Twelve noon.
In Visca Forest, a warehouse stood in a clearing surrounded by trees.
The warehouse doors were tightly shut, with a clock hanging above them, its hands about to strike exactly twelve.
The examinees who had successfully crossed the swamp gathered in the clearing before the warehouse.
Most were panting heavily, sweat trickling down their cheeks and soaking their clothes.
Some were even bent over, hands on their knees, clearly having exhausted their stamina.
But a small number remained calm, their breathing steady as they surveyed their surroundings, eventually fixing their gazes on the warehouse ahead.
About a hundred left.
Before the test time ended, Satotz discreetly scanned the examinees present.
For some reason, the creatures in the swamp have become extremely irritable and aggressive lately. Plus, with two dangerous individuals causing chaos during the test, I thought at most ten or twenty would remain…
Quietly withdrawing his gaze, Satotz mused to himself, It seems this year's examinees are quite capable. Something to look forward to.
Gurgle, gurgle…
Just as Satotz was reflecting, a series of stomach rumbles echoed from the warehouse, deep and thunderous.
The examinees all looked toward the warehouse with odd expressions.
They could tell what the sound was, but they were startled by how loud the rumbling was, as if amplifiers were plastered all over someone's belly.
Satotz remained expressionless as he glanced at the warehouse, then raised his eyes to the clock above the door.
There were about thirty seconds left until the end of the first phase.
Hmm?
Satotz suddenly noticed something and looked back in the direction they had come from.
There, an examinee with heavy dark circles under his eyes and the number 502 pinned to his chest arrived belatedly.
Number 502…
Satotz lightly touched his chin, thoughtfully watching this examinee who had made it just before the deadline, then shook his head slightly, dismissing any further inquiry.
Since the first phase was about to end, the details of how it happened no longer mattered to him.
"You've all worked hard. This is Visca Forest, and it's also the venue for the second phase. I hope you'll continue to do your best."
Satotz faced the crowd, gave a brief statement, then turned and left without hesitation.
As he disappeared into the surrounding forest with his light, swift steps, the clock above the warehouse door struck exactly twelve.
Creak...
The previously shut doors slowly swung open, instantly capturing the examinees' attention.
Morrow, who had just arrived, immediately looked toward the opening doors, keenly aware of several gazes turning his way.
One of them was as scorching as flames, undoubtedly Hisoka's.
The other gazes came from Kalluto, Killua, and others, as well as Tonpa, who stood inconspicuously in the crowd.
This guy's luck is just too good!?
Tonpa glanced at Morrow, who had arrived at the last moment, finding it hard to believe.
Anyone with eyes could see why over four hundred examinees had dwindled to just over a hundred.
Not only was the swamp fraught with dangers, but there were also dangerous individuals like Hisoka freely killing.
Earlier, Tonpa hadn't seen Morrow and assumed he had already fallen to Hisoka's hands. Not only had he survived, but he had also narrowly passed at the last moment.
No one can rely on luck forever...
Seeing how fortunate Morrow was, Tonpa's destructive urges surged once again.
He couldn't stand those blessed by the goddess of fortune.
If an opportunity arose in the next test, he would make sure Morrow experienced the harshness of reality.
Creak...
The warehouse door swung fully open, revealing the scene inside.
Menchi, the examiner for the second phase, was lounging on a single-seat sofa. Behind her sat Buhara, a mountain of a man with a simple and honest appearance.
Facing the gazes of the examinees, Menchi didn't immediately introduce herself. Instead, she carefully scanned the crowd, as if counting how many had passed the first phase.
In reality, she was searching for Morrow.
By observing their auras, she quickly identified Hisoka and Kalluto from the crowd, then turned her attention to two other examinees who were maintaining Ten.
One was No. 22, a lean figure wearing a hooded jacket and a black mask covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of sharp, bright eyes visible.
The other was No. 502, an utterly ordinary-looking person who seemed half-asleep.
Menchi didn't spot Morrow and could only suspect he had likely used some form of disguise.
Considering this possibility, her gaze inadvertently swept over Kalluto again.
Noticing Menchi's stare, Kalluto immediately looked back.
However, Menchi deliberately averted her eyes as if they were strangers, puzzling Kalluto, though he didn't dwell on it and occasionally glanced toward Morrow at the back of the group.
Menchi noticed this.
Hmm?
She realized both Hisoka and Kalluto were paying close attention to examinee No. 502.
Is No. 502 Morrow? But his appearance and build are completely different...
While pondering this, Menchi didn't neglect her duties as an examiner and had already finished counting the examinees, 109 in total.
Unlike in the original storyline, she didn't casually announce the test topic while seated on the sofa. Instead, she stood up, placed one hand on her hip, and addressed the examinees.
"My name is Menchi, and he is Buhara."
She pointed over her shoulder at the honest-faced Buhara, and after introducing their names, she got straight to the point: "We are both Gourmet Hunters, so the topic for the second phase test is... cooking."
!?
"Cooking?"
The examinees were bewildered.
Endurance, physical strength, hunting skills, combat prowess...
These were what they associated with being a "Pro Hunter."
Hearing "cooking" evoked a sense of absurdity in them.
Ignoring their reactions, Menchi glanced back at Buhara, who was too hungry to even speak, and took the initiative to announce the test rules.
"First, you must complete the dish specified by Buhara. Only those who pass will qualify to attempt the dish I specify. When we say 'delicious,' it means you've passed the second test. Additionally... the test will end once we are full."
!!!
Upon hearing the rules, the sharper-minded individuals instantly grasped the key point of this test.
Since the test duration depended on when Buhara and Menchi were full, it meant the number of qualifiers was limited from the start. So they had to race against time, first come, first served.
The examinees who realized this subtly tensed their muscles, their attention on Menchi and Buhara becoming intensely focused.
Menchi discreetly glanced at the examinees who had mentally prepared themselves, thinking: Not bad at all. Their judgment is spot on. Unfortunately, Buhara has a huge appetite, so there's no need to rush in the first half.
With that thought, she turned to look at Buhara.
Buhara gave Menchi a slight nod, then eagerly raised his index finger, drooling as he announced the theme: "The dish I've chosen is roasted whole pork."
"Huh?"
The examinees who had just realized that "time was limited" were taken aback upon hearing "roasted whole pork."
If someone managed to prepare a roasted whole pig that the examiner found exceptionally delicious ahead of others, then those who moved too slowly might not even get the chance to present their dish.
"The second phase of the exam begins now!" Buhara declared loudly.
As soon as his words fell, some examinees immediately dashed into the forest.
The others, a step behind, saw this and also began sprinting toward the forest with all their might.
Kalluto glanced toward Morrow, but seeing Morrow shake his head slightly, he abandoned the idea of approaching him and instead hurried to catch up with Killua and Gon, who had already run some distance ahead.
Morrow watched them disappear into the forest, then turned to look at Menchi and Buhara.
That single glance immediately made Menchi's eyes light up.
Morrow quickly averted his gaze, aware that Menchi had likely confirmed his identity through Hisoka and Kalluto's reactions.
He had initially trusted Menchi to handle the exam impartially, but now he felt a bit uncertain.
The reason for this feeling was that he noticed Menchi's behavior differed significantly from his impression of her in the original story.
Setting aside her attitude, he distinctly remembered that in the original, Menchi had outright skipped the "self-introduction" segment, which in itself was a condescending gesture.
But just now, Menchi not only stood up from the couch but also spoke in a rather gentle tone…
Morrow suspected this change might be because of him, and he couldn't help worrying that Menchi might let her emotions affect the fairness of the exam.
In fact, Menchi's deviation from her original portrayal was indeed related to Morrow.
On one hand, it was her first time serving as an examiner, and she didn't want to come across poorly in front of Morrow.
On the other hand, Hisoka's attention was entirely fixed on Morrow, leaving him no interest in provoking Menchi with his bloodlust. This allowed Menchi to remain relaxed and appear much more normal.
He's deliberately pretending not to know me!
Menchi, now certain of Morrow's identity, watched him leave with sparkling eyes.
Still, pretending not to know each other was necessary.
Just as she had treated Kalluto as a stranger earlier, it was to avoid giving others any reason to speculate maliciously or spread rumors.
"Menchi? Menchi?"
Buhara looked at her puzzled, calling her name several times without getting a response.
Growing even more confused, he asked, "Menchi, what's up with examinee No. 502?"
Huh?
Menchi seemed to snap back to reality, tilting her head toward Buhara. "What did you just say?"
"Uh..."
Buhara scratched his head with his large, fan-like hand and shook his head. "Nothing, I'm just really hungry."
"Oh, then eat as much as you want later."
Menchi said indifferently, "This year's group of examinees has quite a high standard. They should all be able to hunt Great Stamps."
Visca Forest only had one type of pig, the world's most ferocious Great Stamp.
This creature was known for its astonishing charging power and aggression.
For those who had mastered Nen, dealing with them wasn't difficult with the defense and enhancement of aura.
But for those who didn't understand Nen, even if they had strong physical abilities, they could easily stumble if they couldn't find the Great Stamp's weakness.
In terms of danger level, creatures like the Great Stamp were actually insignificant in the entire biological world.
The world's species were far too diverse.
Because of this, the number of Beast Hunters was just as large as that of Blacklist Hunters.
In contrast, Gourmet Hunters, who shared some overlap with Beast Hunters, were pitifully few in number.
But almost every one of them was an elite among elites. Not only did they possess sharp judgment and observation skills, but they also had the strength to handle various deadly creatures.
Buhara's test wasn't entirely for the sake of satisfying his appetite; it was from the perspective of a Gourmet Hunter, testing the examinees' judgment, observation, and most importantly, their strength.
Of course.
Putting aside the taste factor, if one had to call the step of hunting Great Stamps unfair...
It would be that Nen users could complete the hunt without any difficulty.
In the forest.
Gon, with a feeling more thrilling than when facing Hisoka, precisely judged the Great Stamp's weakness at the edge of danger.
Thump!
After a dull sound.
Gon easily knocked out a Great Stamp, completely immersed in a strange emotion.
Besides Leorio, Killua and Kalluto also completed their hunts effortlessly.
Not far away.
The heavily clothed Examinee No. 22 noticed Gon's hunting process.
Though the hunting process was similarly effortless, this examinee only paid attention to Gon.
Because she want to become a Beast Hunter and had discovered that Gon's judgment of creatures was exceptionally outstanding.
In contrast, Killua and Kalluto relied on pure strength to complete their hunts, which didn't warrant her attention.
Exceptionally talented.
Examinee No. 22 thought to herself and felt like approaching Gon.
She suddenly strode over.
Kalluto instantly looked at her, his gaze cold and mixed with a hint of warning.
After all, the other party was a Nen user, so they couldn't let their guard down at any time.
Examinee No. 22 didn't care about Kalluto's reaction and walked straight toward Gon.
Her actions quickly caught the attention of Gon and Killua.
"Do you want to become a Beast Hunter?"
Examinee No. 22 looked directly at Gon and asked straightforwardly.
Hearing this, Gon was momentarily stunned, and Kite's figure flashed through his mind.
Seeing Gon's reaction, Examinee No. 22 unhesitatingly activated her aura output and, right in front of everyone, materialized a red-and-white digital compendium with a technological feel out of thin air.
"I think you're very suited for the profession of a Beast Hunter."
Examinee No. 22 held the digital compendium and spoke very seriously.
Leorio, Gon, and Killua stared at the digital compendium in surprise.
She actually... materialized it out of thin air?
Nearby.
Kalluto glanced at Killua's reaction.
Illumi's Nen needle had altered Killua's memories and understanding of Nen.
But encountering that pervert Hisoka earlier, and now this Conjurer whose thoughts were completely unfathomable...
They were gradually exposing his brother to Nen once again.
Recalling the methods employed by the family elders, Kalluto found himself momentarily conflicted.