HxH : Pokemon Master-Chapter 61: Menchi, Long Time No See

Stepping on them would release countless sleep-inducing spores from the Claymore Mushrooms. The Frog-In-Waiting, disguised as large boulders, would open their gaping mouths to swallow anyone who passed by at a slow speed without chewing.

The Ruse Raven, equipped with special vocal organs, could mimic human speech like parrots, but everything they said was lies. They would imitate Satotz voice, weaving lies to lure the less intelligent into their pre-prepared traps. ...

The 367 examinees who had passed through the underground tunnel were now rapidly decreasing in number! One by one, they were left far behind in the Swindler's Swamp!

Hearing the screams from not far behind, accompanied by the roars of countless monsters, Akira thought to himself.

'Passing through the Swindler's Swamp might not be the test with the highest elimination rate. But it was definitely the test with the highest mortality rate! Here, falling behind meant certain death! The thick mist, with its extremely low visibility, was like a giant man-eating monster, devouring countless examinees without leaving a trace!'

...

Visca Forest Preserve.

As the official second exam venue, the Forest stood at the endpoint that could only be reached by traversing the Swindler's Swamp. Surrounding the Forest was a Western-style wall, with a plain, unadorned iron gate at its center.

After Akira and Satotz arrived here, following a winding path, the number of examinees gradually gathering here increased. However, it was still evident that the number of examinees had drastically decreased!

First, there was the ultra-long marathon through the underground tunnel, followed by the perilous journey through the Den of Deceivers.

Under almost continuous high mental strain, the examinees who managed to make it here were collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Only a few "abnormal" individuals could stand as if nothing had happened.

The Hunter Exam seemed to have taken physical exhaustion into consideration, as the second test was not heavily related to endurance. This indirectly gave people some time to recover their depleted stamina.

By now, only 149 examinees remained! The first exam alone eliminated 256 candidates! Many of them had perished in the treacherous Swindler's Swamp just moments ago!

As the time arrived, Satotz, standing in front of the large iron gate, stroked his curly beard and calmly announced.

"Everyone has worked hard. Next is the second exam, and I'll accompany you until here." After speaking, Satotz gave a slight nod to Akira beside him and then strode into the depths of the forest with his characteristic swagger.

Now, only Akira stood there, with no sign of Arcanine—it had already been recalled.

Akira glanced at the figure disappearing into the forest, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. While other candidates thought Satotz had simply left, only Akira, having read the original story, knew the truth— Satotz would hide in a tree within the forest to observe the second exam.

Perhaps Chairman Netero had assigned Satotz to monitor Menchi for any out-of-line behavior, given her naturally obsessive personality. Or maybe Satotz simply wanted to watch the show, which was why he didn't leave directly.

As Akira expected, after walking a short distance into the forest, Satotz leaped onto a tree branch. He then pulled out a prepared telescope from his waist and began secretly observing the candidates, muttering to himself.

"The next examiner is the legendary Menchi. At this rate, maybe only ten... no, likely only five people will pass!"

Shortly after Satotz left, the large iron gate in front of the candidates slowly opened to both sides, revealing the setup inside.

As the gate opened, the tension in the candidates' hearts tightened once again.

Having come this far, how could they afford to relax? The first thing that caught everyone's eyes were rows of tables, deliberately arranged with specialized cooking utensils—tools for the second exam.

At the forefront was a large stage, on which sat a young-looking, petite woman.

It was Menchi!

Unlike her revealing outfit in the original story, perhaps due to a shift in attitude, Menchi attire had become more conservative. She wore a simple white shirt, which concealed her full, moon-like chest, making it appear slightly puffed. Her lower half was clad in a pair of deep blue jeans, accentuating her long, straight legs.

Only when people raised their gaze slightly did they suddenly notice the mountain-like man standing behind her.

The yellow clothes he wore made his round body resemble a balloon. Even the extra-large-sized shirt couldn't fully cover his protruding belly, leaving part of it exposed. His round face looked endearing, exuding an inexplicable sense of humor.

As the candidates flooded into the venue like a tide, Menchi kept scanning the crowd over and over. She was eager to spot that familiar figure, her emerald eyes filled with anticipation.

Finally, during her second sweep, she saw the person smiling and waving at her—Akira!

"Akira! You really came!" Menchi face lit up with satisfaction, as if she had discovered a long-coveted treasure. In her excitement, she stood up from her seat and called out loudly in Akira direction.

"Menchi, it's been a long time." Akira nodded with a smile, equally delighted to reunite with his friend.

Menchi had only heard from him that he would be participating in this Hunter Exam, but she wasn't entirely sure she'd actually get to see Akira.

Akira, however, was different. As someone who had the advantage of knowing the plot, he was well aware that Menchi would be here as an examiner.

The friendly exchange between the two once again startled the already nervous examinees.

"Wait, seriously? He knows this examiner too?"

"No way, he knows two examiners? Who is this guy?"

"There's definitely something shady going on!"

...

The examinees were in an uproar, as if a magnitude 10 earthquake had just struck. For a while, the crowd buzzed with heated discussions, some expressing shock, others raising doubts... Akira identity became even more mysterious in their eyes!

Satotz, hiding in a distant tree, couldn't hear their voices, but he could still analyze their behavior and even lip-read.

"Mr. Akira actually knows that Gourmet Hunter, Menchi?"

"As expected of Mr. Akira..."

Satotz silently marveled as he watched the two exchange warm greetings. It seemed that after being surprised by Akira so many times, such "trivial matters" no longer fazed him.

Noticing that this wasn't the right moment for casual conversation, Menchi gave Akira an apologetic smile. Then, she turned to the crowd and announced.

"Congratulations to those who passed the first phase of the exam! Welcome to the second phase!"

"I'm your examiner, Menchi." She stretched slightly, speaking with confidence.

"I'm your examiner, Buhara."

"Gurgle~"

Before the crowd could react, a loud rumbling sound came from behind Menchi.

"Buhara, you must be starving, huh?" Menchi glanced back, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

Buhara scratched the back of his head, offering an awkward smile, and said in a slightly complaining tone.

"Yeah, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

"So, the second phase of the exam is... cooking!" Menchi declared loudly. Her announcement shocked the examinees.

Cooking? Really?!

"Hold on a second! We're here to take the Hunter Exam. Why are we being asked to cook?" A wrestler named Takuto, with yellow hair and a body as bulky as a smaller version of Buhara, protested indignantly.

In his view, the Hunter Exam, which everyone participated in, shouldn't include something as niche as cooking.

Especially since he knew nothing about cooking!

Menchi twisted her slender waist, placed her hands on her hips, and confidently replied.

"Because we're Gourmet Hunters! Naturally, our exam will be related to food!"

Buhara chimed in from behind.

"The specific task for this exam is to roast a whole pig! Any pig from this Visca Forest will do!" Although Buhara said that, in reality, there was only one type of pig in the entire forest.

"The second phase of the exam begins now!" With Menchi spirited shout, the examinees rushed out of the gate just as they had rushed in. Everyone was eager to be the first to catch a wild boar.

In their eyes, Buhara size was simply too extraordinary to ignore.

The issue lies with Menchi. Her petite frame doesn't seem capable of tasting all the culinary creations presented. This means those who fall behind might be eliminated without even having their dishes sampled!

Everyone rushed into the forest in a frenzy, leaving only Akira standing alone in the open, making him particularly conspicuous. The area quickly became empty. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Akira stood quietly in front of a table and suddenly snapped his fingers.

In an instant, Gardevoir appeared like a ghost by Akira side, only to vanish just as quickly. When Gardevoir reappeared, a freshly killed Great Stamp Boar lay on the table in front of Akira. The boar, known as the "Great Stamp" was no ordinary creature.

It was said to be the most ferocious boar across the six continents! The Great Stamp Boar was entirely pink, with a large snout that resembled the toe of a leather shoe. This snout was incredibly tough, capable of smashing even rocks!

The boar weakness, however, was obvious—its fragile forehead.

The tough snout had evolved precisely to protect this vulnerable spot.

Just then, Menchi arrived beside Akira, smiling at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Were you surprised to see me here, especially as an examiner?"

Akira, while skillfully handling the boar with a sharp knife provided on the table, responded with a slight smirk.

"Indeed, I was a bit surprised." But Akira thought to himself, the surprise might not be what Menchi had in mind.

What truly astonished Akira was the change in Menchi fashion style. Perhaps this was a butterfly effect caused by his own actions?

Menchi then began to share the stories of her experiences since they had last parted. Akira played the role of a listener, all the while continuing his work with the boar.

In just a few moments, he had cleaned the boar internal organs and prepared it for roasting on the rack.

"I've been talking so much, what about you? Where did you go afterward? Did you stay in the Samok Desert the whole time?" Menchi, watching Akira skillfully turn the roasting rack, asked with curiosity in her voice.

"Me? You'll find out soon enough!" Akira smiled mysteriously, choosing not to reveal everything just yet.

"Gengar, Gengar!" Gengar suddenly leaped out from Akira shadow, making a funny face at Menchi, reminiscent of that night in the desert.

"Ah, Gengar, it's been so long since I last saw you!" Gengar antics seemed to touch Menchi soft spot, making her find Gengar utterly adorable.

She gazed at Gengar with a pair of smiling eyes.

But what Menchi didn't expect was that the real surprise was yet to come. Gengar opened its mouth wide, and a crystal-clear vial leaped out, landing securely in Akira hand.

"Guess what this is?"

Akira opened the vial cap and gently poured out some granules, sprinkling them evenly over the roasting boar. The white crystals, under the heat, began to crack slightly, releasing drops of a bright red liquid that emitted a rich, enticing aroma.

Just a whiff of it made one feel as if they were soaking in a pleasant hot spring...

Menchi emerald eyes widened in shock, fixed intently on Akira—or rather, on the crystal vial in his hand.

"Could it be... Kila Red Volcanic Salt! So you went to Kila Volcano after all!"

"Exactly! That's it!"

"It was quite hard to obtain. I spent several days there just to find this small half bottle." Akira glanced at the vial, his tone laced with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Menchi was at a loss for words, seeing so much Kila Red Volcanic Salt for the first time! After all, Kila Red Volcanic Salt was extremely rare! And yet, Akira still wasn't satisfied...

It had to be said that the salt effect was no exaggeration. Even before it was sprinkled, it emitted an enchanting, exotic aroma. The fragrance was so rich that it filled the entire arena, naturally catching the attention of Buhara on the stage.

Buhara wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and instinctively moved closer to Akira and Menchi.

As the roasting of the whole boar neared its end, Akira gave Menchi a meaningful glance. Menchi immediately understood. She spread her hands, and in an instant, several plates made of Nen energy appeared on the table.

The plates Menchi materialized could preserve the dish to a certain extent, minimizing the loss of flavor. If it were just an ordinary roasted boar, Menchi wouldn't have gone to such lengths. But with the precious volcanic salt Akira had added, this roasted boar had now become an exquisite delicacy!

So delicious that even many gourmet hunters might never have tasted something like it! Such a fine dish naturally deserved matching tableware. The ordinary plates on the table were no longer worthy of this roasted boar's caliber.

"Mr. Akira, your skills are truly impressive. You've elevated this ordinary Great Stamp Boar to a whole new level!"

...

Buhara shamelessly stood by, lavishing praise on Akira while continuously swallowing his drool.

As an examiner, he was supposed to taste the dish, but Buhara was afraid Akira might not be willing to share.

[Note : From now on the Chapter lenght will be triple, about 2500-3000 words per Chapter]