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Alex sits on the airship, glancing around at the candidates who've returned. He counts about 150 to 200, thinking uneasily, Don't tell me all the others died? Well, it's Tonpa's fault for stirring up all that trouble. I just hope they can figure out what happened and leave me out of it!

He takes a moment to organize his poison collection, examining the vials carefully: [Giant Yellow Wave Frog Poison], [Two Headed Black Eel Poisonous Blood], [Green Lizard Matriarch Tongue Poison], and [Green Lizard Tongue Poison].

We're allowed to present up to five different poisons, he considers. The Frog Poison, Lizard Poison, and Eel Poison are all solid—they're average to good quality. The Frog's is Deep Green, while the other two are Light Green. That should be enough to pass, right? But should I present the Matriarch Poison too? Without it, I probably won't get first place, but that poison's effects are… intense. Do I really want to give it up just for a shot at the top prize?

He glances at the half-filled vial of the regular Lizard Tongue Poison. Maybe I could mix it with that damaged Bloating Square Mushroom I still have, he thinks. If I claim it's a "mutated" poison, they might not question it.

Alex goes through with his plan, squeezing the remaining poison from the damaged mushroom and watching as the system logs his new creation.

[Mushroom - Lizard Poison Mixture]

World: Hunter x Hunter

Quality: Green

Effect: Contains the toxin from a large Green Lizard's tongue, combined with the toxins of a Bloating Square Mushroom. This poison merges the effects of both, with surprisingly high compatibility.

Not bad, he thinks, pleased with the upgrade from Light Green to Green. That mushroom was deteriorating anyway. With this, I've got five solid poisons. I can still decide whether to submit just four and keep the Matriarch Poison for myself or go for the first prize by presenting it.

Settling back, Alex closes his eyes and dozes off. He wakes suddenly to see a familiar face approaching him.

"Hey, Alex! Glad you made it out too!" the man greets him. "I had to take a huge detour when a lizard beast wave overran the whole underground area! I overheard some examiners talking about a lunatic who attacked the Matriarch, the ruler of the island—crippling her by cutting off part of her tongue and even bombing her insides. They had to call in a team of beast hunters to calm her down and restore order to the underground. Whoever did it is in serious trouble. Wonder what'll happen to them?"

Alex's face tightens. SHIT! What the hell is he talking about? I'm a lunatic for defending my life? Screw their Matriarch, and screw them. Damn it, what am I supposed to do?

Better go take a shower, he thinks, and only submit the Toad and Eel Poisons. Anything lizard-related might look suspicious at this point. I'd better wash myself thoroughly, just in case they're somehow tracing lizard venom residue.

"Well, thanks for the info, Shal," Alex replies, trying to stay casual. "It's ridiculous, isn't it? They send us down there to gather poisons and then act all surprised when the beasts don't appreciate us invading their territory. Anyway, I'd better go take a shower."

"Good idea, Alex," Shalnark says with a grin. "Better to keep it under wraps that you were behind that 'little accident.' Not that I'd hold it against you, of course," he laughs.

"What the—? I'm innocent! Why would you think it was me?" Alex responds, a bit rattled that Shalnark has put it together so quickly.

Shalnark gestures to Alex's belt and calmly explains, "The metal balls you had attached there. I saw four of them before, but now you've only got one left. Might want to replace those if you've got any more."

Alex freezes, realizing, SHIT, he's right. Gotta shower and fix that ASAP. Hopefully, no one else noticed.

Without delay, Alex heads to the showers to eliminate any trace of scent from the lizard. That freaky Gel might actually be able to smell the Matriarch on me, he thinks nervously. He conjures five more Annihilation Grenades, attaching three to his belt and storing the other two in his inventory. He also loads up his inventory with [Diluted Gel's Panacure] (nine portions), along with [Green Lizard Matriarch Tongue Poison], [Green Lizard Tongue Poison], and [Mushroom - Lizard Poison Mixture]. Lastly, he stashes the ten extra vials of [Two Headed Black Eel Poisonous Blood] in his inventory, keeping only a single one out to present.

He packs a single [Diluted Gel's Panacure] and vials of the Toad and Eel poison in his backpack, effectively erasing all connections to the lizards, the other players, and—most crucially—the Matriarch Lizard.

Returning to Shalnark, Alex looks visibly worn out.

"Nice work. We should all pass this exam, especially since they didn't expect so many participants to die down there," Shalnark says, musing aloud. "Must've been some bad timing, maybe the beasts' breeding season is different this year. Or the underground volcano could be more active, throwing the creatures' instincts into overdrive a bit earlier than usual."

"Exactly!" a harsh voice cuts in from behind. Alex turns to see Gel standing there, her expression severe. At least she's admitting her own incompetence, he thinks. But why's she hanging around here? I'd rather she left me alone.

She points directly at Alex. "YOU—Follow me. Now."

Shocked, Alex blurts out, "Why?"

Her hands morph into snakes, wrapping around his throat as she flashes a cruel smile. She seems entirely unconcerned that she's revealing her Nen ability in front of everyone. "Why?" she hisses. "I think you know why. Follow me… NOW."

Shalnark gives Alex an awkward, sympathetic smile and gestures toward his back.

What's wrong with my back? Wait… the sword… I cut the tongue with it… OH SHIT! Alex realizes his mistake in a rush of horror.

Alex follows Gel to a large, spacious room, and they both settle on a couch. She starts the conversation with an icy tone. "Obviously, I can't condone what you did. I'll give you a chance to explain yourself. Don't leave anything out!"

Knowing he's caught and feeling unfairly targeted by the entire ordeal, Alex decides to go all in. He uses his backpack trick again, pulling out all five of his poisons, and then recounts his experience underground. He spends most of his explanation blaming Tonpa and the so-called Tonpa Hunters, whose vendetta spectacularly backfired.

"Anyway, it's not my fault that you didn't factor the volcanic activity into your planning around the beasts' breeding season. How the hell was I supposed to know? I'm not a beast hunter—I just fought for my life! And, honestly, you set up the lights down there. You must have noticed the temperature. Now that I think about it, how could you miss that? Aren't you supposed to be a Zodiac and a poison hunter? YOU should have known…"

As he speaks, Alex feels a genuine confusion creeping in. How couldn't she know? he wonders. She wanted poisons, and the poison from the Matriarch is classified as forbidden by the system, probably difficult for even a hunter to obtain without violating regulations or damaging the ecosystem of this protected island even as a Zodiac… His mind races, connecting the dots. Don't tell me…

"You… that was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Alex asks, finally realizing that this chaos might have been Gel's way of getting her hands on the Matriarch's poison.

"I was expecting a bit more poison," she says, her voice betraying only a hint of amusement, "and I'll admit I was a bit disappointed to find only a squeezed tip of a tongue. But at least you got the most potent part of the Lizard Matriarch. You're the one who asked about a special reward, right? I'll make you a deal—give me your poisons, and not only will I let you continue the exam, but I'll give you something special for your efforts. Of course, if you deny possessing the poison… I'll fail you and arrest you as a terrorist for carrying a forbidden substance."

Alex forces an awkward smile. Not wanting to risk provoking this unhinged Zodiac who'd sacrificed hundreds of examinees for her poison collection, he hands over all five of his poisons.

"Good boy!" Gel pats his head. "I like boys who know their place."

She inspects each vial, listing them out loud. "Eel Poison… not bad, but not what I need. A fresh Toad Poison sample—fine, I can use that. Lizard poison… I've got plenty of that stuff after what happened down there, but I'll take it."

Alex bristles inwardly. If you've got tons, then let me keep it—I might actually need it, you greedy snake!

"Do I see any displeasure?" she asks, a smirk playing on her lips.

"No, no, please, take it!" Alex replies, forcing a helpless smile.

"Now, what is this?" Gel mutters, holding up one of the vials. "Lizard Poison? But it's mixed with something else…" She sniffs the poison, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not sure I recognize this… toxic mushroom? I know most of the poisonous fungi in the Mimbo Republic, but I don't know that smell. What is it?" she asks, scrutinizing him.

"I had a leftover mushroom from the Sinerva Forest," Alex explains. "Figured I could mix it with the remaining Lizard Poison. They seemed compatible."

"Impressive! A lucky find, it seems," she remarks, though her praise does little to lift Alex's spirits.

"And finally, the Matriarch Poison. Perfect—it's freshly extracted. I'll be able to create a new version of my…" she trails off, catching herself and glancing at Alex with a pointed look.

"Well, as promised, I'll let you pass the second exam," she says, tossing him a small copper earring with a large emerald embedded in it. "And here, this is your reward. It's quite rare and valuable. When you're near poisonous animals, plants, or any toxic substance, it'll glow in a pleasantly… toxic green hue. I sense you have some potential as a Poison Hunter. Once you pass the exam, come to me if you're interested in learning directly from me."

"Now, I'm busy," she snaps, pocketing the vials. "I have to work quickly to keep these poisons fresh. Out with you!"

With a swift kick, she ushers Alex out of the room.

This could have gone worse… or maybe better? he thinks as he exits. At least now, even if I fail the exam, I can survive this mission. He takes a deep breath, grateful he's somehow managed to get through it.

Alex examines the earring closely. [Sacred Emerald Copper Earring]. As he turns it in his hand, he notices a faint purple glow radiating from the gem, and he can't help but grin, thrilled to discover its effects.

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