Ryusei found a relatively comfortable position and prepared to settle down and rest. He faced the prospect of waiting here for more than sixty hours—over two full days—until the final candidates completed the third phase of the Hunter Exam.
"Would you like to fight with me next?" Hisoka's voice cut through the quiet of the large room. He looked at Ryusei with a familiar, predatory, and somewhat perverted look. The pitiful defeat of Bendot had done nothing to sate Hisoka's appetite for combat; it had only sharpened his desire to test the high-quality potential he sensed in Ryusei.
"Don't worry, it's just an ordinary competition," Hisoka promised.
"Forget it. If we really fight, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to hold back," Ryusei replied, his gaze serious. He did not believe Hisoka's claims of self-control. Fighting would inevitably awaken the magician's bloodlust, and once indulged, Hisoka would not restrain his true, lethal strength. Ryusei had no desire to die as an appetizer.
"Ah~, you really know me very well!" The expression on Hisoka's face intensified, morphing into a wider, more delighted grin.
But after a moment's hesitation, Hisoka dropped the subject of the competition. He turned, found a seat some distance away from Ryusei, and settled down. If I can't control myself during the competition, Ryusei's high-quality little apple will die, he reasoned. This is not what I want to see.
Seeing Hisoka walk away, Ryusei breathed a silent sigh of relief, though he also felt helpless about being targeted by the "perverted fruit farmer." He knew that in the upcoming fourth exam, he would have to make every effort to avoid Hisoka. If Hisoka's suppressed murderous intent were to burst out, and Ryusei were still seen as the "little apple that has not grown up," the magician would eliminate him without hesitation.
The hours dragged on within the confines of the Tower of Deception. A few hours after Hisoka and Ryusei passed, Gittarackur (Illumi in disguise) entered the room. Then came Hanzo, and slowly, the numbers grew.
Finally, at the 71 hours and 59 minutes mark—the absolute last minute—Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tonpa burst into the room, marking the end of the third phase.
In total, 26 people had passed the final challenge, though one died shortly after arriving. This meant 25 candidates would proceed to the fourth and final exam.
Stepping out of the oppressive Tower of Deception and looking at the vast open world, Ryusei couldn't help but stretch, his mood instantly lifting. The interior of the tower, despite its size, had been undeniably depressing.
Lippo, the examiner for the third phase, slowly walked in front of the gathered survivors.
"Everyone, congratulations on successfully escaping from the Tower of Deception," he announced. "Next, there is only the fourth and final exam left. The fourth exam will be held over there on Zevil Island." Lippo pointed behind him to the large island visible nearby.
He snapped his fingers, and a staff member pushed a small cart containing a single black box toward the group.
Under everyone's curious gaze, Lippo continued. "Next, I'd like to invite everyone to come over and draw lots."
"Draw lots?" The candidates murmured in confusion. "What is the lottery going to decide?"
"The Hunter and the Hunted," Lippo explained calmly. "Inside this box are 25 number cards, each bearing a candidate's test number."
At this revelation, a few candidates immediately grasped the implication and subconsciously covered their personal candidate numbers. Ryusei, who had known the rules from the start, had already hidden his number tag long ago.
However, Ryusei was briefly curious: What would happen if I drew my own candidate number? Would that simply grant him the required six points to pass the fourth exam directly? Ryusei thought it was highly plausible. If "luck is also part of strength," the Hunter Association would likely recognize that success.
"Then, each of you will draw one card in the order you left the tower," Lippo instructed. "Next, first person please."
Hisoka, the first to emerge, took the lead. He walked forward and drew a card at random. The front of the card was covered with a white sticker, concealing the number underneath. Hisoka didn't seem to care and simply stepped away.
Ryusei then stepped forward to draw, followed by Gittarackur, Hanzo, and the rest.
Once the last person, Tonpa, had drawn a card, Lippo spoke again.
"Everyone has finished drawing. Then please peel off the sticker on the card."
At Lippo's signal, everyone uncovered their cards. Ryusei was secretly hoping to find his own number, but upon opening it, he saw Number 53.
Ryusei recalled that No. 53 was Bodoro. A lucky guy who ended up quite unlucky, Ryusei thought. Bodoro would later die during the Chimera Ant arc, his body consumed to strengthen the Ant Queen—a tragic end that significantly boosted the enemy's strength.
However, Bodoro won't die that way this time, Ryusei resolved. I'll eliminate him directly.
"That's your goal," Lippo said, looking calmly at the candidates.
At this time, all the candidates finally understood the cruel reality of the Fourth Phase. Many subconsciously tried to conceal their identifying candidate numbers.
Lippo then added a crucial detail: "The numbers you drew just now have all been stored in the memory of this box. So you can destroy the cards in your hand at will." This prevented candidates from simply trading the cards.
"The target of the hunt is the number tag on the prey."
Upon hearing this, many candidates' expressions changed from confusion to dread.
"What?! So they're not killing each other!" Amori, one of the three brothers, breathed a sigh of relief. He thought the objective was simply to steal the number tag. Given the sheer number of strong candidates this year, killing one another would have been too risky for him.
Lippo glanced at Amori, then spoke calmly, correcting the dangerous misconception.
"Of course there are no restrictions on the methods of robbing. You can also kill the prey first and then slowly take away the number plate."
This was the Hunter Exam; peace was not an option. Hearing this, the atmosphere among the candidates grew intensely tense.
Lippo ignored the sudden wave of anxiety and continued explaining the scoring system.
"Everyone, listen carefully. The number plate on the candidate you are targeting is worth three points."
"My own number plate is also worth three points."
"The other number plates are worth one point."
"To advance to the final exam, the score required is six."
"You must collect a total of six points worth of number plates during your stay on Zevil Island. This is the passing requirement for the fourth Hunter Exam."