14 Chapter 4 : Second Phase

Anger and a very powerful feeling, it was a feeling that could make even the most miserable and insignificant rat dangerous, there are different kinds of anger, but the most destructive anger is undoubtedly the anger one feels against oneself.

But it was this anger as well as Hisoka's nen that allowed James at that moment to open his Shōkō (Aura Nodes).

James felt this warm energy being released from his body and calmed down like a frightened child in his mother's arms.

He enjoyed this feeling of power and serenity for a moment, then he used all his senses and controlled this flow of force distributing it evenly around his body.

. . . . . . . .

James managed to find his way back at the last moment and narrowly passed the test.

As he arrived among the applicants, Hisoka sit further away waved his hand to him with a friendly smile, giving James shivers.

But soon four people approached him.

At this stage, 220 candidates have withdrawn from the exam, leaving 148 remaining applicants.

It was the group of protagonists, Gon smiled at him while Leorio scratched his head.

"We wanted to thank you for the help you've given us, my name is Gon Freaks and this is Leorio and Kurapika and this is Killua, uh? It's true, I don't know your name yet..."

Seeing Gon's pure, unadulterated smile, James couldn't help but smile as well before introducing himself.

"My name is James Newstar."

Leorio also approached James with a small black briefcase which he opened and said in a friendly voice.

"You've got a lot of bruising on your face, it can get worse, wait a minute, I've got some compresses to relieve the swelling."

"Don't worry about me, I don't look like it but I'm very tough, it'll heal in a jiffy."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll be fine."

Then James, although a little tired, began to chat with the group of protagonists before Satoz drew the attention of all the applicants.

He stood in front of a large gate separating the marshes from the area behind it.

"Excellent work, everyone, phase Two of the exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park."

" So, I shall take my leave, best of luck to all of you."

Satoz then walked through the crowd of candidates and gradually disappeared behind the trees, while the previously closed door slowly opened in front of the candidates.

Inside found a pretty modern-style mansion, front the mansion sat a very tall, fat man hulking figure with a large potbel, black hair with a young woman and a youg woman light green hair in a light and revealing outfit sitting on a couch.

"Will all applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?"Said the young woman sitting casually as she looked at the candidates.

"Welcome, i'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner."

"And I'm Buhara, the other examiner."said the fat man.

Menchi and Buhara introduce themselves as Gourmet Hunters, she says the Second Phase involves cooking, and the applicants laugh and deride both their profession and test given, Menchi states that they will judge the dishes by its taste and presentation and that the exam is finished if they are already full.

Thus began the second phase, Buhara tasks them to cook pork from the Visca Forest Preserve around the mansion, upon signal, the applicants dash to the forest, and later discover they are to each hunt a Great Stamp, the wildest, carnivorous boars in the world. They seem oblivious to most attacks, are deadly and are hard to take down. 

James managed to easily capture a boar and then using a knife to slice it into thin pieces which he slowly cooked over a low heat before presenting it to Buhara becoming the first candidate to finish.

Menchi looked at James' work, took a small piece before shaking his head.

"The flame was slightly too strong, you didn't pick the best part of the meat, it's very passable but it's not bad."

"Validated!"

James listened to this calmly and accepted Menchi's criticism, after he was not a starred chef, he managed to cook the meat thanks to the two years of work he did in a restaurant to pay his school fees and water bills, otherwise he would have already burnt the meat.

Buhara nodded with satisfaction and swallowed the meat served by James.

"I also validate"

James sighed and sat down further away, soon the other candidates began to present their dishes but each time they were rejected by Menchi.

"It's overcooked."

"The tough texture ruins the flavor of the meat, charred on the outside, uncooked inside."

"Your fire was too strong."

"Honestly All they're doing is roasting the whole pig, like it's all they know how to do None of them has made any effort!"

Finally the candidates and Menchi argued, some candidates even insulted his profession, greatly annoying Menchi.

"All right, the exam ends here, except for candidate 271 you're all disqualified."

One of the candidates named Todo berated Menchi, but she just dismisses him, prompting him to attack out of frustration, but Buhara retaliated by knocking him off with just a large sweep of his hand.

"Why, you Don't mock me! Buhara, don't interfere."

"Well If I hadn't intervened, you'd have killed him, right? Probably."

"Every Hunter knows some form of martial art, you lack focus and the willingness to experiment, that alone disqualifies you from becoming Hunters!"

James did not intervene because, firstly, he had already passed the test and secondly, the president of the hunters' association, Isaac Netero, was going to intervene anyway and as James thought a few seconds later, the sound of an airship could be heard in the sky.

"That said, it would be excessive to fail every single applicant."

"That's the symbol of the Hunters Association!"

"Is it someone from the Selection Committee?"

And an elderly man jumps from it, James with his superhuman senses barely managed to see, the shadow of an old man falling at full speed towards them before calmly landing on two feet, creating a crater.