" too," Killua chuckled.
*How interesting.*
This peer of his seed to have decent talent. After all this ti, he'd finally t soone interesting.
Thinking of this, Killua kicked off the ground and coolly flipped his skateboard up, catching it under his arm.
"Whoa, that's so cool!"
Killua's move made Gon's eyes light up. Shouting his praise, he picked up the pace and ran side-by-side with Killua.
"I'm Killua."
"I'm Gon."
Running side-by-side, the two boys exchanged nas after just a single glance and imdiately began chatting with excitent.
"Zane, that Killua kid doesn't seem simple at all."
Watching the two youngsters speed up, Kurapika, who had been observing silently, ran over to Zane's side.
Zane nodded slightly. "I know. Just look at Gon; anyone who can reach the exam site at this age is bound to be extraordinary."
He knew Kurapika was trying to warn him.
After the incident with Tonpa, it was only natural for Kurapika to be more cautious.
Considering Illumi was still around, Zane didn't explicitly explain Killua's background to Kurapika.
Seeing that Zane was aware, Kurapika didn't say more and returned to Leorio's side.
Just like Zane...
...of the four of them, Leorio was in the most danger during this phase of the exam.
Given Kurapika's personality, he couldn't possibly ignore Leorio's situation.
Heavy breathing echoed throughout the tunnel.
Once the first person started falling behind, the number of candidates began to dwindle at a visible rate.
No one knew how much ti had passed.
The seemingly endless tunnel finally showed a sign of change.
Stairs began to appear ahead, and at the top of the flight, a faint light could be seen.
"It's the exit! It has to be the exit!"
"Is it finally over? I really thought there was no end to it."
"The numbers have dropped quite a bit. Honestly, if you don't have the skills, you shouldn't co to the exam in the first place."
"..."
The sight of light rejuvenated many of those who were exhausted, though those who still had energy to spare remained dismissive.
"Gon, do you want to race to see who reaches the finish line first?"
"Sure! The loser has to buy dinner."
"You're on!"
"Then... ready, go!!!"
Ahead, Gon and Killua, who had been chatting warmly, suddenly began their race, sprinting up the stairs.
"Leorio, why do you want to beco a Hunter?"
"For the money, of course!"
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? With money, you can buy anything! If it wasn't for a lack of money, my best friend wouldn't have died!"
"..."
Behind them, perhaps because the end was in sight, Kurapika and Leorio also began to talk.
With the motivation for becoming a Hunter as their topic, the two unknowingly opened their hearts to each other, revealing their inner pain.
*I feel like a bit of a third wheel.*
Zane muttered to himself after seeing what was happening both in front of and behind him.
Well...
That was just his personality. While he wasn't exactly antisocial, it was quite difficult for him to achieve emotional resonance with others.
Hmm... at least not in such a short ti.
Sprint, sprint, sprint!
Finally, led by Gon and Killua, candidates began to burst out of the tunnel one after another, greeting the long-awaited sunlight.
Zane, who ran out of the tunnel alongside Leorio and Kurapika, ca to a stop.
He stepped onto the grass outside the tunnel exit.
Despite the long run, Zane's breathing was almost unchanged, and there wasn't a hint of sweat on his face.
It was as if he had just finished a casual warm-up.
Instead of resting, Zane surveyed his surroundings with interest.
The tunnel exit was far from the city; situated here were dense forests and a swirling, persistent mist.
*Rumble...*
A mont later, the gate at the tunnel exit slamd shut, cruelly barring the remaining candidates who hadn't made it out in ti.
"This is the Nure Wetlands, also known as Swindlers' Swamp. It is the only path to the second phase of the exam.
Many strange animals inhabit the Nure Wetlands. Most are cunning and greedy creatures that will deceive even humans to secure a al. Please follow closely."
As the gate dropped, Satotz, standing at the front, turned to the candidates and gave a brief explanation of the Nure Wetlands.
So candidates were shocked that the first phase wasn't over yet, while others pondered the situation in the wetlands.
Others simply looked on with disdain.
"Pfft, that's ridiculous. If you know they're going to trick you, how could you possibly fall for it?" Leorio muttered, leaning on his knees while catching his breath.
Zane glanced sideways at him. *The one most likely to be tricked here is a simpleton like you.*
"Don't be fooled!"
Suddenly, just as Leorio finished speaking, a loud shout ca from nearby.
The candidates instinctively turned to look.
From a wall at the side of the tunnel exit, a man covered in wounds erged.
Pointing angrily at Satotz in front of the crowd, he shouted, "Don't let him trick you! This guy is lying! He's not the examiner at all—he's an impostor! I'm the real examiner!"
"An impostor?"
"What the hell is going on?"
"..."
A commotion broke out among the candidates. So were deeply shocked, looking back and forth between Satotz and the wounded man.
Noticing the candidates' reactions, the wounded man imdiately took his next step, dragging a bizarre monkey out from behind him.
"Look! This is a Man-faced Ape, native to the Nure Wetlands."
Upon seeing the strange monkey, many candidates who were previously indifferent beca suspicious.
"Whoa, that monkey looks just like Mr. Satotz!" Gon cried out in surprise.
He was right.
The bizarre monkey the wounded man was holding actually had a face that was eighty or ninety percent similar to Satotz's.
"Man-faced Apes love fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, and their strength is quite weak. So, they often disguise themselves as humans and use words to lure people into these wetlands. Then, they team up with other creatures to devour them together!"
Pointing righteously at Satotz again, the wounded man shouted angrily, "This guy is planning to wipe out all the candidates in one fell swoop!"
"I see! I knew sothing was off about his looks. He's not human!"
"I was wondering about the way he walked earlier. No normal person moves like that."
"Damn it, how dare he trick us!"
"..."
Led by Leorio and a certain bald ninja, many candidates began to show hostility toward Satotz.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Several cards flew through the air.
While the candidates were in a state of hesitation, soone had already taken the lead and acted.
The wounded man, who had been glaring at Satotz, widened his eyes. Three cards were now deeply embedded in his face.
At the sa ti, three cards had also appeared in Satotz's hand.
[ Author's Note : If you're loving the story, a power_stone, review or comnt ans the world!
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