19 Chapter 17: The Second Phase

Kurapika noticed Leorio's sudden return to Hisoka's location and frowned, rushing back to support his friend.

"...Who are these people?"

However, what he witnessed upon his arrival left him stunned.

The battle between Hisoka and Raymond unfolded before him, displaying a level of skill and power that was clearly beyond their league.

Kurapika clenched his fists, realizing that his own strength was nowhere near enough to match these two, especially considering his goal of avenging his clan.

He knew that Phantom Troupe should be strong and definitely would be quite on the same level as these two in front of him.

"...I need to become stronger," he muttered, watching Hisoka disappear into the forest's depths.

Meanwhile, Leorio's jaw dropped in astonishment at the sight of the intense confrontation. He looked at Raymond with disbelief.

"Wow, Raymond, you're incredible! I didn't know you were so strong!"

Gon was enthusiastic as he approached Raymond with excitement, giggling cheerfully as he recounted how he struggled to keep up with the intensity of the fight.

"Let's keep moving. Time's running out for the second phase..."

Raymond shook his head, addressing Leorio and Kurapika.

"Not much time left?"

Kurapika blinked in surprise, turning to Raymond for an explanation.

Raymond smiled slightly as he began to jog in the direction they needed to go. "

Just a gut feeling," he said.

"Let's go..."

The others followed suit, trusting Raymond's intuition as they continued on their way to the venue for the second phase.

Gon looked at Raymond with admiration sparkling in his eyes, clearly impressed by his strength.

"Raymond, what kind of hunter do you want to be? You're so strong! You should be able to explore the whole world without any worries..." Gon asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

Raymond pondered for a moment before responding, "I do want to explore the world as well..."

"Really? I'm the same! I want to travel all over the world and maybe even find my father," Gon shared enthusiastically, nodding along with his own aspirations.

"So, you want to be a ruins hunter?"

Kurapika interjected, drawing Gon's attention.

Gon looked puzzled as Kurapika explained the different types of hunters, but the plethora of options overwhelmed him.

He struggled to absorb everything at once.

However, to everyone's surprise, Raymond shook his head. "Not really..."

"Huh? Why? You said you want to explore the world just like I do..."

Gon's confusion was evident as he slowed his pace momentarily before resuming alongside Raymond.

Leorio also became intrigued, his curiosity piqued as Raymond's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

"I want to be a Gourmet Hunter..."

"Eh?"

Kurapika and Gon stopped in their tracks, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Leorio stumbled on his feet, his mouth twitching as he recalled the intense battle he had witnessed earlier.

"...Who would believe you after what you've shown us," He shook his head, carefully regaining his composure.

Raymond shook his head at their incredulous response, his gaze drifting to the mushroom he had collected from the forest earlier.

"But I'm not joking though," he muttered to himself quietly.

They continued their journey through the forest, making good progress as they traversed the dense foliage.

After a few hours of running, they spotted the rest of the group ahead.

"Hey, Gon! Over here!"

Killua waved enthusiastically as he spotted them approaching.

"Killua!"

Gon's excitement was palpable as he quickened his pace, eager to share the recent events with his friend.

The others smiled at Gon's enthusiasm as Raymond bid them farewell, finding a comfortable spot beneath a tree to wait for the start of the second phase.

"Almost time..."

He mused, glancing over at the guy with needles and letting out a small chuckle.

As the minutes passed, Raymond spotted Hisoka emerging from the forest.

His tattered appearance caught Raymond's attention as his locked his gaze on Raymond, prompting a resigned sigh from him.

"Got a damn clown on my tail," he muttered under his breath.

Surprisingly, Hisoka didn't make any hostile moves.

Instead, he simply strolled over to a different tree across from Raymond's and settled down, appearing to relax while he waited.

However, Satotz immediately grabbed everyone's attention with his announcement, congratulating them for reaching the venue of the second phase, Visca Forest Preserve.

He wished them luck and gestured towards the open doors of a castle.

Silence fell as everyone's eyes turned towards two figures standing in front of the mansion.

"Welcome to the Second Phase of the Hunter Exam! Please, come inside," the woman spoke with casual confidence, introducing herself as Menchi.

Beside her, a big, jovial man beamed at the participants, "I'm also an examiner for this phase. Buhara! A pleasure to meet you all!"

Menchi couldn't help but chuckle as she noticed Buhara's stomach growling loudly, signaling his hunger.

"Well, I'm sure you're all hungry too. So, for the Second Phase, the test will be cooking!"

She announced eagerly, rising to her feet.

Confusion swept through the group as they struggled to make sense of this unexpected turn of events.

Cooking?

What did that have to do with becoming a hunter?

"Why cooking? We're here to become hunters, not chefs!"

Complained Todo, a large wrestler with a rounded face, slicked-back hair ending in a ponytail, and shaved sides.

Menchi reclined, closing her eyes with an air of nonchalance as she explained, "That's right. Just whip up something that can please our palates. Why? Because we're both Gourmet Hunters!"

"Huh?"

Todo burst into laughter, joined by the others in the room.

Meanwhile, Gon and his companions exchanged skeptical glances, their eyes eventually settling on Raymond.

They seemed to be silently challenging him to prove his determination to become a Gourmet Hunter.

Raymond couldn't help but chuckle at their expressions, finding their skepticism quite amusing.

Buhara paid no attention to their laughter, explaining that the main ingredient for the challenge would be pork, which they were tasked with hunting around the castle grounds.

He mentioned that the area was home to the Great Stamp, the world's most ferocious pig.

Despite their complaints, the participants reluctantly accepted the challenge, grumbling as they headed out to gather their ingredients.

However, Menchi shook her head, voicing her doubts, "You think it would be easy, huh? The Great Stamp is not something you can easily catch..."

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