HxH: Noah’s Heart

"Are you doing it, or should I?" Standing in front of the Trial Gate, Ashu turned to look at Noah.

"You go ahead, you seem eager," Noah replied, then turned to face Ruixi and the others behind him, pointing at the Trial Gate. "Listen up, this gate is called the Trial Gate. There are no locks, and anyone who can push it open can enter."

No sooner had Noah finished speaking than a voice came from among the group, "Push it open? Is this place really what you call an assassination family? The security seems too lax."

"That's right, just push it open," Noah nodded and then smiled mysteriously. "As long as you can push it open."

At this point, Ashu's hands were already on the door. He snorted, then pushed with all his strength, accompanied by a rumbling sound, completely opening the third Trial Gate.

'Phew, it's a bit heavier than I imagined, but I've also made progress.' Ashu thought to himself as he withdrew his hands.

"Alright, let's go in. This gate will automatically close," Noah interrupted the group's astonishment, leading the way into the gate.

Taking their gazes away from the gate, Jerl and the others exchanged glances and swallowed nervously. The heavy sound made when the Trial Gate opened had made them realize that this door might not be as simple as they initially thought. Not only did the three of them realize this, but the others did as well.

With curiosity, Wood, walking along the forest path behind the gate, took a step forward to Ashu and asked in a hushed voice, "Big Brother Ashu, what exactly is this Trial Gate…"

Ashu understood his curiosity and smiled as he replied, "The Trial Gate is no ordinary gate, and I believe you've seen it. From the smallest bottom door to the largest top door, there are a total of seven gates. The first door, which is also the smallest, weighs 4 tons, with each of the side doors weighing 2 tons, adding up to a total of 4 tons."

"4…4 tons? Just for that first door?" Wood opened his mouth wide in surprise, and the others also cast amazed glances.

"That's only the first door. The weight of the seven doors of the Trial Gate doubles with each one. The first door is 4 tons, the second door is 8 tons, the third door is 16 tons, and as for the final seventh door, it's a whopping 256 tons," Ashu continued.

"256 tons?!" Hearing this, the group could no longer stay calm, and they recalled how Ashu had managed to push open the third door just now. Their gaze towards him changed.

That's a door weighing a full 16 tons.

Nodding, Ashu said, "That's right, the Trial Gate has no guards or locks. Anyone who can push it open, even if it's just the first door, can enter the Zoldyck Family. Of course, that's if you can push it open."

'Even if it's pushed open, there will be us butlers waiting on the other side. Ordinary people can't just walk in. Do you really think entering the Zoldyck Family is that easy?' Ashu didn't say this out loud.

"My goodness, 256 tons, what kind of monster can push open that door?" Ruixi covered her mouth, utterly shocked.

Noah, walking beside Ashu, glanced back at her and said, "While not everyone can push open the seventh door, there are certainly more people in this world capable of it than you might think. Don't be surprised, especially you, Ruixi. In my eyes, it won't be long before you have the ability to open that third door."

"Me…me?" Ruixi pointed at herself, utterly incredulous.

"Of course, the power within you is much stronger than you imagine," Noah's words stirred a storm in Ruixi's heart, challenging her inner doubts. If things continued as they were, with time, she would undoubtedly overcome her feelings of inadequacy.

Along the dirt road, Noah and Ashu led the group to the front of the wooden house.

Before Noah could speak, Ashu came directly to the doorstep and said, "Your life for the next month will be spent in this room. Your activities are limited to this room and the surrounding kilometer. Everything you need is inside this room. After one month, you must at least be able to push open the first trial door, or you'll be eliminated."

"Don't blame me for not warning you. From the moment you enter the trial door, your lives no longer belong to you alone. The only outcome of wandering is being devoured by Mike." As he spoke, Ashu pointed behind the group into the dense forest.

Instinctively, the group turned to look, and they saw a pair of red lights flashing deep within the forest. They shivered simultaneously. When they turned back, they were astonished to find that Noah and Ashu had disappeared.

After delivering his message, Ashu had no intention of wasting any more time with the group. He directly pulled Noah away from the wooden house.

"You seem quite confident in them. Do you think they can pass the assessment?" Walking along the road, Noah was curious about Ashu's decisiveness. He thought that, for the sake of Wood and the others, Ashu would offer more advice, but he didn't expect him to be so straightforward.

"I already spoke to them on the way here. They chose this path themselves. Even if they die, it's their own fault," Ashu calmly replied.

"I don't quite understand the mindset of people from Meteor City," Noah said, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"If I recall correctly, you're from Meteor City too, aren't you?" Ashu couldn't help but comment.

Noah shrugged, "I'm different from you guys."

In essence, I'm really not from Meteor City.

"I can see that," surprisingly, Ashu agreed with Noah's statement. "By the way, I noticed you're quite attentive to that Ruixi. You've been encouraging her along the way. Aren't you planning to give her some advice? Given her personality, this month might be tough for her."

"Even without this month, she would have been able to pass this initial test. As for her self-esteem, I've done all I can. Besides, I'm not the kind of person who's overly compassionate," Noah replied calmly.

"I've found a weakness in you," Ashu remarked curiously.

Noah turned to look at him, "What is it?"

"You always have a compassionate attitude toward the vulnerable. Sometimes, I really don't think you're from Meteor City," Ashu said seriously.

Compassion? Perhaps.

Thinking of Shizuku and Evana, Noah didn't refute Ashu's words.

'Is this due to my own personality, or is it an influence left by this body?'

"That's why I told you I'm not like that anymore, and besides, it can't be considered a weakness," Noah added after some thought.

Regarding this statement, Ashu simply smiled without confirming or denying it.