"So that's how it is. Now we can be certain—you're the real examiner!"
Among the candidates, Hisoka lazily toyed with the cards in his hand, his gaze fixed on Satotz, who had caught the flying cards.
As if in response to Hisoka's words, the Man-faced Ape that the wounded man had been holding—which had looked dead—suddenly bolted and fled into the dense forest in a panic.
"Examiners are Hunters who have been commissioned by the Review Committee to serve without pay. As Pro Hunters, they wouldn't be unable to catch an attack like that," Hisoka stated calmly.
"Oh, is that so?"
"Hahaha!!"
Hisoka's words threw the previously suspicious candidates into an awkward state. Leorio and the bald ninja were pri examples, their mouths hanging open as they forced awkward smiles.
"I'll take that as a complint. However, no matter the reason, any further attack against will be considered an act of rebellion against the examiner. I will disqualify you imdiately," Satotz said, tossing the cards aside and calmly staring at Hisoka.
From the very beginning, this man had been radiating a flickering bloodlust toward him, as if he might strike at any mont.
This attack wasn't so much to verify the examiner's identity as it was a blatant provocation—or rather, a challenge to a fight.
"Understood," Hisoka replied lazily, finding Satotz's calm reaction a bit boring.
At that mont, a flock of vultures descended and began to scavenge the body of the dead man.
"Even if it's the law of nature, this is a bit too realistic, isn't it?"
"That guy must have been a Man-faced Ape too."
Leorio, who aspired to be a doctor, frowned as he watched the wounded man's end.
Beside him, Kurapika directly pointed out the man's true identity.
"Don't get all sentintal. You forgot that you were just tricked by that thing. If no one else had been here, you'd probably be in its stomach by now," Zane mocked Leorio bluntly.
"Say it! You noticed long ago, didn't you? You didn't even tell and let make a fool of myself!" His face flushed with embarrassnt and anger, Leorio put Zane in a headlock.
Zane responded with a direct elbow strike, forcing him to let go and cry out in exaggerated pain.
After the brief interlude, the group of candidates set off once again.
Satotz led the way with his unique stride, while the candidates struggled to keep up.
It was different from the previous tunnel.
The Nure Wetlands were shrouded in thick fog. Even without attacks from resident creatures, it was easy to lose one's way if one fell behind the group.
Huff, huff...
As they resud their run, Leorio stripped off his shirt and ran, drenched in sweat.
Although he was using the breathing technique Zane had taught him, the prolonged running had taken a serious toll on his stamina.
To make matters worse, the ground in the wetlands was exceptionally damp, which only intensified the physical drain.
Gradually, Leorio began to fall behind the main group.
"Zane, Kurapika, don't worry about ! Keep up with the others!" Breathless, Leorio shouted at Zane and Kurapika, who were staying by his side, ignoring the fact that he was breaking his breathing rhythm.
"Worry about yourself!" Zane shot back imdiately.
Kurapika added, "It's fine, Leorio. We can still see the main group."
Seeing the two of them insist on staying with him, Leorio would be lying if he said he wasn't moved.
"Damn it, I won't lose!!"
Gritting his teeth, Leorio let out a furious roar, as if declaring his resolve to the world.
Running alongside him, Zane smiled inwardly at Leorio's shout.
'That's the spirit.'
He looked after Leorio not just out of friendship, but because he admired the man's character.
Leorio might have many flaws, but undeniably, he was soone worth trusting.
Kurapika felt much the sa way.
Since learning about Leorio's true motivations regarding money, he had co to respect the man.
If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have slowed his pace to stay with him, just like Zane.
The fog grew thicker and thicker.
The silhouettes of the main group ahead could only be seen as faint outlines through the mist.
Suddenly, in the line of sight of Zane's trio, the heads of the figures in the thick fog ahead all dropped off.
"What's going on?!"
Leorio and Kurapika, who had been staring intently at the figures to avoid getting lost, turned pale and stopped abruptly.
A second later, the fog cleared slightly, revealing that what they had seen weren't backs, but massive strawberries.
Other candidates who had fallen behind failed to stop in ti and crashed headfirst into the strawberries.
"Aaahhh!"
Piercing screams rang out.
Those strawberries were actually growing on the backs of giant creatures that looked like a cross between a dinosaur and a turtle.
The candidates who hadn't stopped in ti were snapped up in the creatures' mouths.
[CUNNING STRAWBERRY TURTLE]
Just as Satotz had described, the Nure Wetlands were ho to many bizarre creatures that used deception to hunt.
After the first one appeared, five or six more Cunning Strawberry Turtles erged from the previously peaceful surroundings, effectively surrounding them.
"Watch out!!"
Seeing the massive size of the turtles, Leorio and Kurapika imdiately entered a combat stance.
The first Cunning Strawberry Turtle swallowed the candidate it had bitten whole and, still unsatisfied, lunged toward Leorio and Kurapika.
Whoosh!
A blur flashed by.
A figure suddenly appeared above the Cunning Strawberry Turtle.
With his right leg raised high and carrying the montum of the fall.
Zane delivered an axe kick, slamming it heavily onto the turtle's head.
ROAR!!!
A wail erupted as the turtle's head smashed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble and crack into a crater.
Blood sprayed from its nose and mouth.
The howling ended as quickly as it began. With a final tremor of its massive body, the Cunning Strawberry Turtle went still.
Using the collapsed head as a springboard, Zane leaped into the air and landed on the nearby grass, waving to Leorio and Kurapika.
"Let's go. Don't waste too much ti here."
"Uh... right!"
Leorio and Kurapika stared in a daze at Zane, who had finished off the turtle in an instant, then hurried to catch up.
Through the opening he had created, the three of them successfully escaped the encirclent.
However, there was clearly more than just one type of predator in this swamp.
Mine Mushrooms that sprayed poisonous spores when stepped on.
Bluffing Crows that mimicked human speech to lure people into traps.
Hypno-Butterflies that scattered sleep-inducing pollen.
Pit Toads that hid underground to swallow passersby in a single gulp.
All sorts of creatures like these continued to manifest as the candidates ran.
One candidate after another fell victim due to slow reactions, causing the group's numbers to dwindle once more.
Furthermore, the dangers the candidates faced ca not only from the outside, but from within as well.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comnts are highly appreciated to keep going.....( 40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]
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