"Just because of that?"
"Wouldn't having no mouth make it even more like a monster?"
The examinees murmured in their hearts, their faces showing expressions of disbelief.
At the same time, they raised their danger evaluation of Yamcha by another level.
No one liked dealing with someone whose logic was so different from ordinary people.
"That makes sense." Satts stroked his small mustache, nodding in agreement, seemingly quite satisfied with Yamcha's explanation.
'You two are nuts!'
Many examinees thought this in unison.
"I'd like to remind you all~"
A voice that sent chills down everyone's spine suddenly interjected.
Hisoka rested one hand on his face while pointing with the other at the spot where the man had fallen.
"There's still one more monster, you know~"
As Hisoka finished speaking, the 'corpse' that had been dragged by the man suddenly opened its eyes, leaped up, and bolted toward the dense forest in the distance, running for its life.
It moved faster than the vast majority of the examinees present.
Unfortunately, the moment it and its companion appeared, its fate was already sealed.
A sharp 'whoosh' cut through the air as a playing card, moving even faster than the humanoid ape, embedded itself straight into the back of its head.
With a dull 'thud,' it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Such a pathetic and fragile existence~"
"The examiners for the Hunter Exam are all professional Hunters appointed by the Hunter Association's Review Committee. Without exception, they are one-in-a-million powerhouses. Their strength is nothing any of us examinees can compare to~"
After finishing his explanation, Hisoka glanced at the now lifeless 'man' with a look of disdain.
"Someone this weak could never be an examiner."
"Thanks for the compliment, but that still isn't a reason for you to attack me." Satts tossed away the playing card in his hand, his expression completely blank as he addressed Hisoka.
It turned out that, at the same time as he had taken down the humanoid ape, Hisoka had also thrown a card at Satts.
"Oh my, I just couldn't help myself~ If you were fake, wouldn't that be terrible~?" Hisoka's words suggested concern, but his expression showed anything but.
"From now on, regardless of your reasons, if you attack me again, you will be disqualified from the exam."
"Please keep that in mind."
"Got it~" Hisoka responded, then, without drawing attention, glanced at Yamcha, placing a playing card near his lips as the corners of his mouth curled up ever so slightly. Who knew what he was thinking?
Luckily, Hisoka hadn't thrown a card at him earlier.
Otherwise, without revealing part of his strength, Yamcha wasn't confident he could block it.
Faking competence was one thing, but his marksmanship was genuinely average—at best, he could hit a target precisely at a hundred paces. He couldn't curve bullets, imbue them with energy, or anything fancy like that. It was hardly worth mentioning.
"Now then, the exam continues."
Under Examiner Satts' guidance, a new round of endurance running commenced.
However, this time, it was no longer just a test of stamina and endurance—it also required keen eyesight, strength, and a fair amount of luck.
The Visca Wetlands were perpetually shrouded in thick fog. How dense was it?
An ordinary person could only see up to three meters ahead.
And lurking within the fog were countless bizarre and terrifying creatures.
Man-eating turtles that lured lost travelers.
Giant flesh-eating frogs that hid beneath the grass, waiting for unsuspecting prey.
Mushrooms that exploded like landmines.
Butterflies that could hypnotize humans.
Compared to these horrors, the humanoid ape from earlier was nothing more than an appetizer—the weakest of the Visca Wetlands' monsters.
Before anyone realized it, many examinees had already lost their lives to these creatures.
Yet, these weren't the biggest threats.
As long as one was cautious, strong enough, and fast enough to keep up with Satts, there wouldn't be any real danger.
Satts' route was absolutely safe—as long as you didn't fall behind or get lost.
However, the greatest danger didn't come from the outside.
It came from within.
One examinee, overwhelmed by the bloodshed he had just witnessed, could no longer suppress his killing intent.
He wanted to kill.
The self-proclaimed magician—Hisoka!
His silhouette gradually disappeared into the thick fog.
Then, the anguished screams of examinees rang out, accompanied by the overwhelming stench of blood.
What a shame…
If they had to blame something, they could only blame their bad luck for running into Hisoka.
They could only blame their own lack of strength for being unable to defend themselves.
Strength equaled survival.
This belief grew even firmer in Yamcha's heart.
But he had no intention of rushing in to save anyone.
Without looking back, he maintained a steady pace right behind Satts.
Whether or not he could defeat Hisoka was one thing.
But more importantly, this wasn't his problem—it was the examiner's responsibility.
If even the examiners weren't stopping Hisoka, why should he bother?
With great power comes great responsibility?
No, with great authority comes great responsibility!
So… everyone, take care of yourselves.
Bye-bye.
Yamcha kept his head forward, staying right behind Satts.
The first phase of the exam ended at the Visca Wetlands' exit, leading to the Wiscon Forest Park.
The surroundings were vast and empty.
Aside from a single garage-like building, there was nothing.
After leading the first batch of examinees to the location, Satts gave them a simple instruction to rest, then fell silent, waiting for the others to arrive.
Except for a select few, most of the examinees were completely exhausted.
From the initial 400-plus participants, only a little more than a quarter remained.
"This is the location of the second phase of the exam. A new examiner will be taking over from here."
Once enough people had arrived, Satts addressed the group.
"Well then, this is where we part ways. Keep working hard, everyone."
With that, Satts' figure vanished.
What now? Where's the examiner?
The examinees exchanged confused looks.
If they could rate the head examiner's service, it would probably hit rock bottom.
Just then, a rumbling sound came from the garage-like building behind them.
The large metal doors slowly opened.
Inside, a sultry young woman with long legs sat cross-legged on a sofa.
She wore a fishnet crop top over her bra, ripped denim shorts, and gothic-style knee-high boots.
Overall, she had an alluring charm, except for one glaring flaw—her ridiculous, spiky ponytail hairstyle.
At least, Yamcha couldn't appreciate it.
Behind her sat a man as large as a small mountain, about seven or eight meters tall.
The thunderous noise from earlier had been the sound of his stomach growling.
He was hungry.
This "Beauty and the Beast" duo was the team of examiners for the second phase.
The powerful One-Star Gourmet Hunters: Menchi and Buhara.
(End of Chapter)