Law had been training under Biscuit for almost a year, while Buhara had spent over a year under Dafifi's guidance. Both of them have made great improvements in their Nen Masteries and physical strength during this time.
After completing the rigorous training regimen designed by Dafifi, Buhara couldn't wait to call Law to confirm their meeting time and location.
Deep in the forests of the southern Yorbian Continent, Buhara sat in front of a campfire and hung up the phone happily. Around him lay a massive pile of animal bones.
The Hunter world had its fair share of advanced technology, including mobile phones. Some brands even had precise GPS functions, built-in translation for over 200 languages, and more. But the most practical feature was the unlimited call range.
It can be used all over the world and has no restrictions on calls outdoors. It is a practical mobile phone that Hunters usually used. Both Buhara and Law had this type of phone. It's nothing fancy, but very reliable for communication.
"Before we part, let me give you a piece of advice." Dafifi said, poking at the fire with a stick. His eyelids were slightly lowered, and the flickering flames illuminated his rugged, composed face.
Buhara looked at Dafifi and waited for what would his master said with bated breath.
Dafifi lifted his gaze, staring at Buhara, who had grown significantly larger than him. Then, in a deep voice, he said: "Stop thinking about food all the time!"
Upon hearing Dafifi's advice, Buhara immediately looked embarrassed.
Over the past year, he had grown to over two meters tall, becoming broad-shouldered and heavily built. He is almost a walking meat tank.
Seeing his disciple's dilemma, Dafifi shook his head in exasperation.
It was absurd. No matter how much Dafifi increased the intensity of Buhara's training, he just kept getting fatter. If it weren't for the fact that Buhara's strength had grown just as much, Dafifi would have spent extra time correcting his habits.
By the latter half of the training, Buhara had even developed his own Nen Ability. At that point, Dafifi simply gave up on restricting his food intake, which ultimately led to Buhara bulking up to this extreme over the course of a year.
.....
Hunter Association's Headquarters, conference room.
The nine current members of the Zodiacs were seated, with three positions still vacant. Today's meeting was meant to review and approve the qualifications of the tenth successor.
Gel, whom Law met in the Talma Mountain Range, was seated in the third seat on the right. At the head of the table, the main seat remained empty, which was the seat of Netero.
"Gel, I heard that you solved the 'Corpseweed' incident a few days ago. That's quite an achievement." A hairy, huge man sitting opposite Gel said.
This was Ginta, the Sheep in Zodiacs. He is a Poacher Hunter with great strength.
He had thick lips and a wide mouth, with a ring of beard surrounding his lips. A bandana resembling the American flag was tied around his forehead, and his afro-style hair added to his distinctive look. He wore a sleeveless vest, revealing his hairy chest and muscular arms.
"It's nothing." Gel crossed her arms and responded indifferently.
After leaving with the Doom Toad that day, she had spent some time studying it. Though she still found Law's nonsense explanation absurd, for some reason, she couldn't resist testing it out. And to her surprise, his method actually worked.
In the end, she didn't want to take this as her achievement, so she simply gave up the Doom Toad and the Bliss Mushroom and shifted her focus to another difficult case.
Just recently, she had successfully resolved the 'Corpseweed' incident, indirectly proving her capability to the current members of the Zodiacs.
"Very good. That problem is not easy to solve." A woman sitting diagonally opposite Gel with white feathers in her hair said, supporting her chin.
This was Cluck, the Chicken of the Twelve Zodiacs. She held multiple titles, including Botanist, Musician, and Dancer, but her primary role was as a Botanical Hunter. She had a proud personality and dressed in a revealing outfit.
The fact that she was praising Gel showed just how difficult the 'Corpseweed' case had been.
Gel nodded at her and said, "It's really not simple."
"Why hasn't the Chairman arrived yet?" At this time, Ginta changed the subject and looked at the still-closed conference room doors.
"There's one minute left." A man in black and white clothes said.
This guy is Mizaistom, the Ox of the Zodiacs. He is a Crime Hunter. He wore a black-and-white cow-patterned outfit, complete with a matching horned hat and golden earrings. His left eye was outlined in black.
In addition, there were six other current members present, all of whom sat quietly, waiting for Netero to arrive.
There was one minute left until the meeting officially began, but Netero and the new Zodiac candidate had yet to arrive.
Time continued ticking down, only thirty seconds remained...
Everyone was looking at the tightly closed conference room doors, and some members were already speculating how late Netero would be today.
Bang!
At this moment, the door suddenly swung open, and the person who walked in was not Netero. Instead, it was Beans, the small, bean-faced secretary.
"Where is the Chairman?" Botobai, the most senior Zodiacs' member, asked in a deep voice when he saw Beans.
Botobai is the Dragon of the Zodiacs. He is one of the few Triple-Star Hunters and the person closest to Netero in terms of reputation and strength.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, Beans said with difficulty: I… I couldn't get in touch with the Chairman. He should… be about an hour late?"
His voice wavered uncertainly on the last part, showing that an hour was merely a conservative estimate.
Upon hearing this, every member of the Zodiacs, except one, wore an exasperated expression. It was common for minor affairs to be left to their discretion, but reviewing a new Zodiacs' successor was no trivial matter.
Beans, feeling the weight of their collective stares, squirmed uncomfortably.
"Will an hour be enough?" Someone asked.
The others didn't say anything, but they all have the same answer in their hearts: 'It's definitely not enough!'
"By the way, the candidate we're supposed to assess isn't here yet either." Ginta pointed out.
After hearing Ginta's words, the other members, who had been focused on Netero's absence, suddenly realized the other missing participant.
Immediately, Botobai snorted coldly.
Meanwhile, Mizaistom clasped his hands together, resting them against his chin as he stared at the still-closed door. He then calmly stated, "Five seconds left."
Sitting below Netero's seat was a handsome blond man in a dark suit. He had a smiling face and looked as if this matter had nothing to do with him.
"Time's up." Mizaistom glanced at the clock on the wall in the conference room. It was exactly ten o'clock, and the second hand continued to tick forward. Five seconds later, the conference room doors finally opened.
A young man with his hands in his pockets strode in.
He wore a loose-fitting cloak, and had layers of white cloth tied on his forehead, which made his black hair stand up. His face was fresh and clean, and his sharp eyes gleamed with energy.
The instant he stepped inside, all eyes turned to him. The Aura of Nen Users naturally radiated from the room, their collective presence pressing toward the young man like a tidal wave.
"Yo!"
Facing the unreserved surge of oppressive Aura, the young man remained completely unfazed. With a casual wave, he greeted the seated members of the Zodiacs.
"You're five seconds late!" Mizaistom looked at the young man and said in a deep voice.
"Am I?"
The young man asked doubtfully.