Chapter 110: Mr. Silva, Please
It wasn't just her—both Miji and Kurt also had a thought rise in their hearts that they couldn't quite believe.
Could this young man, who looked barely older than them, truly possess the kind of power that even their father would take seriously?
Was it just their imagination, or had the world gone mad?
"Go have a look—even if it's just to broaden your horizons."
"This old man wants to see just how capable today's youth really are."
Grandfather Zeno, hunched over, said slowly to the Zoldyck descendants.
His words indirectly confirmed how seriously Silva was taking Yamcha.
If Silva's words could be interpreted as cautious, then Zeno saying the same thing meant that Yamcha truly was someone worth paying attention to.
And so, the family (minus the eldest, third, and fourth sons) set off together.
They followed Silva deep into a dense forest that still retained its primeval appearance.
The entire Kukuroo Mountain Range belonged to the Zoldyck family—a clan of assassins that had been passing down their legacy for generations, harboring countless secrets. There might even be fragments of information about the Dark Continent, secrets coveted by the elite at the very top of this world's power structure.
Even the venue of the Hunter Exam was nowhere near the size of the Kukuroo Mountains.
These were no ordinary people present, so their travel speed was nothing to scoff at. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a flat, open area.
"Here will do," Silva said, stepping to the center of the clearing. He turned around expressionlessly and casually removed his cloak, revealing his muscular upper body.
Yamcha stepped forward politely and said, "Mr. Silva, please."
But before the word "please" had fully left his mouth, Silva's figure vanished.
The next moment, he silently appeared behind Yamcha.
His right hand thrust without hesitation toward Yamcha's back.
No hesitation, no wasted motion.
A single, fluid movement.
Fast as lightning. Silent as death.
This was Silva Zoldyck—one of the top assassins in the Hunter x Hunter world.
Assassination Technique: Heart Removal!
The same technique Killua once used on dismemberment specialist Johny during the Trick Tower arc, swiftly ripping out his opponent's heart with a single strike.
According to Killua, he wasn't proficient enough yet—his father could remove a heart without spilling a single drop of blood.
Now, that very technique was aimed at Yamcha.
But Silva's face didn't relax. On the contrary, his expression grew more serious.
There was no sensation of hitting solid matter.
Fake!
Hissss...
Yamcha's body faded into afterimages and vanished.
Just a simple Afterimage Technique—and yet it worked like a charm!
"Where?!"
Silva's eyes darted around at high speed, trying to locate Yamcha.
Just as he was about to activate En to search, he felt a sudden chill in his heart and instantly moved away.
In that same moment, Yamcha appeared where Silva had just been standing.
The ground caved in, forming a massive crater.
"Silent and sudden?"
Could Yamcha have just used the Zoldyck family's assassination technique?!
"I learned it by watching your third son, Killua," Yamcha said with a grin by the crater. But to Silva, that grin was anything but friendly.
He had almost been struck by his own clan's silent assassination technique.
Even if he wouldn't have been injured, it would have been a huge embarrassment.
"Your heart removal technique is truly exquisite, but it's too bloody for my tastes—I'll pass on learning it."
If Yamcha had said that before, everyone would've taken it as empty boasting. But now, they all believed him.
He genuinely didn't want to learn it—touching a sticky, slimy heart didn't appeal to him in the slightest.
Why not just blow your opponent to bits with one clean blast?
"Like I mentioned before—there's a world-class assassin who kills with his tongue. That doesn't suit me either."
Even Silva was intrigued by the mention of this so-called "world's greatest assassin."
The tongue is the softest part of the human body—even a seasoned assassin would find it nearly impossible to kill with it.
Anyone capable of doing so must be a true expert.
Silva became quite curious about this mysterious assassin Yamcha spoke of. Just what kind of person was he?
"Mr. Silva, shall we begin round two?"
Yamcha asked politely.
Silva nodded and began demonstrating the top-tier assassination techniques of the Hunter x Hunter world for Yamcha—this time using Nen as well.
Powerful. Skilled. Every punch packed force.
That was Yamcha's assessment of Silva.
After several exchanges, Yamcha had a rough gauge of Silva's strength.
There was no doubt that Silva was strong—very strong.
But compared to the "World's Greatest Assassin," Tao Pai Pai (Mercenary Tao), there was still a gap.
And here, we're referring to Tao Pai Pai as he appeared in his first appearance, not his cyborg version from the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, which is a whole different level of power.
Even though Zoldyck patriarch Maha is said to be stronger than Silva, Silva undoubtedly ranks second in the family. Even Zeno may not be his match.
Across the Hunter x Hunter world, those who could rival Silva could be counted on one hand.
'Just not sure how he compares to Netero in this era—probably around 1.5 Silvas in strength?'
'Then does Tao Pai Pai's strength put him on par with the Royal Guards of the Chimera Ants? Or maybe even Meruem (the Chimera Ant King)?'
Cross-universe power comparisons are tricky without direct combat.
So these speculations are mostly for fun—real battles aren't always won by the stronger fighter, especially in the Hunter x Hunter world.
Even though the Royal Guards and Meruem were immensely powerful, the Chimera Ant extermination team still emerged victorious.
Hunter x Hunter never focused solely on brute strength. Even someone like Meruem, who reached the biological limit of individual combat power, was ultimately taken down by a single Poor Man's Rose bomb—even if it cost the life of the Hunter Association chairman to do so.
The dangers of the Dark Continent are far greater than any "Poor Man's Rose" or the Chimera Ant King. And even someone like Yamcha might not be able to handle what lies in the Zoldyck family's darkest depths.
The unknown is the most dangerous of all.
Even in the Dragon Ball world, there's an alternate timeline where Devilman one-shots Frieza.
You always need more hidden cards up your sleeve.
When Tao Pai Pai first appeared, he threw a pillar and rode it 3,000 km—that number is absolutely insane. It's not the kind of feat you'd expect from someone who could be taken out by a single bomb.
Granted, the original Dragon Ball was comedic, and over-the-top feats are to be expected. But he was the world's greatest assassin, so I plan to let him train and grow stronger in the main story—until he really can achieve that 3,000 km feat.
Also, in the Buu saga, North Kai had Goku wear 18 tons of weighted gear just for show. Goku had to transform into a Super Saiyan to feel light again.
Honestly, flying 3,000 km on a pillar seems way harder than carrying 18 tons.
In this context, a Tao Pai Pai-level warrior refers to his level from the "Mystical Adventure" movie.
As for the other Earthlings, I plan to ramp up their power levels on Earth—enough to overwhelm the Frieza Force