Chapter 4: First test (2/2)

From the initial hundreds of people, not many remained.

'The easy part is over. The swamp infested with dangerous monsters is next.'

'If I remember correctly, Hisoka will go on a killing spree in a few minutes, he will also have altercations with Gon and Company. I'm sorry guys, I'm sure that like in canon, you'll make it out alive.

I, on the other hand, can't afford to lose Satotz from my sight.'

Eventually they exited the tunnel, only to reveal a plateau encircled by forest.

"Listen carefully everyone, we are about to enter the swindler swamp." Satotz revealed after letting th aspiring hunters catch their breaths for a few seconds.

"So the first test is not over yet? Do you want everyone here to fail??" an irritated competitor asked.

"The creatures there have evolved with the sole aim to deceive humans, hence the name of the swamp. Stay very close to me. The bests will try anything to lure you astray the path and kill you." Satotz didn't even acknowledge the guy before finishing what he was saying.

It didn't take long before a guy in tattered clothes came out from behind the tunnel's exit with a strange creature in tow.

"Don't believe him! He is deceiving you! I'm the real examiner, that's only a monster that took human form! Look!".

He then threw the bipedal creature over.

"What! That thing look almost exactly like Mr. Satotz!".

"Heeeh! So what now? Who is the impostor between the 2?".

"Mr Satotz definitely doesn't walk like a human…".

"Yeah! He is probably the monster! He wants us to go in the swamp so he can kill us!".

"Wrong! Why would he wait till now? He lost a lot of people along the way that he could have eaten! That guy is the suspicious one!".

"He did it to select the strongest from the bunch!! We probably taste better!"

"I disagree completely.."

…

Slash! Tut! Tut! Tut!

5 playing cards flew in the air.

Moments later, the guy in tattered clothes was on the ground, dead with 3 of those cards imbedded in his torso.

The remaining 2 cards were firmly grasped in Satotz's right hand. It was pretty clear that they were also aimed at the man's chest.

Everyone went silent.

"Fufufu that's solve the mistery! Only the real examiner could have stopped that attack! After all, the examiners are hunters themselves".

It was a weirdo, a mix between a clown and a magician with a sadistic grin.

Despite his silly outfit and the mocking tone of his voice, no one laughed.

That was both because nobody saw the attack coming and the sheer amount of killing intent that the guy was emanating was scaring to say the least.

"Thank you for clearing the doubt. However, you should note that, from now on, every attack aimed at the examiners would result in your immediate exclusion from the exam. Am I made myself clear?"

Satotz said, not even a bit intimidated by the psychopath attitude.

"Yeah yeah" Hisoka replied somewhat playfully.

'Hisoka...He seems aroused after killing that guy. Brrr, so creepy'.

"Let's continue then…everyone follow me".

Just like Enma said he would, he immediately stuck to Satotz ass, leaving the others behind.

And so the group started running again.

...

It wasn't long before a thick fog appeared between the contestants. It was so dense that it was impossible to see past a meter ahead.

The natural outcome was that a lot of people got separated from the herd, either because too far from Satotz to see where he was going, or because deceived by the creatures hiding in the surroundings.

It was at that moment that Satotz thought it was a good idea to increase his pace, basically outrunning everyone present.

"Keep going straight everyone".

'Piece of shit!'

Few seconds later and Enma lost sight of Satotz, he couldn't possibly stay at arm distance from the examiner with his much slower speed.

He looked behind but couldn't see anybody anymore, he was alone.

'Damn it! Ok, calm down.'

He gripped the black sword on his waist, that gave a him but a false sense of security. He didn't even know how to use it.

'At least I have this bad boy to defend myself.

The best course of action here is slowly keep going forward… I need to pass this fog as soon as possible.'

After a few minutes of going forward, not only wasn't the fog diminishing, but it kept getting thicker and thicker.

The strange thing was that he felt like his strength was draining more and more.

'I don't like it… this is not normal. Tsk! Maybe I'm only too tired from the previous run, the fog shouldn't be poisonous, right?'.

"Help!".

'What was that!'

"Help me! haaaa".

"Please help meee!".

There, what seemed like 10 meters ahead, he swore he could see a hand in the haze.

"I'm here! Please!! Help me!!".

'Hell no! That's smell like disaster'.

Instead of going towards the voice, Enma started sprinting forward at greater speed.

"I said herrrrgrgrgr".

The voice, realizing that its plan to lure the man failed, morphed in a guttural sound.

Enma threw a look behind, only for all the hair on his back to stand on their ends. The thing that initially looked like a hand stretched forward in his direction.

The thing was almost 10 meters long.

It was incredibly fast and in a second it was dangerously close to him.

From the closer distance, he could finally see it clearly.

It had a pink and slimy body as thick as an arm. On his front end, 5 little fingers like appendages. From a far and with the cover of the mist, it really resembled a human hand.

The thing was so long that its other end was still hidden in the mist.

Enma panicked and turned around.

"Ugh!" swoosh!

A fast but premature sword's swing, thrown in the heat of the moment, missed the thing completely and it gave it the opportunity to wrap itself around Enma arm.

"Agh!".

The squeezing pressure hurt him, but this time, having a still target, he was able to hit it fair and square.

The sword cut through like a hot knife in butter, severing part of the mass cleanly.

Thud!

A couple of meters of the pink slimy monster fell on the ground.

Screeech!

The monster was incredible pissed judging by the scream.

The fog thinned out and finally the beast's main body was revealed.

It was a giant frog with a parrot fused on its head. The hand thingy? It was its tongue!

"Heeelp! Heere!"

The parrot screamed.

The frog use the tongue as a whip, striking the raven teen, who was thrown hard on a mass of rotting dead trees on the side.

"Argh!"

'Hope all ribs are intact.'

Enma thought while clutching his side and slowly trying to get up.

Unfortunately, the mutated frog didn't wait compassionately, and soon another swing was coming.

The boy was only able to raise the sword in protection.

As the tongue was about to hit its target, the wood below the teen gave away and he found himself free falling for tens of meters.

Bam!

"Ouch!".

"What a lucky day…huff!"

He looked around. He was in a 3 square meters hole surrounded by dead vegetation and mud.

"A tunnel?"

To his left, the mud wall opened to a tunnel entrance.

Enma was uncertain of what to do.

'This tunnel is probably another animal doing…'

Bam! Bam!

"…..Heeeelp mee!..."

The monster above didn't stay put and was closing in toward the hole.

Enma looked at the tunnel once again and swallowed nervously.

'Certain death above and possible death underground…'

"…comee…heree".

Ultimately he took a step in the tunnel.

…

The tunnel was completely dark.

Thankfully it was rather narrow and didn't branch out at the sides. It was straight.

Unexpectedly, a wave of tiredness swept over the boy, who almost passed out on the spot.

'Again, it's like before but worst this time… did I really get poisoned?'

After a few minutes, the feeling kept increasing and he had to fight with all his might to keep his eyes open.

Eventually he reached an open space. It was a big underground cave, dozens of meters wide and a couple of meter high.

There was light! An ominous green light…

Enma looked in that direction and what he saw left him flabbergasted.

There, in the corner at the edge of the room, 2 creepy lanterns illuminated an old and deteriorated stall.

'A stall?? Here???'.

If he wanted to go forward on the tunnel path, he had to cross it.

He advanced on full alert.

The stall was fairly simple. It was the typical market's stall that included a wooden counter, a grey tattered awning and a little cabin behind the counter, whose interior was hidden by dark green curtains.

At the left and right ends of the awning 2 green lanterns were dangling.

While he was eyeing the little structure, the green curtains parted, and a figure clad in black robes emerged from the cabin.

Enma was immediately alarmed, he retreated few steps and unsheathed his sword.

The man was horrifying. Only his face and hands were visible. He had a big crooked nose, bulging eyes and a hollowed appearance.

A huge hump that was as big as his head protruded from his back.

The man immediately took notice of the new arrive and with a small bow said:

"Greetings traveler! Come! The wandering shady merchant is here to serve you…"

He rubbed his hands and flashed a toothy smile. Only few rotten teeth remained in the black stained mouth.

Enma remained as still as a board. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

'What the hell…Is this another monster ingenious plot to deceive me? Mhm…that seems like a human to me...'

"Don't be scared! The shady merchant doesn't cheat his costumers, especially you.."

"Why are you down here? What's your deal?"

Enma remained in his spot while interrogating the man, still holding the sword with both hands, ready to spring at any given moment.

"Bhahah! You know, wandering merchants do that, wander! Wherever there is business, I'm there. This is a good place, look, I've already found a costumer!"

Answered the guy, pointing Enma with his long bony finger.

'This situation is too sketchy. Something weird is going on here'.

"What do you say…want to buy something? I tell you, you will never find my items anywhere else".

"No thanks, I only want to get out of here.."

"Ohh come oon… You will not regret it…"

The man than looked Enma up and down a few times.

"But I wonder…"

At that moment the air got incredible heavy, the lantern lights intensified and mist started gathering around the merchant.

The initial jovial act was gone and the man got incredible serious.

"… can you pay the price?"

"I.."

Enma was speechless. He was about to give in and approach the merchant, when the dizziness intensified and everything went blurry for a few seconds.

When he was able to come back to his senses, the stall was gone along with the man.

The place was completely empty.

"Where…? Was it all an hallucination?? Am I going crazy or what…"

"….We did it Killua! We are here finally!"

Enma couldn't even rethink what had just happened, that a muffled voice came to his hears from a place slightly ahead in the next tunnel.

'Wasn't that Gon? I'm close to the exit!'

He followed the voices to a point where he could see the sun light seeping through the mud above his head.

"There!"

He climbed over few roots and started digging.

"Yata! I'm out!"

He screamed with joy when he could finally breath the outside air.

"Wha…t? Enma!"

"Wow! Are you a rat or something?"

"Hello guys, how is it going? Where are we?"

"That is the second phase location!"

Gon pointing at a white villa where few participants were waiting alongside Satotz.

"Ehm…Enma, how did you came out of the ground?"

"Huff! It's a long story kid…Maybe another time" Enma answered with a smug grin.

"What are you acting cool about? You are covered in mud and smell like shit!"

"..ehm…Killua is right, you smell"

Gon pinched his nose and started laughing with Killua at the teen expenses.

"….It was the frog fault! The tong smelled like morning breath!".

The trio laughed and started going towards the villa.