The number of candidates who advanced to the formal phase of the Hunter Exam was around 400.
After the grueling marathon test, over 300 examinees had successfully made it through, while more than a hundred had been eliminated due to physical limitations. But in a way, those who were disqualified early might have been the lucky ones—if they had continued on, their chances of surviving the Milsy Wetlands would have been slim. In the presence of so many deadly creatures, failure here would an more than just losing the exam; it could an losing their lives.
The remaining 200 or so candidates who entered the Milsy Wetlands naturally divided into three groups.
The first group desperately tried to keep up with Satotz.
The second group struggled on the brink of collapse, barely clinging to the exam.
And the third group... was like Kaizen.
Thanks to his overwhelming strength, the monsters of the Milsy Wetlands posed no threat to him at all. He moved at his own pace, deliberately keeping a balanced speed—not too fast, not too slow.
"Observer’s Will’s progression is still under one percent..." Kaizen mused as he walked. "At this rate, if I want to take the Hunter Exam seriously, I’ll need to push my ability to 100%. That won’t be easy. And if it drags into next year, I’ll have to slow down Killua’s progress. I can’t have him clearing it too fast like in the original tiline."
"Guess I’ll have to take a little detour. Spending too much ti in the United States of Saherta threw off schedule."
...
While Kaizen took his ti, others approached the exam very differently.
So, like Tonpa, took pleasure in sabotaging newcors. His eyes glead as he locked onto a fresh-faced candidate attempting to leap across a swamp.
Boom!
Tonpa suddenly propelled himself forward, landing heavily on the opposite bank. The shockwave from his jump disrupted the balance of the examinee mid-air.
Plop!
The unfortunate candidate plunged straight into the swamp, sinking as Tonpa smirked.
"Much appreciated," Tonpa said mockingly, feigning gratitude.
As the drowning candidate cursed him, Tonpa moved on, scanning for more victims. He spotted another examinee cautiously navigating around a cluster of mushrooms and flicked his wrist.
Boom!
A well-aid rock struck the explosive fungi, triggering a violent detonation. The blast sent the examinee flying, while Tonpa whistled innocently.
Next, he disturbed a hornet’s nest. The enraged insects imdiately sward towards yet another examinee, sealing their fate. One by one, candidates fell prey to his antics.
By the ti he was done, Tonpa had eliminated over a dozen hopefuls.
"This is paradise!" he muttered to himself, satisfaction plastered on his face. He relished the helpless fury of those he had tricked out of the exam.
But there were still a few particular candidates who bothered him.
"If only I could take down those brats... The arrogant newcors... If they make it through, this exam won’t feel complete."
...
While Tonpa was having his fun, Hisoka was far from satisfied.
The fate of those who caught Hisoka’s attention was much worse than Tonpa’s victims. One by one, examinees foolish enough to challenge him charged forward—only to collapse seconds later, bloodied and broken.
They weren’t even worth the effort.
The blood on Hisoka’s hands ant nothing to him. These candidates couldn’t even use Nen. They were re distractions. What he truly craved was a fight with Kaizen.
A Nen user.
A Floor Master from Heavens Arena.
Stronger than Kastro, no doubt.
His talent was undeniable. One didn’t beco a Floor Master at twelve or thirteen by accident. And now, after confirming that Kaizen was a Zoldyck, Hisoka was even more certain of his potential.
Illumi was talented.
Killua was talented.
So Kaizen, naturally, was as well.
The thought of fighting him sent a thrill through Hisoka’s veins.
But frustratingly, that mont had yet to co.
Killing these weaklings only made his thirst for battle stronger, not weaker. It was like a man dying of thirst reaching for water, only to find it was nothing but syrup—sothing that only intensified his craving.
...
anwhile, soone else was also sinking into frustration.
Sheila.
The presence of beasts had sparked a glimr of hope within her. Perhaps she could finally escape this wretched prison and return to freedom.
But then—nothing.
No new creatures had appeared. No unexpected developnts.
"What’s going on?" Sheila muttered to herself, theories swirling in her mind.
Had Sumas truly gained a new master? If so, was this master simply ignoring her? Or had they already noticed her and were now keeping her under observation? Worse yet, what if Sumas had never gained a new master at all?
She clenched her fists.
"If it’s the first case, I can wait."
"If it’s the second... I’ll just have to show them my sincerity."
"But if it’s the third..."
She didn’t want to think about that possibility.
She needed this chance to be real.
...
Kaizen narrowed his eyes, his expression calm as he turned his gaze toward the dense brush nearby.
The people hiding there thought they were well-concealed.
They weren’t.
Kaizen’s aura detection had long surpassed its original limits. His En now covered more than forty ters in diater—just with his own body. If he used his mind beasts, his range extended even further, allowing him to sense everything happening within hundreds of ters.
Then—
"Move!"
At the signal, four figures burst out from the bushes, charging straight for Kaizen.
"Kill!"
Their weapons glead as they lunged toward him.
Kaizen stood still, his eyes cold, watching them rush in like lambs to the slaughter...
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