Chapter 4: Chapter IV
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"The true master does not seek to run away from Death.
He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying."
—Albus Dumbledore, on the Master of Death
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Stepping out of the tunnel, Harry shielding his eyes with his hand from the blinding light, or fog in this case. There was nothing worth mentioned since the place covered with fog Harry had to wait for it to disappear before he can observe the place, but when a place surrounded by fog means that it has moist land, and since the Examiner did not say anything about it then the exam is still running.
Rummaging his backpack, Harry took two bottles of water and tossed it to Leorio who was on his knees catching his breath and opened the second one before chugging it. Kurapika was taking the bottle he was offering when Gon, who was sitting on the floor with Killua, greeted the three of them and politely refusing when Harry offered.
"Is this our destination?" the blonde asked after drinking and Harry pondering on how much Kurapika trusted him to accept his offer even if he drinks it before.
Harry shrugged internally. He thinks it was not important now as Gon confirmed his thought while Kurapika eyeing him for a second and the time the fog was fading, he can see the green scenery of forest and sounds of chirping birds far away.
It seems they still had a long journey, as the examiner explained about the land called The Numere Wetlands or known as Swindlers Swamp which was the place of many dangerous animals and it was required for them to cross it to reach where the Second Phase Exam placed.
"If you let them fool you, you're dead."
'That was ominous alright.' Harry thought, ignoring the sound from the tunnel closing. The examiner continues his explanation behind the name of Swindlers Swamp. 'Trickery and deceit, it seems like an interesting bunch of animals'. The examiner also warns them to stay close to him. Harry's sure the drop rate will be huge this time.
"What a joke, how can they fool us when we're expecting it?" and the deceiver certainly appears after Leorio said his piece.
"You jinx it, Leorio." Harry sighed softly. 'Let's see how they'd respond to this matter.' Folding his hands on his chest, he leaned his back to the wall, watching the scene played in front of him.
"D-don't fall for it. He's lying to you!"
Raising his eyebrow at the person who pointed accusingly to the examiner, Harry's mouth twitched at how ridiculous it sounds. 'There's no way anyone would fall for that.'
"He's an imposter! He isn't an examiner, I'm the real one!"
"An imposter? What's going on?" Harry's eyebrow twitched when he heard convincing voice of Leorio and the several examinees.
He shakes his head, disappointed. 'They had a long~ way to go.' As he was seeing a look from Gon face when he saw a monkey the deceiver dragged which had a face almost similar to the examiner. 'So it was the trickery means. Man-Faced Ape, one which can mimic others appearances and it was definitely still alive.' Harry hummed, 'and the deceiver apparently really good at his job.'
Listening to the examinees, Harry's shoulder tensed when a spike of Killing Intent roused from a certain someone as three of six of cards pieces flew towards the deceiver and embedded into his rib, chest, and head, killing him instantly when the other three graciously caught between the examiner's fingers. All of the head turned to look at that person.
Hisoka the Magician.
"I see… I see… That settles it. You're the real one." Hisoka said nonchalantly ruffling his deck of cards while the other examinees look at Satotz disbelievingly.
"That's the simplest way to prove it." The red-head glanced his way and smirking at him when he heard that comment.
Harry blinked owlishly.
"Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."
Harry agreed, but it seems the examiner wouldn't put an attack for them lightly. If he remembered it right, an attempt for crippling or killing an examiner would result as disqualification. This Satotz let it go as a warning for the next time there will be no mercy, to put it lightly.
But, Harry actually was really curious about this Satotz. There is no mouth but he can speak. Is there a possibility that Satotz was a Man-Faced Ape who evolves or maybe had a high enough intelligence to become a hunter? Curious… Curious…
[You sound like the old Olivander for a second there, Master.]
'Death, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you do your work? 'Harry's eyes carefully traced the area around him, searching for Death's figure among the crowd of Hunter exam participants but he did not find him. Harry's attention was then distracted by the sound of vultures enjoying the deceit's corpse. 'Of course, where there is death there is Death. How can I forget about that?'
'Oh, because you're here-' [Master seems to miss me, huh?] Ignoring the comments from Death, Harry continued 'I was curious about the aura of Fate in this world, why did I see more than one blessed person? This is different from what you explained.'
[Hmm, it was actually different in this world, Master, it was the Destiny instead of the Fate's blessing. Fate bless someone who is a person that bears the burden of the world given in the form of prophecy and because of this world does not have such things, all living things have an aura of Destiny instead of Fate's in themselves and that is related to each individual but not everyone can improve their destiny. Destiny still gifted her blessing to the person she likes, whether that person would be an evil or a good person in the future.]
'So you mean, this world is just a playground for Destiny?'
[Not a playground, Master but only one of her entertainment's sources.]
The veins in Harry's head began to twitch, 'And you brought my soul into a world like this!? Where the Destiny giving her blessing to humans just for her self-entertainment!?'
[Ah, Master does not need to worry. Here in this world, Destiny will not do more than gift her blessing to someone, all that they do is purely from their own decisions and desires. Destiny only gives potential, nothing more.]
Maintaining his Occlumency, Harry gritted his teeth, 'You think your explanation should've reassured me, huh!?'
[Oh, look Master, the test has begun again. I will excused myself~]
Groaned, Harry covered his face with his hand, deciding to put the matter behind for now and began running with the rest of the examinees to the second phase.
In the beginning, the fog was fading but the more they run it will be thickened further and with how long the first run was there is a possibility that it will be longer than before. In this rate, the fog will be too thick to see anything further also they can't figuring it out if Satotz did was increasing his pace or whether the sound of their footsteps was real or not. The ground was not as solid as before because of the water in it and it increased the weight with every step requiring more energy almost like running on the sand.
It will be a perfect way to decrease the number of examinees.
•
In the lavish room sat a blonde woman who seems almost in her late twenty, she impatiently tapping her finger on the mahogany desk she was occupying while looking at the contradictory message she received a few months ago.
Her eyebrow furrowed. She was curious at first when he mentioned the hole in his memories but it slowly became a worry when he did blatantly refusing her aid and escalated to anxiousness when he told her not to communicate with him unless he did it himself first.
Groaned, the bright blue-eyed woman opened the folder which was displayed on her desk. Her eyes analyzing the information about the teenager's activities since he leaves the Hotel's building.
She knows what she did was really selfish.
The woman can't help but worry, because the information on the teenager definitely worrying. But for now, she decided to let it be. He will tell her when he wants to.
After all, she's nothing if not patient.
•
"Leorio, Kurapika, Hari! Killua says that we should move up!"
When Harry heard Gon's shout, he realized that it must be the tension brewing in the air around Hisoka making the silver-haired kid antsy. It looks like two of them would run further, but the other two seem like keeping their paces and he decided he would do so too. Losing his way was the last thing he worried about.
He had the Four-Point Spell after all.
"I'll be alright, guys!" he shouted back.
But to think that the first phase only contains running was so boring even if it was to tests our physical and emotional capabilities.
'At least, Hisoka wouldn't be bored to death with this phase.' Harry thinks disappointed, 'Should he join the party?' he shakes his head, 'No, that would be risky since Hadrian's nen was too lethal for combat, and I don't want to expose my magic, yet.'
The best action he should do for now is to lay low.
And that was when he heard the screams ahead of him. To saw a few people fall from mushroom's toxin and butterfly's dust was really bizarre.
It was something he can not ignore.
Stopping on his track, Harry opened his backpack, took a few glass jars and cast a few spells to himself before taking a few mushrooms and butterflies. Resuming on his run, Harry did catches several small animals and takes plants on his way..
'Hmm, it would be useful in the future.'
As Harry approaching the main runner's line he spotted the white-haired kid, Killua, heading in his direction.
Waving his hand Harry greeted him, "Hey, there you are!"
"Yo!"
Tilted his head a little Harry asks, "Where's Gon? You were with him before, right?" after affirming in confirmation Killua told him that maybe Gon was coming to check on Kurapika and Leorio since he said he was worried for them.
'Crap, they wouldn't get caught on Hisoka's scheme, would they?' Harry thought bitting his lip in worry. Turning his head at Killua, Harry patting the white-haired kid's shoulder lightly, "I'll go catch up to you later, kay."
Ignoring the dumbfounded and confusions on Killua's face, Harry sprinted towards the way Killua coming from before.
"Point me Gon Freecs!"
Following the direction from the light Harry finally found him, but the current situations rather dire. Gon was lifting on the air by the hand of Hisoka who gripped his neck tightly.
Deciding to intervene, he conjured small daggers from a few silver coins he had and to throw the three of it at Hisoka. The red-headed man loosened his grip on Gon before backing away.
Harry was sure Hisoka had the capability to catch it if it isn't for the element of surprise.
Gripping Gon's shoulders, Harry's eyes never stray from Hisoka, "Are you okay, Gon?"
The spiky-haired kid coughing a little while massaging his throat, "Y-yeah. Thanks, Hari."
The corner of his eyes spotted Leorio unconscious form with a huge bruise on his left cheek, but nothing serious or life-threatening, fortunately.
There's only one missing.
"Hisoka-san, you wouldn't happen to know where Kurapika is, would you?"
His eyes glinted with amusement, "Saa, what do you think, Hari-chan?"
Harry's eyes narrowed, "I hadn't given you permission to use that particular name, Hi-chan."
"We are even, then." Hisoka smile widened as he throws three cards simultaneously.
Harry and Gon react at the same time, avoiding it to the other sides. Hisoka desires a strong opponent and as Harry was a new specimen in the red-headed's eyes, he definitely would go for him.
Preparing the daggers on the each of his hands, Harry shouted at Gon without taking his eyes off his current opponent. "Gon! Take Leorio with you! I will meet you at the second phase!"
Gon wants to disagree but seeing the looks on his friend, he changed his mind. "Alright, I'll wait for you, Hari!" Hauling Leorio on his back Gon looking at them for a second before he took off.
"Well, let's see how you will faring, Hi-chan!"
A demented smile on his face was the answer.
•
Gon's POV
Gon was skeptical.
The first time he met Hari, he thought of him as a person who was detached from anything, apathetic, but Gon never judged a person without knowing them first. It just a small part of him that thought that way, so Gon decides to try to get to know him. Knowing the real Hadrian, not the shell he lets people see, and Gon understands that it can't be forced.
Mito-san always says to be patient, and the longer he spent the time with them then they will slowly open up a little by little.
Like the grandpa who lives on the side of the village.
Mito-san told him that the grandpa was a former Marine who lives on the sea. He was fighting in countless battles in his youth and lost many of his friends.
She said the sadness of losing someone important in your life would do that to someone, sometimes.
And it will never be cured.
We can only move on.
Hari reminds him of that grandpa but different. He doesn't know how to phrase it. It just feels like that. That's why when Hari show that he cares even a little, Gon was happy. It's like a weight have been lifted from his chest.
He wants to be friends with Hari.
"Gon! Are you all right!?"
Looking up at the familiar voice, his face brightened when he saw Kurapika's approaching figure.
"Kurapika!"
•
In front of the gate of the second phase of Hunter Exam, Killua's eyes noticed a familiar figure approaching. His smile widened when he saw Gon with Kurapika tagging behind. Killua jogs lightly when they came into the clearing and raised his eyebrow at Leorio's unconscious state.
Noting the lack of another person, he turned to Gon, "Hey, Hari was looking for you in the forest. Did you meet him?"
Gon nodded, "Uh-uh."
"Hmm..." Killua drawled and pointing at Leorio's swollen cheek, "So, what happened to him?"
"The truth is-"
"Excellent work, everyone." The first phase examiner announced, "Phase Two of the exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park." He stood in front of the gate with Hunter's emblem on it, "So, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you"
After the First Phase's examiner leaving the clearance, the sounds of gate opening was heard. Looking inside, there are several tables and grilling equipment.
"Looks like this phase would involve foods."
Turing his head at the voice behind him, Gon's face lit up when he saw him. Bouncing up a little Gon greeted him, "Hari!" but faltered after realizing a familiar red head beside the brunette teen.
Gon's eyes widened, while the other three a bit wary. Hisoka's eyes narrowed, licked his lower lip before he strode over them that made Kurapika sweating a little even if his gaze previously only locked on Gon.
"Let's come in, guys."
As all of the remaining applicants entered, the examiners of Phase Two introducing themselves. A petite woman who had turquoise-hair with 5 top knots style named Menchi, she wears a bikini top with a mesh shirt worn over it, alongside daisy duke denim shorts and a huge man resembling a giant named Buhara who had a big belly, he wears a yellow shirt and moss green trousers.
Rolling his eyes, Harry found himself quite amused. The examinees always provide a problem or drama he would say. 'They want to be a Hunter but they can't deducing something so simple as this kind of exam nor antagonizing someone who had hands in their results.'
"Foolish." He whispered softly.
Gon's glancing at him for a second, with a good hearing, of course, he would catch his words. "Maybe not everyone is a decent cook," Harry talked without taking his eyes of the female examiner who begin to get irritated, "but mocking Hunter who takes pride in their job would not end well, especially if they're our examiners."
Gon nods. Kurapika closes his eyes as he was at the hearing range, "That's kind of problematic, but we can't know for sure."
"Trust me, that kind of woman had a temper." Harry shrugged, "Best we try our luck."
"Yeah! Let's find pigs!"
'Gon, the ever-positive kid.' Harry smiles.
"Yeah, Let's."
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