Despite his roughed-up body and injuries, upon hearing Chrollo's name, Hisoka's eyes focus, clearly showing his interest and curiosity.
"You know... your own spot was supposed to be mine..." Auren explains. "But I am simply above a petty position like that... which seems to fit you just fine. Don't think you earned it... you simply killed a worthless nobody. Chrollo himself did not even care about the member you killed. I am not quite sure why you joined, but just know this."
His voice cold, Auren continues to intimidate Hisoka. "Wherever you go... I can find you, and I can hunt you. I have people everywhere in the world... on all continents. One request from me... directly to Chrollo and your own friends in the Troupe will get you killed instantly. I hope you're aware that if you think crawling to them can save you, you're gravely mistaken."
"They'd probably volunteer to kill you if I just take your worthless spot. Not that I'd even let you escape... fail this exam, and I'm even legally allowed to kill you... kill another examinee, and I'll have you killed anyway, or I'll do it personally."
Shrugging, seeing Hisoka still suffering, his mouth clacking together, Auren continues, "Your only way to survive is to pass this exam. It's now life and death for you... isn't that how you enjoy it? That's how it is for every other examinee. I'd be a little impressed if you manage to pass with your frostbite, your injuries, and with your arm... you can't even properly build a house of cards... which would be a fitting analogy for your situation and your chances of enduring this exam."
"Fail the exam... kill a single person, for whatever reason, or attempt to flee... and you'll die. I'll hunt you down to the ends of the world... or even beyond," Auren declares. "You'll suffer from frostbite for weeks... and your arm will hurt like hell. Still... since this is just a worthless game for you, surely you can still pass, right?"
"This much of a handicap is nothing... I'm interested to see you struggle... entertain me, will you? It's just a little game and a hidden exam for a bored person like you. Also... if you speak even a word about what happened here... consider your life forfeit."
"Hehe," Vanessa laughs. "I don't think this clown can do it... killing him now would be merciful."
"At least the exam will be much more enjoyable for him this way, I suppose," Neffi adds.
For him, not being allowed to kill... is the biggest punishment imaginable.
"Do you agree... Illumi?" Auren suddenly asks, raising his voice.
The man with needles in his head, whom he saw earlier, clicking and clacking his mouth together, appearing like a wooden nutcracker, suddenly appears, revealing his own presence.
"A friend of yours?" Auren asks.
"Somewhat..." the man replies calmly, after pulling out three needles close to his mouth and neck, allowing him to speak in a perfectly normal voice, sounding exactly like Auren remembers it.
"He gets to live a little longer... and if he passes my little... special exam just for him, I'll spare him altogether. That's more than generous, don't you agree?" Auren asks him.
"Of course... you are quite impressive, as always," he replies. "Mom would be smitten... at this rate, I'm scared about what would happen to my own position if you join my home. I'll need to talk to you later regarding that... but for now... I'll help him reach the second phase, or we'll both fail. I need the license for my next job."
He then grabs Hisoka's still frozen body, staring at his completely shattered forearm on the ground, destroyed far beyond recovery, so much so that he simply ignores it.
"Fine," Auren replies, before turning towards Neffi and Vanessa. "Let's go... I'll talk to you later, Illumi... tell him about the consequences of defying me. If he thinks I am scary, my organization would probably turn him into a mental case.... Don't think I wouldn't notice you hiring people to snoop around."
"So... that's why I never heard back..." Illumi states, completely unfazed.
Before Auren leaves, he glances at Hisoka one more time. "Try your best not to disappoint me... examinee. Also, Illumi... don't do that again... and that last bit concerns you as well. Not a word."
In a flash, the three disappear, running at their fastest speed to catch up to the others.
Seeing Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio on the way, Auren briefly stops, seeing that their direction is quite off.
"Wrong direction," he says. "We'll slow down just a little... follow us if you want to pass... but if you can't keep up even when we're holding back, you don't deserve to pass."
"O...okay," Leorio says, rubbing his head, his body slightly shaking, while Gon and Kurapika stare at him, completely silent.
However, Kurapica speaks up. "Who... are you? Why did you save everyone?"
"I am just someone who likes fair exams. Don't misunderstand me. Killing is fine, and so is targeting each other. However, Hisoka has violated a serious rule. His kind is an exception, and I couldn't tolerate his actions," Auren explains.
"What happened... to Hisoka?" Gon asks with completely serious eyes.
"Nothing, I just helped him out a little. You see, he thought the exam was boring, so he wanted to pass the time by killing people or playing examiner, as he called it. I simply helped him by making the exam a little more interesting for him... you'll see him soon if you pass. Now hurry up, if you don't want to fail," Auren states, moving on.
Slowing down a little, Auren, Vanessa, and Neffi head towards the second exam, dodging a few more attempts by random beasts trying to devour them.
The three examinees, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio, can barely keep up, sprinting as fast as they can and almost getting caught by the beasts, yet supporting each other as best as they can to defend against any attacks.
Barely in time, the group of six reaches the second exam site, a large building resembling a warehouse situated on a small hill. Next to it are hundreds of cooking spots prepared, already hinting at the upcoming exam. Notably, for some reason, there are no beasts in the vicinity, granting what appears to be a sanctuary for the tired and weary examinees. As they arrive, the three examinees are breathing hard, especially Leorio, who looks like he's about to collapse, his body completely drenched in sweat.
"Congratulations... I guess," Auren says as he walks away from them.
As they approach the site of the second exam, a clearing with multiple visible cooking stations, Satotz steps in front of Auren, blocking his path and staring at him.
"What did you do?" He asks in a calm yet meaningful tone.
"Nothing," Auren replies.
"So it's a coincidence that Examinee No. 44, Hisoka, is missing... and that multiple examinees told me that you engaged him in a fight and told them to flee?" Satotz continues questioning him.
"Don't speak to me and mind your own business... your pathetic exam is over, and I'm in a bad mood," Auren states, glaring at Satotz and releasing his Aura. "If you have a problem, file a complaint; see if I care... now move!!"
Shocked, his body reacting instantly, Satotz moves aside, his body completely stiff.
Because of the delay his fight with Hisoka caused, there are almost no more examinees arriving, with Auren, Neffi, and Vanessa being the last to do so.
Just Illumi, back in his completed disguise, still carrying a half-thawed Hisoka, arrives, barely passing.
Hisoka's in terrible shape; his skin is red, swollen, and inflamed all over, the injuries looking extremely painful, like he was stung by hundreds of bees.
Still, he tries his best to appear calm, his eyes not full of rage, as Auren suspected, but appearing completely clear, surprising him.
Whatever... seems like a little frost has made him clear-headed.
Finally, as all candidates arrive, Satotz walks up to the building and simply announces, "This is where we part. I wish you all good luck."
In total, Auren spots almost 200 examinees, his vague memories unclear, making him not quite sure if his interference has made a difference or not.
Walking around, Auren sees Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika meeting back up with Killua, who stares at Auren's group with suspicious eyes, always glancing at Hisoka.
Finally, after a long time, the large door to the building opens, and a large man drags out a large chair, with a woman sitting on it.
Two totally different examiners are now visible to the examinees, everyone staring at them in surprise.
One of them is inhumanly tall, at least three meters, with a belly large enough to fit at least ten humans inside.
"Around a ton," Auren comments. "That's impressive."
"That's awful!" Vanessa says, disagreeing.
"It might be part of his Hatsu?" Neffi wonders.
The other examiner is a green-haired woman with 5 topknots, wearing a skimpy outfit consisting only of extremely short hot pants, a bra, and a see-through black mesh shirt.
"Her style is so cheap... who runs around like that nowadays?" Vanessa wonders as she eyes her suspiciously.
"I have to agree with you," Neffi says. "She's almost naked..."
"Okay... cut it out, this isn't a fashion show," Auren mutters. "Just shut up and listen."
They might not like the next move I've planned....
Speaking up, the woman introduces the second task. "The second phase is... cooking! You'd better listen up, applicants."
"Cooking?!"
"For real, after that life-and-death marathon, it's cooking now?"
"Stupid!"
"We're Gourmet Hunters, so you'll have to collect and then prepare rare delicacies to satisfy our discriminating palates," the woman continues calmly. "You'll pass the second phase when you satisfy both of us. Once we've eaten our fill, the testing period will be over."
"First, you'll cook for me... Buhara!" the man suddenly speaks, his voice surprisingly high-pitched, making him appear even stranger.
"My dish of choice is... whole roast pig!" Buhara yells, his mouth already leaking, spit dripping onto the ground as his stomach churns.
"Any pig in this large and relatively safe preserve will do," he adds. "Get cooking!"
Immediately, all examinees leave. "Are we still doing this?" Vanessa wonders. "Aren't you supposed to be an examiner yourself... why keep this up?"
"You have a point, but for now... I want to experience this exam. It will help me get a feel for the examinees and for different exams," Auren states, before adding quietly, "Though this might be the last one... there are a couple of things I'm aiming for as well... it's a little complicated."
More importantly... I want to have some more fun! I feel free!
In a flash, Auren, Vanessa, and Neffi surpass the other examinees and disappear into the forest.
With a brief use of En, not holding back and using his full might, creating a huge En, Auren immediately spots a small herd of pigs nearby.
"Got them," he replies, speeding up even more, the girls following after him.
In front of them, a herd of huge, pink-colored pigs with gigantic snouts appears.
Without hesitating, Auren approaches one and, almost instinctively, jumps towards it before kicking it on the forehead, adding just a hint of Nen, instantly killing it.
Vanessa, copying Auren, does the same, but instead punches the pig hard enough that her fist penetrates its skull, immediately executing it.
Neffi, using more finesse, does it exactly like Auren did and knocks one out with a clean and precise move.
Carrying the pigs back, not a single other examinee has even found one yet, and everyone stares at them in shock, as they've caught some pigs in just a matter of minutes.
Carrying them back to the cooking stations, they roast the pigs as best as they can. Surprisingly, neither Neffi nor Vanessa is completely inept; both are relatively skilled at preparing the pig and then roasting it over the large flame.
"I've cooked with Marsha a couple of times," Neffi says. "I also always cooked for Master."
"I don't know how to cook, but I've dined at thousands of high-quality restaurants, many of them cooking right in front of the guests, so I guess I can figure out the rest," Vanessa explains.
Instead of cooking his pig, he merely grabs a small nearby pot and then throws two large white grains into it.
"Huh?" Both girls wonder.
Just a few minutes later, no other examinees back yet, he cuts off a small piece of meat from his pig. He does the same for Menchi's and Neffi's pig. He then roasts the three pieces directly over the fire and puts one each on a small plate, and gestures towards the surprised girls to follow him. He also grabs two small bowls and puts one cooked rice grain inside.
"What are you even doing?" Menchi asks, staring at Auren. "Roast pig! Buhara wanted a complete roast pig, not a damn pittance."
"You've heard about us, haven't you?" Auren asks. "There is no need to fill up his belly early and thus prevent real examinees from passing. Just pass us anyway."
"I don't like that, can't you pass properly, huh? Your food is an insult to me!" Menchi complains loudly.
"Perhaps... this will serve as an apology," Auren says, presenting a bowl to each of them.
"Is that another insult?" Menchi wonders, but as the scent of the cooked rice catches their noses, both Menchi and Buhara perk up.
Curiously and slowly, they smell and then eat the small grain, before their expressions change into one of pure ecstasy.
Heh, looks like the fish took the bait.
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