"Dong... Cuckoo... Cuckoo..."
1:59:59... Two o'clock!
A cuckoo clock in the shape of a bird emerged from the ceiling of the underground passage, chiming the bell for the exam.
"Clap!" A crisp sound immediately followed. Botobai clapped his palms together. Although the sound wasn't loud, it clearly entered the ears of every examinee....
'It's not [Heart Drop · Fist Listen], but it's close.' Having just experienced Netero's palm clap this morning,
Roy savored Botobai's martial intent. The man clearly hadn't reached the "pinnacle of martial arts," but he faintly showed signs of its prototype.
Even if he wasn't there yet, he wasn't far off.
"Young Master, this man is very strong!" Gotoh's gaze was heavy as he looked at Botobai.
It wasn't just him. Kite, Kanzai, Illumi (under the alias Gittarackur), and anyone with a bit of skill all turned their gazes toward Botobai.
This future Zodiac, the Dragon... hailed as the man closest to Netero, spoke with a voice like a great bell, full of internal energy: "I am the head examiner for this Hunter Exam. I now declare the exam... begins!"
In a decisive, military style, Botobai scanned the crowd. Without a second's delay, he directly had Geru unveil the "Phantom" character. Paired with the scent of the "Bewildering Fir" wafting through the air, he began to project the "Pig-headed Man" film that Beanman had delivered.
Misty, hazy, their vision blurred... The group of examinees had no time to react before they were dragged into the "memory game"!
A vast, boundless scroll of towering trees unfolded before their eyes... Gotoh didn't even have time to shout "Young Master" before he saw a sharp axe blade chop down, grazing his chest. It was a Pig-headed Man!
It had a fat head, large ears, and a pair of vicious tusks. Standing upright, it was about four meters tall, clad in heavy armor, and wielding a hand axe in each hand. It snorted two jets of hot air from its massive nostrils and brought an axe down on the head of every "outsider" who dared step into the Pig-headed clan's territory!
"Ahhh—!" A blood-curdling scream erupted from every examinee pulled into the illusion...
"Pop!" The illusion shattered. In less than a second, over three hundred people were eliminated, unable to even take one axe blow from the Pig-headed Man. They returned to their senses in horror, their legs went weak, and they collapsed to the ground...
"What was that monster?"
"The body of a man, the head of a pig... it must be a magical beast!"
"Damn it! Why is the first stage so hard? It's never been like this before!" In a corner of the hall, Tonpa fell to the ground,
...his forehead and back covered in cold sweat. This wasn't his first time taking the Hunter Exam, but it was the first time it started on "hell mode"!
He clutched his chest, panting heavily. He had been split in two in an instant. His heart was still pounding. When he came to his senses and looked around... "Thump, thump... thump..."
More and more people were collapsing... In less than two seconds, another 50 people were eliminated....
In the illusion, the bald ninja Yusuke was fleeing for his life.
"Dong... dong... dong..." The ground trembled. Behind him, the Pig-headed Man, carrying its axes, was catching up at an even faster speed.
It brought an axe down again, aiming for his neck.
Yusuke's soul nearly fled his body, he was so scared he was about to die. He quickly pulled out his last resort, roaring,
"[Hide]!"
The man abruptly vanished. It was the most famous ninjutsu of the Sun-Gakure school in the Sakura Nation—Invisibility!
Using a cloth screen to simulate the surrounding environment,
...he shrank behind it, confusing the enemy's vision. In the past... Yusuke often used this move on missions to kill opponents by surprise. It had never failed.
Unfortunately... the Pig-headed Men were natural "Enhancers," and their application of "Nen" was far more adept than ordinary people imagined. The creature's pair of vicious, copper-bell-sized eyes quickly coated themselves in a "Nen membrane." By tracking the "aura," it instantly found Yusuke hiding behind the screen. Then...
It raised its hand axe. A vertical chop!
The axe blade, enhanced by [Ten], was wreathed in blood-red Nen and fell in an instant....
"Shred—"
The screen was sliced open, revealing the bald ninja, split in two!
"Pop!" The illusion... broke!
Four seconds. Yusuke lasted only four seconds before being eliminated.
He ran a hand from his forehead down to his heart, his pupils dilated, taking a long time to refocus. Like Tonpa, he gasped for air. When he came to, he looked around. Only five people were left standing.
Four he recognized: Kite, the strange man, Gotoh, and... Roy, who looked the most composed, not at all like the other three, whose brows were tightly knit!
Four seconds... was the limit for ordinary people!
At the top of the passage, near the cuckoo clock, was a dense array of cameras.
Red lights blinked....
Netero and Zeno, each with a stool, were sitting in the barbecue restaurant at the exam site entrance, eating barbecue and slurping noodles.
From time to time, they would glance at the TV screen opposite the door, which was playing the exam feed. A tall stack of empty plates sat beside each of them.
"Ho ho... four seconds have passed, and there are still five left—no." Netero hadn't finished speaking when another one fell—the Bandaged man. The old man slurped his noodles. "This batch of examinees is a bit stronger than I thought."
Zeno didn't speak, just kept stuffing his mouth with barbecue. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the young man in the frame who was leaning on his cane sword.
Occasionally, he would spare a glance for the strange man, and faintly noticed that the strange man's body was beginning to tremble uncontrollably!
"Ding" In the illusion, Illumi canceled his disguise, fully reverting to his original appearance.
The young man held a "Nen Needle" in each hand, with another held in his mouth. His hair was loose as he used "Dark Step" to circle the Pig-headed Man, which held an axe in each hand... The "Nen Needles" struck its vital points, but it was like hitting solid iron.
They were deflected by the opponent's powerful [Ten], easily neutralized. They couldn't even break the skin, let alone pierce the armor. The opponent seized the opportunity, countering with an axe, forcing him to fly back and put distance between them.
"Roar!" Missing the blow, the Pig-headed Man roared: "Gordian, assist me!"
From deep in the forest of towering trees, "Swoosh," a broadsword flew out. It aimed for Illumi's landing spot, grazed his shoulder—taking his arm with it—and flew back, spinning, into the hand of another Pig-headed Man, this one responsible for "barbarian charging"!
Illumi's face paled. A flash of pain crossed his vacant eyes. He forced himself to maintain [Gyo], tracking his opponent's movements.
At a certain moment, his pupils shrank. He noticed...—
'In the trees, deep in the forest, several more gazes were faintly directed at him. One of them... just by landing on him, made him tremble and swallow frantically.' "It's... a big guy, even stronger than these two Pig-headed Men!"
At the same time,
In the same illusion.
"There's a roulette wheel spinning in its mouth, numbers 1 to 9. It changes into a weapon based on the number rolled."
"That's my, Crazy Slots. Roll me some good luck!"
The clown—with a green pointed hat, a red nose, white-gloved hands held up to its cheeks, and a square mouth—held a "number" in its mouth. It stopped at "4"!
It immediately transformed into a rifle, which Kite grabbed. He began firing madly without hesitation....
In terms of firepower, Gotoh, an "Emitter," was even fiercer. The coins in his pocket were long gone. His ten fingers, like machine guns,
...wantonly unleashed Nen bullets. Unfortunately, just like Kite, they were useless against the Pig-headed Man. The creature simply tanked the hits, charged forward, and raised its axe, slashing open his chest!
Five seconds... six seconds... seven seconds. "Pop." The illusion broke. The young butler's mental fortitude was strong; he forced himself not to fall. The first thing he did upon returning to reality was look at his Young Master. Roy was like an old monk in deep meditation, his eyes tightly closed, seemingly sunk into a strange state...
Eight seconds. Kite was closed in on, his head cut off. He came to his senses...
"Tch. Didn't get the good one again..." He seemed to regret not hitting the jackpot. He scanned his surroundings...
Nine seconds. Illumi struggled before being hacked out of the "illusion." He clenched his fists in frustration. He exchanged a look with Kite, and just like Gotoh, they both looked at Roy...
Ten seconds!
The only ones left in the entire hall were the yellow-haired young man and Roy, still immersed in the illusion....
Twelve seconds, thirteen seconds... Kanzai woke up. He yelled furiously at Botobai and Geru: "Let me back in!
I swear I'll twist those pigs' heads off!"
Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention.
Fourteen seconds.
All eyes were focused on Roy.
The young man's expression was calm, neither happy nor sad.
Unintentionally,
He had become the center of everyone's attention!
"When you encounter that kid, Roy Zoldyck, do not hold back!"
Botobai crossed his arms, his mind replaying the words Netero had Beanman relay to him. He squinted at Roy. Under the exaggerated mask, a sharp glint flashed...
'It really is you, the last one standing!'
The future Dragon said to himself.—
The young man, seemingly unaware, his eyes reflected the Pig-headed Man chopping down with its axe....
The moment he entered the illusion, a panel notification had sounded in his ear.
[Tip: Familiar memory detected...]
[Re: The Game of the Dead has connected...]
[Gate to the Dark Continent is opening.....]
[Note: Host can travel between the "Illusion" and the "Sea of Cognition" via the "Gate to the Dark Continent"...]
Just like the first time he had paid respects to his grandfather Zigg...
Exploiting a bug!