Becoming a Gadget Master Starting from Hunter x Hunter

"Hello there, judging by your face, you must be here for the Hunter Exam for the first time, right?"

A stout, middle-aged man in his thirties with a square nose and a seemingly honest demeanor suddenly approached Morin and greeted him.

He wore the number 16 on his chest, identifying him as another participant in the Hunter Exam.

"06 Tonpa, [Flavor Enhancer]."

"My name is Tonpa, and I'm quite the veteran of the Hunter Exam."

He spoke with great enthusiasm, and coupled with his honest, simple smile, he looked every bit like a good-natured, pure-hearted fellow.

He didn't seem like the kind of veteran examinee who embodied the spirit of a petty person and specialized in setting up newcomers.

He was known as the Newbie Killer, the great Tonpa.

Morin watched his performance with amusement. He had to admit, Tonpa's act was truly Oscar-worthy.

"Since you're new, you might not know, but the Hunter Exam is much harder than you think. I have the most experience with it."

He patted his chest proudly.

"I've been participating in the Hunter Exam for over twenty years now, a total of twenty-three times."

"You could say I'm the most experienced veteran! If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me!"

While Tonpa wasn't yet the super-duper veteran who would fail for thirty-five consecutive years, having already participated twenty-three times made him a top-tier Repeat Examinee.

"Oh, right, you must be thirsty after traveling all this way?"

Tonpa seemed to recall something and enthusiastically pulled out two bottles of juice from a pocket behind him.

"Here, I bought these drinks outside. They taste pretty good, want to give them a try?"

He offered the juice towards Morin with a simple, honest smile.

He looked completely harmless, without a hint of malice.

"Thank you, then."

Morin calmly took the bottles from Tonpa and, under the amused, mocking, and playful gazes of the surrounding examinees, he popped one open with a "snap."

"Try it."

Tonpa gave a simple smile, and then he saw Morin's hand suddenly produce a strange object.

"If I'm drinking something from outside, I always add this."

Morin shook the bottle in his hand, which looked like a pepper shaker.

Item: [Flavor Enhancer]

Effect: No matter how bad something tastes, a sprinkle of this enhancer powder will turn it into an incredibly delicious meal that one can't resist.

This was a seasoning potent enough to make even the soup brewed by Gian taste exquisite.

Over the past six months, Morin had drawn various items through the sign-in system, some good, some bad, but mostly items like the [Flavor Enhancer] that were useful in theory but rarely in practice.

Under the bewildered stares of Tonpa and the others, Morin sprinkled some into the drink can, which he knew for a fact was filled with laxatives.

Instantly, a refreshing and enticing aroma seemed to emanate from the drink can, captivating the senses.

"Gulp..."

The sound of examinees around them swallowing audibly could be heard.

Even Tonpa's throat bobbed twice.

"Are you thirsty too?"

Seeing this, Morin smoothly pushed the drink can back towards Tonpa.

"You should drink first, then."

"No, no!"

Tonpa hastily declined. "This was specially prepared for you, ah, no, for you... for you..." He tried to refuse, but Morin immediately sprinkled more of the enhancer into the drink can. Tonpa's voice grew quieter, and his gaze became fixed on the drink in his hand. Finally~

Under the astonished eyes of many examinees, he tilted his head back and chugged it down. "I didn't expect this [Flavor Enhancer] to be so tempting that I almost couldn't resist it myself."

Morin let out a slight sigh of relief that Tonpa was being so cooperative.

This seasoning, if used too much, could make someone's eyes glaze over, fixated only on the food it was sprinkled on.

It would be best to use this sparingly in the future.

Morin put the enhancer away as Tonpa finished his can of drink.

Gurgle gurgle??

Tonpa, snapping back to reality and remembering what he had just done, looked utterly mortified.

He immediately clutched his stomach, lowered his head, and hurried away.

He didn't even glance at Morin.

The other examinees regarded Morin with the same wariness.

Being able to toy with Tonpa, the Newbie Killer, this was another formidable character.

All the examinees present silently considered Morin a major opponent on their path to passing the Hunter Exam.

After the little interlude with Tonpa, Morin no longer felt so bored.

He casually found a seat, took out some manga and novels from this world, and began reading with great enjoyment.

This Hunter Exam felt more like a rare opportunity for him to relax and unwind.

As time passed, examinees began to arrive one after another.

When soothing music started playing in the broadcast hall, signaling the official commencement of the Hunter Exam~

The number of people in the entire broadcast hall had reached over five hundred. The last examinee to enter had the number tag 555 pinned to their chest.

Hmm, that number is good enough to become a Rider in the world of Kamen Rider.

a

069 Cheadle Yorkshire! The test begins!

The great Tonpa also rushed back just before the entry deadline.

However, judging by his pale complexion, he clearly hadn't had a pleasant experience.

After the entry time expired, one could still faintly hear latecomers rushing towards the broadcast hall doors from outside.

"What did you say? Time's up?! !"

"Are you kidding me? We finally found this place, and you're telling me we can't come in?"

"We haven't even participated yet, and we're already eliminated? I'm not convinced!"

"Let us in!!"

As they learned they had lost their eligibility, a commotion erupted outside the doors.

The examinees inside the hall paid no mind, patiently awaiting the appearance of the chief examiner for the first round.

"Thump! Thump!"

A few dull thuds sounded, and the outside grew quiet again.

Based on Morin's ability to discern sounds, it seemed those in black were using physical persuasion to calm the crowd.

"Alright, all you examinees who have made it this far..."

Suddenly, a soothing alto voice echoed from above the broadcast hall, inexplicably relaxing everyone.

"Thank you for waiting.

Until just now, the reception period for Hunter Exam applicants has concluded.

"First, I welcome you all to this year's Hunter Exam."

A woman dressed in feathered attire, with a pair of pure white wings attached to her back, descended from the sky like a swan.

She landed precisely in the center of the vast stage ahead.

"While you all possess the determination to become Hunters, I must remind you once more?"

Her expression was stern, making her appear like a rather unapproachable woman.

As her words fell, the atmosphere in the hall visibly shifted, with almost every examinee adopting a serious and solemn demeanor.

Morin, who had put away his novels and manga, felt a slight sense of oddity.

The female examiner before him was someone he knew, but she didn't know him – an "acquaintance."

"One of the future Zodiac, Cheadle Yorkshire?"

Morin stroked his chin. "She's a woman with a rather volatile temper, a Botanical Hunter, a musician, and a dancer.

"Her personality is that of an arrogant and picky woman. In the Chairman Election arc, she was responsible for distributing the voting slips to all Hunters. Later, during the expedition to the Dark Continent, she was assigned to the biological team."

"She's also an influential figure advocating for reform within the Hunter Association after Netero's death."

Morin silently recalled information about Cheadle.

Being able to get one of the future Zodiac of the Hunter Association to act as a chief examiner showed that the Hunter Association was indeed short-handed this year.

On stage, Cheadle surveyed the crowd, raised her index finger, tilted her chin haughtily, and stated calmly:

"To be clear, the Hunter Exam is extremely rigorous. Those with bad luck or lacking in strength may suffer severe injuries or even death.

"It is also not uncommon for candidates to be eliminated early due to conflicts among themselves. If anyone wishes to back out, feel free to leave through the large doors behind you."

This rather cautious official statement did not cause any of the examinees to retreat.

Are you kidding me? After finally finding the location of the first stage, why would we back down now?

Most examinees shared the same thought.

Cheadle Yorkshire surveyed everyone again and calmly stated:

"Alright, the total number of participants for this test is 555. The test officially begins."

"I am the chief examiner for your first stage. There are quite a lot of people this year, so this first stage will have two parts."

As Cheadle spoke, she raised a finger:

"Part one: After I finish speaking, about 150 feathers will fall from above your heads."

"Five minutes later, those still holding a feather will successfully advance to part two of this stage. Those without a feather are eliminated."

"Also, a friendly reminder?"

A hint of a cold smile crossed Cheadle's lips:

"There are no rules regarding the process of grabbing feathers. You just need to get one."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the venue chilled considerably, becoming grim.

The examinees looked at each other, their faces filled with mutual wariness.

"No rules means..."

Morin said softly, "That any method is allowed, even if it means putting other examinees to death, is that right?"

Whoosh!

As soon as the words fell, the next second, dozens of white feathers fluttered down from the sky!

"Grab them!!"