"This is unacceptable! It doesn't count at all!" The structure of the second half of the Hunter Exam left all participants enraged. This time, no one passed. The examiners were Menchi and Buhara, both Gourmet Hunters, and their tests were centered around culinary challenges.
Buhara's test involved hunting the Great Stamp Pig in Bisca Forest, a fierce wild boar known for its delicious meat, which Buhara adored. The ferocity of the boar left many participants injured or dead under its massive, tough snout. It wasn't until Gon revealed the boar's weakness that the situation improved. The examinees realized solo hunting was ineffective and began cooperating to capture the pigs.
The pass criterion was to present a Great Stamp Pig before Buhara was full. In the end, only seventy people succeeded, meaning Buhara consumed seventy pigs. This feat reminded Daniel of Luffy's immense appetite. The Great Stamp Pig was much larger than a normal pig; even one would suffice for many people. Despite eating so many, Buhara's stomach only slightly bulged, which Daniel attributed to Buhara's Nen.
After Buhara, Menchi introduced the next test: making sushi, a dish from a small, distant island in the East. No one knew how to prepare it, not even Hanzo, a self-proclaimed ninja from that island who kept talking incessantly. Unfortunately, despite his origins, Hanzo was no chef.
Hunters came in many forms, with Gourmet Hunters being rare. It wasn't that Gourmet Hunters lacked skill, but most aspiring Hunters never considered this path. Failing a test due to ignorance of an unfamiliar dish was especially frustrating. Even Hisoka and Illumi, Killua's brother, frowned and prepared their weapons—a deck of cards and needles, respectively.
The Hunter License could change one's destiny. For example, Leorio aimed to study medicine but lacked funds. With a Hunter License, he could attend any university for free. However, to Illumi and Hisoka, the license was less significant. If Hisoka truly wanted a license, he wouldn't have assaulted the examiner last year. He participated in the exam to find worthy opponents. Last year, he didn't find anyone interesting, so he beat the examiner. This year, Gon caught Hisoka's interest.
Illumi needed the license for his latest assassination mission, which required it. If the exam ended this way, he would have to wait until next year or rely on family members, which was unacceptable due to the Zoldyck family's strict rules on transactions among themselves.
"Do you want to fight? Bring it on!" Menchi's stubbornness flared as she gripped her twin blades, ready to charge at the crowd demanding an explanation. Though she recognized the issue with her decision, her pride prevented her from retracting her judgment.
Buhara quickly intervened. Though he agreed Menchi's ruling was harsh, he stood by her as a fellow examiner. Daniel didn't intervene in the exam outcome. Despite his surgical skill and decent cooking ability, he chose to observe. Gon's group's sushi attempts were laughable, with whole fish embedded in rice balls.
"Here he comes," Daniel muttered as both Hisoka and Illumi withdrew their weapons. A figure descended from above, landing with a loud crash, stirring up dust.
As the dust settled, an elderly man in a white gi with a ponytail and bushy beard stood in a crater. This was Isaac Netero, chairman of the Hunter Association, founder of the Shingen-Ryu martial art, one of the world's top five Nen users, and over a hundred years old.
Netero's vitality belied his age, thanks to Nen's life-extending properties. In the Hunter world, Nen could significantly prolong life, contrasting with the life-extension methods in other worlds. In comparison, even powerful figures like Garp and Sengoku from the pirate world couldn't match the life extension of Hunters.
"Netero," Buhara sighed in relief. Few could convince Menchi to change her decision, but Netero was one of them.
"Menchi, according to Association rules, we shouldn't interfere with examiners' authority, but you've been a bit hasty this time," Netero said gently.
"Sorry, Chairman," Menchi apologized, withdrawing her weapons.
"No worries," Netero said, smiling. He suggested Menchi offer a new challenge, as she was still the primary examiner for this phase.
"Chairman, I'll need your airship for this," Menchi explained her next test. Being a Gourmet Hunter, her tests naturally involved food.
"No problem," Netero agreed. The airship began its descent to the next location, which would take over ten hours, arriving by morning.
"The technology here is intriguing. Airships as the main aerial transportation would be suitable for the pirate world," Daniel mused. In the four seas, planes were viable, but in the Grand Line, unpredictable magnetic fields rendered them ineffective. Airships, however, were different.
The Marvel world had airships, but those in the Hunter world were faster, as airships were the primary mode of travel there, unlike Marvel where they were more of a novelty.
"Vegapunk probably hasn't been working as diligently for the World Government," Daniel thought, shaking his head at the technological disparity.
"Rhythmic gymnastics, huh?" Daniel watched Killua's display in the airship's playroom. This pure physical technique, once understood, was easy to replicate.
Due to Netero's presence, Daniel could only observe, avoiding the use of his surgical fruit abilities. After a while, he left, leaving Netero to enjoy playing with Gon and Killua.
Netero likely knew Gon was Ging's son. Ging had taken the Hunter Exam at Gon's age and quickly rose to become a Two-Star Hunter and one of the top five Nen users. If not for Ging's disinterest in higher recognition, he could have easily been a Three-Star Hunter.
As for Killua, Netero knew the Zoldyck family well due to his connection with Zeno.
"These two sleep soundly. Understandable after such a tiring day. Not everyone has endless energy like those two," Daniel thought, observing the sleeping Kurapika and Leorio. Most participants rested in their rooms, exhausted from the day.
The next morning, the airship arrived at Mount Split, the next exam site. The task was to retrieve Grapple Spiders' eggs, a rare delicacy found on cliff faces.
Menchi demonstrated by effortlessly leaping down, using the spiders' webs to reach and retrieve the eggs, then climbing back up. The challenge lay in safely obtaining and returning with the eggs.
"Alright, you can start now," Menchi announced. Buhara began setting up a large pot to boil the eggs. Normally, such a delicacy would be wasted in a five-star hotel, but here it was the best they could do.
"How can we do this?" Some examinees hesitated, staring down the cliff.
"Gon, let's see who gets one first."
"Sure thing."
While many debated their approach, Gon and Killua leapt without hesitation.
"Great elasticity. These spider webs are valuable," Daniel thought, retrieving an egg and climbing back up. With his mystic portal, he could return later for more.
"Delicious. Maybe being a Gourmet Hunter isn't so bad. After the Thanos event, perhaps I'll become a traveling Gourmet Hunter," Daniel mused, enjoying the boiled egg.
Out of seventy participants, only forty passed, as some fell and the rest were too scared to attempt the challenge. The group then traveled to the next exam site: Trick Tower.
If earlier tests measured physical endurance and environmental knowledge, this one tested combat and puzzle-solving skills. Trick Tower, a prison housing dangerous criminals, offered inmates a chance to reduce their sentences by participating in the exam.
"I'll wait at the finish line," Daniel told Gon and the others, jumping off the tower. The goal was to reach the bottom within seventy-two hours by any means necessary. Climbing down the exterior was an option, though the dangerous bird-like creatures deterred most.
For Daniel, the height wasn't an issue. He jumped to save time, catching the bird creatures off guard.
Effortlessly navigating the descent, Daniel thought, "These heights are nothing. Let's see who reaches the bottom first."
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter
"This guy must have a death wish!" The proctor monitoring the Trick Tower exam exclaimed. The Hunter Exam had been held over 280 times, and Trick Tower had been part of it many times, but this was the first time anyone had jumped straight down the side.
"I shouldn't be too conspicuous," Daniel thought. As the ground rapidly approached, he shot webs from his wrist guards towards the tower wall, swinging through the air. Using this method three times, he reached the ground unscathed.
"No wonder Spider-Man enjoys swinging through the city so much. This feels great," Daniel thought, breathing out a sigh of relief.
He hadn't used his web-swinging abilities much since mastering Geppo, and it was hard to show off such moves in the Marvel world. This was his first real experience of using spider webs for mobility.
"No wonder so many people love bungee jumping," he mused. Extreme sports like bungee jumping had a unique thrill that attracted many enthusiasts despite the risks.
"Now, I'll just wait for the others to finish their exams." Daniel waited for three days. The 72-hour exam saw many delayed by traps and inmates intentionally stalling them. Gon and his friends barely made it in time.
The tower housed heinous criminals, some who had committed over a hundred murders. These inmates saw the Hunter Exam as a rare chance to reduce their sentences. The longer they delayed the candidates, the more their sentences would be reduced.
With the exam over, the group moved to the next test location: Zevil Island, for the fourth round. The test here involved survival skills and personal strength over seven days. Each candidate had a numbered badge, which now came into play. They needed to accumulate six points to pass.
"My target is Killua," Daniel noted, seeing the number on his slip of paper. He looked over at Killua, who was currently with Gon and the others.
Each badge was worth three points if it was one's target, and one's own badge was also worth three points. Thus, taking one's target's badge and protecting one's own could ensure passing. Alternatively, candidates could take other non-target badges, each worth one point, requiring six to pass.
Without considering the powerhouses like Hisoka, Gittarackur (Illumi in disguise), Killua, or Daniel himself, it would be difficult for any single person to gather six badges.
"It seems my target is you, Killua," Daniel said, not bothering to hide it, showing the slip to Killua. For Daniel, getting Killua's badge or six others would be equally easy.
"You've got bad luck, old man," Killua said with a grin, shaking his head.
"Old man?" Daniel felt annoyed. Despite his youthful appearance and the potential for centuries of life, he was only in his twenties.
"Call me brother," Daniel said sternly.
"Don't be ridiculous, old man," Killua replied, waving to Gon and the others before heading into the island.
"That kid is really not cute," Daniel muttered, feeling disgruntled. He looked young, after all.
"Looks like Gon's target is still Hisoka. I thought it might change," Daniel observed. He felt relieved that Gon's, Kurapika's, and Leorio's targets weren't Gittarackur. Hisoka might spare them due to his interest in Gon and some fascination with Kurapika, but Gittarackur would not be so lenient, except possibly for Killua's sake.
For those whose target was Hisoka or Gittarackur, the fourth exam was truly unfortunate. After all, these were powerful Nen users.
"Everyone's hiding," Daniel noted as he entered the island's forest. With seven days, few would start attacking on the first day unless they were extremely confident in their abilities.
As Daniel walked through a small forest on Zevil Island, he suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him. He dodged to the side, watching as a yellow light flashed past him, embedding a needle into a tree trunk. Daniel recognized the attacker as Gittarackur, Killua's brother Illumi in disguise.
Illumi's Nen ability allowed him to change his appearance, though the conspicuous needles were a giveaway.
"Hand over your badge," Gittarackur said robotically, his body trembling mechanically.
"Aren't you here for Killua?" Daniel asked, tilting his head. After a moment of silence, he added, "You should be the one handing over your badge."
Encountering Illumi, Daniel wanted to test his strength. Illumi was among the top-tier fighters in the Hunter world, comparable to Hisoka and Chrollo Lucilfer.
Gittarackur showed no change in expression but immediately fired six needles at Daniel in a fan shape.
"True to his assassin lineage, he doesn't hold back," Daniel thought, dodging to the left. The needles embedded in the ground where he'd stood. Daniel then charged forward, moving swiftly.
As Daniel moved, three more needles shot from above, barely missing him. "A long-range fighter with control abilities. Annoying opponent," he thought.
"I'll have to use some real power," Daniel decided, activating Soru to appear at Gittarackur's right side, delivering a powerful kick.
Boom.
Gittarackur blocked the kick with his right arm but was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.
"So, this is Nen. It's similar to Armament Haki," Daniel thought, feeling the hardness of Gittarackur's defense. Nen and Haki both utilized life force, though their systems differed.
"Now, hand over your badge," Daniel said, not pressing his advantage. He had no personal grudge against Illumi. Despite the Zoldyck family's assassin code, they were deeply loyal to each other. Illumi's harshness towards Killua was out of concern for his safety.
"I didn't expect to encounter such an obstacle here," Gittarackur said, rising. His voice changed as his needles disappeared, revealing his true form—long black hair, beautiful but emotionless eyes, and a handsome face.
"You're not going to hand it over, are you?" Daniel asked, sensing Illumi's powerful aura. It was clear he was ready for a fight.
Boom.
Illumi's powerful Nen flared, and with a swift movement, he charged at Daniel, aiming a punch at his head.
Nen battles relied on both unique abilities and the total amount of Nen. The Hunter Association had a complex formula for this, involving maximum, potential, and current aura levels. However, most fighters focused on tactics rather than raw power.
Boom.
Illumi's speed was impressive, but Daniel met his punch with a Haki-imbued fist. Their fists clashed, and Daniel heard the clear sound of bones breaking. Illumi's entire right arm shattered, sending him crashing into several trees.
"At least you're alive," Daniel sighed in relief, seeing Illumi unconscious but breathing. He didn't want to make enemies of the Zoldyck family, especially with the mysterious Alluka and her abilities.
Alluka's powers were formidable, possibly even able to circumvent any cost if Killua commanded her. Daniel wasn't entirely sure of Alluka's limitations and didn't want to take unnecessary risks. Ensuring Illumi survived meant avoiding potential retribution from the family.
Daniel carried Illumi to the port, ensuring he could receive medical attention and be removed from the exam.
"Old man, you really want my badge, huh? Even though I don't care much about it, letting you take it isn't an option. You should find some other badges," Killua said, sitting in a small valley.
Daniel, seeing Killua's collection of badges, realized he had defeated many others. Killua had restrained himself from killing, respecting Gon's preference.
"Pure friendship," Daniel thought, appearing behind Killua and placing a hand on his head. Killua tensed but didn't resist, sensing no malice.
"Kids shouldn't be so naughty. It's not very likable," Daniel said, taking Killua's badge before returning to his spot.
"Didn't expect you to be so skilled, old man," Killua remarked, genuinely surprised. He hadn't sensed Daniel's approach.
"You're quite impressive for your age," Daniel replied. Currently, Gon couldn't match Killua's strength. Even with Nen, Zushi struggled against Killua due to the disparity in their base abilities.
For the next few days, Daniel stayed with Killua in the valley. Though worried about Gon, Killua stuck to their agreement and didn't leave.
As the exam ended, they regrouped and prepared for the next stage, their bonds and respect for each other stronger than ever.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT