Lu Ou's absurdly miraculous method left everyone present completely dumbfounded.
First, Kurapika openly admitted he no longer understood what was going on. Then Leorio's forehead might as well have been covered in question marks.
Leorio's close friend, Pietro, had fallen seriously ill. Because the cost of surgery was far too high, he was unable to receive treatment and ultimately died. Because of this, Leorio's goal was to become a doctor, earn enough money, and treat for free all those suffering from the same illness as his friend.
Strictly speaking, this lecherous and somewhat sleazy-looking man was actually the gentlest character in the entire Hunter series.
More importantly, Leorio's talent was in no way inferior to Gon's or the others'. Despite never having received formal training, he had taught himself both combat skills and emergency medical techniques, achieving impressive results. And let's not forget—Leorio was the man who once punched Ging flying.
Back to the matter at hand.
The man who had been struck, Matthew, let out a miserable howl.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
His palm had swollen up from the blow, and Matthew glared furiously.
"A sprained left foot—slap the right palm. That's what a doctor told me. It's a very effective method," Lu Ou said calmly.
"Matthew-san, do you believe me when I say you're already healed? Give me some face and stand up—walk a couple of steps."
A sprained left foot cured by hitting the right hand—what kind of nonsense was that?
Matthew was so angry he laughed. Inside, he sneered, If I actually stand up now, I'm an idiot. So he decided to stay seated and keep pretending his ankle was injured.
But while his mind insisted on staying put, his body was brutally honest.
Before Matthew himself even realized what was happening, he stood up and took two normal steps.
Just those two steps were enough to show his leg was completely fine.
"See, Matthew-san? Isn't your leg better now?" Lu Ou said sincerely.
"This way, your Hunter Exam won't be delayed."
Matthew: "???"
"That's great!" Gon said happily, both for Matthew and for how amazing Lu Ou was.
"You can treat a sprained ankle like that?" Leorio muttered in disbelief.
Leorio did have some medical knowledge, but Lu Ou's method still delivered a heavy blow to his worldview.
Kurapika frowned—a rare sight. He was genuinely confused now.
From the beginning, he had seen through Matthew's act and believed Lu Ou's action was merely punishment. On that point, Kurapika had fully agreed.
But now there was a problem.
If Matthew had truly been faking it, then after being slapped, he should have continued the act even more stubbornly. Why would he suddenly stand up and walk?
And if Matthew hadn't been faking it, then curing a left ankle sprain by hitting the right palm made absolutely no logical sense—medical knowledge or not.
"Let's go."
The four of them continued onward. Gon walked at the front of the group. Matthew, feeling deeply unbalanced after failing to gain anything and instead suffering a loss, lagged behind at the rear, resentment written all over his face as he stewed in his own thoughts.
After walking for quite a while, Matthew wasn't paying attention and strayed off the path, pushing through a patch of tall grass without realizing it—straight into the territory of white rhinoceroses.
"Sssssnort!"
A massive white rhinoceros slowly emerged from the dense bushes.
It was enormous—at least twice the size of any rhino on Earth from Lu Ou's perspective. Its thick legs were like stone pillars. Though its horn wasn't particularly sharp, with a body like a truck, sharpness hardly mattered.
Leorio and Kurapika immediately entered combat stance.
But the one closest to the rhino was Matthew.
Cold sweat instantly drenched his forehead. He drew the two batons from his back, but his hands trembled violently, and his body unconsciously retreated.
In the original story, Gon had entered the forest to look for medicinal herbs for Matthew, and Matthew had wandered around looking for Gon, accidentally alerting the white rhinoceros—leading to this scene.
Lu Ou had thought that by "curing" Matthew's sprained ankle, this event wouldn't happen.
Yet here it was anyway.
"So this guy really can't stop adding extra drama to his own life," Lu Ou muttered.
Just as the words left his mouth, something changed.
From the bushes to the left came another sound.
Heavy breathing echoed out—similar to a cow's, but several levels louder and far more grating.
Another snow-white rhinoceros emerged slowly from the trees, its massive horn gleaming. It snorted loudly as it walked, tail swaying lazily. There was a large circular white marking on its forehead, and as it stepped out, it affectionately rubbed against the first rhino.
Another one.
A male and a female.
The female was even larger than the male.
More importantly, she was clearly more aggressive.
She stared at Lu Ou's group with intense hostility, letting out low roars and scraping the ground with her front hooves, as if ready to charge at any moment.
No calculations were needed.
If the male hit you, you'd be crippled.
If the female hit you, you'd be dead.
"Help! Help me!"
Facing one rhino, Matthew had barely managed to hold on with his batons. But now, with two staring at him like predators, he completely broke down and cried out in panic.
Leorio and Kurapika tensed, but did not attack.
"Don't move," Gon said.
"We're the ones who invaded their territory—that's why they're angry."
Under the watchful eyes of both rhinoceroses, Gon slowly stepped forward, raising both hands to show he meant no harm.
Only Gon would dare to do something like this.
Kurapika was about to stop him, but Leorio restrained him instead—Leorio had personally witnessed Gon communicate with the Foxbear before.
Meanwhile, Lu Ou was focused on something else entirely.
"What do rhinos like to eat again?"
"They're probably omnivores… based on what I remember from animal documentaries."
Smack.
Lu Ou lightly struck his left palm with his right fist.
"I've still got some Phoenix-Eye Fruit. Let's feed them that."
Decision made.
"Gon, give me three Phoenix-Eye Fruits," Lu Ou said.
The Phoenix-Eye Fruit was the most precious produce of Whale Island.
If one wasn't enough, then two. If two weren't enough, then three.
After all, once you've eaten someone's food, you should at least show some respect.
"Got it."
Without even turning his head, Gon swiftly reached into his pack and tossed four large, glossy fruits—purple with white streaks—straight into Lu Ou's hands. A faint, sweet fragrance spread through the air.
"What is that? It smells amazing," Leorio couldn't help asking.
"A specialty from Whale Island. Ou asked for it," Gon replied.
Holding the fruit, Lu Ou calmly walked up and stopped in front of the rhinoceroses, while Gon continued gently soothing them nearby.
The two rhinos merely glanced at Lu Ou indifferently.
At least, they seemed indifferent.
That impression would've been more convincing if their huge eyes hadn't been glued to the Phoenix-Eye Fruit in his hands.
"Well then," Lu Ou said, placing the fruit neatly on a clean leaf on the ground and stepping back,
"Mr. and Mrs. Rhino—this is for you."
The female rhino glanced at Lu Ou retreating before slowly stepping forward. She swallowed one Phoenix-Eye Fruit in a single bite and began chewing leisurely.
Lu Ou could swear he saw pleasure and satisfaction on that massive rhino face.
I really am spending too much time with Gon, he thought.
Seeing the female already enjoying her feast, the male finally ambled over and calmly claimed the remaining two fruits for himself.