"Um…"
Gon's voice was unusually hesitant.
"Hm?" Killua didn't understand what Gon was trying to say.
"If we get the chance later… could you let me try riding it?"
Gon looked a little embarrassed. Back on Whale Island, he'd never seen a skateboard before. Kids were naturally drawn to new toys.
"If you're willing to lend me your fishing rod, Gon," Killua said after thinking it over seriously.
"Eh?"
This was the first time Killua had called him by name.
Does that mean he's acknowledged me?
Gon's mood instantly lifted, and he nodded repeatedly, afraid Killua might change his mind.
Killua then turned his head toward Lu on the other side. He didn't say a word—just stared at him wide-eyed, as if trying to convey something.
"I'll treat you to candy," Lu said, suddenly understanding.
So this is a toy-exchange negotiation, huh?
Satisfied with the answer, Killua finally turned away and sprinted toward the final stretch. The finish line was close.
The remaining examinees also began accelerating, throwing everything they had into the last dash. If they didn't use their strength now, when would they? Even gasping for breath, they forced themselves onward—it was almost over.
Among them, Lu was probably the most relaxed.
Of course, Tonpa-san, one of the Top Ten Most "Touching" Characters in Hunter History, was completely exhausted. Everyone else had been shedding weight near the end, but he had done the opposite—carrying an extra burden right to the finish. All that effort just to crush rookies… truly both mentally and physically taxing.
"I didn't expect this year's rookies to be so capable," Satotz noted, observing the few candidates tightly following behind him.
"Their potential is quite impressive. The later tests should be interesting."
With a sharp whoosh, most of the candidates trailing the examiner finally burst out of the dark tunnel.
Green mountains, clear waters, birdsong filling the air—after such a long run through darkness, the sight of thriving nature was refreshing beyond words.
"Thank you for helping us, Tonpa-san," Lu said sincerely.
"It's nothing," Tonpa replied calmly.
"Helping newcomers is my pleasure."
Whatever he was thinking inside, his outward demeanor remained gentle and agreeable.
"From here on, you'll have to rely on yourselves," Tonpa added out of habit, offering one last reminder—gotta keep building goodwill, or all that effort would've been wasted.
"Understood. Thank you very much," Lu replied politely on behalf of everyone.
Seeing no further opportunity to make himself useful—and wanting to avoid being put in an awkward position if this troublesome kid asked for help again—Tonpa quietly slipped back into the crowd. If one wasn't looking carefully, he'd be hard to spot.
"Huff… huff…"
"We made it… we made it…"
Leorio was the last of the group to arrive. He stopped beside them, hands braced on his knees, able to do nothing but gasp for air.
"You okay, Leorio?" Luoasked.
Next was the Swindler's Swamp—no joke at all. Although Leorio had passed in the original story, who knew how much the butterfly effect would change things now?
"I'm fine… I'm fine," Leorio waved him off after catching his breath.
After just a moment, his breathing steadied.
Seriously inhuman stamina, Lu thought.
Relieved, Lu decided he could focus fully on his own plans once things began.
"Swindler's Swamp," Satotz announced, perfectly on cue,
"is commonly known as the nest of deceivers. It is also the only path to the second testing site. This swamp is home to many rare creatures unknown to the outside world. Most of them are carnivorous, feed on human flesh, and are by nature cunning and greedy."
"The swamp is really a wonderful place," Ruo thought.
He knew it was filled with rare ingredients. Just thinking about it made his heart race—it was practically paradise.
"Too bad my abilities aren't enough yet. There are too many places I can't explore," he mused.
"But I'll gather whatever I can for now. Once I get stronger, I can come back anytime."
He was eager to grow stronger—but restrained himself.
There was plenty of time.
Rushing things never led to good outcomes. Since he was already in this world, steady progress step by step was the safest path.
Clang—!
A loud sound echoed as a massive gate began descending from above the tunnel entrance they'd just exited. Though it looked slow, it took only a few seconds to drop most of the way.
"Wait for me!"
An exhausted examinee stumbled to the doorway and collapsed. He no longer had the strength to move—even though the exit was just one step away.
He watched helplessly as the gate lowered, stretching out his hand in a futile attempt to stop it.
But this was the Hunter Exam.
A brutal selection process.
Elimination was inevitable.
Even Gon—usually kind-hearted—did nothing.
This was the Hunter Exam. There was no room for mercy.
"Please make sure to stay close behind me," Satotz warned seriously, raising a finger and gently shaking it.
"If you stray into a trap, it will be a dead end."
"That's strange," Leorio said after finally recovering.
"If it's a trap, how would anyone fall for it in the first place?"
"That's the show starting," Lu murmured.
This was the classic confrontation between the real examiner and the impostor.
Thinking of his plan, Lu subtly edged closer to the side, intending to observe the fake examiner—the Man-Faced Ape—from a closer distance.
"Liar! He's lying!"
A man dressed in green, covered in blood, burst forward carrying a cloth sack. Something inside poked out—a head, though its features were unclear. What stood out most was the unnaturally long tongue hanging from its mouth.
"He's a fake! He's not the examiner at all!"
"I'm the real examiner of the Hunter Exam!"
The man pointed furiously at Satotz, rage blazing in his eyes, ignoring his own battered state.
Yet in the face of the accusation, Satotz stood there calmly, expressionless—neither speaking nor defending himself.
"The Hunter world really does produce Oscar-worthy actors and lunatics," Lu sighed inwardly.
"The acting is nonstop."
"Fake?"
"What does that mean?"
"Then who is that guy?"
"So what's really going on?"
"Who's actually testing us?!"
The examinees erupted into confused chatter. They looked from the man in green to the composed Satotz, completely unsure what to believe.
The situation grew chaotic. Unease slowly spread through the crowd.
"Lu, what's going on?" Leorio asked, completely lost.
"Why are there two examiners? One real, one fake—what's happening here?"
Kurapika frowned, glancing between the two men, equally uncertain. He turned toward Ruo as well, waiting for his opinion.
Killua stood off to the side with his arms crossed, unconcerned and uninvolved—but his eyes were still fixed on Lu and Gon, quietly observing.