The second mini-test: Sushi

After Menchi explained the test, the warehouse fell silent for several seconds.

"Sushi?" someone repeated, sounding utterly confused.

"What's sushi?"

"I've never even heard of it..."

"How are we supposed to make it?"

Odin stood near the back of the crowd, inwardly relieved when he heard the assignment.

Just like the original story.

Sushi-for most people in this world, it really was an unfamiliar dish.

But for him, who came from a nation renowned for its food, it was reasonably familiar.

Menchi sat on the sofa, holding a pair of chopsticks in her right hand, an amused smile on her face. "Yes, your assignment is sushi.

"How you make it, what ingredients you use, and how you season it are entirely up to you.

"You have until I'm full."

The moment she finished speaking, the examinees erupted into an uproar.

"How do we make it? Who even knows what sushi is?!"

"Isn't this just making things difficult for us?!"

Odin ignored the commotion around him. He turned and strode briskly out of the warehouse.

This test hinged on two things: first, knowing what sushi was; second, finding suitable ingredients in the wetlands.

He knew the answer. Sushi required fresh raw fish, rice, and vinegar.

He could find fish in the nearby rivers or lakes, and the warehouse probably had some rice among its basic food supplies.

As for seasonings, those were already at the cooking stations.

Odin had only taken a few steps when he felt someone watching him from behind.

He glanced back.

Hanzo, the bald ninja, was staring at him with a probing look.

Ponzu also looked his way, seemingly wanting to say something, but she hesitated and remained silent.

Elsewhere, Kurapika was demonstrating his extensive knowledge.

Odin did not linger and walked straight out of the warehouse.

He checked his bearings, intending to find a suitable body of water nearby.

He had gone less than fifty meters when hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

"Wait!"

Odin stopped and turned.

Ponzu jogged up to him.

"You know what sushi is, don't you?" she asked bluntly, looking Odin in the eye.

Odin did not deny it. "I know a little."

"How do you make it?" Ponzu pressed. "I think we'll have more opportunities to work together."

Odin did not argue and gave it some thought.

Ponzu had helped him in the wetlands earlier, and the two of them had indeed reached a temporary understanding about working together.

Sharing some basic information with her would not cost him anything.

"It's a dish from a remote island," he said. "It's mainly made with raw fish and rice, seasoned with vinegar."

"Raw fish?" Ponzu frowned. "You eat it raw?"

"Yes."

Ponzu fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "I'll come with you. My bees can help find water."

Odin raised his eyebrows. "Sure."

That's exactly what I was waiting for.

Without another word, they quickened their pace and headed deeper into the dense forest.

Ponzu raised her hand and wiggled her fingers a few times.

Over a dozen bees flew out of the specially built hive in her hat, circled twice in the air, then flew off in one direction.

"This way," Ponzu said.

Odin followed.

After about ten minutes of walking, they heard running water ahead.

"We're here," Ponzu said.

They passed through a patch of low shrubs, and the view suddenly opened up.

A narrow river wound through the wetlands, its clear water flowing gently.

Thick aquatic plants grew along both banks, and fish occasionally leaped from the water, sending up tiny splashes.

Odin walked to the riverbank and crouched to study the water.

Plenty of fish swam below the surface, varying in size and species.

Some were familiar to him, resembling salmon or trout, with laterally flattened bodies and fast swimming speeds.

Others were completely unfamiliar and strange-looking, some even sporting tiny, sharp teeth.

"Which kind should we catch?" Ponzu asked.

"Let's catch a few of each. We'll check their bones before deciding which to use," Odin said.

"Their bones?"

"Yes. The fish used for sushi can't have bones in it," Odin explained.

He took off his jacket and shoes, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped into a shallow part of the river.

The water barely covered his ankles, but it was bone-chillingly cold.

Odin stared at the water.

Several fish swam leisurely past, completely unaware of the danger.

Rabbit Talisman.

The world slowed down.

The flowing river became a sluggish, viscous crawl, and ripples spread across its surface at a visibly slow pace.

He could clearly see the paths of the swimming fish. Every flick of a tail, every turn unfolded as though in slow motion.

Odin bent down and thrust his hand into the water.

Even within his altered perception of time, the movement was fast. To an outside observer, his arm moved so quickly it seemed to vanish for an instant.

Odin straightened, already holding a wildly wriggling fish.

It was roughly thirty centimeters long, with a laterally flattened body and silvery scales tinged with pale pink. Its tail thrashed powerfully through the air as it tried to escape.

Ponzu's eyes widened.

"You-" She had not even seen Odin's movement clearly.

Odin tossed the fish onto the bank. "Want to try?"

Ponzu shook her head. "I'll head upstream and drive the fish toward you."

She knew her own limits. After seeing what Odin could do, Ponzu decided it was better not to get in his way.

Watching Ponzu hurry upstream, Odin did not insist. He turned back to the water.

Whoosh, whoosh-

With Ponzu's help, he caught plenty of fish of different species, only stopping when he felt he had enough.

More than a dozen fish flopped on the bank. Using the small knife he carried, Odin quickly examined their bones.

Soon, he found the kind he wanted.

He threw the unwanted fish back into the river and began preparing the rest, scaling them, cutting open their bellies, and removing their innards.

His practiced movements surprised Ponzu.

"Have you studied cooking?" she asked.

"I used to help cook at home a lot," Odin said.

Once the fish were prepared, Odin wrapped the fillets in clean leaves he had readied and placed them in a side pocket of his backpack, then handed another bundle to Ponzu.

Without further delay, they hurried back to the warehouse.

Along the way, they saw plenty of examinees rushing out, as well as some running back with a fish in hand.

Odin had just examined that kind of fish. It was full of tiny bones and completely unsuitable for sushi.

He wanted to laugh, but Odin held it in.

When they returned to the warehouse, it was much quieter than when they had left.

Many examinees had rushed outside after learning from Kurapika what ingredients sushi required.

The few who had already returned with fish were trying to work out how to make sushi.

Tonpa stood nearby, wearing his signature "helpful veteran" smile as he said something to several bewildered examinees.

Odin ignored them and headed straight to a corner of the warehouse, where wooden crates that looked like supplies were stacked.

He opened one.

It contained compressed rations.

The second crate held canned food.

The third crate-finally, a sack of rice wrapped in burlap.

Odin lifted the sack and hefted it. It weighed about five kilograms.

Without wasting time, Odin carried the rice to an empty cooking station.

He lit a fire, set up a pot, added water, and washed the rice.

Odin handled these steps with practiced ease.

The rice cooked slowly in the pot, giving off the aroma of grain.

Odin used the time to prepare the fish slices.

He took out the cleaned fish, cut the flesh away from the bones with his knife, and sliced it into evenly thick pieces.

Watching beside him, Ponzu could not help asking, "Is that all? Doesn't it need any other seasonings?"

"The key to sushi is freshness," Odin said. "The fish has to be fresh, the rice has to be just right, and you need the right amount of vinegar. Too much seasoning only masks the ingredients' own flavors."

The rice was ready.

Odin scooped it out and spread it over a clean, broad leaf to cool slightly. Then he drizzled vinegar evenly over the rice and gently mixed it with a wooden spoon he had found.

The sour scent of vinegared rice drifted through the air.

Next came assembly.

Odin took a small portion of vinegared rice, shaped it into an oval with his hands, then laid a slice of fish over it and pressed gently so the fish and rice held together.

A simple piece of nigiri sushi was complete.

He made several pieces and arranged them neatly on another clean leaf.

The entire process flowed smoothly, without a single wasted movement.

Ponzu watched in a slight daze.

She had thought Odin really might know how to make it, but she had not expected such a convincing result.

The other examinees nearby noticed him too.

Many stopped what they were doing to look at the row of delicate food in front of Odin.

Hanzo returned just then.

He stared at Odin's sushi, his eyes wide.

"This..." His mouth fell open, and his voice trembled slightly. "This is sushi?!"

Odin looked up at him and smiled. "Looks like I was a little faster."

"This is bad! Someone besides me knows how to make it!!" Hanzo's voice suddenly rose, his expression incredulous.

The surroundings instantly fell silent.

Every examinee's gaze focused on Odin and Hanzo.

He really does know how to make it!

"I'm second-"

"You bastard, don't think you can get a head start!"

An examinee trying to seize the chance to copy him sent all the others into an uproar.

"Damn it, stop right there! Eavesdropping on other people is low!" Hanzo shouted furiously. Forgetting about Odin, he hurried back to the cooking stations with the fish he had caught and started making sushi.

Amused by the farce unfolding before him, Odin turned to Ponzu. "You'd better hurry. There's still some rice over there. You'll definitely finish faster than they will."

"Um, could we please have some rice?"

He looked toward the voice and saw Gon, Killua, and their companions watching him with embarrassed but hopeful expressions.

"Sure. Once she's taken her share, you can have the rest." Odin paused, but did not refuse.

After all, it was only a pot of rice. Even if he refused, Gon and the others would merely have to spend a little more time. He might as well earn some goodwill.

"Looks like someone's finished." She looked at the sushi Odin had placed in front of her, her expression pleased.

Appearance-acceptable.

The fish slices were evenly cut, bright in color, and looked fresh.

The vinegared rice was firmly shaped without being too hard, and each piece was neatly formed.

Menchi picked up a piece with her chopsticks, examined it carefully, then put it into her mouth.

She chewed a few times, narrowing her eyes slightly.

The warehouse was utterly silent.

Everyone stared at Menchi's expression, trying to read her verdict.

Menchi swallowed the sushi and remained silent for two seconds.

The fish is very fresh, cleanly prepared, and has no fishy odor, she assessed inwardly. The rice has just the right acidity and is perfectly cooked, with distinct grains and a little stickiness. His shaping technique is inexperienced, but at least it hasn't fallen apart.

Having finished her assessment, she looked at Odin. "You pass."

Odin breathed a sigh of relief.

Only then did the examinees snap out of their daze and frantically resume their attempts.

Hanzo stood where he was, staring at Odin with frustration written across his face. He had thought he would be the first to finish.

Odin sat down against the wall and waited for the test to end.

"Failed-"

"Failed-"

"Huh?" Odin looked up in confusion. He had already shown them how it was done, so why were so many still failing?

And among them, he even spotted Ponzu and Gon's group of four?

What was going on?

He had thought things would play out differently from the original story this time: they would pass with him leading the way, then move straight on to the next test.

Wait-

Could I end up being the only examinee this year to get a Hunter License?!