Chương 77: First Stage, Simple
Tonpa was so engrossed in the story that he didn't notice Killua casually drinking ten of his infamous laxative-laced beverages. Making a hasty excuse, Tonpa left to continue his habitual rookie crushing elsewhere.
Killua grinned as he watched a flamboyant clown-like man walk into the chamber. It was Hisoka. Killua remembered the time Hisoka had visited Meteor City, challenging Haruto only to be unceremoniously dismissed. Hisoka had since played a role in Killua's initiation at Heaven's Arena.
As Killua studied Hisoka, the man's gaze was fixed on Haruto. There was a strange gleam in Hisoka's eyes, a bizarre mixture of anticipation and frustration. He had been hungering for a rematch since the day Haruto had effortlessly dismantled his schemes.
Feitan glanced at Killua, then at Hisoka. "Looks like we have an intriguing guest."
Haruto spoke without turning his head. "Let him intrigue himself. He's not worth our concern."
A new tension filled the room as more applicants filed in, clutching their badges. Yet Haruto and his crew remained a steady, unaffected force. To them, this was but a prelude. The real symphony had yet to start.
After a few more hours, the chamber was teeming with applicants. Finally, a man sporting a mustache but lacking a mouth stepped forward. He rang a peculiar bell and announced, "This concludes registration. The Hunter Exam is about to commence."
The mustached man gestured toward a seemingly endless tunnel behind him. "If you value your lives, this is your last chance to leave. This exam will be lethal."
A murmur ran through the crowd, but no one moved.
"Very well," the man said, beginning to walk briskly into the tunnel. "Your first task is to follow me. I can't tell you the destination or how long it will take to get there."
As they began to follow, the thousand men from Haruto's kingdom activated chest-mounted cameras, streaming the event live. Pakunoda, waiting outside, relayed the feed to exclusive channels in the Meteor Kingdom.
Feitan turned to Haruto. "What do you think about this first task? It seems almost too straightforward."
"A test of endurance, perhaps," Haruto replied, eyes fixed ahead. "But it's not the task that matters; it's the purpose behind it."
"This stage will eliminate the most," Phinx said. "It's designed to wear people down, mentally and physically."
As Killua effortlessly skated ahead, he heard a voice from behind him. "Hey, kid, that's not fair. That's cheating."
He didn't bother looking back. Yet another voice chimed in, this one lighter and seemingly younger. "Not really. The examiner said to follow him, not to run behind him."
Killua finally turned his gaze to the speaker—a green-haired kid who appeared no older than him. "How old are you?" Killua asked.
"Twelve," the kid replied.
"Same here," Killua said, hopping off his skateboard and picking it up. "I'm Killua. You?"
"Gon," the boy answered with a cheerful grin.
As they ran, another figure joined them. "It's been a while, Killua," the newcomer said, his red eyes hidden behind a pair of unique contact lenses.
"Kurapika," Killua responded. "I heard you came with the rest of the kingdom's crew."
Kurapika nodded. "I did, but I'm running solo, like you. Grandfather wanted me to learn on my own."
Killua casually introduced Kurapika to Gon, and Gon, in turn, introduced the doctor-in-training Leorio to both. The four youngsters ran side by side, chatting and sizing each other up, as they put kilometer after kilometer behind them.
After hours of running through the tunnel, the excitement of the broadcast had long worn thin for many viewers. People worldwide who had tuned in found it monotonous to watch a thousand men simply run. Yet, when the first candidate—a chubby boy puffing and red-faced—finally collapsed, the thrill was reignited. Texts, calls, and messages flew as viewers alerted their friends: things were finally getting interesting.
As they approached an expansive stairway that spiraled upwards, the mustached examiner turned back to the candidates. "I'll pick up the pace now," he announced before ascending with surprising speed.
Despite the increased tempo, most of the candidates managed to keep up. Yet, by the time they reached the top, 37 more had been eliminated. The total toll now stood at 38, but Haruto's group remained unaffected. Haruto, Canary, Feitan, and Phinx looked as if they had just taken a leisurely walk. Not a bead of sweat was visible on any of them.
As they reached the end of the tunnel system, the mustached examiner announced the second part of the test.
Emerging from the labyrinthine tunnel system, they found themselves in a murky swamp shrouded in mist. Before they could venture any further, a bruised and bloodied man staggered out from a clump of bushes.
As the group stepped into the mist-covered swamp, a haggard figure stumbled out of the bushes, panting heavily. "Wait! That's not the Examiner!" he cried, pointing at the mustached examiner. "He's an impostor, a monster trying to lead you all to your deaths!"
To emphasize his point, the man dragged forth a lifeless creature that bore an uncanny resemblance to the examiner. "I've killed many of these things already!"
Murmers rippled through the crowd, with some candidates visibly unnerved. Haruto, however, merely glanced at the man and turned away without a word, signaling his group to follow.
Hisoka was less merciful. Four playing cards materialized in his hands and flew towards the two targets: the injured man and Satozs. The examiner deftly caught all four cards. The injured man, however, met a gruesome end as the cards sliced through his face and lodged deep into his skull.
"A real examiner wouldn't die so easily," Hisoka said, pleased with himself. True to his words, the dead creature beside the fallen man twitched, then sprang up and scurried away into the foliage.
Satozs caught Hisoka's eyes. "Don't ever attack an examiner again, or you'll be disqualified," he warned.
As if on cue, a flurry of birds swooped down from the treetops, feasting on the lifeless body of the man Hisoka had just killed.
"Those creatures," Satozs gestured at the retreating figure of the imposter, "aim to lead you astray and kill you. Some of you suspected me earlier, didn't you? Clever, but not clever enough."
Satozs turned and plunged deeper into the marsh, prompting the candidates to follow. Haruto signaled his comrades—Feitan, Phinx and Canary—to keep close. Killua, young and sprightly, was close to them with Kurapika, Gon and Leoirio.
As the group plunged deeper into the swamp, the treacherous landscape seemed almost eager to reveal its hidden menaces. The mist hung low, obscuring the vision of everyone but the most perceptive.
"Stay close," Haruto commanded, not a hint of concern in his voice. Feitan, Phinx, and Canary naturally congregated around him.
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