"Ding... Cuckoo... Cuckoo..."
One minute fifty-nine seconds and fifty-nine seconds, two o'clock!
A cuckoo-shaped clock emerged from directly above the underground passage and rang the exam bell.
"Snap!" A crisp sound followed... Botobai clapped his palms lightly, the sound wasn't loud, yet it was clearly heard by all the examinees...
It wasn't [Heart Drop·Punch Listening], close to [Heart Drop·Punch Listening], just this morning experiencing Netero's palm clap.
Roy savored Botobai's martial arts essence, the opponent obviously hadn't reached the "ultimate martial arts" realm, yet faintly had a hint of it.
Even if not quite there, it wasn't far off.
"Young Master, this person is very strong!" Wutong said with a heavy gaze, looking at Botobai.
Not only him, Kate, Kangzai, Illumi by the pseudonym "Jitara Ku", anyone with some level of skill turned their gaze towards Botobai.
This future member of the Zodiac Twelve, Chen Long... known as the man closest to Netero, with a voice like a bell, full of inner strength said, "I am the chief examiner of this Hunter Exam, now announcing, begin!"
With a bold military style, Botobai glanced around, wasted not a second, directly called for Kelu to unveil the word "Illusion", paired with the lingering scent of "bewitching cedar" in the air, began to screen the roll of film from the Mamen Beans called "Pig-headed Man."
Vague, an illusion appeared in sight... the examinees hadn't reacted when they were dragged into a "memory game"!
A vast expanse composed of towering giant trees unfolded before them... Wutong didn't even have time to call out "Young Master," when a fierce axe light swung towards his chest, it was the Pig-headed Man!
With a big head and ears and a pair of fierce tusks, standing straight up at about four meters tall, clad in heavy armor, holding a hand axe in each hand, it sprayed two streams of hot air from its huge nostrils, swung an axe overhead, struck at every "foreigner" who dared to enter the territory of the Pig-headed tribe!
"Ah—"
A shrill scream erupted from the mouths of every examinee in the illusion...
"Bo~" The illusion shattered, in less than a second, over three hundred people were eliminated, unable to withstand even one axe from the Pig-headed Man, snapped back to reality in horror, their legs weakened, falling to the ground...
"What kind of monster was that?"
"Pig-headed body, definitely a magical beast!"
'Damn, the first stage is this hard, it's never been like this before!' In a corner of the venue, Dongba fell to the ground, cold sweat all over his forehead and back... This wasn't his first time taking the Hunter Exam, starting with hell difficulty, this was the first time!
He clutched his chest, panting heavily, split in half by the Pig-headed Man with one glance, heart still pounding, snapping back to reality, scanning around... "Thump... thump... thump..."
More and more people fell to the ground... in less than two seconds, another 50 people were eliminated...
In the illusion, the Bald Ninja Yuusuke was fleeing for his life.
"Boom... boom... boom..." The ground trembled, behind him, the Pig-headed Man swung its hand axe, faster than him, pursued him, swung an axe overhead aiming for his neck...
Yuusuke's soul almost flew away in fright, hurriedly turned over his deepest-hidden move, shouted out, "Invisibility!"
His figure abruptly disappeared, it was the most famous ninja technique of the Sakura Country's Cloud Hidden Stream—Invisibility!
Using the curtain to mimic the surrounding environment, hiding behind it, confusing the enemy's view, Yuusuke often used this move in missions, caught the opponent off guard, killing them every time successfully.
Sadly... the Pig-headed Man is naturally of Enhancement type, far more skilled in the application of "Nen" than ordinary people can imagine, seeing its fierce copper-bell-sized eyes quickly coated with a layer of "Nen Membrane," through capturing "Nen," immediately discovered Yuusuke hiding behind the curtain, then...
Raised its hand axe, swung down fiercely!
The axe blade, enhanced by [Ten], wrapped in blood-red nen, instantly fell...
"Slice—" The curtain was cut open, revealing the Bald Ninja split in two by one axe!
"Bo~" The illusion, shattered!
Four seconds, Yuusuke lasted only four seconds before being eliminated.
He traced down from his forehead to his heart, pupils scattered long before gathering back, like Dongba panting heavily, snapped back to reality, surveyed around, only five people were still standing.
Four he recognized, namely, Kate, the strange man, Wutong, and Roy, who seemed the most composed, unlike the other three with tightly knitted brows!
Four seconds was the limit for ordinary people!
At the top of the passageway, beside the time-reporting cuckoo clock, cameras were densely packed.
Dripping red light flickered...
Netero and Zeno, each on a chair, sat in the entrance of the barbecue restaurant at the venue, eating barbecue, slurping noodles, glancing at the television broadcasting the exam scene, each on one side, empty plates piled high.
"Haha... after four seconds, five people are still standing..."
Not quite, before Netero finished speaking, another fell, it was the Bandage Man, the old man slurped noodles and said, "The examinees this time are stronger than this old man imagined."
Zeno didn't speak, kept stuffing roast meat into his mouth, but his gaze was always on the screen, on the young man holding a staff blade, occasionally glancing at the peculiar man, subtly noticing the peculiar man's body beginning to tremble uncontrollably!
"Ding~" In the illusion, Illumi lifted the disguise and fully reverted to his true appearance.
The young man grabbed a "Nen Nail" in one hand, and held another in his mouth, with hair hanging loose, stepping on "Dark Step" while maneuvering around the Pig-headed Man, who held a hand axe in each hand... The "Nen Nail" struck the vulnerable point, but it was like hitting a piece of solid iron, indistinguishable.
Repelled lightly by the opponent's forceful "Ten", resolving with a light touch, not to mention piercing the armor to hurt flesh, not even breaking through the defense, then was forced to retreat when the opponent seized the opportunity, countered with an axe, coercing him to open distance with the Pig-headed Man.
"Roar!" The axe missed, the Pig-headed Man roared: "Gongerdan, assist me!"
Deep within the jungle of towering trees, with a swoosh, flew out a broad sword, aimed at Illumi's landing spot, grazing his shoulder, taking off one of his arms, rotating back, falling into another Pig-headed Man responsible for "savage collision"'s hand!
Illumi's face turned pale, hollow eyes showing a trace of pain, stubbornly maintaining "Gyo", capturing the opponent's movements, at a certain moment pupils contracted, noticing...
On the tree, deep in the jungle, vaguely cast a few gazes, one among them, merely falling on him, made him involuntarily shiver, swallow saliva wildly...
"It's a larger entity stronger than these two Pig-headed Men in front of me!"
...
At the same time,
In the same illusion.
"Inside the mouth, a roulette is spinning, numbers from 1 to 9, changing into weapons according to the spun number."
"That's me, the crazy Joker, spin for good luck~"
Wearing a green pointed hat, red nose, holding white gloves on cheeks, mouth squarely open, holding a "number", the Joker stopped at number "4"!
Immediately transformed into a hunting gun held by Kate, without hesitation, crazily shooting toward the front.....
Regarding firepower, Wutong of the "Release" system is fiercer, the coins in the pocket had long been spent, ten fingers forming machine gun barrels, wantonly pouring Nen Bullets, unfortunately, like Kate, hit the Pig-headed Man, not painful nor itchy, endured head-on by the opponent, when reaching the front, lifted an axe, slashed the chest cavity!
Five seconds...six seconds...seven seconds, "Pop~" the illusion broke, the young butler's psychological resilience was strong, keeping upright, upon returning to reality immediately looking at young master, Roy immersed like a meditating monk, tightly closed eyes, seemingly fallen into an eerie state...
Eight seconds, Kate was drawn closer, slashed with his head removed, returned to senses...
"Tsk~ didn't hit again....", he seemed regretful for not hitting the jackpot, swept around.....
Nine seconds, Illumi struggled out of the "illusion", unwillingly clenched his fists, exchanged a glance with him, together with Wutong, looked at Roy....
Ten seconds!
Only the yellow-haired youth and Roy remained on the stage, still immersed in the illusion...
Twelve seconds, thirteen seconds...Kongzai awoke, angrily yelled at Botobai and Gai: "Let me in again, I'll definitely tear off those guys' pig heads!"
Unfortunately, no one responded.
Fourteen seconds,
All eyes gathered on Roy.
The young man had a calm demeanor, neither sad nor happy,
Unintentionally,
Became the focus of everyone!
"When encountering Roy Zoldyck, no need to hold back!"
Botobai crossed his arms, recalling in his mind the words Netero instructed Mamen Beans to convey, squinting at Roy, under the exaggerated masquerade, a spark of brilliance flashed....
"Indeed it's you, standing last!"
Future Chen Long said so....
The young man was unaware, reflected in his vision were the Pig-headed Man wielding hand axes...
In an instant of entering the illusion, the sound of the panel prompt resonated beside his ears.
[Hint, detecting familiar memory....]
[re; Game of the deceased connected....]
[Gate of the Dark Continent opens...]
[Note: Host can travel between "Illusion" and "Sea of Cognition" through "Gate of the Dark Continent"....]
As at the initial sacrificial ceremony for grandpa Jager, performed that way—bugging out!