A couple of hours has passed, the applicants has been running non-stop and many of them has dropped out, most too tired to continue. Leorio was starting to get tired, he's panting lightly while running. Suddenly, Killua and Serafino passed by him on their skateboard and ripstick g while chatting, mostly about their families and recent missions. Leorio felt like he was a fool, here he was running even though he's already tired, but there are two kids skating past him, relaxed and while chatting as if they're just skating in the park, it's the Hunters Exam! This is an endurance test!

"Hey, kids! That's cheating!" He yelled, pointing at their 'vehicle'.

The two silver-haired kids glance down at their respective boards then at each other and responded to Leorio's outburst with a "how so?"

"How?! This is an endurance test! You're not allowed to use those! You're supposed to run like everybody else!" Leorio responded, looking pissed.

"No, it isn't." A voice came from a little behind them. They looked back and saw it was Gon.

"Huh? Gon, what are you saying?" Leorio asked him, still running, his body facing front but his head was facing Gon.

"He only said to follow him, he didn't say anything about not being allowed to use tools." Gon replied.

"Who's side are you on? Are you really my friend?" Leorio yelled, bewildered, but he was ignored.

Killua and Serafino skate back to where Gon is. When they were next to Gon, Killua asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve." Gon innocently replied, looking confused but then goes back to smiling.

"Same age with me." Killua said, he was a bit surprised.

"Twelve." Serafino mumbled, loud enough for Gon to hear.

They jump down from their boards and started running."Guess we'll start running too." They both said, catching their boards in their hands.

"I'm Killua." Killua introduced himself to Gon.

"Serafino." Serafino introduced herself as well.

"And I'm Gon."

Four hours passed, more and more applicants are failing. Leorio's getting really tired, he's exhausted. He's already panting heavily and sweating madly. He was slowing down until he finally stops, making Gon stop as well, which makes Killua and Serafino stop too.

"Hey, forget him. Let's get going" Killua said, looking at Gon who is staring at Leorio. Gon remained silent and continue staring at Leorio, who's still panting and sweating with his hands on his knees. Killua then put on a somewhat confused look while Serafino just remained silent with a straight face, choosing to observe the situation.

Leorio then suddenly said, "screw that..." He then set off while exclaiming "I'm gonna become a Hunter! Damn it all!" Leaving a trail of dust behind and past Gon, Killua and Serafino. Gon then smiled and picked up Leorio's suitcase which he left behind with his fishing pole.

"Cool!" Killusa grinned and they set off running again. "Let me try that later" He said while running.

"If you let me try your skateboard, okay?" Gon offered.` Serafino laughed a bit, enjoying the boys' company.

They were now running up a flight of seemingly endless stairs. Satotz then pick up the pace a bit more. The applicants are talking among themselves, how Satotz climb up the stairs as if they're not even there and he must be crazy and how tons of people will fail.

"Gon, Fin, wanna race to see who finishes first?" Killua challenged.

"Sure." Gon replied.

"Count me out." Serafino refused.

"Ehh, you're always like that." Killua complained with a whining tone while pouting.

She just laughed and repiled back "not always."

"Whatever you say." Killua replied back.

"The loser has to buy dinner." Gon suggested.

"Okay, you're on!" Killua sounds excited.

"Ready... Go!" The two then set off running real fast with Serafino behind them laughing out loud, her head tilted up.

They pass by Kurapika and Leorio, who is now running shirtless. Kurapika, after seeing Leorio like that, feels somehow motivated and took off his outer clothe, putting them inside his messenger bag. They were talking about the reason why they wanted to become a Hunter. Kurapika told Leorio about the Kurtas and their scarlet eyes and about how determined he is to capture the Ryodan. While Leorio revealed the true reason. He need money to study and be a doctor. His childhood friend died because of a disease. The disease is treatable, but they don't have money to pay for the treatment. He wanted to be able to cure children with that disease and tell them that it's free of charge. He was truly a nice guy at heart. After hearing him, Kurapika smiled.

"See you at the goal, Kurapika." Gon greeted.

"Catch you later, old timer." This time it was Killua.

"I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!" Leorio shouted, clearly annoyed. The four, Gon, Killua, Serafino and Kurapika, instantly went into a shock.

"Huh?" Killua was the first to say something.

"No way!" Gon followed after.

"It has got to be a lie." Serafino muttered, not believing what she had just heard.

A lot of the other applicants had given up, they were spread along the stairs. Serafino decided to stay behind with Leorio and Kurapike while Gon and Killua have their race.

"You're not gonna go with them?" Kurapika asked her.

"No, we're going to the same destination anyway." She replied back.

After some pause, Kurapika decided to introduce himself to her. "I'm Kurapika by the way."

"My name's Leorio." Leorio introduced himself after Killua, realizing the girl probably doesn't know his name.

"I still can't believe you're a teenager. It's a lie, right?" She stated.

"I'm a teenager! That's not a lie!" Leorio shouted again.

"Serafino." She finally introduced herself to them, not knowing what else to say.

They finally get to the exit of the tunnel and found Gon and Killua waiting near the exit.

"Hey, Kurapika!" Gon greeted right after Kurapika step out of the tunnel. Kurapika replied back by raising his right hand, he was panting lightly.

"Is this our destination?" Kurapika asked, looking around.

"No, it isn't" Came Gon's reply.

"I see." Kurapika said, he wasn't panting anymore.

"The fog is fading." He said again after taking a breath.

"Really?" Gon then stood up, followed by Killua.

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you're dead." Satotz warned them. The exit of the tunnel is then closed behind them. "These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit... Hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived." Satotz continue his warning.

"What a joke. How can they fool us, when we're expecting it?" Leorio exclaimed, becoming cocky.

Right after he said that, a voice from behind them yelled, "Don't let them fool you!"

"I just said that they can't." Leorio said, turning to look.

"D-Don't fall for it..." A man step out from behind the walls of the exit, he looked beaten and dirty, his clothes tattered. "He's lying to you!" He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Satotz, who just stared right back at him. "He's an impostor! He isn't an examiner. I'm the real examiner." He exclaimed, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"An impostor? What's going on?" Leorio asked, believing the man.

"Then who is he?" A bald guy from the crowd asked, looking back and forth between Satotz and the man.

"Look at this..." The man said, shoving a monkey with a face that looked like Satots from behind the wall.

The candidates looked shocked and gasped. "Wah! He looked just like Satotz-san!" Gon exclaimed, looking somewhat fascinated.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands." The man explained.

"A Man-Faced Ape?" Leorio asked.

"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" The man continued to explain, the applicants paying attention. At the last sentence, he pointed yet another accusing finger at Satotz, who hasn't said anything and just stayed quiet.

"Bastard..."

"He certainly doesn't walk like a human..." The applicants are beginning to suspect Satotz when all of a sudden, cards flew at the man and Satotz at the same time. The man got hit in the chest while Satotz catch them between his fingers.

"Huh?" The man fell together with the Man-Faced Ape and died.

A chuckle can from number 44 who is playing with his cards. "I see, I see... That settles it... You're the real one." He said all this calmly. Satotz then threw the cards while some of the applicants had a shocked look on their faces. What? He's the real examiner? The Man-Faced Ape suddenly open its eyes and ran away. "Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack." Hisoka, number 44, explained

"I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?" Satotz speak, much like a teacher warning his student.

"Sure." Hisoka replied, not at all threatened by Satotz. Bird are already eating the corpse of the man before.

"Nature really can be brutal to watch..." Leorio, absent-minded at the time, said that.

"So he was a Man-Faced Ape, as well." Kurapika concluded.

"He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away." Satotz explained.

"We cannot relax our guard." Killua pointed out.

"Yeah." Gon agreed, still staring at the scene.

"You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?" Satotz questioned and some of the applicants, one of them being Leorio, laughed a nervous laugh.

Satotz turned to face them, "Do you understand? If you lose sight of me in the Numere Werlands fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind. Then let us be on our way. Please follow me." While Satotz was saying all this, Serafino...

"Killua.." She called out to him.

"Hmm?" He turned to face her.

She stretch out her arms and said, "carry me.."

Killua sighed, muttering "how troublesome" under his breath. Even if he said that, he still knelt down, his back facing Serafino. Killua stood up, Serafino on his back. He then started running, Gon following closely behind. After a short distance away from the exit of the underground tunnel, Serafino starts to fall asleep, feeling safe and comfortable on Killua's back.