Ultimate Cooking Technique X Super Taste

Swish!

Only when Buhara called out a warning did the frightening malice finally vanish.

Gulp! Hanzo swallowed nervously.

"Watch what you say from now on, baldy!"

Menchi glanced around at the many examinees who had returned to their cooking stations after Hanzo's inadvertent reminder. Having withdrawn her aura, she glared at him through gritted teeth and spoke coldly.

"Ordinary people have to spend ten years just learning nigiri sushi! You amateurs think copying its appearance is enough? The details and the taste are what matter..."

Wasn't she being unreasonable?!

Provoked, the rather blunt Hanzo shot back without hesitation. "Don't think being strong makes you so great. If you look down on our cooking that much, you shouldn't have set such a demanding test in the first place!"

"Huh? Say that again if you've got the guts!"

"I'll say-"

"Shut your damn mouth!"

"..."

The people below stared blankly at the two who had suddenly started arguing.

Baishi, who was several places farther back in line, found it quite interesting. He had naturally noticed Menchi releasing her aura just now, but he hadn't expected Hanzo, who had yet to awaken, to become even more defiant after being provoked.

"Why don't you two have a fight?"

Seeing that they were only arguing and not fighting, Baishi leaned his head out and suggested with a smile, "If baldy wins, lower the difficulty of the test for us a little. How about it?"

"What's it got to do with you?"

"Who are you calling baldy?!"

Both turned to glare at Baishi, each firing back a retort.

Hey!

Baishi shrugged, chuckled, and pulled his head back.

Ahem!

"That's enough!"

In a particularly irritable mood, Menchi looked at the crowd and sat back down on the sofa, announcing the results with a languid expression.

"I'm full! This test is over... Which means the final result of the cooking test in the second half is..."

"Nobody passed!"

As soon as she said it.

The examinees froze as though struck by lightning.

Leorio and the others who had made another, more perfect dish stared at Menchi in disbelief, thinking she had to be joking.

"She's joking, right?"

"Seriously? The test is over?"

"You've got to be kidding! Ending it just like that is ridiculous!!"

"..."

Tsk~

There she went again with that bad habit of hers...

Buhara, who was sitting behind her, got to his feet helplessly, took out his flip phone, and walked aside to call the Examining Committee's emergency number, which he had prepared beforehand.

Beep! Once the call connected, he quickly reported the test results and gave a rough account of what had happened.

Heh~

Just as expected...

Baishi, who had known the outcome all along, wasn't very surprised. He just hadn't expected the few short chapters in the original story to take so much time.

That was enough to prove that Menchi, as a Gourmet Hunter, was not to be underestimated when it came to how much she could eat.

I just wonder what her Nen Ability is...

According to Hisoka's personality theory, Menchi displayed an impatient, fickle, and neurotic personality, making her a fairly good fit for Transmutation, Emission, and Conjuration.

But was it her Nen Ability that gave her the confidence to indulge her desires so "arrogantly" and do as she pleased?

The thought stirred something in Baishi. Seeing that the people in front of him were all standing there in angry disbelief, he simply strolled out of the line and casually placed his tightly covered platter on the table in front of Menchi.

"What? Didn't I say I was full?"

Menchi, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, cast him a languid sideways glance and regarded him with considerable hostility.

"Dressed like a butler, huh, kid? Don't think I'll change my mind for a bite to eat..."

"Oh, really?"

Baishi blinked, shrugged, and took hold of the platter cover's handle. With a faint smile, he said, "I'm not trying to change your mind."

"I already made the food, that's all... Anyway, the test is over, and I've got nothing else to do now. There's no problem with me eating it myself so it doesn't go to waste, right?"

As he spoke, the cover slowly lifted.

Hmph~

Before Menchi could even let out a snort, she saw the arrangement on the platter. Her expression seemed to freeze, her pupils contracted slightly, and she stared fixedly at the sushi.

Her tongue picked up traces of a distinctive aroma, as though it could captivate her senses. Her intuition told her that this beautifully arranged sushi dish had to taste superb!

At the thought, the desire to taste it began to stir.

Yet the hateful fellow in front of her didn't seem to have the slightest intention of letting her try it. After lifting the cover, he reached out with complete crudity, grabbed a piece of sushi, chewed it, and swallowed.

As he did, his expression seemed to show a hint of enjoyment.

Damn it-

Seeing Baishi reach for a second piece, Menchi flew into a rage. Her hand shot out, seized his forearm, and she glared viciously at him.

"As the examiner, I should be the first one to taste the food!"

"But... didn't you say the test was over?"

"I..."

Silenced by Baishi's words, Menchi stared hard at him, as though trying to etch his appearance deep into her memory.

Still holding Baishi, she picked up her chopsticks with her other hand, quickly seized a perfectly made piece of sushi, and viciously took a large bite.

"Mmm-!"

Menchi's beautiful eyes widened, and a glimmer seemed to flash through them.

The firmness of the rice... incredible! The outside is firm, yet the inside still has room to breathe... The fish's own fresh sweetness has been brought out to the fullest, and every strand has been cut just right... Not a single part has been wasted. Combined with the pungent heat of the wasabi, the fish and the flavor of the vinegar blend perfectly...

At that moment.

Unaware of what she was thinking, Baishi had already turned his attention to Menchi's analysis panel. Although the quality of Advent Emulation was limited, it was enough for him to gain something.

Ding!

[Subject analyzed: Menchi]

[Nen types: Conjuration and Manipulation]

[Nen Abilities: Food Luck Kitchen (purple), Taste Puppetry (blue)]

[Analyzed talents: Perfectionist Obsession (green), Unknown Ingredient Analysis (blue), Cooking Intuition (blue), Ultimate Cooking Technique (blue), Super Taste (purple)]

[Perfectionist Obsession (green): Holds the completion of dishes to extremely exacting standards and cannot tolerate any form of perfunctory or unprofessional work. Instinctively and obsessively demands the highest standards of herself and others...]

[Unknown Ingredient Analysis (blue): Drawing on extensive experience and knowledge of ingredients, she can quickly analyze the edibility, toxicity, nutritional value, and best cooking methods for ingredients such as unknown animals or plants...]

[Cooking Intuition (blue): Possesses a genius-level sense for using ingredients and conceiving dishes, as well as an imagination that breaks conventional boundaries. She can combine seemingly unrelated ingredients into entirely new delicacies...]

[Ultimate Cooking Technique (blue): Possesses knife skills, heat control, and cooking process optimization abilities honed to the pinnacle. She can independently prepare all manner of complex dishes at speeds far beyond those of ordinary people, with precise, efficient movements that flow seamlessly...]

[Taste Puppetry (blue): Can refine Nen into fine threads and infiltrate food or diners' taste buds, making microscopic adjustments to flavor and temporarily guiding taste perception...]

[Food Luck Kitchen (purple/cannot be analyzed), Super Taste (purple/cannot be analyzed)]

[Advent Emulation uses: 1 blue, 1 green]

[Use Advent Emulation on a Talisman?]