The wide underground cave echoed with Satotz's calm voice:
> "Congratulations. You have cleared the First Phase."
Exhausted but determined, the remaining applicants gathered.
Before they could rest, two new figures stepped forward:
A huge man with a jolly smile and an immense belly,
and a stern woman with piercing red eyes.
Satotz gestured toward them.
> "The Second Phase Examiners: Gourmet Hunters, Menchi and Buhara."
Buhara chuckled warmly.
> "Alright! First task:
Catch and cook something delicious enough to fill me up!"
The crowd stirred nervously.
---
The Hunt for Great Stamp Pigs
They were led into a nearby forest, dense with ancient trees and heavy roots.
The ground trembled.
Massive creatures burst through the underbrush —
huge pigs with armored skin and bone-crushing weight.
> "Those are the Great Stamp Pigs," Satotz announced.
The applicants panicked.
Some ran. Some hid.
Gon's eyes lit up.
Noah calmly observed the pigs.
> "If you run away," he said to his friends,
"they'll just trample you.
Charge them instead. Turn their strength against them."
Killua raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Kurapika nodded.
Leorio gulped nervously.
Gon grinned excitedly.
The strategy worked like a charm.
Gon sprinted straight at a charging pig, dodging at the last second —
the pig stumbled and fell headlong into a tree!
Killua used swift moves to trip a pig with his skateboard.
Kurapika used his chain-whip techniques subtly.
Leorio shouted and swung a branch.
Meanwhile, Noah — with a flash of chakra control —
twisted the air around a pig's legs, subtly unbalancing it,
then flipped it over with a quick strike.
(Quick enough to look natural, not suspicious.)
In no time, they secured their bounty.
---
Buhara's Banquet
The applicants gathered at a bonfire, cooking the captured pigs.
Mouthwatering aromas filled the air.
Buhara devoured plate after plate with childlike glee.
> "Delicious! Pass! Delicious! Pass!"
Soon, most applicants passed the first part easily.
Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio — and Noah — all passed together.
---
Menchi's True Challenge: Sushi
The joyful atmosphere vanished when Menchi stepped forward, arms crossed.
> "Now, for your real challenge:
Make me a gourmet dish that tests your skill."
She smiled coldly.
> "Prepare... Sushi."
A wave of confusion swept through the crowd.
> "Sushi?!"
"What's that?"
"Some kind of soup?"
Noah's eyes twitched slightly.
He recognized the dish immediately — sushi, an artform from his previous world.
But the applicants were clueless.
Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika looked completely lost.
Noah sighed quietly, gathering his friends.
> "I'll show you the basics," he said.
"Slice fish neatly. Shape the rice. Simple to understand, hard to perfect."
Under Noah's guidance:
Gon made messy but passionate sushi.
Killua was precise but lacked flair.
Kurapika was methodical.
Leorio... somehow mashed the rice into meatballs.
---
Menchi's Ruthless Judgment
When judging began, Menchi's expression turned stormy.
Dish after dish was thrown away.
> "Outrageous!
Insulting!
Unacceptable!"
Hardly anyone passed.
Only Noah's piece — simple, balanced — earned a slight nod.
> "You pass," Menchi said curtly.
Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio failed.
Angry shouts filled the room.
> "This isn't fair!"
"We don't even know what sushi is!"
"Ridiculous challenge!"
The situation grew tense.
---
Chairman Netero Descends
A helicopter roared from above.
Descending casually stood an old man — smiling mischievously, standing on a floating platform.
Chairman Isaac Netero.
> "Having some trouble down here?"
The Examiners bowed respectfully.
Netero smiled warmly at the applicants.
> "Since many of you feel cheated...
I'll grant you a second chance."
---
The Replacement Test: Spider Eagle Eggs
He pointed toward a distant peak.
> "High in those mountains roost the Great Spider Eagles.
Retrieve one unbroken egg —
and you pass."
Tension crackled.
This wasn't about cooking anymore.
It was about instincts, courage, and trust.
---
Climbing Toward the Sky
The group climbed the treacherous cliffs.
Wind roared upward, threatening to fling them into the clouds.
They reached fragile threads where the Great Spider Eagles nested.
The eggs dangled precariously.
> "One mistake..." Noah muttered,
"and you fall to your death."
Gon grinned fearlessly.
Killua smirked in excitement.
Noah sharpened his senses subtly, using chakra to strengthen the air currents gently —
quietly protecting his friends without them knowing.
One by one, the applicants leapt —
timing their jumps perfectly with the natural wind updrafts —
grabbing the eggs in midair.
---
Trust in the Wind
Gon jumped boldly —
the wind caught him just right.
Killua followed, elegant and fast.
Kurapika moved with precision.
Leorio clumsily tumbled but managed.
Noah...
stepped into the void calmly, as if walking on solid ground,
guiding the wind with subtle chakra manipulation.
To the observers, it looked like sheer instinct.
---
Safe Landing
One after another, they landed safely with unbroken eggs.
Cheers broke out.
They had passed.
Netero laughed heartily.
> "Well done! Onward to the Third Phase!"
The next destination:
Trick Tower —
where strategy, betrayal, and death awaited.
And Noah smiled faintly.
> Things are just beginning.