On the cruise ship.
As night fell, this already vast steel vessel became even more silent.
Kevin and the others sat on the balcony connecting several rooms, enjoying the sea breeze.
"Your fishing skills are really amazing," Bajiao said with a hint of envy. He was born in an island nation but didn't possess such skills.
Two sea fish hung nearby. This wasn't Kate's limit, but two he had carefully selected from the many fish he caught; the others he had released.
Watching him carefully select them, someone who didn't know might think he was choosing tonight's dinner at a seafood market.
"When I was young, I lived in a slum, so I had to master various skills for getting food," Kate explained from the side.
Saying that, he gutted the sea fish with his bare hands. Before Bajiao and Goreinu could even react, he had sliced the fish fillets off with his bare hands.
"Did you hide a knife?" Bajiao asked, confused.
Kate shook his head, "Just a small technique."
Kevin naturally saw that this was achieved by attaching Nen to his fingers, something that could be done with a little Training.
After slicing the fish fillets, Kate took out a seasoning kit and lightly sprinkled some simple seasonings. Tonight's dinner was ready.
"You two don't seem too used to eating sashimi?" Kate asked, looking at Kevin and Goreinu.
Kevin nodded, "Whether it's steak or other food, I don't like to eat it half-cooked. Sashimi is no exception, of course."
Goreinu also nodded along from the side.
After all, they didn't live by the sea and weren't very used to this kind of food.
Bajiao, on the other hand, had a look of intoxication, clearly long accustomed to sashimi.
"If you rarely eat sashimi and have a sensitive stomach, there might be problems. It's still two days and three nights until we reach shore," Bajiao reminded them. It would be troublesome if they got diarrhea now.
"It's okay, it won't be long before someone comes to exchange things with us," Kevin said. Just as his voice fell,
There was a knock at the door.
"Here they come," Goreinu said with a smile, then opened the door.
Standing at the door was Tonpa. What he was holding was the small stove that Kevin and the others wanted to exchange for during the day.
"Sorry to bother you all. I'm here to exchange some tools with you." Saying that, Tonpa held up the small stove in his hand and shook it, indicating it to everyone.
"Two life jackets," Kevin stated the condition.
Hearing this request, Tonpa was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, "That's impossible. This isn't a seasoning kit; many people on this ship can use this."
You should know that besides not providing food, the ship also doesn't provide water.
"So I offered double the price of the seasoning kit," Kevin said seriously.
Tonpa looked at him.
"No, it has to be four."
"Just two. Since when can stolen goods be sold at the same price as new ones? Haven't you ever fenced stolen goods?"
Kevin's words made Tonpa fall silent.
A moment later, Tonpa decisively nodded and left after completing the exchange.
"He agreed to two?" Goreinu was a little surprised.
Kevin smiled, "Of course. From the time this item left its original owner until it reached our hands, it should have only passed through two people, so giving two is enough."
Furthermore, he couldn't wait to exchange that night, which clearly carried malicious intent. A little cheaper is fine.
This guy, almost instinctively, was doing bad things, especially to newcomers, talented newcomers.
This stove was clearly solar-powered and very convenient to use on the ship. With it, the few of them immediately started grilling food. Coupled with the seasoning kit next to it, they should be able to live quite well during their days on the ship.
Goreinu indeed had good cooking skills, no wonder he was very interested in the seasoning kit.
"That Tonpa, his purpose has long been twisted," Kate suddenly said.
Bajiao nodded, "That guy is particularly malicious. I heard that in the third phase last year, he never intended to win from start to finish."
"He even tried to trick me into drinking juice," Goreinu seemed to remember something and added.
After all, having taken the exam for thirty years, his mentality had become twisted at some point.
"Haha, looking at it this way, he has become a trial in the exam. Twisted and malicious inside, yet unaware that he is doing what he hates most," Kevin said with a laugh.
"Who knows," Bajiao mused.
"However, newcomers who can withstand his deception and attacks generally achieve good results in their first exam," Goreinu seemed to know more about this aspect of information.
At least Tonpa's eye for people is something one has to admire.
He doesn't provoke every newcomer. He can even judge how to quickly devise targeted plans to break down the opponent's spirit through simple communication and their behavior.
The few of them chatted like this and soon returned to their rooms to rest.
The next morning, the entire ship went from yesterday's silence to being noisy. The corridors and deck were filled with insults and arguments.
"You bastard, how dare you steal my stuff!"
"Steal? There's no such thing. That was mine to begin with, hahaha."
"Had a good harvest yesterday, huh."
Such noises reached a climax at the deck exchange area.
Due to the rules, the stolen items were exchanged directly on the spot. You couldn't prove the item was yours, nor could you snatch it back, because fighting was prohibited. Facing the rogues who stole, insults had almost no effect.
Today's exchange scene was much more "lively" than yesterday.
Kevin and the others leaned against the edge of the deck, enjoying the sea breeze.
"How pleasant," Bajiao sighed.
At this moment, he couldn't help but want to express his feelings - compose a poem.
"That guy is watching us," Goreinu indicated towards the direction of the exchange area.
Kevin looked over. It was the young man who exchanged the radio yesterday. The stove was his item.
"It seems he hasn't realized yet. His eyes look like he's accusing us of stealing his stuff," Bajiao turned his head to look and said.
Kate shook his head, "No, he must have doubts himself, otherwise he wouldn't just be standing there watching."
"Don't worry about it. For us, the important thing in the second phase is to maintain good condition and be ready for a potential shipwreck at any time," Kevin said. The situations before the shipwreck were just appetizers.
Acquiring supplies and utilizing tools rationally were all for being in better condition during the shipwreck, increasing the chance of survival.
Those who were smart and foresighted had been preparing for this all along.
Inside the Captain's cabin, Waha was bored, leaning against the wall and staring blankly at the monitor wall.
"Those guys are too leisurely, aren't they? Are they really here to take the exam?" At this moment, the monitor screen he was watching showed the four of them chatting idly on the deck.
The Captain stood with his arms crossed and said calmly, "Because they've been doing the right things. Doing the right things naturally deserves a corresponding reward.
"These four people should have known each other before coming. In this exam, they are naturally allies to each other. Compared to other teams, their trust is more solid.
"And they were the first to board, so they easily guessed the purpose and potential problems of the second phase and obtained the necessary tools in advance, making preparations.
"They have enough strength to protect their items. In this situation, it's only natural that this exam is easier for them."
Although the Captain said this, his gaze was actually fixed on Kevin.
He could feel that the other three were gathered together with Kevin as the link.
"Besides, you can see that those two guys are Nen Users. As long as their strength is sufficient, they can naturally move freely and maintain a peaceful state of mind." In this situation, the scheming beforehand and the survival during the shipwreck later,
None of it matters much to them.
For the four of them, the boring time passed quickly. They remained completely outside the treacherous atmosphere on the ship. Time came to the afternoon of the third day.
Still on the deck, but the exchange meeting no longer existed. To be precise, since yesterday, the exchange meeting had devolved into a begging meeting.
However, this didn't have much practical meaning, after all, no one would give food to competitors, and even if they did, it might be poisoned.
One has to say, these candidates had their own methods. On a ship with scarce resources, they were actually able to obtain various drugs that, while not fatal, would severely affect one's condition, and use them for poisoning.
Because the rules didn't say you couldn't poison.
Now, more than half of the candidates were experiencing various problems, not only severe hunger but also food poisoning, dehydration, and other issues.
"I wonder how many people will be eliminated this time," Goreinu sighed.
The condition of the four of them, apart from looking slightly gaunt, had not changed much compared to when they first boarded the ship.
There really weren't many candidates in as good condition as them.
"Tonight is the last night," Bajiao said. Although he showed little emotion on the surface, he couldn't help but feel a hint of tension inside.
"Mm," Goreinu nodded. He was also a little nervous, because if nothing unexpected happened, the ship would sink tonight.
This was also the reason why the exchange meeting was particularly deserted today. After these few days, the fact that the ship would sink was no longer a secret. Almost everyone knew, but they all kept it to themselves and secretly made preparations.
"It might be the most intense time later. The remaining survival items will become the focus of contention," Kate said, pulling at his newsboy cap.
The Hunter Exam has always had a high death rate. Once the ship sinks, that will be real danger.
If they couldn't reach the destination, the Hunter Association might really let those who fall into the water fend for themselves. Of course, they might also arrange rescue, but no one could say for sure.
"Alright, the sun has set, let's go back and rest," Kevin said.
Hearing this, Bajiao couldn't help but turn and look at him, "You can still sleep in this situation?"
Kevin looked at him strangely, "What's there not to sleep about? A ship this big won't sink to the bottom of the sea instantly. Even if it's going to sink, there will be obvious signs. Don't worry, I won't sleep too soundly. I can wake up immediately if there's any movement. Relax."
Kate also nodded in agreement from the side, "If you don't rest well, it will be very troublesome when the time comes."
Because this ship goes directly to the venue of the third phase, it's almost explicitly telling everyone that there's no time to rest in between.
Maintaining good condition now is the advantage for the third phase when it comes.
Goreinu couldn't help but admire the two, being so calm in this situation.
Inside the Captain's cabin, the Captain looked at the situation on the monitor screen and suddenly picked up the intercom next to him.
"Connect me to all ship broadcast channels."
"Yes." The operator adjusted the equipment as requested.
"Cough cough, this is the Captain. After tonight, we will arrive at the venue of the third phase.
The ship's current direction of travel is the island where the exam venue is located. Tonight is the last night.
So I hereby announce - all previous rules are void, you are - free." After saying that, the Captain cut off the broadcast.
"You guy, you have the nerve to talk about me, you're much more malicious than I am," Waha was clearly a little surprised.
After all, the examiner for each phase has great autonomy in arrangements. Although she and the Captain were both examiners, she wasn't clear on how the other party set up the exam, only occasionally exchanging information on the general situation like the exam venue location for cooperation.
"This isn't malicious, this is a necessary arrangement," the Captain laughed, his face full of anticipation for a good show.
"Tch." Waha snorted disdainfully, but quickly her eyes lit up again as she stared at the monitor screen, because something interesting was about to happen.
At this time, the four who had just returned to their room heard the broadcast and immediately realized that the situation was about to become extremely bad, and they would also become targets for snatch (grabbing).
After all, everyone knew they had life jackets, and some people who arrived early and had some knowledge also knew that Kevin had a life raft, which was the only life raft on the ship.
"It seems we won't be sleeping tonight," Bajiao frowned and sighed helplessly.
Goreinu also had a helpless look, "I knew it wasn't that simple."
More importantly, the candidates on the ship had accumulated a lot of resentment and conflict over the past two days. Previously, due to the rules, everyone could only keep it to themselves.
And now, on this last night, everything will be decided by strength.
Even candidates in poor condition would take the opportunity to retaliate against those they disliked. The battle that was about to erupt on the entire ship would definitely be extremely brutal.
Kevin and Kate exchanged glances and, without a word, got up and walked directly to the door, opening it.
Their decisive action startled Bajiao and Goreinu. After all, in this situation, they were the targets of everyone.
"Hey, hey, we need to discuss this. Rushing out so rashly is too dangerous," Bajiao quickly urged.
Goreinu also quickly chimed in, "Yeah, there are quite a few people who have been unhappy with us these past few days."
Actually, it wasn't because of anything they did, but simply because they acted too relaxed, which aroused others' jealousy.
Unexpected hostility would arise from jealousy.
However, Kevin and Kate had already opened the door and were standing outside.
Bajiao and Goreinu exchanged glances, sighed helplessly, and followed them out, ready for battle.
At this time, some candidates were gathering in their direction.
"Hey, Tonpa, aren't you going for such a good opportunity? I remember you really hate those guys," an older candidate asked with a smile.
Tonpa just looked at him and waved his hand, "Sorry, I hate fighting the most. If you want to go, go yourself. I don't want to get involved."
"Is that so? Heh, then take care of yourself." After saying that, the person followed the crowd towards Kevin and the others.
Looking at the person's back, Tonpa seemed to be looking at a foolish person going to their death, and he curled his lip, "Idiot,
This guy really has no foresight."
You should know, he also participated in the third phase last year. Although he deliberately caused trouble for newcomers and was eventually eliminated,
He had personally witnessed how formidable Kate was when he fought last year.
That was not something ordinary people could deal with, let alone with Kate being stronger this year.
Moreover, that newcomer named Kevin's relationship with Kate was clearly not ordinary.
Tonpa had taken the exam for thirty years, and his eye for people was already very seasoned. He knew exactly who was not to be provoked.
That newcomer named Kevin gave him an indescribable sense of danger. Although the other party looked very kind,
He would never be mistaken.
He would naturally not participate in this kind of thing.
At this moment, Tonpa suddenly said inexplicably, "You guy, you really are impatient."
Tonpa turned his head to look. Behind him was the young man who sold the radio, who was also the previous owner of the stove.
The young man looked at Tonpa with a confused expression, "Why do you keep targeting me? We don't know each other, and we don't have any grudges.
Why would you do something so dishonorable?"
"No grudges?" Tonpa sneered, his face revealing a sinister and twisted expression, "When you take the exam at this age and show a certain talent, we have grudges.
"What I like to see most is the sight of you newcomers breaking down!"