Chapter 32
Not long after Tonpa entered the restroom, a strange ringing sound came from behind the wall at the front of the hall.
The wall slowly rose, revealing a long, shadowy passageway.
A tall, slender figure stood on the other side, holding an oddly shaped alarm clock.
It was Satotz, the examiner in charge of the First Phase.
"Thank you for waiting."
His voice carried clearly to every applicant in the hall.
"Registration for this year’s Hunter Exam is now officially closed."
"The Hunter Exam will now begin."
Haruto studied Satotz with keen interest from nearby.
The man did not appear to have a mouth, yet his voice came through perfectly clearly.
What Haruto found even more curious was how Satotz normally ate without one.
Satotz naturally had no idea that Haruto was wondering about his eating habits.
After a brief pause, he swept his gaze across the applicants and continued.
"One final warning. Depending on your luck and ability, you may suffer serious injuries during this exam—or even lose your life."
"Those who are prepared to proceed despite the danger, follow me."
"Anyone who wishes to withdraw may leave through the elevator behind you."
Satotz remained where he was, calmly waiting for their decision.
Several moments passed, but not a single applicant turned toward the elevator.
Strictly speaking, the applicant whose arms Hisoka had severed had already fled the examination hall before Satotz appeared.
Seeing that no one else intended to leave, Satotz’s expression remained perfectly calm.
"Understood."
"All 405 applicants will participate in the First Phase."
Once he had confirmed the number, Satotz turned and walked into the dark passage behind him.
The applicants hurried after him.
Haruto already knew the entire course of the First Phase, so he positioned himself near Satotz from the beginning, maintaining a moderate distance behind him.
To his surprise, he spotted Tonpa among the crowd.
Haruto had no idea whether Tonpa had taken medicine or put on a diaper, but he had somehow avoided being eliminated before the exam even began.
Continuing despite his current condition certainly required impressive determination.
...
After they had walked for several minutes, Satotz abruptly increased his pace.
His ordinary walk became a brisk stride, forcing the applicants to break into a jog just to keep up.
"I neglected to introduce myself."
Satotz’s voice drifted back from the front.
"My name is Satotz, and I am the examiner responsible for the First Phase."
"From this point forward, I will lead you to the site of the Second Phase."
The applicants stared at him in confusion.
Hanzo was the first to speak up.
"The Second Phase? What about the First Phase?"
"It has already begun," Satotz replied without looking back.
The answer immediately caused a stir among the applicants.
Satotz had clearly expected that reaction. Without slowing down, he continued his explanation.
"Following me to the site of the Second Phase is your First Phase."
Many applicants quietly breathed sighs of relief, their expressions relaxing.
So they only had to follow the examiner to another location.
It did not sound particularly difficult.
That sense of relief did not last long.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Thirty minutes...
One hour.
Two hours...
Time continued to pass, yet Satotz maintained the same rapid pace without showing any sign of slowing down.
The applicants who had initially followed with ease gradually began running out of stamina.
Their breathing became ragged, and their steps grew slower.
The group stretched farther and farther apart.
What had once been a tightly packed crowd eventually split into several separate groups, and those at the very back could no longer see Satotz at all.
Haruto had also fallen well behind the leaders, although Satotz remained within sight.
It was not because Haruto could not run faster.
The applicants keeping pace directly behind Satotz included Hisoka, Gittarackur, Hanzo, and several other dangerous individuals.
Haruto had no desire to attract Hisoka’s attention, so he had deliberately slowed himself down.
...
After running through the tunnel for more than five hours and covering roughly eighty kilometers, the path ahead finally changed.
A seemingly endless staircase appeared before them.
Climbing stairs was far more exhausting than running across level ground, yet Satotz did not slow down.
If anything, he increased his pace again.
Nearly two more hours passed before a faint light finally appeared at the top of the staircase.
They were at last approaching the end of the seemingly endless passage.
Satotz was the first to emerge.
Gon and Killua followed immediately behind him.
Next came Hisoka and the rest of the leading group.
Haruto emerged with the second group, accompanied by several other applicants.
The moment he stepped outside, thick mist rolled over him. The damp air carried the scents of vegetation, wet soil, and stagnant water.
They had arrived at the Milsy Wetlands.
Haruto’s eyes brightened with barely restrained excitement.
The wetlands were one of the mysterious regions where ordinary people were strictly forbidden from entering.
Compared to many other unexplored areas, however, the Milsy Wetlands were considered relatively safe.
That was precisely why the Hunter Association had chosen them as an examination site.
The thought of all the unusual creatures living here—species completely different from anything found in the outside world—filled Haruto with anticipation.
Still, this was not yet the time to search for ingredients.
Suppressing his excitement, he took out another piece of jerky and began chewing at an unhurried pace.
As he ate, he checked both sides of the tunnel entrance.
To his disappointment, the Man-Faced Ape was nowhere to be seen, it probably had not arrived yet.
After thinking for a moment, Haruto moved back toward the tunnel.
If he remained standing out in the open, the creature would most likely be too frightened to approach.
...
More applicants gradually emerged from the passage.
The mist hanging over the wetlands began to thin, revealing muddy, slippery ground covered in thick, thriving vegetation.
Satotz turned toward the assembled applicants, his tone becoming grave.
"These are the Milsy Wetlands, otherwise known as the Swindlers’ Swamp."
"To reach the site of the Second Phase, you must cross these wetlands."
"Many unusual animals live here. Most are cunning and greedy creatures that obtain their food by deceiving their prey."
"Remain close behind me and proceed with extreme caution."
"If you are deceived, you may lose your life."
Many of the applicants’ expressions grew serious as they looked across the wetlands with newfound caution.
Even so, quite a few still failed to understand how dangerous the place truly was.
At that moment, the underground passage behind them sealed shut.
Satotz addressed the applicants once more.
"The creatures inhabiting these wetlands use countless methods to deceive and devour their prey."
"This ecosystem, formed by creatures that trick their victims into becoming food, is why the area is called the Swindlers’ Swamp."
"To avoid being deceived, make absolutely certain that you remain close to me."
With that, Satotz turned and prepared to lead them into the wetlands.