After Morin took his position, moments later, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio disembarked from the ship one after another.
When it was Hanzo's turn, he cast a wary glance at Morin. Noticing that Morin paid him no mind, Hanzo felt slightly at ease but remained cautious, slowly and deliberately making his way into the forest.
Illumi, disguised as Gittarackur, disembarked without even glancing at Morin as he walked past.
Gretta, contestant number 34, holding a peculiar blowpipe cane, also kept a considerable distance from Morin, taking a wide detour.
A few leaps later, she too entered the jungle. From Hanzo and Gretta's behavior, it was clear they were quite wary of Morin.
Subsequently, the other candidates disembarked one by one.
Until...?
"Contestant number 53, please disembark!"
Miss Kara urged Pokkle, who hadn't moved for a long time.
"I know, I know, you're nagging like a ghost," Pokkle muttered to himself.
Despite his reluctance, he could only step off the ship with heavy footsteps.
It wasn't until he disembarked that Morin lifted his eyes, slowly focusing his gaze on him.
"Will you hand over your badge to me yourself, or should I take it from you personally?"
Pokkle:
He wanted to reach for his bow and arrow, but his trembling hands made it impossible to hold them steady.
"You should have known from the moment I drew your number that there wouldn't be another outcome," Morin said calmly. "If you willingly hand over your badge, you might still have a chance to rise again."
"Defeat your target and three other candidates, and you'll have the six points needed to pass."
"But if I have to do it myself, I can't guarantee you'll leave with your life."
"You should be able to weigh the pros and cons yourself, and I don't want to repeat myself," Morin concluded, retracting his gaze and no longer looking directly at Pokkle.
Pokkle remained silent for a long time.
Finally, with a clear and calm mind, he understood what he needed to do.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled his badge from his pocket with trembling hands.
With determination, he threw it towards Morin and simultaneously fled in another direction.
Morin was right; as long as there's life, there's hope.
He still had a chance to pass!
Morin caught the badge without even looking at it and quietly put it away.
Pokkle's figure disappeared into the forest, and the subsequent candidates continued to disembark one after another.
The next to arrive on the island was Goz.
They both reached the first floor of the trap tower almost simultaneously.
However~
When it was his turn to enter the island, he didn't proceed further.
Instead, under the astonished gazes of the other candidates, he walked straight towards Morin on the beach.
"I want to challenge you to a fight!"
Goz tightly gripped his spear, his eyes filled with unwavering determination and fervor.
From the start, his goal wasn't just to pass the Hunter Exam.
Goz's true intention was to find the strongest warriors in the exam and challenge them to a duel!
This was a tradition of his clan, a fight to the death if necessary!
Originally, Goz set his sights on Hisoka.
Among all the candidates, with Illumi hiding, Hisoka indeed appeared to be the strongest.
Goz, after being critically injured and on the brink of death by Illumi, requested a fight with Hisoka before dying, leading to Illumi letting him go.
But Hisoka, uninterested in fighting the dying, refused to battle Goz, who ultimately died at Illumi's hands.
But now?
Morin's presence drew Goz's attention.
Compared to Hisoka, in this Hunter Exam, Morin attracted even more attention.
---
Morin's presence was overwhelming, and his various displays of skill led many candidates to believe he was even more formidable than Hisoka. He was the strongest in this test.
And indeed, that was the truth.
"Do you want to fight me?" Morin looked up at him and slowly shook his head.
"You don't have the qualification to battle me."
"I know..." Goz clenched his spear tightly.
"But regardless, I want a proper fight with you... just once!!"
As he spoke, Goz suddenly charged forward:
"Even if it means dying here, I am willing!!"
His spear thrust forward, aiming straight for Morin's face.
"Hiss hiss?"
A cloud of smoke instantly enveloped Goz.
"Why..."
Goz's eyes widened as he staggered out of the smoke.
He watched helplessly as Morin, holding a small tube, stood close by. Goz's vision darkened, and he collapsed to the ground, powerless.
"I'm not in the mood to kill today," Morin said, putting away the [Sleep Gas].
Item: [Sleep Gas].
Effect: Anyone hit by the gas will fall into a deep sleep.
A simple and straightforward tool.
"Of course, if I'm bothered by others, that's a different story," Morin added without turning around. "I've sensed your killing intent for a while now."
"Is that so?"
A voice emerged from the forest behind Morin.
"I thought I hid it well."
The sound of nails clattering echoed as a figure slowly emerged from the trees.
Gittarackur—no, Illumi—approached Morin from behind.
"That guy is my prey. Can you give him to me?"
Illumi, with his needle-ridden face, pointed to the unconscious Goz.
"Morin, is he a member of the Phantom Troupe? Or the deputy leader?!"
"What do you think?" Morin replied coolly. "I already said, I don't want to be disturbed today."
"Today... understood." Illumi nodded, his figure disappearing once more.
Clearly, by Illumi's understanding, he planned to return another day.
Illumi wasn't typically an easy person to deal with, but it depended on who was speaking.
The effect of the Sleep Gas wouldn't last long.
Given Goz's decent physical condition, he would likely wake up soon.
If, at that time, he stubbornly sought trouble with Morin again, Morin wouldn't mind giving him a lesson, letting him know what real pain felt like.
Soon after Goz was knocked out by the Sleep Gas, the remaining candidates avoided Morin and entered the jungle.
The entire beach was left with just Morin and Goz.
When the ship's horn sounded, Goz's body stirred.
Slowly, he got up from the ground, his confused gaze gradually clearing.
Remembering what had just happened, he fell silent.
In the end, he didn't say much.
He simply took his spear and turned towards the forest.
His shadow stretched long under the sun, his silhouette incredibly desolate.
Goz.