Chapter 232: Chapter 231: Nen (Part 2)
"This is unacceptable! It doesn't count at all!" The structure of the second half of the Hunter Exam left all participants enraged. This time, no one passed. The examiners were Menchi and Buhara, both Gourmet Hunters, and their tests were centered around culinary challenges.
Buhara's test involved hunting the Great Stamp Pig in Bisca Forest, a fierce wild boar known for its delicious meat, which Buhara adored. The ferocity of the boar left many participants injured or dead under its massive, tough snout. It wasn't until Gon revealed the boar's weakness that the situation improved. The examinees realized solo hunting was ineffective and began cooperating to capture the pigs.
The pass criterion was to present a Great Stamp Pig before Buhara was full. In the end, only seventy people succeeded, meaning Buhara consumed seventy pigs. This feat reminded Daniel of Luffy's immense appetite. The Great Stamp Pig was much larger than a normal pig; even one would suffice for many people. Despite eating so many, Buhara's stomach only slightly bulged, which Daniel attributed to Buhara's Nen.
After Buhara, Menchi introduced the next test: making sushi, a dish from a small, distant island in the East. No one knew how to prepare it, not even Hanzo, a self-proclaimed ninja from that island who kept talking incessantly. Unfortunately, despite his origins, Hanzo was no chef.
Hunters came in many forms, with Gourmet Hunters being rare. It wasn't that Gourmet Hunters lacked skill, but most aspiring Hunters never considered this path. Failing a test due to ignorance of an unfamiliar dish was especially frustrating. Even Hisoka and Illumi, Killua's brother, frowned and prepared their weapons—a deck of cards and needles, respectively.
The Hunter License could change one's destiny. For example, Leorio aimed to study medicine but lacked funds. With a Hunter License, he could attend any university for free. However, to Illumi and Hisoka, the license was less significant. If Hisoka truly wanted a license, he wouldn't have assaulted the examiner last year. He participated in the exam to find worthy opponents. Last year, he didn't find anyone interesting, so he beat the examiner. This year, Gon caught Hisoka's interest.
Illumi needed the license for his latest assassination mission, which required it. If the exam ended this way, he would have to wait until next year or rely on family members, which was unacceptable due to the Zoldyck family's strict rules on transactions among themselves.
"Do you want to fight? Bring it on!" Menchi's stubbornness flared as she gripped her twin blades, ready to charge at the crowd demanding an explanation. Though she recognized the issue with her decision, her pride prevented her from retracting her judgment.
Buhara quickly intervened. Though he agreed Menchi's ruling was harsh, he stood by her as a fellow examiner. Daniel didn't intervene in the exam outcome. Despite his surgical skill and decent cooking ability, he chose to observe. Gon's group's sushi attempts were laughable, with whole fish embedded in rice balls.
"Here he comes," Daniel muttered as both Hisoka and Illumi withdrew their weapons. A figure descended from above, landing with a loud crash, stirring up dust.
As the dust settled, an elderly man in a white gi with a ponytail and bushy beard stood in a crater. This was Isaac Netero, chairman of the Hunter Association, founder of the Shingen-Ryu martial art, one of the world's top five Nen users, and over a hundred years old.
Netero's vitality belied his age, thanks to Nen's life-extending properties. In the Hunter world, Nen could significantly prolong life, contrasting with the life-extension methods in other worlds. In comparison, even powerful figures like Garp and Sengoku from the pirate world couldn't match the life extension of Hunters.
"Netero," Buhara sighed in relief. Few could convince Menchi to change her decision, but Netero was one of them.
"Menchi, according to Association rules, we shouldn't interfere with examiners' authority, but you've been a bit hasty this time," Netero said gently.
"Sorry, Chairman," Menchi apologized, withdrawing her weapons.
"No worries," Netero said, smiling. He suggested Menchi offer a new challenge, as she was still the primary examiner for this phase.
"Chairman, I'll need your airship for this," Menchi explained her next test. Being a Gourmet Hunter, her tests naturally involved food.
"No problem," Netero agreed. The airship began its descent to the next location, which would take over ten hours, arriving by morning.
"The technology here is intriguing. Airships as the main aerial transportation would be suitable for the pirate world," Daniel mused. In the four seas, planes were viable, but in the Grand Line, unpredictable magnetic fields rendered them ineffective. Airships, however, were different.
The Marvel world had airships, but those in the Hunter world were faster, as airships were the primary mode of travel there, unlike Marvel where they were more of a novelty.
"Vegapunk probably hasn't been working as diligently for the World Government," Daniel thought, shaking his head at the technological disparity.
"Rhythmic gymnastics, huh?" Daniel watched Killua's display in the airship's playroom. This pure physical technique, once understood, was easy to replicate.
Due to Netero's presence, Daniel could only observe, avoiding the use of his surgical fruit abilities. After a while, he left, leaving Netero to enjoy playing with Gon and Killua.
Netero likely knew Gon was Ging's son. Ging had taken the Hunter Exam at Gon's age and quickly rose to become a Two-Star Hunter and one of the top five Nen users. If not for Ging's disinterest in higher recognition, he could have easily been a Three-Star Hunter.
As for Killua, Netero knew the Zoldyck family well due to his connection with Zeno.
"These two sleep soundly. Understandable after such a tiring day. Not everyone has endless energy like those two," Daniel thought, observing the sleeping Kurapika and Leorio. Most participants rested in their rooms, exhausted from the day.
The next morning, the airship arrived at Mount Split, the next exam site. The task was to retrieve Grapple Spiders' eggs, a rare delicacy found on cliff faces.
Menchi demonstrated by effortlessly leaping down, using the spiders' webs to reach and retrieve the eggs, then climbing back up. The challenge lay in safely obtaining and returning with the eggs.
"Alright, you can start now," Menchi announced. Buhara began setting up a large pot to boil the eggs. Normally, such a delicacy would be wasted in a five-star hotel, but here it was the best they could do.
"How can we do this?" Some examinees hesitated, staring down the cliff.
"Gon, let's see who gets one first."
"Sure thing."
While many debated their approach, Gon and Killua leapt without hesitation.
"Great elasticity. These spider webs are valuable," Daniel thought, retrieving an egg and climbing back up. With his mystic portal, he could return later for more.
"Delicious. Maybe being a Gourmet Hunter isn't so bad. After the Thanos event, perhaps I'll become a traveling Gourmet Hunter," Daniel mused, enjoying the boiled egg.
Out of seventy participants, only forty passed, as some fell and the rest were too scared to attempt the challenge. The group then traveled to the next exam site: Trick Tower.
If earlier tests measured physical endurance and environmental knowledge, this one tested combat and puzzle-solving skills. Trick Tower, a prison housing dangerous criminals, offered inmates a chance to reduce their sentences by participating in the exam.
"I'll wait at the finish line," Daniel told Gon and the others, jumping off the tower. The goal was to reach the bottom within seventy-two hours by any means necessary. Climbing down the exterior was an option, though the dangerous bird-like creatures deterred most.
For Daniel, the height wasn't an issue. He jumped to save time, catching the bird creatures off guard.
Effortlessly navigating the descent, Daniel thought, "These heights are nothing. Let's see who reaches the bottom first."
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