The long run through the swamp ended hours ago, but Ethan's legs still buzzed with phantom exhaustion. The open grasslands felt almost heavenly in comparison—bright sky, soft wind, no predators mimicking human voices.
But peace never lasted long during the Hunter Exam.
Satotz led the survivors toward a large facility built into a rocky hillside—tall iron doors, smoke drifting from chimneys, and the faint aroma of meat and spices. The smell triggered a collective growl from hungry stomachs.
Gon inhaled loudly.
"Whoa… something smells amazing!"
Killua grinned. "Hopefully it's part of the exam."
Kurapika adjusted his scarf. "Given the reputation of the next examiners, it most likely is."
Ethan walked behind them, listening quietly.
The Panel tingled. A new notification appeared.
---
〈Main Mission Updated〉
Phase Two — Gourmet Hunter Trial
Examiners: Buhara (Gourmet Hunter), Menchi (Professional Gourmet)
Requirements to Pass:
1. Prepare an edible dish satisfying both examiners.
2. Gourmet knowledge test will be unavoidable.
3. Expect sudden rule changes or examiner bias.
4. Note: Menchi's pride may trigger exam termination if offended.
Optional Bonuses:
Extractable: "Gourmet Sense" (Minor) from certain beasts
Extractable: "Fire Control Instinct" from roasting beasts
Hidden Objective: Impress Menchi (Difficulty: Very High)
Failure Consequence:
Exam Termination
Forced Return to Settlement Space (Minor Penalty)
Smooth Timeline Status: ✔ Canon unaltered.
---
Ethan exhaled.
"Yeah… this is going to be a mess."
And he wasn't wrong.
---
THE GOURMET EXAMINERS
The group entered a spacious hall with metal counters and a massive roasting pit. Two judges stood on a raised platform.
One of them—the massive, round man—was already eating what appeared to be a whole cow, bones and all.
Buhara.
The other examiner—lean, stylish, pink-haired—was tapping her foot impatiently, arms crossed, eyes sharp as knives.
Menchi.
Buhara swallowed an entire steak and clapped his hands.
"WELCOME, APPLICANTS! I'm Buhara, Gourmet Hunter!"
Menchi flicked her hair.
"And I am Menchi. Today, I will judge whether you worms have any sense of culinary refinement."
Her voice alone made several examinees stiffen with anxiety.
Ethan muttered, "Yeah… totally unbiased examiner…"
Menchi's eyes cut sharply in his direction, and Ethan instantly looked away.
Nope. Don't attract her attention.
---
BUHARA'S TRIAL — THE BOAR
"YOUR FIRST TEST!" Buhara announced.
"BRING ME A—"
He inhaled deeply.
"ROASTED PIG!!"
The doors opened, revealing a long forest path stretching behind the building.
Gon's eyes lit up.
"A hunting test!"
Killua cracked his knuckles. "Finally something physical."
Leorio groaned. "Do we really have to catch our own pig?!"
Kurapika smiled politely. "It's better than eating one of Buhara's leftovers…"
Ethan stepped into the forest, heart steady.
The Panel opened again.
---
〈Sub-Mission: Giant Mountain Boar〉
Objective: Capture and roast a Giant Mountain Boar.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Boar Traits:
Strong muscles
High aggression
Even heat distribution (excellent for roasting)
Extractable Abilities:
Minor Muscle Strength +1
Boar Charge Instinct
Animal Adaptability Sense
Warning:
Boars run in groups.
---
"Groups?" Ethan muttered. "Great… someone upstairs hates me."
---
THE HUNT BEGINS
Examinees scattered.
Gon jumped onto a tree branch, scanning the forest.
"I can hear something!"
Leorio wheezed behind him. "Of course you can hear something—you're a human dog!"
Killua snorted. "Boars are that direction, Leorio."
Kurapika nodded. "Ethan, coming?"
Ethan smiled faintly. "Yeah."
The group moved together—not officially a team, but naturally falling into rhythm.
Rustling leaves signaled approaching beasts.
Gon crouched.
"Three o'clock!"
Killua's grin widened. "I'll take left."
Kurapika readied his wooden sticks.
Ethan inhaled deeply—then activated his enhanced senses from the Twilight extractions.
Everything sharpened.
Then—
BOOM!
A boar burst from the bushes, tusks gleaming.
Gon leapt and grabbed its snout. Killua zipped forward and kicked its legs. Kurapika struck the nerves behind its ears.
Ethan finished it with a clean stomp to the neck.
The boar collapsed, unmoving.
Leorio blinked. "W-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?!"
Killua laughed. "Hunters, obviously."
Ethan checked the Panel.
---
〈Extraction Available〉
Target: Mountain Boar
Rewards:
+1 Strength
+Minor Beast Instinct
+1 Endurance
Extract now?
[YES] • [NO]
---
"Yes."
Warm energy pulsed through him. His muscles tightened slightly.
"Helpful."
"Let's take this one back," Gon said cheerfully.
"Right," Kurapika agreed.
---
THE ROAST
Back in the kitchen area, examinees skinned and cooked their boars. The air soon filled with the scent of roasting meat.
Ethan prepared his quietly:
Clean cut
Even removal of hide
Proper salt rub
Slow, rotating roast
He didn't cheat.
Didn't alter plot.
Didn't outperform Gon or Killua.
But he didn't embarrass himself either.
Buhara tasted Ethan's dish first.
He sniffed.
Bit into it.
His eyes widened.
"This is—DELICIOUS! YOU PASS!"
Ethan smiled lightly. "Thank you."
Menchi didn't even taste it.
"I don't care. This was Buhara's stupid test."
Yup. Exactly like canon.
---
MENCHI'S TRIAL — SUSHI
After everyone passed the boar exam, Menchi stepped forward.
"Now it's my turn."
She eyed the examinees like they were idiots.
"I want you to make—SUSHI."
Leorio raised his hand. "What's sushi?"
Menchi glared. "Exactly."
She launched into a dramatic rant about culinary artistry and the savagery of amateurs.
"I will judge harshly. Don't disappoint me!"
Ethan sighed quietly. "We're screwed."
He wasn't wrong.
The room erupted into chaos:
People were making rice balls
Others shoved raw fish onto rocks
One man tried rolling meat with leaves
Someone grilled the sushi (??)
Leorio panicked.
Kurapika tried to analyze the method.
Killua shrugged.
Gon looked confused but determined.
Ethan stood still.
The Panel opened automatically.
---
〈Panel Assist: Sushi〉
Definition: Japanese dish — vinegared rice + fresh fish
Proper Elements:
Rice seasoning
Knife skill
Freshness
Balance
Crafting Difficulty: Medium
Success Rate:
Without proper knowledge: 3%
With Panel Guide: 42%
With Extraction Ticket: 74%
Suggestion:
Use Extraction Ticket on Fresh River Fish → Gain "Basic Knife Instinct."
---
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Wait… that's actually helpful."
He used 1 extraction ticket.
Light pulsed.
His grip steadied. His fingers moved more naturally. His eyes tracked the grain of the fish precisely.
Not overpowered.
Not perfect.
Just enough.
He prepared sushi properly.
Menchi walked by, arms crossed.
She sniffed.
Then tasted.
Her brows lifted in genuine surprise.
"This—this is actually… acceptable."
Ethan bowed slightly. "Thank you."
Menchi clicked her tongue. "Don't get full of yourself."
Canon intact.
He didn't outperform the main cast dramatically.
Just enough to pass.
But as expected, most examinees failed.
Menchi lost her temper.
"You call this cooking?! YOU HAVE NO PASSION! NO SOUL—FAIL!! ALL OF YOU FAIL!!!"
And the hall erupted into protests.
Leorio shouted.
The examinees rioted.
Menchi doubled down.
Chaos filled the room.
Exactly like canon.
Until—
A deafening BOOM shook the building.
Everyone stopped.
A large silhouette floated down from the sky, supported by two attendants fanning him like royalty.
Chairman Isaac Netero.
Ethan exhaled slowly.
He wasn't ready for this man.
The Panel trembled like a frightened animal.
---
〈Warning: Extreme Entity Detected〉
Name: Isaac Netero
Power Level: ???
Nen Class: Unknown
Threat Level: ?????????
Recommendation:
Do not attempt scan
Do not make eye contact
Do not attempt extraction
Pretend to be normal
---
Ethan swallowed.
"Thanks for the warning… I wasn't planning to do any of that."
Netero smiled kindly, floating like a whimsical old man.
"Hello, examinees. I heard there was trouble."
Menchi bowed deeply, her pride shattered in his presence.
"C-Chairman! My apologies!"
Netero chuckled softly.
"How about we give them another chance, hm?"
And just like canon, the cooking trial changed.
The new mission arrived instantly.
---
〈New Mission: Phase Two Retest〉
Objective: Collect Spider Eagle Eggs from Mount Split-In-Half.
Difficulty: High
Threats: Spider Eagles
Canon Event: Gon impresses Netero
---
Ethan inhaled deeply.
"Okay. Time to survive another insanity."
And just like that…
Phase Two continued.