Satotz was faster than most of the applicants could ever have imagined. The refined-looking Ruins Hunter ran like the wind, his footsteps so light they were almost inaudible. Even the uneven mountain road did nothing to slow him, and the gap between him and the applicants behind him steadily widened. Gon, Killua, and Lin Ye led the pack. With the exceptional fitness he had developed growing up in Whale Island's forests, Gon followed close behind Satotz with light, nimble strides. He showed no sign of strain. Instead, his face brimmed with excitement, and he ran faster and faster. Killua looked completely relaxed. The Assassin Family's hellish training had given him stamina and endurance far beyond an ordinary person's reach, leaving him enough breath to joke with Gon as they ran. Lin Ye kept pace beside them, his steps steady and his breathing even, utterly unruffled. Four years of grueling training had long since pushed his physical strength beyond human limits. Never mind eighty kilometers-he could have run hundreds of kilometers without a break and still felt no strain. He could even have used Shave to pass Satotz easily and take the lead. But he did not. His gaze kept returning to Leorio and Kurapika behind them. Kurapika's fitness was fairly good. His Kurta Clan heritage had given him a strong physique, and although he could not match Gon and Killua's speed, he held his place comfortably among the front runners without falling behind. Leorio, however, was struggling. He was an ordinary person, with neither systematic physical training nor an awakened Nen ability, and sheer stubbornness was all that kept him chasing the main group. Before they had even covered ten kilometers, he was panting and drenched in sweat. His face had gone pale, his steps grew heavier, and the distance between him and the others steadily widened. "Leorio! Keep going!" Gon shouted over his shoulder. Leorio raised his head and waved at Gon, trying to say something, but he was breathing too hard to get a word out. All he could do was grit his teeth and keep running. He did not want to fall behind, hold everyone back, or give up on his dream just like that. Watching him struggle, Lin Ye said to Gon and Killua, "You two stay with Satotz. I'll go back and check on Leorio." "Okay!" Gon and Killua nodded at once and pressed forward after Satotz. Lin Ye slowed until Leorio caught up, then ran alongside him. "Lin Ye... why aren't you... running ahead?" Leorio asked between ragged breaths, looking at him in confusion. "Don't worry about me... I can keep up... don't fall behind because of me..." "It's fine." Lin Ye smiled, his voice calm. "Over eighty kilometers, endurance matters more than bursts of speed. Run too fast now, and you're more likely to run out of energy later. I'll run with you and take the chance to settle my breathing." Of course, he was not doing it to settle his breathing. He simply did not want Leorio struggling alone at the back. He knew Leorio's personality all too well. For all his easygoing bluster, Leorio was fiercely proud, and even if he pushed himself to exhaustion, he would not readily ask for help. Without someone beside him, he might well collapse halfway through and be eliminated. Warmth surged through Leorio's heart at Lin Ye's gentle smile. He opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, he only nodded firmly, gritted his teeth, and kept running. With Lin Ye beside him, even his fatigue seemed to ease. As they ran, Lin Ye taught him how to regulate his breathing and use his strength efficiently to conserve energy. These were lessons Lin Ye had worked out bit by bit during his four years in Meteor City, and they were invaluable to a novice like Leorio. Following his advice, Leorio adjusted his breathing and strides. Sure enough, his heavy body began to feel lighter, and his breathing gradually steadied. He was still exhausted, but he no longer felt as though he might collapse at any moment. Running side by side, they gradually caught up with Kurapika. Surprise flickered across Kurapika's face when he saw them, followed by a gentle smile. He slowed to join them. "Are you all right, Leorio?" Kurapika asked softly. "Don't worry, I'm not dying!" Leorio grinned and wiped the sweat from his face. "Lin Ye taught me how to control my breathing, and I feel much better now! I'll definitely make it to the finish!" Lin Ye smiled at them without speaking. The three maintained a steady pace in the middle of the main group, moving forward without rushing. After roughly thirty kilometers, the road led into a long tunnel. It was pitch-black inside, so dark they could not see their hands in front of their faces. Only a faint glimmer marked the distant exit. The air smelled of damp mold and pungent chemicals, and the uneven ground was littered with loose stones, puddles, and even concealed traps. The moment the applicants entered the tunnel, their pace slowed. The darkness robbed most of them of their sense of direction, forcing them to feel their way forward. Many stumbled into puddles or tripped over stones, crying out in alarm. The orderly procession dissolved into chaos. "Damn it! What the hell is this place? Why is it so dark?" Leorio cursed and stopped. Unable to see the path ahead, he did not even dare lift his foot. Kurapika frowned as well. The darkness severely restricted his vision; even he could only make out a few meters ahead. Just then, Lin Ye's voice sounded beside them. "Follow me. Don't worry. I can see the way." His Observation Haki already covered the entire tunnel. Every puddle, loose stone, and hidden trap, even the position of every applicant, appeared clearly in his mind-more clearly than he could have seen them in daylight. The darkness hindered everyone else, but it did not affect him in the slightest. "You can see?" Leorio looked stunned. "How can you see when it's this dark?" "Just a little trick." Lin Ye smiled without explaining further. He reached out and took Leorio by the arm, then said to Kurapika, "Kurapika, hold my other arm and follow me. I'll take you past the traps and through the tunnel as quickly as possible." Without hesitation, Kurapika grabbed Lin Ye's left arm and nodded. "All right. Sorry for the trouble, Lin Ye." "Don't mention it." Lin Ye smiled and set off, leading them deeper into the tunnel. His steps were steady and assured, every footfall perfectly placed to avoid the puddles, stones, and traps. Leorio and Kurapika could have followed him with their eyes closed without encountering a single obstacle. They moved even faster than they had on the level ground outside. "My God... Lin Ye, you're incredible!" Leorio said in disbelief. "You really can see every trap? This tunnel's as black as ink! I can't even see my own hands!" "I'm used to it," Lin Ye said quietly. During those two years in Meteor City, he had passed through dark abandoned factories and mountains of garbage countless times, evading pursuers and searching for supplies. Darkness like this was no different from daylight to him. Besides, he had Observation Haki, a sensory ability that was practically a cheat. The three moved through the tunnel unhindered, picking up speed as they passed applicant after applicant groping through the darkness. Eventually, they caught up with Gon and Killua at the front. With their exceptional night vision and instincts, Gon and Killua were still running swiftly through the tunnel. Both looked surprised when Lin Ye and the others caught up. "Lin Ye! Leorio! Kurapika! You're so fast!" Gon called excitedly. "How did you do it? It's so dark in here, but you're still running that fast?" Killua asked curiously. "With Lin Ye around, nothing can stop us!" Leorio declared smugly, as though keeping up had been his own achievement, making everyone laugh. Reunited, the five continued swiftly through the tunnel. As they ran, Lin Ye's Observation Haki suddenly detected several concealed openings along the tunnel wall. A number of people lurked inside, weapons in hand and malice radiating from them, ready to ambush passing applicants. They were the applicants Hisoka had frightened away at Dole Island's harbor. Having failed the first round of screening, they had hidden in the tunnel to take revenge on those who had passed. "Careful. There's an ambush ahead." Lin Ye stopped at once and spoke in a low, serious voice. "More than a dozen people are hiding in the passage on the left. They're armed and waiting to attack anyone who passes." The others stopped immediately, their smiles vanishing as they went on alert. "An ambush?" Leorio frowned and tightened his grip on his scalpel. "They got eliminated, so now they want to drag everyone else down with them? Bastards!" "How many are there? How strong are they?" Kurapika asked gravely, readying himself for a fight. "More than a dozen. None of them have awakened Nen. They're just ordinary thugs," Lin Ye said calmly. "Nothing to fear. But they've set plenty of traps in that side passage, and they have net guns and anesthetic needles. Charging straight in could put us at a disadvantage." "Then what do we do? Go around?" Killua raised an eyebrow. "No need." Lin Ye shook his head, a faint smile curling his lips. "They want to ambush us, so let's turn the tables and give them a surprise." He beckoned the others closer and quietly explained his plan. Smiles spread across their faces as they listened, and they all nodded. The plan was soon settled. Gon and Killua would use a ventilation opening at the side to circle behind the passage and cut off the attackers' retreat. Kurapika and Leorio would draw their attention from the front, while Lin Ye would break through head-on and deal with their traps and weapons. With their roles assigned, they immediately went into action. Exceptionally agile, Gon and Killua slipped silently into the nearby ventilation duct and circled behind the side passage. Kurapika and Leorio deliberately slowed, approaching step by step as though they had noticed nothing. The moment they reached the entrance, the people inside made their move. More than a dozen men charged out with steel pipes, machetes, net guns, and tranquilizer guns, lunging at Kurapika and Leorio. "Stop right there, brats! You're not passing this exam either!" the leader shouted viciously, pulling the trigger of his net gun. A large net shot straight toward Kurapika and Leorio. Ready for it, they darted to opposite sides and cleanly avoided it. At that moment, Lin Ye moved. He shot out of the darkness and activated Shave, accelerating to blinding speed. Before the men could react, he was already among them. "Iron Body: Diamond Body." Lin Ye made no attempt to dodge the swinging pipes and machetes, taking the blows head-on. They struck him with sharp clangs, unable even to break his skin. The men froze, staring at him in terror as though they had seen a monster. "A m-monster!" Lin Ye gave them no time to recover. A faint coating of Armament Haki covered his clenched fists as he struck in rapid succession. He did not use lethal force, only precise, controlled blows. Each punch landed squarely on a joint, instantly disabling its target. Screams rang out one after another. Within seconds, seven or eight men lay on the ground, unable to fight. Scared out of their wits, the remaining men turned to flee. But as soon as they turned around, they found Gon and Killua blocking their path, bright smiles on their faces and no mercy in their eyes. "Where do you think you're going?" Gon asked with a smiling tilt of his head. Killua simply attacked. His fingers darted out, striking their nerves with pinpoint accuracy. Their bodies went limp, and they collapsed, unable to move. In less than a minute, the five had dealt with every ambusher. Leorio spat at the men on the ground. "A bunch of useless idiots. With skills like that, you actually dared to ambush people?" Kurapika looked at them coldly. "We won't hurt you, but you won't be attacking any other applicants either. Stay here until the exam ends." They nodded frantically, not daring to utter a single protest. Lin Ye said nothing more as he looked at them. He was no bleeding heart. He would not kill them over this, but neither would he let them keep ambushing other applicants. Using Finger Pistol, he precisely disabled their joints, leaving them unable to move for several hours and ensuring they could do no further harm. With the ambushers dealt with, the five resumed running toward the tunnel's exit without delay. After this incident, their teamwork became even smoother, and their trust in one another reached a new level. Watching Lin Ye at the front, Leorio felt deeply grateful. From carrying him into the air and onto the passenger ship at Dabo City's harbor to running this marathon beside him, guiding him through the dark tunnel, and helping him deal with the ambushers, Lin Ye had always quietly looked after him and everyone else. Yet he had never claimed credit or shown off his strength. Leorio finally understood what it meant to be truly strong. True strength was not about using power to bully the weak at will. It was about using that power to protect the people around you. Just as Lin Ye did. More than an hour later, the five finally emerged from the tunnel into the light at its exit. Satotz stood there waiting for the remaining applicants. Seeing all five emerge together, he gave them a smile touched with surprise and approval. He could tell that the bond between these five young men was something the other applicants could not begin to match. Looking at his four companions and the smiles on their faces, Lin Ye felt a warmth stir within him as well. He finally understood what Fei Lan had told him all those years ago. The strength of the powerful was never meant for plunder. It was meant for protection. And the people he wanted to protect were not just Lina, but these companions beside him as well. In this Hunter Exam, he wanted not only to obtain his Hunter License, but to keep moving forward together with them. Sunlight spilled over the five outside the tunnel, casting long shadows behind them. The finish line of the first phase was now just ahead.
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