chapter 6

Upon arriving at the site of the second test, Hisoka noticed a man waiting for them. The man scrutinized the participants, assessing their level or talent. Besides the man, there were simple hammocks strung between the trees. Then he spoke:

"I am your examiner; my name is Togari. The test you are about to take will take place right here. In 15 minutes, the lake behind me will be teeming with a certain fish called whale fugu. They migrate into the lake for an hour to reproduce and then disappear. Your goal is to capture a whale fugu. To do this, there are 50 devices in the woods that will allow you to catch this fish. Once threatened, it releases its venom. The only way to capture it is to use the device. Good luck."

He turned around and lay down in his hammock.

In the meantime, all the participants ran into the forest in search of a device. Everyone understood that complaining wouldn't change a Hunter's decision. Fifty devices meant fifty spots, and few people would give up their gear even if it was possible.

Amori declared, "We won't split up. Let's search in a nearby area, and if we don't find anything in 20 minutes, we'll attack the participants to take their devices."

Imori: "I'll search in the trees."

Amori: "Alright, Umori and I will search on the ground. If you see a candidate heading towards us, signal us."

They began searching. Eventually, Umori found a device with a picture showing how to place the device on the fish. They stopped their search to study the object. After examining it, they realized it wasn't complicated; the only problem was that the device allowed only one attempt.

Amori: "The test is getting more difficult. One attempt, we can't afford to look for more. We need to steal devices from others. Let's go back to the entrance; I'll try to see and understand how to use this device. Even if I understand, the best way is to use it to learn."

Upon arriving at the lake, Amori removed all his clothes except for his underwear. He had no desire for voyeurism, nor was he an exhibitionist, and he certainly didn't want to get bitten in sensitive areas or worse. A shiver ran down his spine, and he braced himself. He looked at the lake, device in hand, and dove into the water. He could see various species of fish and searched for the one he wanted. He found himself in front of a gigantic monster resembling the described fish. How could something so huge be shy?

Suddenly, it started to split; it was a school of fish. He tried to catch one without the device. In less than a second, it turned dark purple. He made several attempts to get closer and finally managed to approach without the fugu releasing its venom, but he started to run out of oxygen. He surfaced and looked at the shore. Some candidates already had a device, while others were fighting against his brothers to get one. He dove again and tried to stay as discreet as possible. He approached a fugu, placed the device next to its gills, and activated it. A needle struck the brain, killing it instantly. He grabbed the fugu and did the most shameful thing: he placed the fugu in his underwear and returned to the shore. More than 80 people were already gathered. Seeing his empty hands, they lost interest in him. He searched for his brothers, who were approaching the lake. He returned to the shore, took the fugu out of his underwear, and gave it to Umori, who, just as embarrassed as he was, put it in his pants and slowly headed towards the examiner. It didn't take long for the participants to start running towards him. He made the biggest sprint of his life, dodging objects thrown at him. Upon reaching the examiner, he pulled out the fugu and completed his test. He wasn't the only one to succeed; the samurai and a teenager had already passed the test.

The good thing is that Imori and Umori didn't contest my decision to qualify. They understood that our goal required certain sacrifices. Imori looked at me and handed me the device he had taken from a participant. I gave him the empty device and dove to catch another fugu. I saw other participants, including one who rushed towards me. Dodging underwater is difficult; I got behind him and put him in a submission hold. He eventually ran out of air. I took his device, which turned out to be empty, no luck. I surfaced with him to catch my breath and left him there. I dove again. After more than 20 minutes, I approached the shore with another fugu, but things were different; the participants had their eyes fixed on me. I had become prey after being a hunter.