"Sss… sss… sss…"
After Leorio dragged out the old woman, the rustling sound of clothes echoed around them. Many long-haired figures in wide white robes appeared one after another. Their robes had several slits that only revealed their eyes and noses. They were short, and they surrounded the five of them, clearly intending to prevent them from passing through the town easily.
Plop.Plop.
The sound repeated nonstop. They didn't speak, didn't move, and the constant noise was extremely irritating.
"Hey, old woman, if we answer your question, you'll let us through, right?"
Leorio, impatient as always, couldn't stand the sound and finally spoke.
The old woman, who had just been about to state the rules, abruptly swallowed her words instead. Shock spread across her face. "How do you know the rules?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Hurry up and give us the question."
"… Very well. In that case, choose one of the heartbeats and answer the question. Only the specified answers are acceptable—anything else is wrong."
"Wait, are all five of us answering one question?" Leorio asked.
"Isn't it faster that way?" the old woman said.
"But if he answers incorrectly, doesn't that affect me too?" Leorio pointed at Kurapika in disbelief.
No one knew where Leorio got that confidence, considering IQ and Kurapika were not even on the same level.
Back in Roy's previous life, when he watched the anime, Leorio was a character he liked. His intuition wasn't as sharp as Gon's, he wasn't as smart and calm as Kurapika, and he didn't have a mysterious background like Killua. So he seemed unimpressive in early stages. But Leorio had bravery, integrity, intelligence, and calmness—qualities that made him stand out in his own way.
Kurapika wasn't someone with infinite patience and immediately snapped back, "Impossible. If anything, the opposite is far more likely. That's what makes me want to cry."
"But if one of the five of us gets it right, isn't that enough? I'm not very good at answering questions, but with Roy here, I believe he'll get it right." Gon said confidently.
Hearing that, Kurapika and Leorio stopped arguing. They both turned toward Roy, who stood calmly beside Gon, then exchanged a look and nodded in agreement.
"Hm?" The old woman glanced at Roy with surprise.
For the entire team to trust one person so much, it meant they either had years of teamwork behind them or that person possessed overwhelming ability that inspired absolute confidence.
"My son and daughter have both been captured by bad people," the old woman asked. "You can only save one. Which do you choose?
Daughter
Son."
Leorio heard the question and instantly wanted to argue, but after looking at Roy, he swallowed his words.
Number 18, standing quietly at the back, fell deep into thought.
At this moment, Roy smiled lightly, stepped forward, and said:
"Old woman, you're in charge of selecting those qualified to participate in the official Hunter x Hunter exam, right?"
The old woman remained silent. Her silence was essentially confirmation.
"Since this is only a qualification screening, there's no need to answer your question. So, why don't you decide directly—am I qualified?"
Roy released a bit of his aura, letting only the old woman feel it, then instantly withdrew it.
Her eyes widened, and cold sweat slid down her forehead.
"No need. You all pass."
As soon as she finished, two people with colorful hair and masks emerged from the group. They walked to the left and pushed open two doors simultaneously, revealing a dark, deep passageway.
"Let's go." Roy grabbed the still-confused Leorio and walked into the tunnel with the others.
The old woman watched them disappear, her heart still pounding violently.
"That terrifying aura just now… I've seen something like it before…" She trembled. "My god…"
Inside the dark passage.
Gon, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked, "Hey, Roy, what did you do just now? Why did that old woman let us pass so quickly?"
Leorio also wanted to ask, and Kurapika answered first.
"I think he used Nen ability."
"Nen?"
"Yes. According to Roy, the official way to obtain Nen ability is to pass the Hunter x Hunter exam and be taught by the Hunter Association. This old woman's job was only to determine qualification for the exam. Roy must have shown her Nen aura. She assumed we learned Nen ability early, which qualifies us for the exam—so she passed us."
"Oh, so that's why!" both Gon and Leorio said, suddenly understanding.
Roy didn't comment. What he released earlier wasn't just Nen—it was mixed with the Ki energy from the Dragon Balls.
"So, the person waiting under the cedar tree who takes people to the exam venue should also be the examiner checking qualifications," Kurapika said. "If we release Nen ability in front of them, we should pass instantly too."
Gon quickly made the connection.