"Don't let them fool you! He isn't the examiner! I'm the examiner!" A man appeared from behind the corner of the exit where the applicants had just passed through.
"An imposter!" Leorio exclaimed, echoing the confusion of the crowd.
"Look at this. It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands." The man dragged an adult-sized ape beside him, its face eerily similar to Satotz, the examiner.
Hisoka hurled playing cards at both supposed examiners. Three cards struck the false examiner in the chest, killing him instantly. Satotz effortlessly caught the cards aimed at him.
"I see, I see... You're the real one." Hisoka's behavior stunned the applicants.
"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." Iterated Hisoka.
Satotz's voice was firm. "I shall take this 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. Are we clear?"
"Sure," Hisoka replied nonchalantly, unaffected by Satotz's threat.
With 370 applicants now standing on the unfamiliar grounds of the Numere Wetlands, Satotz continued, "We still need to walk a bit before we reach the second Hunter Examination. Follow me."
He resumed running, and the crowd followed on the wet ground, shrouded in thick fog.
"The fog is getting thicker," Kurapika remarked to Leorio as they ran.
Gon and Killua sped ahead, leaving Kurapika and Leorio behind. Suddenly, they saw shadows of the people ahead being beheaded.
Soon, gigantic flying strawberries appeared. An applicant tried to pluck one and was promptly eaten by a tortoise with a long neck and a strawberry growing out of its head, known as a Noggin Luggin' Tortoise.
Panic ensued, and the screams of the applicants attracted more monsters.
In the chaos, two boys emerged, defeating the monsters and saving the applicants. Another group ran into a field of Claymore Mushrooms, which caused them to die by laughing if triggered by being stepped on.
"We can't save them; the spores also penetrate via skin," said Togiri to Fang while punching through the shell of a Noggin Luggin' Tortoise.
"Tsk, damn it! I killed one again." 'Wait! Seven, do I gain exp by killing monsters?'
@Of course, but it's deactivated@ 'How can I activate it?' Asked Togiri partially expecting the same answer in the last 5 years.
@Upgrade the system and ME! You can't even use the system except for fighting in virtual reality, checking your status, skills and helping a little in blacksmithing@
'Okay, alright. I get it. I will make my Nen ability after the Hunter Exam when I get an official Nen teacher. You said I could upgrade the system when I upgrade my Nen skill to rank C.'
"Togiri help! Stay focused!" Fang was physically pushing himself to the limit, trying to save as many people as possible, while Togiri conserved his strength.
Togiri wasn't ruthless or coldblooded, but realistic and egotistical. He would rather save his energy than save strangers. He cried more over fictional characters than real people anyway.
A group witnessing the mushroom-induced deaths saw a beautiful butterfly and fell asleep. "The Hypnosis butterfly is even worse than the mushrooms," Togiri noted. @At least they will have a peaceful death@
Togiri carried three sleeping men on his left shoulder, keeping his dominant hand free. He looked like a circus performer balancing them.
He lost track of Fang but quickly found him standing over a cliff where applicants had fallen to their deaths on sharp iron rods.
Dozens of applicants lay dead, their bodies gruesomely mutilated. Togiri almost vomited at the sight, while Fang was already numb from shock. "Let's go, or we will fail the Exam," Togiri urged.
"If we don't go, more will die" he added. Fang, with a single tear running down his face, nodded, "...okay..."
Togiri was horrified by the gore but remained detached, knowing he didn't know the victims and didn't care about strangers.
Togiri wasn't heartless, but pragmatic. He would help others only if it didn't inconvenience him too much.
'The rule of the jungle, the strong can do anything and the weak nothing. This is life. Even laws on earth are backed by violence; if you don't follow the rules, the police will imprison you.'
Togiri mused. 'Even if I become the strongest and create a false sense of equality, it still is the rule of the jungle since I'm the strongest forcing others to be equal.'
Meanwhile, Leorio lay unconscious on the ground as Hisoka strangled Gon with one hand.
"How...wonderful. You will make a great Hunter. You both pass." *Beep* "I found the exit. Use the navigation system and come to my location." *Beep*
Hisoka released Gon, picked up Leorio, and walked away. Gon, terrified and confused, started sniffing to follow Leorio's aftershave.
On the way, Gon met Kurapika, and they both followed Hisoka, who was carrying a walkie-talkie with a navigation system and communicating with another participant.
Meanwhile, Togiri and Fang jumped dozens of meters into the air to escape the fog. Using Gyo, they made a circle with their hands like a telescope, focusing aura to see hundreds of meters ahead. They located the rest of the participants and quickly ran toward them, using Nen to enhance their speed.