While they waited, the spider silk threads, strained by too many people, began to give way...
Takeru's area, being less crowded, had no such issues.
Faced with this, some impatient examinees let go early, plummeting toward the canyon floor with their Spider Eagle's eggs...
No one paid them any mind. Umaru waited strictly for Takeru's command. It wasn't that she couldn't sense it herself, but her Observation Haki only extended thirty or forty meters. By the time she sensed the updraft, it would be too late...
"Now!" Gon suddenly shouted as the silk threads were about to break.
"Umaru! Jump!" A second after Gon, Takeru gave the order!
Without hesitation, Umaru leaped toward the cluster of eggs she had already targeted.
Takeru, however, focused on an entire nest. As he fell, he used his telekinesis to guide the whole cluster down with him. During the descent, he swiftly plucked eggs one by one, storing them in his item inventory.
While the whole nest wouldn't fit, individual eggs stacked neatly. So, he stored them individually.
In mere seconds, Takeru had stored the entire nest, leaving only one egg in his hand. By then, they had fallen over a hundred meters...
Suddenly, their bodies were caught by a powerful updraft. They shot upwards at tremendous speed, landing safely back on the cliff edge.
Holding the egg, Umaru was slightly dazed. She couldn't believe she had taken such a life-risking leap just for this...
Takeru, however, paid no heed, satisfied with the egg in his hand and the many more in his inventory...
Those who hadn't jumped the first time now looked down nervously, lacking the courage to take the plunge...
Soon, large pots were set up to boil the spider eggs. Everyone enjoyed the fruits of their perilous labor.
"This is delicious! Market-bought ones can't compare at all!" Hanzo exclaimed, devouring his egg eagerly.
Takeru quietly savored his. If possible, he'd bring some back for Miu... and the remaining 63 giant strawberries too...
"Hey, Todo-san, want to try some?" Gon offered a share of his large egg to the disheartened Todo.
"Delicious..." Taking a bite, Todo stood frozen.
"The joy of discovering delicious food after great hardship... can you understand it a little now? We risk our lives for this," Menchi said, walking up to Todo.
"I lost completely this year. I'll come back to challenge again next year." After this experience, Todo finally accepted his defeat, saluting and apologizing to Menchi.
After this test, only 44 examinees remained...
With the second phase over, they boarded an airship headed for the third test venue. All remaining qualified candidates waited to hear from Netero.
"Let me reintroduce myself. I am Isaac Netero, the head representative of the Hunter Examination Review Committee," Netero announced.
"I am the secretary, Beans," The green-bean-headed man added.
"Normally, I would only appear at the final test. But coming to the site mid-exam like this... there's an indescribable sense of tension. Quite nice. Since it's a rare opportunity, I'll travel with you this time," Netero chuckled.
"As for our next destination, we are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning around 8 a.m. Meals have been prepared in the dining room. If you wish to rest, that's fine too. Until we contact you, please make good use of your free time," Beans supplement.
"Gon, let's explore the airship!" Killua said excitedly.
"Okay!" Gon eagerly followed.
"You two have so much energy. Right now, I just need to sleep, no matter what," Leorio said exhaustedly.
"Same here," Kurapika agreed, utterly worn out.
"Takeru, what about us?" Seeing the meeting seemed over, Umaru looked at Takeru expectantly.
"You go rest. I have some business with Hisoka," Takeru replied calmly.
"Understood," Umaru nodded.
Takeru walked straight towards Hisoka. He was eager to learn about Nen. He recalled many details about the Nen Ability System, and now, all he needed was for someone to use [Hatsu] to forcibly open his Aura Nodes...
As for quickly learning Ten, Takeru was confident. Though not yet opened, he felt Nen shared similarities with his telekinesis and Armament Haki. While their manifestations differed, control aspects seemed comparable.
Moreover, Takeru was fixated on Nen because he understood its premise: the ability to manipulate life energy or Aura emitted from the body, using it for attack or defense… this force was called [Nen]!
Therefore, he believed training Nen wouldn't conflict with other energy systems, similar to how Chakra likely wouldn't conflict. Of course, the specifics required actual practice to know for sure.
"Hisoka." Takeru called out as he approached.
"Follow me." Seeing Takeru, Hisoka didn't refuse, leading him to a private room...
Soon, they sat facing each other in a room. To prevent interruptions, Hisoka released a special Nen Ability that instinctively repelled other examinees.
"Well then, Takeru, we shouldn't be disturbed now," Hisoka said, his excitement palpable.
"Good. Here's the deal: I'll explain Armament Haki to you, and you explain Nen to me. You also need to use [Hatsu] to forcibly open my Nen Aura."
"Oh? You know quite a bit, Takeru. And that hardening ability is called Armament Haki? A very interesting name," Hisoka remarked, narrowing his eyes.
"Naturally. Armament Haki is a special ability I developed, a new training system that enhances defense and attack power."
"Armament Haki can be acquired through training and strengthened through practice."
"The strength of Armament Haki varies from person to person. One can adjust its intensity up to their personal limit as needed."
"The amount of Armament Haki varies from person to person. More Haki means higher intensity and a larger range for attack and defense."
...
"Due to its fluid nature, Armament Haki has different application techniques: Hardening, Imbuement, Emission, and Internal Destruction."
Takeru explained the characteristics of Armament Haki in detail. Hisoka listened with immense interest, having experienced it firsthand during their earlier clash. This was precisely why Takeru had used it then… to establish a basis for an equal trade.
In truth, Takeru was getting the short end of the stick. Nen was known by many, while Armament Haki was unique to him in this world.
If he wished, Takeru could have sought a trade with Netero, but he found that too troublesome.
As for whether Hisoka would play tricks, Takeru had some confidence in him.
"Fascinating. Now, let me tell you about Nen." Once Takeru finished, Hisoka began explaining Nen.
Takeru's knowledge came solely from the anime in his previous life. Whether details had changed here was uncertain...
Nen comprised four major principles: Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu. Together, they formed Nen, described as 'sublimating the mind, tempering the mind'. All martial arts were based on these four principles.