Hunter Exam Part 2

Getting out of the ship, the first thing one sees is a notice regarding the location of the first part of the official exam. Nothing specific was provided, it only said that it is in Zaban city. There is a bus which claims to go towards the next location.

Gene- "Thanks for everything Captain!"

Ren- "Thank you, sir. Fair seas to you"

Just as we were about to leave, the captain stops us. "A final word to you, if I may. That lone pine tree up there on the hill… Might be a good place to start looking for the exam hall." Says the Captain.

We all thank the Captain once again and go on our way. Leorio being Leorio decides to not heed the Captain and trusts the bus when the bus is going in the opposite direction. Through some miracle of God, he ended up eavesdropping on veteran Exam Goers talking how the bus is a trap every year. He shamelessly decides to re-join us.

"Looks like someone just had a change of heart" ridicules Kurapika.

Leorio- "Oh just shut up you twurp!!!"

Freya- "Stop fighting, you guys! You all do realize we are being followed right?"

A look of surprise decorated their faces.

"Hey, should we take care of him?" whispers Leorio.

Ren- "Just ignore him, someone who can't even find his way to the first centre without using such methods won't pass anyway."

Kurapika- "True."

"Fiiinnee Fiiinnee, whatever. I was just trying to help." murmurers Leorio under his breath.

We keep going until we reach a seemingly abandoned town.

"What a creepy crummy place, not a soul around here." says the woefully ignorant Leorio.

Ren- "There are a lot of people here."

Gene- "True."

Kurapika- "Keep your guard up."

"How can you tell?" says a panicked Leorio.

Ren- "I can hear them breathing"

Kurapika- "And their rustling clothes."

Gene- "They must be trying to hide."

Leorio trying his best to detect them says, "Well sue me for having a normal hearing!"

Kurapika- "Shhhhhhh!!!"

A bunch of people start walking out of the houses wearing weird masks with the exception of one old hag. We at each other for a while until the old hag exclaim, "The excitement… Time for THE MIND-BOGGLINGLY XTREME TWO-CHOICE QUIZ!!!". The expression on her face with her only two teeth sticking out as she said this even creeped me out.

Old Hag- "I will pose a single question… and give you but 5 minutes to answer. Answer incorrectly, you fail. None of you will get a hunter's license this year. You must answer with either a '1' or a '2'!! And say anything else, however clever, you will be wrong."

"Hold the phone, we get one question for the 5 of us! And I'll fail if Kurapika botches it!" says a Frowning Leorio.

"It is more likely that you will make a mistake, how depressing…" rebukes Kurapika.

As they keep fighting, the person following us finally decides to reveal himself, "What's the hold up here, if you don't wanna go, let me go."

"Go right ahead. You can set all the traps you want, it won't change a thing." I rebuked.

Stalker- 'How did this kid know. Well doesn't matter. I'll show this kid once I pass'

He goes towards the Old Hag.

Old Hag- "Here is the question; Rogues have taken over your mother and your true love. You may only rescue one; 1) Your mother; 2)Your true love. Which do you save?"

Leorio and Kurapika seemed surprised.

Kurapika- 'She can't be serious! That is a subjective issue rife with unquantifiable variables! Are we to guess which answer she prefers?!'

The same thought seemed to have gone through the mind of the Stalker as he answers, "1!!".

Stalker- 'In fact, I would have chosen my true love but no doubt this hag favours the answer I gave.'

Old Hag- "And your reason?"

"One may find another true love… But one's mother is irreplaceable." Says the stalker triumphantly at which the old hag starts discussing with the masked people.

"You may pass." states the Old Hag at which Freya and I just exchange a smirk.

Noticing this, Kuropica is struck by the realization of what the true answer is.

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING! YOU CRAZY OLD BAT, WHAT KIND OF A QUIZ IS THIS!! THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER TO THAT!!!!" Exclaims a raging Leorio.

Just as Kurapika was about to stop him, "Silence! If anyone else speaks for anything but the answer, you are all disqualified!" says the Old Hag.

Old Hag- "Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. You may only get one of the back; 1)Your Daughter; 2)Your Son."

At this point, Leorio was at his breaking point. Leorio- 'The same question again!!! Does she take me for an idiot'

As the old hag starts counting down from 5, Leorio pulls out a stick.

Leorio- 'Keep counting down, that's how long you have to live, Hag!'

Old Hag- "3…..2…..1…..BEEEEEP. Time's up." Leorio jumps into action with his stick only to be stopped by Kurapika.

Leorio- "WHY DID YOU STOP ME!!!"

Ren- "Calm down, Leorio. We have given the right answer.

Freya- "The correct answer is No Response."

Kurapika- "As you aptly said yourself, there is no correct response. She only told us that we could only say '1' or '2' BUT she didn't say we HAD to say ANYTHING. In this case, silence, indeed, was golden.

Leorio- "B-But that stalker!"

Freya- "She didn't say he was right… She just said that he could pass." As if on cue, one could hear a shot of misery coming from the direction the stalker went.

"You are right. This is the real path." says the Old Hag while opening a Gate.

Old Hag- "There are no branches of folks. You will reach the summit in 2 hours."