Was There a Government Job at the End of the Tunnel?

The tunnel was stuffy.

There was nothing but the monotonous sound of footsteps and increasingly heavy breathing.

The strange examiner had stretched the crowd of several hundred into a long, silent line.

Luo Ye ran toward the front of the middle section, alongside Killua and Gon, who had just struck up a conversation.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon!"

The two boys, around the same age, hit it off almost instantly.

Their steps were unbelievably light, like two young deer bounding through the woods.

"How old are you?"

"Almost twelve. You?"

"Same."

"Why did you come to take the Hunter Exam?"

"I didn't want to inherit the family business, so I ran away from home. This sounded fun, so I came. What about you?"

"I'm looking for my dad! He's a Hunter too!"

Listening beside them, Luo Ye couldn't help smiling.

How nice. Friendship between kids.

It really was that simple.

After chatting with Gon for a bit, Killua turned his gaze to Luo Ye.

He tilted his head, his silver hair bouncing.

"Hey, that old guy was about to give up, but you actually made him angry enough to keep going."

There was a hint of curiosity and teasing in his eyes.

"You're surprisingly nice."

"Huh?"

Luo Ye raised an eyebrow.

"I just figured that if he got eliminated now, there'd be a lot less fun later."

He pointed at Leorio, who was panting up ahead but still pushing on.

"Besides, I'm helping him. You need to warm up before exercising, and getting mad is the best warm-up."

"That's nonsense."

Killua curled his lip, but the amusement in his eyes deepened.

He thought these people were more fun than anyone he had ever met.

Time ticked by.

One hour.

Two hours.

Five hours.

The tunnel seemed endless.

The scenery never changed, offering nothing but cold walls and dim lights.

Boredom was a more frightening enemy than fatigue.

People kept falling behind.

Their strength gave out, or their minds broke first, leaving them collapsed by the wayside, watching in despair as the crowd disappeared into the distance.

Luo Ye even spotted Tonpa, the "Rookie Crusher."

The fat man's face was flushed, his clothes soaked with sweat, and his expression so vicious he looked ready to eat someone alive.

He was still hanging on.

As expected of a seasoned veteran who had taken the exam over thirty times, his perseverance was no joke.

Luo Ye, on the other hand, hardly felt a thing.

For him, this amount of exercise really was little different from a stroll.

He had only one thought now.

When the hell would this damn tunnel end?

Was there a government job waiting at the end?

Why else was everyone running so hard?

"Hey, Luo Ye, look up ahead!"

Gon's voice interrupted his wandering thoughts.

Luo Ye looked up.

A speck of light had appeared in the distance.

The exit!

Cheers erupted from the crowd, and everyone picked up speed, sprinting toward the light.

At last, they burst out of the tunnel.

The dazzling sunlight made everyone instinctively squint.

Only after their eyes adjusted could they make out the scene before them.

It was a vast wetland.

Thick fog shrouded everything, severely limiting visibility.

A strange smell of rotting vegetation mixed with earth hung in the air.

Bizarrely shaped trees rose from the marsh like twisted, ghostly hands.

This was the Numere Wetlands.

Also known as the "Swindlers' Swamp."

The examiner, Satotz, stood at the edge of the wetlands. Once everyone had emerged, he spoke in his flat, unvarying tone.

"The second half of the first test will take place here."

"You must cross the Numere Wetlands and reach the site of the second test on the other side."

He pointed into the thick fog.

"However, I must warn you."

"Most of the creatures here are cunning tricksters. They use all manner of methods to deceive their prey before devouring it."

"Do not let yourselves be fooled."

"Stay close to me. Once you become separated in the fog, you will never find your way out."

With that, he ran into the thick fog in that same odd manner, without looking back.

The candidates wasted no time hurrying after him.

Just then.

A shrill cry came from the back of the group.

"Wait! Don't let him fool you!"

Everyone turned.

A man covered in wounds crawled out of the tunnel, looking barely alive.

Pointing in the direction Satotz had disappeared, he roared with all his strength.

"He's an impostor! He's an Ape Man!"

"Ape Men disguise themselves as humans and lure candidates into their nests to eat them!"

"I'm the real examiner!"

As he spoke, the man pulled out the disemboweled corpse of an Ape Man from inside his clothes. Its face bore a strong resemblance to Satotz's.

Everyone was stunned.

Two examiners?

Which one was real?

The crowd instantly erupted into chatter, unsure whom to believe.

Leorio started clawing irritably at his hair again.

Kurapika furrowed his brow, trying to determine who was genuine.

Only Luo Ye's eyes lit up.

Oh-ho!

Here came the fun!

He watched the farce with keen interest, even wishing he could pull up a little stool.

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control.

Several playing cards flew out of the crowd, whistling through the air.

Three shot toward Satotz's retreating figure in the fog.

The others shot toward the man claiming to be the examiner.

It was Hisoka!

Without even turning around, Satotz easily caught the card.

The cards struck the other man with deadly precision, pinning him to the ground and killing him instantly.

Hisoka lowered his hand, a pleased smile playing on his lips.

"I see."

"Looks like the one over there is the real deal."

He looked at Satotz.

"An examiner isn't so weak that just any playing card can touch him."

"He should be able to avoid an attack like that with ease."

The truth was out.

Satotz turned around, holding the card between his fingers, a note of warning entering his voice.

"If there is another attack like this, whatever the reason, I will consider it a challenge to the examiner and eliminate you on the spot."

"Sure, sure."

Hisoka spread his hands carelessly.

The crisis was over.

But everyone's back was slick with cold sweat.

These wetlands were even more dangerous than they had imagined.

"All right, the farce is over."

Satotz discarded the card and turned away again.

"The exam continues."

His figure soon disappeared into the thick fog.