Chapter 19 - Drawing Lots x The Fourth Stage of the Hunter Exam

Chapter 19: Drawing Lots x The Fourth Stage of the Hunter Exam“First of all, congratulations to everyone for making it out of the Trap Tower! I am Examiner Leiber…”

Outside the Trap Tower, the examiner for the third stage of the test, Leiber, appeared in front of the candidates for the first time.

Lorin narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the examiner, who was short, bald with a rooster-like head, and had squinted, fox-like eyes.

He, Lorin, had a long memory for grudges!

“I would like to congratulate all of you for passing the third stage of the test. Now, only the fourth stage and the final test stand between you and becoming Hunters!” Leiber said, smiling as he looked at the group.

“That island over there is the location for the fourth test, but… before that, please step forward and draw lots,” Leiber added.

Someone beside him brought out a box for drawing lots.

“Drawing lots?”

“Why do we have to draw lots?”

The candidates were puzzled.

Leiber continued to smile as he explained, “This time, drawing lots will determine the hunters and the hunted. In this box, there are twenty-five cards with your candidate numbers on them. The number you draw will be the person you must hunt in the next stage.”

“The number you draw will be your prey, and on that island, you will need to steal the prey’s number badge.”

“The badge of your prey is worth three points, and your own badge is also worth three points. As for the badges of other candidates, they are worth one point each. You need to have six points by the end to qualify for the final test.”

As Leiber finished speaking, the candidates were momentarily stunned. Many instinctively reached for their own number badges.

Some even took off their badges and hid them away.

Leiber watched this with a smile and gestured towards the box, saying, “The rules have been explained. Please come forward one by one, according to the order in which you passed, and draw your lot.”

“Dear candidates, thank you for your hard work. This ship is expected to arrive at the site for the fourth test in two hours. In the meantime, please take a moment to rest,” a smiling female guide from the Hunter Association announced onboard the ship.

However…

The candidates on the ship were all too preoccupied with figuring out who their prey was and who might be hunting them, leaving no one paying attention to her.

The Hunter Association guide smiled awkwardly, then added quickly, “Oh, one more thing! Here’s some good news for all of you. The twenty-five candidates on board will receive complimentary travel vouchers for next year’s Hunter Exam.”

“So, even if you don’t pass this year, don’t be disappointed! You can try again next year.”

While some candidates had only ignored her earlier, now many looked ready to throw punches.

Facing the intense glares from the candidates and realizing the problem with her comment, the guide smiled awkwardly again.

“For the next two hours, you are free to move about. Please enjoy the rest of the journey!” With that, she quickly made her exit back into the cabin.

…

“Hey, Lorin, I can’t believe you passed the test in fourth place. Nice job!”

At the bow of the ship, Leorio approached Lorin with a cheeky grin.

Lorin gave Leorio a sideways glance, clearly unimpressed by the obvious attempt at small talk. “Just say what you want.”

“Uh, well…”

“Since you passed in fourth place, you probably know all the candidates’ numbers, right?” Leorio asked sheepishly.

“Yeah, I know. What, you want to know who your target is?” Lorin asked, emphasizing the word  heavily.

“Heh heh…”

Not far away, Gon, Killua, and Kurapika walked over to join them.

“Alright, tell me your target number,” Lorin sighed. It wasn’t something he particularly cared about.

“Number 246!” Leorio whispered quickly.

“246… that should be the short girl,” Lorin thought for a moment before answering.

“A short girl… It’s her!” Leorio exclaimed, finally realizing who his target was. Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After all, there weren’t many girls left among the remaining Hunter candidates, and there was only one short one.

“It’s my turn. My target is number 199,” Killua asked next.

“199… I think that’s one of those three brothers, but I can’t remember which one exactly,” Lorin shook his head.

“That’s good enough!” Killua grinned confidently.

For him, it didn’t matter whether it was one target or three.

“What about you two?” Lorin turned to Gon and Kurapika.

“No need for me. I already know who my target is,” Gon replied, waving his hand.

“I don’t need to ask either,” Kurapika added, shaking his head.

Clearly, both of them already knew their targets.

“Alright,” Lorin nodded. Then, tilting his head slightly, he asked, “By the way, aren’t you worried that one of you might be my target?”

“Of course we’ve considered that! But if one of us is your target, staying away from you wouldn’t help much. It’s better to gather information!” Killua replied matter-of-factly.

“That… makes sense,” Lorin said, staring at Killua in disbelief.

“Don’t worry. My target is Candidate 53, the small archer, not any of you,” Lorin assured them.

As soon as Lorin said that, the visible relief on their faces was obvious.

After all, both Gon and Killua had witnessed Lorin’s strength during his fight with Netero, and while Kurapika and Leorio hadn’t seen it firsthand, they had heard all about it….

“All candidates, please disembark according to the order in which you passed the third test. The next candidate can only disembark two minutes after the previous one!”

“You will have one week on this island to gather six points. After a week, return to this spot!”

A staff member from the Hunter Association loudly explained the instructions on the ship.

As the fourth candidate to pass, Lorin disembarked six minutes after the first three had left, stepping onto the island where the test would take place.

By this point, the three candidates who had disembarked before him had already disappeared into the island’s wilderness.

Without hesitation, Lorin chose a direction and entered the jungle.

There was no rush to start hunting. Even if he didn’t run into Candidate 53, Lorin was confident he’d encounter at least three Hunter candidates over the next seven days.

With an entire week ahead of him, Lorin wasn’t about to waste this opportunity.