Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

After storing the Trickster Strawberry Turtle, Haruto wasted no time.

He pushed off the ground and quickly caught up with the other applicants.

Along the way, he encountered several Landmine Mushrooms that looked completely ordinary at first glance.

In reality, stepping on one would cause it to release a dense cloud of spores.

Those spores carried a powerful paralytic effect, leaving anyone who inhaled them unable to move.

Worse, once they came into contact with flesh, they would voraciously drain nutrients from the victim’s body and grow at a terrifying rate.

Fortunately, dealing with the spores was simple.

All it took was fire.

Haruto picked one of the mushrooms after carefully neutralizing it and inspected its flesh.

A pleasant surprise flashed through his eyes.

The mushroom was remarkably fresh and savory, making it an excellent ingredient.

He immediately treated the rest of the Landmine Mushrooms and harvested every last one.

After traveling a little farther, Haruto spotted an Ambush Frog slowly crawling across the ground, even though the creature normally concealed itself beneath the soil.

Without hesitation, he walked over and knocked it unconscious with a single punch.

Upon inspection, he discovered that its flesh was as smooth and delicate as cream.

It was unquestionably a high-quality ingredient.

Haruto promptly stored it inside Gourmet Restaurant.

After that, he captured a horned snake, a four-legged bird, and several other unusual creatures.

Before he knew it, Haruto had crossed the Milsy Wetlands and entered Visca Forest.

It did not take him long to reach the site of the Second Phase.

A large compound stood deep within the forest. Its gates were tightly shut, and walls nearly six meters high surrounded the entire property, completely blocking the applicants’ view of what lay inside.

Not long after Haruto arrived, Satotz announced the end of the First Phase.

He then turned and left.

Of course, Satotz did not actually go very far.

...

Once Satotz had departed, the closed gates creaked loudly and slowly swung open.

An enormous courtyard appeared before the applicants.

Dozens of cooking stations were arranged neatly across the grounds, each equipped with a grill.

Various utensils, vegetables, and fruits had also been prepared beside them.

Two people sat on a raised platform at the center of the courtyard.

The first was Menchi, a tall, curvaceous woman with green hair tied into five braids.

Beside her sat Buhara, an enormous man nearly three meters tall. He had a broad build, a kind face, and a gentle smile.

"Welcome, everyone who passed the First Phase of the Hunter Exam."

Menchi was the first to speak, offering the applicants a faint smile.

"I’m Menchi, one of the examiners for the Second Phase!"

"And I’m Buhara, the other examiner," Buhara added in a deep, booming voice.

The moment he finished speaking, a tremendous rumbling noise echoed through the courtyard like thunder.

The applicants exchanged confused looks.

Menchi turned toward Buhara with an amused smile.

"Sounds like someone’s hungry."

She knew Buhara had been eagerly awaiting this phase and was already starving.

"Heh, I really am."

Buhara rubbed his enormous stomach with mild embarrassment, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"I can barely wait any longer."

Menchi cleared her throat and stepped forward, sweeping her gaze across the applicants.

"Therefore, the subject of the Second Phase is—cooking!"

...

"Cooking?!"

The applicants immediately erupted in disbelief.

They were all reasonably confident in their physical abilities, but cooking was another matter entirely.

"Hold on! Did you just say we have to cook?"

"We came here to take the Hunter Exam, not make dinner for you!"

Todo, a heavily built applicant, glared at Menchi in open disbelief.

He could not understand what cooking possibly had to do with becoming a Hunter.

"That’s right."

Menchi spread her hands, looking completely relaxed.

"The entire Second Phase consists of preparing a dish that satisfies us."

It was the test she and Buhara had agreed upon.

Simple and straightforward, yet capable of testing whether the applicants possessed the courage to confront something unfamiliar.

"But why does it have to be cooking?!" Todo demanded again, still unable to accept it.

Menchi raised an eyebrow, pride entering her expression.

"Because we’re Gourmet Hunters!"

Her answer was immediately met with undisguised laughter from many of the applicants.

"Hahaha! You’ve got to be kidding!"

"She actually called herself a Gourmet Hunter!"

"Man, this is killing my motivation."

"..."

In the minds of most applicants, Hunters were people who pursued dangerous criminals or searched unexplored ruins for treasure.

Few of them had ever even heard of Gourmet Hunters.

Haruto frowned at the mocking laughter around him.

Strictly speaking, he could also be considered a Gourmet Hunter.

Besides, becoming a Gourmet Hunter in this world required considerable strength.

The finest ingredients were often hidden deep within deadly unexplored regions and mysterious territories.

Without exceptional ability, someone would never even reach those ingredients, much less capture them.

They would simply end up as food for the beasts living there.

...

"Hmph. Gourmet Hunters, huh?"

Todo folded his arms and scoffed contemptuously.

"Fine. What do you want us to cook?"

It was only one meal.

He could throw something together easily enough.

"Buhara!"

Menchi gestured toward her fellow examiner.

Buhara rose to his feet, still wearing his good-natured smile.

"The required ingredient is—pork."

"Pork? That’s all?"

One applicant immediately pressed for clarification, sounding considerably more relaxed.

Buhara nodded and patiently explained.

"Any species of pig living in Visca Forest will do."

"Use the equipment in the courtyard to prepare the pig you capture."

"If both Menchi and I think your dish tastes good, you pass."

Hearing how simple the assignment sounded, many applicants smiled in relief.

Catch a pig and cook it?

The Second Phase seemed even easier than the first. Anyone with functioning hands could manage that.

Haruto looked at their blind optimism with faint pity.

They had no idea that only one species of pig lived anywhere in Visca Forest.

Naturally, Haruto had no intention of warning them.

The Hunter Exam was a brutal selection process where only the capable survived.

"When we say it has to taste good, flavor alone won’t necessarily be enough," Menchi added.

"Don’t underestimate cooking. Understood?"

"The exam will end once both of us are full."

She swept a warning gaze across the applicants.

They had dared to laugh at Gourmet Hunters, so they could hardly complain when she raised her standards as high as possible.

"Then the Second Phase... begins!"

At Buhara’s declaration, the Second Phase of the Hunter Exam officially commenced.

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