On the opposite shore of the lake stood a tree whose roots were exposed above the water. Directly beneath them was a millstone-sized hollow—half on land, half submerged. Deep inside the cavity lay several water-beast eggs, resting quietly.
The creature resembled a snake, and this season happened to be the prime time for egg-laying. Based on the known nesting habits of water snakes and pythons, Lu ou had made this deduction earlier—that was why he had been searching so desperately.
He hadn't expected to actually find them.
Judging by the size of the beast—easily over ten meters long—its eggs were undoubtedly more valuable than the Phoenix-Eye Fruit.
They could be cooked… a monster-egg custard, or maybe orange-greens stir-fried with egg,
Lu ou planned silently.
Orange-greens were a vegetable Lu ou had eaten at Aunt Mito's place. The flavor was somewhat like celery, though the appearance was very different.
Unfortunately, vegetables needed to be fresh, so none had been packed in Gon's backpack.
"Slap—splash."
The sound of water striking the hull snapped Lu ou out of his thoughts. The boat was already moving fast, and the distance was long—there was only a single moment to act.
Gon's execution was impeccable. The instant Lu ou finished speaking, the fishing line shot out with a whoosh, accurately hooking one of the water-beast eggs.
With a quick pull, the volleyball-sized egg landed squarely in Lu ou's hands.
Success.
Leorio also lived up to Luou's trust. Under normal circumstances, with Gon and Kurapika rowing, it would have taken at least half an hour to reach shore. But after being thoroughly stimulated by the water beast, Leorio pushed himself to a full hundred percent.
Alone, he reached the shore in just ten minutes.
By then, the water beast had long since given up the chase—its silhouette wasn't even visible behind the boat anymore.
The boat slammed into a sandbank and slid onto the beach. They were finally safe.
Judging by the way Leorio clenched his teeth and strained, it clearly hadn't been easy.
"Leorio, we're here."
After stowing the water-beast egg in his backpack, Lu ou called out to him.
Gon lifted the suitcase and handed it to Leorio. The four of them then disembarked.
"Even a lake this vast was no match for my full-power rowing."
Leorio accepted the case, straightened his clothes, and once again assumed his elite demeanor.
"There's a stone monument over here—there's writing on it. Come take a look."
Lu ou called everyone over to the stele from the Moh tribe ruins, completely ignoring Leorio's attempt at dramatic posturing.
"Ruins?"
Gon leaned in with interest.
"Looks like something from the ancient Moh tribe."
Kurapika identified it after examining the faded script.
"It is. And it's very old."
Lu ou confirmed.
"So Lu ou—and Kurapika—you can read it?"
Gon looked at the monument, clearly unable to understand it.
"I understand a little,"
Lu ou replied.
"The weathering is severe. Many characters are no longer legible. It seems to describe events related to a holy maiden performing rituals to the gods. It's not entirely clear, but you can tell the civilization that created this wasn't primitive—if anything, it was quite advanced."
Kurapika continued, clearly fascinated.
Lu ou knew this because of the plot.
Kurapika knew it through genuine accumulated knowledge.
"So Lu ou likes historical ruins too—he knows a lot. Kurapika knows a lot too. He's amazing."
Gon grinned, looking as proud as if it were his own achievement.
"What matters more than that is—which path is that old woman's one-way road?"
Leorio asked. Compared to ruins, he cared far more about finding the guide.
"The path should be that one."
Lu ou pointed to the winding road circling the lake.
It was a dirt path. Since it hadn't rained, it was dry and free of mud. The road twisted around most of the lake, disappearing into darkness in the distance, its destination impossible to make out.
"It's awfully roundabout. Didn't the old woman say it was a one-way path?"
Leorio frowned suspiciously.
"Just because it's one-way doesn't mean it leads straight to the destination."
Kurapika replied.
"Thanks for the detailed explanation."
Leorio clicked his tongue and said no more.
"There's only this road. Whether it's right or wrong, we have to take it."
Lu ou said.
"Yeah."
Gon nodded immediately.
Whenever Lu ou spoke, Gon was always the first to agree, full of confidence.
Kurapika said nothing, simply walking in the direction Luou indicated—showing his support through action.
"Lu ou, let's go."
Gon flicked the fishing rod and pulled Lu ou along, quickly catching up to Kurapika.
Seeing that all three had gone ahead—and realizing Lu ou was right that there were no other options—Leorio followed as well.
After about twenty minutes of walking, a dense forest appeared ahead. To Lu ou, it was nearly on the level of a modern primeval forest.
It looked even more vast than the forests on Whale Island—towering ancient trees, tangled undergrowth, everything about it suggested great age.
"Once we pass through the forest, we should be close."
Lu ou led the group inside.
What they failed to notice was a creature crouched atop a tall tree far in the distance—four or five meters tall, with blood-red eyes, long limbs, and large upright ears, faintly resembling a fox.
Unfortunately, it only lingered for a few seconds before leaping away, unnoticed by the group.
Lu ou's plan to secretly observe the vicious fox beforehand also fell through. In the original storyline, the fox had first observed Gon and the others before returning to the tree house.
Lu ou had hoped to locate it in advance—even if only to preserve some dignity—but the fox that should have appeared was nowhere to be found.
"Crackle, chirp, rustle."
The forest at night was anything but quiet. Though no large beasts or magical creatures appeared, the sounds of insects and birds filled the air.
Occasionally, birds startled by the group's footsteps would take flight, adding to the noise.
After walking for about an hour, another signboard appeared ahead.
"Look—another warning about magical beasts. Are we really heading toward the exam site?"
After so long surrounded by greenery and seemingly heading deeper into the wilderness, Leorio's doubts resurfaced.
Once inside a forest, Gon became noticeably energized. Back on Whale Island, he loved staying in the woods and befriending animals. In a forest this vast, he was naturally in his element.
"Gon, you look very confident—but remember not to meddle in everything."
Seeing Gon grinning with excitement, Leorio couldn't help but warn him.