Su Xiao got off the bus, and a prompt suddenly appeared.

[Prompt: The Hunter has entered the special region, Kukuru Mountain, the area where the Zoldyck Family resides.]

[Kukuru Mountain is a dangerous region where numerous side tasks can be triggered, with a certain chance of triggering hidden tasks.]

...

Su Xiao was not surprised to see these two prompts; he had previously guessed that this might be the case, with a chance to trigger a hidden task as a delightful surprise.

As soon as Su Xiao got off the vehicle, several pairs of eyes fixated on him. He immediately noticed these gazes, and realized that some contractors had arrived earlier.

A contractor dressed in a suit, looking like a butler, approached Su Xiao. This outfit seemed prepared for joining the Zoldyck Family.

"Friend, would you like to team up for the journey? We are all headed for the Zoldyck Family, and before the main task begins, this is one of the three best choices."

The suited butler man wore a smile. Based on his aura, Su Xiao judged him to be a Second Tier ordinary contractor, and at this distance, it would take at most two slashes to deal with him.

"Not interested."

Su Xiao walked towards the peculiarly structured metal gate, with Bubu Wang and A Mu following closely behind.

"Another loner heading to their death."

A young woman behind the suited butler shook her head.

"If he refuses the invitation, then let him go to his death. Pushing open the Trial Gate is just the first step; the key lies with that large group of Zoldyck butlers. If you fall to them, the chances of survival are very low."

The suited butler shook his head. He had previously joined forces with teammates to get through the Trial Gate but was stopped by a group of butlers.

For Second Tier contractors, that group of butlers with telekinesis abilities was very difficult to deal with.

Su Xiao stood before the Trial Gate, which comprised seven pairs of swing-style metal gates together, with the smallest in the center and progressively larger towards the outside, with increasingly terrifying weight.

It’s called the Trial Gate because of its weight: the center’s two gates weigh a total of 4 tons, the second gate 8 tons, and the weight accumulates from there up to 256 tons at the seventh gate. The stronger the force exerted at the moment of pushing, the more gates open simultaneously.

Su Xiao had no interest in pushing the thing open, as brute strength does not mean combat strength.

Su Xiao gestured to A Mu, and though A Mu’s intelligence was questionable, it ’understood’ Su Xiao’s intentions and went up to take a bite out of the metal gate.

Crunch!

Shallow teeth marks appeared, and the contractors watching from a distance turned pale, looking at A Mu once more with apprehensive eyes.

Su Xiao calmly watched A Mu, who panicked and seemed about to take another fierce bite.

"Push it open."

This time, A Mu clearly understood what was going on. It pressed its rough palm against the metal gate, its feet sinking into the earth.

Rumble...

The metal gate roared, three of its gates opening. Su Xiao and Bubu Wang walked through the gate, with A Mu following closely. As soon as it released its grip, the metal gate slammed shut.

In a nearby guard post, a bald gatekeeper in a black suit witnessed this scene. He was an outer member of the Zoldyck Family responsible for guarding the gate, not even considered a butler.

"Seems like some remarkable guests have arrived. It’s best to inform the butlers immediately."

The bald gatekeeper picked up the phone by his hand and dialed a certain number.

"Hmm, got it. Inform the master as soon as possible. I’ll send the ’guests’’ photos over immediately."

The bald gatekeeper hung up the phone, his gaze shifting to a group of peculiarly dressed men and women, who were also quite suspicious.

...

After passing through the Trial Gate, Su Xiao entered a dense forest. Without a detailed map, there was even the possibility of getting lost here.

"This peculiar aura seems no longer biological, does it?"

Su Xiao stopped in his tracks, glancing toward a nearby thicket.

"Come out."

As soon as Su Xiao spoke, there was a rustling in the forest, and soon, a giant dog about six meters long emerged. Its entire body covered in purple fur, its snout sharp, contrasting its fierce appearance with a pair of small, black, beady eyes.

The giant dog looked at Su Xiao with a gaze so calm it didn’t seem biological; it was one of the battle hunting hounds trained by Silva Zoldyck.

The giant dog had no intention of attacking Su Xiao; as long as one passed the Trial Gate through normal means, it would not attack.

"Can you understand human language?"

Su Xiao attempted to communicate with this giant dog. The dog nodded, indicating it could understand human language, yet it treated everything with an indifferent demeanor.

"If you understand, then lead the way."

The giant dog began to lead Su Xiao deeper into the forest, with Su Xiao following behind.

About ten minutes later, Su Xiao had fully entered the forest, where an iron-fenced wall appeared ahead. Within the fence, there was a gatehouse, through which one officially entered the Zoldyck Family headquarters.

Several black-suited butlers stood lined up in front of the gatehouse, blocking the path.

"Please stop here. The position you are in is private property. Although you passed the Trial Gate, you need to wait here for about 2 to 3 days."

A butler wearing a black suit and black-rimmed glasses spoke. His name was Parasol Tree, the head butler of the Zoldyck Family, with decent strength.

"Go tell that old man Zeno, a friend from Yukexin has come to visit."

Su Xiao was visiting this time, not intending to fight his way in.

"Apologies, guest, you need to wait here for 2 to 3 days. If you lack the patience, then please leave."

Cold sweat dripped from the head butler Parasol Tree’s cheek as he sensed the terrifying aura of the visitor—sharp, fierce, and filled with blood energy. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Unfortunately, I don’t have that much time to wait."

Su Xiao’s eyes narrowed. At present, fighting his way in would be somewhat rude, and waiting here was out of the question, as time in the Derivative World was very precious.

"If you are planning to force your way in, then we can only apologize, for that is the Zoldyck Family’s rule."

A few shiny gold coins appeared between the fingers of head butler Parasol Tree. Although he knew that if he made a move now, the other butlers around him would all undoubtedly perish, as the Zoldycks’ head butler, he could not allow outsiders into the manor without the master’s order.

"Parasol Tree, stand down. Don’t throw your life away."

A somewhat amused voice came from behind the butlers, prompting them all to bow.

An elderly man emerged from behind them, his posture relaxed, with a sign around his neck reading, ’Not For Killing Today.’

"I heard you wiped out the Travel Group?"

The newcomer was Zeno, one of the key characters and grandfather to Killua Zoldyck.

"Let some escape, not completely wiped out."

Su Xiao’s aura calmed somewhat, seeing that he wouldn’t need to make a move.

"Really, have you come this time to?"

Zeno temporarily did not understand Su Xiao’s intent. He knew a bit about Su Xiao’s personality and considered the possibility of them being either foes or friends.

"Sightseeing? Or perhaps a visit."

Su Xiao indeed wasn’t here to wipe out the Zoldyck Family; after all, the Zoldycks harbored a well-known old monster.

"You’d come to the Zoldyck Family for sightseeing? I’d sooner believe you’re here for killing, and your rate of becoming stronger is astonishing."

Zeno’s expression remained outwardly calm, but internally he felt differently. The last time he saw Su Xiao, he had a chance of winning; now, that chance was nonexistent.

Zeno’s old eyes narrowed as he clearly assessed that if he were to fight Su Xiao now, he would certainly die.