hands and said, letting his master go first.

Lynn nodded slightly, then leaped into the cave and went directly to the first floor of the tower. Since he did not enter through the mechanism, he arrived at a fairly spacious corridor.

"Don't be shy, use it as you like," Leorio said casually, then jumped down second, followed closely by Kurapika and the other two.

Upon seeing this, apart from a few lucky ones who had already used the mechanism to enter, most of the other candidates were also eager to jump into the hole that Leorio had created.

But before they could enter, they discovered that the stones had been thrown back into the cave, gradually returning to their original state before the excavation, as if they had never been opened at all.

What on earth is going on?!

Dongba was stunned once again, even wondering if he was hallucinating, that the floor hadn't actually been damaged at all.

Inside the monitoring room of the Tower of Deception.

The walls were covered with images of all the candidates, as well as many scenes where no candidates were present at the moment.

Not only to monitor prisoners, but also to satisfy Warden Riber's voyeuristic tendencies, cameras were installed in almost every corner of the prison.

In front of many images sits Riber, who is rather thin and has a purple rooster-like hairstyle.

Even with round glasses, he couldn't hide his narrow eyes, which made him look like a bad person.

Click.

Riber, with his squinty eyes, took a bite of half a biscuit, making a crisp sound in the monitoring room. His sharp gaze remained fixed on a few fixed images on the screen, and he said with exasperation, "What's wrong with these candidates? How come only so few have entered so far? Are they really that bad?"

"Warden, you—look over there!" A prison guard's voice trembled as he pointed to a scene on the big screen.

"Hmm?" Riber frowned, looked in the direction of the finger, and his squinty eyes widened as if he had seen something unbelievable.

How could this be?! How come there are five examinees in the corridor?!