"The old woman's words shouldn't be a lie, right?"
"Two hours? But hasn't it been four already?"
"Damn it, it's getting dark, and we still haven't reached that cedar tree."
Under the moonlight, which illuminated the dense forest atop the mountain, Leorio, who was lagging behind, began doubting the old woman's words.
"Leorio, can't you be patient for once?"
Kurapika shot him a disapproving glance.
"The Hunter Exam isn't just about strength. You need endurance, too."
Gon chimed in, his optimism unwavering.
At that moment, Lan Fei, who was leading the group, spotted a stone tablet by the side of the path. He brushed away some moss and read the engraving with the help of the moonlight.
"A warning sign… 'Beware of magical beasts.'"
Lan Fei's brow furrowed slightly.
Another warning?
Leorio groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"If we keep walking like this, are we really going to reach the exam venue?"
"Look!"
Lan Fei suddenly exclaimed.
At the end of the path, a colossal cedar tree loomed in the distance, its silhouette stark against the night sky. Beneath it, a wooden house stood, faintly illuminated by the moon.
"We finally found it!"
Gon cheered, raising his arms excitedly.
"Let's go check it out."
Lan Fei disappeared in a flicker, dashing toward the house.
"Lan Fei, wait up!"
Gon quickly followed, his speed almost matching Lan Fei's.
A moment later, all four of them stood in front of the wooden house.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Leorio, impatient as ever, knocked on the door.
"Anyone home?"
Silence.
"No one?"
Gon frowned.
"Could the test have already started?"
Lan Fei took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"I'm sorry for intruding…"
As they stepped inside, an unsettling sensation filled the air.
Something was wrong.
"Wait… This isn't right."
Kurapika's eyes narrowed as his instincts flared. Then, his expression turned grim.
"Not good!!"
Lan Fei and the others quickly realized what he meant.
"Magical beasts—ferocious foxes! They're intelligent and capable of shapeshifting into human forms!"
Kurapika recognized the creature immediately.
A giant fox with piercing red eyes bared its fangs and let out an eerie laugh. In its clawed grip, a young girl struggled in terror. Beside her, a man lay in a pool of blood.
"Damn it! We have to save her!"
Gon clenched his fists, ready to charge.
"That man's still alive!"
Leorio's doctor instincts kicked in as he rushed to check the wounded man.
Boom!
Before Leorio could act, the fox leaped through the roof, vanishing into the forest with the girl in its grasp.
"Please… my wife… save her…"
The wounded man groaned weakly, raising a trembling hand toward the ceiling.
"Leorio, take care of him."
Lan Fei's eyes locked onto the direction the fox had fled.
"We're going after them!"
Without hesitation, Gon bolted out the door.
"Regardless of whether this is part of the exam, we have to save her."
Kurapika followed suit.
Lan Fei's lips curled into a smirk.
"Fast, huh? But in front of me, that speed is nothing."
He raised his hand, forming a shimmering golden light.
"Eight-Foot Mirror."
A beam shot forward, refracting through the night, marking a luminous trajectory.
The next instant, Lan Fei's figure vanished.
Kurapika, who was chasing through the forest, suddenly frowned.
"This fox is fast…"
"KURAPIKA, KEEP UP!"
Gon sprinted past him with a burst of speed, moving at a pace even Kurapika hadn't expected.
"Damn… Even in this darkness, he's keeping up with the fox's afterimages."
Kurapika was impressed by Gon's raw instinct and reflexes.
"LET GO OF THAT GIRL!"
Gon shouted at the fox.
"Jie jie jie… If you want her back, come and take her."
The fox's mocking voice echoed through the trees.
"Whoa! It can talk?!"
Gon's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Their species can shapeshift and mimic human speech."
Kurapika explained as he pushed himself to go faster.
"I see! That makes this even more fun!"
Gon grinned, increasing his speed.
Hum~~
Just as Gon was about to catch up, a golden light streaked past him and Kurapika.
A blinding beam of light!
"What the—?!"
Kurapika's breath hitched.
"The speed of light…?"
Gon muttered in shock.
Ahead, the fox abruptly halted mid-air, its pupils dilating in disbelief. A golden glow illuminated its fur.
"Want to escape?"
A voice emerged from the radiance.
Slowly, the golden light condensed into a figure—Lan Fei.
"LAN FEI?!"
Gon's jaw dropped.
"How is this possible…?"
Kurapika was equally stunned.
The golden light had materialized into Lan Fei's body?
What kind of ability was this?!
And more importantly, how had Lan Fei—who was the last to leave the house—ended up ahead of them?
It was terrifyingly unnatural.
Boom!
Before the fox could react, Lan Fei struck.
A lightspeed kick landed squarely on its torso.
The fox's pupils contracted.
Too fast!
Boom!
Its body rocketed downward, crashing into the earth like a meteor. A massive crater formed on impact. The girl tumbled from its grasp.
"GON!"
Lan Fei shouted.
"ON IT!"
Gon leaped up, catching the girl mid-air.
Kurapika stared at Lan Fei in disbelief.
That power…
In the crater, the fox twitched, struggling to rise. Blood dripped from its muzzle.
"D-Damn it… this brat…"
Its red eyes flickered with fear as they locked onto Lan Fei.