Second Round X51

The crowd surged back into the examination hall.

Each person was wearing a huge wild boar headdress.

The most distinctive feature of these pink-skinned wild boars is their enormous snouts.

Fierce-nosed Mad Boar.

Its weak point is between its eyebrows, which are protected by its nose; it is also the only pig-like creature in the swamp.

Kevin ate here more than once during the time he stayed here.

However, these pigs are extremely dangerous.

Therefore, Kevin only saw more than seventy people hunt their prey.

"Kevin!"

The moment I saw Kevin.

Qi threw the wild boar he was carrying onto the ground and waved his hand fiercely.

Kevin smiled and waved in greeting.

Illumi, whose face was covered in needles and whose true appearance was hidden, trembled even more noticeably.

It was so obvious that even Hisoka, standing next to him, couldn't help but glance at Illumi.

However, he was equally surprised to see Kevin here.

He looked at Kevin and mentally scored him, after several years.

Zero points.

There's no point in fighting.

Although I was very happy, I didn't come over to do anything, since I was still taking the exam.

Judging from Kevin's demeanor, he's very likely one of the examiners.

Regarding this unfamiliar man,

All the candidates present were sizing each other up; no one who had made it this far was a fool.

It's more or less obvious that Kevin might be one of the examiners in the later exam room.

After learning that Qi knew the other party, he wanted to know some information about the examiner, thinking it might be useful.

Kevin simply gave Qi a thumbs-up, signaling him to do well on the exam, and Qi just smiled and nodded.

Some test takers started to get started, since roasting a whole pig required some preparation.

Qi put his arm around Gon, who was standing next to him.

He said, almost boastfully, "That's Kevin, my friend, my first friend when I was little. He's amazing—"

After chattering away for a while, Gon wasn't in a hurry. He nodded with bright eyes and occasionally chimed in.

At this moment, Kevin turned his attention to the test takers.

As I looked at it, I couldn't help but hold my forehead.

It's unbearable to look at.

Some candidates didn't even undergo bloodletting, and others didn't even have their bellies cut open.

Grill it with blood and internal organs.

Do these people really have common sense?

There were all sorts of basic mistakes. Expecting these candidates to actually cook a decent meal using their culinary skills is simply wishful thinking.

Men Qi's veins were throbbing as she watched this scene.

Fortunately, there were many candidates with excellent observation skills who imitated Melusina's rapid movements.

But many test takers are still very anxious.

Because they still think like normal people.

The size of a whole roasted pig seemed large enough to fill Buhaci's stomach.

In other words Xiahara that can be eaten is limited.

Therefore, we need to race against time.

Clearly, they had considered the details of the exam questions.

But among so many candidates...

Several candidates stood out, and Men Qi and Buhaci clearly noticed this.

Upon seeing this, Men Qi immediately realized what was happening and turned sharply to look at Kevin.

"You recognized me a long time ago?"

Kevin just smiled and raised an eyebrow, "That's my wife's family home. It would be too awkward if I didn't even know them, wouldn't it?"

Although after abducting Melusina, he never went back to see her even once.

Men Qi turned around and looked silently, keeping her mouth shut.

It's very simple.

She saw several candidates use their Nen ability.

These candidates with the Nen ability words possessed highly professional cooking skills, even bordering on extremely professional.

Because they are using Nen Aura to assist in cooking.

Even Satotz, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but frown, because he hadn't noticed it before.

Kevin noticed Satotz's confusion and asked with a smile, "When was the last time you were an examiner?"

"A few years ago, maybe four or five years ago."

But this hasn't been long, after all, the Hunter Exam has been held hundreds of times, and there haven't been any major changes in essence.

Although he wasn't a veteran, he had been Hunter x Hunter for quite some time.

Kevin smiled and pointed to himself.

"Guess how I got One-star Hunter?"

Satotz, then recalled the events, and immediately understood the situation.

He had also heard that the quality of test takers had been very high in recent years.

However, he didn't pay much attention to it, after all, it was just a matter of luck and probability.

But seeing this and hearing Kevin say this, he recalled something.

Food Village.

A Village entirely composed of Nen user, which has been closed off for hundreds of years due to special circumstances.

The young man in front of me became One-star Hunter x Hunter just one year by resolving this incident, making him the fastest legend in the Association.

The Nen user in the Food Village yearn for freedom. Naturally, with the help of the Association, they begin to quickly integrate into society.

What would happen in this situation?

Every year, many villagers take the Hunter Exam after gaining a better understanding of society.

A large portion of them are eliminated early on due to a lack of understanding and adaptation to society.

In other words, they couldn't even find the exam venue.

However, once they find the exam venue, they will have an easier time becoming Hunter x Hunter than ordinary test takers due to their Nen ability.

Moreover, these Nen user have an advantage over ordinary people who become Nen user by accident because they have family traditions and a more systematic knowledge of Nen ability.

Moreover, since they Initiation from a young age, the quality of Hunter x Hunter has naturally improved in recent years.

With that thought in mind, Satotz looked at the field.

He discovered a terrifying fact: wasn't the proportion of Nen user this year a bit too high?

Kurapika and his group of four, Hisoka and his group of two, and the Food Village and its three members.

There were nine people in total.

It's worth noting that on average, only around ten people pass the Hunter Exam each year.

"This year will be a bumper harvest."

Kevin smiled when he heard this, but didn't say anything more.

The First Stage was completed very easily because the candidates discovered a terrifying fact: Buhaci had eaten all their prey.

He ate over seventy whole roasted pigs, enough to form a mountain, all by himself.

It just looked like Buhara's belly had swelled up a bit.

Is this a person?

Perhaps it is precisely because of this absurdity that he was able to become an examiner.

One test taker commented.

Then came the truly difficult second stage.

Thanks to Kurapika's brief explanation earlier, most of these test takers already knew that this woman was the most difficult to deal with.

"The dish I want to eat is -- sushi!"

Faced with this test question.

The test takers were asking the same questions.

What is sushi?

The cuisine was so niche that almost none of the candidates present knew about it.

Hanzo, dressed as a ninja, covered his mouth and chuckled, for it was a dish from his hometown.

Faced with everyone's questions, Men Qi offered what she thought were insightful suggestions.

"That's a traditional dish from a small country. Look at the ingredients I've prepared for you; these are all necessary. And in sushi..."

I only recognize Nigiri Sushi.

After saying that, she gave everyone a look that said, "You've really gotten a good deal."

"She seemed to genuinely believe her suggestion was useful."

Pairo couldn't help but complain.

Kurapika chuckled and tugged at him, "Keep your voice down, or you're done for."

A cold glint of light shot out.

It has obviously been heard.

Kurapika gave a slightly awkward laugh, while Pairo didn't seem to care at all; he wasn't afraid in the slightest.

Since I'm going to be harassed anyway, a little bit more won't make a difference.

"Is the sushi we ate before?"

Shalnark inexplicably recalled something.

As soon as she spoke, everyone present fell silent.

The test takers pricked up their ears; they needed information.

Kurapika and the others stared at her in utter shock.

Not only the test takers, but even Kevin and the others standing above couldn't help but widen their eyes in astonishment.

Only Satotz was completely lost.

"Is there anything I don't know?"

Melusina reached out and tugged at Shalnark's cheek, then patted her head.

"You... you actually remember?"

"Is it because the sushi was so delicious that time that you can't forget it?"

Shalnark's memories within the Nosra Manor are extremely "terrifying".

Because even now she can't remember the name of the Basho, she can only remember its distinctive feature: the banana head.

The only way to get her to remember is for her employer Kevin, or Melusina and Nion, to say, "This is very important and needs to be firmly remembered," only then will she attempt to memorize it.

Simply put, she has her own set of logic.

Only when it comes to truly important matters will we not falter.

She doesn't memorize things from everyday life.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have such powerful Nen ability.

After hearing Kurapika's question, Men Qi's eyes lit up.

Because she was the one who made the sushi last time.

If the sushi she makes is so delicious that Shalnark remembers it, wouldn't that be the greatest recognition of her culinary skills?

In complete silence.

Shalnark calmly replied, "Pairo thought it was delicious, and he even said he wanted to eat it again."

Kurapika and Melusina turned to look at Pairo in unison.

Kurapika looked pleasantly surprised.

Melusina, on the other hand, had a big smile on her face.

Men Qi's gaze was like a sharp sword, piercing through Pairo.

Damn it, I was remembered for this.

Who would be happy about this!

With his neck stiffened, Pairo walked out of the examination room on his own.

He was muttering to himself.

"What is this stupid woman saying? I can't stand it, I really can't stand it—"

Melusina appeared beside Pairo as if by Teleportation, seemingly still asking him something.

At this Pairo had lost all basic respect and was shouting "Urusai!" as he ran even faster.

"Excuse me, how is sushi made?"

Gon had somehow gotten close to Shalnark and asked her very directly.

Leorio to the side, said with a helpless expression, "How could I possibly tell you something like this so easily? We're competitors, after all."

I remember it was -

"Ha! You actually said it!"

The candidates were shocked and rushed out.

When they returned, they all had some fresh river seafood on them.

The test takers weren't fools; they knew from Kurapika's previous encounter that Men Qi was somewhat troublesome.

However, some candidates, perhaps because of the previous round, acted very quickly and produced a perfunctory mess.

He then failed without hesitation and asked to redo it.

Since the last round, some of the brightest candidates had already identified their targets for imitation.

Melusina, and those villagers from the Food Village.

Their food was praised by Buhaci in the first round, although Buhara thought it was delicious and gave it a very low minimum rating.

When he encounters something truly delicious, he'll readily offer his expert opinions, speaking with great eloquence and revealing a clear difference in his taste.

To be honest, when these villagers first saw Melusina, they never imagined that she would be the Saintess they knew.

Because the changes are too drastic.

Melusina no longer sits in a wheelchair, no longer has that frail and broken look, and is no longer the sickly and beautiful girl she once was.

She stood up, becoming sunny, confident, and cheerful.

Even her hairstyle is no longer as casually loose as before.

Instead, it was carefully woven and draped over the back.

The changes in their temperament and appearance during their growth led them to believe from the first glance that they were just similar people.

Until cooking begins.

The fact that everyone uses the same techniques and methods naturally indicates that they come from the same place.

When Melusina finished walking up.

Everyone fell silent, even stopping to observe.

Sorry to keep you waiting!

Melusina smiled and handed one of the small plates to Kevin, who was standing next to her.

"You're not allowed to say it doesn't taste good!"

"The only thing I'm picky about is food that isn't made by you."

"Really, you weren't like this before."

Melusina's smile widened at these words. She reached out and tugged at Kevin's cheek, poking the corner of his mouth.

"Hey! Hey! Can you guys tone it down a bit? This is an exam! I'm the examiner!"

Men Qi, standing nearby, offered a disapproving reminder.

Melusina turned around with a smile and handed over the plate she was holding.

"Yes, yes, Your Honor, please proceed with your evaluation."

"Hmph! Let me make this clear first: I will give 1000% effort to evaluating your work. Don't blame me for being merciless if it fails."

"Okay, then please go easy on me."

Melusina gently opened the lid, and for a moment, everyone thought there was a flash of light, but it seemed to be just an illusion.

The first thing that catches the eye is its aesthetic appeal.

When conditions permit, Melusina has extremely high standards for the appearance of food; the plating can only be described as an art.

This is the only point on which even Men Qi had to admit he was inferior to his opponent.

He took it and put it in his mouth.

"Hmm~"

Men Qi let out a strange humming sound, her previously established authority completely vanished, and she became like a young girl.

It took me a while to calm myself down and I coughed a few times.

"Delicious, acceptable."

"Yeah!"

Melusina cheered and hugged Kevin next to her, becoming the first person to pass the second exam.

Satotz looked at the plate in his hand; he hadn't expected to have one too.

They really benefited from this.

He had to admit, it was indeed delicious.

Looking at Men Qi now, Buhaci couldn't help but sigh and wipe away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.

He nodded to Kevin beside him, indicating that the game was in the bag.

Men Qi's biggest flaw is that she is easily emotional.

But when she gets emotional, she displays the stubbornness typical of girls her age.

The works brought by the first group of candidates who rushed up had already fueled her anger.

If Kevin hadn't given her a Men Qi hadn't had any reservations, she would have really gotten angry, completely forgotten the true meaning of the exam, and started doing whatever she wanted.

Thankfully, Melusina saved the day.

The exquisite cuisine restored her composure and calmed her anger.

Unlike normal circumstances, after eating top-quality food, Men Qi doesn't have much expectation for what follows, because she doesn't have any expectations to begin with.

Once her craving for delicious food is satisfied, her anger begins to subside, and she enters a state similar to a sage's moment, becoming very calm and rational.

We should start judging these works from the perspective of an examiner, rather than simply evaluating their taste as Gourmet Hunter.

"This is a great achievement."

Kevin pinched Melusina's nose and said.

"Hmph, I know exactly what's going on; they deliberately chose this time to come up."

Melusina said smugly, winking at Kevin.

They were of one mind.

The following exams went very smoothly.

As long as the appearance is acceptable and the taste isn't just a random mix, it should pass the test.

Although Men Qi would hurl insults at him mercilessly.

In particular, he gave Pairo a thorough and unforgiving scolding.

Seeing Pairo's expression, as if he wanted to kick him away but had no choice but to stand there and endure it, Zan's accumulated anger dissipated considerably.

Ku Yi Ku Pairo.

Kurapika said to himself with a hint of guilt.

Then, without hesitation, after being scolded by Pairo, he handed over his work.

This is a good time.

Zhi returned to his senses, and Men Qi, having vented his anger once more, reluctantly allowed him to pass.

Hunter Exam, Part Two.

Number of people who passed: 51.