Lu felt a faint vibration beneath his feet and immediately knew that a herd of boars was about to charge out.
"I've got a really bad feeling about this. We should move back a little," Lu said. He had no desire to get brushed past by a stampede of pigs—or to enjoy a free aerial ride. He quickly told everyone to retreat a bit to avoid getting caught up in it.
Gon and the others reacted instinctively, stepping back just as their feet touched the ground—
The sound hit first.
Then the clouds of dust.
Thud thud thud
Oooaaar! Oooaaar!
The ground shook more and more violently as a massive herd of boars came charging forward, bellowing loudly.
Rumble—!
They were enormous, with thick, elongated noses almost like elephants', their bodies pitch-black. The herd thundered in from the side, barreled straight through the crowd, and then disappeared again.
It looked almost like a bunch of pigs that had eaten their fill and decided to go for a casual stroll.
Of course, even a "casual stroll" for them meant causing trouble—otherwise they wouldn't be known as the most ferocious boars in the world.
"Ah—!"
Quite a few people failed to notice the incoming stampede, or simply couldn't react in time. They were sent flying by a single swing of a boar's massive snout, enjoying a complimentary bungee jump. Injuries or deaths were not covered.
The creatures in the Hunter world were always bizarre—whether it was a gigantic white rhinoceros, or these Great Stamp Wild Boars before them. They looked like a hybrid of elephant, wild boar, and rhinoceros.
"Let's move! We'll lure a few over—one boar per person," Lu shouted, leading Gon and the others forward. The previous spot was far too crowded for them to fight properly. A more open area would be better.
"Okay—let's go!" Gon and the others replied in unison. Since they'd already agreed to stick together, taking down a few boars shouldn't be a problem.
The boars, apparently out for a stroll and a snack, noticed the group running and split off several to give chase. Naturally, even the boars knew better than to gang up unfairly—five people meant five boars.
Seeing this, the other examinees began copying them, scattering in all directions. The boars also split up, chasing targets at random.
The game had begun.
"This marks the official start of the second phase of the exam," Menchi announced immediately upon seeing the chaos unfold.
Huff—huff—huff—
The boars behind Lu's group ran faster and faster, closing the distance rapidly. Their foul, blood-tinged breath was blown forward by the wind, making it hard to endure.
"The Great Stamp Wild Boar possesses an indestructible nose, which it uses as its primary weapon," Buhara's powerful voice rang out from above. "If you're too slow, the hunter may end up becoming the boar's feed instead!"
He was enthusiastically explaining the features of his beloved food, clearly hoping to enjoy as many roast pigs as possible.
Just thinking about it made his mouth water. Watching the scene of people fleeing in all directions, Buhara couldn't sit still as visions of fragrant roast pork filled his mind.
"Buhara," Menchi warned sharply, clearly exasperated. "This is an exam."
"I'm hungry. So hungry. So hungry," Buhara replied. Important things had to be said three times, after all.
"…Sigh," Menchi muttered, changing her sitting position and choosing to ignore Buhara, who was already lost in roast-pig delusions.
"I have an idea," Lu said while running. "Since the Great Stamp Wild Boar is different from ordinary boars and has evolved its nose into its strongest weapon, then logically speaking, the parts that were once the toughest may now be its weakness. It's like how poisonous creatures always have an antidote nearby—nature works in cycles. Strength and weakness coexist."
Continuing to run like this wasn't a solution. They couldn't just hope the boar would accidentally crash into a tree and knock itself out. That kind of 'waiting for prey' miracle wasn't realistic.
"That makes sense," Gon said, his eyes lighting up.
"I agree. The probability is quite high," Kurapika added after some analysis.
Killua and Leorio didn't say anything, but the way they turned back to stare at the charging boar looked downright dangerous.
Thankfully, the boar's hide was thick—otherwise, even Sakuragi Hanamichi's infamous death glare might have worked.
"From what I know, most boars attack with their heads, and the nose is usually a weak point. But the Great Stamp Wild Boar is the opposite," Lu continued. "So it's reasonable to assume its weakness is the head itself."
As someone who had studied practically every creature in the animal kingdom, Lu naturally knew that for most animals, the nose was a weak spot.
"Alright! I'll try it!" Gon said eagerly. He'd already been thinking about testing the boar's head, and now that Lu confirmed it, he was even more confident.
With a nimble flip, Gon leapt straight onto the Great Stamp Wild Boar's back.
Of course, something known as the most ferocious boar in the world wouldn't go down without a fight.
Sensing an enemy on its back, the boar began charging wildly left and right, zigzagging like a snake, trying to shake him off.
An ordinary person might've been thrown off immediately.
But this was Gon.
He clung to the boar as if he'd grown there, rising and falling with its violent movements, refusing to let go.
Realizing it couldn't shake him, the boar went berserk, smashing into roadside trees in an attempt to dislodge him.
Gon didn't want to waste time. Seizing the moment, he leapt upward, using his fishing rod as a weapon and striking straight down at the boar's head.
Bang!
Two sounds followed almost at once—one from Gon's blow landing, and another from the boar's massive body collapsing onto the ground.
"Lu, you're amazing! The head really is its weak point!" Gon shouted excitedly.
Anyone within earshot immediately began looking for chances to attack the boars' heads. No one passes up a free advantage.
"In that case, we should hurry," Lu said. "The examiners' stomachs aren't infinite. The amount they can eat is limited. Finishing early will give us an advantage."
"Agreed," everyone said, nodding.
They unleashed everything they had and began taking down their respective Great Stamp Wild Boars.
Lu knew his own weakness—without a weapon, landing a decisive blow wasn't easy. Still, it wasn't impossible.
Although he hadn't systematically trained in Nen yet, ever since awakening it, his senses and physical coordination had improved dramatically. That was his edge.
He spotted a massive tree ahead.
Now.
Lu scrambled up in a few swift movements, stopping on the highest branch that could support his weight. Timing it perfectly, he watched his chosen boar charge straight toward the tree.
He gathered all his strength and hurled himself downward, aiming directly for its head.
The timing was flawless.
He landed squarely within the range of its skull, crashing down like a massive boulder.
BAM!
The boar collapsed instantly, knocked unconscious.
"Nice one," Leorio said in admiration, already gearing up to deal with his own boar. He couldn't afford to fall too far behind.