"I'm not sure what the final round of the exam will test on, and it's really making me a bit nervous," Leorio said as he glanced around the room. In truth, he felt more anticipation than anxiety.
Among the ten candidates present, each had endured countless hardships to reach this stage of the exam. Hisoka, Illumi, and Morin were a given, so everyone else had mutual respect for one another. The few remaining candidates formed a small circle.
"No matter what, we're all rookies in the Hunter Exam. Talking amongst ourselves won't help much. In this situation, we should seek advice from someone experienced," Hanzo suggested, looking at Leorio and the others.
Of the candidates present, six were newcomers. The veterans were less than half. Morin, Hisoka, Botobai, and... Tonpa. As soon as Hanzo finished speaking, almost immediately, everyone's attention turned to Tonpa.
Despite his reputation as an undeniable rookie crusher, his thirty-five attempts at the Hunter Exam were irreplaceable.
"Don't look at me like that..." Tonpa felt a bit uncomfortable under so many gazes. He awkwardly said, "In the past, I usually dropped out during the third or fourth rounds of the Hunter Exam. I've never actually reached the final round. This year is the first time I've made it this far."
In previous years, most rookies were eliminated by the third or fourth rounds. The remaining newcomers were too formidable for even Tonpa to handle. With the fun gone, he would quit and try again the next year.
"What the heck, after all that, you're not even reliable," Hanzo sighed, disappointed. He had thought that someone as seasoned as Tonpa would have a wealth of experience, but it turned out to be a false hope.
"What about you, sir? Do you have any insights on the final test?" Kurapika thought Botobai seemed mature and composed, likely to have some experience as well.
"This is... Mr. Botobai, right?" Leorio asked, engaging with him for the first time. "You must know a few things, like about the previous Hunter Exams?"
Hanzo also looked at Botobai with anticipation.
"I haven't reached the final test in the past few years," Botobai replied, arms crossed, appearing calm and collected. "Last year, I was eliminated in the first trial."
His demeanor was so steady that one might think he was full of confidence.
Leorio and Hanzo: "oooooo"
Yet here he was, acting so composed!
Everyone silently thought to themselves.
"However, I can probably guess the content of the final test," Botobai stated confidently, despite the bemused expressions around him. He then began his analysis, starting from the first round's marathon test to the recently concluded Trick Tower hunting test.
"Stop beating around the bush and just tell us your thoughts. What is the final test about?" Hanzo interrupted, having listened to Botobai's logical reasoning for each round.
"Heh, don't you understand yet? There should be one more aspect, something that hasn't been tested so far," Botobai said, maintaining his mysterious tone.
"What is it?" Leorio asked, feeling a bit tense at Botobai's words.
"What is it, old man? What aspect hasn't been tested yet?" Hanzo sat up straighter, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"It's the vast knowledge that a Hunter must possess. In other words, the final round is a written exam," Botobai declared, his voice rising as he stood up dramatically.
Boom!!
His words were like a thunderbolt striking the group, leaving them momentarily stunned and causing many to display their most shocked expressions yet.
---
There's no denying it—the power of the words "written exam" is truly formidable. As soon as Botobai mentioned it, the expressions of those around him changed dramatically.
Even Illumi's meticulously applied Gittarackur disguise faltered for a moment. Meanwhile, the pyramid of cards Hisoka was building collapsed in response.
"Written exam."
These two words had a similar impact on both Hisoka and Illumi. The room erupted into a hubbub of voices.
Hanzo mentioned that exams usually include both practical and written components, and Leorio, who believed that becoming a doctor required exams, thought that becoming a Hunter, which is even more challenging, must certainly require it too.
As everyone chimed in, they almost unanimously concluded that the final test would indeed be a written exam.
The significance of a written test—knowledge—certainly aligned with the Hunter Exam's unpredictable style. A silent, uneasy tension spread among the candidates.
"I remember there's a library on this airship..."
With this realization, everyone became even more convinced that the final round would be a written test. Why else would the Hunter Association bother to set up a library on the airship?
"No, we can't just sit around doing nothing!!" Leorio could no longer remain seated; his previous anticipation was now replaced with anxiety. "We need to study, we need to study," he muttered as he stood up.
"But Leorio..." Gon timidly asked, "The test hasn't started yet, and we don't know what topics will be covered. Do you know which books to read?"
Leorio: "??????"
"What should we do then?!" Hanzo said, deflated. "We can't just do nothing!"
"No!!" Leorio suddenly took a deep breath. "I know what to do!!"
Hmm?! Hanzo looked up at him in confusion.
"Hey-ha!!" With that exclamation, Leorio took off running, accelerating like a charging tiger, and lunged towards Morin. The sudden movement startled Morin. If he hadn't sensed that Leorio meant no harm, Morin might have kicked him away on instinct.
"Morin!!" Leorio exclaimed, landing in front of Morin and looking up. "You must have some tools to help with a written test, right?!!" His eyes shone with hopeful intensity. "Can I borrow them?!"
Right, tools!! Hanzo realized, but then quickly hesitated. "Wait, using tools would be cheating!!" Hanzo immediately shouted, "That's against the rules."
"Heh, naive!" Leorio scoffed, giving Hanzo a dismissive look. "As long as we can pass the test, who cares if it's cheating or not?"
"Is your reaction because..." Leorio eyed Hanzo suspiciously, "You can't borrow any tools yourself and you're just jealous of me?!"
Hanzo: "?????"
Caught red-handed, Hanzo was a bit flustered and retorted, "Nonsense! There's no way such tools exist!!" He insisted, "Who would be so bored as to make something specifically for exams..."
"There is," Morin interrupted Hanzo, twirling a pencil in his hand. "This is the 'Computer Pencil.' No matter what kind of test or difficult problem, it can easily solve it automatically."
Hanzo: "..."
There really is such a thing?!!
Item: [Computer Pencil]
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