"Who would have thought we would meet the person we were looking for while trying to shop for weapons? Besides, look at this amazing craft; it's truly world-class." Ives commented as he looked at his new sword. His was a medieval-style Long Sword with gold accents on the hilt, adding to the luxurious feel of the sword. Sharp, durable, and beautiful, perhaps that weaponsmith had overdone it, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Even though he loves his fist, it doesn't mean he hates using weapons.
"You're right; mine is also wonderful. It's so sharp; even gently touching the tip makes my finger bleed." Biscuit also commented while admiring her weapon. Unlike Ives, hers was a katana. The wavy texture and thin body were undoubtedly very pleasing to the eye.
Just like him, she actually prefers her fists. If Ives chooses a Long Sword, she tends to choose a shorter one. For a girl like her, a long sword will only hinder her movement.
Previously, when this weapon was still being forged, they stayed at an inn near the shop. It was strange to think that such a good weapon could be finished in just two days, but Ives suspected that the enthusiast guy might be a Nen Genius. What is a Nen Genius? As the name suggested, they could use Nen without even realizing it, and some of these Nen Geniuses were Benny Delon, Neon Nostrade, and Komugi. It just so happened that Benny Delon was also a weapon maker.
After the weapons deal, the two were led to a room with a secret door inside. The weaponsmith explained that behind the door was a short tunnel that led to the Underground Arena. After giving his customer the needed information, he excused himself and left.
Ives and Biscuit entered and walked through the dark tunnel, and sure enough, at the end of the tunnel was a large room with a magnificent arena illuminated by bright light.
Unlike before, they arrived late this time because several participants had already gathered. There were twenty people in total, including them.
With all the participants gathered, the Examiner, sure that no more participants would be present, immediately gave special instructions.
This is the Final Stage of the Hunter Exam. In this Stage, participants are required to compete in an Arena against other participants. Twenty participants will be divided into two groups, so this match will be held in two different arenas.
Only four of the ten people competing in the Arena will qualify and be matched again with four other participants who qualified from the second Arena.
The rules are straightforward: defeat the opponent, and killing is prohibited. So, in this battle royale, weapons are allowed, but again, killing is prohibited; if violated, the participant will be disqualified.
When Ives and Biscuit heard their names called, they were disappointed because they had to compete in different arenas. But it didn't matter; they could meet again at the finals if they qualified.
The ten people in the Arena came from different backgrounds. Some were martial artists, some were hunters, some were rock climbers, and so on. Ives glanced at each of them and began to evaluate their strengths.
Five of the ten participants are considered strong. If the five participants can be eliminated, the chance to qualify for the final Stage will be very high.
"Fight!" The gong blared. The ten participants present in each Arena immediately launched their attacks.
'Tch!' Stepping to the side, Ives avoided the attack from behind. Facing the man, he tripped him with his leg.
"Shit!" The man cursed as he lost his balance.
As the guy hit the floor, Ives clenched his fist and slammed it into his neck. With one blow, he was knocked out.
One down, five left. Moving swiftly, Ives moved to the right side of the Arena, blending himself in to make it harder to see. The other contestants were already pounding on each other, some even ganging up on each other.
Even though he tried his best to blend in, some still noticed his presence. One of them rushed over while raising his baseball bat. When he was within swinging range, the man swung his bat vertically, and Bang! The sound of a hard object colliding was heard loudly from inside the Arena.
Ives raised his sword and managed to thwart the attack. Even so, he still felt a slight tingling sensation in his arm. This man's swing was indeed quite strong.
Drawing his weapon back, Ives took two steps back to gain distance and prepare for a counterattack. He slammed it right into his opponent's center point using the bottom of the sword's hilt.
"Ahh!!!" That man screamed and spat out his saliva. That stomach blow was undoubtedly harrowing.
Holding the sword with his left hand, Ives clenched his right fist and then uppercut his opponent right under his chin. That guy's body flew into the air and fell with a loud thud.
"Two down... No, four have fallen." Seeing that two other contestants were lying on the floor, two more, and he could advance to the next Stage.
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