The First Test

"Leopard... a leopard?!"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Where did that thing come from?"

"What a huge, beautiful feline!"

"Examiner! Doesn't this count as a violation?"

For a moment, everyone was whispering among themselves.

Some were curious, impressed, and shocked by the mount Allen had summoned out of thin air, while others tried to complain to Examiner Satotz and have this powerful competitor disqualified from the exam.

But unfortunately for them, Satotz had no interest in such pointless tricks. Without saying a word, he continued leading the way at the very front.

He knew that Nen users of Allen and Hisoka's caliber were among the top tier even within the Association. The so-called Hunter Exam was nothing more than a formality to them.

Given Chairman Netero's childlike temperament, he would certainly be more than happy to welcome the two into the Association.

Meanwhile, Hisoka kept a close eye on Allen from the corner of his eye. The corners of his lips curled into a sickly smile as he muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Interesting! So interesting! Summoning a beast out of thin air! This isn't a Nen ability, but another kind of mysterious power I don't understand—just like the Silver Giant Wolves summoned during our last battle. I'm looking forward to fighting you more and more... Allen!"

Because he inadvertently released that frenzied, intense Nen again, the surrounding examinees were instantly terrified and hurriedly kept a safe distance from the dangerously unhinged man.

Even Examiner Satotz could not help secretly raising his guard, wary that this fellow might suddenly make an aggressive move.

After all, Hisoka had done exactly that last year. He had a record.

Perhaps because he was too far away, or perhaps his nerves were simply naturally dull, Leorio did not sense Hisoka's malicious Nen at all. With an annoyed expression, he shouted, "Allen! That's too sly! This is an endurance test! You're blatantly cheating!"

"Huh? I don't think that counts as cheating. The examiner only said we had to keep up. He never said we couldn't ride leopards," Gon spoke up to defend Allen.

"Damn it! Whose side are you on?" Leorio turned around and glared at him.

Looking at this guy, who was not even twenty in reality but looked like a middle-aged man in his forties, Allen suddenly felt like teasing him. He deliberately put on a look of disgust and replied, "That's really ugly, Uncle. Haven't you heard that jealousy makes men ugly?"

"Bastard! Who are you calling Uncle? I'm still a teenager! And this is definitely not jealousy!"

With Allen deliberately provoking him, the already straightforward and impulsive Leorio instantly flew into a rage. Several times, he looked ready to reach out and yank Allen off his mount.

But unfortunately, whenever he was about to catch Allen, the Swift Thunderclaw Leopard would suddenly accelerate, nearly making him fall flat on his face.

"A teenager?"

"You're lying!"

"No way!"

For a moment, everyone present wore expressions of disbelief and unanimously refused to believe him.

After all, he looked so prematurely aged, and his clothes made him seem like a working adult rather than a teenager.

Just as Leorio was being driven nearly mad by everyone's reactions, Killua suddenly zipped between him and Allen on his skateboard, looking utterly relaxed and carefree.

"Ahhh! There's another one?!" Leorio instantly shifted his target of hatred.

"Uncle, you're so annoying."

Killua delivered the final blow to Leorio's glass heart, which was already on the verge of shattering.

Leorio sank into despair at a visible rate. Like a walking corpse, he kept running while muttering nonstop, "Uncle... Uncle... Uncle..."

Feeling the cheerful atmosphere of everyone bickering and joking around, something suddenly stirred within Killua. He turned and asked Gon, whose eyes were innocent and pure, "How old are you?"

"Twelve! What about you?" Gon asked with a smile.

"Same! We're the same age. I'm Killua."

Killua jumped straight off his skateboard and, with an exceptionally cool motion, tucked it under his arm.

"I'm Gon Freecss!"

As Gon gave his name, the fates of these two boys finally converged.

They themselves likely could not have imagined how close their friendship would become in the near future, or how many unbelievable miracles they would create together.

Not wanting Killua's keen nerves to become too tense because of his Nen, Allen quickly urged his mount onward and raced to the front of the group, moving alongside Examiner Satotz.

Although he had never tested the Swift Thunderclaw Leopard's top speed, he believed it was not much slower than any land vehicle.

On top of that, the mount also possessed the traits of never being injured and never growing tired, so keeping up with the examiner was more than easy.

Satotz seemed to have noticed the Swift Thunderclaw Leopard's unusual speed and endurance. A competitive urge rose in him, and he suddenly quickened his pace, charging out of the tunnel and into Zevil Island in one burst. Yet even in the end, he failed to widen the distance by even half a step.

But his impulsive behavior made things miserable for the examinees behind them.

Quite a few people whose willpower was not strong enough became discouraged after losing sight of the examiner, gave up running, and were eliminated.

Fortunately, Satotz noticed this in time and deliberately waited a while longer at the entrance. Only after Leorio and Kurapika caught up did he announce the end of the first half of the first test.

What came next was the far more tense, thrilling, and extremely dangerous second half: crossing Zevil Island, which was filled with countless monsters and traps.

"I think this is a fine battlefield. What do you think?" Hisoka approached Allen at once and suggested in a low voice.

"Too soon. I don't think a fight between us would end in a short time. Don't rush. I guarantee that I'll settle our grievances before this Hunter Exam ends." Allen rejected him without hesitation.

He knew that the fourth test would take place on a sealed island, where they would hunt one another's number tags. That was the most suitable place for the two of them to fight without holding back.

Before then, he did not want to miss the deadline and be eliminated because of a battle.

"Fine! But please hurry! I'm already having trouble holding myself back! You're simply too delicious! It makes me want to take a bite immediately." Hisoka freely radiated Nen filled with an intense desire for battle.

"I feel the same way! I can't wait to beat that annoying face of yours into a pig's head!" Allen cracked his knuckles.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm! That's it! Since we can't fight now, I'll go find some entertainment first. See you later..."

As the last word was blurted out, Hisoka vanished from the spot in an instant.

Only after confirming that Hisoka's presence had completely disappeared did Allen ride the Swift Thunderclaw Leopard after Examiner Satotz.

With the double assurance of Hunter's Mark and Track Humanoid, he soon caught up with the leading group, easily reached the destination, and successfully passed the first trial.

PS: Please bookmark and recommend the new book. Many thanks.