082 Fill Your Stomach First, Then We’ll Talk

Satotz had witnessed everything that had just transpired and couldn't believe his luck. After blocking Ronnel and Hisoka in the underground passage, he hadn't been brutally beaten.

Now, with the examiner from the previous session turned into a laughingstock after being beaten by the applicant, a new sense of caution had fallen over the other examiners. They were nervous, fearing the appearance of yet another unhinged applicant.

Satotz considered himself lucky. Despite running into a dangerous applicant, he had avoided disaster.

At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel. Ronnel truly lived up to his reputation as the champion of the Battle Olympia. His strength far surpassed that of the previous champion.

Damn impressive, Satotz thought to himself, continuing to observe the field.

Eventually, some of the examinees discovered the wild pig's weak point—the forehead—and managed to bring one down.

Seeing this, the other candidates quickly learned from it. Soon, they had their own wild pig carcass and started a barbecue using what they could find nearby.

While they roasted the meat, some of the applicants began submitting their dishes to Buhara and Menchi for evaluation.

"Delicious!"

"Fantastic!"

"So tasty!"

"This is great!"

After eating five porcupines, Buhara gave enthusiastic praise to each dish.

Hearing his verdict, Leorio clenched his fist with excitement, while Gon and Kurapika, standing nearby, also smiled in relief.

Menchi, however, pouted from the sidelines. To her, only Ronnel's dish had stood out, while the others were just passable. She wanted to remind Buhara that, as a Gourmet Hunter, he should maintain higher standards.

But when she noticed Gon and the others associating with Ronnel, she wisely chose to stay silent.

"Phew! We finally passed the first half of the second phase. That was tough!" Leorio said, sitting down in the corner of the factory with the others, visibly relieved.

Gon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, first we ran a marathon for hours, then we faced Hisoka, and now we've had to cook... Just talking about cooking makes me hungry again."

At the mention of food, their stomachs collectively grumbled.

"Haha! We were so focused on passing the exam that we forgot to eat," Gon said, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed. His stomach was the loudest of them all.

Except for a quick meal at the steakhouse that morning, they had barely eaten anything. Between the marathon, constantly staying alert in the Milsy Wetlands, and the pressure of facing Hisoka, they had burned through their energy reserves.

"Why don't we take this opportunity to grab a bite to eat?" Kurapika suggested.

"There are still plenty of examinees behind us, and it looks like the examiner will be busy eating roasted pig for a while. We could use that time to recharge."

Gon, Killua, and Leorio exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement. Although their physical condition allowed them to go without food for days, it was better to keep their strength up in this high-stress environment.

"Alright, let's look for something to eat. I remember seeing some apple trees nearby," Leorio said, standing up to head off.

But before he could leave, Ronnel, who had been silent until now, coughed twice. He then turned his palm upward, and in an instant, a large wooden lunchbox appeared in front of everyone.

From a distance, Menchi and Buhara, who had been keeping an eye on them, blinked in disbelief.

"Is he a Manipulator?"

"This...what is this?" Gon asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"That's a wooden box," Killua muttered dryly.

"I know it's a wooden box!" Kurapika and Leorio thought at the same time, watching as Ronnel casually presented the meal.

"But, I didn't see anything earlier. It looked like it just appeared out of thin air," Gon added.

"There's a trick to it," Ronnel said with a smirk. "Once you become Hunters, you'll understand."

"Hunters..." Gon, Killua, and Kurapika all reflected on that word. They couldn't help but recall Ronnel's earlier clash with Hisoka and how he had effortlessly taken down seven wild pigs in one blow. There was clearly more to Ronnel than met the eye.

Sensing their awe, Ronnel chuckled. "Alright, this is just the second part of the phase. Don't think too much. Let's eat first, then we'll worry about everything else."

He opened the lunchbox, and a rich, savory aroma immediately wafted out, making Gon and the others' stomachs rumble even louder.

"Haha, smells amazing! Ronnel, did you make all of this?" Gon asked, stars practically shining in his eyes.

Leorio sat back down and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. Even Killua and Kurapika had a hard time hiding their anticipation.

"Yeah, I used the remaining two wild pigs to make some local dishes. Dig in and see what you think."

Ronnel set out the plates of colorful, fragrant food, and Gon and the others couldn't resist anymore. They all eagerly picked up their chopsticks.

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