HxH: Apex Predator

The trio soon returned to the private airship belonging to the Zoldyck family, where Tsubone had been waiting with a lavish feast prepared.

After the three finished eating, Silva began a thorough debriefing of Ryker's mission.

"Ryker, I've been observing every move you made from the moment you stepped out of the house.

First, let me point out that you're far too careless. The mission begins the moment you step outside, not when you locate the target. You must remain vigilant from the start."

"Although it's commendable that your first thought was to hide your face, have you considered that excessive disguise can sometimes backfire? It might make you stand out even more as an anomaly.

In this world filled with myriad unique abilities, merely covering your face won't solve every problem. However, your awareness of the need for disguise is correct—just find a better approach next time."

"Secondly, we are assassins. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the target. Every action we take should serve that goal.

You need to adopt the most straightforward and efficient methods without creating unnecessary complications.

At the villa, for instance, you should have infiltrated quietly, identified and eliminated the target swiftly, then withdrawn."

"With the element of surprise on your side, even if there was an unexpected Nen-using bodyguard, you could have taken the initiative and neutralized the threat before they were fully prepared.

Remember, every action leaves traces. Your task is to achieve maximum results with minimum exposure.

Killing everyone and erasing all evidence might seem thorough, but in many cases, it leaves more clues than a clean, quick kill and immediate retreat."

"Do not apply ordinary logic to the world of Nen users. The variety of abilities out there is vast, and your aim should always be to minimize your footprint.

Finally, as paid assassins, we must carefully evaluate the balance of risk and reward. Avoid situations where the cost outweighs the gain."

"After you eliminated the target, your best course of action would have been to leave immediately, especially when the remaining bodyguard had lost their will to fight.

Why did you engage the bodyguard voluntarily? Was it to test your abilities in real combat?

Or was it a mindless urge to silence witnesses? Perhaps you lost rational judgment due to the thrill of killing and the primal excitement of holding someone's life in your hands."

As Silva finished speaking, his gaze sharpened, radiating an almost predatory determination to strike. Ryker felt the intensity of Silva's aura pressing against his own, causing ripples in his protective 'Ten'.

"Or," Silva continued, his tone even more piercing, "did you think their death could bring you some tangible benefit?"

"Perhaps it would aid your ability development or awaken latent potential, compelling you to eliminate everyone without leaving a single survivor."

At that moment, Silva's aura peaked, and Ryker reinforced himself with 'Ken' to withstand the overwhelming pressure, though he appeared calm outwardly.

Inwardly, he remained composed, years of experience sharpening his resolve.

'He's testing me thoroughly, but that was expected. A logical explanation will do. Something that acknowledges the surveillance while keeping my actions justified.'

'Perhaps I'll say I wanted to feel the results of my training and let the excitement of taking lives get the better of me. That should suffice.'

Ryker voiced his premeditated response. Silva remained silent, while Zeno, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, didn't react in the slightest.

The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken tension. Eventually, Silva broke it.

"Very well. In that case, the next phase of your training won't take place at home. I'll take you to a place called Heaven's Arena.

You may have heard of it. Your task is to reach the 200th floor. There's no time limit. That will be your first training milestone."

"However, there's a condition: you are forbidden from using any Nen abilities until you reach the 200th floor. You must fight in a state of 'Zetsu' throughout.

Additionally, you are prohibited from using any means outside the matches themselves to achieve victory—no outside interference, no shortcuts."

"Once you pass the 200th floor, you'll face an additional challenge: you may use any abilities and weapons at your disposal, but your goal is to become a Floor Master.

If you accomplish this, you'll gain the freedom to accept family missions independently and come and go from Kukuroo Mountain as you please."

Ryker maintained his composure, though his mind raced.

'Why this specific challenge? Is it just training? But why insist on me becoming a Floor Master? If the goal is to fight Nen users, they could simply assign missions under supervision. Silva must have a deeper reason'

'Perhaps the focus is on the additional challenge. Is he testing my ambition to leave the family, or probing my abilities?'

'Maybe he just wants to gauge my overall strength. Not enough information to conclude yet. I'll probe further.'

"Father, how did you know I had thoughts of leaving the family?"

"I'm your father. Who knows a child better than their parent? Your intentions are clear to me, which is why I'm giving you this opportunity. How long you take to complete the objective is up to you."

'As expected, Silva anticipated my intentions. But his statement, 'Your intentions are clear,' carries a probing undertone.'

"During your training at Heaven's Arena, Tsubone will accompany you. Once we drop you off, we'll return to Kukuroo Mountain."

Fast-forward to the airship landing. As Ryker and Tsubone stepped out, Ryker turned back to Silva.

"Make sure the mission payment is transferred to my account. I'll complete the task quickly. And tell Mom I said hello."