"Ah... just my luck."
According to Yuu's memory... that was the sixth time Satchi had muttered that phrase.
It had been an hour since they arrived at the blocked exit.
During that time, about thirty other candidates had straggled in, catching up to Satchi and Yuu.
Among them was Tonpa, huffing and puffing like a dying engine.
"Tonpa always says he doesn't want to be a Hunter and only cares about crushing rookies' dreams," Yuu thought, watching the chubby man gasp for air.
"But in reality, he tries harder than most people in every exam. Deep down, he desperately wants to be a Hunter."
Yuu sat in a corner, observing the scene.
Looking at the late arrivals, he couldn't help but marvel at the difference between Nen users and normal people. Even a beginner like himself could display superhuman endurance and speed just by using basic "Ten."
Adding his Cursed Energy reinforcement on top of that made the gap even wider.
Meanwhile, Examiner Satchi was pacing back and forth in front of the wall of snow blocking the exit. He looked it up and down, left and right...
Unnoticed by most, a dozen cigarette butts now littered the ground at his feet.
After circling the massive blockage for what felt like the hundredth time, Satchi sighed again.
"Just my luck..."
He slumped down against the wall, pulled out yet another cigarette, and muttered to himself in that barely audible voice.
"It's hopeless... the snow is too thick. Even I can't think of a way through."
"Yeah..."
"Might as well give up."
Yuu was speechless.
He had assumed getting through the snow was part of the test. He didn't expect it to actually just be bad weather.
Failing the exam because of a blizzard? That was hard to swallow.
Just as Yuu stood up to go argue with Satchi, he noticed a few other candidates had beaten him to it.
A dark-skinned candidate was already screaming in Satchi's face.
"Hey! Examiner! What the hell is going on here?!"
"This is clearly a dead end! How are we supposed to get out? Are we just supposed to sit here and fail?!"
Once the floodgates opened...
Maybe it was pent-up frustration from the run, or maybe it was because Satchi looked gloomy and weak, but everyone decided he was an easy target.
Over a dozen candidates joined the mob, shouting insults and demanding answers.
They yelled until they ran out of steam.
Finally finding a gap in the noise, Satchi spoke up.
"If you head back toward Sam's route now... you might still make it."
"This path is blocked. There's nothing I can do."
Because his voice was so quiet, the candidates looked confused, unsure if he had even spoken.
"He said... you need to switch routes and start running again," Yuu announced loudly to the group.
"I believe that's what you meant, right, Mr. Satchi?"
Yuu glanced at Satchi, who nodded in confirmation.
Predictably...
The candidates exploded. After running for hours just to reach this point, being told to turn back and start over was the last straw. They directed all their rage at Satchi.
A muscular man grabbed Satchi by the collar and hauled him off the ground, screaming.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Do you have any idea how long we prepared for this?!"
"What kind of irresponsible examiner are you?!"
The man then delivered a vicious punch to Satchi's stubbly face.
WHAM!!
Satchi didn't use Nen to defend himself. He flew backward and hit the ground hard.
A red mark instantly bloomed on his cheek, swelling rapidly. The candidate had put his full weight into that punch.
"Dammit! We've been played!"
Having vented their anger on the examiner, the candidates realized that standing around wouldn't help. They ignored Satchi lying on the ground.
"We don't have time to waste. We have to catch up to the other group. They're moving slower, so we might have a chance before the deadline."
With that consensus, the group rested for a moment before rushing back into the darkness.
Soon...
Only Satchi and Yuu were left at the blocked exit.
Yuu didn't leave. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating. He maintained his "Ten" while focusing Cursed Energy into his eyes.
Using "Cursed Ten," he boosted the sensitivity of the Six Eyes to scan the surroundings.
He analyzed the thickness of the snowdrift and searched for its weakest point.
"If I can punch a hole through the snow, or even let it collapse inward... I can use the Infinity barrier to protect myself from being buried."
"Getting out isn't hard for me. A full-power 'Blue' would clear the way instantly..."
"The problem is Satchi."
Yuu looked at the long-haired man, who was still sitting on the ground, seemingly resigned to his fate. He hadn't moved an inch.
With him right there, Yuu couldn't use his ability.
If he did, the collapsing snow would likely crush the examiner to death.
Yuu was kindhearted enough that involving an innocent bystander wasn't an option.
Just then, Satchi spoke up from his spot on the floor.
" aren't you going with them?"
This time, his voice was much louder. Audible without straining, at least.
"No rush," Yuu replied calmly.
"Before I go, there are a few things I'd like to ask you, Mr. Satchi."
"I don't mind... go ahead," Satchi said.
"As long as it's not classified information, I'll answer what I can."
With permission granted, Yuu got straight to the point.
"Is there a time limit for this phase?"
"Twenty-four hours."
Satchi paused to think, then added. "To be precise..."
"There are about ten hours left."
"And leaving this tunnel counts as passing the First Phase... correct?" Yuu asked.
"Yes."
Satchi nodded.
"But since the path I'm in charge of is blocked, leaving this way isn't realistic for you."
"Maybe Sam's group... is having better luck."
Yuu continued his interrogation. "After leaving the tunnel, do the examiners wait nearby to verify the candidates? Or is the score determined automatically by the tracker in the number tag?"
"That's classified... next question," Satchi said.
Yuu fell silent for a moment.
"No more questions..."
"Thanks for answering, Mr. Satchi."
Yuu thanked him with a smile.
"Don't mention it."
Satchi waved his hand dismissively. "If that's all, you should get moving."
"If you leave now, you might still catch up to Sam's group. Though, covering that distance in ten hours would be tough even for me..."
"If it's tough for you... wouldn't it be impossible for me?" Yuu joked.
Satchi was silent for a moment.
Then, out of nowhere, he said:
"You can use Aura, can't you?"
"..."
Yuu looked surprised.
He hadn't expected Satchi to bring up "Nen." He turned to look at the examiner.
Satchi sat there, resting his chin on the hand that wasn't holding his swollen cheek. He spoke flatly.
"If you stop wrapping the aura around your whole body like 'Ten' and instead focus most of it into your legs and feet..."
"Couldn't you make it to the other exit before time runs out?"
"I saw you using 'Ten' earlier."
"To figure out Nen at your age means you have incredible talent."
"So..."
"Figuring out a simple trick like that... shouldn't be hard for you, right?"