Night had long fallen. Stars glimmered like diamonds against a deep black canvas. Soaring through this dark expanse was the dirigible carrying the remaining Hunter Exam candidates to their next test.
In a room doubling as a performance hall, the candidates had gathered, most wearing eager expressions, hungry to learn what lay ahead. They formed a circle around a small platform where three figures in black stood—two women and a man.
An announcement had echoed through the dirigible's compartments. Given its serious and urgent tone, many candidates already suspected the reason for the summons.
The man on the platform, flanked by the two women, was short, with a distinctive mohawk and oversized sunglasses. His posture was rigid, his gaze predatory. As candidates filed into the room, he sized up each arrival with a piercing stare.
After the second test, 109 candidates remained—a remarkable number given the grueling difficulty of the first two phases. It spoke to the exceptional caliber of this year's group, a fact that fueled the man's sinister excitement. 'I wonder how many will survive what I have in store. I can't wait.'
His attention locked onto one candidate in particular—a young man with a circus performer's flair. 'So that's him.' Though he hadn't witnessed the incident himself, the report was clear, backed by evidence: a cold-blooded murder of an exam coordinator. Normally, such an act would warrant immediate disqualification, but the man had chosen to let the brazen candidate continue. Something else gnawed at him even more.
Like his men, he'd felt the violent clash of auras on the dirigible's deck, signaling a serious battle between two highly skilled Nen users. Yet only one of the combatants was identified, piquing his curiosity about the other. 'From what I can tell, there are other Nen users among the candidates, but they're good at hiding. Digging too deep would only stoke my curiosity further. Maybe this test will reveal them.'
One of the women to his left whispered something in his ear. Time to start. All candidates were present.
Clearing his throat, the man spoke. "Greetings, everyone. I'm Rippo, your examiner for the third test."
His words silenced the room, the crowd hanging on his every syllable. "It's been a long journey, but we've arrived at the site of the third test." He snapped his fingers, and the floor beneath the candidates lit up like a screen, displaying a nighttime aerial view of an island.
"As you can see, this is an island—specifically, Zebiru Island," Rippo declared, a subtle smile curling his lips.
Men in black suits approached the candidates, handing each a bracelet resembling a smartwatch, equipped with three small buttons below the screen: black, blue, and red. At the men's instruction, the candidates put them on.
Once Rippo confirmed everyone wore their watch, he continued. "These watches are your essential tools for the third test, themed around…" He paused for dramatic effect. "…hunting."
"Hunting? Like animals on the island?" Leorio asked skeptically, echoing the confusion of many.
"Press the black button on your watch," Rippo ordered.
The candidates complied, activating their watch screens. The display showed the Hunter Association's iconic logo in the background, with a countdown frozen at '7d00h00m00s.'
"As you see, the home screen shows a countdown. This is the time you'll spend on the island—seven days, or one week," Rippo explained. "Now, press the blue button."
They did. The screen switched to a blue background with a score of 0/1000.
"The 0 represents your hunting points. The limit is 1000, but your points can exceed this. Only those who accumulate at least 1000 hunting points by the end of the time limit will pass the third test."
"How do we earn hunting points?" a candidate asked.
Rippo raised three fingers—thumb, index, and middle. "You have three main ways to earn points." He lowered his thumb. "Nearly a thousand notorious criminals have been released on this island for this test, and they're one major way to gain points. Each has a digital tattoo on their nape. Scan it with your watch to earn 10 points per tattoo. Each tattoo can only be scanned once. So, you'd need to scan 100 to pass with this method." He lowered his index. (A/N: I know it's tedious but crucial for later. It's a slog for me too, so bear with me.) "The second major way is to hunt each other."
Gasps and murmurs erupted among the candidates.
Ignoring the unrest, Rippo continued. "Your badges contain a chip scannable by your watches. Scanning your own badge yields 500 points; scanning another candidate's gives 100. A badge can be scanned up to two times, and a watch can only scan a given badge once."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"Sounds more efficient than the first method," Leorio remarked.
"Exactly. With this, you just need to scan your badge and five others' to pass," Gon added, agreeing.
"But the rules—badges can only be scanned twice, and a watch can only scan a badge once—make it tricky," Killua said, less enthusiastic.
"Killua's right," Kurapika chimed in. "Without those rules, there'd be a huge loophole to pass without anyone failing."
Though outwardly calm, Kurapika was reeling. This test diverged completely from the original story. He couldn't wait to see what unfolded.
"True," Killua nodded. Without those rules, a candidate could just scan their own badge twice to pass.
*But the examiner mentioned three methods. What's the third?* Kurapika wondered.
As if on cue, Rippo spoke again. "Now, press the red button."
The candidates obeyed like clockwork. A number appeared on a red background, unique to each candidate.
Though intrigued, they stayed silent, knowing Rippo would explain.
He lowered his middle finger. "The number on your screen is the third major way to earn points." Anticipating a flood of questions, he pressed on. "It's the badge number of your prey. Unlike other badges, scanning this one grants 1000 points."
A stunned silence gripped the room. Grasping Rippo's meaning, candidates began hiding their badges from view.
Amused, Rippo clasped his hands behind his back and continued. "With the main points covered, let's address the minor ones. Like you, the criminals have watches, but their stakes differ. Scanning your badge reduces their sentence by 10 years, while you lose 100 points if a criminal scans your badge. The same scanning rules apply: a badge can be scanned twice at most, and a watch can only scan a badge once. If a criminal's tattoo is scanned, their chance at a reduced sentence ends, but they'll remain active on the island until the time's up. Unlike your watches, theirs can't scan tattoos. Penalties apply to you too. If another candidate scans your badge, you lose 200 points; if it's your hunter, you lose 500; if it's your prey, you lose 1000. You can trade points with another candidate by touching your watches together. A sync prompt will appear, and if both agree, a trading window opens for point exchanges. No trades are allowed between criminals or between criminals and candidates. Your watches sync with your heartbeat. If your pulse stops for over a minute, the watch disconnects, disqualifying you. Your points transfer to the nearest active watch within 30 centimeters. If none is present, the points are lost. Though durable, watches can break or get damaged. I suggest you take care of them, as a broken watch means disqualification and loss of all points, with no transfer to nearby watches. Stealing a watch might seem tempting, but each has a serial number tied to your name. You can take or steal a watch, but you can't claim it as your own. That's the gist of what you need to know."
"Man, that's a ton to keep track of," Gon groaned, losing the thread.
"I bet memorizing this by ear is part of the test," Killua said. "I don't know about you, but this feels like the real first test of the exam."
"What were the last two, then? Appetizers?" Leorio shot back sarcastically. Though he agreed the third test seemed perilous, he couldn't stand the idea of downplaying the first two, as it felt like dismissing his hard-fought efforts.
"Alright, everyone!" Rippo shouted, clapping to regain attention. "Explanations done—it's time to start the test. Follow me."
Rippo and the two women descended from the platform and left the room, the candidates trailing like ducklings. They reached the dirigible's drop zone, where each candidate was given a parachute for landing on the island.
"We'll proceed in ascending order of your badge numbers, with a two-minute gap between jumps," Rippo announced. "The test begins once all candidates have landed. That's when your watch countdowns start. Until then, no scanning is possible. Good luck."
With that, Rippo retired to his quarters, leaving a few men in black to oversee the drop.
"Looks like we're splitting up for now," Killua said nonchalantly, his badge number 181.
"See you down on the island!" Gon said, brimming with energy.
"If you don't die first," Leorio teased.
"Says the guy most likely to croak," Kurapika quipped playfully.
"What was that? Say it again!" Leorio huffed, irked by his juniors' disrespect.
The drop began. A few jumps later, it was Killua's turn. He gave a cool wave and leaped. More jumps passed, then Leorio's turn came.
"Here goes!"
Then Gon's. "Let's do this!"
Finally, Kurapika's. Strong winds whipped his golden hair as his gaze fixed on the island far below. "This is going to be thrilling."
With a light hop, he jumped.
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