"Takeru!" Hearing Gon's words, Umaru immediately turned to look at Takeru.
Seeing Umaru's worried gaze, Takeru simply shook his head with a faint smile. Takeru was well aware the juice was spiked, but he wasn't concerned. He possessed the Poison Dragon Devourer skill, which included complete poison immunity.
Even if it couldn't neutralize a laxative, Takeru was still unafraid. He also had the Purification skill to easily cleanse such negative status effects. Moreover, a key point was that Tonpa carried the antidote.
"Is that right? That was a close call!" Leorio exclaimed loudly, wiping his mouth.
"Huh? That's strange..." Seeing Gon could identify the odorless, tasteless laxative-laced juice, Tonpa was inwardly shocked. But when he saw Takeru had nearly finished his drink, a sly smile crept onto his face.
"I am truly very sorry. I didn't notice some bottles were expired." Seeing the situation, Tonpa quickly clasped his hands together in apology.
"Takeru-san, that one is expired!" At that moment, Gon did not forget to warn Takeru.
"No problem here. My bottle seems perfectly fine!" Hearing Gon, Takeru replied with a cheerful smile.
"Is that so? That's a relief then." Hearing Takeru, Tonpa was inwardly delighted, though outwardly he feigned a look of relief.
"Umaru, I'll hold onto yours for now." Takeru casually took the unopened juice bottle from Umaru's hand, moved it discreetly behind his shield, and then directly stored it in his item inventory...
Hearing Takeru say this, Gon looked puzzled, but seeing Takeru's demeanor, he didn't press further.
"By the way, is Tonpa-san's stomach alright?" Gon then asked Tonpa with genuine concern.
"Ah, it's fine..." Hearing this, Tonpa replied with an awkward laugh.
"Living in the mountains, I often sample all sorts of grasses and new sprouts. So I can tell with just one sip." Gon explained with his characteristically sunny smile.
"Is that so? That's truly impressive!" Though smiling on the surface, Tonpa was fuming inside.
"My apologies. Well, I'll see you all later." Seeing only Takeru had taken the bait, Tonpa decided to make his exit for now.
"That old guy sure keeps busy, doesn't he?" Leorio remarked, watching Tonpa walk away.
"Hello there, I'm Nara Takeru, and this is Doma Umaru." Looking at the two, Takeru introduced himself with a friendly smile.
"I'm Gon! This is Kurapika, and this is Leorio!" Hearing Takeru's introduction, Gon responded with an equally cheerful smile.
"Is that right? Pleased to meet you." Takeru replied with a nod.
"Is that shield your weapon? Doesn't it get really heavy?" Gon's attention then shifted directly to the Twilight Night's Shadow shield in Takeru's hand.
"Not at all. Having this allows me to ward off many dangers," Takeru explained cheerfully.
Umaru also gazed curiously at the shield in Takeru's hand. She had never known Takeru possessed such an unusual piece of equipment. Just from its appearance, she could tell it was no ordinary item.
A pang of regret washed over Umaru. After all, her own equipment set was far from complete, and the few pieces she had offered minimal attribute bonuses.
"Hey, hey, Tonpa-san, got any more of that juice? Maybe it's the nerves, but I'm feeling thirsty again." At that moment, a white-haired boy carrying a skateboard called out to the brooding Tonpa, asking for more juice.
"Of course!" Hearing Killua's seemingly innocent tone, Tonpa forced another smile.
But he was inwardly baffled. In theory, the laxative should have taken effect on Killua by now.
Then, watching Killua gulp down the juice once more, his frustration grew.
"Find it odd? I've trained for this. It's no problem. Poisons don't work on me." As if reading Tonpa's mind, Killua suddenly flashed a taunting smirk.
'Poison? Does this kid know what's in it? And he drank it anyway knowing that? Examinee No. 99, Killua. This year's newcomers are something else,' Tonpa thought in shock, watching Killua's retreating back.
'No matter. That just makes crushing you more worthwhile. So, that guy is immune too?' Glancing between Killua and Takeru, who was chatting amiably with Gon, Tonpa's resolve to undermine them hardened.
Ding ling ling!
Suddenly, a peculiar bell chimed. A wall not far away began to rise slowly, revealing a strange man with curly hair and a curly beard, but notably, no mouth...
"My apologies for the wait. The registration period for this Hunter Exams is now officially closed. We shall now commence the exams," Satotz announced.
Hearing Satotz, some among the crowd allowed themselves a smile.
"Final confirmation: During this examination, should you be unlucky or lack sufficient capability, you risk severe injury, or even loss of life. Even so, if you remain determined to participate, please follow me. Those who wish to withdraw, please exit the examination venue promptly via the elevator behind you," Satotz stated gravely.
"Good. For the first phase, 406 examinees, all present." With that, Satotz began walking towards the rear with large, deliberate strides.
The number 406 he mentioned accounted for the one examinee Hisoka had eliminated earlier...
As Satotz started moving, the crowd surged forward. Takeru and Umaru fell in step with the flow.
'And here I was half-expecting someone to back out. Of course, no one did,' Leorio thought, scanning the area and finding no one had withdrawn.
Less than five minutes into the walk, Satotz's pace began to noticeably quicken.
Those at the front, seeing this, immediately matched his speed, breaking into a light jog.
"What's happening?" Those further back, seeing the front suddenly accelerate, were confused.
"The leader has increased his speed," Kurapika deduced and stated plainly.
"I neglected to mention earlier. I am the examiner for the first phase. My name is Satotz. I will now lead you to the venue for the second phase," Satotz explained, his peculiar walking style unchanged.
"The second phase? What about the first?" A bald ninja near the front asked, puzzled.
"The first phase has already begun. Following me to the second phase venue is the first phase," Satotz answered without hesitation.
"Just... following? That's it?" The bald man, Hanzo, asked in surprise.
"Correct. The destination and estimated time of arrival will not be disclosed. Simply follow," Satotz replied calmly.
"I see," Kurapika murmured, instantly grasping the nature of the test.
"I suppose this is to test our endurance. Couldn't ask for better! I'll keep up no matter where we're headed!" Leorio declared with confident bravado.
"You are only partially correct, Leorio-san," Takeru interjected with a calm smile.
"What do you mean?" Leorio looked at Takeru, perplexed.
"Running like this, unaware of the destination or duration, doesn't just test physical stamina. It is also a significant trial of one's mental fortitude and willpower," Takeru explained gently.
Hearing Takeru's words, Kurapika also glanced at him, having arrived at the same conclusion.
"Umaru, focus on pacing yourself. I have a feeling this test won't be straightforward. We may need to cover a very considerable distance," Takeru advised Umaru seriously.
"I understand," Umaru replied after a moment's pause, her expression turning resolute.
As for Takeru himself, he was fully aware of what this test entailed. By his estimation, his current stamina surpassed even Gon's. This phase posed no real challenge for him.
Umaru, however, was a different story. Takeru estimated her current stamina was roughly on par with Leorio's. A test of pure endurance like this would be immensely demanding for her. Poor pacing at the start or a wavering of will later on could very well mean failure at this first hurdle.