Perhaps most pitiably, even without being told, he now automatically tore up each question sheet as soon as he unearthed it.
He didn't dare hide even one, terrified of ending up like the others lying unconscious on the ground.
Even though doing this meant he himself couldn't pass, well, that was inevitable.
Because applicant No. 404 had clearly said: Only he himself would pass this round.
That meant he had never intended to let the hardworking applicant No. 101 pass along with him.
It was pure, cold exploitation.
But what could he do?
Applicant No. 101 could only grit his teeth and keep working bitterly for him, with no power to resist.
This was the kind of overwhelming difference in strength that created an insurmountable gap.
And this, Bushidora Ambitious, understood very well.
After all, when applicant No. 404 had attacked earlier, even he hadn't been able to clearly see his movements… This applicant's power was definitely above his own.
Thinking of this made Bushidora Ambitious feel all the more troubled.
The current situation had already gone far beyond what he could handle.
This was no longer something he could resolve on his own.
And so, the ever-rule-abiding Bushidora Ambitious, faced with a situation that had clearly gone far beyond the normal range of rules… he could only pull out his brick phone and report the matter to a higher level.
To ensure the smooth progress of the hunter exam, there was a special committee dedicated to handling unusual incidents.
And the highest person in charge of that committee was naturally…
"Chairman, it seems something unusual has happened in this year's hunter exam."
At the Hunter Association headquarters, a short, round-faced man with greenish skin, known as Mr. Beans, spoke while holding a landline phone.
He was reporting the issue he had received to the elderly man sitting at a tea table inside the room.
A ponytail, a thick beard, and long earlobes.
Dressed in a flowing white robe, he exuded an air of elegance and transcendence, like an immortal sage.
However, his current actions ruined that serene image completely.
"Another special situation?"
The chairman of the Hunter Association, the founder of the Shingen-ryu martial arts, and the strongest Nen user in the world, Isaac Netero.
He didn't seem surprised at all.
After all, in past years, it would have been rarer for the hunter exam not to have any unusual incidents.
The applicants who came to take the exam were anything but ordinary.
All kinds of chaos could happen, and often did.
Every year, the Hunter Association had to step in to handle numerous problems during the exams.
Chairman Netero was long accustomed to it.
Balancing the teacup on his foot that was stretched up to his head, he gently brought it down and took a sip.
"This time, which round of the hunter exam did the incident occur in?"
Chairman Netero stood up on one leg, shaking his sleeve lightly.
"It must be during the third round, right?"
"I remember the examiner for the third round this year was Biscuit, wasn't it?"
"If it's her, then an accident happening is nothing unusual."
Well, Chairman Netero clearly knew this Stone Hunter within the Hunter Association well.
Common sense would dictate that the likelihood of something going wrong was highest during her round.
But this time…
"Actually, no, chairman."
Mr. Beans said quickly. "It happened in the second round!"
"The second round...?"
Netero pondered for a moment. "Who was the examiner for the second round again?"
Mr. Beans: "...?"
"It was Bushidora Ambitious."
Mr. Beans broke into a sweat. "When the examiners were being assigned, you personally reviewed and signed off on them yourself!"
"Did I? Is that so?"
"Of course!"
"Oh..."
Netero replied vaguely, pretending not to remember.
Then he thought for a moment.
"If it's Bushidora Ambitious… Well, his actions and ideas can be a little extreme and naive at times."
"But overall, he's someone who understands the bigger picture."
"Though he tends to jump to conclusions, he's always serious about his assignments and usually does a good job."
"Logically speaking, this shouldn't be his problem..."
"It's not the examiner!"
Mr. Beans interrupted hurriedly. "It's the applicant."
"Over a hundred applicants were participating in the second round."
"And among them, one applicant had taken first place in the first round, giving him a huge advantage."
"But instead of using that advantage..."
"Uh…"
At this point, Mr. Beans couldn't help but stammer a little.
"Instead, he directly attacked and defeated all the other applicants."
Even as he said it, disbelief lingered on his face.
In previous years, fights between applicants weren't unheard of.
But those conflicts were usually small-scale and contained, rarely affecting others.
And if things got too serious, the examiner would always intervene.
Problems almost never spiraled out of control; they stayed manageable.
But this time…
Mr. Beans truly hadn't expected it.
Among the applicants, there was actually someone who was that powerful.
Like a tiger among sheep, he had flattened them all.
"All of them?"
Chairman Netero stroked his beard. "Did that applicant… Kill the other applicants?"
"No, he just knocks them down unconscious."
Mr. Beans said. "And apparently, he did it all in a single move, and not one of them was seriously injured."
"I see..."
Hearing that, Chairman Netero began to understand.
"Since he didn't go after them to kill, and didn't inflict real harm, then he must have had his own reasons."
Netero hit the mark immediately. "What was his motive?"
"Uh, according to Bushidora Ambitious's report..."
Mr. Beans answered truthfully: "That applicant wanted to finish the hunter exam as quickly as possible."
"He did it so that he'd be the only one to pass the second round."
"That way, he could speed up the overall progress and get his hunter license faster."
"Hohoho, so he's the impatient type."
Chairman Netero chuckled. "What's his number? What's his name?"
"Number 404..."
Mr. Beans checked his documents. "His name is Luke."
"Luke, huh..."
Netero's hand suddenly paused.
"Luke..."
He murmured the name softly. "That's quite a familiar name."
"Feels like I've heard it somewhere before."
"Previously, the Hunter Chat Site was created by Ickshonpe and this applicant, named Luke, together."
Mr. Beans flipped rapidly through his documents.
"And earlier, when Ginta returned to report his mission, he also mentioned the name Luke."
"The case about the breeding methods of the Two-headed Wolf, and the capture of the two members of the Kute Gang of Thieves, all had his involvement."
"Judging from his actions so far..."
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