Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other people. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.

Gon and his friends Leorio and Kurapika have more to worry about than just the Hunter Exam--their fellow applicants are deadly serious. Hisoka, the mad magician, nearly kills them in a mock test and Killua reveals that appearances can be deceiving.

Then there are the tests, which prove to be as varied as they are difficult. The picky proctors of the second exam demand the applicants perform culinary feats of wonder, and it takes the intervention of the President of the Hunter Association Review Board to convince them to let anyone pass at all!