"Wow, no way!"
"Is that for real?"
"He's climbing stairs that easily too?" The examinees watched Satotz ascend effortlessly with disbelief.
"Hey Gon, wanna race to the finish line?" Killua grinned at Gon. Both boys were in excellent condition, showing no signs of fatigue.
"Sure! The loser buys dinner!" Gon readily accepted the challenge.
"Deal! On your marks, get set... go!" Killua agreed without hesitation and immediately sped up.
"Huff... huff..." Meanwhile, Leorio, having pushed past his limits, had managed to keep up until now, placing himself in the middle of the pack.
"Leorio, can you hold on?" Kurapika, though also very tired, was comparatively more composed.
"Just like you see! After ditching the suit, I found I could keep going!" Leorio yelled back.
'Maybe I should take a page from his book.' Seeing Leorio's renewed burst of energy, Kurapika thought with a slight smile.
He then quickly shrugged off his own jacket and increased his pace as well.
"Leorio, can I ask you something?" Kurapika asked seriously once he caught up.
"Pretty relaxed, aren't you, Kurapika? Talking wastes energy, you know!"
"Do you really want to become a Hunter just for the money? I don't think so. Even though we've only known each other a few days, I can tell." Kurapika pressed on.
"That's right. Your attitude is arrogant, and you're not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I don't think you're that shallow. I've seen plenty of people obsessed with money before, but you're different from them."
"Hmph, are you done?" Leorio didn't seem interested in explaining further.
In response to Leorio's dismissal, Kurapika fell silent for a moment before opening up about his own past.
He was the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. His people were massacred simply because their eyes turned scarlet when enraged, a trait that persisted even after death, earning them the title of one of the Seven Most Beautiful Colors.
Perhaps sensing Kurapika's sincerity, Leorio also shared his story. His obsession with money stemmed from a friend who died because they couldn't afford medical treatment. This drove Leorio to want to become a doctor, but the cost of a proper medical education was astronomical.
This exchange of heartfelt stories brought the two closer.
Watching Umaru, who seemed on the verge of collapse, Takeru considered for a moment before casting Advanced Heal on her.
Bathed in the healing light, Umaru jolted with renewed energy, looking at Takeru in surprise.
Seeing the spell had an effect, Takeru smiled slightly. While it couldn't directly restore stamina, the Advanced Heal mended her muscle strain, making her feel significantly lighter and no longer as if her body was on the brink of breakdown.
Additionally, having just pushed past her limit and having the muscle damage healed, Umaru found herself able to continue with relative ease again.
"Thank you, Captain Takeru! Let's speed up too, or we might fall behind!" Umaru said gratefully.
"Alright, let's go." With Takeru's words, their pace increased.
At this time, Takeru pondered, 'The Heal spell seemed more versatile than I had initially thought.'
Accelerating, Takeru and Umaru soon overtook the stragglers and caught up with the middle pack.
They quickly spotted Leorio, who was still grumbling about money.
"We're going ahead, Kurapika!" Gon and Killua sped past Kurapika and Leorio, with Gon politely announcing their move.
"See ya, old man!" Killua added with a light laugh directed at Leorio.
"Who are you calling 'old man'? I'm in my teens too, just like you!" Leorio retorted angrily.
"No way!" All three were shocked.
Takeru, though aware through his senses, wasn't surprised, already knowing about Leorio.
Gon and Killua then began chatting further, their bond strengthening with each exchange. Killua's recognition of Gon grew a little more.
Takeru soon sensed the light from outside and smiled.
"Umaru, we're almost at the exit," He said softly before falling silent.
"Is that so? What a terrifying test. Can the others really pass?" Hearing Takeru, Umaru remarked with a sigh. The first phase of the Hunter Exam had exceeded her expectations and humbled her previously inflated confidence.
Like Yui and Mio before her, consecutive experiences in relatively weaker worlds had made her overconfident.
Now, realizing that even the examinees in this world were this monstrous, she wondered just how powerful the examiners themselves must be.
Meanwhile, in the other Hunter Worlds, the situation was dire. Only Ui and Yukino were still holding on. The others, like Taihei and Hachiman, upon seeing the endless staircase, were forced to give up completely...
"It's the exit!"
"Finally!"
"At last, we're out of this dark underground!"
Seeing the light from the exit, many examinees cheered in relief. Hours of aimless running had taken a severe toll on their mental fortitude.
However, Takeru knew perfectly well that leaving the tunnel wasn't the finish line. On the contrary, the path ahead, which had been safe until now, was about to become fraught with endless danger.
Besides the terrifying magical beasts, there was also Hisoka. Takeru could sense that after the long run, Hisoka was struggling to suppress his murderous urges.
"The finish line!" As soon as Satotz stepped onto the final landing, Gon and Killua burst out right behind him. They immediately launched into a heated debate over who arrived first, only stopping after verifying with Satotz that they had tied.
"Satotz-san, is this the venue for the second test?" Gon asked curiously.
"No, the journey is still long," Satotz replied without hesitation.
Soon, the first batch of examinees emerged into the open. Takeru, Umaru, Kurapika, and the others followed, leaving the gloomy underground behind.
"Hey, Kurapika!" Seeing Kurapika, Gon greeted him with a smile.
"Hey. Is this the finish line?" Kurapika asked, still catching his breath.
"Nope!" Gon answered promptly.
"I see," Kurapika said thoughtfully.
Takeru looked ahead at the mist-shrouded terrain with keen interest.
"The Milsy Wetlands, commonly known as the [Swindler's Swamp]. It is also the only path to the second exam venue. This wetland is home to many rare birds and beasts not found elsewhere. Most of these creatures subsist on human flesh and are notoriously cunning and greedy by nature."
After this brief introduction to the Swindler's Swamp, Satotz closed the exit behind them, sealing the fate of any examinees who hadn't made it in time.
"Please stay close behind me at all times. Straying into a trap means certain death," Satotz warned everyone gravely.
"That's a strange thing to say. If we knew it was a trap, why would we fall for it?" Leorio retorted bluntly.
"Don't be fooled, everyone!" A voice suddenly rang out. A man stepped from behind a structure, pointing an accusatory finger at Satotz.
"He's an imposter! He's not the examiner at all! I am the real Hunter Exam's examiner!" the man declared loudly.
"An imposter? What does that mean?"
"Then who is he?" The sudden accusation threw part of the crowd into confusion.
Takeru watched the scene with a cold smile. Besides him, Hisoka also showed an expression of amused interest.