Netero laughed heartily, "So, who is the person you care about the most, and who is the person you least want to face in a match?!"
"It's both number 406," Tonpa replied with a forced smile. "I really don't want to run into him again."
Indeed, Morin had left a deep impression on Tonpa.
With this, Netero had gathered the opinions and thoughts of all ten examinees. Except for Kurapika's overly formal response and Hanzo's incessant chatter, the other answers were fairly standard. Interestingly, they all seemed to have a common reply.
"Hmm, none of them want to face Morin? This is easier than I expected," Netero mused as he wielded his brush on a large sheet of paper.
"It's done!!"
Soon, the final match schedule was freshly drawn up. When the examiners received the match schedule, their eyes widened in surprise.
"Chairman, are you serious?!"
"Of course," Netero said with a chuckle, pointing at the match schedule.
The format was the classic elimination tournament. However, the arrangement of the matches was enough to drive someone with OCD crazy.
The rules remained the same: the winner directly receives a Hunter License, while the loser advances.
Ultimately, the person who advances to the top but loses will be eliminated and become the only one without a Hunter License; the rest will pass.
In this Hunter Exam, Netero was quite generous, offering nine Hunter Licenses. In his eyes, nine wasn't too many, considering that those who reached this final round were already qualified to be Hunters.
Morin, Hisoka, and Illumi were undoubtedly Nen users. Hanzo and Killua had extraordinary backgrounds and received rigorous training from a young age, making their strength top-notch.
Gon and Kurapika were exceptional in their own ways—Gon being Ging's son with extraordinary talent, and Kurapika with his balanced skills and a heavy burden of revenge.
Leorio, Tonpa, and Botobai each had their merits. In previous years, passing the Hunter Exam wouldn't have been an issue for them.
So, after observing so many capable candidates, Netero was happy to extend the number of licenses and give them this opportunity.
In this final round, Netero ensured that everyone had at least two chances based on their qualities and performances. If someone was unfortunate enough to miss out on all these chances, being eliminated was inevitable.
After Netero explained the rules to the examiners, everyone understood and supported his arrangements. No one questioned the reasonableness of offering nine licenses at once.
However, while the rules were fine, the arrangement of the matches left much to be desired. But since it was Netero's plan, it must have had a purpose—though it was likely due to his playful and whimsical nature.
All the examiners silently agreed, which meant they didn't oppose it. This silent agreement set the final tone, leaving Beans with a headache.
The final test didn't start immediately; instead, the examinees were given three days to rest and prepare. Three days later, the airship landed at a luxurious hotel in an oasis in the desert. This hotel, owned by the association, was the venue for the final test.
As the examinees entered the hotel venue one by one, following the broadcast instructions, they found Netero and a group of examiners waiting for them.
Besides the former examiners, there were many men in black who had been tracking and observing the candidates during the fourth test, guarding the venue.
"Is it about to start?!"
Leorio and Hanzo, with their chubby round faces, looked expectant.
"If it's a written test, I'm sure I'll do fine... hic!"
The two were filled with the scent of bread from head to toe. In those three days, they had managed to gain quite a bit of weight. However, they were in better shape than ever before. They never thought they could absorb... consume so much knowledge!
They felt they were now well-versed in everything, ready to tackle any challenge!
However—
"The final test is a one-on-one battle!"
When Netero announced the result, the two were stunned.
"One-on-one?!"
"Battle?!"
They looked at Netero in confusion. "Isn't it a written test?!"
Stroking his beard, Netero replied, "Written test? Who's been falsely advertising the final content of the test?"
Hanzo and Leorio turned their gaze sharply towards Botobai.
"Ahem..."
---
The latter coughed lightly and averted his gaze slightly. He had only been showing off his deductive skills earlier.
Then, Chairman Netero presented the final match schedule to the examinees.
"Only one person will pass?!"
A few of them were in disbelief. However, once Netero explained the rules, the candidates snapped out of their shock over "only one qualifier."
After regaining their composure, everyone's eyes were drawn to the apex position and the arrangement of the matches.
Ten examinees, nine will pass. Such a pass rate is a blessing! Compared to past exams where none or only one or two passed, this is much more merciful and kind!
But precisely because of this, the candidates didn't relax. Instead, they became even more vigilant. In this situation, failing to obtain a Hunter License and pass the test would be a lifelong regret! To be so close to a Hunter License yet miss it would haunt someone with remorse and regret for life.
So, Netero's mechanism was actually exceptionally cruel. The mental anguish it caused was far more painful than any physical harm.
Upon learning that the only way to pass was to make the opponent verbally concede defeat by saying "I lost" and that killing was forbidden, everyone nodded in understanding. Because of the high number of qualifiers in this round, the conditions were made more stringent.
Then, under Netero's meaningful gaze, hinting at the spectacle to come, the candidates examined the match schedule.
There were ten candidates in total, divided into two groups—left and right. From left to right, the first match on the left side was number 405 against number 406. That is, Gon versus Morin. The battle between the two of them was the opener!!
In the second match, the loser would face number 294, Hanzo. If they lost again in the third match, they would face number 99, Killua, and the loser of that match would then battle number 301, Illumi, in the fourth match.
Through four battles, the ultimate loser of the left group would be determined.
On the right side, the first match was number 44, Hisoka, against number 404, Kurapika.
The loser of their match would face number 191, Botobai, in the second match. The third match was number 403, Leorio, against number 16, Tonpa.
The loser between them would battle the loser of the second match between Botobai and the loser of Hisoka vs. Kurapika.
The person who lost this fourth match would be the ultimate loser of the right group.
This arrangement ensured that everyone had at least two to three opportunities. Except for Illumi, who had only two chances, the other candidates had three or more opportunities.
While Netero gave the candidates more hope, he also gave them more despair. If they couldn't secure a Hunter License even with these chances...
In any case, after seeing the match schedule, the candidates' expressions varied. Among them, two people looked particularly grim.
"Why is the grouping so unfair?!"
Botobai was dissatisfied with the fewer opportunities he received.
"Hmm, good question," Netero said, glancing at the overly confident candidate before explaining with a shrug, "The grouping was decided based on the results of the previous tests."
"In short, those with better results get more opportunities."
"Hmm?!"
Killua voiced his concern, "I don't understand! Please explain the scoring method."
"No," Netero refused decisively.
"Why not?!"
"Because the scoring method is top secret and can't be disclosed."
Ignoring Killua's frustration, Netero continued calmly, "However, I can tell you some of the evaluation criteria."
"First, the assessment is roughly divided into three categories: physical ability, mental ability, and impression score."
He held up three fingers. "Physical ability includes agility, flexibility, endurance, and the five senses."
"Mental ability covers endurance, adaptability, judgment, and creativity."
"But these are always just references. You're all strong enough to make it to the final test, so we can't just look at these abilities." Netero's gaze grew serious. "What's especially important is the impression score."
"This can't be evaluated by the abilities previously listed."
Read till the Dark Continent Arc at:
P@treon.com/NenMaster