Chương 8: Chapter 8: The First Phase
Arriving in Zaban City was quite the experience. The city was vibrant and bustling, filled with a mixture of prosperity and opportunities, the streets filled with stalls offering a wide variety of goods and services to tourists like me. However, it also meant that there were plenty of shady merchants and scam artists willing to try to take advantage. Determined to avoid any trouble, I avoid these kind of people and procured some food from reputable stalls before starting my search for the city.
Along the way I decide to try some of the local food, including the panda frog on a stick that was only seen in anime from this era—it was quite tasty. And at some point, I arrive at the place I was looking for: a tall building whose modern, metropolis-like style is out of place with the rest. However, what really interests me is the place right next to it: a simple, small greasy spoon restaurant, Meshidokoro Gohan. This is the real meeting point for the Hunter Exam applicants.
Since there is still plenty of time left before the start of the exam, I decide to stay at an nearby inn for a few days. I don't know if there is a certain date for applicants to get access to the site, so I can't just jump in and say the password I had written down, it could ruin my plan. I will wait until I see a familiar face, and if I haven't seen anyone by January 6th, I will go in first thing in the morning.
The inn has a diner below, so food was not a concern, but I have to remain vigilant of prying eyes and people looking for an easy target.
For the next days, I mostly stayed in my room, looking out the window at the busy streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of any potential exam participants, and I also ran around the city training my physique and aura control, searching for familiar faces of the canon, and listening to people passing by in hopes of discovering something.
Date: January 6th, 2011
On the third day, I spot a familiar figure passing by—a fat man who looked very much like Tonpa. Recognizing him from the story, I realize that it's time to take action. I follow him through the Tsubashi Street, seeing him enter the restaurant. Just as planned, I wait a few minutes and enter after him.
"Welcome, how can I help you? What are you interested in?" Asks the restaurant owner.
"I'll have the steak combo." I reply, to which the owner frowns and stares at me.
"Grilled or boiled?" The owner asks.
"Grilled over a low flame." I answer.
"Coming up!" The owner says, and his assistant guides me to the back room.
The assistant opens the door, and I walk in to find Tonpa already there, chowing down on a grilled steak and rice. He looks up, surprised but not entirely off guard.
"So, you're here for the Hunter Exam, huh?" Tonpa says.
"You're quite lucky, catching up with me and finding the gathering place."
"So you knew I was following you." I reply.
"Of course. You weren't really trying to hide your movements. You followed me for a block or two." He says.
"I'm guessing you have a good reason to not enter earlier if you knew the password. If you tried to run me, I'd put you in your place. But since you're here for the exam as well, I wish you the best of luck. Enjoy the food. There's enough for both of us."
Knowing Tonpa's reputation, I really can't trust the food on the table. "No, that's alright. I brought my own food in case the exam takes a long time. I appreciate the offer, though." I say feigning gratitude at Tonpa's false consideration.
"Wow, you're pretty wise for someone so young. A genius or something, right?" He asks.
"I've never been called a genius, but probably." I reply.
As we continue our conversation, the room locks with a click. I guess no other participants have made it to this point yet, and the room begins to slowly descend, taking us deeper underground. During our descent, Tonpa asks me the most frequent question for any applicant.
"So, Kai, what kind of Hunter do you want to be? You know, if you pass the exam, you'll gain a Hunter License. With it, you'll be able to travel the world, enter most countries without restrictions, and access almost all public resources. What do you plan to do with all that freedom?"
"Once you get your license, you'll gain fame and fortune. You wouldn't have to work a day in your life after that. You could just sell the license if you really needed to, and you'd be rich. Or are you trying to be a noble Hunter, securing the order of society and nature? Or maybe you want to take down some bad criminals in the Hunter world? In my long line of work, you learn a thing or two about being a Hunter."
He paused, looking at me intently. "You might be wondering why I'm telling you this. The reason is, there's only a one in 10.000 chance you'll pass this exam. I'm surprised you got this far on your first try. But this was the easy part. After this, it only gets worse. And even after passing the exam, the world of Hunters is very dangerous. You can die at any time for any number of ridiculous reasons."
"So if you don't have what it takes to be a Hunter, when this elevator stops, stay on, and go home to your parents or wherever you came from. If you don't want to die a horrible death, this would be the most sensible option." He says, staring at me.
"Not to be rude, mister Tonpa," I reply, "but you're not scaring me out of this."
"Since I was born, I've always been taught that life shouldn't be taken for granted. At any moment, for any reason, anything can end. And that's why I want to make the most of the time I have in this world, achieving everything I set out to do without fear stopping me from achieving it. And the best way to achieve that is to become a Hunter. Do you understand?" I ask very seriously looking at Tonpa, whose face scrunched up, surprised by my answer.
"Sure, I understand. Sorry if I came off as rude, ha ha ha." Tonpa laughs nervously before falling silent, drinking one of the sodas from his bag.
Finally, I have some peace and quiet. I use the time to prepare my mind for what is next. I have to prepare to deal with most dangerous person in this exam and the series overall: Hisoka, the enigmatic and deadly character who can either collaborate with you or decide to betray you depending on his mood, that is if he doesn't become obsessed with killing you to satisfy his thrill for battle.
As the elevator descends further into the depths, the atmosphere grow tense. The walls seem to close in, and the air is thick with anticipation. I can feel the weight of the challenge ahead pressing down on me.
Finally, the elevator shudders to a stop, and the doors creak open. Tonpa and I step out into a vast underground chamber with several other aspiring Hunters. The room buzzes with nervous energy, conversations in hushed tones, and the occasional glance of suspicion or curiosity.
"Hello." says a green bean humanoid creature in a suit and white gloves. "Please take your number badge, thank you."
I receive my badge with the number 15, while Tonpa's is 16.
"Be sure to wear this on your chest at all times, please," the green bean continues. "and be careful not to lose them, okay?"
Tonpa takes his badge and pins it to a corner of his shirt. I decide to do the same. Time flew by quickly, with every new arrival giving me a rush of anticipation.
Within the next hour, there were up to 40 participants, which meant Hisoka was probably close to arriving. Soon enough, he makes his appearance. His flowing red hair and his playing card outfit are as extreme as I remembered.
I make sure not to maintain eye contact with him—I don't want to catch his attention. I really didn't want to run into him at this moment, but I have no choice if I want to become a Hunter as quickly as possible.
Tonpa, usually loud and obnoxious, kept quiet when Hisoka walked into the room. He knows that if he gets on the wrong side of that guy, he won't make it to the next Hunter Exam.
A while later, as everyone's eyes turns to the elevator once again, they see a kid with white hair and a skateboard. This person had to be the one I knew from the stories I read—Killua. The kid is quiet and silent, just like an assassin should be.
He grabs his badge from the green fellow and skates past the rest of the crowd. For a moment, his gaze seems to fixate on me, so I simply give him the gentlest smile I can and he decides to skate away.
'It's better if I keep my distance for now and let things play out so I don't alter the timeline too much.' I think, staying put.
Date: January 7th, 2011
When the wristwatch I bought at Carthis strikes midnight, another group of three comes out of the elevator. This time, it is the Amori brothers making their appearance.
For the rest of he night and well into the morning, many others followed them, each adding to the growing tension and anticipation in the room. Thank goodness I had brought food to pass the time just like number #255, Todo.
When number #294, Hanzo, arrives in scene, I immediately head over to start a conversation with him. Although he's a little cautious at first because of my sudden approach, through conversation and looking for things in common, I manage to make him mellow out with me, talking with him about my life and goals while he tells me about his.
'Among all the candidates for this exam, Hanzo is the one I have to make sure to become my ally the most. Not only he's intelligent and has a good personality, but he also has enough talent to master Nen in just a month and appears in the last arc to travel to the New Continent, which means he is available. If I could only get one ally among all the participants in this exam, my choice would definitely be Hanzo.' I think while listenning about the training Hanzo has had to endure throughout his life.
"Man, it's so nice to have someone to talk to in this boring place." Hanzo says with a happy smile.
"Yes, that's true. Hey, how about you give me your phone number so I can contact you after the exam? If we both become Hunters, I think it would be great to have someone like you if I need help with something, and I could also provide it to you if you need it."
At my words, Hanzo's gaze hardens on me. "Even if we have a comfortable chat, I don't know you at all. Tell me why I should put my trust in a complete stranger like you?"
"Besides, you talk as if it's a given that you'll pass. But we have no idea what trials await us ahead. What if you die in this exam? Or if we're forced to fight until only one of us remains? I'm warning you, I must become a Hunter to find the Hermit's Scroll, and I will stop at nothing to get it." I smile at his words of conviction.
"And that's another reason why I want you as an ally. It's true, you don't know me at all, and it's completely normal for you to be suspicious, but I'm going to tell you one thing about me that you should be clear about; I intend to be the kind of person who when promises to achieve something, one way or another, always get it. Always without exception." I say very seriously.
"These are very praiseworthy words, but in the end they are just that, words. You prove nothing to me by telling me this." Hanzo says with his arms crossed, still skeptical of me.
"Then let me promise you this; I will pass this exam and become a Hunter. If by the time this exam is over my actions have not proven to you that my words are true, then I will forget about making you an ally. If instead I gain your trust and respect, then you will become my friend. Do you accept the bet?" I ask him as I hold my hand out in front of him.
Hanzo looks at me for a brief moment before smiling and shaking my hand, the feeling of expectation and defiance burning in his eyes.
"If you can prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that your words are true, then I would love to have such an ally. Well, I'm going to take a walk around the place. See you later." Hanzo says as he starts to walk away and I wave goodbye to him, feeling the weight of this new challenge settling on my shoulders.
After several hours comes the last three—the people I truly wanted to see and be a part of. Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon enter the scene. Their presence brings a wave of excitement and familiarity.
Seeing them, I feel a surge of determination. These were the people I had read about, the ones who had faced countless challenges and come out stronger. Now, it was my turn to join their ranks and prove myself worthy of becoming a Hunter.
Despite my excitement at seeing my anime heroes in the flesh in front of me, I keep my distance just like I did with Killua. It's not the time to get involved in their lives.
Tonpa is on the move as usual, scanning the group of three who have just stepped out of the elevator. "So, you guys are the 400s. How do you do? My name's Tonpa, pleased to meet you." He says, extending his hand to Gon.
"Hello, I'm Gon." Gon says shaking his hand, and Tonpa then turns his attention at Leorio and Kurapika, who are receiving their badges nearby.
"I gather you're new here." Tonpa comments.
"You can tell?" Gon asks.
Tonpa continues, "Pretty much. This is my 35th attempt. I started when I was 10."
"35th?" Gon exclaims, astonished by the high number.
"Yep, you might say I'm an expert examinee. Anything you want to know, just ask." Tonpa affirms.
"That's not something I would boast about." Leorio murmurs.
"Neither would I." Kurapika responds.
Gon, eager to learn, asks, "Do you know everyone here then?"
Tonpa nods. "Just about. I'll point out some regulars. Let's see..."
He gestures towards a man with a scarf. "That's #103 Bourbon, the Snake Charmer. He's a tenacious competitor. Get on his bad side and you'll never get off."
Next, he points to another candidate. "Then there's #191 Bodoro, the martial artist. He is getting older, but in unarmed combat, he's probably the best."
He continues, "And #255 Todo, the wrestler. Strong as anything and a lot smarter than he looks."
Tonpa then points to a group of three. "From #197 to #199, the Amori brothers. They specialize in teamwork and keep getting better at it."
Lastly, he points to a dark man. "And that's #384, Geretta the Huntsman. He's darn handy with blow darts and clubs. That's just a sample of a host of capable people who haven't quite made the grade yet."
Suddenly, a deafening scream was heard, halting all chatter. "Behold. You now see them, now you don't." Says Hisoka.
A man, #58, screams in pain. "Haaaa! My arms! My arms!"
Hisoka responds calmly, "You should be careful. At least apologize when you bump into someone, okay?"
Seeing this, I activate my Gyo to see what Hisoka had done. As I suspected, he was using Texture Surprise to make it seem like the man's arms had disappeared. In reality, he has cut them off and used Texture Surprise to hide the arms he took as he walks away.
I decide to avert my gaze to avoid catching Hisoka's attention and return to the conversation with Tonpa, who isn't far off. Watching all of this feel like rewatching the original series in first person. It's great.
"Guess he's back this year." Tonpa says to Gon. "That's #44, Hisoka the magician. He seemed like a sure thing last year, but he attacked the examiner. They didn't approve of his methods, so he was disqualified."
Leorio is shocked. "And they didn't ban him for good?"
Tonpa shakes his head. "Of course not. We get new examiners every year. They decide what the tests are and who gets to take them. If the devil himself showed up, he could pass the exam if an examiner says it's okay."
Hisoka had attacked other examinees last year, a fact that made everyone uneasy. "Steer clear of him if you can." Tonpa advises them. "There are a lot of others like him, too. But I can show you the ropes if you listen well."
"Great." Gon says, appreciative of the guidance.
Soon after, other examinees start referring to Tonpa as "The Rookie Crusher" as Tonpa start rummaging through his bag. "Hey, how about we drink to our friendship and good luck in the exam?"
The three of them each take a can of soda. "Sure." they say.
Gon is the first to take a sip. He immediately spits it out. "Hey, this tastes weird. It must have gone bad, Mr. Tonpa."
Tonpa, feigning surprise, says, "Really? Dear me, that's odd. My deepest apologies."
"It's okay, Mr. Tonpa. Luckily I drank it first. Taste is vital for survival ni the forest, so my tongue's trained to detect anything iffy."
"Oh, that's lucky, I guess. All right then." Tonpa says, looking around nervously.
Noticing this, Killua, who is nearby, asks loudly, "Hey Tonpa, can you spare another of those cans of juice?"
Tonpa, a bit startled, hands him a can. "Oh, sure."
Killua, making a show of it, says, "Man, I'm thirsty as anything. My nerves must be high." and he drinks the juice. Afterward, he exhales loudly. "I'm doing fine, really. I've built up my resistance—no poison will kill me."
With that, Killua's remark highlights the tension and suspicion surrounding Tonpa's intentions, and the group continues to prepare for the trials ahead.
As I think about Killua's abilities, a ringing noise begins to ring throughout the chamber.
When the noise stops, one of the walls starts to move upwards, revealing a man in front of the entrance to an underground tunnel. He's holding something by a string that looks like a face on a pouch, and his appearance is that of a tall man wearing a purple suit, with long purple hair curled upwards with a thin curly moustache, green eyes and strangely no mouth.
"I apologise for the delay, thank you for waiting." He begins to speak, commanding attention with his presence. "The entry period for Hunter applicants is officially closed. So without further ado, the Hunter Exam will now begin." With these words, everyone present (including me), prepares to begin the exam.
"One final word of caution. If you're short on luck or ability keep in mind that there is a real chance you could end up seriously injured. Death is another distinct possibility."
At the mention of death several people tense up for a second but only a second, showing the level of skill everyone has to get so far in the Hunter Exam.
The examiner carries on. "If you're willing to accept the risks involved I'll ask you to follow me now. For the rest, kindly exit through the elevator located behind you." Nobody flinchs at these words and stays true to their spot.
After a short delay the examiner continues. "Right then, very well. All 404 applicants will participate in phase 1." Saying this he turns around and begins to walk into the tunnel at a slow march, and those at the front start to walk forwards following him.
As time went on the pace the examiner started to jog, increasing his speed and forcing everyone else to run.
After a moment, the examiner starts to speak while walking, not seeming any bit exhausted. "How rude of me, I neglected to introduce myself. I am Satotz, your examiner for the First Phase of the exam. It's my responsibility to lead you all to the Second Phase."
"Second? What happened with the First Phase?" Hanzo, the ninja, is the first to ask a question.
"The first is already underway." a cluster of gasps and muttering was heard from behind him after the this statement. "The first phase is quite simple. All you have to do is follow me to the second phase, so try to keep up."
"Follow you. So nothing else?" Hanzo continues questioning, probably due to his ninja training.
"That's right. I cannot tell you where or when you will arrive. You only need to follow me." The examiner answers.
Knowing this already, I stayed toward the back to avoid drawing attention, keeping a steady pace and blending in with the other examinees.
This phase seems simple and easy in essence, but it is a good strategy to eliminate weaklings and incompetents from the Hunter Exam. After all, not only is it a very long route, but they don't inform you how long it will last, and that causes even more stress than the physical activity.
After all, Hunters have to have a minimum of physical and mental strength to give a good image of the Hunter Association. In this world, Hunters can die at any time and for any reason, and even the weakest Hunter could beat a low-tier martial artist, so the Hunter Exam has to have a minimum criteria on which candidates can pass it.
As for me, a 80 km run is just a little warm up. My morning workout with the physique and Nen is much more demanding and exhausting than this.
While running, I observed the interactions of the four protagonists—Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. Gon and Killua were slowly becoming friends, and I made sure to stay far behind them to avoid catching too much of their attention. I noticed them looking back at me a few times, seemingly pitying me (That bothered me a little).
Eventually, Leorio begins to slow down, looking exhausted, and stops entirely as I pass by him. Gon stops, staring at Leorio as Killua tries to convince him to continue. Soon enough, Leorio explodes in a fit of motivation, running ahead of Gon and Killua and catching back up to Kurapika at record speed. Gon then happily 'fishes' for the briefcase Leorio dropped behind and continues running with Killua.
Soon after that, #187 joins my pace. He is sweating profusely, snot and drool running down his face. His breathing is heavy, and every movement seems to take a toll on him.
"You good, #187? You look like a real mess." I ask.
Breathing heavily, he corrects me. "My name is Nicholas."
"Sorry about that. Let's make introductions. My name is Kai. My number is 15." I reply.
"Yeah, I've already got a note on it. You're some kind of rookie. I've never seen you before." He responds.
Soon, the Amori brothers make their move. "Hey, rookies! If you can't keep up with this pace, you have no chance in the Hunter Exam." Amori says.
"Yeah, it's only been six hours, and #187 is already out of breath." Imori says.
"Look at him! All tuckered out." Umori says.
"What a baby."
"How did a pair of losers like them get this far?"
"This year most pathetic award go for these two."
"You can't cut it, so go home to your mommies."
Hearing these remarks, Nicholas feels even more strain, and slowly loses his motivation, falling exhausted and mentally broken on the road. Seeing this, I start to slow my pace as well, going with Nicholas and looking at him with pity.
"Why are you still here? Aren't you trying to pass the Hunter Exam?" I say as he looks up to me.
At first, I didn't want to change the timeline, but I see potential in Nicholas. Also, I don't like the attitude of those bullies, criticizing others when they are the weaklings.
"How about this, Nicholas? I help you to the next phase of the exam, and you give me all the information you have on the rest of the examinees. And if you pass the Second Phase, you keep giving me more information on the other applicants. Do we have a deal?"
Nicholas eyes widen at my sudden offer. "Why are you telling me this? You don't know me at all, you don't know if I can be of help to you or if I will even betray you later." He asks with suspicion.
"I think you can help me with your information. And if you try to betray me later, then I just have to kill you. It's that simple." My confident statements send a chill down Nicholas's spine.
"Also, where I come from, we are taught to help each other, and that is a value that I always try to respect. So what do you say?" I ask him one more time.
Seeing a chance to actually pass the Hunter Exam, Nicholas agrees swiftly. "Of course, I'll take you up on that deal if you can really make it happen. Please, I want to pass the exam." He says almost pleading.
The group ahead is probably minutes ahead of us. I can barely see any of them in the distance. "If you want to pass, I'll give you a piggyback ride." I offer.
Nicholas swiftly jump onto my back. With a powerful output, I quickly catch up with the rest of the group, passing the Amori brothers and Tonpa. As we pass them, I heard the brothers speak in unison, "How did those weaklings pass? They were down and out for sure."
As we catch up, we are met with a long climb up stairs. Each step is tiring for the rest of the examinees, already exhausted from a six-hour run. Now, they have to endure the added challenge of climbing.
But even with the extra weight, it is easy for me. We pass by several tired applicants during the ascent. Soon, I catch up with Satotz, Gon, and Killua. They both glance at me in surprise at my pace, especially with the extra weight on my back. Though they say nothing, they give a smile.
The exit is in sight. Reaching the end of the stairs, we are met with light and the sounds of creatures as we enter the Swindler's Swamp.
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