"This…"
Everyone froze in shock at the scene before them. The magician Hisoka remained calm, shuffling his playing cards with a playful smirk. The man covered in scars, his body impaled by the razor-sharp cards, stood there for a moment before his eyes lost focus and he collapsed to the ground.
"Magician Hisoka…"
"This guy finally made a move."
Tonpa swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he took a step back.
Shhhhh!~
Before anyone could react, Hisoka flicked his wrist again. A second wave of playing cards shot through the air—this time, aimed directly at the examiner, Satotz.
"Is he insane?! He's attacking the examiner?!"
Kurapika's golden eyes widened in alarm.
"This guy is ruthless. He doesn't even care if it's the examiner."
Killua's gaze darkened, a wary smirk playing at his lips.
"No, he's testing Satotz's strength."
Lan Fei crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly.
"He's also trying to confirm Satotz's identity for everyone."
The deadly cards flew at high speed, their edges sharp enough to slice flesh effortlessly. But Satotz didn't flinch. With a simple movement, he reached out and caught the cards between his fingers with ease.
"The examiner is real!"
The moment Satotz revealed his strength, everyone came to their senses.
"Ji-ji-ji~~!!"
Suddenly, the humanoid ape that had been lying motionless beside the dead, scarred man sprang up in terror. It let out a series of panicked screeches before vanishing into the dense mist, its agile body disappearing into the wetlands.
"Guu—!!"
Large vultures swooped down from the sky, their sharp beaks tearing into the fallen body. As they feasted, the corpse's features twisted and deformed, revealing its true nature.
"Look… That guy was a man-faced ape after all!"
Someone gasped, pointing at the grotesque transformation happening before their eyes.
Lan Fei had already known the truth, but before he could prove it, Hisoka had taken action first.
The Examiner's Warning
"Everyone."
Hisoka's smooth voice cut through the stunned silence, drawing all eyes back to him.
"The examiner is just a freelance Hunter, commissioned by the committee. They're nothing compared to the real Hunters we aspire to be."
He twirled a card between his fingers.
"And yet, my attack… was effortlessly stopped."
A wicked grin spread across his face.
"Let's just say that was my way of complimenting you."
"However—" Satotz's voice remained steady as he tucked the captured cards away. "If you attack me again, for any reason, I will consider it disobedience to the examiner."
His eyes swept over Hisoka, calm but firm.
"Disobedience leads to immediate elimination. Understood?"
Hisoka let out a soft chuckle, spreading his arms in feigned innocence.
"Understood, understood. I was only proving it for everyone."
Leorio, who had barely recovered from exhaustion, clenched his teeth in frustration.
"Tch… So he really is the examiner. But still, I hate that smug attitude."
He muttered under his breath, clearly dissatisfied.
"Listen up." Satotz's voice echoed through the clearing as he walked toward the group.
"This is the kind of deception that is common in the Swindler's Swamp. Some of you fell for it just now and started doubting me, didn't you?"
Leorio scratched his head awkwardly.
"I just… got a little carried away."
Lan Fei sighed, shaking his head.
"Leorio's not very bright to begin with. Without good allies, he'd never make it through the Hunter Exam."
Satotz continued, unfazed.
"This is just the beginning. The fog in these wetlands will only get denser. If you lose sight of me, you may never reach the second exam venue."
He turned, stepping forward.
"I'm moving on. Follow me closely."
With that, Satotz's speed increased, vanishing into the mist.
Deeper into the Swamp
"Ugh, another marathon?!"
Leorio groaned as he forced himself forward.
"My stamina is nearly gone…"
"This will be even worse." Kurapika glanced around. "A wetland environment will drain our energy faster."
Killua, running just behind Lan Fei, smirked.
"I'm not worried about the stamina part."
His eyes sharpened.
"What I am worried about… is what kind of creatures are lurking in the mist."
Lan Fei shrugged.
"This level of endurance training is nothing compared to my previous hellish workouts."
He smirked confidently.
The deeper they went, the thicker the mist became. Visibility was barely four or five meters. Soon, even the silhouettes of those running ahead started to fade.
"Alright… Now's our chance."
Hidden among the test takers, several veteran candidates exchanged glances. The swamp's thick fog provided the perfect cover for their plan.
"If we take people out here, our odds of passing will increase."
Candidate No. 76 whispered to his two companions, Candidates No. 69 and No. 70. Their eyes locked onto one target—Hisoka.
A Deadly Presence
Killua suddenly tensed, his instincts screaming at him.
"Gon." His voice was low but urgent. "Let's pick up the pace and get away from Hisoka."
"Why? Are you scared of him?"
Lan Fei shot Killua a sideways glance.
"No. But I don't want to get caught up in whatever he's about to do."
Killua's voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed a sharp wariness.
Gon hesitated before nodding. "Lan Fei, let's listen to Killua."
"Kurapika! Leorio! Hurry up!" Gon called over his shoulder.
"Tch. If I could run faster, I'd already be ahead of you, idiot."
Leorio huffed.
"Forget about us, Gon." Kurapika's voice echoed through the fog. "We'll catch up."
"Fine. Let's go."
Lan Fei quickened his pace. Though he wasn't afraid of Hisoka, he remembered Aunt Mito's words before leaving Whale Island—Protect Gon.
Behind them, Leorio adjusted his glasses.
"Don't worry. As long as we follow the shadows ahead, we won't get lost."
Puff! Puff!
Leorio's words barely left his mouth when five shadowy figures ahead of them suddenly collapsed.
Their heads rolled clean off their shoulders.
Bodies hit the ground with heavy thuds, blood pooling into the swamp.
"…What the hell just happened?"
Leorio's pupils shrank in horror, his voice rising in alarm.
Kurapika's breath caught.
Something—or someone—was hunting in the mist