Everyone looked towards where the ringing came from, only to see a purple-haired man in a suit with a strange mustache on his face.
The purple-haired man announced to all the candidates, "I am Satotz, the Examiner for the first phase of this Hunter Exam. All 405 candidates have arrived. Now, the Hunter Exam officially begins."
After saying that, he didn't give anyone time to react, turned and started walking into the black tunnel.
This scene left everyone confused; although he had announced the start of the exam, he hadn't specified the details, leaving them completely clueless.
The candidates followed him into the tunnel. Over 400 people trailed behind in a scattered manner.
However, as time passed, everyone noticed something was wrong. The Examiner named Satotz was walking faster and faster.
At first, the candidates could keep up with him, but eventually, walking was no longer enough. Everyone started running, desperately trying to keep up.
By now, they understood what the first phase of the exam was. As long as they could keep up with the Examiner's pace, they would pass the test.
Once they were running, Gon finally had a moment to introduce himself.
"My name is Gon Freecss, nice to meet you!"
"Kurapika!" "Leorio!"
Archer had known their names for a long time, but he still greeted them and started to chat with them.
Leorio and Gon shared their reasons for becoming Hunters: one was to enjoy the various benefits that came with being a Hunter, while the other was to find his father.
As for Kurapika, he didn't mention his own past. After all, he wasn't well-acquainted with Archer yet, and it was too risky to reveal his revenge against the Phantom Troupe to a stranger. So, he brushed it off with a random excuse.
Leorio seemed to see through Kurapika's thoughts and changed the subject, asking Archer, "By the way, we haven't heard about you yet. Why do you want to become a Hunter?"
"Me? I've reached the limits of my body through training, so I want to become a Hunter to improve my strength."
Just as he finished speaking, a curious voice sounded from behind.
"Becoming a Hunter can improve your strength? What do you mean by that?"
Archer looked back to see Killua, who had quietly approached on his skateboard at some point.
Seeing Killua was using a skateboard, Leorio shouted at Killua, "You're totally cheating! Why are we all running while you use a skateboard?"
"The Examiner only told us to keep up with him. He didn't specify how, so using a skateboard isn't against the rules."
Before Killua could speak, Kurapika explained first. Then, he looked at Archer and said, "I'm also curious about what you just said. Why are you so certain that becoming a Hunter can push you past your body limits"
By now, everyone's attention was drawn to Archer, and they all turned their eyes toward him, waiting for an answer.
Archer looked at everyone. He had only given a casual excuse and hadn't expected someone to asked about it.
However, telling them about nen wasn't a problem but he will only give them clue. If a certain brother who has needles on his face saw him telling about nen to killua, he will target Archer.
He didn't want to get harassed by an assassin who is constantly looking for ways to kill him.
He glanced around and saw no one else nearby except for their group, so he lowered his voice and said, "Do you know why Hunters are granted so many privileges?"
Everyone shook their heads. Kurapika stroked his chin and said, "Now that you mention it, it is indeed strange. There aren't that many Hunters, and I've never heard of any holding high government positions. Why do they get so many privileges?"
"That's because certain group of people possesses a special ability. This power can drastically increase a person's strength, making modern weapons like firearms completely useless against them. Rather than letting these people run wild, it's better to give them a title and regulate them. Thus, the Hunter Association and Hunters were established."
Killua and Kurapika's expressions changed upon hearing this. Kurapika is looking for phantom Troupe to get his revenge, so hearing about special ability he has understood why phantom troupe is so lawless but wasn't dealt with until now. While Killua understood that his family might also have that special ability especially his brother that's why he felt pressure when he face his brother.
Meanwhile, Leorio and Gon were still confused, but they managed to guess a few things.
Killua tucked away his skateboard and ran alongside Archer, asking, "Since you know so much about this, you must also possess that power Hunters have, right?"
Archer shrugged helplessly and said, "If I had that power, I wouldn't be here taking the Hunter Exam, very few people has that ability."
With the serious talk over, they focused on running again. During this time, Leorio's stamina reached its limit multiple times. If Archer hadn't seen the anime, he would have thought Leorio was about to be eliminated.
To his surprise, Leorio let out a roar and suddenly became full of energy again, as if he'd been injected with adrenaline, leaving Archer with amazement.
Leorio's situation was typical of someone who broke his physical limits. Considering his talent was the lowest among the group of four, being able to break his physical limits prove that characters in battle shonen manga really don't follow any logic!
After running for an unknown amount of time, light finally appeared from the depths of the dark tunnel.
Along the way, Gon and Killua chatted happily, feeling like kindred spirits despite having just met.
The two of them overtook Examiner Satotz together and stepped out of the cave entrance, reaching the end of the tunnel.
After them, the candidates got out of the tunnel. Archer didn't do anything special, hiding among the large group of candidates, thinking to avoid drawing attention as much as possible.
Checking his pocket watch, Satotz said to the group, "You have all performed very well. I now declare the first phase of the Hunter Exam over. Anyone who hasn't reached the finish line yet is disqualified."
"Next, you must follow me closely. We must cross this marshland to reach the venue for the second phase of the exam."
After a brief rest, the candidates were eager to start. Their confidence was soaring, and they felt the Hunter Exam wasn't actually that difficult.
Just then, a man covered in wounds stepped out from behind a tree not far away.
He pointed a finger at Satotz and roared, "Don't believe him! This guy is an impostor! I am the real Examiner for this phase!"
Everyone was shocked! What kind of drama was this now?