The First Phase

Back in Carthis, Kaito and I parted ways. True to his word, he gave me half of the treasure. With newfound wealth and knowledge, I felt ready to continue my journey. Kaito also informed me that the Hunter Exam would be held this year in Zaban City, thanks to a tip from one of his informants.

When I heard this, I was at a loss for words. Zaban City was where Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon first took the exam. If they hadn't already become hunters, there was a chance I might run into them there. The thought filled me with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Leaving Carthis behind, I traveled toward Zaban City. The road ahead was uncertain, but my growing confidence in my abilities spurred me on. Using the information Kaito provided, I was able to catch a series of buses that took me to my destination.

Arriving in Zaban City was quite the experience. The city was vibrant and bustling, filled with a mixture of prosperity and the shadowy dealings of shady merchants and scam artists. It was reminiscent of my own world, yet distinctly different. Determined to avoid any trouble, I procured food from reputable stalls and avoided the shady ones.

Since the exam had not yet started, I decided to stay at an inn for a few days. The inn had a diner below, so food was not a concern, but I had to remain vigilant of prying eyes and people looking for an easy target. I mostly stayed in my room, looking out the window at the busy streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of any potential exam participants.

On the third day, I spotted a familiar figure passing by—a fat man who looked very much like Tonpa. Recognizing him from the story, I realized the exam was happening that day. I followed him to Tsubashi Street, where I saw him enter a greasy spoon restaurant. Just as planned, I entered right behind him and heard the passcode exchange.

"Welcome, how can I help you? What are you interested in?" asked the restaurant owner.

"The steak combo," Tonpa replied.

"Grilled or boiled?" the owner asked.

"Grilled over a low flame," Tonpa answered.

"Coming up," said the owner, and his assistant showed Tonpa to the back room.

"So, kid, what are you gonna have?" the restaurant owner asked me.

"I'll have the steak combo," I replied.

The owner frowned. "Are you playing with me, kid? There's no steak combo here."

I met his snarky remark with a level gaze. "As I said, I want the steak combo, grilled over a low flame. If you don't mind, geezer."

The owner's face turned red with anger. "What did you call me? I'm only 30 years old!"

His assistant intervened, calming the situation. "Sorry about that. I'll take you to the room. Follow me."

The assistant opened the door, and I walked in to find Tonpa already there, chowing down on a grilled steak and rice. He looked up, surprised to see a kid but not entirely off guard.

"So, you're here for the Hunter Exam, huh?" Tonpa said.

"You're quite lucky, kid, catching up with me and hearing the passcode."

"So you knew I was following you," I replied.

"Of course, kid. You weren't really trying to hide your movements. You followed me for a block or two," he said. "I'm guessing you have a good reason. If you tried to run me, I'd put you in your place. But since you're here for the exam as well, I wish you the best of luck. Enjoy the food. There's enough for both of us."

Knowing Tonpa's reputation, I couldn't trust the food. "No, that's alright. I've already eaten. I'm not hungry. I appreciate the offer, though."

"You look young, but you don't talk like you're young. Must be wise for your age. A genius or something, right?" he said.

"I've never been called a genius, but probably," I replied.

As we continued our conversation, the room locked with a click. I guessed no other participants had made it to this point yet, and the room began to slowly descend, taking us deeper underground.

During our descent, Tonpa asked a question that I had never really considered.

"So, kid, what kind of hunter do you want to be? You know, if you pass the exam, you'll gain a Hunter License. With it, you'll be able to travel the world, enter most countries without restrictions, and access almost all public resources.

"Once I get my license, I'll gain fame and fortune. I wouldn't have to work a day in my life after that. I could just sell the damn thing if I really needed to, and I'd be rich. Or are you trying to be a noble hunter, securing the order of society and nature? Or maybe you want to take down some bad criminals in the Hunter world? In my long line of work, you learn a thing or two about being a hunter. But to have those choices, you need to pass the exam first."

He paused, looking at me intently. "You might be wondering why I'm telling you this, kid. The reason is, there's only a one in 10,000 chance you'll pass this exam. I'm surprised you got this far on your first try. But this was the easy part. After this, it only gets worse. So if you don't have what it takes to be a hunter, when this elevator stops, stay on. Go home to your parents or wherever you came from. If you don't want to die a horrible death."

"Not to be rude, old man," I replied, "but you're not scaring me out of this. I just need to be one more participant who defeats you and stops you from passing the exam, right? Don't worry about me; worry about yourself. And let's not act like we know each other when we get out of this elevator. I don't want people getting the wrong idea."

Tonpa's face scrunched up, surprised by my answer. Then he fell silent, drinking one of the sodas from his bag.

Finally, I had some peace and quiet. I used the time to prepare my mind for what was next. The most dangerous person in this exam: Hisoka.

As the elevator descended further into the depths, the atmosphere grew tense. The walls seemed to close in, and the air was thick with anticipation. I could feel the weight of the challenge ahead pressing down on me. My thoughts turned to Hisoka, the enigmatic and deadly participant who had a reputation for mercilessly eliminating competitors.

Finally, the elevator shuddered to a stop, and the doors creaked open. Tonpa and I stepped out into a vast underground chamber filled with aspiring Hunters. The room buzzed with nervous energy, conversations in hushed tones, and the occasional glance of suspicion or curiosity.

Upon arriving at the exam site, Tonpa and I were each given a badge with an assigned number by a green jelly bean-looking creature in a suit and white gloves.

"Hello," said the green bean humanoid. "Please take your number badge, and thank you."

I received my badge with the number 15, while Tonpa's was 16.

"Be sure to wear this on your chest at all times, please," the green bean continued. "And be careful not to lose them, okay?"

Tonpa took his badge and pinned it to a corner of his shirt. I decided to do the same. Time flew by quickly, with every new arrival giving me a rush of excitement. I saw familiar faces in the crowds and some who exited the elevator.

Within the next hour, there were up to 40 participants, which meant Hisoka was probably close to arriving. Soon enough, he made his appearance. His flowing red hair and his playing card outfit were as extreme as I remembered. I made sure not to maintain eye contact with him—I didn't want to catch his attention. I didn't really want to run into him, but I had no choice if I wanted to become a Hunter as quickly as possible.

Tonpa, usually loud and obnoxious, kept quiet when Hisoka walked into the room. He knew that if he got on the wrong side of that guy, he wouldn't make it to the next Hunter exam.

As everyone's eyes turned to the elevator once again, they saw a kid with white hair and a skateboard. This person had to be the one I knew from the stories I read—Killua. The kid was quiet and silent, just like an assassin should be. He grabbed his badge from the green fellow and skated past the rest of the crowd. His badge number was 99.

Soon, another group of three came out of the elevator. This time, it was the Amori Brothers making their appearance. Many others followed them, each adding to the growing tension and anticipation in the room.

Then came the last three—the people I truly wanted to see and be a part of. Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon entered the scene. Their presence brought a wave of excitement and familiarity.

Seeing them, I felt a surge of determination. These were the people I had read about, the ones who had faced countless challenges and come out stronger. Now, it was my turn to join their ranks and prove myself worthy of becoming a Hunter.

I decided to keep my distance for now and let things play out so I didn't alter the timeline too much.

Tonpa was on the move as usual, scanning the group of three who had just stepped out of the elevator. "So, you guys are the 400s. How do you do? My name's Tonpa," he said, extending his hand to Gon.

"Pleased to meet you," Tonpa said, shaking Gon's hand as Leorio and Kurapika received their badges nearby. He then turned his attention to Gon and Kurapika. "I got it, you're new here. You can always tell."

Tonpa continued, "Pretty much. This is my 35th attempt. I started when I was 10."

"35th?" Gon exclaimed, astonished by the high number.

"Yep, you might say I'm an expert examinee. Anything you want to know, just ask."

Gon, eager to learn, asked, "Do you know everyone here then?"

Tonpa nodded. "Just about. I'll point out some regulars."

He gestured towards a man with a scarf. "That's #103 Bourbon, the Snake Charmer. He's a tenacious competitor. Get on his bad side and you'll never get off."

Next, he pointed to another candidate. "Then there's #76 Cherry, the martial artist. In unarmed combat, he's probably the best."

He continued, "And #255 Tilda, the wrestler. Strong as anything and smarter than he looks."

Tonpa then pointed to a group of three. "Those are #197 to #199, the Amori Brothers. They specialize in teamwork and can get anything done. It's their specialty."

Lastly, he pointed to a dark figure. "And that's #384, Greta the Huntsman. He's handy with a blow dart and clubs. That's just a sample of the capable people who haven't quite made the grade yet."

Suddenly, a deafening scream was heard, halting all chatter. "Behold. You now see them, no, you don't," said Hisoka.

A man, #58, screamed in pain. "My arms! My arms!"

Hisoka responded calmly, "You should be careful. At least apologize when you bump into someone, okay?"

Seeing this, I activated my Gyo to see what Hisoka had done. As I suspected, he was using Texture Surprise to make it seem like the man's arms had disappeared. In reality, he had cut them off and used Texture Surprise to hide the arms he took as he walked away.

I decided to avert my gaze to avoid catching Hisoka's attention and returned to the conversation with Tonpa, who wasn't far off.

"Guess he's back this year," Tonpa said to Gon. "That's #44, Hisoka the Magician. He seemed like a sure thing last year, but he attacked the examiner. They didn't approve of his methods, so he was disqualified."

Leorio was shocked. "And they didn't ban him for good?"

Tonpa shook his head. "Of course not. We get new examinees every year. They decide what the tests are and who gets to take them. If the most evil person in the world showed up, they could pass the exam if an examiner says it's okay."

Hisoka had attacked other examinees last year, a fact that made everyone uneasy. "Still, steer clear of him if you can," Tonpa advised. "There are a lot of others here, you know? But I can show you the ropes if you listen well."

"Great," Gon said, appreciative of the guidance.

Soon after, other examinees started referring to Tonpa as "The Rookie Crusher." Tonpa rummaged through his bag. "Hey, how about we drink to our friendship and good luck in the exam?"

The three of them each took a can of soda. "Sure," they said.

Gon was the first to take a sip. He immediately spat it out. "Hey, this tastes funny. It must have gone bad, Mr. Tonpa."

Tonpa, feigning surprise, said, "Really? Dear me, that's odd. My deepest apologies."

"It's okay, Mr. Tonpa. Luckily I drank it first. Taste is vital for survival, so my tongue can detect anything iffy."

"Oh, that's lucky, I guess. Thanks," Tonpa said, looking around nervously.

Noticing this, Killua, who was nearby, asked loudly, "Hey, can you spare another of those cans of juice?"

Tonpa, a bit startled, handed him a can. "Oh, sure."

Killua, making a show of it, said, "Man, I'm thirsty. My nerves must be high," and he drank the juice. Afterward, he exhaled loudly. "I'm doing fine, really. Bet on my resistance to these things—no poison will kill me."

With that, Killua's remark highlighted the tension and suspicion surrounding Tonpa's intentions, and the group continued to prepare for the trials ahead.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Hunter Exam," a voice boomed from the front of the chamber. A man in a black suit stood on a platform, commanding attention with his presence. "I am Satotz, your examiner for the first phase of the exam. As of now, registration is closed. The exam will now begin. Everyone ready?"

He hopped down from the platform and began walking slowly down a subway pathway. "Just so there's no mistakes, the Hunter Exam is very rigorous. If you lack the necessary abilities, too bad. If you're unlucky, too bad. And examinees are not above sabotaging each other, as you saw. If you're okay with that, you're welcome to continue with the rest of us. Still with me? Good. All 404 of you will enter the first phase."

As we walked, I stayed toward the back to avoid drawing attention. Satotz then sped up, but I kept my pace steady, blending in with the other examinees. Hanzo, a ninja, was the first to ask a question. "But what's the first phase?"

"This is the first phase," Satotz replied. "Did you not hear me? The first phase has already begun. All you have to do is keep up with me. Simple, no? Where we're going and when we'll get there, I can't say. You must follow me."

Knowing this already, I kept a steady pace, observing the interactions of the four protagonists—Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. Gon and Killua were slowly becoming friends, and I made sure to stay far behind them to avoid catching too much of their attention. I noticed them looking back at me a few times, seemingly pitying me. Eventually, Leorio began to slow down, looking exhausted, and stopped entirely as I passed by him. Gon stopped to motivate him, and soon, with enough encouragement, both Gon and Killua caught back up to Kurapika at record speed.

Soon, #187 joined my pace. He was sweating profusely, snot running down his face. His breathing was heavy, and every movement seemed to take a toll on him.

"You good, #187?" I asked.

Breathing heavily, he corrected me. "My name is Nicholas."

"Sorry about that. Let's make introductions. My name is Yuuma. My number is 15."

"Yeah, I've already got a note on it. You're some kind of rookie. I've never seen you before."

Soon, the Amori Brothers made their move. "You guys are such weaklings. If you can't keep up with this pace, you have no chance in the Hunter Exam. It's only been six hours. Look at him, all tuckered out," one brother said.

"What a baby," the other added. "How did a loser like him get this far?"

Hearing these remarks, Nicholas became even more stressed and slowly lost his motivation. Seeing this, I started to slow my pace as well, looking at Nicholas with pity.

"Why are you still here? Aren't you trying to pass the Hunter Exam?"

At first, I didn't want to change the timeline, but I saw potential in Nicholas. "How about this, Nicholas? I help you to the next phase of the exam, and you give me all the information you have on the rest of the examinees. And if you pass the second phase, you keep giving me more information on the other applicants. Do we have a deal?"

Seeing a chance to actually pass the Hunter Exam, he agreed swiftly. "Of course, I'll take you up on that deal if you can really make it happen. Please, this is my last chance."

The group ahead was probably minutes ahead of us. I could barely see any of them in the distance. "If you want to pass, I'll give you a piggyback ride," I offered.

Nicholas swiftly jumped onto my back. Activating my Nen, I quickly caught up with the rest of the group, passing the Amori Brothers and Tonpa. As we passed them, I heard the brothers speak in unison, "How did those weaklings pass? They were down and out for sure."

As we caught up, we were met with a long climb up stairs. Each step was tiring for the rest of the examinees, already exhausted from a six-hour run. Now, they had to endure the added challenge of climbing.

But even with the extra weight, it was easy for me. We passed by several tired applicants during the ascent. Soon, I caught up with Satotz, Gon, and Killua. They both glanced at me in surprise at our pace, especially with the extra weight on my back. Though they said nothing, they did give a smile.

The end was in sight. We were met with light and the sounds of creatures as we entered Swindler's Swamp.