Riku swept his gaze over the crowd.
Almost everyone who managed to arrive here was the elite of the elites. Those fodder candidates with Green and White traits had essentially all been eliminated; every single person present had at least one Blue trait.
However, after a quick scan... they were mostly useless, chicken-rib abilities.
If he were to slaughter every single candidate present, he might be able to synthesize one Purple trait. But for Riku, that was absolutely not a cost-effective trade.
Alternatively, he could choose to target the Big Three present on the field: Murder Clown Hisoka, Pinhead Illumi, and Hanzo.
"U-um... thank you! Thank you for saving me earlier! I am Ponzu! Thank you so much!!"
Suddenly, a crisp, delicate female voice interrupted Riku's thoughts.
It was a young girl with green hair and a large, puffy hat. She walked up to him, her face flushed red as she expressed her gratitude.
"Hmm? Me?"
Riku was a bit surprised. He had no memory of interacting with this girl.
Ponzu?
In his memories of the original story, her fate later on was quite tragic, dying during the Chimera Ant arc's chaos. But when did he save her? He had absolutely no impression of it.
"It was back in the wetlands with the Frog-in-Waiting. My lord, you finished off that Frog-in-Waiting with a single punch, which allowed me to survive... I will definitely repay this debt of gratitude!!"
Ponzu bowed deeply to Riku.
If it had not been for Riku, forget about passing the First Phase, she would not even have the chance to be standing here right now. She probably would have already been digested into fertilizer by the Frog-in-Waiting.
"Oh? That? Don't mention it, it was just a passing effort."
Riku suddenly understood. It was highly likely he accidentally saved her while he was aggressively farming monsters.
"Killed a Frog-in-Waiting with one punch? Are you kidding me?"
"Stop blowing hot air! That thing is massive, and its skin is incredibly thick. Even ordinary swords and blades can't hack it to death. How could it possibly be killed with a single punch?"
"Are these two deliberately putting on a show to brag?"
"Hehehe, what a joke."
...
Ponzu's words drew the mockery of several nearby candidates.
One by one, they cast looks full of absolute contempt toward Riku.
"Hiyah—"
But what greeted them was Riku's fist.
The candidate who had laughed the loudest was struck squarely in the face by Riku's punch.
The man instantly shot backward like a fired missile, flying through the air for at least a hundred meters. He forcibly carved a bottomless trench through the dense bushes behind them, his fate completely unknown!
Riku calmly wiped his faintly smoking fist, raised an eyebrow, and looked at the few remaining guys who had been mocking him.
"So, could you withstand sixteen years of pure, accumulated power in that punch?"
On Whale Island, he kept a low profile and played nice because those people were his family and loyal friends! But out here in the wider world, why shouldn't he go on a rampage? Otherwise, wouldn't his transmigration be a total waste!
Of course.
That punch would not take the man's entire life; it would only take half of it. Riku was still exercising a considerable amount of restraint. If he had not, the guy would not have even had the chance to fly backward—he would have just exploded into a mist of blood on the spot.
His gaze slowly swept over the other candidates who had just been laughing at him.
Instantly, those guys began to tremble violently.
Thud!
Thud!
"Damn me! I was absolutely blind just now! I was just spouting nonsense, please don't take it to heart!"
"I forfeit! I forfeit!!"
"Wuwuwu, I want to go home!!"
...
The few guys literally wet their pants on the spot and directly announced their forfeiture.
"..."
A brief, dead silence fell over the entire venue.
Just a moment ago, the area was filled with cheerful chatter and laughter. Everyone had been discussing their thoughts on passing the First Phase and bragging endlessly.
But now, it became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes unanimously turned toward Riku's direction.
Especially the candidates standing closest to Riku; they quickly and proactively stepped aside to open up a wide path.
In this world, the only thing that commands true fear is sheer strength. The strong are revered—that is the most fundamental rule of the Hunter world.
Too strong!
Sending someone flying a hundred meters with a single punch!
This was simply not something an ordinary person could achieve. At the very least, among all the candidates present, not a single one possessed such terrifying raw physical power.
"What a monster. The fruit you picked this time seems to have quite a few thorns."
Within the crowd, the Pinhead Illumi turned his head mechanically, looking at Hisoka, whose eyes were slightly narrowed.
"The more delicious the fruit, the more one looks forward to it. Hehe."
Hisoka, however, wore a psychopathic smile on his lips, his entire body trembling faintly.
That was not nervousness or agitation.
That was... pure excitement!
Just the thought of plucking such a fruit, or perhaps being brutally crushed by it, filled him with uncontrollable ecstasy.
Right at this moment.
A charming yet incredibly confident young woman's voice rang out from within the estate.
"Candidates who successfully passed the First Phase, please enter. Welcome, everyone. I am Menchi, the examiner for the Second Phase!"
"And I am Buhara!"
The one who spoke first was sitting casually in the examiner's seat. She wore a bra-top over mesh, had teal hair styled into spiky buns, and sat with her legs crossed. This was the young female examiner, Menchi.
Behind her stood a man who looked somewhat simple-minded but was a massive giant, standing nearly three meters tall—the deputy examiner, Buhara.
The two immediately began to announce the contents of this phase.
Because they were both Gourmet Hunters, the task for this exam was to hunt pigs in the Biska Forest Park surrounding the estate. Then, the candidates had to prepare these ingredients into a delicious meal. Once they received simultaneous approval from both examiners, they would pass the phase!
This exam topic instantly left everyone dumbfounded.
They had originally prepared themselves for a massive, bloody battle, only to find out they were expected to act like chefs.
However, no one was foolish enough to voice any objections right here and now.
"So, everyone! There are no restrictions on the species of pig. As long as you can create a culinary dish that satisfies us, you will pass. The ingredients you need are right behind you in the Biska Forest!!"
The giant, Buhara, heavily slapped his enormous belly, producing a sound like a beating war drum.
Hearing this signal, the crowd of candidates instantly swarmed out in a lively rush.
Riku, Gon-kun, and the others left along with the crowd.
...
"Satotz! That guy you mentioned who performed exceptionally well in the First Phase... he looks pretty average to me, aside from being somewhat handsome."
Menchi, sitting confidently with her legs crossed, spoke disdainfully into her earpiece communicator.
"During the First Phase, candidate number 406 defeated twelve candidates in under a minute. Moreover, after the ultra-marathon run, he showed no signs of physical exhaustion whatsoever. He even emerged from the Numere Wetlands completely unscathed."
"Furthermore, just a moment ago right outside your gates, this guy eliminated another candidate with ease. I am afraid his strength has already reached the standard of a Pro Hunter."
Hiding atop a tree branch in the distance, Satotz watched the direction Riku and the others went through his binoculars, feeling somewhat worried.
"Relax. It's not like we haven't seen this kind of thing before. Every year, a few so-called geniuses pop up, but in the end, don't they all fail the exam anyway?"
Menchi replied with absolute confidence.
"But you can't do that this time! You two cannot push the passing rate too low! Menchi, Buhara," Satotz warned anxiously.
"Whether they can even survive is the real question. Those pigs aren't something ordinary people can handle. Hehe."
Buhara chuckled.
"Understood, understood. We are Gourmet Hunters, so we will naturally provide a fair and just evaluation of their culinary creations."
Menchi waved her hand dismissively.
...
At this very moment.
Inside the Biska Forest.
All the candidates had already poured into the woods.