Chapter 21: The First Exam Ends
Arrival at the End Point
Germain stood before Izenabi, pulled the same card from his black robe, and handed it to the examiner.
Izenabi inspected it, confirmed its validity, and nodded.
"Place it here. Wait over there."
"Alright."
The card was set on the ground. Germain glanced around, then sat beneath the large tree behind Izenabi, leaning back against the trunk to rest.
Izenabi cast a subtle glance his way. Though his expression didn't change, unease stirred within him.
Both Hisoka and Germain were unlike any other examinees. Their presence was unmistakable clearly masters of Nen, and perhaps even members of the Dark World.
Cautious, Izenabi stayed alert, wary of a possible surprise attack from Germain. It was unlikely but still, he prepared for it.
Hisoka's Arrival
After some time, a tall figure emerged from the mist it was Hisoka.
He approached, first glancing at Germain who sat calmly, eyes closed as if asleep then turning his gaze back to Izenabi.
Feeling the pressure, Izenabi stood his ground and met Hisoka's eyes.
Hisoka smiled, and his aura vanished like smoke.
"Here are the cards," he said.
He rubbed his fingers together, and five cards appeared out of thin air each one smeared with blood.
Izenabi hesitated. "Only one card is required per candidate."
"Ah…" Hisoka tilted his head with mock realization. "Then it's quite unfair for them, isn't it?"
He released his hands, and the five cards fell to the floor with a clack, clack, clack like the sound of five lives ending.
"Alright. Wait to the side," Izenabi said flatly.
He didn't accuse Hisoka of cruelty; the rules only forbade attacks on examiners, not on other candidates. Since he hadn't explicitly stated otherwise, such acts were silently permitted.
Departure from the Cemetery
By five in the afternoon, the cemetery mist hadn't thinned it had grown thicker, making sight nearly impossible.
Nervous, the examinees instinctively gathered closer to Izenabi.
Only Germain, still seated under the tree, remained completely still.
"Time's up," Izenabi announced, picking up his pack and rising slowly.
"Of the original 352 examinees, only 143 have passed the first exam."
He slung the pack over his sturdy shoulders and began walking into the mist.
"Follow me and don't get lost. If you do, you'll be considered disqualified and I won't help if anything happens in the fog."
At his warning, the group tightened their formation and followed closely behind him.
Only after the group had walked beyond sight did Germain finally stand and follow at a slower pace.
He preferred the rear not because he liked solitude, but because he valued silence. He didn't mind company, as long as it was quiet.
Through the Mist
After an hour of walking around six in the evening they finally emerged from the fog.
Without realizing it, they had left the cemetery behind.
Before them stretched a mountainous forest. Damp leaves blanketed the path, and insects buzzed softly in the trees.
Izenabi's wooden clogs squelched calmly in the mud, while the others stumbled, stopping every few steps to scrape yellow dirt from their shoes.
As night fell and a crescent moon rose over the hills, a brightly lit mansion appeared on a nearby slope.
Izenabi stopped at its gates, turned to face them, and said:
"My job ends here. Rest here tonight. The next exam begins tomorrow morning."
Without another word, he walked away, disappearing into the darkness.
The examinees stood in silence, exchanging uncertain looks.
The Mansion
For several minutes, the mansion remained completely silent, save for the cold whisper of the night wind.
Suspicious, the candidates began to wonder if this was already the second exam and if the mansion itself was filled with traps.
Germain, however, wasn't concerned. He knew there were traps he simply intended to avoid or disarm them. For now, he was just hungry and slightly sleepy.
While the others hesitated, Germain took the initiative. He stepped out of the group and walked straight through the open doors.
Hisoka smirked and followed a few steps behind.
"They just walked in like that?" someone whispered.
The others waited nervously. Minutes passed no screams.
Apparently, there was no danger. Relieved, the rest followed inside.
Traps and Calm
Over a hundred candidates entered the mansion. Hisoka was calmly admiring the paintings on the walls.
Germain, meanwhile, had entered a vast hall filled with long tables, each one overflowing with dishes: roasted chicken, grilled fish, steak, bread, apples, oranges, cake…
He sat down, picked up a plate of fragrant steak, and placed it before him.
The moment he lifted the plate, a faint click sounded behind him.
A flying knife shot from a hidden hole in the wall aimed straight at the back of his neck.
The mansion was indeed full of traps this was the beginning of the second exam.
Izenabi had said, "The next exam begins tomorrow morning," not "The second exam."
Several examinees gasped as the trap triggered, half shocked, half amused at Germain's apparent recklessness.
But as if he had eyes on the back of his head, Germain tilted slightly. The knife whizzed past and buried itself into a nearby pillar.
Over the past month, he had faced countless assassination attempts. His reflexes had become automatic his body reacted before he even thought.
He picked up the nearby knife and fork. Another blade flew from above. This time, he didn't move. The knife struck the table harmlessly.
That perfect awareness, that absolute composure it made everyone break into a cold sweat.
Germain calmly ate half his steak, reached for a cookie another knife flew out.
And so, under the astonished eyes of the other examinees, Germain quietly enjoyed his dinner, stood up, and walked upstairs,
as if nothing at all had happened.
End of Chapter 21