After arriving at the harbor, The captain advised them to go toward the cedar tree, but Leorio didn't believe him since the map showed a different route—and there was supposedly a bus heading directly to Zaban City.
Gon, Kurapika, and Kairo chose to trust the captain's words. Leorio, however, still insisted on taking the bus and even bid them farewell, determined to go alone—until he overheard someone mention that the bus was actually a trap. Realizing this, he quickly hurried back to rejoin the group.
Sometime later, they arrived at a small, quiet town. As they walked through, Leorio muttered that the place felt creepy and empty, while Gon pointed out that there were actually many people around. Leorio was stunned—and right after that, the townspeople appeared, blocking our path. They all wore masks and held instruments, and one of them carried a crow. Among them, only an elderly woman—the granny—was unmasked.
Granny: "Exciting."
Leorio: "Exciting what?" (gulp)
Granny: "Exciting two-choice quiz."
At her signal, the masked people played their instruments and the crow let out a loud caw. The Trio (Gon, kurapika, Leorio) were left confused and dumbfounded while Kairo remain normal while smoking because he know this will happen.
The granny explained that since we were heading toward the cedar tree, we had to answer her quiz if we wished to pass. Failure meant we wouldn't be allowed to enter the Hunter Exam at all. We understood immediately that this was another test.
Leorio complained that if even one of us answered incorrectly, we'd all fail. Gon wasn't good at quizzes, and only one person needed to answer correctly if they knew the solution. Eventually, Leorio agreed to the plan, Kurapika did as well, and I just nodded.
Then a man suddenly appeared behind us. Leorio asked who he was, and Gon explained he had followed us all the way from the port. The man—Matthew—said he overheard our conversation with the captain and decided to follow us here. He told the granny that he wanted to take the quiz first, and Leorio confirmed that his answer wouldn't affect our result. The granny agreed.
Then she presented the quiz.
Granny: "Evil villains have captured your mother and your lover. You can only save one. Which will you choose?"
The trio froze at the question, speechless. Leorio immediately complained, but Matthew simply smiled and answered that he would save his mother—because a lover could be replaced. Granny nodded and told him he passed.
The trio were shocked. Leorio got angry, refused to play along, and tried to leave to find another route. But Granny stopped him, warning that refusing the quiz meant immediate disqualification. With no choice, Leorio stayed, still grumbling that the quiz had no correct answer.
Kurapika, hearing that, quickly pieced together the truth and was about to explain, but Granny stopped him—no hints were allowed. She proceeded with the next question.
Granny: "Your son and daughter have both been kidnapped. You can only rescue one. Which will you save?"
She immediately started a ten-second countdown.
Leorio finally snapped—he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed a stick from nearby, fully prepared to swing it at Granny the moment the countdown ended. When the timer hit zero and none of us answered, he raised the stick, ready to strike… only for Kurapika to stop him.
Kurapika: "We've already passed. Do you want to fail us now?"
Leorio stared at him, confused. Kurapika explained that the correct answer was silence—both questions were traps. Leorio didn't realized he had just been given the hint, and Granny confirmed Kurapika was correct. Then she revealed a hidden passage.
Leorio: "Hey… what about that guy who passed?"
Kurapika: "He probably got attacked by a beast on the route he took. I heard a scream earlier."
Once Leorio understood, he apologized; Granny forgave him. She explained that a guide would appear further ahead if we met the standard. Gon kept thinking about her words, while Leorio laughed, saying the quiz was over. But Gon insisted: if he ever faced such a decision in real life, what would he do?
Leorio and Kurapika fell silent. It wasn't a quiz—it was a warning. But Kairo didn't care he ignored the moral dilemma entirely and simply walked forward. The trio followed behind, deciding to deal with that question only if it ever came.
The hidden tunnel was long, and Leorio quickly grew tired. He glanced at Kairo—who was smoking in the middle of the walk and thought.
Leorio: "How many cigarettes has he gone through already? And why doesn't he look tired at all… does he have iron lungs or something? What a monster."
When they finally emerged, they found themselves in a forest. A sign warned of a magical beast, but they pressed on regardless. Eventually, they reached a small hut and stepped inside. A "wounded" man lay on the floor while a monster held a terrified girl. Kurapika immediately recognized the creature as a magical beast—a Kiriko. Kairo could've killed it with a single thrown card, but that would've been stupid; he knew this was obviously part of the exam.
Following the original events, the Kiriko escaped with the girl, and Gon and Kurapika chased after it. Leorio and Kairo stayed behind with the injured man. While Leorio patched him up, the man kept worrying about his wife, but Leorio reassured him that Gon and Kurapika would rescue her. The man eventually calmed down—though Kairo already knew it was all an act.
Leorio told Kairo to stay and guard the man while he went out to look for medicine. Once Leorio left and only the two of them remained, Kairo spoke calmly.
Kairo: "You can drop the act already. I know you're a Kiriko, and this is part of the test."
The man hesitated for a moment but continued pretending.
Man: "What do you mean, sir? Why would you suspect me?"
Kairo listed several reasons—more than enough to break the façade. Clearly impressed, the Kiriko finally dropped the act, removed the bandages Leorio had applied, and stood up just as Leorio returned.
Leorio stared in confusion, so Kairo explained everything. He finally understood and asked if he passed. The Kiriko told them to wait for the others.
Soon, Gon and Kurapika returned with the girl, accompanied by two non-hostile Kiriko who revealed themselves as the Kiriko family. The "Fake injured" man was their son, and the girl was their daughter. They explained that they were our assigned navigators, and the entire scenario had been a test to determine whether we were worthy of entering the Hunter Exam.
They judged us one by one:
Kurapika passed for his knowledge and deduction—he noticed the girl couldn't be the man's wife because of her tattoo.
Leorio passed for his medical technique and for calming the "patient" despite not seeing through the act. His kindness earned him full marks.
Gon passed for distinguishing between two nearly identical Kiriko and for his physical ability and sharp observation.
Kairo passed for multiple reasons but the main is seeing through the test from the beginning.
They all looked at Kairo with amazement.
With everything settled, the Kiriko family prepared to carry everyone through the air. They soared across the sky toward Zaban City, and after some time, finally arrived at their destination.
The Kiriko family departed after bringing them to Zaban City, leaving only their son to guide us to the Hunter Exam site. Since the exam would begin the next day, they decided to rest for the remainder of the afternoon.
7th January 1999
After resting, they were ready for the Hunter Exam. The Kiriko son walked ahead to guide us. As we passed countless shady shops, Gon grew curious and kept stopping to check what each one sold. Leorio quickly told him to focus and catch up. Gon reluctantly stopped browsing—though he was still tempted—since he didn't want to fall behind.
Eventually, they arrived at the exam site… a tiny restaurant.
Leorio: "Is this a joke? The Hunter Exam is in some small, ordinary restaurant?"
But the guide remained serious.
Kiriko son: "It isn't a joke. Besides, no one would expect the exam to be held here."
Leorio had to admit he had a point. They headed inside, where the staff greeted them politely. The guide asked, "Is the back door open?" When the staff member asked for his order, he placed an order for four people. That was the signal.
They were led into a back room—a simple space with a table and four chairs. The guide told them to wait there. Gon said he could wait for the food, but Kurapika corrected him, explaining that it was just a code. Gon looked a bit disappointed.
The guide then explained the basics: reaching this point already put them ahead of most applicants. He wished them good luck. Gon offered him a handshake; the Navigator accepted, slightly surprised, and said he hoped to escort them again someday.
As soon as he left, the room rumbled softly and began to descend. It was an elevator.
Kairo reached for another cigarette, but Leorio quickly stopped him.
Leorio: "Hey, I know you smoke all the time, but there's a time and place for it. If you do it here, we'll all be uncomfortable."
The others agreed, with Gon nodding the most—his sharp nose made the smell especially unbearable for him. Kairo then gave a small shrug and put the cigarette away, accepting it without complaint.
While they waited for it to reach the bottom, the trio chatted while Kairo stood silently in the corner, despite there being empty seats. Leorio and Kurapika soon started arguing after Gon asked why people risk everything to become Hunters. When they turned the question back on Gon—asking what kind of Hunter he wanted to be—he hesitated.
Gon then looked toward Kairo, likely about to pass the question along and ask what kind of Hunter he wanted to become. But before he could speak, the elevator arrived.
Kurapika and Leorio dropped the discussion for later. They stepped out—and found themselves facing a massive crowd of people, likely the exam participants waiting for the test to begin. The entire area resembled the interior of a long, dimly lit tunnel.