Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

Inner Fang Bay was a fan-shaped inlet, where the local residents had constructed sizable homes over the water using a plant called arrow bamboo as the primary material.

Upon entering the bay, one could see wooden and bamboo houses suspended above the water, forming an extensive floating residential area.

However, the waterborne structures weren't the only homes, as there were also clusters of buildings along the shoreline, and Amato's house was among them.

Examinees from various regions arrived at Inner Fang Bay one after another. Somehow, word had leaked that Amato was the one who could provide directions to the exact location of the Hunter Exam.

Because of that, the examinees gathered in Inner Fang Bay and swarmed toward Yamato's house as if they had all planned it together.

The square-nosed man who had arrived at Amato's doorstep earlier wisely stepped aside, quickly distancing himself from the house to avoid being trampled by the horde of examinees.

'What's going on?'

The man retreated to a safe distance, staring blankly at the crowd of hundreds pushing and shoving outside the house.

The noisy din became the dominant melody of Inner Fang Bay, while the swarm of examinees, packed like sardines, crushed Amato's bamboo house without mercy.

When the local residents saw this scene, they all looked at it with confusion and surprise.

At this time, the examinees resembled starving wolves that had caught the scent of meat.

'These people are insane.'

The square-nosed man, who had participated in the Hunter Exam about twenty times, had never encountered anything like this during this stage of the process.

'Should I stock up on more supplies?'

He looked at the crowd of examinees, subconsciously touched his bulging yellow shoulder bag, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

It wasn't just this seasoned examinee who was baffled. Amato, one of the guides, was equally stunned as he sipped his afternoon tea inside the house.

"Stop pushing! My door's about to collapse!"

Amato dashed to the front door from the inner room, but before he could finish his sentence, the entire door, the bamboo wall, and even half of the bamboo house collapsed under the relentless pressure.

The crowded examinees tumbled like dominoes, their collective weight reducing the bamboo house to rubble.

Seeing this scene, the square-nosed man patted his chest in relief, grateful for his quick thinking in retreating early. Otherwise, he would have been the first to be hit and might have been crushed to death.

The guide, Amato, struggled to climb out of the wreckage of the bamboo house, and looked at the ruins of his house in agony.

Among the cacophony, the examinees were mostly asking Amato about the test's exact location.

So, Amato knew that these guys were all examinees who came to take the test.

He looked at the hundreds of examinees lying in a mess and shouted angrily, "Follow the Amaromi River all the way to the end! That's the test site! Now, GET OUT OF HERE!"

His furious roar echoed across the bay, silencing the examinees.

A moment later, they scattered as quickly as they had arrived, vanishing like birds startled into flight. In the blink of an eye, Amato stood alone amidst the ruins of his bamboo house.

"These bastards!"

The middle-aged Yamato heaved a long, despondent sigh.

…

Not far from the collapsed bamboo house, Law and Buhara watched as the examinees came and went in a hurry.

"So, follow the Amaromi River all the way to the end, huh..."

Law rubbed his chin and turned to Buhara, "Should we walk or find a boat?"

Buhara thought about it seriously and said, "We don't have fishing rods, so walking let's just walk!"

"…"

Law smacked his forehead, feeling quite exasperated.

In fact, Law personally leaned toward walking as well. Walking meant they'd encounter plenty of wildlife since rivers were the lifeblood of ecosystems. Humans built settlements near water, and animals in forests often stayed close to water sources.

Areas near water often served as a clear reflection of the food chain.

After deciding to walk, Law wasn't in a hurry to set out. He wanted to explore the settlements in Inner Fang Bay first.

Since this place was so close to the Amaromi Forest, it was home to an incredibly diverse array of species. There was a good chance he could find some unique local specialties.

…

"Hey, are you guys examinees too?"

At this time, a man with a bulging yellow satchel slung over his shoulder came over and greeted Law and Buhara.

Hearing the voice, Law and Buhara looked at him.

The man was square-nosed with thick eyebrows, dressed plainly, and looked to be nearly thirty. His satchel, packed to the brim, hung at his waist as he smiled warmly.

Looking at the man's appearance, Law's eyelids twitched slightly, as recognition flashing through his mind, 'Based on my memory, wasn't this guy the infamous Tonpa? The examinee who had participated in the Hunter Exam over thirty times.'

'No, considering the timeline, it wasn't thirty-plus times yet, more like twenty or so.'

After recognizing the identity of the square-nosed man, Law's gaze immediately shifted to Tonpa's satchel with growing interest.

'Could there be canned drinks injected with powerful laxatives in there? If so, then Tonpa is really amazing for sticking to the same scheme for so many years.'

This man with a square nose, thick eyebrows, and nearly thirty years old is indeed Tonpa.

After the crowd of examinees dispersed, Law and Buhara, whose clothes were different from those of the local residents, immediately stood out and made Tonpa notice them immediately.

Even though the formal Hunter Exam hadn't started yet, that didn't stop Tonpa from beginning his 'hunt'. Naturally, he saw Law and Buhara as potential prey, and can also be used as meat shields when necessary.

However, just as Tonpa approached and greeted them, he noticed the dark-haired boy with a scar on his eyebrow suddenly glancing at his satchel with an odd look.

If it wasn't because he hadn't seen these two faces before, Tonpa might have suspected Law was a veteran who already knew about his tricks. Otherwise, why would Law look at the satchel first, and with such a strange look in his eyes?

"Yes, we're examinees." Law withdrew his gaze and replied calmly.

Suppressing his doubts, Tonpa refrained from extending a handshake too soon and instead maintained his warm demeanor, "Nice to meet you. I'm Tonpa. I've taken the Hunter Exam quite a few times, so you could say I'm a seasoned veteran."

"You can just call me Law." Law said nonchalantly, then gestured with his thumb to Buhara beside him, and said, "This is Buhara."

Tonpa kept up his friendly smile and said sincerely, "I have been to the Amaromi Forest several times, so I am quite familiar with this place and can recognize many natural traps."

Instead of rushing to propose teaming up, Tonpa first subtly showcased his own value and laid the groundwork for the suggestion later.

Buhara took over the conversation at the right time and asked, "What are natural traps?"

"Things like spider land crabs disguised as bamboo groves, sand-dwelling conch beetles, or arrow-tongued frogs lurking in shallow riverbanks. There are many more! These are all natural traps of the Amaromi Forest. People unfamiliar with the area who wander in recklessly can easily lose their lives!"

Tonpa gestured wildly with exaggerated movements, as if to vividly depict the dangers of these natural traps.

Law smiled softly and already guessed where Tonpa was going with this.

But at this time, Buhara's eyes lit up with excitement, and he eagerly asked: "Can you eat them?"

"Huh?"

Tonpa's flailing arms immediately froze mid-air.