For Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio—three rookies taking the Hunter Exam—Hisoka's speed was utterly terrifying.
However, in front of Hisoka, Lan Fei's speed was equally monstrous.
After all, Lan Fei had consumed the Pika Pika no Mi, granting him the terrifying ability to move at the speed of light.
Hisoka had no time to react and could only bring his arms forward in a defensive stance.
BOOM!
A dull thud echoed through the fog as Hisoka was blasted backward, his body disappearing into the thick mist. The impact left his hands numb from the sheer force of Lan Fei's kick.
"Lan Fei, that was amazing!"
Gon exclaimed in admiration.
"This guy…"
Although Leorio had seen Lan Fei fight before, he was still stunned by his overwhelming power.
"Gon, Leorio, we need to hurry and catch up with the examiner," Lan Fei warned.
"The Magician Hisoka is a total lunatic. If we want to pass the first phase of the exam safely, it's best not to provoke him again."
Lan Fei shot Leorio a sharp glare. Although he wasn't afraid of Hisoka, he didn't want an unnecessary fight right now—after all, defeating Hisoka wasn't something that could be done casually.
"Got it!"
"Leorio, try not to be so reckless in the future," Gon said seriously. "If Lan Fei and I hadn't arrived in time, you would have been killed."
Leorio sighed in frustration, then nodded. "Lan Fei… thanks."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The three of them quickly sprinted after the examiner, disappearing into the thick fog.
Meanwhile, in the misty distance, Hisoka lay against a tree, brushing off the dirt from his clothes.
"Tsk tsk… that kid moves like a ghost."
Although he had taken Lan Fei's light-speed kick head-on, thanks to Nen, he had managed to avoid any serious damage. Other than numb hands and a few minor scrapes, he was still in good condition.
Beep beep—
Just then, the Hunter Exam communicator in Hisoka's pocket buzzed.
"Hisoka, are you catching up?" a voice crackled through the receiver.
"We'll be arriving at the second test venue soon."
Hisoka smirked as he pressed the button to respond.
"Understood. I'll be there shortly."
"This year's Hunter Exam has an interesting little guy… I really want to have some fun with him."
"Oh?" The voice on the other end chuckled. "You must be talking about the candidate who moves at the speed of light. I noticed him, too."
"Still, you should return to the group first. There will be plenty of opportunities later."
After ending the call, Hisoka chuckled darkly and vanished into the thick mist.
At the entrance of the Second Exam Site
Many candidates had already arrived, including Killua Zoldyck.
"Strange… Where are Gon and Lan Fei?" Killua muttered as he scanned the crowd.
As he searched, an ominous-looking man in a green outfit casually put away his communicator.
This man was none other than Gittarackur—but that was only a false identity.
His real name was Illumi Zoldyck—Killua's eldest brother. A master of disguise and manipulation, Illumi's strength was on a completely different level compared to most candidates.
Meanwhile, Examiner Satotz stood at the entrance of the forest, checking his wristwatch.
Glancing back at the misty path, he noted that many candidates had collapsed within the final 100-meter stretch, unable to reach the next phase of the exam.
Inside the dense fog
Four figures moved swiftly through the wetlands—led by Gon.
Lan Fei had to admit that Gon's tracking ability was incredible.
Despite being separated from the main group earlier, Gon could still lock onto the examiner's scent and follow the correct path.
As for Kurapika, he had initially escaped but, after seeing Leorio turn back to fight Hisoka, he had also decided to regroup with Lan Fei and Gon.
"Lan Fei, do you think Hisoka will hold a grudge?" Kurapika asked.
"You kicked him pretty hard back there."
"Even though I personally don't think Hisoka deserves to be a Hunter, his combat style is undeniably refined. His flashy moves aside, he has an overwhelming presence."
"If it weren't for you, we would have been dead."
Kurapika exhaled deeply, still unsettled by their encounter with Hisoka.
"Relax," Lan Fei said casually.
"That lunatic has his own code—he doesn't kill people on a whim. At least for now, he shouldn't be interested in you or Leorio."
"He's only focused on me."
Lan Fei knew Hisoka's personality well. He wasn't just a murderer—he was a battle addict who sought out worthy opponents. His erratic nature made him unpredictable, but one thing was certain: Hisoka only killed people he found boring.
"Even though this whole mess was Leorio's fault, I have to admit…"
Kurapika clenched his fists.
"Hisoka's strength terrified me. For a moment, I even wanted to run away… but at the same time, I felt excited."
"Maybe it's because encountering strong opponents is the only way to grow stronger."
His eyes flashed with determination.
"Hisoka is a total maniac, but Lan Fei isn't normal either," Leorio grumbled.
"He kicked Hisoka away with one hit. His light-speed movement is probably the strongest ability in this year's exam."
Leorio glanced at Lan Fei with admiration.
"Hah… If I train hard enough, do you think I could be as strong as you one day?"
Lan Fei smiled. "Of course."
At the edge of the wetlands
After running for what felt like an eternity, Gon finally saw the mist thinning ahead.
His face lit up.
"We made it! We're almost there!"
Looking ahead, Leorio suddenly pointed toward a crowd of candidates.
"There they are! We caught up!"
Kurapika sighed in relief.
Lan Fei, however, felt something unsettling.
Not far from the entrance, Hisoka stood against a tree, arms crossed, staring directly at him.
Lan Fei's brows furrowed.
Sensing Lan Fei's gaze, Hisoka licked the corner of his lips and smirked, his eyes filled with amusement.
"Lan Fei! Gon!"
Before Lan Fei could react, Killua's voice cut through the tension as he sprinted toward them.
"Where the hell were you guys? I thought you weren't gonna make it."
"Sorry about that," Lan Fei scratched his head.
"Had a little… situation."
Killua exhaled in exasperation.
"Geez… You guys sure know how to make people worry."
At that moment, Satotz raised his hand.
"Everyone, congratulations on making it this far."
"This forest—Biscayne Deep Woods—will be the location for your Second Exam."
"With that, I will take my leave."
"I wish you all the best in the next phase."
With those words, Satotz turned and disappeared into the dense forest, leaving the candidates to face the next challenge.