When we stepped out of the elevator, the crowd immediately turned to look at us—probably trying to analyze us.Leorio muttered, "The atmosphere in here is weird…"Kurapika added, "Everyone who makes it this far is a master in their own right. None of them should be underestimated."
They only glanced at the three of them for a moment, but a lot of the applicants kept staring at me. Makes sense—my appearance is a lot more intimidating than theirs.
A green, bean-shaped man approached us and handed each of us a number badge. He told us to make sure to wear it at all times. I asked him to introduce himself.
"My name is Mamen Bean," he said politely. "I'm the secretary of the Hunter Chairman."
The trio were shocked to hear he held such a high rank and quickly accepted their badges. Mine was #406. Thank god is a sticker-type badge. i can wear it on my armor. It actually makes sense; in the anime Leorio sticks his badge to his bare chest,
After attaching mine, we were approached by one of the participants—#16, Tonpa. I already knew his true nature, but decided to play along.
Tonpa: "Haven't seen you guys around here before. Are you new?"Gon: "You can tell?"
Tonpa boasted that this was his 35th attempt at the exam. Gon and Leorio were shocked. Tonpa called himself an exam veteran, though Leorio and Kurapika didn't think that was anything to brag about. I decided to step in so I wouldn't just be a background character.
Kairo: "That's actually kind of amazing. Even if you didn't pass, you applied 35 times and survived. I heard some exams can get you killed. I'm curious how you managed that."
When Leorio and Kurapika heard my question, they paused to think. he had a point; making it through 35 attempts and still being alive was impressive in its own way.
Tonpa laughed proudly, saying he was a veteran and maybe a little lucky too. He told us to feel free to ask him anything.
Gon thanked him and asked if there were others who had taken the exam many times like he had. Tonpa answered that he had attempted it the most, but he knew a few others: #255 Todo, #103 Bourbon, #191 Bodoro, the Amori Brothers, and #384 Gerreta. He described them before saying there were many more, but those were the ones he knew the most.
Some time later, a scream echoed through the hall, and everyone turned. A clown-like man—jester, magician, whatever he was—smiled while slicing off a man's arm simply because the man didn't apologize after bumping into him. He told the man to "be more careful," even though the poor guy was already unconscious or dead from blood loss. The clown walked away, giving me a brief glance.
The trio were horrified. Tonpa explained the man was #44 Hisoka. He said Hisoka could have easily passed last year, but he failed because he killed an examiner he didn't like. Leorio asked why someone like that was allowed to take the exam again.
Tonpa explained that the exam content and examiner change every year—the examiner decides the rules. "If the examiner wanted," he said, "even the devil himself could pass." He then warned us to stay away from Hisoka.
The trio agreed. I agreed too, though it was pointless—Hisoka had already noticed me.
After the questions, Tonpa offered us drinks as a "newcomer gift." We accepted. I knew he was grinning evilly on the inside.
I finished my drink quickly, then casually crushed the can into the size of a coin. Tonpa's eyes widened—part shock, part satisfaction that I drank it. Meanwhile, Gon threw up and told Tonpa the drink was expired. Leorio spat his out immediately and threw the can away. Kurapika didn't drink his at all, simply poured it onto the ground.
Tonpa was stunned by their reactions but faked an apology. Gon said it was okay; he could tell because he'd tasted so many mountain grasses and plants that he could instantly notice something bad. Tonpa apologized again, though I could tell he was pleased someone drank it—until he heard my explanation.
When Gon asked if I was alright, I told him I was fine because I'd trained with poisons. Tonpa froze for a moment, shocked, then quickly excused himself. Gon waved goodbye while Leorio and Kurapika looked suspicious.
I told them I would be going on ahead to focus on my own approach. Gon looked a little disappointed but agreed. Leorio and Kurapika accepted instantly—they knew if i continue sticking with them they would only slow me down.
I moved to the front of the crowd to wait for the exam to begin.
Soon, an alarm rang. We turned toward the walkway, and a British-looking man approached. He announced that the entry period for Hunter applicants had ended.
I stepped forward.
Kairo: "Who are you? Introduce yourself before you talk. It's a bit rude otherwise."(I already knew who he was, of course.)
Satotz: "Ah, my apologies. I am Satotz, the examiner of the First Phase."
Satotz explained that the Hunter Exam was about to begin. He warned us again about how dangerous it could be and gave everyone one last chance to back out by returning to the elevator. But of course, not a single person stepped back.
He continued, announcing that all 405 participants would now proceed. Then he began walking forward, telling us simply to follow him—no destination, no details. Still, everyone moved after him.
I stayed closest to him, practically right behind him. Being a giant compared to most of the applicants, I could tell he felt a little uncomfortable, but he chose to ignore it at first. As he continued, he began to walk faster. Then faster again—so fast that the pace could barely be called "walking." The participants had to start running, yet I was still right behind him.
I could almost hear his thoughts.
Satotz (thought):Could you back up a little…?
He couldn't say that out loud, of course. I wasn't touching him or breaking any rules—I was just very, very close.
Eventually, Satotz announced that he was leading us to the Second Phase of the exam. The participants murmured in confusion until #294, Hanzo, spoke up.
Hanzo: "Second phase? What about Phase One?"
Satotz calmly explained that Phase One had already begun. Some participants looked confused, others immediately understood. He clarified further: simply following him was the first test.
Once everyone grasped that, they focused fully on keeping up. I continued running right behind him, even when he increased his speed again.
Finally, Satotz couldn't ignore it anymore.
Satotz: "Sir… could you back up a little? You're too close to me."
I stepped back about one to five meters. Satotz let out a quiet sigh—not fully relieved, but better than before—and continued guiding us forward.
Some time passed.
I glanced behind me and saw Gon and Killua talking with each other—clearly the moment their friendship truly began. I also noticed several participants collapsing from exhaustion, including Leorio. But he forced himself back to his feet, shouting, "I'M GONNA BECOME A HUNTER!" Then, in typical Leorio fashion, he ripped off his suit jacket, tied it around his waist, and kept running shirtless with only his tie and exam badge on—completely forgetting his briefcase. Gon quickly snagged it with his fishing rod without breaking stride, carrying it along while Killua watched in amazement.
I stopped watching and continued running until we reached the stairs. Eventually, I finally emerged from the tunnel and stepped into a fog-covered forest. Satotz was the first to arrive, naturally—he was the examiner. I was the second to come out.
Right behind us, Gon and Killua burst out at the same time, shouting, "Goal!" They'd been racing each other, and immediately started arguing over who finished first. They looked to us for the answer. Satotz told them they arrived at the same time. I, however, answered that I arrived first.
Killua frowned and shot back, "You're not even part of this race, mister. It's just between us."
I ignored him, and though he was a little annoyed, he eventually let it go.
Gon then asked Satotz, "Is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?"
Satotz replied, "No. We still have quite a way to go."
Gon nodded with a disappointed "Ohh…" and the three of us waited for the remaining participants to arrive.