My eyebrow twitched, and I fought back the urge to facepalm. What kind of stupid test was this? Any moron could see through this staged hostage situation. Was this some kinda elaborate joke?

But then I remembered the old lady with the katana and her not-so-subtle murdering of my face and assertions about some 'Path of the Body.' Yeah, discretion was the better part of valor, especially when dealing with people who could probably turn you into a human pretzel with their pinky finger.

Besides, the woman with the darker pink hair was giving me the side-eyed smile, mixed with her glare that could curdle milk. I swear, she could probably lash me to death with a single eyelash.

"Ah, yeah. Definitely. I'm super observant," I mumbled, forcing a smile. Survival instincts, gotta love 'em.

The guy in the corner clapped me on the shoulder. "Good man! You've got a keen eye for detail."

The bird-man who turned into a glasses-man chuckled, and for a split second, I swear I saw a flash of something predatory in his eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but it left me with a cold feeling in my gut.

"Well, then," the woman said, her voice surprisingly gentle. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the final preliminary examiners for participants deemed special by those tasked with overseeing the initial stages of the Hunter Exam. My name is Ranica, and these are my husband, Reido, and our son and daughter, Riku and Ren."

She gestured towards the no-longer-a-bird-man, who gave me a polite nod, and the blue-haired guy, who grinned and winked.

"We are a race known as Kuroko," she continued, "Humans who possess the ability to transform into magical beasts that resemble birds, though with fur instead of feathers."

With those words, Ranica's form shimmered and shifted, growing taller and more imposing. Her clothes dissolved, replaced by a coat of sleek, dark yellow fur. Giant wings, tipped with razor-sharp claws, sprouted from her back. Her eyes, now a brilliant gold, fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

Before I could even process what was happening, she gestured towards me with one of her massive talons. "Come, young Hunter-candidate. I will take you to the Hunter Exam in Zaban City."

My brain screamed at me to run, to find another way, but my legs seemed to move on their own, drawing me closer to the monstrous creature that was once a human woman.

What the hell was I getting myself into?

With a powerful beat of her wings, Ranica launched herself into the air, carrying me in her talons like a prize catch. I clung on for dear life, the wind whipping through my hair, the ground shrinking beneath me.

This was insane. This was absolutely insane. But somehow I knew I couldn't avoid any of this for long even if I ran from it.

----------------------------------------

My eyes snapped open, and for a terrifying second, all I saw was sky. Panic flooded through me, my stomach lurching as I realized I was suspended hundreds of feet in the air, nothing but thin air and a pair of giant bird claws between me and a bone-shattering plummet.

Then it all came rushing back: the fight, the creepy old lady, the bird-woman, the Hunter Exam. I'd fallen asleep, exhausted from the day's insane events.

Above me, Ranica soared through the air, her massive wings beating with a steady rhythm. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold.

"Wise of you to get some rest," she said, her voice echoing down to me. "We'll be there soon. We're actually quite early. A lower number for your tag always looks nice on your resume, especially when you pass the exam."

She muttered something else under her breath, something about first-timers never passing, but I heard it loud and clear.

I didn't comment. She was right. Even with those stat boosts, I was in way over my head. Dying a few more times before getting through this exam… yeah, that sounded about right.

Thinking back on yesterday, I grimaced. Shot in the head, frozen solid, sliced and diced by a pissed-off grandma… I'd never had a Tuesday that bad, and I hoped to hell I never would again.

Please, just let me survive today.

The sun was high in the sky by the time Ranica swooped down towards a sprawling city, its skyline dominated by a massive tower that gleamed like a beacon of gold. The sheer scale of it was mind-boggling, even grander than the Tojo Clan headquarters back in Kamurocho. Hell, even that swanky hotel we'd hit that one time was nothing compared to this place.

We landed in a small plaza near the base of the tower, and Ranica transformed back into her human form, her pink hair catching the morning light.

"Come along, Ichiban," she said, gesturing towards a narrow alleyway that ran alongside the tower. "The Hunter Exam awaits."

I followed her, my brow furrowed in confusion. The tower was impressive, sure, but it didn't look like the kind of place you'd hold a high-stakes test like this.

We reached a small, unassuming door tucked between a ramen shop and a pawnbroker.

"Here?" I asked, incredulous. "This is it?"

Ranica smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. "Oh, that tower isn't the Hunter Exam, my dear. That's just a fancy hotel. A decoy for those who lack true discernment. Those who pass my test are deemed worthy of the truth of the exam's location."

She pushed open the door, revealing a dimly lit staircase that led down into the darkness.

A hole-in-the-wall restaurant, a decoy tower, a secret quiz- this whole Hunter Exam was turning out to be weirder than a Yakuza initiation ceremony where Majima was the guy in charge.

And how the hell were they gonna fit an entire exam in this tiny place?

I followed Ranica down the narrow, dimly lit staircase, my senses on high alert. The air was thick with the smell of spices and something else metallic. Like blood. It made my stomach churn.

We reached a small, cramped kitchen, steam billowing from pots and pans as a burly chef with a scarred face barked orders at a couple of harried-looking assistants. He reminded me of that old ramen chef back in Kamurocho, the one with the dragon tattoo who'd always chase us kids away with a cleaver when we tried to sneak a peek at his secret recipe.

Ranica approached the chef, her demeanor shifting from playful to something… sharper. More serious.

"He'll take the back room," she said, her voice low and steady.

The chef nodded, but his eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking to something beneath the counter. A gun, maybe? For anyone who got the password wrong? This place was giving me the creeps.

"What will he be having?" the chef asked, his voice gruff.

Ranica smiled, a wide, toothy grin that sent a shiver down my spine. "A steak combo, over an absolute inferno and grilled heartily with spirit."

"Ah, good potential then," the chef grunted, his gaze softening slightly. "Go on, then. Your combo will be with you very shortly."

I didn't like the sound of that. It felt ominous. Like a threat veiled in a promise. And the way those two were looking at each other there was something else going on here, something beyond a simple password exchange. I'd impressed the pink-haired lady somehow, that much was clear. But why and how?

I stepped into the back room, my heart pounding in my chest. It was small, barely bigger than a closet, with bare concrete walls and a single flickering light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It smelled like old grease and stale beer, the kind of place you wouldn't want to spend more than five minutes in.

Then, the whole room began to rumble.

The floor shuddered beneath my feet, tilting downwards at a slow, steady pace. An elevator? In a tiny restaurant kitchen? This place was full of surprises.

I spotted a newspaper lying on a table in the middle of the room, probably left behind by a previous customer. As I picked it up, something fluttered to the ground. A piece of paper, folded neatly.

Checkpoint reached. New mission: Pass the Hunter Exam's first phase. Befriend Killua Zoldyck. Save Killua Zoldyck from his insane big brother. Long-term mission: Become the big-brother figure that Killua never had.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Killua Zoldyck?

The names meant nothing to me. Befriend? Save? This whole "goddess mission" thing was getting more complicated by the minute.

I shoved the paper into my pocket, my mind reeling. This Hunter Exam was shaping up to be a lot more than just a test of strength and skill.

The elevator shuddered to a halt, and the doors slid open, revealing a vast, dimly lit cavern. The air hung heavy with anticipation, a strange mix of excitement and dread. I stepped out, blinking against the sudden shift in light.

"Number 104," a voice chirped from beside me.

I looked down to see… well, I wasn't sure what to call it. It was like a walking green bean, maybe a foot tall, with spindly arms and legs and a massive, bulbous head. Its eyes, huge and black, stared up at me with an unnervingly intense gaze.

"Welcome to the Hunter Exam," the… thing… said, holding out a circular metal plate with the number 104 etched into its surface. "Please wear this at all times."

My danger sense was going haywire, screaming at me to get the hell away from this… creature. It was like standing next to a live grenade, the pin already pulled. But something told me that bolting wouldn't end well.

"Y-yeah," I stammered, taking the plate and quickly fastening it to my shirt.

I moved away from the green bean-thing, my heart still pounding, and took a seat on one of the nearby pipes that snaked along the cavern walls. The tunnel stretched into darkness, seemingly endless.

A fat guy with a doughy face and a nose that could rival Pinocchio's antithesis waddled towards me, a sickly-sweet smile plastered across his face. He wore a bright blue shirt and white pants that strained against his gut.

"Hey there, newbie!" he said, his voice overly friendly and way too close for comfort.

"Name's Tonpa," he continued, flashing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You look like you could use a drink." He held out a can of juice, condensation beading on its surface.

My danger sense flared, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I knew that smell. I'd encountered it before, back in Kamurocho. The kind of sickly-sweet scent that masked something far more sinister.

"Nah, I'm good," I said, trying to sound casual, but my grip tightened on the pipe I was holding.

"Come on, don't be shy," Tonpa insisted, shoving the can toward me. "It's on the house. Gotta stay hydrated, right?"

"I said I'm good," I growled, my patience wearing thin.

"Naw, it's just for you," he insisted, still holding that damn can in my face.

Something snapped. I snatched the can from his hand, the metal cold and slick against my palm. I could practically smell the laxative.

I snapped it open with a click and grinned viciously.

"Drink it," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

Tonpa's eyes widened in alarm. "W-what? Why?"

"Just drink it, asshole," I snarled, pushing the can against his lips and yanking his jaw open.

He struggled for a second, arms flailing, then took a long, panicked gulp by accident, his face contorting in disgust.

"Blech!" he sputtered, spitting the juice onto the floor. "What the hell is wrong with YOU?!"

I grinned, a cold, predatory smile spreading across my face. "Don't worry about it. You wanted to poison me, so don't blame me for turning it around on you, you motherfucking piece of shit."

Tonpa's eyes bulged, and he clutched his stomach. "I… I gotta go!" he shrieked, scrambling to his feet and barreling towards the emergency exit, slamming it open and disappearing down a dark corridor.

I scowled at the retreating form of that bastard.

I'd learned my lesson about trusting strangers, especially in a place like this. This Hunter Exam was a den of vipers, and I wasn't about to let some two-bit poisoner get the drop on me.

----------------------------------------

Four hours crawled by. More and more contestants arrived, each one weirder than the last. A guy with needles sticking out of his face, a young lady carrying a sniper rifle who also looked like she could bench press a small car, a dude carrying a goddamn pair of knife-gauntlets.

Just as I was starting to wonder if anyone normal was gonna show up, the final contestant arrived. A scowling young man with slicked and parted blond hair, dressed in a blue tabard, white pants, and black shoes. He had two bokken strapped to his hips, but the way the handles were wrapped, the telltale seams… those were definitely hiding actual katanas.

He scanned the cavern, his eyes cold and sharp, before settling on a spot near the back wall, as far away from everyone else as possible.

This guy- he was different. Dangerous. My danger sense tingled, a low, steady hum that told me to keep my distance.

"Number 399, the last applicant has arrived!" the bean-guy—Bean, I guess?—announced, his voice chirping with unsettling cheerfulness. "The entry period is now closed!"

The elevator doors slid shut with a heavy clang, sealing us inside the cavern. The air thickened with tension. The room, once buzzing with nervous chatter, fell silent. Even the guy with the needles sticking out of his face seemed to turn serious.

Then, a scream.

The guy with the knife-gauntlets clutched at his arms, his eyes wide with terror. Where his hands should have been… nothing. Just bloody stumps. His severed limbs were nowhere to be seen.

"What the?!" I scrambled back from the unfolding horror.

A chilling laughter cut through the air, sending shivers down my spine. It came from a guy who looked like he'd stepped straight outta a nightmare. He was tall and wiry, with a shock of bright red hair and a face painted like a goddamn clown—except there was nothing funny about that wide, predatory grin.

He held up a playing card, a simple ace of hearts, and examined it with a casual smirk, as if he were admiring a work of art. My danger sense screamed at me, a full-blown siren blaring in my head. Just being near this guy was suicide.

"Ah, he has no arms," the clown said, his voice smooth, almost hypnotic, as the guy with the severed limbs crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around him at an alarming rate. It was like someone had cranked up the speed dial on his bleeding. "But a magician never reveals his tricks, so you'll have to guess how yourselves. Just remember to apologize to those you bump into."

Everyone steered clear of the clown, who didn't seem to notice or care. He just kept chatting with Needle-Face, like they were old buddies catching up over a cup of coffee.

The clock on the wall ticked towards midday. The seconds stretched into minutes, each one filled with a palpable tension that made the air crackle.

Then, right as the clock struck twelve, a high-pitched alarm pierced the silence. It sounded like a dog's rapidly squeaking chew toy, amplified a thousand times.

The lights flickered, plunging the cavern into darkness for a heartbeat. When they came back on, a figure stood before us, just outside the illuminated area. He was tall and lean, with short, slicked back purple hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through you. He wore a simple black suit that somehow managed to look both intimidating and elegant.

I could barely make out a very tiny mouth beneath a small purple mustache.

Slowly, deliberately, the lights in the distance began to flicker on, one by one, illuminating a long, metal hallway that stretched into the darkness. It was like a scene from one of those cheesy horror movies I used to watch back before my life became too damn weird.

"If you find yourself low on luck or skill," the man said, his voice calm but commanding, "You will certainly die in this test. Anyone feeling a lack of either should exit through the back."

He gestured towards the elevator, its doors still firmly closed.

No one moved.

"Very well," the man said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I am the First Phase Examiner, Satotz. Your first test is to follow me to the second."

He turned and strode into the illuminated hallway, his footsteps echoing in the silence.