Morté's POV

The second phase site gate gradually opens.

Satotz-san's presence is still here. He must be hiding.

I did sense there was no need for him to leave and that he wanted to observe. He is going to spy on us.

I braced myself for the next phase to see cooking utensils?

A woman and a big man are revealed once the gate fully opened.

"I'm Menchi and this is Buhara. We are gourmet hunters," the woman said.

"Are you hungry, Buhara?" Menchi asked Buhara.

"Yes, I'm starving, Menchi," Buhara stomach growled in response.

"Me too, so the second phase will be.... cooking!"

Laughter erupted at the site. Everyone except me and my friends laughed.

They really have no respect.... I think to myself.

"Each brings us the cuisine we request. If we both like it, you pass," she instructed us.

I can see Menchi trying to suppress her anger.

"You can cook anything, but the main ingredient is pork. You can use any kind of pork inside Biska forest. Begin!" Buhara signaled the start.

'Pig?' I asked Kira.

'There is only one kind of pig in Biska forest milady, the great stamp. The most vicious and carnivorous kind of pig,' Kira informed me through the mind-link.

'Any weak point?'

'Its forehead.'

'What should I make, Kira?'

'Oh anything you made is delicious milady, I can't pick,' she said dazing off, probably drooling.

'But can I suggest a dish?' she asked for permission.

'Fire away.'

'Your mother's famous cuisine. You cooked it once, it tasted divine,' she answered giddily.

'Why not?' I giggled at her enthusiastic suggestion.

Then I dash into the forest.

Killua's POV

Right now we are looking for a pig. Leading us is Gon with his good nose.

He slides down a grass slope. It looks fun so I slide down as well.

When suddenly he came to a stop. I bumped into him and Kurapika bumped into me and Leorio followed soon after.

"Hey! Gon! What was that?!" I demanded but he didn't answer.

He just say, "Found them."

"Its a pig!" Leorio commented.

I turn to see what they saw. A pig. Eating. White bone rested on the ground.

"Is that a bone?" I asked.

"Yes it is," Kurapika recovered first.

"It eats meat?! Oh no. It's looking this way," Leorio stared at us after mumbling the last sentence.

Then the pig came charging at us. We ran. Leorio let out a girly scream. I roll my eyes at the shriek.

A loud thud resounded. We stop on our tracks and look back.

Morté stood in front of the fainted pig, her back facing us.

"Morté! How did you do that?" Gon take a step closer.

She carried the pig on her back and looked at us.

"I'll give you a tip," she tapped on the forehead of her mask.

We get the gist of her advice and catch our own. We return with a pig each.

I searched for her and saw as she skillfully prepare and cook the pork, but a dark aura oozed from her.

Who does she learn to do that from? She has intelligence and cooking skill. I wonder what else can she do...

I take a mental note to ask her sometime.

I followed everyone and charred the pig. When I'm done, from the corner of my eye, I observe Morté.

Her cuisine looks worthy of a five-star rating. Just like a gourmet cook delicacy.

I served the examiner my dish and failed. Actually, everyone who tried fail.

I sighed loudly. I can't cook even for a living.

Morté's POV

Once I finished seasoning it, I tasted it before serving it in a plate.

I noticed that Gon and the others failed.

"Last one!"

I make my way to the front. People paying attention at the unfolding probability she failed me as well.

I laid the plate in front of the examiners. And revealed the cuisine I made.

Menchi's POV

"Buhara, not one served me proper food." I complained.

Most of this year's applicant belittle gourmet hunters. Yet not one could satisfy me.

What a joke. "Last one!" I shouted.

A person make way to the front, #95. He or she is cloaked and is also wearing a mask.

Weird. Let's see what is the result.

Everyone predicted him or her failing. Seeing no one pass, I will give the final chance to this one.

The plate laid in front of me is revealed. A mouth-watering dish is served before me.

"It looks good," I said cutting the delicacy to a mouth-size bite.

The fragrant tickled my appetite.

Looks can be deceiving let's taste the flavor first, I thought to myself as I take a bite.

"Delicious!!!!" I exclaimed the first word that came in mind.

Shocked, I hungrily devour half of it quickly. In between, I slowly savor this gourmet dish.

I stopped only to let Buhara taste it as well. He ate it in a single bite.

"Menchi's right! It's delicious!" He adds and shot me an approving smile.

The contestants waited for our obvious reply.

"You pass!!!"

Kurapika's POV

She passed. Her cooking skills must be considered professional.

Maybe we should ask her to cook for us one day.

I'm curious to taste the dish she served the examiner. By their reaction I know it tasted delicious.

"What!!!!!" one applicant shouted. The fat man broke the cooking facility out of rage.

"I cannot accept this! I cane here to become a blacklist hunter! I can't fail just because of this!" he yelled in frustation.

The others began to agree with him. He, #255 attempted to punch Menchi just to be slapped by Buhara and flew to the wall.

"Buhara, don't interfere," Menchi said coldly.

"But, Menchi, if I haven't, you could have killed him," he reasoned.

"Maybe," she began to twirl the large knife on her hands.

The dispute continues until a voice said, "That's one explanation but does it justify such severity?"

I looked up and saw an old man jumped off the blimp and somehow landed safely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again Chairman Netero," Menchi said politely, which surprises everyone.

Suddenly the surrounding temperature dropped drastically.

The ground frosted over. Chilling, freezing even.

I hug myself and rub my arms. Discovering the source of the chill I look to see Morté's eyes.

They're scarlet. Cold yet blazing brightly with hatred and frustation.

The question is... why?

•••••••••••• NOTE ••••••••••••

Haha! Cliffhanger right? The next will be more mysterious.

The mystery will unravel one by one.

By the way, I'm planning to make a Q&A. You can ask questions about me or my character.

You can ask questions at this sentence. I'll select the questions.

Look forward to the Q&A! Ciao!