"Don't worry—there shouldn't be any magical beasts nearby."
Gon said confidently.
Lu ou nodded. At this moment, there definitely weren't any. The vicious fox family was all inside the house, waiting for them to walk straight into the trap.
"Then why are there warning signs?"
Leorio still felt they should be cautious.
"Better to stay alert."
Lu ou agreed. He wasn't the type to let his guard down just because he knew what was coming.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps between branches, illuminating the forest path with a pale glow. The road ahead appeared surprisingly clear, not obscured at all despite the night.
"The forest is very visible at night."
Kurapika remarked.
"If this were Whale Island, we wouldn't be able to see our hands in front of our faces by now. Even the atmosphere is completely different."
Gon said.
When it came to forests, Gon was unquestionably the expert. Growing up in one wasn't for nothing, and combined with his natural talent, it was far more than a simple sum of parts.
"We're here."
Lu ou pointed ahead.
"Yeah—I can see the cedar tree!"
Gon said excitedly.
Ahead lay a stretch of green grass, with a path leading straight to the base of a massive cedar. Lush grass surrounded it, and the towering tree stood there in silent dignity.
"Let's hurry over."
Leorio finally relaxed a little—it seemed they really had found the right place.
The group quickened their pace.
As they drew closer, they saw that beneath the cedar stood a large wooden cabin, elegant in its simplicity.
"The guide couple probably lives here."
Thinking they were close to the exam site, Leorio unconsciously sped up even more.
Lu ou knew exactly what would happen next.
The vicious fox family would test Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio separately, judging their actions to determine whether they were qualified to proceed to the exam site.
In the original story, all three passed the fox's test smoothly. But now, Lu ou was also here.
Togashi's Hunter Exams were always fascinating. As before, these tests weren't about raw strength. This evaluation—whether one was even qualified to take the Hunter Exam—was the same.
To pass, each person needed at least one defining strength:
Kurapika's calm judgment,
Gon's courage and extraordinary talent,
Leorio's attentiveness and kindness.
Lu ou had also thought of a strength of his own that would allow him to pass.
"Knock knock knock."
Using his height and long legs, Leorio reached the door first and knocked several times. There was no response.
He turned back and shook his head, signaling that no one seemed to be home, then stepped down the stairs to look around.
"Strange… how could there be no one here? Where's the guide couple?"
Kurapika scanned the surroundings but found no other examinees or people nearby.
"Heh—we must be the first group to arrive."
Leorio said smugly. He had already noticed that there were no other candidates around.
"It's very quiet."
Lu ou said, stepping up onto the porch.
"Lu ou?"
Gon also sensed that something felt off in the forest and grew a little uneasy.
"It's fine. I'll open the door and check. We're here to be tested—encountering something is exactly the point."
Lu ou tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. He gestured for everyone to stay alert and pushed the door open.
"Excuse us—we're coming in."
The moment the door opened, the tension inside was palpable.
A massive magical beast over five meters tall was gripping a woman in its enormous claws. A man lay on the floor nearby, his condition unknown.
The beast's yellow, lantern-like eyes flashed with murderous intent when it saw them. Without even acknowledging the group, it smashed through a window and leapt outside—still clutching the screaming woman—disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"Gon, Kurapika—your stamina's better. Go save her.
Leorio—you know medicine. Treat the man on the floor.
I'll stay here and provide support, just in case."
Lu ou quickly pulled out two round objects and tossed one to Gon and one to Kurapika.
"Take these. If you run into danger and need backup, smash them hard on the ground."
"Got it."
Gon and Kurapika caught the items without even having time to look at them. In just a few steps, they leapt through the shattered window and vanished.
The round objects Lu ou gave them were something he'd made back on Whale Island. After finding some potassium nitrate, he'd impulsively tried to replicate a bomb.
The power wasn't great—throwing one at a person would only leave them covered in soot, with no real lethality. But as a signal, they worked perfectly.
"Signal Bomb No. 1."
One of a kind.
Maybe next time, he could gather more materials and see if he could actually make real explosives. If successful, they might prove useful.
Don't underestimate why a former ordinary man could make such things—you'd be surprised what a shut-in obsessed with odd trivia might know.
"My wife—!"
The man on the floor roared hoarsely, but his injuries were too severe. He couldn't move, only cry out helplessly as the beast carried her away, chased by two figures.
Leorio sheathed the short blade he had instinctively drawn when he saw the beast. After confirming there were no other threats in the cabin, he finally relaxed.
"Leorio, treat him first. I'll stand guard at the door. If anything happens, call out immediately."
Lu ou said.
Although no other magical beasts appeared in the original story, there were variables now. Caution came first.
"Understood."
Leorio's usual smiling face was now solemn. Carefully stepping over the broken furniture, he crouched beside the injured man.
"Don't worry. My companions will definitely bring your wife back. She'll be fine."
He said gently while cleaning the man's wounds and trying to calm his unstable emotions.
There were many injuries—most were deep enough to expose bone. The flesh was torn open, with darkened edges. The man was badly hurt.
Leorio methodically took supplies from his treasured case—gauze, ointments, disinfectant, hemostatic medicine. Everything was there.
A small box, yet fully stocked.
From this alone, it was clear that Leorio's skill level was no joke—he carried himself like a true professional.
"I remember that in the original story, Leorio said he grew up poor and couldn't even read. How did he learn all this and become self-taught? It's really impressive."
Lu ou thought as he kept watch.
The Hunter world had a strict class hierarchy. There was a clear divide between civilians and Hunters—let alone nobles or privileged classes.
Just as Leorio had said in the original work,
ordinary civilians didn't even have the chance to learn how to read.