Thump, thump, thump.
Even after being roasted, the pig hadn't lost much weight. Several people carried it while running, making the ground itself tremble with every step.
Lu Ou's face was covered in black lines. Just imagining the scene of people running while holding an entire pig was enough to make one dizzy.
"I'm so hungry…"
Buhara was already so hungry that he'd automatically entered a semi-hibernation state, snoring nonstop, yet still muttering, "So hungry…"
Menchi lounged sideways on the sofa, twirling her hair with one hand while staring listlessly at the park entrance, unsure how long she'd have to wait.
As Lu Ou and the others approached, the ground began to shake. Menchi knew they were back. Of course, Buhara knew as well—he snapped his eyes open at once and stared straight at the gate.
The moment Lu Ou and his group stepped inside carrying the roasted pigs, a rich, fragrant aroma spread through the air. Something cooked by Lu Ou was obviously on a completely different level from the "gaudy trash" the other examinees were carrying.
"So fragrant… so hungry… I really want to eat it."
Buhara stared at the roasted pigs, saliva flowing freely. He looked like he couldn't wait another second.
"The aroma is good," Menchi said, nodding rare approval as she stared at Lu Ou's group without blinking. She hadn't expected there to be examinees with such refined cooking skills.
"It smells great. But I wonder if it can really satisfy the stomach of Buhara, one of the world's top gourmet Hunters?"
Satotz sat leisurely on a large tree near the entrance, breathing in the scent, curious about the outcome of this test.
Lu Ou stepped forward and planted the roasted pigs into the ground in front of Buhara before saying, "Sorry to keep you waiting. You may begin tasting."
To avoid placing the pigs directly on the ground, they had used thick, long branches while roasting—making them easier to turn, carry, and stand upright afterward. One method, multiple benefits.
Buhara looked at the five golden-brown, crispy roasted pigs before him and swallowed hard.
"Then I won't hold back."
Without caring whether they were hot, he grabbed one and started stuffing it straight into his mouth, eating while muttering, "So good… so good."
Somehow, he didn't even get burned.
"Fresh, fragrant, and crispy. The skin has a caramelized sweetness, the meat inside is tender yet firm. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. There's even a faint hint of bitterness in the aftertaste that keeps it from feeling greasy. This is truly a masterpiece among roasted pigs."
After only a few bites, Buhara began praising it sincerely, finally showing the true bearing of a gourmet Hunter.
Menchi, standing nearby, found it unbearable. Just the smell and description alone made it sound delicious, yet she wasn't allowed to eat any. Her delicate face grew increasingly tense.
In the blink of an eye, one entire roasted pig vanished.
Lu Ou blinked. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed someone could so casually eat a whole roasted pig.
Gon and the others, however, were already used to it. One pig wasn't really that much—nothing worth being shocked over. Of course, whether they could remain calm after what came next was another matter.
Buhara ate with immense satisfaction. Menchi, on the other hand, was far from happy. Watching the roasted pigs she had her eye on disappear at a visible speed—while being unable to taste even a bite or figure out what ingredients were used—made her feel unbearably frustrated.
Seeing Menchi's frosty expression and slightly furrowed brows, Lu Ou immediately knew his chance to earn some favor had arrived.
"Gon, hand me one of the dirt bundles we dug up earlier."
When handling the Great Stamp hogs earlier, Lu Ou had deliberately kept the delicious internal organs. Using ingredients he'd gathered beforehand, he'd made something similar to beggar's chicken. Everyone had one to replenish their strength—and he'd made a smaller one specifically for Menchi.
When it came time to invest in goodwill, Lu Ou never held back—especially when the timing was perfect.
"Got it, Ou."
Since Lu Ou had mentioned it earlier, Gon immediately took out a dirt-covered bundle about the size of two adult fists and handed it over.
In just that short exchange, Buhara had already taken down all five roasted pigs.
"Absolutely delicious!"
He swallowed the last bite, completely ignoring his greasy hands, licking his lips repeatedly in satisfaction.
"It's a shame… there's no more."
Staring at the empty space before him, Buhara felt dissatisfied. It felt like he hadn't even properly started eating yet, and it was already over.
Of course, the one feeling even worse was Menchi. As a die-hard gourmet Hunter, missing the chance to evaluate a dish she was deeply curious about—especially one she didn't even know the ingredients of—left her feeling like a cat scratching at her heart.
Seeing Buhara's lingering appetite, Lu Ou and the others finally felt reassured. Advancing to the second phase was clearly not going to be a problem.
"Ou… do you think he can still eat more?"
Gon looked at Buhara's stomach, which showed no sign of change at all.
"I think it'd be tough. That was five pigs," Leorio chimed in.
"I think he could still eat some more," Kurapika said cautiously. Since the examiner himself demanded roasted whole pigs, he obviously wouldn't have set the requirement if he could only eat a small amount—otherwise too many examinees would be eliminated.
Even so, watching Buhara devour five pigs so effortlessly was still hard to process.
"This guy eats even more than Mr. Three Hairs…"
"He should still be able to eat ten or twenty more," Killua said, glancing at Buhara's stomach with curiosity.
"Relax. The examiner can eat at least sixty pigs," Lu Ou said confidently. In the original storyline, Buhara could eat seventy—there was no reason he'd suddenly eat less now. Otherwise, his stomach would be the first to protest.
"If you say so, then it must be true," the group replied in unison.
It seemed that Lu Ou's reputation as a "half-immortal prophet" had already taken root.
Thump, thump, thump.
The ground shook once again—clearly, the other examinees had finished roasting their pigs and were rushing them over.
Lu Ou exchanged glances with the others and decided it was best to move aside. Their pigs were already eaten anyway, so there was nothing to worry about.
He led the group toward Menchi's side, positioning himself conveniently for what he was about to do next.
Just as Lu Ou reached Menchi, a cloud of dust rose as dozens of examinees arrived, each carrying a roasted pig of wildly varying appearances.
The mass of roasted pigs gleamed with oil—it was quite a spectacle.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
The examinees shouted one after another, piling all the pigs in front of Buhara.
Surrounded by roasted pigs, Buhara felt pure happiness and immediately began eating again. However, the taste was nothing like the first five. Some were undercooked, some were burnt, and many were unevenly roasted—common problems across the board.
Still, compared to Menchi, Buhara was far more lenient. In order to let all examinees who had successfully caught a Great Stamp hog pass, he forced himself to eat everything—even the ones that didn't taste good.