Nature's craftsmanship was truly astonishing. Thousands of years of erosion by a river had split an entire mountain in two.
Strong winds had worn away the mountain's sharp edges as well, leaving its summit so unusually smooth that it looked man-made.
Menchi led the examinees to the edge of the cliff.
The sight of the sheer drop into seemingly bottomless depths made their knees go weak.
"What did you bring us here for?" Toby asked, his legs trembling.
"Don't worry. There's just a river at the bottom of the valley. I'll demonstrate first."
Menchi took off her shoes, did a few stretches, then leaped off the cliff and vanished, leaving the examinees staring in disbelief.
To reassure them, Netero stepped forward and explained:
"Don't worry, everyone. This is Toad Tiger Mountain. A flying creature called the Grape Spider Vulture lives here, and she's gone to collect a Grape Spider Vulture Egg."
"To keep their eggs from becoming food for land predators, Grape Spider Vultures suspend them in the valley using tough spider silk."
"So all you have to do is retrieve an egg from inside the ravine and climb back up."
Menchi moved incredibly fast. Just as Netero finished his explanation, her head appeared over the cliff's edge, one hand holding a Grape Spider Vulture Egg high.
"This is the ingredient for your hard-boiled eggs. But be warned: although there's a river below, your chances of survival are extremely slim if you get swept out to its mouth."
"Now this is the kind of exam I wanted." Leorio eagerly stripped off his suit jacket, itching to give it a try.
Kurapika agreed. "It certainly feels more practical."
Kaya sat on the cliff's edge, swinging his legs. "Then what are we waiting for?"
With that, he pushed off with his legs and plummeted.
"Kaya, wait for me!"
Gon sprinted forward, then launched himself off with his arms spread wide.
As cool as ever, Killua jumped down with both hands in his pockets.
Not to be outdone, Kurapika, Leorio, and Pokkle also leaped off the cliff.
With someone taking the lead, the other examinees found their courage and began jumping one after another.
Sweat poured down Toby's face as he cautiously peered over the edge at everyone hanging from the spider silk. Finally, he worked up the courage to jump into the abyss.
Perhaps it was his fear of heights, but just as he was about to grab the spider silk, his hand slipped, sending him plunging into free fall.
"Help!" Terrified, Toby let out a desperate cry.
Hearing him, Gon immediately jumped after him without a second thought, then shouted, "Kaya!"
Kaya's heart sank. He pulled out his long whip and, the instant Gon caught Toby, wrapped it tightly around Gon's waist.
Then, with a powerful swing, he sent them both to a safe spot on the mountainside.
"Those two kids really are interesting." Watching the scene, Menchi couldn't help liking Kaya and Gon a little more.
"To entrust your life to someone without reservation-that kind of trust comes not only from recognizing each other's abilities, but also from an unbreakable bond."
Netero stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction.
Tony clutched his pounding heart, feeling as though he could barely breathe.
After that accident, he didn't dare try again and climbed back up along the mountainside.
Before long, heads popped up like groundhogs as everyone climbed back onto the summit one after another.
Looking at their triumphant expressions, Toby's eyes filled with envy and frustration.
Just then, Kaya walked over and discreetly handed him an egg.
Toby stared at the egg in his hand, his eyes full of disbelief and gratitude.
"What are you...?"
Kaya held up a finger in a shushing gesture, signaling him to keep quiet.
"Consider it encouragement for being brave."
With that, Kaya turned and ran back to his friends, leaving Toby gazing admiringly at his dashing retreating figure.
"You're always doing something reckless! What if something happened to you?" Leorio complained, pulling Gon into his arms and tickling him.
"He called for help, didn't he? So I had to save him."
Gon acted as though it were the most natural thing in the world, raising his egg to study it closely in the light of the setting sun.
"Besides, with Kaya around, I knew I'd be fine. Right, Kaya?"
"Wrong! Act that recklessly again, and you're on your own."
"Huh? Do you really mean that, Kaya?" Gon took a step toward him.
"Go away." Kaya took a step back.
"Stop crowding me! You're so annoying. Get lost!"
Gon clung stubbornly to Kaya, while Kaya kept pushing his face away in annoyance.
Killua watched them quietly, unable to help feeling a little envious.
He wasn't sure whether he could ever have friendship and trust as deep as what Gon and Kaya shared.
But Killua certainly didn't know that meeting them had completely changed the course of his life.
"All right, all right. Time's up for gathering ingredients. Come up one at a time and let me inspect your eggs. If they're fine, you can start boiling them."
As Buhara set up the large pot, Menchi clapped her hands to get the examinees' attention.
Forty-three Grape Spider Vulture Eggs went into the pot together. Watching them tumble in the water, the examinees instantly felt much more relaxed.
"It's too early to relax. This exam isn't over yet!"
"You still have to scoop out the cooked eggs at the right time. A perfect hard-boiled egg isn't as simple as you think. You need to judge the water temperature and timing precisely. Grape Spider Vulture Eggs aren't like chicken eggs."
"I'm sure you can guess what happens if you boil them too long, but you'll also fail if they're undercooked."
She really wouldn't give them a moment's peace. Menchi's words put everyone back on edge.
Kaya and his friends gripped their scoop nets, focusing intently on the eggs tumbling in the pot.
"Can we take them out yet?" Leorio couldn't help asking.
Kurapika carefully examined the eggs' color and slowly shook his head. "We need to wait a little longer."
Holding his net in one hand and resting the other on his hip, Killua pouted. "I don't even know how long you boil ordinary eggs."
Just what you'd expect from a pampered young master who had never done a household chore.
Although Kaya knew how to boil chicken eggs, these Grape Spider Vulture Eggs, with their different size and shape, were just as tricky for him.
"Ahem." Standing beside Gon, Buhara watched the eggs beginning to tumble in the pot and coughed twice.
Kurapika and Kaya exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Now!"
The examinees sprang into action, scooping their eggs out of the boiling water.
Menchi glared through gritted teeth at Buhara, who was playing innocent beside them. "Tsk, tsk. Could you make your hint any more obvious?"
Buhara didn't argue. He simply scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
"Now taste your Grape Spider Vulture Eggs and see how they differ from ordinary chicken eggs," Menchi said.
Having gone hungry all day, the examinees eagerly peeled off the shells and began eating.
"The texture is silky smooth, as though it's been infused with the Grape Spider Vulture's vitality," Kurapika marveled.
"It really is delicious. I've never had such a tasty hard-boiled egg." Leorio was full of praise as well.
"Food really does taste better when you've earned it yourself." Pokkle took a big bite, filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Even the normally picky Killua ate with relish.
"It's so good! What do you think, Kaya?" Gon asked.
But everyone discovered that Kaya was nowhere to be seen.
Only when they returned to the airship did he come skipping back, humming a tune as he prepared to board.
"Where did you run off to when they announced we'd passed?" Gon grabbed him and asked curiously.
"Not telling." Kaya gave Gon a mysterious smile.
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