Alex steps through the portal, and his vision turns dark as he sees instructions floating in front of him.

[Player is now entering Level 1-4 Mission:

Players gathering... total number of players: 28/30

World selection: Hunter x Hunter

Starting Location: Lake Mobius, “The Known World,” Mimbo Republic, Tribaio Village

Timeline: January 1st, 1997 (Roughly 2 years and 3 days until Gon leaves Whale Island)]

[Missing language skills detected. Since this is a special mission, all players will receive a general language skill for free, as communication is essential in this world.]

Setting: In the world of Hunter x Hunter, the world is vast, intricate, and layered with mystery. It is a world where danger, discovery, and opportunity are intertwined, governed by complex natural laws and ancient secrets. Known for its diverse biomes, exotic creatures, and highly competitive power structure, this world beckons only the bravest to explore its depths.

Hunters: Hunters are licensed individuals who pass the grueling Hunter Exam, granting them access to otherwise restricted areas, valuable information, and opportunities that others could only dream of. They are often seen as elite adventurers, mercenaries, scholars, or bounty hunters, depending on their specialty. The Hunter Association oversees and regulates them, providing the rules, resources, and missions to ensure Hunters contribute to society—though some are rogue and follow their own agendas.

Hunter Association: This is the governing body that oversees all Hunters, ensuring that members adhere to certain codes and granting licenses to those who pass the Hunter Exam. The Association is also responsible for organizing the exam, supporting various missions, and enforcing regulations. It’s led by a chairman and has a council of respected Hunters known as the Zodiacs.

The Hunter Exam: The exam is a harrowing journey that changes each year, challenging participants with grueling tests of endurance, skill, and intellect. Each stage filters out the weak, until only the most resourceful and resilient remain. Passing is an accomplishment worthy of great respect, but the journey itself is filled with deception, intense competition, and, frequently, life-or-death stakes.

PvP & PvE Setting: PvP actions are possible, though not encouraged! This is a lawful world; engaging in battles with other players in public will result in major negative consequences, similar to those for killing a large number of native characters and getting caught.

WARNING: Blacklist Hunters will be dispatched if a player reaches a certain level of infamy. Killing other players during the Hunter Exam, depending on the specific task, might be allowed, even if done openly.

PvP Rewards: When killing other players, players will obtain random amounts of their defeated enemies' possessions, ranging from 1% to 10% of the total value of their belongings, in the form of "bloody chests." These chests cannot be opened during the mission and must be opened back in the Fantasy Realm.

Mission Objectives:

* Pass the Hunter Exam and obtain a Hunter License.

* Failing the exam during the first and second tasks or before reaching the exam site will result in an automatic mission rating of F, regardless of other factors.

* Passing the second task will lead to a minimum mission rating of E-.

* Passing the third task will lead to a minimum mission rating of D-.

* Passing the fourth task will lead to a minimum mission rating of C-.

* Passing the fifth task will lead to a minimum mission rating of B-.

* Obtaining the license will lead to a mission rating of at least A-, allowing the player to extend their stay in this world if they choose to accept another task. Players have the option to leave anytime after obtaining their license. Failing the Hunter Exam at any point will result in forced expulsion back to the Fantasy Realm if the player has at least completed the second task.

Depending on a player’s achievements after successfully obtaining a Hunter License, it’s possible to attain a final rating of A to S+.

To increase your mission rating: Unique - Each player’s own values and dreams are used as a measure of their success. You can improve your mission rating during the Hunter Exam and afterward. After clearing the second task, players may leave the mission at any time.

WARNING: This option cannot be used during battles or in dangerous situations.

Rating Tiers (Level 0-4):

* F (Death): Player dies, no rewards.

* E (Penalty): Lose 1 to 3 random stat points.

* D (Neutral): No stat points, 300–600 FC.

* C (Average): 1 stat point, 1000–2000 FC.

* B (Good): 2–3 stat points, 3000–5000 FC.

* A (Excellent): 4–5 stat points, 6000–10,000 FC.

* S (Exceptional – Very Rare): 6–8 stat points, 12,000–20,000 FC.

Failure Condition: None

WARNING: Mentioning the existence of the Fantasy Realm to any character results in immediate soul destruction!

Alex suddenly feels a shift around him and arrives on the other side of the portal. To his absolute surprise, he sees every other player besides himself standing in a small village square, surrounded by insanely large trees towering at least 50 meters high (around 160 feet).

He remembers the hints left behind by the system. Since he knew beforehand he would end up in the world of Hunter x Hunter, he studied a lot of the known lore and now tries to analyze the situation to the best of his abilities.

"Let’s see… where am I? ‘Lake Mobius’—irrelevant. The whole plot of Hunter x Hunter happens here. The entire Known World is just a group of small islands in the center of this absurdly large lake. Now, the Mimbo Republic—that’s on the northernmost continent. Not that location matters much since the climate in Hunter x Hunter is… weird."

He thinks back, piecing together details. "If I remember right, this is the same continent where Killua’s home, Kukuroo Mountain, is located, in the Republic of Padokea. Heaven’s Arena is on this continent too. Good to keep in mind. The Mimbo Republic is the largest country here, but strangely, there’s almost no known info about it—no notable locations or landmarks are mentioned in canon by Togashi! Kukuroo Mountain and Heaven’s Arena are both outside the Mimbo Republic, in smaller neighboring countries."

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"The only thing I remember about the Republic is that it’s part of the V6… well, at this point in the story, the V5. So this Republic is one of the five—or six—strongest nations in the world! It also led one of the only expeditions to the Dark Continent. What item were they after again? Well, I forgot. Not that anything related to the Dark Continent matters. I’m staying the hell away from that."

He glances around. "Tribaio Village seems to be just a random village in this Republic. The buildings here look… strange, and these buildings are also way too large for humans to live in. Still, we’re probably here because this year’s exam is taking place in this country, and that creepy snake-demon creature acting as our navigator probably has some connection to it. I have a feeling I should keep a low profile and just follow its instructions."

He considers the usual process for becoming a Hunter. "Typically, people who want to become Hunters have to use their knowledge and intuition to locate a navigator, which is their ticket to the exam site. The location is always unknown, and millions of people want to become Hunters, but only a few hundred, or at most a few thousand—even make it to the exam site. Expecting players like us to reach it on our own? That’s a huge stretch and next to impossible."

"I think to make up for the fact that the Realm already led us to a navigator there will be other difficulties… damn, or else that would be way too easy. There’s no way this guy will just take us to the exam. That would be ridiculous!"

After carefully organizing his thoughts, Alex notices the snake-demon beast appearing again, a vicious smile on its ugly face. Alex’s eyes lock on its abnormally large, dangerous claws, noticing some kind of greenish veins running under them. "Poison in the claws? This beast looks insane! There’s no way we could fight it… even if I had Rishi and Tereza with me and threw all 13 of my grenades, I wouldn’t stand a chance!"

“Welcome to our village, playerssss,” the beast hisses.

"Our village?" As soon as Alex finishes that thought, a few dozen other beasts appear, each identical to their navigator and each wearing the same bloodthirsty grin.

A few months ago, Alex would’ve shit his pants by now. But in his current state, logic and experience from previous missions give him the backbone to stay calm. "The Realm is supreme, the Realm is fair," he thinks, almost like a cultist worshiping a god. "The Realm always gives us a fair shot at everything. Things will be tough but fair. These beasts won’t attack… at least, not yet."

Around him, many players start to panic. Some hug each other, while one of them screams, “HELP! What is this? This isn’t like the tutorial I cleared a few days ago! What kind of nightmare is this? I want out!”

“Looks like a total level-1 newbie got dragged into this… Damn, poor guy, he’s as good as dead,” Alex thinks, feeling a brief pang of empathy for the unlucky soul.

After a long, intentional silence, letting the players stew in fear, the navigator beast finally speaks.

“We are merely ssservants of the Realm, here to guide playerssss like you. The Realm would never exxxxpect poor foreign humansss from another world to find the illustrious Hunter Exxam sssite on their own. I will persssonally guide you there, ssso you don’t have to worry about that! Isssn’t that a relief?”

At this, almost all the players sigh with relief, some even smiling as though this nightmare might have a silver lining.

"No way in hell!" Alex thinks. "There’s got to be a massive catch here. If there isn’t, I’ll be Tereza’s permanent boot-licking slave!"

“Hee Hee Heeeeee… Of course, there’sss a ssssmall condition attached to thissss generoussssity,” the beast goes on.

"What a fucking surprise. I knew it!" Alex can’t help but smirk.

“Hee Hee Heeee. The human player on the left…” the beast says, looking directly at Alex. “You don’t sssseem too sssssurprisssed. Hee Hee Hee.”

“The Hunter Exam site is extremely hard to find,” Alex replies, playing it cool. “In fact, it’s probably even harder to locate than the first few tasks of the actual exam itself! It would defeat the whole purpose if you just led us there… with no conditions or requirements. That would be way too easy, wouldn’t it?”

“Hee Hee Hee, exxxactly, human. I like you… I’d love to get to know you… from the inssside. Hee Hee Hee.” The navigator steps toward the players, and the other beasts close in, forming a tight circle around them.

Everyone huddles together, practically hugging each other, except for Alex, who stands firm. He’s kind of scared, but his belief in the Realm keeps him confident he won’t be attacked outright.

“If you fail your exxam, players, you’ll all die anyway, won’t you? Wouldn’t that be tragic?” The beast continues. “I, asss the leader of thisss humble Tribaio village of magic ssssnake demon beassstsss, offer you humansss an exchange: Either leave this village right now and try to find the exxam on your own. Hee Hee Hee, I promissse you, we won’t chassse or attack you. Or… participate in our little challenge, and if you passss, I will persssonally essscort you to the sssite.”

“The rulesss are sssimple—gather thingsss for usss: plantssss, tasssty meatsss, or treasssure. Find enough, and you’ll earn your ticket to the exxxam. Once the time is up, I’ll lead you there… however…”

All the beasts burst into laughter, some literally drooling, their eyes gleaming with hunger as they eye the players.

“Thosseee without a ticket… you’ll compensssate usss… with your livesss! Human meat isss a delicacy!”

Some players begin to cry; others scream or look as if they’ve already resigned to their fate.

Alex watches them, irritated. “Shitty idiots. Rishi was right, they’re absolutely garbage and useless. What did they expect? A free trip to the exam with some fun trivia questions? Assholes, they’re all useless. I’ll have to do this myself!”

The navigator, almost as if reading Alex’s mind, speaks toward him, “Hee Hee Hee, player, you’re in luck… everyone will gather thessse thingsss on their own. Each and every one of you will need to buy your own ticket. The ticket’sss cossst will vary depending on your level. The Realm was exxxplicit—we can’t defy it. The weaker onesss of you will have an easssier time! Fifty pointsss for level-1 playersss, seventy for level-2 playersss, one hundred for level-3 playersss, and one hundred fifty for level-4 playersss. No bargaining.”

He gestures toward a small structure nearby. “If you want more detailssss, check out thisss little ssstore we built for you… The village also sellsss other thingsss, all requiring tokensss. Ssspend them wisssely.”

“A lassst thing… if thissss issss all too much… why not give up? Ssssee that large building? We’ll feed you the bessst food and give you all the luxxxuriessss you could want… thesse herbsss will make your body tingle with joy, like you’re in heaven. Inssstead of dying out there, sssstruggling, we can make it easssy. Jussst give up… your choice, playerssss!” the beast explains.

“Pfft, as if,” Alex mutters angrily, dismissing the idea. "Thank god this ugly snake demon is finally done, I can’t stand lisssstening to his damn annoying accent. Shit, now I’m even thinking like that beast too."

Side Quest Offered:

Mission: Gather village tokens to buy a ticket to the exam

Reward: Safe passage to the Hunter Exam site

Time Limit: January 4th, 10 AM

Failure: Snake Demon Beast tribe will turn hostile

Side Quest accepted

Alex accepts the quest without hesitation. There’s no way he could find the exam site on his own. "On a foreign continent, without a single lead and less than a week? That’s just suicide!" He knows this quest is the only viable way to reach the exam.

“One more thing. Take thisss, each of you… you have until January 4th, exxxactly 10 AM!” the beast says, handing each player an old-looking catalog, handwritten and illustrated with sketches of various plants, herbs, ores, beasts, and even insects.

Without further explanation, the navigator leaves.

"I see… we can’t gather what we don’t recognize. I guess the stuff in this catalog is what we’re after. Interesting!"

Alex then slaps his cheeks and yells loudly, drawing the attention of both the players and the snake demon beasts. “It’s time to HUNT!"