Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

Satotz’s repeated warnings put nearly every applicant on high alert, and Haruto was no exception.

After all, he needed to gather ingredients while still reaching the site of the Second Phase on time.

He would have to manage his time carefully. Getting lost in the wetlands would be a disaster.

Just as the applicants were preparing to follow Satotz onward, a voice suddenly rang out.

”Everyone, don’t let him fool you!”

The crowd turned toward the sound.

A ”man” covered in wounds and dressed in torn clothing slowly emerged from the shadows, using the wall for support.

Satotz calmly turned to look at him.

The ”man’s” face twisted with anger as he shouted, ”D-don’t be deceived! That man is lying!”

He raised a hand and pointed directly at Satotz.

”He’s an impostor! He isn’t the real examiner!”

”I am!”

An uproar immediately swept through the applicants, who stared at one another in confusion.

None of them had expected someone to suddenly appear and accuse their examiner of being a fraud.

Haruto watched the ”man”—or rather, the Man-Faced Ape—with keen interest.

It truly did look remarkably human.

More importantly, it was intelligent enough to understand human psychology and knew how to sow suspicion and create chaos.

Under Haruto’s watchful gaze, the disguised Man-Faced Ape strained to drag another thin, apparently lifeless ape out from behind it.

”Look at this!”

The second ape bore a face almost identical to Satotz’s, complete with the same style of mustache.

That was enough to make many of the applicants doubt what they were seeing.

...

Satotz did not attempt to defend himself.

He simply stood in silence and watched the farce unfold.

He had already warned the applicants several times that the creatures of the wetlands deceived their prey before devouring them.

If someone still fell for such an obvious trick, they had only their own lack of vigilance to blame.

Satotz was an examiner, not their babysitter.

He had fulfilled his responsibility by warning them. He had no obligation to personally guarantee every applicant’s safety.

Seeing that Satotz remained silent, the ”man” pressed its advantage.

”That creature is a Man-Faced Ape native to the Milsy Wetlands!”

”A Man-Faced Ape?”

The applicants looked even more confused.

The disguised ape continued, ”Man-Faced Apes love fresh human flesh! But their limbs are thin and weak, so they’re no match for humans in a direct fight. That’s why they disguise themselves as people and lure travelers deep into the wetlands with clever lies. Then they work with other beasts to—”

Haruto curled his lips in disdain.

Its story was full of obvious flaws.

If Man-Faced Apes were truly so weak, how had one supposedly managed to injure the ”real examiner” this badly?

There was more.

When the ”man” dragged out the ape pretending to be dead, it had clearly struggled with the weight.

That alone revealed how physically weak it was.

Very few applicants seemed to notice.

Before the disguised ape could continue, several sharp whistles cut through the air.

A number of playing cards shot simultaneously toward Satotz and the ”man.”

Hisoka had evidently lost patience with the tedious performance.

Then again, he was more likely using the opportunity to test Satotz’s ability.

The disguised Man-Faced Ape failed to react in time. Cards buried themselves in its head and chest.

It did not even manage to scream before collapsing stiffly to the ground. Its body twitched several times, then went still.

Satotz, meanwhile, caught every card aimed at him with perfect composure.

...

”I see, I see.”

Hisoka looked at Satotz with an amused smile.

”That settles it. This one is the real examiner.”

Of course, that was merely an excuse.

Hisoka had known from the beginning that Satotz was genuine.

He had only wanted to test the examiner’s strength.

The result pleased him.

Satotz was capable enough to make Hisoka feel excited!

In a good mood, Hisoka even offered an explanation.

”Hunter Exam examiners are appointed by the Hunter Association’s Selection Committee, and they’re all active Hunters.”

”How could a real Hunter fail to defend against an attack that weak?”

Satotz looked directly at Hisoka, his expression stern.

”I will accept that as a compliment.”

”However, if you attack me again, regardless of your reason, it will be treated as open defiance of an examiner, and you will immediately be disqualified.”

Satotz naturally knew about Hisoka.

That was precisely why he had not disqualified him on the spot. If he had, Hisoka would most likely have attacked him in earnest.

”Fine...”

Hisoka answered carelessly, though a faint trace of bloodlust passed through his eyes.

He had no intention of attacking Satotz again, however.

During the previous Hunter Exam, Hisoka had lost control and seriously injured an examiner, resulting in his disqualification.

He did not want to repeat the same mistake and wait another year.

While everyone else remained focused on Hisoka and Satotz, Haruto quietly shifted away from the group and approached the dead Man-Faced Ape.

A faint scent of blood reached him as he drew closer, but he paid it no attention.

...

Haruto pressed one finger against the creature’s body.

The texture beneath his fingertip made him frown.

No wonder Man-Faced Apes were physically weak.

Their muscle fibers were astonishingly loose, like rotting cotton soaked in water, with none of the firmness or elasticity good meat should possess.

”The muscles look developed, but the meat is dry and loose. Even the connective tissue lacks resilience.”

Haruto murmured to himself, his frown deepening.

He leaned closer and gave it a cautious sniff.

Beneath the smell of blood was an overpowering musky stench mixed with damp earth.

It smelled as though the creature had spent years soaking in a filthy swamp, saturated with a nauseating gaminess.

”The odor is far too strong. It would take dozens of spices and repeated marination, followed by roasting over an intense flame, just to suppress it.”

”And by then, there wouldn’t be any flavor left in the meat.”

Haruto straightened and gave the corpse one last glance, his disappointment entirely undisguised.

”Completely unappetizing.”

”Hopefully, I’ll find something ahead that actually deserves to be called an ingredient.”

He dusted off his hands and returned to the other applicants.

Several people standing nearby had noticed what he was doing, but they merely gave him dismissive looks, assuming he had been curious about the creature.

Satotz’s voice rang out at that moment.

”Then we should continue. Follow me.”

He turned and ran deeper into the Milsy Wetlands.

The applicants did not dare hesitate and hurried after him.