The buck-toothed old woman didn't declare failure, nor did she say anything else. The frozen silence lingered.
Leorio wasn't used to this kind of atmosphere.
Just like in the original story—he exploded.
"So what's the deal?! Does asking this kind of question even make sense?! Why don't we just try my method instead!"
Leorio walked over to the wall, picked up a wooden club about as thick as his arm, swung it a few times to test the weight, and nodded in satisfaction. His gaze locked directly onto the buck-toothed old woman and the others, the eagerness to act written plainly on his face.
"I'll just charge into the exam hall carrying this old woman's head and teach those twisted examiners a lesson! What do these questions even have to do with being a Hunter?! I've had enough of this Hunter Exam!" Leorio snarled.
Don't think Leorio was joking.
And don't think he didn't have the guts to do it.
If he said it, he really would do it.
"The world is harsh—so cherish every step forward," Lu Ou said calmly as he stepped up and pressed one hand down on the club in Leorio's grip. "We finally passed. You wouldn't want to snatch victory away at the last moment, would you?"
"What?" Leorio froze, lowering the club in confusion.
"We already gave the correct answer," Lu Ou said.
"The correct answer?" Leorio stared at him. "But we didn't say anything just now!"
Gon also widened his eyes, looking from Lu Ou to the buck-toothed old woman, then lowering his head again, deep in thought.
"Saying nothing was the correct answer," Lu Ou replied.
"So… silence was the answer?" Leorio muttered. He wasn't stupid—he was beginning to understand.
Lu Ou explained, "Just like you said—there is no correct answer. And because there is no correct answer, yet you're only allowed to choose between option one or two, the only correct response is the third option: saying nothing."
"Right…" Leorio said quietly. "If there's no correct answer, then you don't choose. Choosing either one would be wrong. And it can't be decided based on personal preference—it's meaningless."
At that moment, the buck-toothed old woman spoke:
"Congratulations."
They had truly passed.
Leorio had already been preparing to charge in violently—something a physically strong guy like him would naturally do first. And now, just like that, they had cleared the test so easily. The emotional whiplash was so intense that he couldn't even react.
The buck-toothed old woman had tested examinees here for many years. To earn her approval, there were only two possibilities.
The first was having a genuinely kind heart—so kind that one simply couldn't answer. That was the case with Gon and the others in the original story.
The second was understanding what the question was truly testing—and answering correctly.
From the very beginning, the boy named Lu Ou had been confident and had responded with silence. Clearly, this was not the first type.
Examinees who could see through the question so directly were extremely rare—even for her.
So she asked, "May I ask how you arrived at your answer?"
"Because this is the Hunter Exam," Lu Ou replied. "The Hunter Exam is difficult—but it is still meant to be passable."
His words sounded slightly disjointed, but the meaning was perfectly clear.
Kurapika nodded. "I see. Since this is an exam, there must be a standard answer. Otherwise, the exam itself would be flawed. Just as Leorio said—neither of the two options was correct. Therefore, the true answer was the third choice."
"That's what being smart looks like," Lu Ou said.
Kurapika shook his head slightly. "You look at things more calmly—and more clearly."
"This year's exam is interesting," the buck-toothed old woman said, clapping her hands. "You're all impressive. The real path is here."
Creeeak—
As soon as she finished speaking, two masked figures with colorful hair stepped out from the crowd, moved to the left, and together pushed open a pair of large doors, revealing a long, dimly lit passageway.
"Just as cleverly designed as expected," Lu Ou said with a sigh.
Familiar with the original story, Lu Ou had already observed the area carefully when they arrived, wondering why so many people had failed to find the hidden passage.
Seeing it in person, he finally understood. The surrounding walls were all similarly weathered—there was no distinct feature, no pattern at all. Without enough clues, it was nearly impossible to discover.
Only after the doors opened did it become clear that the correct path had been right in front of them the entire time. Without knowing how to look, finding it was harder than spotting differences—because there was nothing to compare.
"There is only one road," the old woman said. "After walking for about two hours, you will reach the mountaintop."
"If you're still dissatisfied," she added, lowering her head slightly, "then take this old woman's head."
"Granny… I'm sorry," Leorio said sincerely. He glanced at the road, then at Lu Ou, dropped the wooden club, and bowed his head in apology.
"There's no need to apologize," the old woman said with a gentle smile. "I took this job because I wanted to meet people like you. Do your best to become good Hunters."
"Yes," the four replied solemnly before entering the passage.
"Go on," the old woman said before the door closed. "There's a guide couple living in a house beneath the cedar tree. If you're qualified, they will lead you to the test venue."
"Phew…"
Gon let out a long breath. "I still don't get it, Ou. I really couldn't think of the answer."
Before Lu Ou could respond, Leorio and Kurapika burst out laughing.
So Gon's silence earlier had been because he was seriously thinking the whole time.
That level of earnestness was terrifying.
"Why are you still thinking about it?" Leorio said through laughter. "You don't have to anymore."
"Why not?" Gon asked.
"The test is over. We passed," Leorio replied.
"I know," Gon said seriously. "But what if it really happens someday? A situation where you can only save one loved one—what should you do?"
That single question stopped both Leorio and Kurapika cold. The joy of passing instantly faded.
They hadn't thought about it at all. They'd only been happy to pass. Why think further? It seemed meaningless.
But now they realized—it wasn't meaningless. They just hadn't noticed before.
"Gon, it's okay," Lu Ou said, patting his shoulder. "As long as we're strong enough, no threat will be a real threat. Becoming stronger—that's the only path. Protect yourself, and you can protect the people you care about."
Lu Ou believed this himself as well.
This was one of the three most dangerous worlds—the Hunter world—but he was fortunate enough to possess the power of the Face Fruit. Strengthening himself, accumulating power—that was his highest priority.
Only by surviving could anything else become possible.
After all—
Everything was just beginning.