Chapter 18 - Digging Through the Trap Tower x The End of the Third Test

Chapter 18: Digging Through the Trap Tower x The End of the Third TestThe Trap Tower’s first-floor lobby.

“Rumble”

Accompanied by the sound of a heavy stone door opening, a figure quietly stepped into the lobby.

“The second candidate to pass the third stage of the Hunter Exam, Candidate 301, Jitak Laku, with a time of twelve hours and two minutes!” Examiner Leiber’s voice rang out through the lobby speakers.

Jitak Laku, whose face was covered in nails, walked into the lobby and glanced at Hisoka.

“I knew you would already be at the finish line,” Jitak Laku’s voice sounded without his lips moving.

Hisoka didn’t respond, only giving a sly grin.

At that moment, the nearby door opened once again.

The bald ninja Hanzo burst out excitedly.

“First place, first place!”

Hanzo shouted in excitement, but then froze when he saw Hisoka and Jitak Laku standing there.

He then clutched his head in pain and shouted.

“Third place, Candidate 294, Hanzo, with a time of twelve hours and three minutes.”

At that moment—

“Crack… crack!”

A strange sound suddenly echoed in the lobby.

“What’s that noise?” Hanzo paused his exaggerated performance, curiosity filling his face as he moved closer, pressing his ear against the wall.

In the next instant.

A hand suddenly reached out from the wall, landing right on Hanzo’s shiny bald head.

“Agh, a ghost!” Hanzo screamed in fright, jumping back.

“Huh? Is someone there?” Lorin was equally puzzled as he pulled back his hand. He looked through the hole he had dug and saw an empty lobby.

Lorin fell silent.

He stepped back a few paces and stared quietly at the nearby room, which was no different from the previous rooms filled with obstacles and iron doors. As if mocking him, the iron door rumbled open, revealing the path to the lobby.

In the lobby, Hanzo, who had just screamed, also fell silent, his face turning red with embarrassment. He shouted angrily, “What are you doing scaring people like that?”

Scaring people?

Good idea.

This gloomy place, the Trap Tower, was perfect for ghosts. Maybe I should turn the examiner into a ghost!

Lorin remained expressionless, ignoring the open path as he kicked down the wall he had almost finished digging through and walked into the lobby without a word.

Meanwhile.

In the Trap Tower’s central control room.

“So, you exploited a loophole and destroyed my Trap Tower, and you enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

Leiber laughed heartily as he watched the screen, then pressed a button and spoke into the microphone.

“The fourth candidate to pass, Candidate 406, Lorin, with a time of twelve hours and five minutes.”

Leiber’s voice came through the speakers, clearly amused. Hanzo, Hisoka, and Jitak Laku instantly understood the situation.

It was obvious that Lorin had somehow offended the examiner during the test!

“Hey, bro, how’d you piss off the examiner?” Hanzo immediately forgot his earlier scare and sidled up with a mischievous grin.

Lorin didn’t want to talk, and shot him a glare.

Ignoring Hanzo, who was still laughing, and the slight smile on Hisoka’s face—wait, Hisoka?

Lorin couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw Hisoka grinning.

Even Hisoka… was laughing at him.

Lorin felt a sudden pain in his chest.

Hisoka, you’ve changed. You’re not cold and aloof anymore!

Lorin quickly surveyed the room and spotted the exit. He strode towards it.

As he neared the door, it immediately swung open, revealing the exit to the Trap Tower, as if fearing Lorin would tear it down.

“Candidate 406, please don’t stray too far from the Trap Tower. Make sure to return before the seventy-two-hour countdown ends,” Leiber’s annoying voice echoed through the speakers.

Lorin: “…”

Without a word, Lorin swiftly left the Trap Tower.

“Wait, we can leave?” Hanzo’s eyes lit up as he saw the exit, and without hesitation, he hurried after Lorin.

“Bathroom, bathroom, I’ve been holding it in for too long.”

In the lobby, Hisoka and Jitak Laku exchanged a glance before silently leaving the Trap Tower, one after the other.

Though they didn’t say a word, it was obvious what they were going to do. After all… even nen users need to use the bathroom.

…

In the forest.

Lorin hadn’t come out to use the bathroom, nor was he hiding out of embarrassment. He was here to train.

Yep, that’s right.

He was out here to train and earn experience. As for what happened earlier… did something happen?













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In the twelve hours spent in the Trap Tower, Lorin had gained a total of twenty-four experience points, averaging two points per hour.

Although this wasn’t as efficient as the six points he gained in a single session on the airship last night, it was steady progress!

Lorin felt like he could keep this up for another twelve hours.

Of course, that was just a joke.

Even though he felt full of energy, after running around the Trap Tower for twelve hours straight, it was time for a break.

Balancing work and rest was important, and with the remaining sixty hours, Lorin planned to aim for one hundred experience points!

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, two days passed.

The third stage of the Hunter Exam was coming to an end.

In the first-floor lobby of the Trap Tower, the twenty candidates who had passed the test gathered, waiting for it to end.

Leaning against the wall, Lorin happily admired his 110 experience points.

In sixty hours, thanks to the forested environment, Lorin’s training efficiency had far surpassed that of the Trap Tower, exceeding his initial goal by ten points.

“That’s one-tenth of the way done. At this rate, leveling up doesn’t seem that hard!” Lorin thought to himself, eagerly anticipating his eventual level-up.

“Three minutes remaining until the third stage of the test ends! All candidates, please be prepared!” Leiber’s annoying voice sounded over the loudspeaker.

At that moment—

“Rumble…”

The stone door slowly rose, and a staggering figure emerged.

“Finally… finally made it!”

The candidate’s eyes shone with hope as they looked at the lobby before them, but they stumbled forward and collapsed, unmoving.

A candidate hesitated, stepped forward to check, and shook his head. “He’s dead!”

“What an idiot!”

“Instead of risking your life to pass, you’d be better off saving yourself for next year’s exam.”

Many of the candidates sneered at the lifeless body.

“One minute remaining!”

Leiber’s voice came through the speakers again.

At that moment, another stone door slowly rose.

The candidates turned to look. Surely it wasn’t another fool barely scraping by?

“Candidate 404, Kurapika, twenty-first to pass, with a time of 71 hours and 58 minutes!”

“Candidate 99, Killua, twenty-second to pass, with a time of 71 hours and 58 minutes!”

“Candidate 405, Gon, twenty-third to pass, with a time of 71 hours and 58 minutes!”

“Candidate 403, Leorio, twenty-fourth to pass, with a time of 71 hours and 59 minutes!”

“Candidate 53, Tonpa, twenty-fifth to pass, with a time of 71 hours and 59 minutes!”

“Time’s up!”

“The third stage of the Hunter Exam is now over. A total of twenty-six candidates have passed, with one fatality.”

A series of announcements left the candidates in the lobby stunned.

No one had expected five people to arrive all at once at the very last minute.

Who were these guys, the protagonists of a manga?

Arriving just in time like that.