Hunter X Hunter: The Strongest Assassin Of The Zoldyck Family!

Zeno remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke.

"I'm not sure what your great-grandfather intended. He didn't give me any specifics. Let's just follow Illumi and the others' example. We'll wait and see what plans your great-grandfather sets in motion."

Silva gave a curt nod.

Suddenly—

BOOM!

A thunderous crash echoed through the air as Sanghir flew backward, hitting the ground with a thud.

This time, Kaizen fought with calculated precision. He didn't allow Sanghir to put him on the back foot from the start.

The older man relied heavily on his decades of experience, exploiting minor weaknesses in Kaizen's form whenever possible. But they were just that—minor. Kaizen wasn't troubled for long.

"That's enough for today."

Sanghir bowed his head. "Understood, Master Kaizen."

The shift in Sanghir' demeanor was undeniable. Gone was the stubborn defiance. He no longer thought about defeating Kaizen in a desperate bid to escape the Zoldyck estate alive. Now, his role was clear: a training partner.

That night, Kaizen returned to his room. A shimmering crystal orb hovered in the air before him—only visible to his eyes.

"The absorption rate has slowed," Kaizen muttered to himself, eyes narrowing.

He rolled the orb between his fingers, feeling the subtle hum of energy within.

"Looks like I've drained most of the aura from this part of the manor. I'll need to absorb more from the other sections of the estate."

The following morning, after his usual training routine, Kaizen left the secluded area where he lived.

Gotoh, the butler, greeted him promptly as he stepped into the open courtyard.

"Master Kaizen?"

Kaizen glanced at him. "You know the estate well, right?"

Gotoh gave a respectful nod. "Yes, very well."

"Show me around. I've stayed in this part of the estate for far too long. I'm going out to explore soon, but before I leave, I want to get a proper look at the whole estate."

"As you wish, Master Kaizen."

Gotoh took the lead, explaining the features of the estate as they walked. Kaizen followed silently, absorbing every detail.

As they moved further from his usual training area, Kaizen noticed the crystal orb growing more active. The absorption process sped up noticeably. His earlier suspicions had been right—different parts of the estate held unique energy.

The Zoldyck estate was enormous, sprawling across half of a mountain. The mansion itself sat at the summit, with the lower sections of the estate stretching down the slopes below.

Only a select few family members lived in the grand mansion at the top—Silva, Zeno, and other direct descendants.

Kaizen, however, resided in the back mountain with Maha Zoldyck. He wasn't a direct descendant, and Maha had long since retired from active duties. Like other Zoldycks who chose to step away, Maha lived in quiet isolation, removed from the main household.

This tradition ran deep in the family. When children like Illumi or Milluki branched out or formed families of their own, they left the main estate. They either moved to the back mountain or left the Zoldyck estate entirely. Only the generations starting with Killua would remain in the main mansion, keeping the family's lineage rooted at the summit.

When Zeno retired, he too would move to the back mountain, just as Maha had done. It was the rule established by Maha himself—a way to pass the torch while keeping the family's legacy intact.

"Do you want to explore from the bottom up, or the other way around?" Gotoh asked.

"Let's start from the bottom."

"As you wish."

The two descended quickly down the mountain path. Several housekeepers stationed along the way noticed them but made no attempt to intervene.

Though many of the staff didn't recognize Kaizen, they knew Gotoh. His strength was another reason why none dared to question his presence.

Still, the movements of the two didn't go unnoticed. A few guards immediately reported their activity to Silva.

"Gotoh is taking Kaizen down the mountain," one of the housekeepers informed him.

Silva gave a brief nod.

"As long as they stay within the estate, it's fine. But if they try to leave, inform me at once."

"Yes, Master Silva."

Silva wasn't particularly worried about Kaizen's safety within the estate, but the Zoldyck family had enemies—many of them. If Kaizen left the estate, certain precautions would need to be taken.

The Zoldycks were few in number, and every member was valuable. Generations of carrying out high-profile assassinations had earned them many enemies, and the family couldn't afford to be careless.

Before long, Kaizen and Gotoh reached the midpoint of the mountain.

There, a massive iron gate loomed before them—its sheer size and weight enough to deter most intruders.

"This is the Testing Gate," Gotoh explained. "It's one of the primary defenses of the manor. There are seven gates in total, and they can only be opened through physical force. No keys."

He gestured toward the first gate. "Each gate gets progressively heavier. The first one requires two tons of force on each side, for a total of four tons."

"The second gate needs four tons per side, eight in total."

"The third gate requires eight tons per side, sixteen total."

He continued listing the gates, each one exponentially heavier than the last.

"The seventh and final gate? 128 tons per side—256 tons in total."

Kaizen's mind flashed back to a memory—Gon and Kurapika standing before this very gate after passing the Hunter Exam. At the time, even the first gate had been an insurmountable challenge. They had needed 20 days of intense training just to push it open.

Later, Leorio managed to open the second gate after similar training. Killua had effortlessly opened the fifth gate after his battle with the Chimera Ants, his strength far surpassing what it had been.

Kaizen glanced at the orb floating next to him. It buzzed with heightened energy, as if eager to absorb something new.

"How far can you get, Gotoh?" Kaizen asked.

"The fourth gate," Gotoh replied calmly.

Kaizen hummed thoughtfully, stepping forward until he stood before the first gate.

He planted both palms against the cold metal surface.

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