Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 360 (Patreon)

Chapter 360: Can't Laugh Anymore

Injecting a strong laxative directly into the body works faster than taking it orally.

Tonpa hadn't even understood Luo's "See you next year" before his abdomen reacted violently, as if a hundred thousand horses were stampeding inside.

At that moment, Tonpa recalled the fear he had once been dominated by and understood some things.

So that's it...!

With a stiff face and body, Tonpa slowly reached out to press his abdomen, then rigidly turned around, walking mechanically towards the door.

The last image in his mind was Luo's smiling face.

"I can't provoke him, but can't I run away?"

With endless sadness, Tonpa struggled towards the door, not daring to move too dramatically. It wasn't that he feared the contents of his stomach would rush out, but that Luo would deliver a harsher blow if his reaction was too exaggerated.

Luo watched Tonpa's stiff movements with a smile. If he could see Tonpa every year, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Or rather, the Hunter Test would lose much of its flavor without Tonpa.

No longer paying attention to the determined Tonpa, Luo scanned the remaining examinees with some disappointment.

He had volunteered to be the server, hoping to help all the examinees pass, so they could turn into pages for the second test. He hadn't expected the first test's examiner to be so ruthless, deciding from the start that only three hundred would pass.

He had thought this year's test was too gentle, but it turned out the ruthlessness was applied elsewhere. He only hoped the second test would be more reliable.

In the first test, if Luo had wanted to, he could have completed the test and destroyed all other dishes, becoming the only one to pass and naturally obtaining the license.

This was the result of overly arbitrary rules.

Among the three hundred who passed the first test, some were old examinees. They knew Tonpa, though they didn't know what had happened. Seeing Tonpa, who had already passed, fleeing dejectedly, they could only assume it had to do with Luo.

These old examinees, despite receiving help from Luo, still labeled him as dangerous in their hearts.

Five minutes later, the examiner for the second test arrived on time. He was a scruffy man with greasy, shoulder-length hair, a few flies buzzing around him, wearing a dirty white T-shirt and ripped, trendy jeans.

His facial features were partially obscured by hair, with the most visible feature being an unkempt beard. His initial appearance made it difficult to judge his age.

This unwashed look, combined with a few accompanying flies, would surely have gotten him thrown out by Addini if she were present.

"I am the examiner for the second test. Follow me."

The man said listlessly and turned to leave.

Was this the examiner for the second test?

The many examinees felt a sharp pain in their eyes but had to follow.

"This year's test is really..."

Luo rubbed his forehead and followed.

The group followed the examiner to Santa Square. Near evening, the square was noticeably less crowded, and the pigeons had disappeared.

A spaceship was parked in the square, covered in an orange-red twilight, as if painted with a layer of color.

The Hunter Association had plenty of spaceships, so using one for the test was no big deal.

The scruffy man led everyone onto the spaceship, not caring if anyone was missing.

Once everyone was aboard, the spaceship lifted off, leaving Santa Square and heading towards the unknown demon realm.

......

Ten days later, the results of the second test were announced. A total of 298 examinees had passed, setting a new record for the lowest elimination rate in history.

Three hundred had passed the first test, and 298 passed the second, with only two eliminated, both of whom had withdrawn.

The two eliminated were Tonpa and Luo. In a sense, both withdrew, though Tonpa did so before the second test began, while Luo withdrew at the end of the second test.

The reason for the high pass rate was, of course, Luo causing trouble again in the test!

As the head of the examination committee, Netero didn't follow the examiners and examinees everywhere but needed to keep track of the process and results.

He patiently listened to the scruffy man's report, but this time, he couldn't laugh.

The second test's theme was survival, starting without any equipment, not even a small knife, and traversing a harsh swamp to reach a temporary camp within a week.

Surviving the swamp required avoiding dangers, finding food, and managing physical resources.

The rules were loose, not preventing fighting among examinees or cooperation.

After dropping the examinees at the starting point, the scruffy man went alone to the temporary camp to wait for the results.

By the fourth day, examinees began arriving at the camp, passing the second test.

Reaching the end in four days was the most reasonable time. If they hadn't arrived by the fifth or sixth day, their chances of reaching the camp were slim.

By the morning of the sixth day, the scruffy man had counted 21 examinees at the camp. He thought this was about the number of passers, believing there wouldn't be more than thirty.

He was confident in his judgment, but starting from noon on the sixth day, his face kept getting slapped.

Watching Luo bring examinees to the camp one by one, the scruffy man felt bad, and those who had already passed were also stunned.

By the evening of the seventh day, 298 examinees had arrived at the camp. After bringing the last one, Luo left, not giving the scruffy man any chance to speak.

This exaggerated pass rate, regardless of how many got their licenses, left a deep impression on this year's examiners and examinees, though how they remembered Luo varied.

Netero couldn't laugh not because of the exaggerated pass rate but because Luo withdrew again.

He didn't care about the 298 who passed but cared whether Luo could get his license.

Upon learning Luo was participating, Netero was surprised, thinking Luo aimed to get a license by stepping away from Linne, but things turned out differently.

Netero consoled the angry scruffy man, rejected his proposal to ban Luo from future tests, and hung up.

After a while, Netero called Luo.

At that moment, Luo was in a village, dining at a hospitable villager's house.

Putting down his bowl and picking up the ringing phone, Luo gestured for the villager to stop trying to sell his daughter and answered the call.

"Having fun?"

Netero's voice came from the other end.

"Hello? Hmm, can't hear anything, is the signal this bad? Hello, speak up? Why aren't you talking?" Luo babbled and then decisively hung up.

On the other end, Netero listened to the busy tone and shook his head helplessly.

Beside him, Bean smiled wryly. "If you hadn't told me, I'd have thought you were calling Ging."

• Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.

Table of content - Next Chapter >>>