Arrival at the Hunter Exam Venue

Kaliru City's morning carried the dampness unique to a coastal city.

The morning breeze blew against his face, carrying the salty tang of the distant harbor and the aroma of food drifting from breakfast stalls.

Leo arrived at the Hunter Exam site by airship a day early. He planned to look around first and wait for tomorrow's test.

There were not many pedestrians on the streets, but several figures were already hurrying along—carrying all kinds of equipment, their eyes wary and their steps swift.

Hunter Exam applicants.

Leo bought a local seafood pancake from a stall and wandered down Liyoupi Street while eating.

Tall buildings lined both sides of the street, their glass curtain walls reflecting the morning light. Modern structures were occasionally interspersed with old brick-and-stone houses, creating a distinctive blend of old and new.

Tonkotsu Ichiban Ramen was wedged between two office buildings.

The shop was small. Its wooden sign had faded somewhat, and its noren curtain had been washed pale.

It was not open yet, and the shutter was only halfway raised.

Leo took a glance from the street corner opposite it, memorized the location, then turned toward the harbor.

Kaliru City was an important port on the eastern coast of the Ulubian Continent, its docks packed with cargo ships and fishing boats.

Leo spent the entire morning browsing the market, sampling grilled conch, fried fish cakes, and shellfish soup stewed with local spices.

The food tasted good, but he was more focused on observing—observing the city, and observing those who might also be applicants.

A burly man over two meters tall, with muscles bulging like rocks, swallowed an entire bowl of noodles, bowl and all, in one bite.

A young girl dressed in traditional clothing, with small pouches hanging all around her waist, made every food item her fingers touched change color slightly.

There was also a boy wearing headphones whose toes barely touched the ground as he walked, moving without a sound.

By evening, he returned to the inn.

The room was simple and clean. Through the window, he could see Kaliru City's nightscape—the harbor lighthouse flashing at regular intervals as neon lights lit up one by one.

Leo sat cross-legged on the bed and carried out his daily Nen training.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, nine in the morning.

Tonkotsu Ichiban Ramen was already open, with a few scattered customers seated inside.

Leo pushed open the glass door, and the wind chime rang crisply.

The interior was simply furnished, with wooden tables and chairs and yellowed menus pasted on the walls.

"Welcome."

The receptionist behind the counter was a middle-aged man in his forties. He wore a white apron and had a practiced smile on his face.

"What would you like to order?"

"One special tonkotsu ramen."

Leo spoke.

"Do you have any special requests?"

"I don't eat beef. Extra scallions."

A flicker of almost imperceptible understanding passed through the receptionist's eyes.

He nodded and stepped out from behind the counter.

"Certainly. Please follow me."

He led Leo through a narrow passage and pushed open the door to the back kitchen.

Steam filled the kitchen, where two chefs were busy at work, completely ignoring the people who entered.

At the very back stood an inconspicuous metal door that looked like it led to a storage room.

The receptionist pressed a button on the wall. The metal door slid aside, revealing the space within—an old-fashioned elevator with mottled steel walls.

"Once you're inside, don't move around."

The receptionist instructed him.

Leo entered the elevator. The doors slowly closed. There were no floor buttons, only an upward-pointing arrow indicator that lit up.

The elevator began rising. It was not fast, and he could hear the creak of cables and pulleys rubbing together.

About twenty seconds later, the elevator stopped with a ding.

The doors slid open to either side. Noise surged into the elevator car as if it had substance.

Before him was an enormous indoor space, seemingly created by knocking through and renovating an entire office floor.

The ceiling was over ten meters high, and the area was as large as two basketball courts.

Quite a few people had already gathered there—men and women, young and old, dressed in all manner of clothing. Some stood alone in corners, while others gathered in twos and threes to talk in low voices.

The moment Leo stepped out of the elevator, dozens of people near its entrance turned to look at him in unison.

The noise paused eerily for a beat as hundreds of gazes focused on him—scrutinizing, curious, wary, and hostile.

Leo's expression did not change. He walked straight toward an empty wall on the left, stopped in the corner, leaned against it, and slipped his hands into his pockets.

This spot gave him a clear view of the entire hall, while the solid wall behind him meant he had nothing to worry about at his back.

The applicants watched him for a few seconds. Seeing that he was merely an ordinary-looking young man, they lost interest and returned to their conversations and preparations.

The hall grew noisy again.

Leo swept his gaze across the room.

There were quite a lot of applicants this year.

He spotted a few "acquaintances" among the crowd.

The muscular giant was seated on the floor in the center of the hall, doing one-handed push-ups. Each one made the ground tremble slightly.

The girl in traditional clothing was crouched in a corner, fiddling with the small pouches at her waist.

The boy with headphones leaned against the wall on the other side, his eyes closed as if listening to music.

And then... there was a short, ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

An overly enthusiastic smile hung on his face as he moved among several applicants who looked like newcomers, handing out drinks and saying something.

Tonpa. The rookie killer.

Leo withdrew his gaze and stopped paying attention.

A few minutes later, a short figure in a suit and a bean-shaped mask squeezed out of the crowd and walked toward Leo.

"Please take this."

The Bean Man handed him a number tag, a white card with black digits.

"Number 321. This is your number tag."

"Thanks."

Leo took it and pinned it to his chest.

The Bean Man nodded without saying anything else, then turned toward the next newly arrived applicant.

Time passed.

Every few minutes, the elevator brought up another group of applicants, and the hall became more and more crowded.

The atmosphere gradually grew tense, and an invisible pressure filled the air.

Some applicants began loosening up, some checked their equipment, while others deliberately displayed their abilities—such as the muscular giant, who had already lifted a heavy metal trash can beside him.

"Hello."

A voice sounded at Leo's side.

At some point, Tonpa had sidled over, wearing that signature, overly friendly smile.

"My name is Tonpa. You must be a newcomer, right? I'm a veteran taking the Hunter Exam for the thirty-third time! If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

He held out a hand with a can of fruit juice in it.

"Here, have something to drink. Don't be nervous."

Leo did not even look at him. His gaze remained fixed straight ahead.

Tonpa's smile stiffened for an instant, but it quickly returned.

"I mean no harm. I just want to make a friend. The Hunter Exam is dangerous. It's always good to have someone looking out for you..."

"Get lost."

Leo spat out the words in a quiet, icy voice.

The smile vanished completely from Tonpa's face.

He stared at Leo for two seconds, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead—an instinctive reaction of living creatures when facing danger.

Although Leo did not release any Nen pressure, the aura forged through countless life-and-death battles made a lowlife like Tonpa, who specialized in bullying newcomers, feel a tangible threat.

"Fine..."

Tonpa took two steps back and forced out a strained smile.

"I wish you success in the Hunter Exam."

He turned and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Leo glanced at his retreating back and ignored him.

Twelve noon.

"Ding—"

A clear chime rang out from the front of the hall. It was not loud, yet it strangely drowned out every bit of noise and reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

The crowd automatically parted to form a passage.

A man in a white trench coat and a white wide-brimmed hat slowly emerged.

He was not tall, around 1.7 meters, but his steps were steady. The hem of his coat swayed as he moved, revealing the dark combat uniform beneath.

He stopped at the very front of the hall and turned to face all the applicants.

"Registration is over."

His voice was loud and full of force.

"The Hunter Exam officially begins! There are 754 participants in total!"

The man removed his hat, revealing neatly styled hair and a sharply defined face. His gaze was as keen as an eagle's.

"I am the examiner for the first test—Buzidora!"

Leo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Buzidora.

He remembered that name—he appeared in the Election arc of the original story, a disciplinary committee member of the Hunter Association who shouted about restoring the glory of the Seirin Team, only to be effortlessly taken out by Hisoka. His role had been pitifully small.

"The contents of the first test are as follows."

Buzidora's voice echoed through the hall, every word clearly audible.

"Knock down the people beside you and obtain the number tags on them."

He raised a hand and pointed at the number tags on the applicants' chests.

"Your own number tag is worth one point, and every other person's number tag is also worth one point. Successfully collect three number tags—that is, earn three points—and you will advance."

Buzidora pointed toward the ceiling.

"I will be waiting for you on the rooftop. You have two hours."

His gaze swept across the entire hall, hard and cold.

"Take note—once I enter the elevator and the doors close, the test will officially begin. The countdown starts now."

The hall fell deathly silent.

The whispers, conversations, and sounds of movement that had existed moments ago all vanished.

All 754 applicants tensed up in an instant.

Their eyes began to shift, locking onto targets, calculating distances, assessing threats.

Leo remained leaning against the wall.

Buzidora walked toward the elevator, neither hurried nor slow.

He pressed the button, and the elevator doors slid open.

He stepped inside, turned around, and faced the hall.

The doors slowly closed. In the final instant before the gap shut completely—

"Begin."

Buzidora's voice squeezed through the narrowing crack.

Then the elevator's upward indicator lit up.

The hall instantly filled with furious shouts, roars, impacts, and screams—every sound erupting at once and merging into a deafening cacophony!

The people closest to the elevator immediately lunged at those beside them!

Fists, kicks, weapons—all kinds of attacks exploded through the crowd!

One applicant was smashed heavily into the wall and knocked unconscious.

The attacker swiftly tore off his number tag, then turned and pounced on his next target.