Time passes as the three of them continue their run in silence.
They all have been running for 3 hours, and have gone through a long 40 km of running, in the dark tunnel with no end in sight.
The dark tunnel was filled with nothing but the footstep of hundreds of examinees and the heavy breathing of the exhausted.
'Only one rookie, *huff* every three years, passes the exam *huff*. So for a normal human like me, *huff* it isn't even worth dreaming about... *huff*' Leorio thought, looking at the back of his friends who are getting further and further away every second.
"Urgh... damn it..."
He could feel himself getting heavier with each step as if his shoes are filled with cement. His eyes start blurring and his breathing becomes short and ragged. '...Yeah... *huff* An ordinary guy like me got no chance... *huff* at all...'
Manfred who is currently running ahead, dozing off with nothing on his head, when suddenly he heard the sound of a suitcase falling behind him
"Hmm?" He turns his head around, to see Leorio standing hunched over with his hands on his knees and wheezing his lungs out, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Manfred slows down and turns towards Leorio. He stood staring at Leorio's eyes silently, not noticing Gon had also stopped and done the same thing as him.
Killua tilted his head lightly, cocking his head to the both of them "Hey, just forget him. Let's get going."
Both Manfred and Gon didn't reply and continued staring at Leorio silently.
Killua lifts an eyebrow looking at the two of them quizzically, then looking at Leorio as if waiting for something to happen.
Leorio lift his head, through his bleary eyes, he could see the fuzzy figures of both Manfred and Gon a few meters in front of him.
In his eyes, everything in front of him is a blurry mess, thanks to his weary eyes from fatigue. But among all of the blurry sight, there are two abnormally clear pairs of eyes, staring deep into his eyes.
The orange hawk eyes of Manfred and the hazel brown eyes of Gon are locked still with his own. Completely unmoving, waiting to see what he is going to do next.
Leorio squeezed his eyes shut, to try and regain his focus.
Taking a few hoarse breaths, he uttered "Screw that..." clenching his jaw tight, then with a newfound vigor he bolts off, kicking a dust trail as he pass the three kids.
"I'm gonna become a Hunter!" Leorio screams at the top of his lungs "Damn it all!"
Seeing that Leorio had run off into the distance with his usual obnoxious energy, Gon and Manfred beamed, meanwhile, Killua was looking at the two of them confused, wondering what had just happened.
Turning around, Gon flung his fishing line to pick up the suitcase Leorio had left behind. Manfred whistles at the achievement as Killua exclaims in amazement "Cool!".
The three bolts off after the group as Killua speaks up "Let me try that later."
"If you let me try your skateboard, okay?" Gon replied.
Manfred was about to also offer the others to play with his toys, but then he remembers that his "toys" are not something that someone can just handle carelessly.
So he slumped his shoulders in depression, as he realizes that there was nothing he could show off to the kids his age.
Gon, noticing the downcast mood Manfred is in gives him a grin and said "Don't worry, Manfred. You can also play with my rod!"
Manfred and Killua were floored at what Gon just said.
Manfred's sweat dropped "Ah, uh... Yeah... Thanks?." he replied awkwardly at Gon, as Killua guffawed in the background.
"What's wrong? Is there something funny?" Gon questioned, feeling genuinely confused at why both Manfred and Killua reacted weirdly.
"Pfft hahaha, oh~ God, that was funny." Killua wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes when he notices Gon is looking at him with his head tilted "...Did you seriously have no idea what you just said?"
"If I had known it then I wouldn't have asked!" Gon puffed up his cheeks.
Killua looks at Gon with wide eyes, feeling shocked at the boy's ignorance and innocence. He turned his head towards Manfred inquisitively but Manfred only twitch his mouth and looks away in reply, making Killua sweat as he found out Gon was being serious.
Killua turns his head back to Gon, sizing him up and down "... You're weird."
"Hey!"
~
Three more hours passed as they reached the eighty-kilometer mark.
Coming up to a long flight of stairs, Killua speaks up "Gon, Manfred, wanna race to see who finishes first?"
"Sure. the loser has to buy dinner." Gon said.
"Well, can't say no to a free meal." Manfred shrugged.
"Okay, you're on!" Killua said.
"Ready, Go!" The three of them said together before they immediately sprinted up the stairs.
The three of them climb the stairs, going around every fallen examinee they come across. And soon enough they caught up to Leorio and Kurapika who had taken off some of their clothes to release some of their burdens.
Leorio had taken off his shirt and suit and tied them up on his waist, while his tie is hanging loosely on his neck, and Kurapika who had also taken off his big robe, running only in his white training suit.
"See you at the goal, Kurapika." Gon said as he ran past the two of them, followed by Manfred right after " Good luck, guys! See you at the end."
"Yeah, just go right ahead! We'll be right behind you!" Leorio grins at them.
"Be careful old-timer, don't want to break your back in this run." Killua said, provoking Leorio who blew up in anger soon after "I'm not an old timer! I'm a teenager, just like you!"
"Huh?!" Killua was dumbfounded at the revelation 'Oi, no matter how you look at it, this guy is clearly in his mid-twenties' Killua thought as he sizes Leorio. He refused to believe that this guy is a teen, but his instinct is telling him that the guy is telling the truth.
He turns his head to Gon and Manfred, but he realized that both of them have already run far ahead of him, so he immediately runs after them leaving the disgruntled Leorio and the chuckling Kurapika behind.
"Oi, you guys know that old guy is a teen?" Killua asked once he catch up to them.
"Yeah! Although Leorio looks a little old, he's 19 years old." Gon gave an awkward smile, replying to Killua.
"Sheesh, that guy took the short end of the stick for his genes huh?" Killua said as a pitying look appear on his face.
After that, they all stay silent as they continue climbing the stairs passing many contestants, on their way to the end of the long tunnel.
When Killua suddenly open his mouth to speak "I'm impressed that you guys can keep up with me."
Hearing that Gon was slightly flattered "Really?" he said with a cheerful laugh.
"Or maybe the others are too slow" Killua let out a sigh of disappointment "Man, The Hunter Exam is gonna be a breeze. That's no fun."
"Hey, why do you want to become a Hunter?" Gon asked him which also took the attention of Manfred, who is also curious about their new companion.
"Hmm, I'm not really interested in becoming a Hunter. I joined it because I heard the exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun, but so far it has been disappointing." Killua said in a bored tone. "What about you guys?"
"I want to get the privileges the Hunter has." Said Manfred which makes the other two look at him inquisitively
"Well, the Hunters are given the license to kill and have immunity to most criminal laws with some exceptions. And I want that, no, I need it." Manfred said looking at the others "Due to some of my... past mistakes, a few countries are out for my head, so being a Hunter would give me some leeway to at least reduce the punishment if I were to ever get caught."
"Uh... What did you do to have a few countries after you? And which countries are after you??" Killua looks at Manfred puzzled, as it usually takes some heinous major crimes to have a whole country to be after you, not to mention a few countries.
Manfred didn't reply. He only turns his head back to the front, but a look of pain and sadness appears in his eyes, which both Gon and Killua notice.
"I-"
But just as he wants to open his mouth and speak, Gon cut him off to shift the topic away as he didn't want to make his friend uncomfortable.
"Well, my dad's a Hunter"
Manfred gave Gon a grateful look to which Gon reply with a smile before continuing his story.
"So I want to become a Hunter, just like my dad."
"Hmm..." Killua pursed his lips looking at Manfred in doubt for a while, unsatisfied with the sudden change in topic, but he decided to not pursue it to not sour the conversation they were having
"What kind of Hunter is he?"
"I don't know."
Killua froze for a second before he lets out a laugh with Manfred also looking at Gon amused.
"You're weird, Gon!" Killua said in amusement.
"Really?"
"You said you want to be like your dad, but you don't know anything about him?"
"I was raised by my aunt, Mito-san since I was a baby. So I've only seen my dad in pictures. But a few years ago a man named Kite came by to the island, apparently looking for my dad. He told me lots about my dad." Gon smiled as he reminisced about his talk with Kite.
He went on to explain to both Manfred and Killua the exploits of his father that Kite told him. From the discovery of ancient civilization ruins to the establishment of a breeding program for a two-headed wolf. His father's hunting targets are wide and limitless, even including stepping his foot into the underworld to take down a fearsome gang of thieves.
Ging's incredible achievements are enough to grant him the title of a Triple Star Hunter, but he hasn't bothered enough to apply for the classification.
"He's that amazing, huh?" Killua said as he and Manfred listen to the story of Gon's father in amazement.
"Kite think so. He seems to be prouder of my dad than he was of himself. I want to find out why he choose to become a hunter over being with me."
Both Manfred and Killua look at Gon oddly as the boy seems way too calm when talking about his father who chooses to abandon him to chase his dreams.
The two continue staring at Gon for a few seconds before they felt light hitting their face, which took the attention of all of the contestants. They all turn toward the light to see that they seem to be nearing the end of the tunnel.
Manfred decided to wear his goggles to cover his eyes, as the sudden bright light sting his extremely sharp eyes.
The three kids immediately dashed towards their end goal as they still haven't forgotten the bet they had all made earlier. The three of them pass through the eager contestants one by one before finally reaching the top together at the same time.
"Goal!" The three of them said at the same time.
"Yay, I win!" Gon said cheerfully, to which Killua went ahead and protested "Huh? What are you talking about? I was clearly faster..."
"Tch, tch, tch, amateurs... When we reach the top, I put my other foot further out than you guys. Meaning that the two of you now owe me a meal." Manfred said as he dramatically put his hands over his eyes that are hidden underneath the goggles.
"What? No, you don't!" Gon whined at Manfred with Killua adding after "Yeah, you lied! I saw that your foot was a few millimeters behind us, so you are the one who has to treat us to a meal!"
"Pfft, what? No, I don't." Manfred said
"Yes, you are!"
"Nuh, uh!"
"Yeah, uh!"
Meanwhile, the examiner Satotz was standing quietly on the last step of the tunnel, staring at the three boys bickering in front of him, when suddenly Gon, turns towards him and asked him a question
"Hey, who was faster?" Gon said, looking at the examiner eagerly.
At such a question, Satotz decided to answer the question truthfully "I believe that all of you crossed the finish line simultaneously."
"Oh..." Gon said disappointed before continuing "Then I'll buy Killua dinner, then Killua will buy Manfred dinner, and then Manfred will buy me dinner!"
"So, we'll just be buying each other dinner then?..." Manfred asked
Gon nodded with a big smile "Yeah! And then after that, we will do it the other way around, with me buying Manfred a dinner, and then Manfred buyi-"
"Y-yeah, we get it!" Killua said exasperatedly
"You do?" Manfred asked Killua to which he respond with a shake of his head 'Nope.'
'Same.' Manfred nodded to Killua.
Gon who was oblivious to the silent gesture of both Manfred and Killua, turns his attention back to the examiner again "Hey, Satotz-san. Is this where the Second Phase of the Exam takes place?"
"No, we still have quite a way to go."
"Oh..."
Manfred, Killua, and Gon look at each other before releasing a sigh. The three of them decided to sit around to take a brief rest as they wait for the other contestants to reach the top.
After a few minutes of rest, Manfred stands up and decide to look around his surrounding through his dark-tinted goggles. The place seems to be some kind of a swamp filled with an extremely dense fog, which severely limits his vision.
He lifts his goggles while narrowing his eyes for a few seconds for them to adapt to the light before turning his attention back to his surroundings.
The area of the tunnel exit is now filled with many tired contestants. Most of them are standing around, puffed out after the marathon run.
"Hey, Kurapika!" The voice of Gon came out from behind Manfred, making him turn around to see Kurapika and Leorio who had just arrived.
"Is this our destination?" Kurapika asked.
"No." Manfred shakes his head as he walks over.
"I see. The fog is fading." Kurapika muses.
Manfred turns to look at the horizon. The fog slowly begins to lift as Gon smiles "Oh?" He gets up slowly, continuing to smile as he looks at the swamp.
"Where is this place?" One of the contestants asked.
Satotz stands in front of everyone, looking towards the swamp as he speaks "The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures that deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful."
He turns, looking seriously at the entire group "If you let them fool you..." He pauses, lifting a finger to the sky to add a dramatic effect "...you're dead." The group freaks out as the gate behind them shuts, leaving those who have already failed behind them.
"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit..."
Satotz pauses for a moment to let it sink in "Hence the name Swindlers Swamp." He turns back around, looking towards Numere Wetlands "Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."
"What a joke. How can they fool us, when we're expecting it?" Leorio smirks.
"Don't let it fool you!" A man yells out.
Leorio groans as he turns slowly to the man screaming "I just said that they can't."
The man, who yelled, stumbles out of the shadows as he's dragging something along "D- Don't fall for it..." He points at Satotz as he yells "He's lying to you! He's an imposter! He isn't an examiner..." He throws out his arm, pointing at himself next "I'm the real examiner."
"An imposter? What's going on?" Leorio freaks out in disbelief.
'And just like that, he has been fooled.' Manfred's mouth twitched as he gave Leorio a side glance before turning his attention back to the man.
"Do you have any proof?" Manfred speaks up.
The self-proclaimed examiner nods as he dragged out an ape that has an uncanny resemblance to Satotz.
"It's a Man-Face Ape, one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands!" The man explained what the creature is.
"A Man-Faced Ape?" ppl
"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" The man points at Satotz, after laying out the assumed plan of action.
While the man was talking, Manfred whispers to his companions "He's lying." Which took the attention of all of them.
"What do you mean?" Kurapika looked at Manfred confused.
"He doesn't give me the same feeling as the three contestants and the examiner" Manfred explained which make Killua tilts his head in confusion "Huh, what are you talking about?"
Manfred turns his head to Killua, perplexed "You can't feel it?"
Manfred watches Killua looks at him with a raised eyebrow. But just as he was about to explain to him, the sound of cards embedding into flesh took his attention.
He turns his head to see the fake examiner falling to the ground with three cards embedded deep in his chest, and the sight of Hisoka shuffling a deck of cards, with a playful smirk on his face.
Hisoka laughed lightly as he speaks "I see, I see... That settles it... You're the real one."
On the other side of the field, Satotz stands still, holding the very cards that Hisoka had thrown at him, and the ape that was dragged by the fake examiner opens his eyes and ran away in panic.
As Satotz throws the cards on the floor, everyone freaks out as they look in disbelief at Hisoka "Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."
Hisoka said in amusement while glancing at Manfred from the corner of his eyes to let the boy know that he had heard their whole conversation earlier.
Seeing that Manfred could only keep a straight face and curse himself for being too careless 'Shit! I should've known someone as strong as him could hear me from such a short distance! Oh damn, I hope the other two also didn't notice me."
Manfred discreetly glances towards the bearded man and the pinhead, to see they also turn their eyes toward him!
'...' He keeps a straight face as he slowly turns his head back towards Hisoka, pretending that he hasn't noticed the look those two men are giving him.
"Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."
"I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified." Satotz says the last part dryly, narrowing his eyes at Hisoka "Are we clear?"
"Sure."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Author's note:
Hello folks, I'm sorry that there isn't much happening in this chapter as it has been a few weeks since i last written anything, and I need to get some preparation to get back in the mood.
Anyway, here, have an art of Killua, Manfred, and Gon that I made.