"Then which one is the real examiner?" Faced with this scene, doubt arose among all the examinees.
Satotz remained calm, showing no intention of refuting the accusation, merely watching the newcomer with a placid expression.
'This is bad. Everyone's resolve is wavering because of the grueling underground marathon they just endured.' Seeing some examinees start to view Satotz with hostility, Kurapika frowned.
"Hey, mister, you must have some proof, right? Show us proof that guy is a fake!" Leorio stepped forward, addressing the man.
"Look at this! This creature is a Man-faced Ape that inhabits the Milsy Wetlands! It often impersonates humans, using sweet words to deceive them! That guy over there is its accomplice! They want to trap you all and devour you together!"
The man who had appeared pointed at a peculiar monkey-like creature he was holding. Most importantly, its face bore an uncanny resemblance to Satotz...
"Hearing you say that, I think he does seem like a fake too," Hanzo instantly believed the man's words.
"No wonder his movements were so strange while running underground! It really didn't seem like a normal human!" Leorio added.
In an instant, some of the examinees subtly surrounded Satotz, as if preparing to attack.
Umaru looked at Takeru nervously. She trusted him unconditionally. To conserve stamina and mental energy during the run, she hadn't maintained her Observation Haki and thus hadn't detected the Man-faced Ape's deception.
Takeru, however, stood calmly in place, quietly observing the situation unfold without any intention of intervening.
'Herd mentality. These people have just overcome the first phase's hardship together, creating a sense of shared suffering. Influenced by this atmosphere, it becomes difficult to make calm, rational judgments.' Thinking this, Kurapika's expression grew hesitant.
"Could this also be part of the Hunter Exam?" Gon suddenly spoke up.
His words caused the tense atmosphere to pause momentarily. Remembering the various layers of the Hunter Exam, many snapped back to their senses.
"Gon, can't you tell? Like how you can identify magical beasts?" Hearing Gon, Leorio whispered to him hopefully.
"Hmm, not at all," Gon promptly denied the possibility.
"Even you can't tell?"
"They have absolutely no scent!" Gon stated matter-of-factly.
"If we can't distinguish the truth, then the real examiner should possess an official Hunter License," Kurapika said seriously at that point.
"A Hunter License?" Gon looked at Kurapika, puzzled.
"Only a Hunter would be qualified to judge who is worthy of becoming a Hunter," Kurapika explained earnestly.
"So, that means he is the Hunter! Wow, that's amazing!" Upon hearing Kurapika's logic, the straightforward Gon looked at Satotz with admiration.
"My license was stolen by that guy! Because of a moment of carelessness, everything was taken!" The man who had appeared declared.
"I see," Kurapika murmured, having reached his own conclusion.
"So even with the license card, we still can't tell them apart?" The simple-minded Leorio didn't grasp the meaning behind Kurapika's 'I see.'
However, while they were debating, Hisoka made his move. Six playing cards shot forth, flying toward both Satotz and the newly appeared 'examiner'.
The new 'examiner' was struck by the cards and collapsed to the ground, dead.
Satotz, on the other hand, effortlessly caught the cards flying toward him. The sudden turn of events left everyone momentarily stunned.
"I see," Hisoka said with a slight smile, toying with a card in his hand.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Leorio shouted, confused by Hisoka's actions.
"Isn't this method of identification much quicker?" Hisoka replied calmly, his gaze fixed on the Man-faced Ape playing dead.
Sensing the danger, the ape's eyes snapped open. Without a second thought, it tried to flee. Unfortunately, once Hisoka set his sights on it, escape was impossible. A single card sealed its fate.
"The correct answer is revealed. The gentleman over there is the real examiner. Official Hunters are the goal we strive for… of course, they wouldn't be unable to dodge my earlier attack." Hisoka stated flatly.
"I will take your previous words as a compliment. However, regardless of reason, if you attack me again, it will be considered defiance of an examiner, and you will be disqualified. Understood?" Satotz narrowed his eyes at Hisoka.
Though Hisoka gave him a strong sense of danger, as a Hunter and examiner, Satotz had no reason to back down.
"Yes, yes," Hisoka replied without a hint of sincerity.
"He did it on purpose," Killua said, approaching Gon with a grin.
"Huh?" Gon looked at Killua, puzzled.
"Anyone truly determined to become a Hunter would never be fooled by a disguised Man-faced Ape. The moment that guy claimed his license was stolen, I knew he was a fake," Kurapika explained slowly.
"Heheh..." Hearing Kurapika, both Leorio and Hanzo released awkward laughs, having completely failed to notice.
What shocked Kurapika was that Hisoka had used this opportunity to test the examiner with an attack.
"There's no need to mourn this outcome. For the creatures of the wetlands, life-or-death deceptions like this are commonplace. Eat or be eaten… that is the law of survival here." Sensing some examinees feeling pity, Satotz offered another reminder.
"Alright, time to depart. To the second exam venue." Seeing the time was about right, Satotz announced.
With that, he once again took the lead toward the second venue.
"Don't tell me we're starting another marathon?" Leorio exclaimed in dismay. The brief rest had done little for him, and another run like the previous one would be impossible.
'Damn it. Running on muddy ground will require even more stamina.' Kurapika thought, frowning.
"Gon, let's get to the front," Killua said seriously to Gon.
"Okay. It would be trouble if we lost the examiner," Gon agreed readily.
"That's not the main point. The important thing is to put as much distance between us and Hisoka as possible. That guy has run out of patience and can't wait to kill. I bet he'll use this thick fog to start a massacre."
"I can tell you want to ask how I know, right? By the scent." Killua looked at Gon with a hint of pride.
"Scent?"
"Yeah. That guy and I... we're the same kind of person."
"Is that so? I can't see it at all."
"Because I'm disguised well, just like the Man-faced Ape earlier. Well, you'll understand someday." Killua smiled.
"Kurapika, Leorio, Takeru, Umaru! Killua says it's better to try and run ahead!" Gon relayed the warning seriously.
"You idiot! If I could run faster, I would have done it already!" Leorio retorted helplessly to Gon's seemingly oblivious suggestion.
"Just try to run faster anyway!" Gon insisted.
"I can't!" Leorio shot back.
"Takeru, should we speed up? I can still manage," Umaru asked worriedly, heeding Gon's words.
"No need. This pace is fine. But remember to maintain your Observation Haki," Takeru replied calmly, reminding her.
"I understand," Umaru nodded obediently and focused, expanding her Observation Haki to its optimal range.
"The fog is getting thicker," Kurapika noted with a frown beside them.
"Just like this, we can't even tell which direction to run," He added, as visibility dropped to less than ten meters.
"If you trust me, you can follow me," Takeru offered with a smile.
"...Okay." Studying Takeru's confident expression for a moment, Kurapika gave a firm nod.
It was at that moment they saw, within the dense fog, several figures vanish in an instant or collapse to the ground, motionless.