Chapter 3: Battle in the Mist
After sometime the rest of the applicants started to arrive, Leorio and Kurapika included. Everyone stood still waiting for the examiner's instructions as he just stood there waiting for something, then the gate they came through began to close and Satotz explained they still need to follow him through the swamp, he also told them about the dangers they are going to face, "if you let your guard down you will die" he said.
"Don't let him fool you!" someone screamed from the back while Satotz was talking.
"He is an impostor, I am the real examiner" a beaten up man yelled dragging the body of a humanoid creature that have some resemblance to Satotz and explained that it is a monkey with human face, one of the numerous creatures of the swamp.
The man told them that they use their human resemblance to attract people to their nest where its kind wait in ambush and that Satotz is one of them.
As he was talking three cards stuck on his face killing him, letting most of the applicants shocked, at the same time a set of three cards flew towards Satotz and Noah's direction. But both of them caught the cards between their fingers effortlessly.
"I see, I see… well, that solved the problem… you are the real one" as Hisoka spoke the creature opened its eyes and noticing that his scheme had failed, it ran away escaping for its life.
"The examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to realize this job without payment. Every Hunter that holds the title we are aiming for, would be able to stop and attack like that" he explained.
"I will take that as a compliment but if you attack me again, you will be disqualified regardless of the reason… understood?"
"Okay" Hisoka answered.
Then Satotz told the applicants again about the tricks the Numere Swamp will use to lure them and if they lost sight of him they are most likely not going to be able to get out of the swamp.
"Hisoka-san here, take your cards… I guess these slipped out of your hand when you attack them… you have to be careful, that was pretty dangerous, someone could have died"
Noah who appeared behind Hisoka out of nowhere said, handing him the cards and exuding a chilling nonetheless carefree aura.
"Thanks for your advice~, I will be careful" he said smiling and Noah walked back to his group.
Then Satotz began to move across the swamp resuming the race and everyone started to run again. Noah was running besides Leorio and Kurapika as Gon and Killua went ahead of them.
Everyone kept running in silent when suddenly Noah felt the air behind them tensed up, he could felt Hisoka's bloodlust slightly raising as well as the animosity of the group surrounding him "I guess this time I'm not going to get bored" Noah thought.
"Leorio, Kurapika, Shin, Killua says we should hurry up!"
"Idiot! If we would have strength, do you think we would still be here!"
"Don't worry about us"
"Yeah, let's meet up at the second phase"
As Noah said that, Killua and Gon then fasten up their pace getting further away from the group. After they were gone, Noah kept running besides Leorio and Kurapika until chaos started to spread all around the place, their group got separated from the examiner and many have already fell in monster's traps.
Leorio and Kurapika despite almost getting killed by a huge kind of turtle monster, were doing fairly good and got away savely. Noah used the ruckus to separate from them, which was pretty easy thanks to the heavy fog, in order to follow Hisoka.
...
Screams could be heard all around the swamp, people falling prey to the monsters. However, in middle of all the chaos a little further away from where the monsters were attacking, a man was being surrounded by a group of people, the man which happened to be Hisoka was calmly standing in front of them as if it was nothing, but that was just on the outside as he was trying to surpressed his bloodlust to go wild.
The leader of the group began to talk to Hisoka, but he didn't even care about what the man was saying and his replies made the group get enraged, so they began "to threaten" him and prepare themselves to battle.
...
On the other side.
Noah who had been followed them for quite a while, was already sitting comfortably on top of a tree enjoying the show. But just as the fight was about to start he sensed Leorio and Kurapika nearing the place.
They were running until Leorio spotted Hisoka and made Kurapika halt with him, and just when they were going to hide away the battle broke out and Hisoka's bloodlust was released, they froze and shuddered at the murderous aura. It was as is a ferocious beast had just break free from his cage, a mad and bloodthirsty beast.
The time seem like it had stopped around the clown and only one allowed to move was him, the men that were talking so big words just a second ago were now frozen from fear and shuddering like little animals out in a chilling storm.
Some of them were amazingly able to react, just to know that they were already done for. The pressure Hisoka's bloodlust give them delayed all their body's natural responses in front of danger. However, even if they weren't under such pressure and their movements weren't restricted, the result wouldn't change, they were just living targets for him to slay.
One after another they were rapidly turning into corpses; whistles could be heard before the sound of cards stucking in someone's body taking off his life, the blood was bursting out from their wounds as if celebrating Hisoka's arrival everytime he slashed them. Some tried to beg for mercy but the clown spare none, he kept movind around as some kind of freakish dance until no one remained.
In just a couple of seconds the fight was over and the lives of over twenty fighters were gone, Hisoka's displays of weird, fast and clean movements amazed Noah, despite the clown creepy grin and pretty weird poses "That's a really unique way of fighting; Nonetheless, he has fairly decent skills" he thought.
As soon as Hisoka finished the last one, he turned to Kurapika and Leorio's direction. Staring at them he asked if they want to participate in his little test as he was walking towards them.
They looked at each other and reached the conclusion they were no match for him so they turned towards him, Hisoka stopped just a few meters away from them and made a card appeared in his right hand and just when he was to take a stance, at Kurapika's signal they ran in opposite directions while Hisoka stay still.
"A wise decision"
He stood there as his bloodlust was leaking again and a creepy smile was plastered on his face. He then after regaining a bit a of composure, he made the card disappeared but when he was about to leave he sensed someone approaching, it was Leorio who had returned and said he was going to face him. He run straight towards the clown just to get dodged and be attacked instead. However, when the strike was about to connect, Hisoka was hit on the face making him stop and allowing Leorio to take some distance from him.
After a figure appeared from the mist and said "I made it in time"
Hisoka saw it had been Gon who just had hit him and began to walk towards him, Leorio seeing Hisoka's attention was now on his friend he rushed to attack the clown yelling to get the attention back to him, gaining a punch on the face that knocked him out; simultaneously Gon attacked making successive strikes with his fishing pole but all his attacks were avoided easily, the clown was just toying with him.
Then Gon hit the ground creating a dust screen to divert Hisoka's attention by obstructing his field of vision; he moved to his blind spot and was about to attack, when Hisoka appeared in front of him
with a closed eye smile. Gon freeze at his sudden appearence, sweat running all over his body, he wanted to run but wasn't able to he insticts told him if he moved he will died.
Hisoka was observing him and was getting excited thinking about this new toy of him, then he decided to tasted a bit more before get going and extended his hand to grab his neck when suddenly a strong pressure overtook him, he sensed as if a monter from the abyss was right behind his back, he inmediatly jumped away in order to avoid the incoming attack, but nothing happended. He land meters away from his last position, and was confused it was as if that fearful presence never had been there, he then turned to Gon's direction again and his eyes went wide open. There was another person besides his toy, it was the masked boy that had also picked his interest.
"I would appreciate if you let them be Hisoka-san" Noah said
"Ohh, it's okay. They have already my little test I wasn't going to kill them, I just got a bit excited" he said smiling
"However, now it's you who got all my interest, you know" he said licking his lips as his killing intent was going wild.
"Oh I'm elated I pick your interest but if you want to fight me at least wait till the exam is over" Noah said
"Also I don't like killing or getting killed for nothing, as I has been taught, I won't work for free" he said carefreely
"Oh that's sad, but it can be help I will be waiting for our match boy"
After that his killing intent subside, then a beep was heard and Hisoka took out a phone.
"Hisoka, hurry up to get back. We are about to reached the place for the second phase" a voice spoke from the phone.
"Okay, I'm going" said Hisoka and then started walking towards the unconscious Leorio
"I will carry him to the next phase as I was the one that knocked him out" he said putting Leorio over his shoulder.
"I guess you can find the way back, right?" the clown asked
"Yeah, no problem"
Then Noah turned to Gon and sat beside him waiting for Kurapika to arrive as he had already sensed him getting near them.
"Gon, Noah, are you alright?" Kurapika shouted as he ran to them.
"No problem, we are fine"
Noah replied and told him what had happened as they started to move. Noah was going to take the lead but Gon said that he could track Leorio's cologne so he let the boy took the lead as he really was taking the right path which surprised him.
On the way Gon asked them if they know what Hisoka could mean when he said that he and Leorio had passed, despite not winning against him. Kurapika gave his insight on the matter and Noah agreed with him, that Hisoka saw or felt a potential foe in them, and thought it was a waste to kill them before they bloom.
After running for a while they arrived where the group was waiting for the second phase to start. They began to look around searching for Leorio then they felt Hisoka's presence and turned in his direction, he was pointing to his right, they followed his sign and spotted Leorio leaned next to a tree spacing out. Then they walked to him and Gon and put down Leorio's suitcase.
"ah it hurts, why am I all beaten up?" he said
"Uh you don't remember?"
"My memories are confused… Ugh"
"I guess is better not to tell him about what happened" Kurapika whispered to the others. As they were talking Killua was walking to them.
"Gon"
"Killua!"
"I can't believe you arrived here… I thought you won't make it"
"I just followed Leorio's cologne"
"Cologne? How did… you are pretty weird, you know?"
As they were talking the examiner spoke, getting everyone attention and explained that the first phase was accomplished and the second one is going to be hold in the place behind him and without further ado he said goodbye and left.
After he was gone the gates started to open revealing a huge yard filled with some kind of kitchens, ingredients and some cooking tools; a bit further there was a huge building kind of a mansion and two people could be seen at the front, one was a green haired woman seating on a sofa wearing a see through shirt with a black bra under it, plus a mini jean shorts revealed his slender and enticing body; along with a massive guy seated on the floor behind her.
As the applicants entered the place the two presented themselves, they were the examiners for the second phase, Menchi and Buhara. Then a big noise was heard coming from Buhara's stomach, followed by Menchi's announcement, the exam is going to be related to cooking which caused havoc among the participants as they weren't expecting something like that, and began to laugh at them when Menchi told them they were Gourmet Hunters.
"Of all thing they possibly have think, it has to be cooking... ahh" Noah complaint to himself
After that they received their task from the examiners, which was to prepare pork so they need to hunt a pig in the near by forest.
Noah was now strolling around looking for the game just as everyone, until a big noise was heard and a cloud of dust could be seen getting near them. Noah then focused and saw Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio running ahead of a stampede of enormous wild pigs.
Everyone tried to hunt the pigs but most of them just got crushed under the stampede, Noah was about to dash towards one of the pig to cut it in two when he saw Gon taking one down with a strike on the head. Then everyone follow suit taking down the pigs and starting to rush back carrying the pigs above them.
Once they arrived and started to prepare the things to cook the pig, the examiners were a little surprise that they got the pigs that fast. But that was just the first part, the real exam was about cooking, so they need to prepare something that the two examiners consider tasty.
"Ah, if I just would have listened to Maya that time now I wouldn't be in this situation… well I just have to try" Noah said optimistically.
As everyone started to finish their cooking Noah sweatdropped, "they just cooked the pig whole and some even burned it, well I guess I have a chance with this bunch" he muttered
He then continued with his cooking, while the others were serving theirs to the examiners. One after another Menchi kept failing them, Gon, Leorio and Killua failed too. When it was Kurapika's turned Noah laughed out loud as he saw the expression on his face when Menchi said he wasn't any better than #403, but stopped when he took a look at his own dish.
Now it was his turned served his cooking, he went there and place two portions on the table, one for each examiner. Even though he was awared he was going to get a failing mark he went nonetheless.
Buhara and Menchi looked at the food and just stared blankly at it, then Menchi exploded
"You fool, this can't even be called rotten food, much less a proper dish what were you thinking to bring this here!"
"Well, I tried to make something and also did my best, so it would be a waste not to get someone judge it, hahaha"
"You failed too, no one in his right mind would dare to taste something like this"
Buhara nodded at Menchi's statement, even him didn't want to die poisoning himself by eating that, so Noah got a failing grade from both examiners getting laughed at by his four friends.
"I guess, I'm at Shion's cooking level... ahh well at least it didn't explode" Noah thought.
After that Menchi announced the end of the exam as well as the failure of everyone present, which of course caused a riot among the applicants, needing the interference of the committee's president Netero to mediate a solution because failing everyone was unacceptable.
Thanks to him the exam is going to be remade and this time the examiner will take part on the exam too, thus regarless of the result, it will have to be accepted.
Now Noah and the rest are flying in direction to the mountain split in half where the second phase is going to be held.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone