"Yo, this must be your first time taking the exam, right?"
As Gon and his friends stood in the crowd, a few people were already getting restless when a figure slowly approached them.
It was a short and plump man with a large, round nose, who appeared extremely friendly. With a warm and welcoming attitude, he greeted the trio and even took the initiative to share some important information about the Hunter Exam.
"Oh, right! You guys must be thirsty. I happen to have a few bottles of juice here. Who knows what kind of challenges lie ahead? Better replenish your energy first!"
As he spoke, the chubby man took out several bottles of juice from the satchel around his waist and handed them to the three.
Those who had been eyeing the trio earlier withdrew their gazes upon seeing the plump man, some even showing schadenfreude in their expressions.
This man was Tonpa, someone who had taken the Hunter Exam thirty-five times. His greatest pleasure was eliminating newcomers, earning him the infamous title of "Rookie Crusher."
Nicknamed "Tonpa the Great," some jokingly claimed he was a hidden master. But in reality, he was just a slightly above-average guy.
The juice in his hands was spiked with an extremely potent laxative—just one sip could have someone running to the bathroom questioning their life choices.
However, he was selective about his targets, only approaching those who looked gullible.
For instance, he had no interest in striking up a conversation with Hisoka, Gittarackur, or Yamcha.
Just then, a scream erupted from the crowd.
"AAAHH!"
A man's arms were suddenly severed, blood spurting into the air, filling the surroundings with a heavy, metallic scent.
One unlucky examinee had accidentally bumped into Hisoka—and he hadn't even apologized.
"How mysterious~"
"Your arms... vanished just like that~"
"Be careful~"
"If you bump into someone, you should always apologize~"
Hisoka spoke playfully, completely ignoring the now armless man writhing in agony. His actions sent a chill down the spines of the other candidates, who instinctively parted to make way for him.
Ding ding ding! Hahaha… Ahaha…
Accompanied by an unbearably shrill bell sound, a mustached man with no visible mouth appeared before the crowd.
The examiner for the first stage of the Hunter Exam had arrived.
"The ringing you just heard marks the end of the waiting period."
"I now officially announce—the Hunter Exam has begun."
"Before we start, let me emphasize: the Hunter Exam is extremely rigorous. Those who are unlucky or lack strength may die in the process."
"It is also common for examinees to engage in combat, leading to injuries and fatalities."
"If there are no objections, follow me."
As the mustached examiner spoke, his strides gradually lengthened.
"I hope you all make it through."
By the time he finished his sentence, his walking speed had already surpassed that of an average person running.
Some of the sharper candidates quickly realized—
The first stage of the exam had already begun the moment the examiner announced it.
The first segment: A marathon!
With each step, the mustached examiner's pace increased. Soon, the examinees had to sprint just to keep up. Only then did his speed stabilize, but even at this steady pace, it was faster than most long-distance runners' sprints.
And this was just the beginning.
At first, it was manageable, but as time dragged on, complaints started to rise.
After half an hour, a few examinees fell behind, unable to keep up.
After an hour, a small portion had reached their limit.
After an hour and a half, even more dropped out.
The long, winding tunnel ahead seemed endless, pressing down on the candidates like a suffocating force. Many felt their spirits waver with despair.
This was a test of endurance, stamina, and mental fortitude. Those lacking the first two would be eliminated, while those with weak wills would crumble under the pressure.
Apart from a select few, the rest were struggling to keep up with the main group.
"Forgot to introduce myself—I am Satotz, your examiner for the first stage."
His voice echoed from the front:
"I will now lead you to the location of the second stage. Follow my pace."
Satotz, a One-Star Ruins Hunter.
Meanwhile, Yamcha ran at a relaxed pace, neither too fast nor too slow. The stamina required for this was negligible to him.
If he wanted to, he could surpass Satotz at any moment.
But he chose to play it safe and stay low-key.
He glanced at Gon's group, who were busy bonding.
Better stay out of it. No need to complicate things.
His only goal was simple: survive until he got his Hunter License.
Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, he pulled out a pair of inline skates and put them on.
"Cheating! This is straight-up cheating!"
Leorio, who was already struggling with fatigue, exploded in rage. He had already protested when Killua used his skateboard earlier, and now this guy had gone even further with inline skates!
"Why don't you just drive a car while you're at it?!"
"A true Hunter must be prepared for anything. If you did nothing to help yourself, don't blame others," Yamcha calmly replied.
Then, with a single push of his left foot, he instantly sped past, leaving Leorio behind in a cloud of dust.
Now, things were even easier.
In reality, the skates weren't actually touching the ground. They hovered just 0.1 millimeters above it.
Psychokinesis control.
The skates were just for show—the real goal was training the precision of his psychokinetic abilities.
Over six hours passed, and the number of exhausted candidates increased. Yet Satotz showed no signs of slowing down.
With some candidates secretly sabotaging others, the dropout rate skyrocketed.
Finally, after seven hours, they reached the end of the tunnel—only to be met with something even worse.
An endless staircase.
Some were good at running but struggled with stairs. And this wasn't just a simple stairwell—
The elevator they had taken at the restaurant had descended 100 floors underground to reach the exam site.
That meant that, at minimum, this so-called "endless" staircase was at least 100 floors high.
"Stair climbing is bad for the knees," Yamcha muttered.
Yet, his pace remained steady, still positioned in the middle of the group.
Of course, his feet weren't actually touching the stairs.
By the time he mentally counted reaching the hundredth floor, a surprised exclamation came from the front.
"Ah! It's the exit!"
The light at the end of the tunnel ignited hope in the exhausted candidates, pushing them to give their all. No one wanted to get eliminated when the finish line was within reach.
Emerging from the underground passage, the examinees found themselves in a fog-covered primordial forest.
From within the dense trees, eerie sounds echoed, sending chills down their spines.
The first stage was only halfway done.
The candidates who had been eliminated so far had faced no real danger.
But ahead lay the deadliest part of the exam.
(End of Chapter)