The plateau ended abruptly in a sharp drop. Below stretched the Numere Wetlands — a sea of pale green reeds, dark water channels, and thick, rolling fog that swallowed sound and light alike. The air smelled wet and alive, like moss and rotting leaves and something faintly sweet underneath.
Satotz stood at the edge, unmoving.
"Phase Two begins beyond this point," he said. "The path is narrow. Stay on it. Do not stray.
The creatures here will try to separate you from the group. Do not listen to them."
He stepped forward.
The remaining applicants followed — fewer than ninety now, strung out in a loose line down the muddy slope.
Akira walked near the middle, Gon on his left, Leorio on his right. He kept his pace even, matching Satotz without effort. His Endurance made the uneven ground feel almost flat.
The fog closed in within minutes.
Visibility dropped to ten meters, then five.
Sounds muffled — footsteps became dull thuds, breathing turned soft and close. The world shrank to the people immediately around them.
Gon looked around, eyes wide but steady. "It's like the swamp back home… but bigger. And quieter."
Akira nodded. "Too quiet. Stay close."
Leorio wiped sweat from his brow. "This fog is unnatural. Feels like it's pressing on my chest."
Akira felt it too — the air heavier, thicker with moisture and something else. His scanner pinged softly.
[Alert: Environmental Deception Field Detected. Aura Interference: Low. Mimic Entities Approaching.]
He kept his voice low. "They're already here. Listen carefully — only trust voices you recognize."
The first mimic came from the left — soft, pleading.
"Help… my leg… I can't walk…"
A girl's voice. One of the applicants who had fallen behind earlier.
Several people slowed, heads turning.
Akira spoke calmly but firmly. "Keep moving. It's not her."
Gon hesitated for half a second — then nodded and kept walking.
Leorio muttered, "Creepy as hell."
The voice changed — became Leorio's own mother, soft and worried.
"Leorio… come back… you're going too far…"
Leorio stiffened.
Akira glanced at him. "It's not real."
Leorio clenched his jaw. "I know. Damn things."
They pressed on.
The path narrowed to a single-file line along a raised dirt ridge. Water lapped at both sides — black, still, reflecting nothing.
Another voice — this one Gon's Aunt Mito.
"Gon… why are you leaving me? Come home…"
Gon's step faltered.
Akira moved closer, voice steady. "Gon. Look at me."
Gon turned, eyes glistening but determined.
"It's not her," Akira said. "She's safe on the island. She wants you to keep going."
Gon swallowed hard, then nodded. "Right. Let's go."
The voice faded.
More mimics appeared — shapes in the fog, wearing familiar faces, calling names, begging, threatening.
Akira watched every reaction.
One applicant stopped completely, tears streaming, calling out to a dead brother. He was left behind.
Another laughed nervously, tried to joke with the mimic, then screamed when it lunged. Pokkle shot an arrow through its head — clean, precise.
Kurapika walked past every illusion without a glance, hood low, expression unreadable.
Hisoka glided through the fog ahead, unbothered — occasionally turning to look back at Gon with that same hungry smile.
Akira noted it all.
Two hours into the wetlands.
The fog thickened until they could barely see the person in front of them.
Satotz's voice drifted back, calm and clear.
"Do not speak unless necessary. Conserve energy."
Silence fell over the group.
Akira's mind stayed active.
He calculated:
Remaining applicants: ~82 (estimated).
Average pace: 4.8 km/h — sustainable but punishing.
Fog density: Increasing by ~3% per hour.
Mimic aggression: Rising — from calls to physical attempts.
He pulsed Ren in tiny bursts — just enough to keep his muscles oxygenated, his senses sharp.
[Ren Mastery: 46% → 47%]
[Side Mission Progress: Maintain Composure in Deceptive Environment – 35%]
Gon walked beside him, breathing steady but heavy.
"You okay?" Akira asked quietly.
Gon gave a small grin. "Yeah. Just… weird not seeing anything."
Akira nodded. "We're still on the path. That's what matters."
A shape appeared ahead — humanoid, staggering.
It looked exactly like one of the applicants who had fallen behind earlier — the heavyset businessman.
"Help… please… I can't… keep going…"
Several people slowed.
Akira's scanner flashed.
[Entity: Man-Faced Ape Mimic. Threat: Moderate. Physical Attack Imminent.]
He spoke clearly, voice carrying just enough.
"Don't stop. It's not him."
The mimic raised its head — face splitting into a too-wide grin.
It lunged.
Akira reacted instantly.
He adapted the creature's explosive lunge, closed the distance in two steps, and drove a precise, Ren-enhanced palm strike into its sternum.
The mimic flew backward, crashing into the reeds.
It dissolved into mist and fur.
The group exhaled collectively.
Leorio stared. "Kid… that was fast."
Akira stepped back to Gon's side. "They'll keep coming. Stay focused."
Gon looked at him with quiet admiration. "You're really strong."
Akira shook his head. "Just paying attention."
They continued.
The fog pressed closer.
The path twisted.
And the mimics never stopped calling.