It was now the afternoon of the second day of the exam on Ancient Beast Island.
Kevin sat alone on a giant rock atop a mountain in the forest, using the terrain advantage to overlook the situation in the island's dense woods.
The many scorecards on his body were quite eye-catching, like glittering light bulbs in the sunlight.
At this moment, he had already collected 7 scorecards, totaling a high score of 515 points.
This score was enough to ensure his promotion to the final round, so he was quite leisurely at this moment.
The desire to hunt had sharply decreased in his heart; now he was more inclined to simply choose a direction and wander, or find a place to sit and rest, just as he was doing now.
Using his location and keen eyesight, he saw two people in a small patch of dense forest in the distance, crisscrossing each other, clearly engaged in a battle.
Entering the second day, the battles on the island began to become increasingly frequent. On the first day, everyone was still familiarizing themselves with the environment, setting traps, and looking for prey.
Kevin had no intention of participating or getting close; he was just quietly watching here. When others were starting to act, he had already finished. It was too fast, which wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Subsequently, a hint of annoyance appeared on Kevin's face.
"You beast, can't you even distinguish between prey anymore?" He turned his head.
Unbeknownst to him, a beast resembling a tiger had quietly ambushed him from behind.
Seeing Kevin suddenly turn to face it, the beast didn't hesitate for a moment, let out a roar, and pounced towards Kevin.
Although this beast resembled a tiger in appearance, its body was one or two sizes larger than a normal tiger, and the distribution of its stripes was quite peculiar.
Even though the color of the stripes was different from the surrounding environment, the visual effect produced by their special distribution made it difficult for people to discern its tracks in this quiet environment.
Furthermore, a strange matte stone was embedded in the forehead of this tiger.
"Forest-Hidden Tiger, I didn't expect to encounter you here." Kevin recognized the species and name of this tiger at a glance, as he had been studying this kind of knowledge.
He was already planning his career path.
Plants, animals, and minerals were all his study targets.
This type of Forest-Hidden Tiger is extremely aggressive and quite intelligent; its fur can produce a certain visual illusion effect.
As its name suggests, it can easily hide in the dense forest with the help of its fur, making it one of the most dangerous predators.
They are distributed in subtropical forests and wilderness areas; their numbers are small, their distribution is extremely scattered, their tracks are difficult to find, and their danger level is very high.
Facing the pouncing tiger, Kevin dodged to the side and conveniently rode onto the tiger's back.
"Today I'll do a 'Kevin Fights the Tiger'."
Saying this, he slammed his fist heavily onto the tiger's forehead.
Although this punch wasn't at full strength, the power was still heavy, instantly knocking the tiger to the ground, causing it to roar and wail in pain.
"Tsk, it's still an 85-point guy. I originally didn't want to hunt you."
Kevin saw the nameplate around the tiger's neck, reached out to take it off, and affixed it to himself.
The tiger struggled, trying to bite Kevin, but Kevin grabbed its mouth, leaving it only able to whimper and whine, completely helpless.
This tiger could only be classified as a powerful beast; it didn't meet the standard for a magical beast.
Even without using Nen Ability, Kevin's current physical fitness could overwhelm the opponent.
"Since you've come to my doorstep, let me see if there are any suitable materials on you."
Saying this, Kevin began to grope around on the tiger's body.
Based on experience, he directly touched the tiger's forehead, where there was a part that seemed to have a stone embedded in it.
Scientific research indicates that the visual effect produced by the Forest-Hidden Tiger's magical fur is not solely due to the distribution of patterns; the stone on its forehead must also play a crucial role.
Indeed, when Kevin's hand touched the stone on the forehead, a hint of surprise welled up in his heart.
This could at least be considered a decent C-grade material.
"Then I won't be polite. Consider this the fee for attacking me," Kevin said, forcefully removing the stone from the tiger's forehead. When the stone was removed, the tiger bled a little, but it wasn't seriously injured.
According to research, in the time that follows, it will re-embed a similar stone in its forehead by preying and gathering nutrients, as well as finding some useful minerals and medicinal herbs to extract the necessary substances.
Kevin's other hand was still searching the tiger's body, thinking that if there were other usable materials, he would have to harden his heart and kill the tiger.
However, it was just a powerful beast after all, meant for the haven't-yet-mastered-Nen Ability candidates on the island to train with.
"It seems only the stone on the forehead has some value. Consider yourself lucky, you stupid tiger."
Saying this, Kevin punched the tiger's head again, making it dizzy.
Kevin got up and released his grip. The tiger immediately staggered away, and after creating some distance, it slowly retreated from Kevin until it disappeared.
Looking at the direction the tiger disappeared in, and then at the small matte stone in his hand with a little bloodstain, Kevin couldn't help but think that if all the beasts on the island were like this tiger, then hunting them would be much more difficult than hunting candidates.
But that wasn't necessarily true. Among so many Hunter candidates, there were certainly one or two guys who specialized in hunting in the wilderness.
For them, an examination venue like this was like a fish in water. To some extent, hunting beasts might even be simpler than hunting candidates.
After adding another scorecard to himself, Kevin completely lost interest in hunting and began to wander aimlessly in the forest.
At the same time, Gawain was also walking through the forest.
He also had four scorecards attached to him. Although there were traces of battle, he didn't appear to be seriously injured.
Gawain looked at the 90-point number plate on his chest and couldn't help but recall the scene that happened on the ship.
That guy named Tonpa had a terrible character, completely lacking honor and moral bottom line.
Whether it was being betrayed, deceived, and plotted against, or simply due to his disgust for this guy, it compelled him to engage in a "righteous duel" with Tonpa.
Initially, he was no match for Tonpa at all. In the face of the opponent's rich experience and skilled techniques, he was arbitrarily toyed with.
Tonpa also constantly provoked him with words and actions during the battle, those words always precisely stinging his nerves.
Just as he was about to suffer a humiliating defeat, a surge of power suddenly welled up within him.
While upholding his knightly code and trying to suppress his anger to attack, he felt the Nen flowing within his body.
Although his control over this Nen was still very clumsy, this power still significantly enhanced his combat ability.
With this sudden increase in power, the unprepared Tonpa was immediately knocked to the ground by him and fainted, falling in the second phase and being eliminated.
However, since then, the faint, subtly Entanglement energy on his body had been bothering Gawain. He tried to control it, to train it, but he could never figure out what it was.
He had not received Training in this area. He had only vaguely heard such legends and was wondering if he, like in the legends, possessed a different kind of power, controlling the hidden life force within his body.
It wasn't until this exam began that he felt the same power from the examiner, and the power the examiner displayed was much stronger than his and was shown without concealment.
This made Gawain understand that the power he possessed was not something special; he had just never noticed it before. It had always been hidden beneath ordinary life.
Thinking of this, Gawain's heart was filled with excitement. After all, he was still a young man with a knight's dream. How could he not be excited about such a mysterious and powerful force?
The number plates on his body also made Gawain realize that perhaps it was precisely because he possessed this power that his score exceeded that of most candidates.
However, there were three people whose scores were higher than his.
He remembered these three people. According to common sense, they must have also mastered this power, and mastered it better than him.
Gawain's heart was full of curiosity, eager to ask them for guidance and exchange ideas.
But such an opportunity would only come after he passed the exam.
Therefore, Gawain had been actively hunting.
He upheld the principle of open and fair duels, and after winning, he would take the opponent's scorecard.
Suddenly, flashes of light flickered in the dense forest in the distance, very noticeable.
Gawain immediately understood that they were the glinting lights of the number plates, which meant there was a formidable opponent ahead, discernible from the stacked, flashing lights.
Gawain originally wanted to avoid it, but he was also worried about being discovered by the opponent.
So, he quickly stopped and hid behind a tree to peek.
"It's that gentleman."
Gawain recognized Kevin at a glance. After all, they had met on the ship, and Kevin had even given him some advice, but at the time, Gawain was too foolish to understand.
Furthermore, Kevin's score tag of 100 points had always kept Gawain's attention.
Seemingly unaware of Gawain's presence, Kevin walked straight away from the other side.
Gawain pondered for a moment, then quietly followed.
Kevin quickly sensed that someone was tracking him.
It wasn't that his perception was particularly sharp; it was simply that the other party's tracking skill was too poor. The movement was like following him openly.
After following for a while, Kevin finally couldn't help but call out a reminder, "Even if you're going to track, couldn't you at least lighten your steps? Your footsteps are as loud as an elephant's."
Hearing Kevin's complaint, Gawain, who was hiding behind a tree, froze for a moment, not expecting to be discovered so quickly.
"So, are you trying to get my score?" Kevin turned around and asked, the number tag on his body reflecting a dazzling light.
Gawain walked out from behind the tree and slightly shielded his eyes from the sunlight reflected by the number tag. The light was indeed too dazzling.
"No, I have no intention of offending."
"It's you. Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to make it to the third phase." Kevin also recognized Gawain.
Gawain nodded and said solemnly, "Thank you for your reminder on the ship. It's just that I failed to live up to your kindness."
"What? Oh, you mean that. Don't worry about it, but I didn't expect you to be quite so rigid." Kevin was a bit confused by the other party's words.
"I'm truly sorry for tracking you, but there is something I wish to ask you." Gawain's sincere attitude made Kevin curious about what he wanted to ask, though Kevin had probably already guessed.
Indeed, Gawain continued, "I want to know, what exactly is that power within me? Your scores are higher than mine, so you should have this power too, right?"
As he spoke, he clenched his fist and struck a nearby tree stump. An indentation was instantly made in the stump.
Kevin gave Gawain a simple explanation, at least telling him what the power within him was. After all, the other party had already awakened Nen.
"So that's it, the power of the body and will." Gawain looked thoughtful. Judging by his radiant expression, he seemed to accept this explanation quite easily.
"This is, the Power of the Knight?"
"What do you mean, Power of the Knight?" Kevin completely failed to understand what Gawain was saying.
Finally, Gawain looked at Kevin with sparkling eyes and opened his mouth as if to say something. Kevin immediately interrupted him, "Wait, I probably know what you want to say, but I don't have the time or energy right now. However, I can point you in the right direction. All professional Hunters possess this kind of power. If you look at the examiners, you should understand."
"As long as you pass the exam, there will naturally be specialized teachers to teach you knowledge and experience in this area. This is the privilege of becoming a Hunter."
After hearing this, Gawain closed his mouth and nodded, "Thank you for your answer. I am deeply grateful. I apologize for troubling you."
"Alright, hurry up and go. Don't forget we are still competitors right now."
"I will engrave your great kindness in my heart." With that, Gawain left.
Watching Gawain's receding back, Kevin wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Although Gawain wasn't strong, his strange attitude and overly polite and serious conversation made Kevin feel a bit overwhelmed.
"No wonder he could awaken Nen on his own. He seems like another person with peculiar ideas," Kevin couldn't help but mutter.
Since he had acquired enough points and was certain to be in the top eight, and because everyone who saw him would avoid him from a distance, and he had also hunted down an oblivious beast and obtained its number tag, Kevin simply went directly to the dock, found a comfortable place to rest, and quietly waited for the exam to end.
The last night passed, and the sky gradually brightened. There were less than four hours left until the end of the exam.
A figure flashed out from the woods.
"Kate, you're here quite early." Indeed, the first to arrive was Kate.
Kate walked over, looked at Kevin's location and surroundings, and then glanced at the score tags attached to Kevin's body.
These score tags added up to exactly 685 points. Subtracting Kevin's original score, his net gain was as high as 585 points.
"You've been here for quite some time, haven't you? You hunted down so many points so quickly?" Kate was a bit surprised. His initial guess was that Kevin might have built a Nen Ability focused on detection and tracking for himself.
Kevin just smiled, "Just good luck, pure chance."
Kevin also noticed the number tags on Kate's body. The total score was 595 points. Subtracting Kate's own score, he also had 500 points.
Not long after, Rock also arrived.
His score was even higher than Kate's. If he hadn't lost his own score earlier, his true score would have been even higher than Kevin's.
Rock looked at Kevin, nodded slightly as a greeting, and then walked to the other side to wait alone.
"You know him?" Kate was a bit surprised. He didn't expect Kevin to be able to make friends under such a hunting rule like a dark forest.
"We fought. You could say we became acquainted through fighting."
Kate looked at the 95-point number tag on Kevin's chest and seemed to understand something.
Another two hours passed, leaving only one hour until the end of the exam.
The broadcast also began to sound across the entire island.
"Why is no one else coming?"
"Because they're all hiding around. The exam isn't over yet, is it?" Kate said.
Hearing this explanation, Kevin slapped his head and instantly realized, "Oh, right."
Under such rules, waiting at the final gathering point near the end of the exam to hunt down candidates who arrive as time approaches is indeed a strategy.
Everyone was very cautious and naturally wouldn't show themselves easily before the last moment. Hiding nearby and observing was the normal approach.
However, there were also those who were different.
For example, the upright and open Gawain. He walked out generously.
After seeing Kevin, he even deliberately walked up to Kevin and expressed his gratitude with a solemn expression.
This scene made Kate look sideways repeatedly, "He also became acquainted through fighting?"
"No, I don't quite understand this either."
Besides them, Bajiao and Goreinu also walked over together. They were willing to show themselves mainly because they saw that Kevin and Kate were already there.
Both of them were dirty, their clothes covered in traces left by battles, and some wounds were simply bandaged with scraps of clothing.
"Looks like you two didn't have it easy these past three days," Kevin said with a smile.
Bajiao waved his hand, "Certainly not as easy as you, fellow. You look like you came here for a vacation."
"Fortunately, we met on the second day. We trusted each other, helped each other, and hunting as a team made things much easier," Goreinu added from the side.
From their injuries, it was clear that not all of them were caused by fighting other candidates. There were also some obvious traces left from wrestling with beasts.
This indicated that they not only hunted candidates but also hunted the beasts on the island.
Their scores weren't high. Excluding their own scores, Bajiao had 250 points, and Goreinu had 270 points. Such scores were indeed low among the people present.
Among the four people other than them, the lowest score belonged to Gawain, but even so, Gawain had 350 points.
Looking at each other, Bajiao and Goreinu both understood that there was a possibility they could be eliminated, especially Goreinu who only had 250 points, making his situation even more critical.
As time passed, a ship slowly approached.
When there were less than twenty minutes left until the end of the exam, candidates began to gather one after another.
Most candidates were injured, with score tags of varying sizes and values attached to them. Some candidates didn't even have a single score tag on them.
Seeing candidates with higher scores than themselves, Bajiao and Goreinu's moods became increasingly heavy.
With a clear sound, the ship fully docked.
Several staff members walked off the ship, and the beast-like examiner stood on the ship with his arms crossed.
Soon, the scores were tallied, and the examiner directly announced the results:
"The following individuals have advanced to the final phase of the exam."