The group emerged from the tunnel.
After a while, the tunnel began to close automatically.
Seeing this, Cordis quickened his pace, briefcase in hand.
An extremely thick fog greeted him, so dense that he could not see into the distance.
"Cordis!"
Gon waved happily when he saw Cordis come out, while Killua stood beside him with his skateboard and his hands in his pockets, looking cocky.
Cordis walked over to Gon and, unable to resist, pinched his soft cheeks.
Gon did not resist, letting him pinch away.
Everyone had their little quirks, after all.
They all deserved respect!
Standing nearby, Killua glanced over and gave a quiet snort.
Seeing this, Cordis patted Killua's head encouragingly and said,
"Oh my, nicely done, Killua~"
Perhaps Killua had not expected Cordis to suddenly touch his head, let alone say something so mushy.
Killua slapped the hand off his head and snapped, his face slightly flushed,
"Didn't your mom tell you not to touch a boy's head?!"
"Huh? That really hurts, Killua."
Cordis moved aside and wiped at his eyes sadly, as though he really had been hurt.
But his acting was terrible!
How could you cry without any tears?!
Killua had already seen through Cordis's lousy performance and stood off to the side, calling him names.
"Id-iot."
The tunnel finally closed completely.
But instead of an announcement that they had passed the first phase, more bad news awaited them.
Satotz surveyed their surroundings, then his little mustache twitched again.
"If you wish to reach the site of the second phase, you must pass through the forest ahead."
"The forest is home to many cunning, treacherous creatures skilled at deception. They feed on the humans they trick."
"That is why these wetlands are also known as..."
"The Swindlers' Nest."
"Please make sure you stay close to me."
"Otherwise, you may lose your lives."
Those few sentences instantly sent everyone's excitement plummeting.
Especially after hearing that they might die, some were already considering abandoning the exam.
Cordis, however, did not particularly care.
He had experienced far too much life, death, and parting-so much that even his fear had grown a little numb.
Looking at the two boys beside him, he asked, "Gon, Killua, are you scared?"
"You could die out here."
Gon shook his head. "I'm not scared. I'm going to become a Hunter!"
Killua stood beside them with his hands in his pockets, gazing disdainfully at the fog-shrouded forest ahead.
"Id-iot. I think you're the one who's scared."
Cordis held a hand out in front of Killua and, when the boy wasn't paying attention,
Flicked him on the forehead.
"How rude. I'm several years older than you, you know."
"You should call me your big brother."
Killua had been ready to leap up and trade a few blows with Cordis, but the moment he heard the words "big brother," he seemed to lose all his spark.
It was as though something was interfering with him.
Cordis noticed and understood, but said nothing.
He reached out and gently stroked Killua's head a couple of times in comfort.
Just as Satotz turned to continue onward, a man covered in wounds emerged from behind the wall.
"Don't believe him!"
The man cried out.
"He's fooled all of you!"
"I'm the real examiner for this phase!"
Pointing at Satotz, the man said, "That guy is a creature from the Swindlers' Nest called a Man-Faced Ape."
"Man-Faced Apes have extremely long limbs, but little fighting ability."
"He's an impostor!"
After hearing the man's explanation, everyone was left uncertain what to believe.
Seeing this, the man dragged a body out from behind the wall. Its head looked exactly like Satotz's, but its body was an ape's, and its tongue lolled out as though it were already dead.
"Ah! It looks just like Mr. Satotz!" Gon exclaimed.
At the sight, many of them fully believed the man's claims and gradually began moving away from Satotz.
Satotz remained silent, watching everyone with his hands behind his back.
As everyone wavered, several playing cards flew toward the man and Satotz.
The cards struck the man instantly, and he fell to the ground with a look of astonishment.
Satotz, meanwhile, reached out and caught the cards flying toward him.
"I see, I see~"
"Now we can tell which one is the real examiner."
Cordis stepped out of the crowd and swept a disdainful gaze over everyone.
"The examiner is a professional Hunter. How could a Hunter fail to catch an attack of that level?"
"Mr. Satotz told you from the start that the creatures here are cunning and treacherous. Were any of you even listening?"
He shook his head helplessly. "I have no idea how you expect to pass."
After hearing Cordis's explanation, a flicker of excitement appeared on Hisoka's face. He licked his lips and said,
"Oh my~ Our little apple knows quite a lot~"
Satotz casually tossed the cards onto the ground and addressed Hisoka sternly.
"However, any further attack on an examiner, regardless of the reason, will be treated as an act of defiance."
"You will be immediately disqualified from the exam."
"Is that clear?"
Hisoka spread his hands indifferently. "Yes, yes, yes~"
Satotz turned and strode deeper into the forest.
"Listen carefully, everyone. Make sure you stay right behind me."
The deeper they went into the forest, the thicker the fog became, and visibility dropped with it.
Everyone stayed as close to Satotz as possible.
Otherwise, a moment's carelessness could leave them lost.
Several people in blue began approaching Hisoka with ill intent.
Their leader muttered, "This is our chance. The fog will get thicker soon. We'll take advantage of it and kill him."
The others quietly murmured their agreement.
Killua was not far from Hisoka, and his keen instincts told him that staying too close to him would lead to trouble.
"Gon, Cordis! We'd better keep our distance from Hisoka."
"Huh?" Gon asked.
Cordis sniffed the air and said solemnly, "There's a hint of danger in the air. We'd better move farther ahead."
"Huh?" Gon took several deep sniffs himself, then said in puzzlement, "I don't smell anything."
Then Gon shouted, "Leorio! Kurapika! Killua and Cordis say we should move farther ahead, or it'll be dangerous!"
Gon's booming voice startled Killua. "Gon! You really have no sense of danger at all!"
Cordis smiled helplessly. "Oh my~ Just as expected."
Leorio and Kurapika heard Gon and called back loudly.
"Don't worry about us! Go on ahead!"
Gon cast a worried glance toward their voices.
"They won't be in danger, will they?" Gon asked anxiously.
"I'll go protect them. Gon, you and Killua head up front. I'll catch up soon."
This time, Gon nodded firmly without the slightest hesitation.
Killua, on the other hand, seemed a little uneasy, though his words were still mocking.
"You're so weak. Don't get yourself killed before you can even protect them."
"Don't worry! I'm really strong!"
Hisoka narrowed his eyes and formed a heart with his hands.
"My little apples reading this~ If you don't leave a good review, you'll have to be punished~♡"
Before you continue