The participants boarded the ship one by one.
A female examiner warmly welcomed everyone.
"Congratulations to all the examinees on passing the tough fourth exam," she began. "Being here proves you are all exceptional. I am your guide to Zevil Island, Carla."
"First, I have good news. The 26 of you who have made it here, if you fail this Hunter Exam, the Hunter Association will unconditionally invite you to the examination site next year. So, even if you fail this time, please don't be disheartened or discouraged. You can always try again next year."
"For the next two hours, everyone can move around freely. I hope you all have a good time."
However, the mood among the examinees was far from joyful.
From the outset, everyone was in a competitive relationship. From the preliminary contests through the long first exam across the marathon tunnel and the Milsy Wetlands, the difficulty was evident from the number of examinees eliminated.
The second exam faced the deliberate obstacles from Menchi and Buhara.
Even the previous exam formats were completely replaced with new ones.
The third exam was no easier, involving mechanisms, death row inmates, and tests—a comprehensive challenge.
By the time they reached Battleship Island, despite the Hunter Association's claims of a rest period, it was still an exam, nearly resulting in a total wipeout of the examinees.
Now, at the fifth exam, it was a brutal hunting game. During the fourth exam, examinees needed to cooperate to pass, so they maintained seemingly good relations on the surface. But that was just superficial, necessitated by the challenges requiring joint efforts.
Most people who made it this far in the Hunter Exam had been navigating society for a long time. Friendships aren't easily formed, especially once the hunting mode started.
Between the examinees, it was all about competition. If you harbored any kindness, unwilling to harm others, you might very well be killed by someone else for it.
With that in mind, it was best not to feel any goodwill towards anyone.
Once the fifth exam was underway, everything that came before was in the past.
Before boarding the ship, the examinees had already removed their number tags, hoping to conceal their information and gain an advantage in the upcoming exam. Not everyone did this; some confident in their abilities kept their tags visible.
Ron sat in a corner, pulling out a card with the number "371" written on it.
"I remember this number," Ron mused, scanning the crowd.
Examinee number 371 had hidden their tag, but Ron remembered who it was.
"The sniper who performed well on Battleship Island?"
Ron's gaze followed the direction where Geretta was likely located, recalling Sally, a sniper in his own team.
Sally, a survivor from a small country destroyed by the world's underworld, had lost her memory due to a severe blow. Ron had found her, and most of her companions were dead.
"Sally's talent isn't high," Ron thought. "And because she overexerted herself to gain power early, her progress has been very slow."
When Ron found Sally, she was already a C-class Nen user.
Years had passed, and Sally was still at C-class, just moving from lower to upper C-class without breaking through to B-class.
For most Nen users, C-class is a limit, with few breaking beyond.
In the world's underworld, the strength of the Shadow Beasts was above the rest. Yet, in such a powerful organization, most were only C-class, with just a few at B-class.
Ron had experienced this firsthand, having fought several members of the Shadow Beasts.
"Considering the Sky Arena, the underworld, small countries… Sally's skills are sufficient," Ron considered. "But moving up to levels like Meteor City, V5, or Kakin, her skills fall short.
And they're certainly not enough for the Dark Continent."
"I wonder about Geretta's talent. If it's good, he could be a valuable addition to the team, likely possessing abilities similar to Sally's, serving as her replacement."
Hisoka approached Ron.
"Ron, did you draw my number?"
Hisoka looked slightly disappointed.
Not having drawn Ron nor being drawn by him was a regret for Hisoka; it would have been an opportunity to challenge Ron without refusal, as the rules of the Hunter Exam bound them.
After fighting Ron once, Hisoka's interest in him had deepened, especially knowing Ron had held back some of his strength and hidden techniques.
Hisoka was eager to unearth Ron's concealed skills, viewing them as a treasure.
Ron continued to sit alone in the corner.
Suddenly, he felt a gaze on him, intermittently lingering before swiftly moving away.
Ron calculated the frequency and timing, turning his head just as the other looked over.
The other quickly shifted their gaze away, their expression turning noticeably awkward.
"Is your target me?" Ron wondered aloud, observing the newcomer. "Such obvious behavior isn't typical of a seasoned hunter."
The newcomer, a young girl in a pink outfit with long blue hair and a large yellow hat, seemed even more nervous.
"A young girl skilled in beekeeping."
"Those bees in her hat could be useful for gathering close-range information if she develops related Nen abilities after becoming a Nen user."