Conflict X Arrival

The following day at noon.

Kevin sat idly in the exam room.

Men Qi and Buhaci were also sitting nearby.

"When will they finally arrive?"

Men Qi yawned and asked irritably; she hated waiting.

Buhara sat down and checked the time. "Based on the timeline, they should have left the tunnel by now, and if I'm not mistaken, they should have entered the wetlands."

Upon hearing this...

Kevin closed the book in his hand.

"Speaking of which, Satotz seems amiable, but he's quite cruel."

Now, the creatures in the wetlands will have plenty to eat.

Kevin said this with a hint of helplessness.

The first exam was divided into two parts.

The long trek and climbing inside the tunnel will weed out some candidates who are not physically fit.

Candidates in this section may collapse due to exhaustion, but they are essentially safe.

Once you exit the tunnel and begin trekking through the wetlands, the Danger Level increases dramatically, several times over.

Kevin had been to the wetlands before; he knew this place better than anyone.

For ordinary people, this place is deadly, to the point that it has become Forbidden Zone.

The examiners in each exam have a great deal of autonomy.

Therefore, there were no corresponding personnel to provide personnel support.

Within the wetlands, for those candidates who fail to keep up with Satotz, death is the only path forward.

"They've already made up their minds, haven't they? To become Hunter x Hunter and enjoy privileges, one must naturally pay the corresponding price."

Men Qi said nonchalantly from the side.

Hunter License is an unquestionable privilege.

It could even exempt someone from committing murder.

"The Dog Shit Hunter Association really needs a good clean-up," Kevin grumbled.

On the other side.

The test takers had already passed through the tunnel and were running on the wetlands.

Kurapika and his three companions, along with Gon and his companion, Killua and Hisoka, fell to the back of the group.

It wasn't that they deliberately put themselves together.

Gon stayed by Leorio's side because Leorio too weak.

Killua was surprised to see a child his age keep up with him for the first time, and he wanted to be friends with him, or rather, he felt that he had already become friends with him.

As for Kurapika and his three companions -

"This is the Smiler Wetland. Kevin used to tell me a lot about this place."

Melusina strolled through the wetlands as if she were out shopping, showing no intention of keeping up with the main group.

Kurapika and his friends didn't care about this.

A white mist seemed about to spread.

Shouldn't we pick up the pace? Or would it be better to catch up with the advance team?

Killua seemed to sense some danger and looked at the people around him.

Upon hearing this, Gon looked at Leorio, "Leorio, Killua said it would be better to speed up and catch up with the vanguard."

Leorio behind, was sweating profusely and gritting his teeth.

"If I could, I would have followed them long ago!"

He was the only one among this group who could be considered an ordinary person.

I was already feeling quite exhausted while trekking through the tunnel and climbing the stairs.

Hisoka, hanging at the very back of the group, squinted and couldn't help but lick his lips.

I can't hold it in anymore.

If he hadn't seen Pairo and the others, things would have been fine, but seeing Pairo, and the first exam being so boring, left him with too many pent-up desires.

He was about to lose control.

A white mist drifted in.

A murderous intent arose.

Kurapika was the first to move, his figure instantly disappearing from his spot as he kicked Hisoka's arm from behind.

At that moment, Hisoka was holding several playing cards in his hand, about to throw them out.

Kurapika's sudden action forced him to stop his attack.

The sudden battle caused everyone around to stop in their tracks.

Kurapika frowned as he looked at Hisoka, who had been pushed back a few steps by his own actions.

What exactly do you want?

Under Kevin's long-term training, Kurapika is able to easily detect the murderous intent of others.

Hisoka, that psychopath, clearly intended to go on a killing spree.

Hisoka suddenly swung his arm.

Several cards were thrown out.

Those flying towards Kurapika were caught by Kurapika, but those flying towards the examinees next to him didn't have time to react.

The Chain shot out.

The card was instantly knocked away.

The surrounding examinees then realized that he was a madman, and coupled with Hisoka's behavior before the exam even started, these examinees were filled with fear.

"What are you standing there for? Run!"

Upon hearing Killua's words, the surrounding examinees suddenly snapped out of their daze and fled in panic.

However, a very few remained where they were, assuming fighting stances and watching Hisoka.

Pairo, standing to the side, looked somewhat helpless.

Why bother with these people?

He knew, of course, that Kurapika's kindness prevented Hisoka from going on a killing spree, but in Pairo's eyes, these people were, after all, examinees.

They are competitors, so killing is normal.

Even though Pairo has been corrected by Kevin, he is not a kind person at heart; he is merely a person who follows the rules.

They lack sufficient empathy for strangers.

After all, he represents the Black Crow, not the White Dove.

"Of course, it's to stand in for the examiners and test whether these candidates are qualified."

Hisoka licked his lips and said with a smile.

Although he said that, he was already prepared to give up in his heart.

He didn't expect Kurapika to stop him.

He hadn't really intended to fight Kurapika and the others here, since they outnumbered him and he'd be ganged up on if he rashly started a fight.

He hates gang fights; one-on-one combat is what he wants.

His actions just now were merely an attempt to slightly alleviate his desires through killing.

"There are too many people. I don't like complicated love triangles; I only want a pure, one-on-one romance."

Hisoka stuck out his index finger and poked the corner of his mouth, making a cloying sound.

A whooshing sound as it cut through the air.

The surrounding white mist was torn apart, swirled up, and dissipated at an exaggerated speed.

"Bang!"

Before anyone could react...

Hisoka was sent flying backwards.

They disappeared in an instant.

Melusina, who had delivered the kick, stood still with her hands on her hips.

His expression showed great dissatisfaction.

"Pervert! To use 'love' to describe such a perverted thing is disgusting."

As she spoke, she touched the ring on her finger.

He turned around and looked at the stunned crowd behind him.

"Why are you so surprised? Let's go."

As he spoke, he skipped and hopped to catch up with the group.

Shalnark remained calm and was the first to turn around and follow, with the others close behind.

Killua's eyes widened in surprise.

"What a terrifying woman! Is Sister Melusina really that powerful?"

That last scare really startled Killua; he didn't react at all.

He had never imagined that Melusina was so powerful.

Gon, who was standing nearby, exclaimed in surprise.

Leorio to keep up; he now understood why the guys who had led the way earlier hadn't stopped these people.

Far away.

"Beep beep beep."

Hisoka, who was sitting under a broken tree stump, coughed up blood and took out his phone from his pocket.

Look at the message sent above.

[What are you doing? Hurry up and catch up, we're almost there.]

He struggled to his feet and put his phone back in his pocket.

Hisoka wiped his mouth.

His expression had become indifferent.

All desires vanished after being kicked.

The only reason that kick didn't kill him was that he was still useful.

But what truly surprised Hisoka was that he hadn't realized Melusina's strength.

He knew that Melusina might be quite capable, but in his eyes, he only gave her a passing grade.

In his view, a low score doesn't necessarily mean someone is weak, but it definitely doesn't make them suitable for combat.

But what's wrong with this woman?

Are all the people around that monster like this?

Hisoka even sighed helplessly, stood up, and caught up with the main group.

It was nearing noon.

Satotz reached his destination.

In a clearing in the woods, a building that looked like a makeshift factory stood.

Satotz stood outside the door.

Looking at the panting test-takers around him, he checked the time while waiting for those who had fallen behind.

They arrived late, noticing Hisoka looking disheveled and clearly in poor condition.

Seeing this, Satotz narrowed his eyes slightly.

Who beat this guy up like that?

Among all the test takers, this guy's ability should be among the top two.

His eyes swept over the examinees.

He focused his attention on those few who, in his opinion, were definitely quite strong.

There were no signs of a battle.

In other words, this guy was beaten into this state by overwhelming force.

Is there a monster hiding among the test takers?

This wasn't his first time serving as an examiner; he was very familiar with the Hunter Exam.

At this point, the number of candidates who passed the first exam reached 186.

This is definitely a passing grade.

The quality of this year's test takers is very good.

He made this judgment in his mind.

Goodbye everyone, I hope you all continue to work hard.

After saying that, he left, but instead of going back, he hid in a nearby tree.

Watching the upcoming exam.

He knew about the Gourmet Hunter team consisting of Men Qi and the other person, and since they weren't familiar with each other, it was best not to stay any longer and affect the other examiners' exams.

Wait until noon.

A gurgling sound came from inside, and the Gate opened.

The uniquely shaped Men Qi and Buhaci were thus presented to the candidates.

"The second test was cooking, and the passing standard was [delicious]. As long as we said it tasted good, we would pass."

"Men Qi said directly."

"Let me taste it first," Buhara said.

"The second dish was the one I really enjoyed," Men Qi added.

Most of the test takers simply felt helpless.

But Kurapika and the others' expressions had changed drastically.

Pairo, looking annoyed, said, "Make her think it tastes good? Who but Sister Melusina could do that?"

Kurapika nodded, his expression grim.

"If that's the case, we might not pass the exam at all."

"Do you know the examiner?" Leorio couldn't help but ask.

Kurapika and the others nodded without hiding anything.

The other test-takers overheard their conversation. If even someone they knew was saying this, then this exam might not be so easy after all.

"First of all, I want to eat roasted whole pig! I had it many years ago, and I still miss it."

Buhaci said with a chuckle, drool dripping from his mouth.

Upon hearing this, the crowd stopped talking and scattered to the outside.

Satotz originally wanted to continue observing the surroundings, but when he saw Kevin leaning against the pillar next to Men Qi, he waved to him.

Kevin —to be honest, he had actually heard of this person before.

I first heard about it when Kevin became One-star Hunter.

What makes it legendary is that Kevin obtained his Hunter License and became One-star Hunter by the end of the year.

This speed is absolutely unprecedented.

At the time, many people were searching for information about Kevin, but they couldn't find anything.

The scattered information also appears fragmented.

I learned about it a second time from some of the people who had handled the commission.

Satotz knew that the other party was an apothecary whose Pharmacy had become a well-known name in the Hunter x Hunter community.

After thinking for a moment, he left his hiding place and came to Men Qi and the others.

"You think the candidates this time are of very high caliber, right?"

Kevin asked curiously.

Satotz nodded. "I've been appointed as an examiner by the Hunter Association many times, and I sometimes handle related work within the Association, so I'm quite familiar with it."

"Has there ever been a situation where an examiner acted arbitrarily, causing everyone to fail?"

These words made Satotz glance at Men Qi, who was glaring angrily beside him.

"Ahem, yes, there are some. After all, the examiners have a lot of power, and—and everyone has a strong personality, so sometimes one person fails."

In such situations, the Chairman will usually investigate the details and determine if it was fair. If it wasn't, he will personally come to persuade the party involved.

He already knew why Kevin asked that question.

Kevin turned his head and looked at Men Qi.

Although nothing was said, the meaning was self-evident.

When Kevin heard Men Qi's question, he knew he was in trouble.

Let Men Qi say it's delicious?

Seriously, only Melusina can do it; even Kevin wouldn't pass this test.

As a Gourmet Hunter, and with her palate now quite discerning, getting her to say something is delicious is harder than killing her if it doesn't meet her standards.

"Your test question was about sushi, right?" Kevin asked.

"You actually knew that?"

Men Qi, forgetting her anger, looked at Kevin with some surprise.

She didn't leak the questions to the other party.

Sushi is undoubtedly an extremely niche dish in the world.

Didn't you see that Satotz next to you looked a little confused?

"I guessed it just by looking at what you prepared."

Wouldn't that be even worse?

When enjoying niche dishes, Men Qi will also request that they be recreated.

Niche cuisine, delicious.

Destroy it, quickly.

However, you can't force someone like Men Qi.

You have to go along with it.

Kevin walked over and whispered something in Men Qi's ear.

After speaking, Kevin looked at Men Qi was sitting on the sofa without saying a word.

But for Men Qi, not arguing meant she had already come to her senses.

"Snort."

He snorted; it seemed he had succeeded.

Buhaci sat behind Men Qi and gave Kevin a thumbs-up.

He also felt that Men Qi was a bit too stubborn, but he knew his partner's personality, so he couldn't persuade him. In any case, the Chairman would solve the problem himself.

But then Kevin suddenly said something.

"Don't be angry, these test takers might bring you some surprises."

"What?"

Surprises are things you only find out when the time comes.

"Tsk, Melusina really should teach you a lesson about your bad habits."

Kevin just smiled and didn't say anything.