Chapter 375: Chapter 375: An Excellent Ingredient!
Many examinees didn’t understand what was happening.
Among them, quite a few had never even heard of a Gourmet Hunter before.
A burly candidate stepped forward, scowling.
"You must be joking."
"Cooking?"
"We’re here to take the Hunter Exam!"
"And you want us to cook for you?"
Murmurs of agreement spread among the other candidates.
When Menchi introduced herself as a Gourmet Hunter alongside Buhara, this candidate didn’t stop questioning her. Instead, he laughed, dismissing her authority outright.
Menchi and Buhara’s expressions hardened, but they remained composed.
"Don’t underestimate food," Buhara rumbled, stepping forward. His sheer size made the ground tremble beneath him.
"The designated ingredient for this test is wild pig from Visca Forest Preserve."
Menchi continued, "You are to use these pigs as ingredients and prepare a dish using the available kitchen tools. If Buhara and I deem your dish acceptable, you pass."
"It’s not just about taste—the presentation matters as well."
"Also, the phase ends when we can’t eat anymore. Anyone who fails to serve their dish before that will be automatically disqualified."
Some candidates scoffed, unwilling to take the challenge seriously. One of them even urged the examiners to get on with it.
Buhara grinned. "Alright then, I officially announce the start of the second Hunter Phase!"
With a loud slap to his belly, a resounding boom echoed through the forest, as though a giant drum had been struck.
At that signal, the candidates scrambled forward, rushing into the forest.
...
Kaizen moved at a more measured pace, staying near the back of the group.
He already knew how this test would play out.
The pig dish challenge was doomed to fail—not because of the candidates’ skills, but because of Menchi’s standards.
Kaizen suspected that some examinees had offended her by belittling Gourmet Hunters, and in retaliation, she was set on failing everyone.
Of course, Menchi’s official reasoning was simply that none of the dishes met her expectations.
Regardless of the true cause, the result was the same: Menchi was unfit to serve as an examiner. She was abusing her authority.
Buhara, on the other hand, had been more forthcoming. He specified that the required ingredient was wild pig from Visca Forest Preserve—but he conveniently omitted the fact that only one species of pig existed in this forest. Not that it mattered much.
"Judging by their aura, they aren’t particularly strong."
"Not much different from Satotz."
"Still, if these two are connected to Gourmet Paradise, it might be worth keeping them in mind for future opportunities."
By the time Kaizen arrived, most candidates were already scrambling to figure out how to catch the pigs.
These weren’t ordinary pigs.
They resembled pigs in appearance, but in reality, they were more like beasts.
Large, round, pink-skinned, omnivorous, aggressive, and short-tempered.
Kaizen examined them carefully.
"Not very powerful, but easy to breed. A species like this could be useful in the Sumas space. They’d make an excellent food source."
At present, the creatures Kaizen had stored in Sumas weren’t particularly suitable as food. The environment wasn’t well-stocked with quality ingredients.
Sheila, who had been trapped in the forest area for over three years, had survived on barely edible fare. If she hadn’t grown up in Meteor City, she probably wouldn’t have lasted. The harsh conditions of Meteor City had, ironically, turned her suffering into a strength.
As for the A-rank Nen users imprisoned in the pyramid, they only survived because Kaizen provided them food at regular intervals.
...
The big-nosed wild pigs weren’t much of a challenge for Kaizen, but for the other candidates, it was a different story.
One examinee hurled a massive rock at a charging pig, but the creature smashed through it effortlessly with its snout.
Hanzo flung a shuriken at one, but it deflected off the beast’s thick nasal plating.
Among non-Nen users, Hanzo was arguably the strongest. Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
Even Killua had admitted that, at this stage, Hanzo was physically superior.
While the others struggled, Killua maintained his composure. He hadn’t yet beaten one of the pigs, but he easily outran them. The creatures simply couldn’t match his speed.
Kaizen lingered on the fringes of the group, making sure no one was paying attention to him. When the moment was right, he lured several of the pigs toward him.
The pigs charged.
Kaizen raised his hand.
A ripple of aura surged from his palm, enveloping the creatures. In the next instant, they vanished into the space of Sumas.
...
Deep within the Sumas space, Sheila sat in the dense forest, having long since abandoned any hope of rescue.
Then, suddenly, the big-nosed pigs appeared before her.
Sheila tensed, eyes darting around.
She quickly raised her hands, speaking calmly. "Can we talk? I have no ill intentions. I can help you!"
...
Kaizen didn’t hear her plea, but Sumas did. And it passed her words along to him.
Still, he had no intention of responding.
Sheila stared up at the sky, waiting.
Time passed.
Silence.
Her expression darkened.
"Damn it... Did I speak too late? Did they not hear me?"
"Or worse—did they hear me and just choose to ignore me? Are they afraid of me?"
Kaizen frowned, considering her words.
"From what she said, she must believe that whoever controls Sumas is a survivor of the Kurta Clan. That’s why she offered to help."
"But unfortunately for her, that’s not the case."
"If Sheila finds out that I’m the one who controls Sumas, she’ll resent me."
"We were both prisoners here for years, yet I walked away with power while she remained trapped."
"When she realizes that, she’ll hate me."
Kaizen had seen this kind of bitterness before.
He smirked.
"It’s best if she never finds out."
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