"A… a leopard?!"
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Where did that thing come from?"
"What a large, beautiful feline!"
"Examiner! Isn't that against the rules?"
For a moment, everyone was murmuring. Some were curious, amazed, and astonished by the mount Allen had conjured out of thin air, while others tried to complain to Examiner Satotz, hoping to disqualify this powerful competitor.
Regrettably, Satotz ignored these petty tricks, leading the way in silence. He knew that Nen users of Allen and Hisoka's caliber were already considered among the best in the Association. The Hunter Exam, for them, was merely a formality. Given Chairman Netero's eccentric personality, he would undoubtedly be delighted to welcome both of them.
Meanwhile, Hisoka stared intently at Allen out of the corner of his eye, a pathological smile curling his lips. He muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Interesting! Too interesting! Summoning a beast out of thin air! This isn't a Nen ability, but another kind of mysterious power I don't know about, just like the silver giant wolf he summoned in our last fight. I'm really looking forward to fighting you even more, Allen!"
Since he inadvertently unleashed his wild and intense Aura again, the surrounding candidates were instantly terrified, quickly keeping a safe distance from this extremely dangerous madman. Even Examiner Satotz couldn't help but subtly raise his guard, preventing the lunatic from making any sudden aggressive moves. After all, Hisoka had done it once last year; he had a record.
Perhaps due to the distance, or simply a naturally thick skull, Leorio didn't sense Hisoka's malicious Aura at all. He shouted with dissatisfaction, "Allen! That's cheating! This is a test of endurance! You are blatantly breaking the rules!"
"Huh? I don't think it's cheating. The Examiner just said to keep up; he didn't say we couldn't ride a leopard," Gon actively defended Allen.
"Damn it! Which side are you on?" Leorio spun around, glaring.
Seeing this guy, who looked like a forty-year-old middle-aged man despite being barely a teenager in reality, Allen suddenly felt the urge to tease him. He intentionally replied with a dismissive look, "That's unattractive, Pops. Haven't you heard the saying, 'Men are made ugly by jealousy'?"
"You bastard! Who are you calling Pops?! I'm still a teenager! And this is NOT jealousy!"
Under Allen's deliberate provocation, the already outspoken and impulsive Leorio flew into a rage, repeatedly reaching out as if to yank Allen off his mount. Frustratingly, every time he came close to grabbing Allen, the Swift Stormsaber would instantly accelerate, nearly causing Leorio to trip and fall flat on his face.
"A teenager?"
"No way!"
"Impossible!"
In an instant, the people present all looked incredulous, unanimously refusing to believe him. It didn't help that Leorio looked so mature for his age and dressed like a socialite, not a young teenager.
Just as Leorio was about to lose his mind over the crowd's reactions, Killua, riding his skateboard, suddenly zipped between the two, his expression looking completely relaxed and carefree.
"Argh! There's another one!" Leorio instantly shifted his target of hatred.
"Pops, you're annoying."
Killua delivered the final blow to Leorio's already fragile ego. The latter visibly deflated, running like a zombie while muttering continuously, "Pops… Pops… Pops…"
Sensing the cheerful, noisy atmosphere of the group, a certain emotion suddenly stirred within Killua. He turned to Gon, whose eyes held an innocent gaze, and asked, "How old are you?"
"Twelve! You?" Gon asked back with a smile.
"Same. We're the same age. My name is Killua."
Killua jumped off his skateboard, tucking it under his arm in a cool move.
"My name is Gon Freecss!"
As Gon announced his name, the destinies of the two young boys finally converged. They probably wouldn't believe how intimate their friendship would become, nor how many unbelievable miracles they would create in the near future.
To prevent Killua's sensitive nerves from becoming overly strained by his Aura, Allen quickly sped up his mount and moved to the front of the line, running abreast with Examiner Satotz. Although he had never tested the Swift Stormsaber's maximum speed, he believed it was not inferior to any ground vehicle. Coupled with the mount's characteristic of being immune to injury and perpetual fatigue, keeping up with the Examiner was more than sufficient.
Satotz seemed to have noticed the unusual speed and stamina of the Swift Stormsaber. Slightly competitively, he suddenly quickened his pace, bolting out of the tunnel and into the Visca Forest. Yet, he couldn't manage to pull ahead by even half a step.
However, his reckless behavior severely disadvantaged the candidates behind him. Many whose willpower wasn't strong enough became dispirited after losing sight of the Examiner, giving up the run and being eliminated. Fortunately, Satotz realized this and waited intentionally at the entrance until Leorio and Kurapika caught up, only then announcing the end of the first half of the phase.
What was about to begin was the much more intense, thrilling, and extremely dangerous second half: crossing the Visca Forest, which was full of various magical beasts and traps.
"I think this is a good battlefield. What do you say?" Hisoka immediately approached Allen, suggesting in a lowered voice.
"It's too rushed. I don't believe a fight between us would end quickly. Don't worry, I promise to settle our scores before this Hunter Exam is over." Allen refused without a second thought.
He knew the Fourth Phase would involve hunting each other's number plates on a secluded island, which was the most suitable place for the two of them to fight without restraint. Before then, he didn't want to risk being disqualified for missing a deadline due to fighting.
"Alright. But please hurry. Because I can barely contain myself! You are truly too delicious! Making me want to take a bite right now." Hisoka shamelessly radiated his intense, battle-hungry Aura.
"I feel the same way. I can't wait to turn that irritating face of yours into a pig's head!" Allen clenched his knuckles, making them crack.
"Mm-hmm. That's it! Since we can't fight now, I'll go find some fun first. See you later…"
As the last word left his mouth, Hisoka instantly vanished from the spot.
After confirming that Hisoka's Aura had completely disappeared, Allen rode the Swift Stormsaber to chase Examiner Satotz. With the dual assurance of his Hunter's Mark and Track Humanoids, he quickly caught up with the first group, easily reaching the destination and successfully passing the First Phase.