When Leo emerged from the clothing store, he had changed into white casual clothes.
The simple design and well-fitted cut made him look like a completely different person from the one dressed in animal hides.
He had paid with the emergency funds Satotz's team had pressed into his hands before leaving—not much, but enough to buy the essentials.
After spending half a year in the forest, all he wanted was to soak up the bustle of everyday life.
Lambo City's streets were clean and tidy, and the sea breeze carried a salty dampness.
He wandered aimlessly, watching people chat leisurely in roadside cafés, children chase one another through parks, and street performers put on their shows.
After surviving alone in an unexplored wilderness for half a year, he found an indescribable warmth in these ordinary sights.
Toward evening, he found a clean-looking, affordable inn and checked in.
A hot shower washed away the dust of his travels, and lying on a soft bed felt both unfamiliar and comfortable. He slept especially soundly that night.
The next day, Leo headed to the airport. He spent his remaining money on a ticket to Kent City.
The airship journey took a day.
When he set foot in Kent City, Leo realized he faced a practical problem: after buying his ticket, he had almost no money left.
He walked through Kent City's streets, considering his next move.
His immediate priority was earning money—he needed to cover food and lodging, as well as fund his future plans.
As he walked and thought, a commotion up ahead caught his attention.
A crowd had gathered outside a restaurant, with cheers and whistles rising one after another.
Leo approached and saw a large sign standing by the entrance:
[Celebrating our restaurant's thirtieth anniversary: eating challenge]
The rules were as follows:
Finish an entire Big-Nosed Raging Boar within one hour, and your meal is free.
Fail the challenge, and you must pay double the meal price: 200,000 Jenny.
The contestant with the fastest time wins the championship and a prize of 500,000 Jenny.
The runner-up receives 250,000 Jenny.
The Big-Nosed Raging Boar. Leo remembered the creature—it was about the size of a small elephant, with delicious meat in enormous quantities.
Forget an hour; an ordinary adult might not finish one even in a whole day. The challenge was clearly a marketing gimmick.
But for him, it might not be impossible.
His level 24 physique gave him more than strength and speed. His metabolism and digestive capacity also far exceeded those of ordinary people.
During his later days in the wilderness, when food was plentiful, he had tested his appetite—it was roughly equal to that of five adults combined.
Five hundred thousand Jenny would last him a while.
Leo entered the restaurant.
The interior was more spacious than it looked from outside. A large area had been cleared in the center, surrounded by tables and chairs filled with diners watching the excitement.
"I'd like to take the challenge," Leo told the server at the entrance.
The server was a young woman. She looked Leo over—beneath his white casual clothes, his build was well-proportioned rather than burly. He hardly looked like a competitive eater.
"Are you sure?" she asked kindly. "A Big-Nosed Raging Boar really is huge, and if you fail, you'll have to pay double..."
"I'm sure." Leo smiled.
The nearby diners who overheard them began whispering:
"Another one?"
"He doesn't look like he can eat much."
"The fat guy who tried last only got through a quarter before throwing up."
"This should be entertaining."
Leo was led to the waiting area beside the platform. Two contestants were ahead of him, both eager to begin.
Half an hour later, it was Leo's turn.
Four burly men carried out a Big-Nosed Raging Boar roasted golden brown. The whole boar rested on a custom cart, over two meters long and waist-high, its fat glistening in the firelight.
Its aroma instantly filled the restaurant, drawing gasps of admiration from the diners.
The server approached the platform with a timer. "Ready? Three, two, one—start!"
Leo began eating.
Rather than wolfing down the food like a typical competitive eater, he maintained a steady rhythm, using both hands to tear off large chunks of roast meat, chewing thoroughly before swallowing.
His speed was nothing astonishing, but it was remarkably consistent. The intervals between bites were almost exactly the same.
At first, the spectators continued heckling, but as time passed, their voices gradually faded.
Everyone could see it—this young man wasn't forcing himself. He was genuinely having a meal, as relaxed as if this were an ordinary dinner.
Fifteen minutes in, Leo had already eaten a third of the boar.
His breathing remained steady, and there wasn't even a bead of sweat on his forehead.
"Does this guy have another dimension in his stomach?" someone muttered.
"He still looks pretty comfortable..."
While Leo focused on the food before him, another person entered the restaurant.
He was a man in a black vest, carrying a shoulder bag, with short black hair and two strikingly thick eyebrows.
He surveyed the bustling restaurant, then raised his eyebrows when his gaze landed on Leo and the enormous roast boar on the platform.
The man approached the server and spoke a few words in a low voice. She gave him a surprised look, then nodded.
Soon, another roast boar was carried out and placed on the platform beside Leo.
The man in the black vest sat down. Instead of starting immediately, he watched Leo with interest for a while.
Sensing his gaze, Leo turned to look. Their eyes met.
Short black hair, thick eyebrows, a vest... Leo thought the man looked familiar, but couldn't remember where he had seen him.
The Hunter world had plenty of characters. It was only natural that he wouldn't remember every minor one clearly.
He looked away and returned his attention to eating. Whoever the other man was, winning the contest and collecting the prize came first.
Leo picked up his pace, and the roast meat diminished visibly.
Even so, when he finished the last piece, the timer read 49 minutes and 16 seconds.
The restaurant owner—a plump, middle-aged man—stepped onto the platform, clapping in amazement.
"Incredible! You're our fastest customer so far! If no one beats your time in the next two hours, you'll be the champion!"
Leo wiped his hands and nodded.
He sat down on a nearby chair to rest, turning his gaze toward the man in the black vest.
The man had now begun eating too.
His method was completely different from Leo's—he grabbed roast meat with both hands and frantically stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing with almost no chewing.
His speed drew repeated gasps from the spectators.
But Leo noticed something amiss.
There was something... beside the man.
Although his Zetsu state prevented him from sensing Nen Aura, Leo's enhanced eyesight let him faintly make out slight distortions in the air on either side of the man, as though something invisible were helping him tear apart and swallow the food.
Moreover, the man's swallowing speed had already exceeded human physiological limits.
Once the meat entered his mouth, it vanished.
Nen!
Leo rapidly searched his memories. A black vest, thick eyebrows, and this way of cheating...
The Greed Island arc. The Emission Type user who could conjure two gorilla Nen beasts—
Goreinu.
Leo remembered now, and everything fell into place.
Goreinu's abilities, Black Sage and White Sage, allowed him to conjure two gorilla Nen beasts and swap their positions with his own or someone else's.
Razor had said that Goreinu's ability was quite good and that he should treasure it, showing that even he thought highly of Goreinu.
He was clearly using his Nen beasts to help him eat. Since ordinary people couldn't see Nen, it looked as though he were eating alone.
What a... crafty shortcut.
Leo smiled helplessly. He hadn't lost because of his appetite, but because he lacked access to his Nen Ability. If he could use Nen, he might not lose.
Forty-five minutes and thirty-five seconds.
Goreinu finished the entire boar, nearly four minutes faster than Leo.
The restaurant owner stepped onto the platform again, looking even more astonished this time. "A new record! Forty-five minutes and thirty-five seconds! Unbelievable!"
He announced the results: Goreinu was the champion, and Leo was the runner-up.
The prizes were handed out on the spot—Goreinu received 500,000 Jenny, while Leo received 250,000.
The spectators gradually dispersed, and the restaurant returned to its usual business.
Goreinu put away his Jenny and picked up his shoulder bag, ready to leave.
Leo followed him.
After leaving the restaurant and turning onto a relatively quiet side street, Goreinu suddenly turned around, his eyes wary.
"Need something?"
Leo raised both hands to show he meant no harm, wearing a friendly smile.
"Hi. When I saw you at the restaurant, I could tell you were strong. I'd like to get to know you. I don't mean any harm."
Goreinu remained on guard, studying Leo from beneath his thick eyebrows.
Seeing that he hadn't been convinced, Leo continued.
"I know you used Nen. That's how you won the eating contest."
For a moment, the air froze.
Goreinu's gaze abruptly sharpened. "You know about Nen?"
"That's right."
Leo answered calmly.
"For certain unusual reasons, my Nen is temporarily sealed. It's perfectly normal that you can't tell I can use it too."
"There's a saying where I come from: 'At home, you rely on your parents; away from home, you rely on friends.' Another friend means another path forward. Meeting different people is part of life's journey too."
His expression was sincere, his tone natural.
Goreinu stared at him for a few seconds, then his thick eyebrows slowly relaxed.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile. "Yeah, you've got a point."
He held out his hand. "I'm Goreinu."
Leo shook his hand with a smile. "I'm Leo. Nice to meet you."
As their hands clasped, Leo felt the thickness and strength of Goreinu's palm—this was a hand shaped by years of training.
Goreinu released his hand and nodded. "Judging by how you ate back there, you're no ordinary guy either. A normal person couldn't have an appetite like that."
"Neither are you," Leo said with a smile.
They walked down the street side by side. Night began to fall, and the streetlights came on one after another.
"What are your plans next?" Goreinu asked casually.
"I'll find somewhere to stay first, then... maybe check out Heaven's Arena." Leo didn't hide his intentions.
Goreinu briefly slowed and glanced at him. "Heaven's Arena? You want to fight there?"
"I want to earn some money and gain actual combat experience," Leo answered honestly.
"Then you've picked the right place," Goreinu said.
"But be careful. You'll find all sorts of people in that arena. Don't reveal your full strength too early."
It was a friendly warning. Leo nodded.
"Got it. Thanks."
They stopped outside a café. Goreinu took a pen and paper from his shoulder bag and wrote down a string of numbers.
"Here's my contact information. If you run into trouble in Kent City, you can call me—assuming I'm still here, of course."
Leo took the slip of paper. "Are you planning to leave?"
"Pretty much."
Goreinu gazed into the distance.
"I'm traveling, and I only entered that contest on a whim while passing through. I might stay a few more days, or I might leave tomorrow."
"All right. I forgot to buy a phone, so I'll call you when I can. Hope we meet again." Leo put away the slip.
"See you around." Goreinu waved and turned to disappear into the crowd.
Leo watched until he was out of sight, then looked down at the 250,000 Jenny and the slip bearing Goreinu's contact information in his hands.
His first Nen user friend since truly setting foot in the Hunter world... They had only just met, but it was a decent start.
He looked up at the night sky, stained dark red by Kent City's neon lights.
Next came Heaven's Arena. But before he went, there was one thing he had to do—
Reach level 25 and release his Zetsu.
Leo rubbed the dark red tattoo on the back of his hand. Just one more level. He needed to hunt a few more creatures.
Biscuit Forest Park. I'll scout it out tomorrow.
He headed toward the inn on the street corner, a clear plan already forming in his mind.
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