"Have you passed the exam so quickly..."
Hisoka glanced casually and almost immediately spotted Ethan and Lisa sitting by the wall not far away. He stopped momentarily and narrowed his eyes slightly.
But soon, he moved to the other side as if nothing had happened.
Given the strength Ethan had shown before, it was normal for him to pass the third exam.
As for arriving faster than Hisoka, it wasn't necessarily a sign of superior strength.
After all, Ethan and Lisa had consciously sped up, whereas Hisoka had likely taken a more leisurely pace, almost like a stroll.
After moving to the other side, Hisoka sat down with his back against the wall like Ethan and Lisa and began playing cards leisurely.
It's not that he had given up on the intriguing challenge Ethan presented, but the situation at that moment wasn't suitable for him to take action.
Although Ethan intrigued him, Hisoka wasn't ready to jeopardize the Hunter exam.
Participating twice was already pushing it; he didn't want to have to start over again.
"Aren't you injured...?"
Ethan naturally looked over when Hisoka appeared, but unlike Lisa's vigilance, he quickly noticed something peculiar after a glance at Hisoka.
If he recalled correctly, in the original plot, Hisoka was injured in a battle with the previous examiner.
But now, not only were there no injuries on Hisoka, but there were also no signs of battle. It seemed he had encountered no difficulties along the way.
Ethan wondered if his presence had caused a butterfly effect, preventing the previous examiner from seeking revenge on Hisoka.
Unbeknownst to him, the previous examiner had indeed appeared, but Hisoka's desire for battle had changed.
Because of Ethan's presence, Hisoka's inner desire to fight intensified. Therefore, when Hisoka encountered the previous examiner, he did not engage in a drawn-out battle. Instead, he used the encounter to vent his desires and killed the examiner with brutal efficiency.
Because of this, Hisoka was not injured as he was in the original plot.
Although Ethan didn't know the specific details, he didn't dwell on it. Seeing that Hisoka hadn't taken any action, he quickly returned to resting with his eyes closed.
The 72-hour examination period was neither short nor long.
As time passed, more candidates gathered at the bottom of the tower.
Meanwhile, the logistics of the Hunter exam were well-managed, with special food provided to help candidates replenish their strength.
Finally, the time reached the last minute.
Just when the other candidates thought the third session was over, a stone door activated.
Amidst the chaotic footsteps and sidelong glances from all the candidates, they soon saw an exhausted Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and the notorious Tonpa entering the bottom of the tower.
"It's really the protagonist's style, cutting it close and always making a grand entrance!"
Ethan observed the protagonist group, who had caught up just in time, and slowly stood up, then looked at the door that opened slowly on the other side with Lisa.
The bright light shining through indicated that a new round of exams was about to begin.
"Dear candidates, the third exam is now over. All candidates are asked to proceed outside through the exit to learn about the next exam."
The horn sounded, and the candidates walked out of the Trap Tower, where they found Liber, the examiner of the third exam, waiting outside.
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing Liber, recalling the encounter with the Nen-using prisoner.
However, since Liber was still the examiner, Ethan knew any inquiries would have to wait until after the Hunter exam.
Otherwise, as Hisoka demonstrated, attacking an examiner would result in elimination.
"I wonder what the next exam will be about!" Lisa said with interest.
After three exams, although many candidates were tired, not all were.
Besides Lisa, people like Gon or Killua were energetic and eager for the upcoming exam.
"Dear candidates, I am the examiner of the third exam, Liber. Please take turns drawing lots in the order you arrived at the bottom of the tower. The lots you draw will determine the content of your next exam..."
Seeing the candidates assemble, Liber, standing behind the lottery box, smiled slyly and spoke.
"Sure enough, there is no change!" After hearing Liber's announcement, Ethan confirmed that the fourth exam's format was as expected.
Being the first to reach the bottom of the Trap Tower, Ethan did not hesitate and walked directly out of the crowd toward the lottery box.
"Was he the first to arrive!"
Kurapika, who had been secretly observing Ethan, narrowed her eyes slightly upon seeing Ethan step forward first.
"Tch~!" Beside her, Killua curled his lips.
If he went all out, he might have had a chance to reach the Trap Tower first.
After experiencing the ball scramble game on the airship, Killua had a general understanding of Ethan.
But because Ethan successfully snatched the ball from Netero while he failed, Killua felt quite dissatisfied with Ethan.
Ethan randomly drew a piece of paper from the box and returned to his spot. Lisa followed him closely and was the second to draw.
One by one, in the order of their arrival at the bottom of the Trap Tower, all the candidates quickly completed the lottery.
Then Liber instructed the candidates to tear off the stickers on their lots and check the numbers on them.
"The number you each draw represents the number plate you will need to capture in the next game.
Your own number plate is worth 3 points, the designated target's number plate is also 3 points, and the remaining number plates are 1 point each.
During the next week, you need to collect a total of 6 points to pass the fourth exam..."
After completing the lottery, Liber detailed the fourth exam's content and explained the exam location, which was Glass Island, not far from the Trap Tower.