Chapter 26: Lethal Exam—Branching Out!

Auren walks deeper into the village, many of the villagers staring at him—some with curiosity, others with open hostility.I guess I should call the others. Might as well earn another fortune while I’m at it. With that 200 million, my savings of around 10 million, and the incoming money from Buno and Bunu, I’m already in a pretty good spot!

He takes out his Beatle-phone and dials Goreinu’s number. It doesn’t connect.

Ah, I forgot…

He tries Konrad next, but that call doesn’t go through either.

I guess these idiots don’t have a phone like my Beatle, which works almost anywhere in the world. Since we’re in the middle of nowhere, I obviously can’t call them—at least not when they’re deep in this forsaken forest.

Walking on, Auren separates a single Copperleaf from the rest. He picks the smallest plant and hides the other four in a separate bag, which he buries deep in his backpack.

This place is hell… that snake. It wasn’t anything like the real Hellbell, but that stare… it got to me. A direct hit on my mental state like that. Without Azure Restoration… I don’t think the Association even knows about that snake yet… What’s the smartest move here? Should I report my encounter to Cluck? No… I’d have to lie, otherwise she might find out about my Hatsu. For now, I’ll keep it to myself.

He reaches the out-of-place metal structure and knocks, then steps inside.

The moment he enters, he hears music—a whimsical, slightly mischievous flute tune. Despite the strange atmosphere, he enjoys it for a few seconds before moving on.

A flute? … Not bad. Nice recording.

Inside, researchers sit at computers, while a few others work in what looks like a miniature science lab.

This building is way too small.

He glances around and heads into a smaller side room. It has a few couches and a small kitchen—clearly a break room of some sort.

The sound is getting louder.

He notices Cluck sitting on one of the couches, a glass of juice in front of her, playing a wooden flute. As soon as she sees Auren, she stops playing.

“Huh? Oh, it’s you… Don’t tell me you gave up? That would really disappoint me,” she says, wearing a confused expression.

Auren silently hands her the Copperleaf, causing her expression to change instantly.

“Wow, you’re fast! I didn’t expect that… although, you went north, didn’t you, boy? That’s the one direction we haven’t even remotely explored yet. Even the villagers avoid it. Judging by your condition, you had to go all out. Care to share what you ran into?”

Hmmm, what do I do? Let me try to sound honest and reveal just a little to her.

“Wolves—tons of them. A whole mix of predators, dangerous insects, plants, mushrooms. Let’s just say, without Nen, I wouldn’t have made it. There were also thorns with incredibly potent poison… in fact, I brought a bit back. Let’s just say, if I were a regular candidate without any Nen knowledge, I’d be dead by now,” Auren says calmly.

“Really? Nen is indeed a lifesaver in terrain like this, no doubt. I’m surprised you’re already this capable in using it. Well then, how about you let your big sister and senior Hunter have a sample of that poison? I’m interested,” Cluck says, getting up and heading toward the lab area.

Auren follows and pulls out a bottle, filled to the brim with poison.

“I need most of it for myself, but feel free to take a small sample,” Auren says.

“That’ll be enough,” Cluck replies happily, as she fills three test tubes with it.

She took more than ‘a’ sample… well, whatever. I still have enough poison to kill thousands of people. I only plan to use it to build resistance anyway, once I find the time. Read full story at novel_fіre.net

“Could you give me a few more suitable containers? I don’t think my current method of storing the poison is… ideal.”

“You there! Did you hear that? Get him a few proper containers. Make sure they’re durable enough!” Cluck calls out to a few curious researchers who’ve gathered nearby.

They quickly do as told and hand Auren a large, scientific-looking metal container, filled with his poison, which he puts into his backpack.

Meanwhile, Cluck examines the poison, opening one of the test tubes and giving it a sniff.

“This is interesting indeed. I’ll have my people work on it! Also, your Copperleaf is acceptable—actually, it’s slightly larger than average! You pass, boy. In fact, you’re the first to pass and the third person to return. Two candidates came back already; one of them has since died. There are so many different plants and poisonous animals around, we couldn’t save him.”

Well… this exam is the complete opposite of Mizaistom’s. Needless death, high risk, and a disturbingly warm attitude towards death and danger. But what really interests me is that the Copperleaf is larger than average. I gave her the smallest one of mine! That one even looked like it wasn’t even fully grown, compared to the others. Looks like I did the right thing.

“Hey, I really want to study that poison you brought me. It matches the description of a plant I warned you candidates about—but this one is far more potent. You’re free to move around, but don’t leave the village. Stay here or return to the airship, it’s up to you. I’ll talk to you later,” she says.

Auren returns to the airship, sitting down outside on the large front deck. From there, he has a perfect view of the village—ideal for watching anyone who comes back. He uses Zetsu, allowing his body to quickly regain any lost vitality. He also ingests a tiny amount of poison.

He feels pain in his stomach, but can tolerate it. Finally, an hour later, the pain is gone, and Auren uses Azure Restoration to heal his body. He then smiles as he remembers something he hasn’t felt in a while.

I’ve grown a little tougher! This poison will allow my resistance to improve!

Over the next ten hours, about twenty candidates return. All of them look exhausted, hurt, and most carry expressions of defeat.

Cluck, no longer inside the research facility, is now outside, curiously watching the returning candidates.

Auren notices two of the examinees standing out—despite being in rough shape, they look triumphant, satisfied.

He watches them walk up to Cluck and hand her a copper-colored plant.

An hour later, Goreinu shows up, looking to be in relatively decent condition, and does the same, handing over a Copperleaf of his own.

Time passes, and including the two he recognizes, only 32 out of the original 57 candidates have returned. At least one of them died after making it back.

Konrad is still missing, which makes Auren uneasy.

Not good. I thought I found someone who could actually help me.

Auren steps off the ship and walks over to Cluck, guessing that the time is up.

She loudly announces, “The Second Task is over! Six candidates have passed!”

The remaining crowd of examinees immediately erupts in frustration and disbelief.

“This exam is hell! How is this fair?! You throw us into a deadly forest and expect us to find a tiny, specific herb?!”

“I agree—this is complete nonsense!”

“You want us to fail, don’t you? Look around! How many people died because of your ridiculous task?!”

Cluck yawns, completely unmoved. “Stupid! Incompetent! Pathetic! You candidates are failures. Maybe get some proper training and try again… in a decade.”

Frustrated but resigned, the crowd disperses, leaving behind only six people: Auren, Goreinu, and four others.

Auren quickly sizes up the remaining candidates. They look competent. Their clothing, body language, and expressions all give it away.

They’re trained, prepared, and experienced. These four are strong… Not that it matters much. But I still need to ask.

“Excuse me, Examiner,” Auren says. “A colleague of mine is still inside the forest. Is there anything you can do?”

“Well, you might’ve missed it, but a few of my assistants already went in. We’ll wait a few more hours, then we’re taking off towards the next phase of the exam,” Cluck replies.

Two hours later, Auren straightens up as he spots Konrad—weak and wounded—being carried by one of the suited staff. He’s conscious, but clearly in bad shape. Alongside him, a few more candidates emerge, pushing the count up to 37. At least one more has died since making it out, so the number of survivors is merely 35.

More than a third of the candidates died… and only 6 out of 57 actually passed. Isn’t this exam way too extreme?! And this was just the second task! These Zodiacs are terrible examiners! Even Mizaistom ran a stupid test that only suited a specific kind of hunter, while Cluck literally risked our lives just to study this cursed forest!They might be Zodiacs and the most accomplished hunters but in my opinion they are terrible examiners!

Back on the ship, Auren sits with Goreinu and Konrad, who now looks a bit better.

“You guys should really buy a decent phone! I recommend the Beatle,” Auren whispers. “I tried to call you! Why did you risk it all, Konrad? You almost died.”

Konrad sighs. “Once I got too far in, I got lost—despite all the precautions I took. I’ve got no excuse. This exam was just too much for me. Maybe I’m not cut out to be a Hunter.”

He now looks visibly defeated.

Goreinu speaks up. “No, I wouldn’t say so. This specific exam is just extremely difficult—honestly, unreasonably so. The first task was already insane, but this one? Pure evil. You should try again next year and hope for examiners who aren’t out of their minds.”

“Auren… after this exam… teach me Nen. If I learn it, I’ll have a real chance next year. To be honest, aside from a few benefits, I’m not even sure I need to pass. Meeting you might be good enough,” Konrad says, his eyes twitching slightly.

This guy… despite being smart, he looks scarred for life. I can feel it—he’s had enough for now. He’s traumatized. That arrogant, haughty attitude is completely gone. Did he really think he was going to die? Honestly, without Nen, that forest is a deathtrap.

“Let’s talk business, Konrad. I’ve got an offer for you,” Auren says with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Konrad asks, a flicker of interest returning to his face.

Auren smiles casually, and then sobers down his face turning serious.

I’ll become rich, but I can’t have this guy betray me! I need to get my point across properly!