Chapter 11: Retest x Lorraine Becos Prey
The Hunter Association’s airship ca to a halt near a canyon on an unnad mountain peak.
This canyon, approximately 40-50 ters wide, split the mountain straight down the middle as if it had been cleaved in half by a massive blade.
“This is the place!” nchi said with a smile as she walked to the edge of the canyon. “This will be the site of the new test, and the challenge this ti is… soft-boiled eggs!”
“Soft-boiled eggs?”
The candidates exchanged puzzled glances, their eyes darting between the canyon and nchi.
What could soft-boiled eggs possibly have to do with this canyon?
anwhile, nchi began removing her shoes and socks. “This canyon is ho to a creature called the grape spider. The challenge is to retrieve its eggs and make a soft-boiled egg.”
Canyon?
Grape spiders?
The candidates stared at nchi, then at the canyon, and many of their faces turned pale.
“Don’t worry. There’s a deep river at the bottom of the canyon. As long as you’re careful, you won’t die from the fall. But the current is fast, so if you slip, you might end up washed out to the ocean dozens of kiloters away,” nchi added nonchalantly.
“You’re telling us to go down there? That’s insane! Soone could die—” Candidate #255, Taku, who had seemingly recovered his energy, shouted in protest.
“Die?” nchi gave him a peculiar look. “If you’re not prepared to face death at any mont, why are you trying to beco a Hunter?”
Without waiting for a response, nchi leapt into the canyon.
The sight left many candidates stunned.
In less than two minutes, nchi climbed back up the cliff, holding a grape spider egg in her hand.
“This is what you need to retrieve. Go down, get one, and make a soft-boiled egg!” she said with a smile.
“You’ve got to be kidding ! Who would just jump like—”
Before Taku could finish his sentence, dozens of candidates, faces alight with excitent, dove into the canyon one after another.
The remaining candidates were left speechless as they watched in disbelief.
Of course, not everyone who jumped made it back.
Blub, blub, blub—
In a large iron pot, dozens of grape spider eggs, each the size of a chicken egg, boiled away.
“Alright, everyone, give them a try! See how these compare to the eggs you’re familiar with,” nchi encouraged with a grin.
Since his previous results had been annulled as part of the agreent with Netero, Lorraine had also retrieved an egg.
“This flavor… is amazing!” Lorraine said, surprised as he sampled the soft-boiled egg.
Unlike regular chicken eggs, grape spider eggs lted in the mouth, even the yolk, which was rich and not at all dry. The flavor was far more robust and satisfying than any chicken egg he’d ever tasted.
“This world’s ingredients… I’ll have to explore more of them!” Lorraine decided. As a proud mber of the food-loving empire, his resistance to culinary delights was practically nonexistent.
“Not bad, right? This is why Gourt Hunters risk their lives for treasures like this. Once you’ve tasted sothing new and exquisite, the joy of discovery becos utterly addictive!” nchi said proudly to the candidates.
Her words stirred many of them. While few decided to pursue Gourt Hunting as a career, none mocked it the way they had at the start.
With that, the second stage retest concluded, leaving 40 candidates qualified to proceed.
On the airship…
“Chairman, we’ve got a problem!”
Beans burst into Netero’s quarters, his expression anxious.
“Oh? What’s the issue?” Netero asked, his ever-present smile unfazed.
“Chairman, earlier today, you asked to investigate the candidate nad Lorraine. I combed through all records from the past twenty years, but I couldn’t find any information about him,” Beans reported.
“Chairman, could Lorraine be from teor City?”
“Nope, you’ve guessed wrong. That kid doesn’t carry the scent of teor City,” Netero replied cheerfully.
“But…” Beans looked puzzled.
Wait… Could it be?
Beans’ expression shifted as a realization struck him. “Chairman, could Lorraine be from there?”
“Oh ho ho! Wrong again.”
Netero stroked his small beard, his smile growing even more mischievous. “He’s not from the Dark Continent either. That much I can guarantee.”
“Then, Chairman, who is he?” Beans was more confused than ever.
The Hunter Association’s resources could uncover the identity of anyone in the world, apart from residents of teor City or the Dark Continent. Was there truly soone beyond their reach?
“Oh ho ho, the answer is: I don’t know either,” Netero said with a grin.
“Chairman, then…” Beans began, only to falter at the sight of Netero’s smile.
“Chairman, could it be that you…” Beans finally understood why Netero looked so delighted.
It was the expression of a Hunter who had found a new prey to chase.
Beans fell silent.
Despite all the years that had passed, there was no doubt—his chairman was, first and foremost, a Hunter.
anwhile…
Unaware of Netero and Beans’ conversation, Lorraine sat in the airship’s outer corridor, gazing at the scenery outside.
Thanks to Netero’s assurances, Lorraine no longer worried about his lack of official registration for the Hunter Exam.
Even after obtaining his Hunter License, he wouldn’t have to worry about his lack of an official identity in this world.
Yet, he couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed.
He hadn’t gotten to enjoy the chaos he’d hoped for.
Though Netero had promised him a reward, it ca with an implicit threat.
As soone who hadn’t officially registered, Lorraine knew Netero could easily disqualify him at any mont.
Despite his regrets, Lorraine accepted the favorable deal.
He sighed.
There wouldn’t be any more monts where he could gleefully watch candidates get eliminated en masse. Or rather, with his current strength, he couldn’t manage to eliminate all the candidates in one go.
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