Three days later, on Zevil Island.
A total of twenty‑seven examinees had managed to stand out.
That was still three more people than in the manga's original timeline.
This time the person explaining the test's rules and content was a young woman dressed very much like a Heavens Arena announcer.
In brief:
Each examinee draws a random number tag to determine their "hunting target."
The target's tag is worth three points.
Your own tag is also worth three points.
You need six points in total to pass.
So an examinee must both take their target's tag and protect their own; only then do they qualify for the next exam.
That obviously raises the difficulty and injects a lot of uncertainty.
Any tag that is not your designated target counts as one point.
Bottom line: you must collect six points, no less.
Everyone will remain on Zevil Island for one full week. Seven days later they must return the way they came, bringing back tags totaling six points.
Strictly speaking, this round is meant to test the very "essence" of a Hunter.
The little island before them is about to turn into a killing ground brimming with danger.
There will definitely be injuries and deaths.
Hunters and prey.
Hunting and being hunted.
Examinees will step onto the island in the order they cleared the third exam—the Trick Tower—each pair departing two minutes apart.
Originally, Xiang Nan, as the top scorer of the third exam, should have been the first to set foot on the island.
But right now he was not standing in the queue of candidates at all; instead he was beside the female announcer, plainly no longer sharing the same status as the others.
Announcer (cheerfully, hands raised to introduce him)
"Here's the situation… Examinee #176 was the first to clear the third exam, and during the impromptu test on Battleship Island he also grasped the chief examiner's intent ahead of everyone else. In recognition of that exceptional performance, the chief examiner has decided—at his own discretion—that #176 may skip the fourth exam entirely and advance straight to the next stage."
A wave of puzzled stares swept over the crowd.
"…"
"Huh?"
"What?! That's outrageous—why does he get a free pass?"
"Exactly! That's basically cheating!"
Several examinees protested on the spot; even Leorio wore an openly sour face.
Announcer (calmly)
"A gentle reminder, everyone: the chief examiner has full authority to judge or waive any candidate. #176's special status has already been reported to the Association and approved by the committee. In other words, this announcement has the blessing of the higher‑ups.
If any of you had performed just as brilliantly—or better—during the earlier rounds, I'm certain you would be the one standing beside me now."
"Whether in terms of performance or raw ability… does anyone here believe they out‑class #176?"
Silence.
After a moment the crowd settled down.
Those who had made it this far had felt Xiang Nan's strength first‑hand; they could only accept it, though their hearts were far from calm.
He himself hadn't expected this outcome. Stepping off the airship, Examiner Lippo had told him on the spot.
He figured Lippo simply wanted to boot the "cheater" out of the game before more chaos erupted.
It was also possible Lippo feared that Xiang Nan's presence would cause needless casualties in a test already designed to be bloody.
Either way, Xiang Nan was guaranteed to pass; the other examinees were talents in their own right—if they washed out they could always retake the Hunter Exam. If they died here, that would be a shame.
Better to prevent trouble.
After all, this test was practically a mix of hide‑and‑seek and all‑out brawling, with very few restrictions.
"Amazing…" Gon, hiding nearby, couldn't help whispering in awe.
With Xiang Nan out of the running, Hisoka became the first to step onto the island.
Everyone else followed in turn.
The twenty‑first person was Gon.
He looked serious, for the number tag he'd drawn belonged to Hisoka.
That meant Gon would have to confront Hisoka head‑on—quite possibly a fight to the death.
Serious as he was, Xiang Nan still caught a flash of excitement in Gon's eyes.
A true Hunter is born to crave challenge—that's their common trait.
Sadly, Xiang Nan would not get to witness Gon's spectacular trick of snagging Hisoka's tag with a fishing rod.
As for Manman, Xiang Nan wasn't very concerned.
Barring surprises, she would clear the test—among this batch only Hisoka and Illumi rivaled her; even Hanzo the ninja couldn't beat her.
So when everyone had shipped out, Xiang Nan alone remained at the island's edge—
Cheating again, in a different form.
Yet even this "cheating" the candidates accepted; outwardly, at least, none dared complain.
…
Sometimes plans fall apart.
The arrival of Xiang Nan and Manman had produced butterfly effects; up to now the exam's course hadn't changed much… but a snag finally appeared.
A week later Xiang Nan watched faces re‑emerge one by one, tags in hand.
His eyes flickered.
He did not see… Manman.
Only when Gon's group appeared did Xiang Nan's uneasy premonition solidify—
Sure enough, Manman had failed and been eliminated.
She trailed behind Gon, glancing at Xiang Nan on the shore, head bowed, nervously twisting the hem of her skirt. She was afraid he'd be angry.
Gon also looked apologetic, as though he wanted to explain.
"What happened?"
Xiang Nan gently patted Manman's head and asked in a low voice.
Manman opened her mouth, hesitated.
It was Kurapika who finally spoke up and sketched the events.
Xiang Nan listened, then shook his head.
"Forget it—if it isn't her year, we'll wait for the next."
He comforted her.
Under normal circumstances Manman should not have been eliminated.
Her chief mistake had been provoking Hisoka.
As a "player," Manman didn't grasp every plot detail. She was inherently pure‑minded and often let Xiang Nan's warnings slip. Her little brain had limited capacity; she'd forgotten that even without her stepping in, Gon would still pass and receive Hisoka's tag—
In fact Hisoka would hand it over voluntarily.
But once she learned Gon's target was Hisoka, she mustered her courage to help him take on the magician. The result goes without saying:
Hisoka beat Manman to a pulp.
If not for Xiang Nan's face, she might have died.
Given Hisoka's nature, the fact he'd shown restraint already counted as mercy.
Xiang Nan turned his head toward Hisoka, who had long since returned and was sitting on the ground building a house of cards. Hisoka, back to Xiang Nan, curled his lips in mischievous delight as though feeling Xiang Nan's gaze.
Clearly, Hisoka had waited until the last possible moment to strike Manman; otherwise, with her ability, she could have rallied and earned the remaining points elsewhere.
What surprised Xiang Nan most was that while Manman was a little down, she wasn't devastated.
Instead, Gon's success seemed, to her, the best possible outcome.
To help Gon, the timid girl had dared tangle with a dangerous figure like Hisoka—a boldness that contrasted sharply with her usual self, even if she'd relied on Xiang Nan as backup.
"That kid…" Xiang Nan cast a sidelong glance at Gon.
Did Gon possess some special magnetism for Transmutation‑type Nen users?
Killua, Hisoka, and now Manman—each took an inordinate interest in him.
Manman might be a player, but her simplicity meant you couldn't judge her by adult standards.
Still, Xiang Nan wasn't too bothered by her elimination. She could just try again next year—it only cost time.
After all, she'd dug the pit herself…
He also wondered what exactly motivated Hisoka to attack Manman. The girl was a "fruit" as well—if not as tempting as Gon, still rather rare. Perhaps Hisoka wanted to probe her Nen and gather intel.
Soon the surviving candidates boarded a Hunter Association airship.
Destination: the site of the final exam.
Counting Xiang Nan—who had advanced automatically—the number entering the ultimate trial was exactly ten.
~~~
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