The Journey to the Hunter Exam Begins

Out in the vast sea, once someone falls overboard from the ship, they are effectively out of the game. As for what fate awaits them afterward, if they are lucky, they might be rescued by a passing ship or be swept to another island by the tides, barely managing to survive.

But for the unlucky ones...

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Well, they might have to resort to the agreement they signed when they registered for the exam, which stated that the association bears no responsibility for life or death.

In this world, full of dangers, human life is the cheapest commodity.

The disputes on the ship have already started to intensify. From time to time, someone would be knocked down, dragged, or thrown off the deck into the sea. The number of registrants on board is steadily decreasing.

And just as the situation began to escalate...

"Everyone, stop right now!!"

The door to the cockpit swung open, and a loud shout echoed across the entire deck.

"If anyone causes more trouble here, I'll throw them overboard immediately!!"

The captain, wearing a captain's hat, with a pipe hanging from his mouth, not very tall but full of presence, stepped forward. His prominent red bulbous nose twitched as his sharp gaze swept across the scene. Instinctively, everyone stopped their actions, and silence fell over the deck.

"Good."

He slowly exhaled a smoke ring. "We still have some time left on our journey, and I don't want any more trouble."

The red-nosed captain's eyes lingered momentarily on a man in a black suit standing in the corner. He then nodded to the crowd before turning around.

"Looks like we've got an impressive individual on board this year," he muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear as he turned away.

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The deck of the Sea God gradually calmed down. After the captain took control of the situation, all the registrants settled down. No one wanted to be thrown off the ship and have their journey end prematurely before reaching the exam venue.

They may have calmed down, but the real test was only just beginning.

Whoo—whoo—!

As time passed, a chilling wind began to blow over the sea. The sky was covered with dark clouds, casting a gloomy shadow over the entire ocean.

Crash.

The waves surged, the sea foamed, and the Sea God swayed and rocked violently. The rain poured down in torrents, filling the ocean with a fierce storm, which began to howl violently.

"Ugh—"

Inside the cabin, many of the registrants groaned. The severe rocking of the ship caused this group of weaklings to collapse with seasickness, lying on the ground, limp and powerless.

"Each year they get worse and worse," the captain muttered to himself as he observed the scene, shaking his head. "If they can't even handle a little storm, they have no chance of becoming Hunters. Even if they make it to the exam venue, they're just cannon fodder."

"But at least there's still something interesting," he added, glancing at the young man in the black suit sitting calmly, eyes closed, deep in meditation.

"Where did he board?" the captain asked his first mate.

"He boarded at Whale Island," the first mate immediately replied.

"Whale Island, huh?" The red-nosed captain muttered, recalling. If he remembered correctly, nineteen years ago, another person had boarded from Whale Island, and he had also been in charge of the Sea God back then. That person had left a deep impression on him.

Sure enough, that guy became the only qualified participant of that year's Hunter Exam and later rose to a high position in the Hunter Association, becoming an exceptionally accomplished Hunter with numerous achievements. That guy, named Ging Freecss.

"It seems Whale Island is quite an interesting place too..."

...

Inside the captain's cabin, the orange glow from the oil lamp lit up the entire room.

"May I have your name?" The captain asked in a particularly friendly tone, addressing the only examinee who had come here.

"Moarik," the man replied, adjusting his attire.

Even though the darkness in the room was dispelled, the black suit worn by the man gave off an air of pressure. The red-nosed captain instinctively wanted to reach for his pipe but resisted.

"You don't seem surprised that I called you here?" the captain asked.

"Not at all," Moarik nodded. "Before coming to the test, I was informed by a professional Hunter under my command."

"This is also a part of the pre-exam Hunter test."

Participating in the test, having subordinates, a professional Hunter... Can these words even form a coherent sentence?!

The red-nosed captain's expression grew somewhat peculiar. "What else do you know?" he couldn't help but ask. Although he knew the man in the suit likely had an extraordinary background, having a professional Hunter as a subordinate...

Well, in this world, anything is possible.

"I also know—or rather, I suspect—that the Hunter Exam is held every year on January 7th for a reason."

Moarik glanced out the window, where the storm still raged fiercely. "During this season, it's the peak of the stormy weather; fishing boats have all returned home. The only ships on the sea are those of the Hunter Association, ferrying candidates."

"This timing ensures the association's ships have clear routes and allows the stormy weather to serve as a pre-entry test, filtering out candidates."

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He turned back to the red-nosed captain and said, "So, I believe I've passed the current test, haven't I?"