Chapter 485 Indifferent

Tonpa might have been a bit unlucky this time.

If the Man-faced Apes at the exit of the underground tunnel hadn't been scared away by Moses, it would've jumped out and caused chaos, only to be shot down by Hisoka, as in the original work.

Although the outcome wouldn't change, it would've bought Tonpa a bit more time, allowing him to feel the symptoms sooner.

In that case, he certainly wouldn't have continued with the Hunter Exam in such an uncomfortable state, sparing him from his current predicament of sprinting while… explosively relieving himself.

'Faster…'

Tonpa looked at the increasingly close Moses.

As the saying goes, a friend's death is not the end of me.

In a dangerous moment like this, using someone as a human shield was too good an opportunity to pass up.

It would allow him to escape while also setting a trap for the newcomer. For Tonpa, it was like a glimmer of hope piercing through the darkness.

With such evil thoughts in mind, Tonpa felt even happier when he saw Moses still standing there motionless.

He didn't care whether Moses was frozen in fear or for some other reason.

Now, he just wanted to shift the danger away from himself.

Moses, facing the oncoming Tonpa, stood calmly, his face beneath his mask still looked calm.

'Even with a small dose of laxative, the delay in transmission shows the limitations of the ability. But after all, connecting the shadow with the body to form a conceptual channel is no easy feat.'

The laxative he had placed in Tonpa's shadow had only now taken effect, giving him a clearer sense of the limitations of his [Shadow Realm] Ability. While it held high potential, its current effects were too weak, making it more suited for use in the late stages of a fight.

While Moses was thinking, he calmly watched Tonpa running towards him.

He could tell at a glance what the other party was planning.

"Illumi...!"

The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and Tonpa called out the pseudonym that Moses had previously casually given in a grateful tone.

It seems that all gratitude is contained in this name, and there is no need to say anything more.

Then-

Tonpa brushed past Moses, and the expression of gratitude on his face transformed into a sly grin as he whispered, "If you're going to help, do it properly!"

In a swift motion, Tonpa twisted his hips and delivered a kick aimed at Moses's knee.

He wanted to make sure Moses could become a qualified human shield.

Therefore, making Moses lose his ability to move is the best option.

Bang!

Crack!

Tonpa's kick landed squarely on Moses's knee, followed by a crisp sound of bone cracking.

Yet, surprisingly, the one injured is the perpetrator.

"Huh?"

Tonpa's body shook violently, feeling as though he had just kicked a solid iron plate with all his strength.

The severe pain coming from the instep of his foot gradually caused an expression of disbelief to appear on his face.

"Aahh!"

After a moment of shock, Tonpa seemed to react belatedly. He was so stimulated by the severe pain that he quickly pulled back his right foot. However, he lost his balance and tumbled down onto the wet, muddy ground

Moses tilted his head to look at Tonpa, who lay groaning on the ground with a fractured foot, and said calmly: "You've made the worst possible choice."

Then, in Tonpa's horrified gaze, Moses walked a few steps ahead, exposing Tonpa to the full view of the giant toad.

Normally speaking-

An ordinary person with decent physical strength, even if he kicks a normal Nen User with all his strength, wouldn't suffer such severe fractures like Tonpa did.

The fundamental reason is that Moses had anticipated Tonpa's move, so he focused some Aura on his knees one step ahead. While strengthening the defense, it also allows the static Nen to have an additional attack power that is not very aggressive.

But this not-too-strong attack power is enough to make an ordinary person like Tonpa, who has a strong physique, experience what pain is.

This display of Nen's overwhelming power disparity left Tonpa writhing in pain.

"Illumi, don't leave me! Don't go..."

Watching Moses walk away, Tonpa struggled to get up, but his right hand, slick with mud, slipped, sending him crashing back down into the muck.

"Illumi, please listen to my explanation. I... huh?"

Tonpa, knowing that danger was imminent, raised his head in desperation, and begged desperately, his mud-streaked face filled with pleading. But as he tried to plead for his life, he suddenly felt a slight tingling sensation in his waist, abdomen and back.

Then, a tight restraint wrapped around his entire upper body.

Tonpa's heart pounded as he stiffly turned his head, looking back in terror.

Just four or five meters away, Tonpa spotted the giant toad squatting in the muddy ground. Its tongue, lined with barbs and wriggling slightly, extended from its mouth, with Tonpa himself caught at the end of it.

At that moment, Tonpa smelled the stench of death.

He could even see the faintly mocking gleam in the toad's eyes.

The intense fear caused his adrenaline to be secreted rapidly, his breathing suddenly became rapid, and his pupils dilated rapidly.

Almost as if toying with him, the giant toad didn't retract its tongue quickly but instead began to drag him in slowly and deliberately.

"Save me, save me... Illumi!"

Tonpa shrieked, desperately pounding on the tongue that had coiled around him, his voice filled with sheer panic as he called out to Moses.

If there was even a slim chance at survival, it lay with Moses.

However faint, Tonpa had to clutch onto this final lifeline, like so many others he'd deceived before...

As if on fast-forward, scenes of those newcomers he'd once betrayed flashed through his mind. He saw their desperate faces as they had pleaded for help. How much they resembled him now.

So-

What would Moses's reaction be at this moment?

Tonpa looked towards Mosesin front of him.

"…"

All he could see was a Netero mask and Moses's indifferent attitude.

"Illumi...!"

Tonpa shouted at the top of his lungs a name that did not belong to Moses.

Listening to Tonpa's miserable cry for help, Moses remained indifferent.

But Moses spoke up and asked, "Tonpa, do you think this big guy that is about to eat you resembles a toad or a frog?"

"???"

Tonpa's eyes slowly widened and he looked at Moses with despair on his face.

'Did that question even matter? Matter?! MATTER?!!'

"I…"

Tonpa had a mental breakdown and was about to start cursing when the toad yanked him into its massive maw with a swift flick.

He only barely managed to get out the word 'I' before being swallowed whole.

Moses watched the toad make a swallowing motion, calmly observing as the notorious Rookie Crusher met his end.

After the giant toad swallowed Tonpa, its eyes turned and stared at Moses.

At that moment, a faint rustling echoed through the surrounding mist, and several figures emerged.

They were examinees who had become separated from the main group. They rushed over from behind after hearing Tonpa's shrill cry for help.

In order to confirm the approximate route, they cautiously came over to check the situation, and then they saw Tonpa being swallowed by the toad, and they all looked shocked.

Moses had been aware of their approach but paid them little mind, he even ignored the toad's hungry gaze.

"Did they come because of the name 'Illumi', or...?"

Ignoring the examinees nearby and the restless toad, Moses tilted his head and looked in a certain direction, where he could vaguely hear some noise.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the voice of Perception sounded from deep within his consciousness, and Moses was stunned for a moment.

The sudden reward signified Tonpa's demise.

However-

Among the rewards is the addition buff bonus for [Star Of Mankind's Shine].

'Although it's only a 1% increase, but…'

'For Tonpa to be able to give this 1% addition by himself, it proved the value of his title as Rookie Crusher.'

At the same time…

Dozens of bodies lay scattered across a damp patch of grass.

Judging by their positions, they had likely been killed one by one while trying to flee, with their heads oriented in the same direction, forming a chaotic line.

The one responsible for this massacre was Hisoka.

He casually strolled past the corpses, holding a bloodstained playing card in his hand, and looked at the three people standing in front of him with interest.

The three people are Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. Their faces are full of vigilance, tinged with a hint of barely concealed terror.

Just moments ago, they had witnessed Hisoka's terrifying power as he effortlessly slaughtered dozens of examinees, leaving them stunned and feeling an overwhelming sense of dread.

"Not going to run?♧"

Hisoka asked with a smile, looking at Gon and his friends, who were at high alert.

"…"

In response, they maintained a tense silence, their expressions wary. Running and exposing their backs to a powerful enemy was hardly a wise choice.

In other words-

Rather than fleeing, it was better to fight to the death and see if they could scrape out even a sliver of hope.

Looking at the reactions of Gon and the other two, Hisoka, who was not yet satisfied, slowly raised his right hand holding the playing cards, his eyes narrowing.

"Mmm~ very good♡."

He was very satisfied with the decision made by Gon and the other two, and said with a smile: "As a reward..."

Before he finished speaking, he flicked his arm, and the blood-stained card shot toward a particular direction.

At the next second…

There was a crashing sound as trees fell in the mist.

Soon, a figure walked out from the mist, staring at Hisoka with a heavy gaze.

"Killua!"

Seeing the figure step out of the mist, Gon called out Killua's name in surprise.

Killua didn't spare a glance at Gon, or rather, he didn't dare take his eyes off Hisoka.

Glaring intently at him, he asked, "I am sure that I did not reveal my presence or make any noise… How did you find me?"

"A magician can do anything ♤."

While Hisoka was speaking, he casually produced another playing card and then turned his head to look at Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio, emanating a dark, intense aura.

"Adding a companion to your group-- Are you satisfied with this reward?♡"

"…"

Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and even Killua, all looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, staring at Hisoka, who was radiating a formidable, ominous presence.

…

Elsewhere in the swamp-

A hideous man with needles sticking out all over his body muttered in confusion: "Who has been calling my name? And why they sound so miserable?"