"Thank you. The second exam is about to begin."
The second exam's location is Visca Forest Preserve. The gates open, and Satotz leaves. Hidden in a tree, Satotz watches Loki, Gon, and Killua.
"Three monster kids this year. Unbelievable!"
The examiners for the second exam are the Gourmet Hunters Menchi and Buhara. The exam is simple: cooking. The ingredient is pork. Only one type of pig lives in Visca Forest: the Great Stamp Giant horned boars. These pigs are incredibly strong. Catching them isn't easy.
Loki follows Gon and the others to find the Great Stamp Boars. Gon, raised in the forest, quickly finds them. They're eating bones; they're carnivores. Their large size and strange noses make them intimidating.
"Is that… a pig?" Leorio asks, stunned.
Kurapika doesn't run but prepares to fight. She wants to repay Loki for saving her during the Hisoka encounter. She charges, but her wooden sword has no effect on the boar's thick hide. The boar knocks her back. Gon and Leorio catch her.
"Their defense is incredible!" Leorio exclaims.
Gon sees the charging boars. "Run!"
The boars charge. Gon and the others flee. Loki uses Geppo, leaping into the air.
"What was that?!" Killua, seeing Geppo for the first time, is amazed and almost forgets to run.
Kurapika is also surprised. "He jumped into the air…"
"Hey! Is that Rokushiki?" Gon is excited.
Kurapika and Killua look at Gon, wanting to ask.
Loki targets a lone boar, diving down and kicking it unconscious. "The head's the weak point! Aim for the head!" he yells to the fleeing group.
Following Loki's advice, they attack the boars' heads, easily knocking them down. Gon easily carries a boar.
"Loki, thank you! How did you know their weak point was their head?"
"It's common sense. Few animals have a head that isn't a weak point," Loki says casually.
Killua and the others look embarrassed. It is common sense, but they didn't think of it.
Loki's statement is correct; the head is usually a prime target.
Carrying the boar, they return to the cooking station. Loki throws it on the counter, planning to cook it quickly and hand it to the examiners. He thinks no one will pass this trial; Netero will have to fix it.
He skewers the boar, throws it on the grill, lights the fire, and starts cooking. Many examinees have already been eliminated. Those remaining discovered the boar's weak point and caught their prey.
While Loki cooks, the system chimes.
'Mission triggered: Make a dish that Menchi approves of.'
Loki's joy turns to despair. Making a dish Menchi approves of is harder than gaining Hisoka's approval. His cooking skills are barely passable.
He turns off the fire, taking the boar off the grill. He examines it. With his skills, cooking this boar properly is impossible.
The first examinee presents a burnt boar to Menchi. Buhara eats it, but Menchi gives a big 'X'. Examinees keep presenting their dishes, receiving 'X' after 'X'. Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika also fail.
Loki pays close attention to Menchi's words, hoping she'll give a clue. He doubts it's a true test of cooking skill.
"Loki, aren't you done yet?" Gon asks, seeing Loki standing still.
Loki shakes his head. "I haven't decided what to make."
"Haven't decided? There's a grill."
"Just because there's a grill doesn't mean we have to make grilled boar," Loki says. This reminds him that the large grill is a distraction, meant to mislead those seeking convenience. Everyone who made grilled boar failed.
Loki sees some leftover boar meat on Kurapika's station.
"Kurapika, may I have a bite?"
Kurapika nods. "Please."
Loki takes a bite, frowning.
Kurapika's face falls. "Is it that bad?"
"No," Loki says. "It's good, but it tastes like regular pork."
"Good, but not enough to pass. What kind of dish would satisfy her?"
Loki smiles, saying nothing. He looks at the boar, having an idea.
Menchi, a gourmet hunter, wouldn't be satisfied with ordinary pork. Gourmet hunters seek rare, unique flavors. Overly complex cooking might ruin the boar's unique taste.
Loki doesn't know how to preserve its original flavor, but the simplest method might work: boiling.
He boils a piece of meat with a little salt. The plain boiled meat is ready.
"This is my dish. Please try it."
(I think this is the most delicious thing. As a child, I always snuck bites of my mom's boiled meat. Did anyone else do that?)
The steaming boiled pork sits before Menchi. Other examinees look over. Seeing Loki's simple dish, they laugh.
"Kid, you underestimate the Hunter Exam. Such a small portion, such a simple dish… you think you'll pass?"
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