Hunter x Hunter: Infinite Growth.

Actually, you've already been selected and eliminated to some extent. Save your time and train, and come back next year.

It wasn't until someone took the lead and went back into the carriage that the others followed suit.

This choice was made because the Hunter Exam has a high annual mortality rate, which is an open secret.

Soon, only one person remained in the spot.

Looking at the person who remained, the staff member said with some distress, "Under normal circumstances, you have already lost your eligibility for the exam. Although we don't know who is behind this, are you really going to leave alone under the cover of night?"

The man nodded silently, then turned and walked into the dark forest.

"I really misjudged him; he's a kind guy."

The staff couldn't help but think that the person hadn't left at the beginning, but waited until the end to set off alone, clearly taking into account the herd mentality.

If he leaves first, it might embolden those who are already hesitant, causing some to act irrationally and potentially putting these prospective test-takers in danger in the forest tonight.

In the forest, a muscular man with a pompadour and a mustache walked side by side with Kevin.

He muttered to himself, "At this rate, it's a bit risky to get to North Blue Harbor before noon tomorrow."

Kevin was somewhat exasperated; this guy was far too overly familiar.

When they first entered the forest, everyone kept a certain distance. Before long, they met again in the same direction and then went to the venue together.

Since the exam hasn't officially started yet, they're not really competitors, and Kevin isn't too concerned about it.

"When you left the carriage earlier, did you leave something on your seat?" the man with the pompadour asked as he walked.

Kevin glanced at him: "You're pretty perceptive."

He did leave a vial of medicine on his seat, which, according to his settings, would automatically open shortly after he left.

The gas released by the medicine has a pungent odor, but apart from the foul smell, it does not contain any toxic substances.

Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them.

The airplane-headed man glanced warily behind him, but Kevin remained unmoved and continued to move steadily forward through the forest.

"Hey! Didn't you hear us? Someone's following us."

"Don't worry about it, someone in the carriage must have woken up and followed us," Kevin said.

Upon hearing Kevin's words, the man with the pompadour instantly understood.

"So the things you left behind could wake up everyone sleeping in the carriage? You're such a nice guy, why would you do that?"

At this moment, the people following behind them stopped hiding and jogged a few steps to catch up.

"Thank you, this should be yours, right?"

A kind-looking man with a buzz cut and a round head ran up to Kevin with a medicine bottle in his hand.

Kevin took the vial of medicine directly and said with a smile, "You're welcome. Consider it repaying the favor of sharing my earplugs with you."

"Haha, then I've hit the jackpot!"

As the man spoke, he looked at the pompadour by the moonlight, and seeing that iconic hairstyle, he seemed to remember something.

"You...you're Basho, right?"

The man with the pompadour, nicknamed Banana, suddenly turned his head, frowned, and asked, "Who are you? I don't remember ever seeing you before."

"My name is Gorenu. I also took the Hunter Exam last year, but I was eliminated right at the beginning of the second round."

Hearing this, Basho nodded, thinking that with so many people taking the exam last year, it was normal not to recognize them.

Last year, more than 500 people took the exam, and 300 of them advanced to the second round, which eliminated a large number of people.

"You made it to the second round, how could you have failed there?" Basho asked curiously.

Gorenu smiled awkwardly: "It was a little unexpected."

“Let’s talk as we walk; it can be quite boring in the wilderness at night,” Kevin suggested from ahead.

Basho pursed her lips and said to Kevin, "This must be your first time taking the Hunter Exam, right?"

"Why do you ask that?" Kevin asked, puzzled.

Gorenu cautioned, "The journey will certainly not be peaceful, after all, we haven't met our guide yet."

“A guide?” Kevin repeated, his mind filled with doubt.

Chapter 88 The Guide X Exam Begins

Kevin had never heard of the title "guide" before.

After all, he only had a general understanding of the Hunter Exam and had not delved into the details, and he did not intend to take any shortcuts.

"The guides are those who know the exact location of the examination venues. They are employed by the Hunter Association and will screen the candidates on the roads leading to the various examination cities," Gorenu patiently explained.

Upon hearing Guo Lienu's reply, Basho seemed to recall some unpleasant experience and smacked his lips.

"So there's such a mechanism." Kevin couldn't help but exclaim, he hadn't expected that just finding the exam venue would be like a mini-exam or trial.

He originally thought that crossing the jungle where it was easy to get lost under the cover of night, traversing the treacherous wilderness, and finally reaching the city would already be quite a challenge.

The three of them chatted as they quickened their pace through the forest.

Before they knew it, dawn was breaking, and they were almost out of the forest. A little further on, and they might see a village, nearing the outskirts of the city.

"Strange, does this exam not require a guide?" Basho asked, full of doubt.

After all, they had only participated in the last Hunter Exam and failed, so they couldn't be considered experienced veterans.

Moreover, in this context, "experienced and knowledgeable" doesn't seem to be a compliment.

Gorenu was also unable to answer the question and was filled with doubt.

Until they saw the edge of the woods.

Standing at the entrance where he was about to leave the woods, Kevin stopped.

"What's wrong?" Banana asked.

Kevin didn't respond; he just looked up at the branches and leaves above.

"That bird kept following us."

"A bird?" Gorenu looked up in confusion.

Sure enough, a bird with emerald green feathers was hidden among the intertwined branches and leaves.

If it weren't for the fact that it was just getting light and Kevin's reminder, they would have had a very hard time spotting the bird.

Its feathers blend seamlessly with its surroundings, and it moves silently, making it completely undetectable at night.

After all, this is a forest, and it is normal for birds to appear here. Their senses are not sharp enough to easily detect birds that are so cleverly hidden.

"So it was you, you stupid bird! You weren't hiding on purpose, were you?" After seeing the bird clearly, Basho's expression changed, and she shouted at it without any politeness.

"You recognize it?" Kevin asked, quite surprised.

"Silly airplane head".

A crisp sound rang out.

Kevin stared in astonishment at the bird that was flying down; it had actually started talking.

This is not a simple imitation, but a clear expression imbued with extremely high intelligence.

"What bad luck! You're lucky you ran into this guy, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have shown up. If you hadn't found me, you wouldn't even be able to find the exam hall this year," the little green bird said with a rather arrogant tone as it landed on Kevin's shoulder.

"You're really something, abusing your power?" Basho complained, her face full of dissatisfaction.

"I am the guide. Whoever I say is unqualified, is unqualified!" the little bird declared arrogantly.

Then, it turned around on Kevin's shoulder, looked at Kevin, and asked, "You're pretty perceptive. I was hiding so well, how did you find me?"

“I noticed it from the moment you started following me.”

"Really? I didn't expect you to have discovered it from the very beginning." The little bird didn't doubt Kevin's words.

“You’re very perceptive, you’ve passed,” the little bird said to Kevin.

Then it looked at Gorenu: "You're lucky, you passed."

Finally, it stared at the banana leaf, and Kevin could even sense disgust in the bird's expression.

"You got incredibly lucky. I'd say you barely pass."

Even if Banana fails, so what? Anyway, the little bird is going to take Kevin to the exam hall, and Banana will naturally find the place by following behind.

Basho just scoffed and didn't say anything more.

After all, if it weren't for the grudge between him and this bird, the group might have missed the exam because they couldn't find a guide.

"Let's go, I'll take you in. Let's go to the city first." After the little bird finished speaking, the group quickened their pace and headed towards the city.

As soon as you step into the city, a salty, humid sea breeze hits you.

The city is mostly made up of low-rise buildings, and although it is a port city, its commerce does not seem to be thriving.

The people on the street were mostly local residents; there seemed to be very few tourists.

"Why are there so many soldiers here?" Gorenu noticed something was amiss and asked in confusion.