Chapter 64: Kill Now
The examinees in the hall regained their composure and went back to their tasks. Some became more focused, while others took notes, jotting down their observations for the next test.
But soon, they noticed something unusual…
They understood why Aldama had locked them in that environment.
The room, which had been cool, suddenly began to heat up. The pipes in the ceiling started releasing hot air… turning the hall into a giant steam room. Combined with the already crowded space and poor ventilation, within ten minutes, many examinees were drenched in sweat.
Someone shouted for the examiner, but no one responded.
After a while, some began taking off their clothes…
Haze seemed to have fallen asleep…
Shizuku sat cross-legged on the floor, while Phinks remained motionless like a statue, eyes closed.
In half an hour, the entire room filled with mist a true steam chamber. Those who had passed the preliminary tests were all tough and persistent. This was just a test of endurance… Some, their faces flushed red and struggling to breathe, endured it in silence.
Others tried clever methods running toward the windows for fresh air, or secretly drinking hidden water bottles. But those were only temporary solutions.
As the hours passed, everyone assumed that when night fell, the temperature would drop and conditions would improve.
However, the heat from the pipes only intensified. While fighting the scorching temperature, the examinees also had to watch out for each other's tactics. The hall was now blanketed in thick steam visibility was almost zero. Those with malicious intent could take advantage of it to eliminate rivals.
Pf!
Before long, someone collapsed or was attacked.
Then, one person bolted for the exit.
First one, then another. What was supposed to be a 24-hour test had barely reached a quarter of that time, yet it already felt like unbearable torture. They felt that staying any longer would kill them. One after another, waves of people fled the arena… forfeiting the exam.
Phinks squinted at the man in the suit, who was still "asleep"… his breathing calm and steady.
He and Knight could both tell the man had some skill but that was all. The Hunter Examiner Aldama hadn't seemed particularly strong to them.
They had come here just to relax to take a break from group missions.
If it weren't for the examiner's status and the Hunter Association's rules, with Phinks' temperament, he would've attacked him long ago… and definitely killed him.
Thinking that, Phinks closed his eyes again.
Before coming, he and Knight had agreed only the two of them would pass the Hunter Exam.
As for everyone else…
They wouldn't share their success or their spoils with anyone else.
What seemed like a desperate trial for others was merely a "good night's sleep" for Haze.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already noon the next day.
The vast arena was now half empty.
Of course, the great god Tonpa was still alive completely naked except for a pair of shorts.
"Ah… I really admire you, being able to sleep so well under these conditions," Knight greeted with a grin.
Haze hadn't actually been asleep just resting subconsciously, something he knew both of them had noticed.
"Anything interesting happen?" Haze asked with a knowing smile.
"No… You woke up just in time," Knight said meaningfully.
The flow of hot air stopped, and the doors to the hall swung open from outside. The examiner, cigarette in hand, appeared.
Aldama looked coldly at those who had endured to the end. "Follow me."
Everyone responded and followed him to the next location.
The outside temperature was still blazing. Hundreds of them followed Aldama out of Bangi City, braving the burning sun as they trudged into the Gordo Desert. One night of sweating, plus mental and physical exhaustion, had left many severely dehydrated or weakened.
People kept collapsing along the way, but Aldama didn't even glance at them nor did he slow his pace.
By the time they reached an oasis in the desert, their numbers had dwindled again to only seventy or eighty.
"Eh? Aldama, what's going on? Are this year's candidates really that unreliable? There are so few of them left…"
The oasis, about the size of two or three football fields, had a woman waiting under a tree, a white scarf wrapped around her head.
She was beautiful in her early twenties, with golden jewelry on her hands and ankles that gave her an exotic charm. Seeing the group, she put her hands on her hips and complained.
"The elimination rate wasn't this bad in previous years… We barely finished the first round, how pathetic!"
"I'll leave it to you," Aldama muttered irritably, ignoring her whining as he turned to leave.
"I'm your examiner for the second round. My name's Nan Ji… Enough chit-chat. You see the trees growing in this oasis? They're a unique species. The scent of their sap attracts many insects… including this one."
Perhaps because of the small number of examinees, she sounded rather disinterested. Raising her hand, she revealed a tiny scorpion resting in her palm.
"This is a Blue-Eyed Venom Scorpion. Your task is to find and capture them in this oasis. Each of you must catch at least three. A word of warning they're extremely aggressive, good at hiding, and highly poisonous. We're far from the city, so if you get stung, there won't be any medical help in time."
Just as she finished, a hand rose from the crowd Phinks again.
"What is it?" Nan Ji asked flatly.
"Is there a time limit?"
"Two days."
Nan Ji pouted. She'd originally planned for one day, but with so few left, raising the difficulty might mean no one would make it to the next round. This might be the worst group she'd ever handled.
Not that she cared much. She wasn't a strict person in fact, she thought of herself as kindhearted.
After all, she'd been through it herself.
"So in other words," Phinks said with a grin, "for the next two days, we can do whatever we want as long as we complete your task, right?"
"That's right," Nan Ji confirmed.
As soon as Phinks spoke, Knight, knowing his companion too well, understood his intentions.
"I'm off…"
Phinks turned and waved at him.
"Honestly, I can't do anything about you…" Knight sighed, then warned, "Be careful… That guy's strong! The key is in the evidence! Make it clean. If there's no proof, even if the Association suspects you of murder, it won't matter. Still… follow the rules."
Without turning back, Phinks simply clenched his fist.
He was heading after Aldama.
"Ah…" Knight exhaled and looked away, exhausted.
From his prior knowledge, he knew that attacks on examiners weren't uncommon during the Hunter Exam. The Association only emphasized following the rules the worst punishment was disqualification. What happened afterward depended entirely on those involved.
Examiners were expected to have strong abilities and convincing authority their own safety was their responsibility. Unless the case was extreme, the Association wouldn't intervene.
Phinks might strike at Aldama and anyone who got in his way. Even if he was caught and convicted, by rule, once the "case" was settled, he could still take the exam the next year.
In the first round, Aldama had decided their eligibility.
But now, in Phinks' eyes… there was no need to hold back anymore.
He watched Aldama's back as the man walked away.
Knight shifted his gaze to a shady spot and sat down to rest. He wasn't in a hurry to complete the task, waiting for Phinks to return it wouldn't take long, he believed.
He knew Phinks' strength well.
"Hm?"
Bored, Knight scanned the forest around the oasis, his brows furrowing slightly.
Where was that man in the suit…?
(End of Chapter)
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