Chapter 69 New Life 02 No. 199
Hisoka didn't seem to mind Ayana's silence. Instead, as if he had received some kind of tacit approval, he turned around happily and continued to lead the way.
The passage was not straight; soon a fork appeared.
Hisoka didn't even look at it and randomly chose the one on the left.
"Stay close, little kitty~ If you get lost, I won't look for you." He said without turning his head.
Ayana pursed her lips and silently followed, always keeping a few steps away from him.
The bespectacled man followed far behind, almost in tears.
The passage was calm at first, but soon, a faint rustling sound came from ahead.
Hisoka stopped and hummed with interest.
The walls on both sides of the passage were covered with countless black beetles, their eyes flashing red, their mouths opening and closing with a teeth-grinding grinding sound.
"Huh? What's this?"
As soon as Hisoka finished speaking, the swarm of insects surged in like a black tide.
The bespectacled man let out a piercing scream and turned to run away.
Hisoka didn't move at all, but his body instantly erupted with solidified gas. His Nen energy acted like an invisible wall, repelling and crushing all the approaching insects.
He even had the leisure to turn around and look at Ayana, his golden eyes filled with expectant light, as if waiting for her to panic.
Ayana's pupils contracted; these insects weren't fast, but there were just too many of them.
Her strength had not recovered, and the [Powerful Amplification] could not be sustained.
As the swarm of insects bypassed Hisoka and rushed towards her, she leaped to the side and grabbed a protrusion on the wall with one hand, narrowly avoiding the first wave of impact.
However, even more insects crawled up the wall.
"Need any help, little kitty?" Hisoka's voice came with a laugh. He remained standing in the same spot, as if enjoying a good show.
Ayana gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn't count on him.
Her sharp gaze swept over the swarm of insects, noticing that they seemed sensitive to light and deliberately avoided areas of the wall where the light shone directly.
She immediately had an idea. She swung her body to the other side and swung her other hand, not to attack the insect, but to smash the cover of a lamp next to her.
"Smack!"
The lampshade shattered, and the light inside suddenly became glaring, unstable, and flickering.
The swarm of insects rushing towards her indeed became chaotic and slowed down.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ayana landed and used the brief burst of power brought by [Powerful Amplification] to weave through the gaps in the insect swarm's chaos like a nimble cat, passing through the area without incident and stopping not far behind Hisoka, slightly panting.
Hisoka watched as she, looking slightly disheveled but managing to resolve the crisis on her own, felt a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by even greater interest.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue, muttering to himself as he turned and continued forward. "Looks like next time I'll have to make it even more exciting."
The bespectacled man wasn't so lucky. He tripped and fell while trying to escape, and was instantly overwhelmed by the swarm of insects. He only had time to let out a short scream before falling silent again.
Hisoka didn't even turn his head.
For the rest of the journey, Hisoka completely embodied the word "care".
He accidentally triggered a ground-flipping trap, and just as Ayana was about to fall into the deep pit filled with spikes below, he used his flexible love to pull her back by the waist. The sticky threads of his mind wrapped around her waist like a spider web, pulling her back to safety.
Hisoka's fingertips traced an intimate line across Aiana's waist, and as she regained her footing, still shaken, he whispered in her ear, "Be careful, little kitty, it'll break my heart if you get hurt~"
The malice in his tone far outweighed any concern.
He kindly pointed out the unseen line traps ahead, but as Ayana carefully avoided the lines he pointed out, he silently cut a very hidden line next to her with a playing card.
A mechanical sound rang out, and countless arrows suddenly shot out from both sides of the wall.
Ayana felt a chill run down her spine and pushed the [Powerful Amplification] to its limit, her body almost becoming a blur as she dodged and weaved through the dense barrage of arrows.
The arrows grazed her body, leaving streaks of blood.
Ayana could even feel the sharp wind of the arrows piercing the air brushing against her cheeks.
Hisoka, standing in a safe area a short distance away, clutched his chest and feigned surprise: "Oh dear, that was dangerous! Thank goodness you're alright!"
He looked at Ayana's flushed cheeks and rapid breathing, caused by the intense exercise and tension, and his smile grew even brighter.
Ayana clenched her fists, the abrasions on her arms and legs burning with pain.
A mix of emotions churned within her. She clearly realized that Hisoka was enjoying this cat-and-mouse game, enjoying the process of putting her in danger while seemingly offering help, and enjoying her fearful yet forcedly calm reaction.
Hisoka won't kill her directly, but he will torture her nerves in various ways and test her limits.
Finally, after several hours of Hisoka-style care, they arrived at a heavy metal door.
There was no keyhole on the door, only a display screen with a line of text displayed on it.
The Path of Choice.
One person offers the sacrifice, and one person passes through.
Time limit: Five minutes. The door will be permanently closed if the time limit is exceeded.
Below the display screen, there are two clearly visible palm print grooves.
"Oh my~" Hisoka raised an eyebrow, an amused expression on his face. "A choice between two options~ What a cruel rule~"
He looked at Ayana, his golden eyes flashing with undisguised malice and inquiry: "Little kitty, what do you think we should do? Should you 'sacrifice' yourself, or should I 'perish'? Or should we both be trapped here and die?"
He slowly approached, his tall figure exuding a strong sense of oppression, his fingers gently tracing the cold metal door.
"What will happen if I 'sacrifice'? Will I be drained of my life force? Or will I be crushed by the mechanism behind the door?" Hisoka's voice was deep and seductive, as if leading her toward despair.
Ayana stared intently at the two palm prints, her mind racing.
Are the rules of this tower really that simple and straightforward?
Although the examiners in charge of this exam have a perverse sense of humor, the Hunter Exam is not a pure killing field.
Time passed second by second.
4 minutes.
3 minutes.
Hisoka watched her with a calm and collected expression, as if waiting for her to break down or make a foolish decision.
With only one minute left in the countdown, Ayana suddenly looked up, a resolute glint in her eyes.
Instead of pressing her hand against any of the palm prints, she quickly walked to the door and carefully examined the gap between the door and the wall.
"Hmm?" Hisoka seemed to take an interest in her actions.
Ayana discovered that at the edge of the palm print groove from the sacrifice, there was a trace of Nen that was almost fused with the metal, exuding an ominous aura.
The handprint that was passed through, although it looked normal, had a tiny, almost invisible hole at the height above the door frame.
She realized it was a psychological trap!
Sacrifice is undoubtedly a dead end, but passage seems like a path to life, though that hole could very well unleash a fatal attack the moment it's pressed.
Ayana suddenly turned to Hisoka, and to his somewhat astonishment, grabbed his hand that wasn't holding the playing cards. With all her might, she pressed her own hand down into the blank metal door between the two handprints.
The moment their hands touched the door panel, the text on the display screen suddenly changed.
[Correct judgment.]
With a soft thud, the heavy metal door slowly slid open to both sides, revealing the stairs leading to the next floor.
Ayana immediately released Hisoka's hand.
Hisoka stood there, watching the door slowly open, then looked down at his wrist where Ayana had grabbed him.
The smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by an extremely complex expression, a mixture of offense and immense novelty.
Hisoka slowly approached Ayana, completely enveloping her in shadow.
He reached out, but this time he didn't touch her face. Instead, he grabbed the wrist of the hand she had pressed hard against the door earlier, with a force that was neither too strong nor too weak, but carried an air of inescapable resistance.
“What a pleasant surprise, little kitty,” Hisoka said softly, his voice unreadable, his golden eyes fixed on her. “You’re also much bolder than I expected.”
He leaned down, so close that Ayana could count each of his eyelashes.
"How dare you use my body?" His tone carried a dangerous calm. "Shouldn't I punish you a little?"
Ayana's heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
She forced herself to meet his gaze, without backing away.
Because she knew that Hisoka was simply looking for trouble.
Hisoka did not make any further moves as expected.
He stared at Ayana for a few seconds, then suddenly released her, his face revealing that twisted, excited smile, more intense than ever before.
"But that makes it more interesting, doesn't it?" He licked his lips, his eyes burning with a intensity that seemed to set her on fire. "I'm increasingly reluctant to ruin you so quickly~"
He straightened up and stepped onto the stairs behind the door first, his voice still carrying a pleasant aftertaste: "Come on, my clever little kitty~ The game ahead will definitely be even more exciting, I promise~"
Ayana watched his retreating figure and slowly exhaled.
Exhausted, she followed Hisoka up the last flight of stairs leading to the finish line. When the light symbolizing the exit came into view, she felt almost unreal.
In the main hall at the bottom of the Trap Tower, a few examinees who had passed the test had already gathered. Killua and Gon immediately spotted her and quickly went to greet her.
"Ayana!" Little Jie's face was filled with worry. "Are you alright? Your hands and legs..."
Ayana's arms and legs still bore the abrasions from when she dodged the arrows; the blood had dried, but the sight was still horrifying.
Her face was also very pale, and she looked as if all her strength had been drained away.
"It's nothing, just a minor scratch." Ayana forced a smile, instinctively not wanting them to worry, and even less wanting to mention the details of her time with Hisoka.
Killua's cat-like eyes swept sharply over the wounds on her body, then glanced at Hisoka, who was casually playing cards not far away, and his brows furrowed tightly.
He clearly didn't believe Ayana's story, but now wasn't the right time to press her for answers.
"That pervert didn't do anything to you, did he?" Killua asked in a low voice.
Ayana shook her head, her voice a little hoarse: "No."
At least it didn't cause any irreversible damage.
She added silently in her mind.
Hisoka seemed to sense the gaze on them. He turned his head, gave Ayana a meaningful smile, and deftly flipped the playing cards between his fingers.
He then stopped paying attention to this area and went to a corner to rest with his eyes closed.
Soon, all the candidates who had arrived at the bottom floor within the allotted time had gathered.
The examiner announced the list of those who passed, and Ayana's name was prominently featured.
A huge weight was lifted from her heart, and a wave of intense fatigue washed over her, making her almost unable to stand.
The group boarded the airship heading to the next examination venue.
The airship provided temporary rest rooms and basic medical supplies.
Ayana treated her wounds briefly in the room, changed into clean clothes provided by the airship, and then almost immediately fell asleep.
Physical exhaustion and extreme mental tension caused her to sleep soundly for a long time.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she was awakened by the announcement over the intercom inside the airship. The instructions for the fourth exam were about to begin.
Dragging her still heavy body, Ayana arrived at the assembly hall.
The previous exam resulted in a sharp decrease in the number of test takers, but the atmosphere was even more tense than before.
The examiner announced the rules.
The goal is to collect 6 number plates on an island within a week.
Your own number plate is worth 3 points, and the hunting target's number plate is worth 3 points.
Those who lose their number plate or do not have enough points will be eliminated.
A tense atmosphere instantly filled the air.
Each candidate received a wax-sealed slip of paper with the number of their hunting target written on it.
Ayana took a deep breath, unfolded the slip of paper, and clearly wrote a number on it.
[No. 199]
She quickly recalled the remaining candidates' numbers and corresponding faces in her mind.
A figure appeared in her mind.
She remembered that number 199 was a strange person with nails stuck in his face, behaving bizarrely and being taciturn.
As Ayana was pondering, a low chuckle came from behind her.
Hisoka had somehow gotten close to her again; he clearly already knew his target and didn't care at all.
His gaze fell on the note in Ayana's hand that read "199," and a glint of light flashed in his golden pupils, as if he had discovered something extremely interesting.
"Number 199..." Hisoka drawled, his voice filled with schadenfreude and an indescribable excitement, "Looks like your luck isn't so good, my dear little kitty~"
Hisoka leaned down and whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine: "Do you need me to tell you a little secret about Number 199?"
His tone was seductive, like the whisper of a devil.
Ayana suddenly looked up at him.
Hisoka grinned into a huge, twisted smile: "Number 199 is someone I know, and she's extremely, extremely, extremely strong."
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