January 7, 1999 (Hunter x Hunter Timeline), Kent City, Camellia Tree Street, Section 2 (BBQ Restaurant)
"Welcome!"
"What would you like to eat?"
"Steak set meal."
"How would you like it cooked?"
"Slow-roasted over low heat."
"Right this way, sir."
Table No. 5
Led by a suited man, Yamcha successfully passed the preliminary test of the Hunter Exam and reached the official exam site through a BBQ restaurant.
It was a vast underground passage, at least five meters high.
The suited man was the one who had issued Yamcha's task—an official Hunter.
"Here, this is your number." The man in the suit tossed a round badge to Yamcha.
Looking at it, Yamcha saw the number 1 printed on it.
Official cheating sure is blatant—straight-up gave him the first number.
Though the number itself had no actual significance and provided no advantage in the exam.
"The Hunter Exam is an elite selection process—only one in ten thousand applicants makes it to the official test. Every year, millions participate, but only a handful advance."
"You'll meet all sorts of people here. As a senior, let me give you a piece of advice—don't mess with the wrong guys. Don't die."
"Good luck, kid. If you need help next time, look for me—my name is Nobru."
With that, the man in the suit left.
To him, Yamcha was just another rich fool looking for a thrill. The odds of him passing the Hunter Exam? Almost zero.
What he didn't know was...
Over the past few months, Yamcha had sparred with multiple official Hunters like him.
The underground passage was empty—no other participants had arrived yet. Looked like there was still some time before the exam officially started. Probably a long wait.
Yamcha casually took out a universal capsule, tossed it, and a sofa appeared.
He leaned back, closed his eyes, and rested.
Time passed.
The second participant arrived.
Seeing Yamcha, he was momentarily stunned but had no intention of approaching. Instead, he warily glanced at Yamcha and chose a corner to sit down.
Then came the third participant—who did exactly the same.
One by one, examinees entered the site. Their strength varied, but one thing was certain—they were all stronger than the average person, either physically or intellectually. Each had a unique skill.
Yamcha didn't care. None of them were his match.
Until Candidate No. 44 arrived.
A tall, well-built man with long legs and a slim waist, his face adorned with teardrop and star tattoos. His wild, upright hair and clown-like makeup made him stand out. His eyes were nearly closed, slits barely visible.
What caught Yamcha's attention the most was the undisguised, terrifying killing intent emanating from him.
It was common knowledge that anyone with clown makeup and slit eyes was not normal. And this guy had both.
He was absurdly strong.
Hisoka called himself a magician.
A top-tier Nen user and one of the most popular, powerful characters in Hunter x Hunter.
Even in the later arcs—where "power creep" should have made him obsolete—Hisoka remained a deadly opponent.
If possible, it was best not to provoke him.
Not because Yamcha feared him, but because Hisoka was a battle maniac. If he took an interest in you, it would mean endless trouble. Just ask Chrollo.
The following candidates were mostly above-average but nothing special compared to Hisoka.
Until Candidate No. 400 arrived.
Out of the many examinees, only a few caught Yamcha's attention.
The first, of course, was No. 44 Hisoka.
The second was No. 301, a man named Gittarackur, whose face was full of nails. He seemed unable to speak, only making eerie "kakaka" noises.
Not only was Gittarackur's name fake, but so was his appearance.
His real name? Illumi. The eldest son of the world's most notorious assassin family, the Zoldycks.
His strength rivaled Hisoka's, making him an extremely troublesome opponent.
The third was No. 294, a self-proclaimed ninja named Hanzo.
He was strong. Besides Yamcha and the two monsters above, he was the best among the candidates.
Further down, only No. 99 Killua was somewhat worth noting.
He was the deuteragonist (or secondary protagonist) of Hunter x Hunter, with an extremely fast growth rate.
As a child of the Zoldyck family, he had mastered various assassination techniques.
If given the chance, Yamcha wouldn't mind learning some of those techniques.
After all, in the Dragon Ball world, there was no real concept of assassination techniques—
Even the so-called "Greatest Assassin" Tao Pai Pai fought head-on.
As Yamcha observed the other candidates, the sound of a "ding-dong" echoed.
The elevator carrying more examinees had arrived.
Three noisy figures stepped out.
Instantly, they drew the attention of more than half the room.
A scruffy middle-aged man in a suit, a spiky-haired kid with a fishing rod, and a blond boy in distinctive tribal clothing.
"Wow, so many people!" The spiky-haired kid exclaimed in awe.
It was clear he was a first-time participant.
Veteran examinees loved encountering rookies like this—fresh meat.
The moment the kid spoke, Yamcha noticed several participants eyeing the trio maliciously.
They were looking for a chance to eliminate them.
There were already 400+ assigned numbers, but only 300+ examinees present.
The missing ones? Eliminated. No need to explain further.
This was how brutal the Hunter world was—far more realistic than many other worlds Yamcha had visited.
But this time, those veterans' plans were doomed to fail.
The scruffy middle-aged man was Leorio, a secondary character in Hunter x Hunter.
The blond tribal-clothed boy was Kurapika, another major character, with significant screen time.
And the spiky-haired kid was Gon Freecss—the protagonist of Hunter x Hunter.
This world had another nickname: "Where's Daddy?"
Because the entire story revolved around Gon searching for his father.
His dad? Ging Freecss.
A man rumored to be one of the top five Nen users in the world.
A Double-Star Ruins Hunter, qualified for Triple-Star, but too lazy to apply.
He took over as the main character in later arcs (Chairman Election and Dark Continent).
A man standing at the pinnacle of both power and ability.
(End of Chapter)