At the Edge of the Rift

Only ten minutes remained before the trial ended.

The wind had not eased on the platform. Waves of heat still rose from the valley floor, sweeping gravel and mist into the air. Broken eggshells lay scattered across the rock face alongside dried bloodstains, like a silent footnote to the selection.

Leorio sat in a corner with his knees drawn up, looking exhausted. He stared at a row of little scratches on the ground, his thoughts drifting back to the person sitting motionless on the other side.

"Who the hell is that guy...?" he muttered.

In the distance, the candidates grew quieter. No one was going down anymore. Three had yet to finish, but all were stuck halfway, afraid to press on or turn back.

Meanwhile...

Inside the Hunter Association's mobile observation station, the main screen cycled through views of Spider Hawk's Nest from different angles. Cameras tracked the candidates: one had nearly fallen and been hauled up by a rescue line, another sat in silence, and someone had even taken painkillers while waiting for the trial to end.

Three examiners sat upright at the conference table, documents and reports spread before them. They were conducting a serious review of the results.

An older examiner broke the silence. He slid a simple chart to the center of the table and pointed to it. "Look. This chart compares target completion times against activity frequency for candidates in the same group."

Everyone turned to the paper. Dozens of lines represented the candidates, crisscrossing into a complicated chart. On closer inspection, most showed an erratic rhythm—fast, then slow, with many repeated paths.

The room fell quiet. Only the rustle of paper and the sound of breathing remained. The examiners exchanged glances, each considering what the data meant.

Just then, the last updraft rose from the base of the cliff, sending mist billowing upward once more. Fragments of eggshell still clung to a rock. Menchi checked the time and called out, "The exam is over!"

Her voice echoed across the open cliff, bringing the tense exam to a close. Then she added, "Time's up. Anyone who hasn't submitted an egg, or whose egg is broken, is eliminated."

The words struck every candidate like a hammer blow.

Everyone reacted differently. Some lowered their heads without a word. Others slapped their thighs in frustration. Still others clenched their teeth and buried their disappointment so deep it barely showed. Only a few looked relieved.

Leorio slowly rose and flexed his legs, numb from sitting so long. He had handed in his egg half an hour ago, but his legs now felt heavy as lead. He managed two steps before his gaze drifted back to the boy. Ryan still sat quietly, his back straight and his hands resting on his knees, seemingly untouched by the tension around him. He showed neither anxiety nor relief. That composure was no act; it came from a deep-seated steadiness and confidence.

Leorio stared at Ryan. That guy's a tough one to figure out. But he made no move to approach him. "Seriously tough," he murmured. Even someone as outgoing as Leorio had no idea how to deal with him.

Then Menchi stepped forward. She swept her gaze over everyone present. Her voice was not loud, but it carried enough authority to silence the crowd. "The task is over," she announced. "Forty-two of you passed." She paused, as if deliberately leaving a beat, then added, "Your performance... was acceptable."

A few people managed faint smiles, but most remained silent, plainly dissatisfied with the result.

"Bringing back an egg doesn't mean you've won," Menchi said lightly. "This was only the second part of the exam. Plenty of people are smarter than you. Plenty are more ruthless, too."

As she spoke, her gaze passed over every candidate who had passed.

Ryan did not look at her. He happened to lower his head to adjust a shoelace, but the timing felt a little too convenient to be chance.

"Other staff will be here shortly to write your numbers on the pass list."

With that, she left without lingering.

Other staff came down from the airship and moved briskly among the candidates, collecting names and clearing the site in orderly fashion. Ryan stood, brushed the dust from his clothes, and quietly followed the others to register.

He walked at an unhurried pace, neither seeking anyone's gaze nor avoiding it. He naturally fell in near the back of the line, though he was not the last to arrive. Several candidates hurried over after him, leaving him comfortably toward the rear.

As Ryan walked, he wondered, Which poor bastard did I replace? The number's almost the same as in the original story. He looked up while considering it and met Leorio's eyes as Leorio walked past, having finished registering. Neither spoke. They simply gave each other a slight nod.

The nod was neither a greeting nor an expression of gratitude. It was more like a shared acknowledgment: Got it. As though neither needed words to recognize the other's presence or what it meant.

Farther away, aboard the airship, Netero stood with his hands clasped behind his back before a window. His gaze passed through the clouds to the churning sea of white beyond. Behind him, someone reported quietly, "The Spider Hawk trial is over. Forty-two passed, ... were injured, and ... withdrew..."

Netero did not turn around. "This year's exam has brought quite an unexpectedly rich harvest," he said softly, sounding calm but surprised.