Chapter 35: An Interesting Proposal
"Before we proceed to the location of the fourth phase..."
Lippo snapped his fingers, and a bald burly man slowly pushed a small cart over.
"Please come forward to draw lots first," Lippo said with a smile as he looked at the crowd.
"Draw lots?"
"Why do we need to draw lots?"
...
The examinees all showed puzzled expressions.
Mord chuckled softly and spoke up, "Of course, it's to determine the hunter and the prey."
Lippo, having had his line stolen, shot Mord an annoyed glance—this irritating guy again.
He nodded and said, "That's right. This draw will determine the hunter and the prey."
"In this box before you, there are twenty-eight cards, each marked with the corresponding examinee number assigned to you."
"Now, please draw lots in the order you passed the test."
Under everyone's gaze, Mord walked up to Lippo.
"Is he the first one? I thought it would be Hisoka."
"I thought so too."
...
Seeing Mord step forward first, the examinees behind him murmured in surprise, clearly not expecting the first person to pass the Trick Tower to be Mord.
After all, Hisoka was the one everyone acknowledged as a monster. If Hisoka had been first, there wouldn't have been so much controversy.
Mord casually picked a number plate, glanced at it, and tucked it into his pocket.
The remaining examinees stepped forward one by one to draw their lots.
"Has everyone finished drawing?" Lippo asked after the last examinee had taken their number plate, then continued, "Now tear off the strip attached to the card."
The examinees followed the instruction and tore off the strips from their cards.
"That is your respective target."
Before Lippo's words had fully faded, everyone instinctively reached to cover the number plates on their chests, quietly removing them.
"All the numbers you've drawn are now recorded in the memory card inside this box, so you can dispose of these cards as you wish. What you need to seize is your target's number plate."
"Of course, there are no restrictions on how you obtain the number plates. It's fine if you kill your opponent first and take it easily."
"Next is the most crucial part, so listen carefully."
Lippo raised his voice and declared loudly, "Your own number plate is worth 3 points, and your target's number plate is also worth 3 points. Any other number plates are worth 1 point each. To qualify for the final exam, you must accumulate 6 points."
"Within the time you remain on Zevil Island, you must collect number plates totaling 6 points or more. This is the passing condition for the fourth Hunter Association exam."
"If there are no further questions, please board the ship."
...
On the ferry heading to Zevil Island.
"To all passengers who participated in the third test, thank you for your hard work!"
"I'm your guide, Khara," said a cute young woman wearing a Hunter Association uniform, standing in the middle of the ferry.
"This ship is expected to arrive at Zevil Island in two hours. Additionally, all twenty-eight examinees on board will receive complimentary round-trip tickets to next year's exam venue."
"So if you don't pass this year, don't be discouraged. You're welcome to challenge it again next year."
The scene fell dead silent, the atmosphere unbearably tense. No one paid any attention to the guide.
The guide could only leave the deck in disappointment.
Mord's gaze swept over the crowd.
The battle had already begun.
Everyone tucked their number tags into their chest pockets, concealing themselves while simultaneously observing others.
In the upcoming exam, each person would be both hunter and prey.
Under the watchful eyes of countless observers, Mord openly walked toward Hisoka in the distance.
"Oh, something interesting again?" Hisoka didn't look up, still focused on his card-stacking game.
"Should be quite interesting. Seven days is too long—I want to end this quickly," Mord said, lifting his head to glance at the nail-covered freak in the distance. "That one came with you, right?"
"When did you notice?" Hisoka raised his head to look at Mord, seeming to want to see through the young man before him.
Because Mord had brought him far too many surprises.
"Not only do I know you came together, I also know his true identity. Later, invite him to join us," Mord said.
Then he leaned in close and quietly explained the plan.
Upon hearing Mord's plan, Hisoka's entire body began to tremble.
...
After two hours of sailing, the ferry arrived at Zevil Island and docked at the shore.
Mord looked up to see the entire island covered in dense greenery, where even his line of sight was severely obstructed.
This location was indeed the most suitable place for hunting.
Before disembarking, the guide explained the rules.
All examinees would disembark in the order they passed the third exam, with each subsequent examinee landing five minutes after the previous one. The stay duration was one week, after which the ferry would return. Only examinees holding six-point number tags would be allowed to board.
These rules clearly favored those who disembarked first, as they would have ample time to hide and then observe their chosen prey.
And this advantage was rightfully earned through the examinees' own abilities—completely reasonable.
"The first examinee may now disembark."
Mord stepped off the boat but didn't head into the dense forest. Instead, he stopped on the sandy beach along the coast.
Everyone looked on in confusion, while on the other side, the guide checked her watch. Even as five minutes passed, Mord still showed no intention of moving.
"The second examinee may now disembark."
Hisoka stepped off the boat accordingly and, under everyone's gaze, stopped at the coastline just like Mord, then turned to face them.
What in the world was going on?!
A sense of unease inexplicably welled up in many examinees' hearts.
Five minutes passed.
"The third examinee may now disembark."
The nail-covered freak walked off the boat with an eerie gait and surprisingly performed the same action as Mord and Hisoka.
Only then did everyone realize.
These three had positioned themselves in three different directions, blocking all routes into the island.
What were they doing standing there?
On the ferry, the examinees began to murmur among themselves.
Mord's eyes were deep like dark pools, Hisoka squinted with a neurotic smile on his face, and the nail-covered freak was clearly a monster.
These three seemed to have made prior arrangements—what exactly were they planning?
Tick, tock...
The second hand on the guide's watch kept moving.
Finally, five minutes had passed.
"The fourth examinee, you may disembark now."
Hanzo stepped off the boat with a stern expression, cautiously watching Mord and the others while remaining ready to react at any moment.
Meanwhile, Mord and his two companions had begun playing rock-paper-scissors.
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