Travel x Reward - A New Examiner and a New Task!

Alex examines his new earring carefully.

[Sacred Emerald Copper Earring]

World: Hunter x Hunter

Quality: Purple

Type: Earring

Required Stats: PHY - 12, SNS - 10, SPR - 10

Required Skills: Basic Endurance lvl 3, Basic Meditation lvl 3

Effect 1: Increases HP Regeneration by 20% (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)

Effect 2: Minor Poison Aptitude - Increases Poison Resistance and the Potency of all poison-related abilities by 10%

Effect 3: Begins to glow if Poisonous substances are nearby - Focusing on the earring can turn this function off temporarily

Note: A mysterious earring using copper and a sacred emerald to increase the wearer's healing functions and poison affinity. It also signals to the wearer when poisonous substances are nearby.

"YES!" Alex exclaims, barely caring if anyone thinks he's crazy.

This is amazing—a full purple item, and every effect is super useful, he thinks, thrilled. With that extra 10% poison resistance, I'm nearly immune to poisons now. Plus, my Toxic Breakthrough lvl 3 will be even more powerful! The HP regeneration boost is great too, scaling with my PHY stat. And now, the glow isn't just for warning me about nearby poisons; it'll notify me if there's something valuable to collect! Five rare poisons was definitely worth it. I'm really starting to feel like a budget Killua with my claws and poison resistance!

Alex makes his way back to Shalnark, who is already grinning, clearly having pieced together Gel's scheme. With a chuckle, Shalnark says, "You should've seen your face when you got caught. You looked like you were about to die."

"…" Alex feels momentarily speechless. Of course I looked like that—I really would've died if she'd failed me!

A few hours later, Gel summons all remaining participants to a designated room on the airship to assess their collected poisons.

After what feels like a long wait, Gel's voice rings through the ship's speakers: "285th Hunter Exam: 132 candidates have passed the second exam! We allowed some of you to pass with even the most common of poisons, to make up for these unusual circumstances, so you better don't complain. We will arrive at our next destination in approximately 30 hours. You may relax until then. As for the candidates who failed, you'll be dropped off in the capital—consider it a generous gesture."

Looking around, Alex notes, with mild annoyance, that Tonpa somehow passed, at least judging from his smug expression. Don't worry, I'll get my revenge soon enough. He also spots Eirini, Patricia, Emma, and the other player beaming—clear indicators that they made it through this round as well. Of course he also assumes that Palm, Shalnark, and Melody passed without a hitch.

[Main Quest Updated:

Mission: Pass the hunter exam

First Phase: 1/1 Second Phase: 1/1 Third Phase: 0/1 Fourth Phase: 0/1 Fifth Phase: 0/1

…]

After passing the second phase, Alex now feels assured of at least an E- rating, and given his two special rewards in the first two phases, he's realistically looking at an E+ rating already. He finally breathes a sigh of relief, thinking, At last, I can enjoy this world a little… Sure, there's still danger, but at least now I won't die just for failing a damn exam!

When the airship lands in the capital to discharge the examinees who didn't pass, it's clear how empty the vessel has become. Over a thousand candidates have been culled down to just 132 after only two exams.

Alex takes a moment to reflect on the exam structure as he gazes out over the city from the airship. The first task was focused on decision-making and individual skills, while the second seemed to be about… what, exactly? Hunting, survival? I have a feeling what's missing is an exam that tests combat and physical abilities directly. The examiners hinted more than once that we'd get a chance to fight each other.

Deciding to avoid small talk with others, Alex prioritizes getting some much-needed sleep.

With the now-spacious airship, Alex has no trouble finding a cozy spot and claims one of the large couches in the main passenger room. Lying by a big window, he watches the night sky as the airship travels over the vast Mimbo Republic, passing over cities, farmlands, forests, and mountainous areas.

It takes a bit longer than the 30 hours Gel estimated, but eventually, Alex notices the sun rising, signaling their arrival. Looking out the window, he observes the landscape below—dry grass, scattered trees, and a flat, barren terrain with hardly any hills or mountains. Looks like a savannah, he thinks. What are we supposed to do in a place like this?

There's no sign of a city or any nearby civilization. The only thing he can see is a large fenced area dotted with smaller cages and a few larger buildings, including warehouses, massive stables, and a few rundown living quarters, all giving off an abandoned vibe.

The airship hovers directly over an open space within the fenced area, carefully descending to avoid the surrounding structures.

As soon as they land, an announcement comes over the speakers: "Examinees, please exit the airship and gather outside."

Alex spots Shalnark nearby and joins him as they leave the airship, reflecting on how naturally he's come to talk and hang out with Shalnark. Thank goodness he's one of the more reasonable members of the Troupe. If he has no reason to attack you, he's pretty easy to get along with.

"This task will be a real challenge," Shalnark remarks, catching Alex slightly off guard. "Have you slept well and are you ready?"

"How can you tell?" Alex asks, looking around the barren landscape. "It's just a dry savannah. This place feels like a wildlife research station, if you ask me. Doesn't it pretty much seem like a repeat of the last task? Only this time, we're supposed to hunt non-poisonous animals in a savannah instead of hunting poisonous beasts in a cave."

"Maybe," Shalnark replies, "your guess makes sense at first, but… this place feels abandoned. And look—the cages are all empty. I think they have something special planned for us today!" His words send a slight chill through Alex, who still has no idea what the task will involve.

As some candidates chat about the exam and others wait in silence, Alex spots two women approaching the group. The first is a young woman of average-to-slightly-above-average height with turquoise hair. The back of her hair is styled in five top knots, and her attire—a pair of shorts, a bikini top, and a light mesh shirt over it—is anything but typical for an examiner. She's pushing a wheelchair carrying an elderly woman.

Shalnark gives Alex a curious look and asks, "Surely you recognize her, too? Is she famous? She looks pretty young."

Alex nods, recognizing the examiner immediately, though his knowledge is limited. "That's Menchi, a single-star Gourmet Hunter. She's only 19 years old but already has a single star, which is incredible. She's pretty famous, especially known for being a really picky eater. Honestly, she's a prodigy with insane potential. If she'd chosen a different profession, she might've had the chance to become the chairman of the whole association one day. I can't even imagine when she passed her exam… probably around age 12 to 14. A true genius."

Shalnark whistles. "Impressive! Let's see if she's as good an examiner as she is a hunter."

Alex then turns his attention to the elderly woman in the wheelchair. She looks ancient—her round, deeply wrinkled face and short blond hair give her a nearly mummified appearance. Her body seems shrunken, as if she's lost half her height over the years. Though he doesn't immediately recognize her, he has a hunch. This must be Linne, he thinks, the Double-Star Gourmet Hunter who traveled to the Dark Continent with Netero and Zigg Zoldyck. Her eyes have a dim quality, hinting at a life filled with experiences and wisdom. Is she Menchi's mentor? he wonders. It was never confirmed, but it would make sense I guess.

"What about the old woman?" Shalnark asks, but before Alex can respond, Menchi begins to address the group in a loud, clear voice.

"Welcome, examinees!" Menchi announces with a bold grin. "I'm Menchi, a Single-Star Gourmet Hunter, and this lovely young lady is Linne Horsdoeuvre, the world's most beautiful and skilled Gourmet Hunter. She's a Double-Star Hunter, so show some respect to my mentor and fellow hunter. She doesn't speak much, so I'll be the one in charge of you lot today! Honestly, though, you all look really weak. I have to say, this seems to be quite a disappointing year so far."

At her words, nearly everyone glares at her. Alex notices Shalnark is simply smiling, clearly unfazed. A few other candidates, however, look visibly offended, and he spots Linus—the soldier specializing in pistols—wearing a particularly intense expression.

"Oh, looks like a few of you have some backbone after all," Menchi remarks with a smug smile. "Seems you got a bit riled up by my words. Maybe you'll get a chance to prove me wrong soon enough. You'd better at least try, or your exam ends right here!"

She continues, "This third exam will be a unique challenge—one you won't forget for a long time! It's going to be a lot of fun… for me, anyway," she says, grinning with a half-playful, half-sadistic glint. "For you, it'll be exhausting and aggravating. As you may have guessed, this is an abandoned wildlife station. It was once used to monitor local wildlife—creatures that can be… let's just say challenging to humans."

"This third exam will be a team cooking challenge—but not an ordinary one. The exam will be split into three parts. First, you'll need to qualify just to participate. Today, it won't be animals getting caged—it'll be you!"

"Follow me," she commands, her smile a mix of enthusiasm and mischief.

She leads them to a large area filled with empty cages, surrounded by helpers who are clearly either hunters or employees of the Hunter Organization.

"Here's how it works: each of you will have three chances to enter a cage. We'll randomly pair you with another examinee, and the two of you will fight for exactly one minute. After the time is up, the hunter overseeing each cage will decide the winner based on who landed the most hits. For each win, you'll receive a special ingredient card! What's an ingredient card, you ask? Well, that'll be explained later. But let me warn you—if you don't get at least one card after your three rounds, you'll be disqualified!"

Her eyes narrow, adding with emphasis, "If you kill, maim, or intentionally cripple your opponent, you're out. No weapons allowed! I want to see what you can do. A strong hunter has to rely on their own strength."

"Why…" Alex almost whimpers. "I suck at unarmed combat…" He thinks, I can't use any of my magic or conjurations either without exposing myself… if I could, I'd just summon Mustrano and finish this easily.

Menchi draws from a lot. "First fight: Examinee No. 777…"

It's me??? Alex is stunned.

"...versus Examinee No…"

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