Chapter 23 : The conflict between Hisoka and the Examiner!!

After knocking for about ten more minutes, the man with long blue hair finally opened his eyes. He casually tossed aside the iron rod and tripod at his feet, put his large hands on his hips, and scanned the crowd around him.

Everyone who met his gaze straightened up automatically, a reaction that seemed to please him. But when his eyes landed on Germain and Hisoka, his satisfaction wavered.

Hisoka was idly crushing a frog with his foot, just enough to squish it, but not enough to kill it. It looked like he was toying with it indefinitely. 

Germain, meanwhile, was calmly munching on a sandwich, taking bites of the meat and fried egg without a care in the world.

These two... they're as troublesome as Izunavi and Ian said, the man thought. But let's see if I can fix that.

He coughed a couple of times to clear his throat. "I'm Togari, the examiner for the third phase of the Hunter Exam. Congratulations to the 52 of you who made it through. We'll continue from here."

Almost half the candidates had been eliminated in the second phase, mainly due to the traps set in the mansion behind Togari, along with the fighting among the candidates themselves. 

If this exam was like a game with "red names" to indicate hostility, Hisoka's name would probably be glowing bright red.

Just as Togari was about to continue, Hisoka stood up and interrupted him.

"Examiner," he said, his voice smooth and casual. He'd grown bored of the frog and had finally crushed it underfoot. "How many more exams are there this year?"

Togari was irritated by the interruption and his voice grew colder. "The number of Hunter Exams each year is usually between five and six. Sometimes there are exceptions..."

"Good to know," Hisoka cut him off again, raising his hands dismissively. "I was worried that this dull exam would go on forever."

The morning air was already chilly, but with Hisoka's words, the atmosphere felt like it dropped a few more degrees. A shiver ran through the candidates.

"Boring?" Togari was repeatedly interrupted, and upon hearing that word again, his forehead creased with irritation, veins visibly pulsing with frustration.

Hisoka, without a hint of hesitation, nodded casually. "The first test was about finding cards. The second test involved spending a night in a house filled with traps. What's the third test going to be?"

As he spoke, he produced a deck of playing cards and began to shuffle them in a mesmerizing fashion. The cards fluttered and cascaded like petals from a blooming flower, dazzling anyone who watched.

"Your exam won't be as interesting as my magic trick, will it?" Hisoka teased, a playful edge in his voice.

Togari narrowed his eyes, his tone stern as he said, "I'll determine the rules for the third exam. If you're not happy with that, you can withdraw from the exam."

Hisoka shrugged with an amused smile. "Ah, you're threatening me again. I get it. If the examiner isn't pleased, you don't get to pass."

Seeing Hisoka's seemingly cooperative stance, Togari took a step forward, assuming he'd asserted his authority, and smirked. He then addressed the candidates with a proud air:

"The reason I woke you all at four in the morning is to test your 'roots'! If you're too lazy to be a proper hunter, you won't stand a chance—you'll fail!"

"The content of the third exam relates to this. The mist rising from this mountain spreads all the way to the church cemetery at its base. Your task is to find the cave from which this mist emanates..."

Before Togari could finish, he caught a glimpse of Hisoka stretching dramatically, while also hearing a lazy yawn from the back of the crowd.

"Tsk."

Togari, barely containing his anger, saw this behavior as a blatant provocation and could not let it slide. He drew two gleaming knives from his sleeves, his tone dropping to a menacing level: "You two, stand up."

The sudden shift in atmosphere left all the candidates stunned, their eyes darting between the two people Togari pointed out—Hisoka and another candidate named Germain.

Hisoka pointed to himself with an exaggerated expression of surprise, "Are you looking for me?"

"Stand up," Togari commanded, his voice icy and firm.

"There's really nothing I can do," Hisoka said with a smile as he stepped out of the crowd.

The people gathered in front of Togari parted like the Red Sea, creating a path for Hisoka and Germain to walk through.

Germain was puzzled about what had caused Togari's anger. He tossed his empty backpack onto the grass and stepped forward, following Hisoka. 

The three formed a triangle in the center of the clearing, their auras intense and nearly palpable, though none of the other candidates could see it.

Togari held his knife, shaking it slightly like a serpent about to strike. "You candidates who think you can become hunters, you're not qualified. You owe me an apology for your disrespect," he said, his voice carrying a dark edge.

Germain blinked, his black eyes steady. Hisoka's lips curled into a mischievous grin, but neither of them moved.

Togari's face was dark as the night, his eyes glinting with hostility. "Is that so? I've heard there are two troublemakers among the candidates. It seems true. I'm not going to let you pass the exam, but before that, I need to show you the consequences of your actions."

Hisoka turned to Germain, while casually flipping a playing card between his fingers. "What do you think we should do about this?" he asked, a playful edge to his voice.

Germain kept his composure. Though many people had started to notice their camaraderie, he maintained the act of not knowing Hisoka. 

"I don't think I've done anything that requires an apology," he said calmly. "If you mean my yawn earlier, that was because I had to get up at four in the morning, and I didn't get enough sleep. So, if you think about it, it's kind of your fault."

Hisoka noticed that Germain wasn't willing to talk with him, so he shifted his focus to Togari and asked, "You think we're unqualified? What if the examiner lacks the knowledge and skills necessary to make the right judgment?"

Hisoka's words ignited a fire within Togari, who was already on edge. It was as if Hisoka's taunt pushed him over the line.

Togari stepped forward and assumed an aggressive stance, shouting, "Then I'll show you my knowledge and skills!"

He quickly closed the gap between himself and Hisoka, holding a knife in his right hand. Initially, he aimed the tip at Hisoka's throat, but at the last moment, he diverted it toward Hisoka's arm. 

Though Togari was furious, his role as an examiner imposed a certain restraint. Rather than striking a lethal blow, he intended to merely wound Hisoka as a warning.

Togari expected the cover of night to help him execute his plan undetected. He aimed to pierce Hisoka's arm with his right-hand knife, then swiftly lower himself to drive his left-hand knife into Germain's thigh. 

The swift and calculated movements were intended to shock and frighten them into compliance.

In Togari's mind, this demonstration of power would reaffirm his authority among the other candidates—killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.

However, as Togari launched his initial strike, things didn't go according to plan.

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