Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

Haruto surveyed the courtyard, then headed toward an empty cooking station in the farthest corner.

He set the Great Stamp beside the counter and picked up one of the kitchen knives provided.

The blade was thick and sturdy, yet its edge was razor-sharp, gleaming coldly beneath the sunlight.

It had clearly been prepared specifically for butchering large animals.

Haruto held the Great Stamp’s neck down with one hand. With a smooth turn of his wrist, he drove the knife precisely into its carotid artery.

Draining the blood, opening the abdomen, and removing the organs—every movement flowed seamlessly into the next, quick and efficient.

The dark-red blood ran away through the drainage channel, while Haruto set the organs aside.

Several nearby applicants stared at him in surprise.

His butchering technique was far too polished to belong to an amateur.

Haruto paid no attention to them.

Once the Great Stamp had been fully dressed, he straightened and examined the available seasonings.

His brow furrowed slightly.

There was nothing but salt.

Fortunately, the stations had also been supplied with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

"Tch. They really didn’t give us much to work with."

Haruto clicked his tongue under his breath, though a spark of excitement rose within him.

At least this made the test somewhat challenging.

He began considering the best way to cook the Great Stamp.

The animal was enormous. If he simply placed it over the grill whole, the exterior would burn long before the meat inside cooked through.

The applicants would either be eating raw pork or gnawing on charcoal.

It would be a criminal waste of good meat.

Haruto rubbed his chin, his gaze shifting toward the fruits and vegetables.

Before long, a plan took shape in his mind.

...

Without hesitation, Haruto got to work.

He stuffed part of the fruit into the Great Stamp’s abdominal cavity, then filled the remaining space with water.

Using several skewers, he tightly sealed the incision before plugging both ends of the cavity.

Once the pig was placed over the fire, the water inside would boil and turn the body into a natural steamer, slowly cooking the meat from within until it became tender.

That alone, however, would not be enough.

Haruto crouched beside the station and dug up some fine yellow clay.

He added crushed fruit pulp, a small amount of salt, and water, then mixed everything thoroughly with a wooden stick.

The dull gray mud took on a faintly fruity fragrance.

Haruto spread the mixture across the Great Stamp’s entire body, covering it from head to tail without leaving a single gap.

Before long, the enormous pig had been transformed into a round lump of clay, with only the faintest outline of its original shape remaining.

Haruto carefully lifted the "clay boulder" onto the grill and lit the fire beneath it.

Orange flames licked greedily at the earthen shell, producing a soft crackling sound.

Haruto slowly rotated the pig so every side received equal heat.

The clay soon dried and hardened.

A delicate fruit fragrance escaped through the first thin cracks and drifted through the courtyard.

It was the unique aroma produced by the fruit pulp roasting inside the clay—fresh, sweet, and enticing.

Compared with the heavy smell of scorched meat hanging over the rest of the courtyard, the contrast was striking.

The Great Stamp’s own aroma, meanwhile, remained completely sealed beneath the thick shell without a trace escaping.

Haruto stayed beside the grill, watching the clay-covered pig with complete concentration.

Every so often, he adjusted the flames to keep the heat under precise control.

...

While Haruto focused on roasting his Great Stamp, a commotion erupted at a nearby station.

He glanced over and saw Todo proudly removing a blackened pig from his grill.

Its skin had been burned almost completely to charcoal, and dark smoke was still rising from the edges.

The bitter smell of scorched meat reached Haruto even from a considerable distance.

Todo nevertheless looked completely satisfied with his work.

He carried the roasted pig over to Menchi and Buhara, dropped it onto their table, and spoke with open arrogance.

"There. Hurry up and eat it, then pass me."

Haruto looked away and returned his attention to his own dish.

Of the two examiners, Buhara was not particularly demanding when it came to food.

Menchi, however, was already in a foul mood after sensing Hisoka’s bloodlust and hearing the applicants belittle Gourmet Hunters.

Her standards were not going to be forgiving.

There was no chance she would approve that charred mess.

As expected, Buhara picked up the Great Stamp and began eating, then declared that Todo had passed his portion of the test.

Menchi merely frowned at the blackened pig. She did not even taste it before rejecting the dish.

"It’s overcooked. The meat is tough, and you’ve ruined its natural flavor."

Todo’s face flushed bright red.

"What did you say?! You didn’t even taste it! How can you fail me?"

"It’s obvious just by looking at it."

Menchi pointed irritably at the burned pig, disgust plain in her voice.

Todo opened his mouth to argue, only to realize he had no defense.

He had turned the flames all the way up in an attempt to finish faster, burning the entire exterior.

"Damn it!"

Todo clenched his fists, his eyes filled with frustration, but he could only retreat in humiliation.

...

After Todo, more applicants began presenting their roasted pigs.

Menchi failed every single one without mercy.

Some were still raw in the middle, while others had not even been properly butchered or cleaned.

With each new dish, Menchi’s expression grew darker.

Elsewhere in the courtyard, Freecss Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika stared in confusion as one applicant after another failed.

Their own pigs had been prepared almost exactly the same way, so there was no chance they would pass either.

Just as they found themselves completely out of ideas, Kurapika’s eyes suddenly brightened.

"I understand. This test may appear to be about cooking, but what they’re truly evaluating is our originality and powers of observation."

Kurapika believed he had grasped the essence of the exam.

They had to create a dish using the limited tools and ingredients provided.

The actual flavor was probably secondary.

"I see!"

Gon and Leorio both nodded in sudden understanding.

The three immediately began "improving" their roasted pigs.

Leorio somehow found several small flags and stuck them into the meat.

Gon ran over to a nearby patch of flowers, gathered an armful of wild blossoms, and arranged them around his pig.

Menchi still rejected both dishes.

Gon and Leorio could not hide their disappointment.

Kurapika presented his dish next.

Compared with the other two, he had clearly put considerably more thought into it.

He cut the roasted Great Stamp into thick slabs, then layered vegetables and fruit between the pieces of meat.

The result resembled an enormous hamburger and, at the very least, looked reasonably appetizing.

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