"Why did we come here? This feels just like the previous trap."
"It's another Face-Man Ape. Do they really think we'd fall for the same trick twice?"
"Who knows—there might be something else going on."
The Face-Man Ape had originally been standing not far from Lu ou, but after sensing the emotional fluctuations among the examinees, it immediately ran toward an area away from the crowd.
It stopped about thirty meters from everyone, paused briefly as if confirming a safe distance, then nimbly climbed onto a massive rock and looked back toward them.
Without exaggeration, the Face-Man Ape was like a thorn in the exam itself. Anyone who had been stabbed once at the height of their confidence would remember it vividly. Naturally, the examinees were distracted and wary—but not a single one made a move.
The first person to act would become the obvious target.
Why should I be the one to stick my neck out?
Almost all of the examinees shared this mindset. That was why everyone remained on guard, yet no one attacked.
As for Gon, he could sense that the magical beast had no hostile intent, so he had no reason to act. In a broad sense, Gon was a boy who was both simple and complex.
Since the examinees didn't move, the examiners certainly wouldn't either. To Menchi and Satotz, the Face-Man Ape posed no threat whatsoever.
There was even less need to mention Chairman Netero. With just a bit of observation, it was clear that the ape had instinctively chosen the direction farthest from him. An animal's instinct for survival was incredibly sharp.
Since no one acted, and the ape had voluntarily kept its distance, the situation was easy to manage. Even if it were a trap, being so far away meant it couldn't cause real harm.
Seeing that nothing serious was happening, the examinees naturally stopped fixating on it—especially since Lu ou was at the front.
After all, during the sushi test, he had been the only one to pass. He was clearly someone the examiners had taken note of. Unless absolutely necessary, it was better not to provoke him.
Chairman Netero, ever observant, noticed traces of Nen lingering on the Face-Man Ape—clearly belonging to one of the examinees. That alone gave him reason not to interfere.
"These candidates are impressive."
Netero looked at the obediently standing ape with genuine curiosity.
Though Face-ManApes relied mainly on deceit and sweet talk to trick their prey, they were still magical beasts—not harmless creatures. Taming one should have been nearly impossible.
Yet here it was, behaving as docile as a domesticated animal. That alone was rare enough to be intriguing.
Because of the ape's appearance, the scene had fallen into an eerie silence. No one moved—not even Leorio, who in the original story never shut up, let alone hesitated.
Opportunities had to be seized. If you didn't act now, when would you?
Suddenly, Luou spoke.
"You—come here."
Gon and the others were momentarily confused. Who was he talking to?
Before Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika could react, the Face-Man Ape obediently walked over in a few steps and stopped in front of Lu ou, like a loyal attendant awaiting orders.
"Then I'll head down first and check for danger. Gon, you guys stay up here and wait for my report."
Lu ou climbed onto the ape's back. Under the stunned gazes of his companions, he directed it, and in just a few swift movements, the pair descended the cliff.
Now it wasn't just Gon and the others—every examinee's attention snapped over, including Chairman Netero's.
"So it's a mount…"
"There's even a trick like this? Face-Man Apes are crafty magical beasts—they can't be tamed. How did he pull that off?"
"That guy's way too mysterious. That ape was trying to trick examinees just earlier."
The candidates felt utterly cheated. Calling a summoned beast would already be outrageous—but summoning a Face-Man Ape was downright unfair.
"Using everything available to ensure one's own safety—that's prudence.
Daring to be the first to leap into the unknown—that's courage.
Brave, yet cautious. Excellent."
Chairman Netero chuckled approvingly.
"That boy… he's a natural-born Gourmet Hunter."
Menchi still remembered the shock she felt when Lu ou explained the Three Fundamental Laws of Gourmet Hunters. He was the perfect raw gem—polish him just a little, and he'd shine brilliantly.
As early as the Zevil Island Wetlands, Lu ou had already begun preparing for this retest.
His physical stamina was roughly on par with an average examinee—but having grown up in a peaceful era, he lacked the sharp reflexes and coordination honed through constant danger.
Knowing what to do didn't mean the body could keep up. Until proper training was completed, treating a sheer cliff face as a training ground wasn't confidence—it was suicide.
Since his own physical limits weren't enough, Lu ou added creatures skilled at climbing to his plans. And with this Face-Man Ape practically delivering itself to him, it would have been rude not to accept the help.
Seeing Lu ou already flashing back upward at great speed, clearly beginning his ascent, Gon and the others snapped back to attention.
It was obviously safe.
With that information confirmed, the remaining examinees immediately began preparing to descend and retrieve eggs.
"Alright, I'm going first."
Seeing Lu ou almost back at the top, Leorio called out to the others and stepped forward naturally—then vanished into thin air as he jumped.
"I'm coming!"
Gon followed with a somersault.
Kurapika and Killua moved next, leaping off the cliff with relaxed composure—as if they were stepping out for afternoon tea, not plunging into a ravine.
The Hunter world truly had no shortage of monsters.
Following close behind were Hisoka, Gittarackur, Tonpa, and the Amori brothers—none of them hesitating for even a second.
These were the abnormal candidates.
Of course, there were also the normal ones.
For example—Tonpa.
He had been loudly insisting this exam was inhuman and that no one would dare jump.
Then Luou went first.
And within seconds, Tonpa felt slap after slap land squarely on his face—his cheeks swelling from sheer humiliation.
Before he could even process it, Menchi metaphorically delivered yet another slap, making the situation unbearably tragic.
"Well? Anyone else giving up?"
Menchi asked with a pleasant smile.
"Giving up also takes courage. After all, the Hunter Exam isn't held only this year."
Chairman Netero added leisurely, twisting the knife.
"Hmph!"
By now, Tonpa was so beaten down that even death felt preferable to quitting. Besides, even that annoying kid had gone down—there was no way he could accept being inferior to him.
"I'm going too!"
Gritting his teeth, Tonpa covered his head and jumped.
Even though many examinees had prepared themselves, some still misjudged the descent. They fell straight into the river below, where the violent current swept them away before they could even cry for help.
At that point, no amount of information could save them.