"The Shimele Wetlands, also known as the Fraudster's Nest."
"This is the only path leading to the second exam."
"This forest is home to many strange, unique creatures. Most of them are cunning, greedy beings that even deceive humans just to get food."
Satts, the chief examiner of the first test, continued acting as the guide.
Yamcha could sense numerous faint presences hidden in the grass and trees.
They were likely the creatures lurking within the Shimele Wetlands.
However, Yamcha couldn't determine their exact strength. If they were only at the level of licensed hunters, they wouldn't be a threat to him.
"The creatures of this wetland use all kinds of methods to deceive their prey and devour them when given the chance."
"So everyone, stay behind me and be extra cautious."
"If you get deceived…"
At this point, Satts' expression darkened.
"You'll die."
Gulp.
Upon hearing Satts' words, many examinees nervously swallowed. The danger level of the Hunter Exam had officially risen.
"So remember, don't fall behind, and don't get deceived."
"Alright, follow me closely."
Who would fall for a trick when they already know it's a trick? While some examinees were nervous, others were unconcerned. They all believed themselves to be clever enough—not the type to be fooled.
Just as the group was about to move, a weak voice suddenly called out.
"Wait a moment! Don't be deceived!"
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a ragged, severely injured man slowly emerging from behind a pile of rocks.
"That guy… he's not the examiner." The man pointed at Satts and shouted loudly.
"I am the real examiner."
???
The sudden appearance of this man left the examinees confused.
Most of them leaned toward believing that Satts was the real examiner since they had been following him all along.
However, some remained neutral, unable to determine the truth.
"Look at this."
The newcomer dragged something along and threw it heavily onto the ground—a 'corpse' appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was a humanoid monster with a face that bore a 70–80% resemblance to Satts, but its lower body was that of a monkey.
One notable detail: Satts had no mouth, while this creature did—filled with sharp teeth.
"He's not human."
The man pointed at Satts and shouted again.
The presence of the monster's 'corpse' shook the examinees.
It was too similar.
With such solid evidence, could it still be fake?
The previously neutral examinees began leaning toward believing the newcomer, while even those who had trusted Satts started to waver.
The seed of doubt had taken root.
Who was real, and who was fake? Or were they both impostors?
The moment they stepped into the Shimele Wetlands, the game of deception had already begun.
Some examinees turned to Satts, hoping for an explanation, but he remained silent, simply watching as if observing a farcical performance.
"That is a Man-Faced Ape, a magical beast that inhabits the Shimele Wetlands."
"Man-Faced Apes love fresh human flesh, but their limbs are too thin and weak to hunt effectively. So, they disguise themselves as humans, using sweet words to lure their prey into the wetlands—where they and other beasts capture them alive."
This combination of tactics was enough to confuse those lacking intelligence.
Who was real, and who was fake?
"I thought something was off."
"No normal person could move that fast."
"This guy isn't human."
Satts' silence only fueled the examinees' suspicions, and the newcomer grew even more agitated.
"That guy wants to trap all the Hunter Exam candidates!"
"Stay away from him! Come with me, now!" The man continued persuading them while moving closer, as if trying to grab someone and take them along.
At that moment, the person closest to him was Yamcha.
Don't touch me!
"Get lost."
As the man approached, Yamcha coldly ordered him to back off.
He was curious about the magical beasts of the Shimele Wetlands, but he had no intention of letting them touch him.
Who knew if they carried unknown bacteria?
Direct contact was too reckless.
Most importantly, the guy was still a monkey. Apes were monkeys. And when he thought of monkeys, he thought of Saiyans. When he thought of Saiyans, he thought of vegetable people. And when he thought of vegetable people… he thought of that classic scene of lying dead on the ground.
So Yamcha had zero goodwill toward monkeys.
"You brat, don't be so—"
The man's words were cut off by the sight of a gun barrel aimed at his forehead.
Bang!
Without hesitation, Yamcha pulled the trigger.
A spray of crimson erupted.
Because of the close range, the man's entire head was blown apart.
Have you ever seen a watermelon burst? That's exactly what his head looked like.
"You talk too much."
"Fraud."
As Yamcha spoke, the dead man's facial features distorted, revealing sharp teeth and a face covered in fur.
Now this was a real monster.
That kid is ruthless… and dangerous.
Many examinees reevaluated their opinion of Yamcha, now looking at him with wariness and subconsciously keeping their distance.
There were other examinees with guns, but few who would shoot so decisively without hesitation.
Even if they were 90% sure, they wouldn't dare take the risk—what if they were wrong?
This played right into Yamcha's plan.
Since blending in quietly until the finals wasn't possible, he decided to switch strategies—standing out in a different way.
By portraying himself as a dangerous gun-wielding fighter, he could shift others' focus to the weapon rather than his true strength. This would also deter any foolish challengers from picking unnecessary fights with him.
After all, the Hunter Exam rules never said guns were prohibited. Some candidates even carried sniper rifles. If someone had the ability, they could probably bring an RPG without issue.
"How did you figure it out?"
For the first time, Satts stopped watching and looked at Yamcha with genuine interest.
"How did I figure it out?" Yamcha paused, then spread the fingers of one hand wide in front of his face—just a few centimeters away—but without blocking his vision.
With his other hand, he slipped his gun back into his pocket and gently brushed his palm against it.
Then, striking a pose straight out of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, he declared in an overly serious tone:
"He has a mouth. You don't. So he's fake. He's the monster."
???
(End of Chapter)