"Don't celebrate too early," Menchi shouted loudly.
Her voice immediately made the previously relaxed examinees tense up again. Most of them had assumed that once the eggs were in the pot, that was the end of it.
"Don't forget—the exam isn't over yet."
Menchi raised one hand, her expression stern. Whenever it came to cooking, she was always like this—probably something that would never change.
"Starting now, I want you to turn the eggs you've obtained into boiled eggs."
After Menchi had inspected the eggs earlier, she had instructed the examinees to throw them into the large pot to boil. Everyone had thought that would be enough—but clearly, it wasn't.
Quitting halfway was not a good habit.
"I'll remind you: making a boiled egg is not simple. The boiling time is the most critical point. Spider Eagle eggs likely require a different boiling time than ordinary eggs. If you overcook them, you can imagine what they'll taste like. And of course, if they're undercooked, you'll be eliminated."
As always, Menchi was strict about cooking. Compared to her earlier hysteria, however, she was relatively calm now.
She explained the characteristics of the Spider Eagle egg in detail, clearly hoping the examinees would pick up on her hints and pass the test. This kind of perceptiveness was an essential quality for a Hunter.
Of course, if they didn't look so ridiculous right now, Ruo might have been in a better mood.
Holding his ladle with both hands, he stared intently at the bubbling water in the pot—and at the eggs resting at the bottom, waiting for their next transformation.
Glug glug.
The water churned continuously. With his sharp eyes, Lu could already see some of the Spider Eagle eggs beginning to stir.
"It should be about done, right?" Leorio held up his scoop, looking troubled as he stared into the pot, unsure whether the eggs were ready.
"No. I think we need to wait a bit longer," Kurapika said, his sharp eyes fixed on the eggs.
"I don't even know how long it takes to boil a normal egg," Killua said helplessly, holding his scoop in one hand. He had thought tossing it into the water would be enough—clearly not.
With Killua's lack of basic life knowledge, if he were thrown into modern society, he probably wouldn't even know how to make instant noodles.
Gon, unusually quiet, stared intently at Lu. Since there was clearly someone experienced here, it made sense to observe him.
Killua's comment and Gon's behavior reminded the others as well—if anyone knew when the egg would be done, it was probably Lu.
When Lu had first obtained the egg, he had weighed it in his hand. He already had a solid sense of how long it should cook. He had no time to chat.
The change would happen in an instant.
Clink, clink.
The eggs began to rise with the bubbling water. As they bumped against one another, they produced a pleasant ringing sound.
Lu's eyes sharpened.
Now.
He thrust his scoop into the pot and, with swift precision, retrieved the carefully selected egg he had placed inside.
Gon and the others, who had been watching him closely, reacted immediately. This was the moment. They quickly scooped out their eggs as well.
The other examinees weren't fools either. Some of the sharper ones had also been watching Lu. After all, someone who had uniquely passed earlier and could even command the face-ape was not someone to ignore.
Seeing Lu retrieve his egg—and with Gon and the others following—everyone realized the timing had come.
"Quick, take them out before they harden!" "Hurry up!" "Move faster!"
The examinees scrambled. Within moments, the pot was left with nothing but boiling water. Every egg had found its way back to its owner.
Buhara had been about to let out a reminder, but he stopped halfway, stunned by what had just happened.
So there really were examinees who knew the correct timing. Combined with their flexible handling of ingredients in the sushi and roasted pig tests, they were already approaching the level of the Gourmet Hunters he knew.
Menchi nodded in satisfaction. She was very pleased with Lu's performance. At the same time, she was puzzled. Judging from earlier, Lu had never encountered Spider Eagle eggs before—so how had he managed to grasp the timing so perfectly?
Now that was interesting.
"Were you just about to go easy on them?" Menchi snapped, glaring fiercely.
Many examinees had followed Lu's lead, but that couldn't be helped—the eggs were all boiling in the same pot. What truly angered her was Buhara's obvious attempt to give them a hint.
Buhara, well aware of Menchi's temper, simply stood there without arguing. After all, his attempt hadn't succeeded.
Menchi only scolded him briefly before turning back to the examinees to explain the difference between Spider Eagle eggs and ordinary eggs. The ability to distinguish ingredients was equally important.
"This is a normal egg you can see every day. And this is a Spider Eagle egg. Compare them yourselves."
Menchi handed each examinee a pre-boiled regular white egg and instructed them to compare it with the Spider Eagle egg they had cooked.
Only through practice could true understanding be gained.
"This is so delicious!" "A normal egg doesn't even compare!" "Spider Eagle eggs are incredible!"
The examinees tasted both eggs and were instantly conquered by the marvelous flavor of the Spider Eagle egg. The taste was truly unprecedented.
"Smooth on the tongue, rich in flavor, melting at a touch, leaving fragrance between the teeth—yet it still feels vibrant and full of life. A fusion of contradictions. Impressive," Lu remarked after tasting it. Even without trying the ordinary egg, he already knew this flavor was extraordinary.
If even a standard Spider Eagle egg tasted this good, he was even more eager to try the King Egg.
"The flavor is rich and mellow, melting instantly while leaving behind a lingering aroma. It's as if the Spider Eagle's vitality remains inside the boiled egg," Kurapika said appreciatively.
"I've never eaten such a delicious boiled egg in my life," Leorio exclaimed excitedly.
"So risking our lives to gather them really paid off," Hanzo added.
"This flavor is much easier to notice than that weird rice dish. I still couldn't taste anything special from it. I wonder what Lu's version tasted like," Gon said.
"What weird rice dish? It's horned-scale rice—Great Bear Horned-Scale! Didn't I say that's a delicacy of the human world?" Menchi flared up instantly upon hearing Gon still question the horned-scale rice.
Failing to properly appreciate gourmet cuisine was absolutely intolerable to her.
"Big Brother Todo, I'll give you half," Gon said with a smile, splitting his Grape Spider egg and handing half to Tony, who had been standing aside.
Those who hadn't gathered an egg naturally hadn't tasted one—and naturally would not pass.