Passing through the narrow opening felt like stepping into another world.
An underground river flowed quietly toward the dark depths below.
The moss on the rock walls gave off a silvery, starlike glow, illuminating the pitch-black cave.
Kaya walked up to the rock wall, gently pulled out a small patch of moss, and examined its roots.
The roots of this green moss reached deep into the cracks, allowing it to grow by absorbing rare minerals and microorganisms within the rock.
Perhaps that was why it glowed.
After a moment's thought, Kaya took out his notebook, recorded the glowing moss, and named it Silverglow Green Moss.
As he ventured deeper, an unusual plant caught his eye.
It stood two meters tall, with a thick stem and smooth, glossy leaves.
Nestled among the leaves, pale blue, cherry-sized fruits gave off an enticing fragrance.
An extremely adorable long-eared guinea pig was too timid to climb up, so it could only gaze longingly at the translucent fruit.
Startled by Kaya, it scurried into a nearby burrow, leaving only its small, round head poking out as it watched his every move with curiosity.
"Come on out, little guy."
The little guinea pig was no fool. No matter how Kaya called to it, it refused to leave its burrow.
Sure enough, Kaya was nowhere near Gon's level when it came to bonding with animals.
He studied the plant for a while. Judging by its roots, stem, and leaves, the fruit should be nontoxic. Since the little guinea pig liked it too, that all but confirmed it.
Unable to resist, Kaya picked one and tasted it. The flesh was exceptionally sweet and refreshing.
It tasted like summer black grapes, though it wasn't as juicy, and its texture was more like a cherry's.
Everyone knew that the juicier and softer a fruit was, the harder it was to store.
These fruits, however, were moderately juicy, with skins that didn't come off easily, making them ideal for carrying and storing.
Made into jam with a few powdered herbs mixed in, they would be incredible.
Figuring the pig-catching squad was probably about done, Kaya filled a small jar to the brim with fruit. Before leaving, he even made a point of placing a few by the guinea pig's burrow.
Kaya hopped out of the hole and stretched.
"This little adventure was even more tiring than catching pigs. Still, it was a good haul."
As he neared the park, the aroma of roasting meat reached him. It seemed most of the applicants had already started cooking.
Who knows how much that big guy can eat? If he fills up before I get there, won't I look like a clown?
At that thought, Kaya quickened his pace.
Inside the examination area, over a hundred people were turning enormous, fat pigs on grills at the same time. It was quite a spectacle.
Gon was darting back and forth between two grills, roasting Kaya's portion for him.
"You're back?"
Killua was busy too. He spared Kaya a glance by way of greeting.
"Yeah. You're just roasting them like this?"
Kaya stared speechlessly at the scene before him-they hadn't done anything to remove the gamey smell or the hair. Worst of all, they hadn't even cleaned out the innards.
"What else would we do? How are we supposed to roast them?" Leorio asked.
Kaya waved a hand through the thick, acrid smoke. "This... you're preserving the large intestine's original flavor in all its glory. How do you even dare?"
"?" Aside from Kurapika, the other three looked utterly bewildered.
But Kurapika also considered their method reasonable. "We don't have time to clean out the innards. We have to finish before he's full."
Kaya suddenly felt a little sorry for Buhara, who was drooling a short distance away.
He had been too naive after all. Buhara was like an insatiable beast, devouring every whole roast pig the applicants brought him without turning down a single one.
He seemed to have no standards whatsoever when it came to taste. As long as someone handed him food, he accepted it.
After all, Kaya had transmigrated from a city renowned for its food, so his standards were fairly high.
Faced with this scene, all he could say was, "Unbelievable!"
Even Satotz, who was watching from hiding, struggled to maintain his composure at the way Buhara ate. Lowering his binoculars, he wondered, "Is he really a Gourmet Hunter?"
The other applicants were astonished too, though in their case, it was Buhara's terrifying appetite that shocked them.
By now, the pig bones behind him had piled up into a mountain.
"I'm full, I'm full." Buhara patted his belly and belched.
Clang!
Menchi struck the gong beside her. "Seventy applicants have passed this test!"
"So he ate seventy whole pigs? What kind of monster is he?!" Kaya could no longer put his feelings into words.
"But that also shows that everyone who becomes a Hunter is amazing, doesn't it?" Gon's take was very much in keeping with his personality.
"That's true, but I don't want to turn out like that." Killua shoved his hands into his pockets, looking disgusted.
Menchi clapped her hands and led the successful applicants into a spacious room in the park, roughly the size of an indoor basketball court.
Inside, all kinds of cooking equipment were neatly arranged.
"Congratulations on reaching the second half of the second phase," Menchi's voice echoed through the room. "The dish I want you to prepare is-sushi."
"Sushi?" Leorio turned to Kurapika with a puzzled expression. "Have you heard of it?"
Kurapika shook his head and admitted, "No."
If even Kurapika, the so-called walking Hunter x Hunter encyclopedia, didn't know, the other applicants certainly wouldn't.
Looking at the bewildered applicants, Kaya quietly chuckled to himself. This Japanese dish was popular worldwide. You could find it in pretty much any city.
Not far away, Hanzo was also clapping a hand over his mouth, desperately stifling his laughter.
Sushi was a specialty of his homeland.
It seemed that evolution and development in different worlds really could produce similarities and coincidences. Shaped by its geography and way of life, Hanzo's homeland appeared to have developed the same civilization as Neon Country.
Ninjas, for example. And sushi.
Still, the spread of civilization and cultural exchange in the Hunter world seemed far behind Blue Star. The fact that nobody knew what sushi was offered a glimpse of that.
Judging by their expressions, these people have no idea what sushi is. Still, this dish comes from a small island nation far across the ocean, so that's only natural.
With that thought, Menchi said, "I'll give you a few hints."
"Take a good look at the utensils and seasonings on your counters. All of them can be used to make sushi."
"I've also prepared an essential ingredient for making sushi-cooked rice."
At this point, Menchi held up one finger. "One last hint: my personal favorite is hand-shaped nigiri sushi."
Wait, there's machine-made sushi too?
Kaya had to admit this was outside his knowledge. As far as he knew, all sushi seemed to be shaped by a chef's hands.
"All right, that's it for the hints. You may begin."
As Menchi finished speaking, the applicants exchanged looks, at a loss for what to do.
"What's nigiri sushi?" Pokkle scratched his head. "I have absolutely no idea."
Gon scooped some rice out of the rice cooker and squeezed it into a ball in his hand. "Is it just rice? There aren't any other ingredients here."
"But what are these knives for?" Killua asked in confusion, looking at the cooking tools of various sizes on the cutting board.
Everyone's eyes turned toward Kurapika at once.
Kurapika waved his hands awkwardly. "Don't look at me. I don't know either."
"Why aren't you asking me?" Kaya clicked his tongue.
"Go play somewhere else," the four of them, everyone except Gon, said in unison.
Kurapika and Leorio had traveled with Kaya all this way and had never once seen him cook.
Aboard the Sea God, he hadn't even been willing to clean the fish Gon caught, only eating once the food was ready. It was hard to trust someone that lazy.
"Fine. Very fine! None of you are finding out how to make sushi. I'll only tell Gon." Kaya spread his hands, looking utterly unconcerned.
Leorio looked disdainful. "Keep bragging."
"Believe me or don't."
Kaya pulled Gon close and whispered a few words into his ear.
"Huh? Really?" Gon quickly scanned the utensils and ingredients on the counter. "That makes sense! You're amazing, Kaya. How did you know?"
Feeling the stares of the other four boring into him, Kaya grabbed Gon and made to run outside.
"Don't let him get away! Grab him!" Leorio swept out a hand.
Pokkle and Killua immediately gave chase, cutting Kaya and Gon off outside the door.
Kurapika, meanwhile, maintained his composure and walked calmly toward the exit.
Before you continue