Chapitre 9: Quiz x Kiriko

Finally, their voyage was over, and they arrived in Dolle. Gon had become friends with Kurapika and Leorio. As for Jett, while he did talk to them, he was still wary of them. The hunter exam was also a competition, and he didn't put it past anyone to try and do something.

While it seemed like Jett wasn't paying attention or saying much on the boat, he was always listening. He had also watched the captain on the ship when the captain revealed he was part of the hunter exam committee. He activated his Gyo to watch the captain, and some of his questions were answered. When searching for information about Nen, he figured the hunter association had something to do with why no information could be found.

He was right; the ship's captain was a Nen user, and his whole aura differed from those on the boat. Jett guesses that either becoming a hunter allows them to learn nen or knowing nen will enable them to become hunters; he doesn't know if it is the former or the latter. In some situations, organizations hold this kind of test to find talented individuals; Jett's guess was that the hunter exam was precisely for that reason; he could also be wrong. He won't know until he passes the exam, but he will try to gather information during the test.

It was also one of the reasons Jett didn't teach Nen to Gon; the other reason was simply because he was learning himself. While he did have the nen Initiation method to awaken nen in someone, he didn't know how much nen he had to put into a person's body. Gon had been around him for a while, and if Nen had been so simple to awaken, then just being around him would have helped. He also didn't want to kill or cripple Gon by carelessly trying to awaken his nen.

So, he had been watching people to determine if they were Nen users. The captain had been one, and he even showed his hunter license, so his guess was leaning toward the first option about learning Nen, which was that becoming a hunter would allow someone to awaken Nen. Although Jett wasn't convinced by just that if he saw another examiner with Nen, his guess would be proven right, and he would not feel guilty about not teaching Gon Nen. Since he could learn once he passed the hunter exam.

"There're so many people. Are they all going to Zeban?" Leorio.

"They're all probably here for the same reason we are." Kurapika.

"Captain, thanks for everything, and take care of yourself." Gon

"Thanks. I have one last bit of advice for you." Jett turns his head from watching the crowd after hearing this.

"Just head for the tree on that mountain. It's a shortcut to get to where the exams are," said the captain. Jett could see a tall tree at a distance. He had to be glad for Gon's ability to get along with people; it was a talent that helped him. If Gon had a weird ability or a strong personality other than being a wild child, Jett would put him on his list of likely main characters.

Speaking of which, Jett had classified Kurapika as the main character candidate number one. His background was tragic; in most anime with a power system, most characters had a sad back story. He was also surprised that his back story was similar to Sasuke from Naruto, except he didn't have a brother. He still kept his reservations he could be wrong, and a revenge-driven person would do anything to kill their enemy.

"Okay, thanks," Gon shouted, walking off; Jett quickly followed.

"That's weird!" Leorio.

"Look, Zaban, where the test is indicated on this map." Leorio.

"Going to this mountain in the opposite direction is bizarre. While we could take a bus that takes us directly there." Leorio. Jett had a dumbfounded look on his face. This was a test; the exam had given them a note that stated that 'with the little information they have, the participants will have to go to the exam center alone.' which meant that they had to find information on how to get to the actual hunter location for the exam on their own with simply the name of the city where it would take place. Why would they make it as easy as taking a bus to Zaban? Why not just make everyone a hunter? Gon was an idiot, but at least he had instincts that allowed him to make the correct decision. Jett couldn't believe Leorio's stupidity. He couldn't hold back his words.

"If you take the bus, then you're stupid," Jett said.

"What did you say, you brat!"Leorio.

"I said you're a stupid old man, Lorio," Jett said, pronouncing his name wrong on purpose.

"This is a hunter exam, and unless you have forgotten the captain's words on the boat, the exam has already begun. Getting to Zaban is an elimination process, to get rid of those not qualified to take the actual Hunters Exam, so..." Jett didn't finish because Kurapika interrupted him with his deductions after listening to him.

"Then that would mean that they would place traps along such an obvious route as taking the bus," Kurapika said, finishing what Jett was going to say.

"That's right, the captain may be pointing us in the wrong direction. But if the bus is pointing the right way for us..." Jett said.

"Then it must be a trap!" Gon shouted. Jett looked shocked.

"That's right. Way to go, Gon. You're not stupid like this old guy," Jett said, angering Leorio. Gon had a smile on his face, happy that Jett had complimented him.

"Shut it kid, I already knew that, if you're picking a fight bring it on!" Leorio shouted.

"Whatever, old man, go take the bus like the rest of the losers," Jett said, walking away. Kurapika and eventually Leorio decided to come along with him and Gon.

"That was so cool back there, Jett; how did you do that," Gon asked.

"It wasn't that amazing, they told us. If someone fell for that simple trick, then they're stupid. But it was a lot easier, thanks to you. If the captain hadn't given you that hint, we could have been working harder to find information on ways to get to Zaban." It was true. Jett had already figured that it wouldn't be easy to get to Zaban. The hunter association had to place traps along the way to trick the applicants.

They had to walk along a forest where Jett could hear the growls and distant roars of animals. Jett allowed Gon to take the lead because Gon was better at taking a path that avoided or was far away from the edge of an animal's territory. So, their path getting to an old and run-down town had been relatively easy. Jett could see that the guy who had been following them, while he was good at hiding and keeping his distance, was easy for Jett, a Nen user, to find him. He did have to say he was good at hiding his presence, not as good as Gon, but good enough not to be noticed by Gon with good senses.

Jett thought about doing something about him but later decided not to. He didn't care much if he followed them; he was sure he would do something to try and sabotage them, and when he did, Jett would get rid of him. The town was dark, old, and run down. He would have thought it was a ghost town if it hadn't been for everyone hiding.

'This is probably another test; why else would they have to go through a town like this to reach the tree when the whole town was surrounded by the beast that could kill the people.' Jett thought.

"I don't like this place. There's nobody out here." Leorio.

'This again, if it wasn't because he was following us, I bet this guy would have been eliminated long ago.' Jett thought.

"However, there are many people here," Gon said.

"Let's keep our guard up." Kurapika.

Jett stopped listening to the useless guy and waited for something to happen as they kept walking through the town. He didn't have to wait long; groups of people with masks and long coats covering their bodies appeared, along with an old lady holding a cane.

"The exciting quiz of two answers!" the old lady yelled, startling Jett. He did not think she would shout like that.

"You're heading for the tree on the mountain, aren't you?" She said.

"First, you have to succeed in getting out of this town. The other paths that could lead you there are like labyrinths with terrible monsters." the old woman said.

'Called it," Jett thought to himself.

"I will ask one question. You only have five seconds to consider your answer. If you fail, your mistake will disqualify you from participating in this year's hunter test." She said.

"You'll answer with one or two. Any other answer will not be valid." She said.

'If only we could have someone that could go first, it could give some hints to the questions." Jett thought that's when a savior came to their rescue.

"come on, hurry up!" the guy Jett had spotted before said.

"Well, I'll answer before you—sorry, boy. I heard everything at the port," he said to Gon. They decided to let the guy go first; it was a good chance for them, so why not?

"Your mother and your girlfriend are captives of a demon. You can only save one—your mother, one, or your girlfriend, two," the old lady said.

'I see; it's an impossible choice; in that situation, you would not be able to choose. Well, unless you were cold and indifferent. Initially, she said the only choices were one or two, and no other answer was valid. If it was a regular person, there is no way they would be able to choose, so the only answer here is not to pick." Jett thought that also reminded him of a quote from an old movie that popped into his head, which was perfect for this situation. It was from a film called WarGames, where a supercomputer plays a nuclear war game where the only outcome is mutual destruction; after going through billions of playing scenarios and losing, its final answer is "the only winning move is not to play." This quiz was the same; the only winning move was not to play.

'I won't say anything; with Gon's personality, he would most likely try to figure out an answer and burn his brain trying; if he does try to answer, I'll kick him in the head. As for the other two, Kurapika seems smart enough to figure it out; I don't care for Leorio.' Jett thought.

"One." the guys said. Jett smirked, knowing that he was wrong.

"Why?" the old lady asked.

"A mother is unique. But not a girlfriend." He answers.

"Pass this way." the old lady said.

"Are you mocking us?" Leorio started, but Jett covered his ears. If he kept listening to him, he would become stupid. Jett had covered his ears so he hadn't heard the distant scream, but he didn't need to; he had already guessed the answer to the quiz.

"Leorio!" Kurapika.

"Wait!" the old lady shouted, knowing Kurapika had figured it out.

"Your son and your daughter have been kidnapped, and you can only save one. Which one do you choose: one the daughter, two the son?" she asks. Jett stays quiet, not caring. Although he watches Gon, he is worried for nothing. It was like he thought he was trying to come up with a solution.

"There it is. It's over." the grandmother said.

Jett listens as Kurapika explains the whole thing to Leorio. Jett doesn't understand why he is explaining it to him. It is useless for hot-tempered people like Leorio, who only act on emotion without rationality.

"Exactly. The right way is there. There's only one road. After a two-hour walk, you'll reach the top." the old lady explains, opening a door on a building.

"NO! I don't understand." Gon finally said.

"That's okay, you can stop wondering," said Leorio.

"Why?" Gon asks.

"Cause the quiz is over." Leorio.

"But, if someday, I could only save one person out of those close to me, what would I do? I don't say this to have an answer to the question, but a day may come when I'll have to make that kind of choice." Gon said. While Kurapika and Leorio made serious faces at what Gon said, Jett decided to say something.

"Then before that day comes, Gon, become stronger, strong enough that making that choice won't matter because you will be strong enough to save them both. If that doesn't work, then ask a friend for help. If not for that, then what are friends for, who decided that it takes only one person to save a life?" Jett said while walking into the tunnel.

Kurapika, Leorio, and the old lady were shocked at Jett's answer. On the other hand, Gon had his eyes open wide, and his heart once again thumped. He thought he had pushed down that feeling, but if Jett kept making his heart thump like that, he didn't know if he could keep it down.

"Wait for me, Jett." Gon rushes after Jett and jumps on his back.

"Get off me, Gon. You monkey!" Jett yelled, oblivious to Gon's emotions about him. As the old lady had said, it took them two hours to leave the tunnel. On the way out, Jett ponders over the last words of the old lady.

If an old couple lived at the bottom of the tree, why would they choose to live there? Especially after the signs he was seeing as they walked up the path to the tree. She called them Navigators, which answered one question that Jett had. He hadn't figured out how they would reach the exam site, but the navigator explained it. They had to find a guide to show them the way to the exam.

"We're finally here!" Leorio.

"How quiet. Are we the only ones to have gotten this far?" Kurapika.

As they all opened the door to the house, a monster greeted them. As soon as they opened the door, the beast rushed at them. Caught off guard, they were all pushed out the door. Jett quickly curled his body and performed a backward summersault to gain his valance and land on his feet.

"We must help." Seeing Gon rush after the beast, Jett follows.

"This way!" Jett didn't let the beast out of his sight. While the forest was dark, it wasn't as dark as Whale Island, so he could still see.

"Release her!" Gon yelled.

"Just try coming here to get her back yourself." The beast said—shocking Jett and Gon alike.

"Hey, great! He can talk." Gon yelled.

"An animal capable of using the human language, that's what a monster is. He can metamorphose, and he's a Rat-fox. He can easily take the appearance of a human watch out." As soon as Kurapika said that, Jett stopped; it was like he thought. The whole thing was a test; even the old lady said, "If they think you're okay, they'll lead you to the testing place." How can a couple surrounded by beasts be so weak as to get captured? It was all stage.

Jett returned to the house where Leorio was caring for the middle-aged man. Knowing that it was a test, he just waited for it to end; he didn't want to waste time running around the forest.

"Why do this boring test? Can't they take us to the exam already." Jett complained while waiting.