Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Grass Maze
Chapter 34: The Grass Maze
The running continued. The fog, though thinner, was now more deceptive, twisting the vast grassland into a maze without walls. The walls were the wind, the direction of the grass, the curve of a watermark, and the illusions of the human mind.
Being able to see didn't mean you could find your way out; it just made it easier to believe you were making progress when you were actually running in circles.
Ryan had detached himself from the main group. He chose a path along the outer edge of the wetland, where the grass was taller and the air heavier.
He relied on his eyes, his experience, and his calm, analytical mind. The rebound of the grass under his feet, the direction of the wind on his ears, the movement of duckweed in a puddle—these told him which way was a dead end and which was the true path forward.
In the distance, the main group was breaking down. "My legs are about to give out!" an examinee shouted. "How are we still in this place?!"
"Maybe we're already dead," another muttered, squatting on the ground.
He could only do so much. His task wasn't to save people. It was to reach his destination, undetected, and pass the exam alive. He maintained his state of Zetsu, presence silent.
He scrambled up a small, grassy slope. It was still an endless grassland, but he noticed a detail: the fog in the distance was a shade lighter, and the sound of the wind had changed. It was no longer an echo; it was a penetrating sound. That way, the wind could pass through. That must the way out.
As he landed, there was a slight rustle in the grass nearby. Ryan instinctively shifted his weight but didn't initiate an attack— a familiar color appeared in the shadows. Hisoka.
He was sitting behind a tall pile of grass, one leg propped up, a playing card twirling between his fingers, as if waiting for something.
Ryan knew Hisoka had noticed him. He didn't react. He simply moved past the area, steps steady and breathing calm. Hisoka was a predator who enjoyed the hunt. He would let his prey go, just to savor the chase later on.
"Hoh..." Hisoka muttered, dropping the playing card to the ground— by the time he looked up again, Ryan was gone.
The grass beneath his feet began to dry out. The damp, erratic wind became a steady, unidirectional draft. The main group of examinees finally noticed the change.
"Wait, I don't think I've been on this path before!"
"The wind... it's blowing forward! Are we out?!"
"We're out! We're out!"
Some laughed, some cried, some knelt on the ground, panting uncontrollably. The whiplash of being pulled back from despair reignited a spark of energy in them— but Ryan had no intention of celebrating too early.
He stayed on the periphery, navigating a treacherous mix of wet grass and rocky slopes. The swirling wind between the rocks, which was disorienting noise to others, was an 'signal' to him, a way to map the space.
He moved past the newly re-formed group, a silent shadow on their flank. And all of this was observed by another.
Hisoka sat on a rock, skillfully twirling a playing card. His gaze wasn't on the celebrating crowd. It was fixed on the unassuming young man at the edge of the field—the one with no Nen fluctuations, no aura, the one who had barely spoken a word, yet had quietly influenced the flow of the entire situation.
"Heh heh heh..." he laughed softly. The playing card, the 2 of Hearts, stopped between his fingers. "You still haven't shown your hand."
Ryan swept past on a diagonal, steps unhurried and movements inconspicuous. Hisoka didn't stand up, didn't block him, didn't speak. He just laughed quietly, as if waiting for something interesting to start.
Ahead, the boundary of the grassland began to reveal real terrain. The grass was shorter, the wind was smoother, and the light streamed in. The deepest part of the trial was over.
Ryan showed no expression. He just continued forward. The running was not over yet. But for those who had truly survived this far, that first step into the clear air was already worth celebrating.