The Battle of the Master Chefs Starts Now

The venue for the second phase was an enormous villa estate surrounded by forest.

Luo Ye swaggered through the estate gates with two full-grown men slung over his shoulders like sacks of loot.

Every eye turned toward him.

The applicants who had managed to escape the Milsy Wetlands were all exhausted and bedraggled.

Some leaned against the walls, panting, while others lay sprawled on the ground, their eyes still haunted by fear of that thick fog.

Then they saw Luo Ye.

And the two unconscious "accessories" on his shoulders, bouncing with every step he took.

An eerie silence settled over the estate's front courtyard.

"Is this guy... a monster?"

One applicant muttered the question on everyone's mind.

After running such a long marathon and crossing those perilous wetlands, he still had the strength to carry two people?

And judging by how relaxed he looked, he could probably run even with another two piled on.

Killua followed behind Luo Ye, enjoying everyone's shocked stares, his lips curling into a pleased smile.

He no longer saw Luo Ye as someone his own age.

He saw an utterly abnormal monster in human skin that had emerged from who knew where.

Interesting.

Way too interesting.

"Hey, Luo Ye."

Killua sidled up beside him and poked Leorio, who was draped over his shoulder.

"Are you planning to carry them around forever?"

"What else would I do?"

Luo Ye found a clean patch of grass and dumped Kurapika and Leorio onto it like sacks.

The two thuds sounded painful.

"If we don't wake them up soon, the examiners will announce the next test."

He crouched down, holding his chin as he considered which wake-up service to use.

Fists or feet?

"Let me do it."

Unable to watch any longer, Gon ran over and gently shook Leorio's shoulder.

"Leorio! Wake up! We've reached the finish line!"

Leorio's eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around blankly, his memory still stuck on the moment he had seen gold coins filling the sky.

"Gold coins... where are my gold coins?"

"What gold coins? You were dreaming."

Killua mercilessly shattered his fantasy.

"You fell for an illusion and nearly became dinner for a monster in the wetlands. Luo Ye knocked you out and carried you here."

Leorio's face visibly shifted from confusion to bright red, then finally turned purple.

He glanced at Kurapika beside him, who had just woken up looking equally bewildered, and wished he could crawl into a hole.

Kurapika, however, quickly accepted what had happened.

He stood, brushed the dust off his clothes, walked over to Luo Ye, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you."

His tone was complicated.

There was gratitude, awe, and a hint of frustration at his own weakness that even he had not noticed.

"No problem."

Luo Ye waved a hand, looking utterly unconcerned.

"Just remember to pay me double the appearance fee."

Just then, the villa's main doors slowly opened with a thunderous rumble.

Two figures appeared in the doorway.

One was a mountain of a man who looked honest and good-natured.

The other was a woman with a stunning figure and revealing clothes, whose expression practically screamed, "Don't mess with me."

"Welcome to the venue for the second phase."

The woman spoke, her voice clear but carrying an unquestionable authority.

Her name was Menchi, a one-star Gourmet Hunter.

"I'm your examiner, Menchi."

She pointed to the big man beside her.

"This is Buhara, also an examiner."

"The second phase will consist of..."

She deliberately paused, savoring everyone's anxious stares.

"Cooking!"

The entire courtyard fell deathly silent.

Everyone froze.

They had considered all kinds of possibilities: physical tests, quizzes, even fighting one another to the death.

But never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the Hunter Exam would test their cooking.

"You've got to be kidding!"

One hotheaded applicant exploded on the spot.

"We're here to become Hunters! Not cooks!"

"Exactly! I refuse to take this kind of test!"

Protests rose from all sides.

Menchi's expression instantly turned cold.

"You refuse?"

She gave a cold laugh.

"Then get lost."

Beside her, Buhara punched the nearby wall.

Boom!

A huge crater instantly caved into the solid wall.

Buhara rubbed his stomach and spoke in a deep, muffled voice.

"I'm hungry."

The protests stopped abruptly.

Everyone was stunned by the power of that punch.

Amid the awkward silence, an unexpected burst of laughter rang out.

"Pfft... hahahaha!"

It was Luo Ye.

He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he nearly cried.

"Cooking? The Hunter Exam actually tests cooking? Hahahaha, this is hilarious!"

His laughter sounded especially loud in the quiet courtyard.

Menchi frowned and swept her displeased gaze toward him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Luo Ye forced back his laughter and waved a hand.

"I just think this test is brimming with creativity and the brilliance of humanity."

"Personally, I support it ten thousand percent."

What he actually thought was:

Isn't this way more interesting than all that fighting and killing?

Seeing that he did not seem to be making trouble, Menchi's expression softened slightly.

She cleared her throat and announced the test's task.

"Your task this time is to roast a whole pig!"

"You'll find your ingredients in Biska Forest behind the estate."

"You must hunt the Great Stamps there, then turn them into dishes that satisfy us."

"The test starts now!"

At her command, the applicants dared not object anymore and swarmed toward the forest.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Luo Ye patted the shoulders of the others beside him, unable to hide the excitement on his face.

"The battle of the master chefs starts now!"

"Our goal is to make the worst-tasting pig ever!"

Gon: "?"

Kurapika: "???"

Leorio: "Huh???"