From the day he was chosen as the heir of the Zoldyck family, it was destined that he would become the one in charge. Just like Zeno did back in the day.
"I understand, Father. I will do well," Silva replied.
"Father, what are the next arrangements for Ron?"
Zeno remained silent for a moment.
"I'm not quite sure what your great-grandfather intentions are; he hasn't made it clear. For now, just follow the same path as Illumi and the others. We will discuss it when your great-grandfather has other arrangements."
Sangis was sent flying.
This time, Ron defeated Sangis with even more composure. From the start, he didn't find himself at a disadvantage. Sangis could only rely on his decades of experience to find a few openings to give Ron some trouble. But they were minor troubles.
"Let's call it a day for today," Ron said.
Sangis' attitude toward Ron had completely changed. He no longer thought about defeating Ron to earn a chance to leave the Zoldyck Manor alive; instead, he accepted his role as a training partner.
As night fell, Ron returned to his room. A Nen crystal ball, visible only to Ron, floated in front of him.
"The absorption speed has slowed down."
Ron's eyes flickered. "It seems that the characteristics of this area have already been mostly absorbed."
"I need to go absorb the characteristics from other areas of the Zoldyck Manor."
The next day, after finishing his regular training, Ron walked out of the courtyard. The butler, Keen, quickly approached him.
"Keen, are you familiar with the manor?"
"Then take me on a tour. I haven't left this area much over the years, and soon I'll be heading out into the world. Before I go, I want to take a good look at this manor."
Keen led the way, explaining as they walked. Ron followed Keen closely.
Once they left the courtyard, Ron noticed that the absorption speed of the Nen crystal ball had noticeably increased. This confirmed Ron's hypothesis.
The entire Zoldyck Manor was enormous. It was essentially half a mountain. The main gate of the Zoldyck Manor was located halfway up the mountain. There was still a considerable distance from halfway up to the summit. Everything above the halfway point belonged to the Zoldyck Manor. At the top of the mountain was the Zoldyck residence. Zeno, Silva, and others lived there. But Ron did not.
Ron and Maha Zoldyck resided at the back of the mountain. This was because Ron was not considered a direct descendant. Maha Zoldyck had already retired. Just like Illumi, Milluki, and others, once they established their families, they would no longer live in the Zoldyck residence. Instead, they would leave the Zoldyck Manor.
Those who chose to reside at the back mountain did so. The only one who could continue living in the Zoldyck residence was Killua, who had a special status. When Zeno fully retired, he would also move to the back mountain, just like Maha Zoldyck. This was a rule established by Maha Zoldyck.
"Master Ron, would you like to start from the bottom or the top?" Keen asked.
"From the bottom, please."
The two quickly descended the mountain. Some of the butlers assigned to guard duty noticed them. Although these butlers did not recognize Ron, they were familiar with Keen.
Keen held a special status among the butlers, as he was affiliated with Maha Zoldyck. Even though he was not very old, even the likes of Ziboren and Wutong respected him immensely. Additionally, Keen was quite powerful. No one stopped them.
However, a butler immediately reported their situation to Silva, who had recently returned to the manor.
"Keen has taken Ron down the mountain?" Silva inquired.
"Yes, Lord Silva," the butler replied.
"I see," Silva nodded. "As long as they haven't left the manor, it's fine. But if they plan to leave, report to me immediately."
Within the Zoldyck Manor, Ron's safety was not a concern. However, once outside the Zoldyck Manor, Silva had to prepare for Ron's safety. The bloodline of the Zoldyck family was very thin.
Their numbers were few. Each member was important. Moreover, the Zoldyck family had been the world's number-one assassin family for many years, offending countless people and attracting the interest of many.
In this context, any member of the Zoldyck family leaving the manor was undoubtedly in danger.
Ron and Keen quickly reached the halfway point of the mountain. A massive iron gate came into Ron's view.
"Keen," he introduced, "Master Ron, this is the Trial Gate of the manor."
"There are a total of seven gates. There are no keys; they can only be pushed open with strength."
"The first gate is 2 tons on one side, 4 tons total."
"The second gate is 4 tons on one side, 8 tons total."
"The third gate is 8 tons on one side, 16 tons total."
"The fourth gate is 16 tons on one side, 32 tons total."
"The fifth gate is 32 tons on one side, 64 tons total."
"The sixth gate is 64 tons on one side, 128 tons total."
"The seventh gate is 128 tons on one side, 256 tons total."
Ron recalled some plot points. Gon and Leorio came to the Zoldyck Manor after passing the Hunter Exam. At first, they couldn't even push open the first gate. It wasn't until they trained for 20 days that they managed to open the first gate. Then, Leorio opened the second gate after 20 days of training. And only after an extended period did Gon manage to push open the fifth gate.
Ron glanced at the nearby Nen crystal ball. He could distinctly feel that upon arriving at the Trial Gate, the Nen crystal ball became more active.
"Keen, which gate can you push open?" Ron asked.
Ron raised an eyebrow slightly and approached the massive gate. The sound of grinding metal echoed as the third door slowly opened, revealing a gap that gradually widened.
A figure emerged from a small room nearby. It was an elderly man, robust in stature. He didn't know Ron or Keen.
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