The number of people who could pass the preliminary selection and arrive at the final exam venue to participate in the actual test was, according to the ratio, one in ten thousand.
Basically, there were around a few hundred people. A simple conversion showed that there were at least several million people participating in the Hunter Exam every year.
Each session was divided into a big year and a small year. The 287th session that Gon and Killua participated in could be considered a big year, with a little over four hundred people... Oboro would occasionally go to Hall Number 3 of the amusement park these days to take a look. The final time limit was almost here, and the number plates were only in the two hundreds. It was estimated that the number of people who could arrive at the venue this year wouldn't reach four hundred... It would only be around three hundred.
It was definitely a small year.
It wasn't that fewer people had registered. It was possible that the preliminary trial this year was more difficult... There weren't many people who could make it to the end, and there was a lack of good seedlings.
Some of the examinees who had passed would choose to stay in the venue, waiting for the final time limit to end. On the other hand... they could also meet some new friends, which would make it easier to collect information.
There were also some who, like Oboro... would occasionally come to take a look.
But every time they entered the hall, the atmosphere wasn't very good... Everyone was wary of each other.
There were also a few very active objects.
For example... the man who was called 'Rookie Crusher' by the full-time fans in his previous life, Tonpa!
Square nose, short, and plump... But his expression revealed a sense of honesty, which made people feel very honest, and therefore relaxed their vigilance.
Every time Oboro came to the hall, he could see him enthusiastically chatting with the newcomers, introducing his resume like a 'senior', and telling them about his past experiences in the Hunter Exam, emitting an aura of 'love' and 'caring for his juniors'.
At times, he would also be met with a cold shoulder, but it didn't seem to be able to discourage the Rookie Crusher Tonpa at all.
To this day, Tonpa had participated in the Hunter Exam nearly thirty times. In other words... this guy had been in the same batch of examinees as Moritonio and Ging Freecss. Even if he didn't know if he had reached the final exam venue in that session, and had met the two of them... But in terms of experience, this person was undoubtedly an old bird.
The preliminary selection of the Hunter Exam wasn't difficult for people with strength and brains, but for ordinary people, each time they passed it was a hone and growth. Even if the improvement they gained was small... The accumulation of dozens of times was enough to give Tonpa something extraordinary.
Although he was jokingly called the Rookie Crusher as a joke, being able to actively participate in the Hunter Exam all the time, and never being discouraged, this state of mind... Did indeed exceed many people.
You shouldn't underestimate people because of their appearance.
Although... In Oboro's eyes, Tonpa was no different from ordinary people.
The reason why he was paying attention to this person was also because he wanted to find some fun...
Unfortunately, every time he appeared, he didn't attract Tonpa's interest. In fact... Oboro found that the look in Tonpa's eyes when he looked at him was full of wariness... Later, Oboro realized what was going on... The number plate he was wearing on his chest was 001.
This meant that he was the first to arrive at the venue. Even if he was a new face... Tonpa was obviously also wary of him.
And Tonpa's number was 49, which was also relatively early.
Tonpa not coming to find him... Inevitably made Oboro a little disappointed, but it wasn't good to force himself onto the Rookie Crusher's popularity...
Finally, the last day of the preliminary selection had arrived.
Oboro came to the venue early in the morning, found a place where no one was sitting, and boredly swiped on his phone... Exchanging text messages with David, and communicating about the recent changes and situation of the underworld forces. The people around him were standing in groups of three or five. Some of them were already familiar with each other or knew each other, and some... were friends to begin with, and had passed the preliminary selection together.
The atmosphere was very stiff. Even if someone spoke, they were whispering...
The people nearby were glancing at him from time to time, focusing on his number plate of 001.
The damage caused by his battle with Netero in the hall hadn't been repaired.
The Association was clearly passively slacking off...
Oboro's peripheral vision turned, and he saw Tonpa shuttling through the crowd... This guy was tirelessly getting to know the newcomers, and some of the examinees who knew him were showing gloating and mocking smiles. You had to know that many of these examinees had also participated for two or three sessions, and many of them were clear about what kind of person Tonpa was... They were just too lazy to expose him.
After all, the fewer competitors there were, the more beneficial it would be for them.
"Wow... There are so many people, it's so lively!"
At this time, a voice suddenly came from the door.
It attracted everyone's attention.
Every time someone came in, they would be 'view' by hundreds of people, and sized up from head to toe.
Those with a relatively socially awkward personality couldn't really stand it.
A total of two people walked in.
The man in front was wearing a tracksuit, with his hands in his pockets, and a cold aura.
He had slicked back his blond hair, and his eyebrows were so light that they were non-existent, which made his features full of ferocity. Adding his cold eyes... It made people feel a little chilled. Behind him, the person who had spoken was smiling with a sunny expression. He was a typical youthful boy, constantly looking around, full of curiosity and freshness. He didn't seem to feel any pressure at all, and was always smiling.
Because they had to walk into the venue, and there were people in front of them... The blond eyebrowless man took a few steps forward, looked at the few examinees who were blocking him, and said coldly, with a twitch in his pupils: "Get out of the way!"
"..."
The expressions of the few examinees who had been scolded were angry, but as soon as they made eye contact with the former, they immediately showed fear, and subconsciously made way.
"Oh dear, Phinks... Be polite, don't scare people."
The big boy behind him laughed, patted his partner's shoulder, and greeted the few examinees who were swallowing hard as he passed by: "Sorry about that..."
"Hmph!"
Phinks didn't have an attitude of reflection at all, and even let out a disdainful sneer.
In the distance, Oboro, who had been feeling bored, raised the corners of his mouth.
What a surprise...
The two people who had suddenly appeared were actually Shalnark and Phinks.
Numbers 5 and 6 of the Troupe.
Oboro narrowed his eyes. He remembered that in the original work, Shalnark did have a Hunter license... He just didn't know when he had taken the exam, but he didn't expect Phinks to come too!
And he had happened to run into them!
Interesting... He had thought that this exam would be very boring and tedious.
The number plates on the two of them were both in the front one hundred... They should have arrived in Bungi a long time ago, but they hadn't shown their faces all along.
Phinks led Shalnark into the crowd 'unhindered'. The surrounding examinees seemed to feel threatened, and made way one after another... Then, the two finally stopped at the location where Oboro was. Because the place where Oboro was sitting was relatively empty, and there was no one nearby.
It was relatively deserted.
The examinees were also avoiding him consciously because of the information brought by the number plate 001, and felt that the man in the suit who had been playing with his phone was a very dangerous person...
The two sides were less than three meters apart from each other.
Phinks and Shalnark glanced at the man who was sitting on the ground, and didn't react to their arrival at all, and was still pressing on his phone...
The two also saw the number on Oboro's chest, 001.
They sensed the psychology of the people around them who were wary of Oboro...
Phinks raised his eyebrows, and grinned, revealing a wicked smile.
He seemed to be preparing to say something.
Shalnark, who was on the side, immediately pulled him, stood against the wall, and also raised his hand to greet Oboro, "Hello."
Hearing this, Oboro turned his head slightly, pressed the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose with his index finger, and said with a smile: "Hello."
Oboro actually didn't have any feelings for the Troupe people. It was undeniable that they were a group of very powerful Nen users, and their qualifications were outstanding, but it was inevitable that people would feel that what they were doing was wasting their talent... Of course, he wasn't qualified to judge them for anything. After all, it had a lot to do with their origins, backgrounds, and experiences.
The Troupe was very outstanding in the early stages of the original work, but as the Chimera Ant arc and the Dark Continent arc unfolded, they could no longer take the C position on the stage.
In the end, in this world of Hunters... This group of people was just a group of bandits.
A group of very powerful thieves!
The Meteor City they relied on was the size of a small country, but its total combat power still couldn't compare with that of a real country... Even if the Troupe never relied on any force, and only believed in themselves, there were still some influences.
In Oboro's eyes, with Chrollo's brains and the members' abilities... They could spread their wings and do some more 'wonderful' things, not just simple plundering and killing.
As the saying went, it was easy to talk when you weren't the one suffering. These were all what Oboro thought from the perspective of an observer.
If he was placed in an environment where he had been hungry, barren, dark, and at risk of dying at any time since he was a child, it would probably be difficult to have any 'great ideals and ambitions'. Compared to dreams, money and materials were the most pragmatic and valuable things.
Oboro also understood.
What's more, by doing this, the Troupe was also, to a large extent, trying to give back to their homeland of Meteor City.
Phinks and Shalnark's arrival was just a small interlude. The aura of the three of them clearly had a natural separation from the other examinees. Oboro put his phone in his pocket, and waited quietly... The sound of discussion in the venue was getting louder and louder, because the time had arrived, but the examiner still hadn't appeared... Some people were starting to show impatience.
"What's going on? Where's the examiner?"
"Tsk... They're not going to make us wait here forever, are they..."
Someone shouted.
Oboro's eyes glanced towards the top, at a shadow in the aisle on the second floor.
There stood a man with short black sleeves, and full of tendon meat... He was a Hunter from the Association.
He was also the examiner for this exam.
This person had been here for ten minutes, but... most of the examinees hadn't noticed.
Finally... the sound of clapping came from upstairs, which made the venue instantly quiet. Everyone looked up, and saw the figure on the second floor. The examiner slowly walked out of the dim light, put his hands on the railing, bent over, had a cigarette in his mouth, and looked at the crowd of weak chickens in the hall with a cold, undisguised mocking look. However, his gaze paused when it swept over Oboro and the three of Phinks, and then he spoke, "Trash... Congratulations on passing the many tests and arriving here. Let me introduce myself, my name is Ardamo, your examiner... Next, you must also survive some levels... And I'm in charge of the first one."
Being called trash... The examinees present seemed a little embarrassed, but they also dared to be angry but dared not speak out. But people like Tonpa, who were old hands, had a nonchalant look.
"From now on, you just have to stay here quietly, and you're not allowed to leave... If you stay for 24 hours, you'll pass, and you can follow me to the next destination." Ardamo said lightly.
It was that simple?
Some people looked surprised...
What kind of test was this?
"As long as we don't leave this venue, right?" A young man said excitedly.
"Yes."
Ardamo answered expressionlessly.
Then, he hung a pocket watch that had started walking on the railing on the second floor, turned his head, and was about to leave.
"Wait a minute!"
At this time, Phinks, who was next to Oboro, suddenly raised his hand, with a sneer on his face.
Ardamo turned his head slightly, and looked at the tracksuited man who had made a sound downstairs.
"If... I kill them all, wouldn't that mean that they're eliminated... And if there's only me left, then there's no need to continue this exam, right?" Phinks said in a teasing
____________________
For more advance chapters visit my patreon
patreon.com/kane45
Tier: 10$ Casual Reader - +20 Advance Chapter
20$ Intermediate Reader - +40 Advance Chapter
40$ Expert Reader - +80 Advance Chapter
Update: "Monday to Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day"
"Saturday and Sunday - Off"