Rebirth in HxH World With Gardevoir

From Larry's shadow, Gengar emerged with a mischievous grin.

The whitening fish was fine, but the dream tuna needed to be preserved immediately. Without hesitation, Gengar opened its gaping maw and swallowed the dream tuna whole, using its ghostly abilities to freeze time inside its stomach.

With that taken care of, Menchi focused on the whitening fish, gathering a ball of pure white aura in her palm. She shaped it into a razor-sharp blade and made a precise incision into the fish's belly. Her hands moved swiftly as she checked the amount of caviar inside.

"…It's more than enough," she noted, satisfied. The quantity was well above the average yield, plenty for the two of them.

"Gengar, take care of this one too," Larry said, and without hesitation, Gengar devoured the whitening fish as well, safely storing it.

With that, they had finally completed their ingredient hunt in the Ice Field. "Alright! Let's go, we're heading to the finish line!"

At the final destination of the Food Area, the scenery changed.

Unlike the wilderness behind them, this place wasn't empty. Instead, rows of kitchen stations lined the area, equipped with every kind of cooking utensil imaginable. It was reminiscent of the setup from Menchi's portion of the Hunter Exam, only on a much larger scale.

Here, the contestants would have to cook their collected ingredients and present their final dishes to the judges. At the far end of the arena, three referees sat waiting patiently, observing the entrance.

They had been there since the second day of the competition, knowing that the most skilled contestants would make it here well before the week was up.

Even though the cooking stations were ready, no one was using them yet. Most participants were still out in the field, hunting for ingredients. After all, it was only the third day of the one-week deadline. But now, the first group of contestants was about to arrive. 

At the judging table, Linne, one of the examiners, had been sitting with her eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought. But suddenly, as if sensing something, her eyes snapped open. She turned her gaze forward, staring straight ahead. 

The strange thing was… there was nothing there. Yet, it was as if she knew, something was coming.

Linne's actions drew the attention of the two people beside her. Among the three, she held the highest status, without her, Gourmet Paradise wouldn't exist. As the founder and backbone of the organization, she sat in the center. To her left was a bald man, a two-star food hunter, and the second-in-command of Gourmet Paradise. On her right sat Netero, the special referee, who had once again returned to his usual appearance after looking different the previous evening.

Despite her serious illness, Linne still sensed someone approaching. Naturally, President Netero had already noticed it long before she did. Only the bald referee, whose abilities were slightly weaker, remained unaware of what was happening.

"Hohohoho... He really does deserve to be in first place," Netero remarked in his usual cheerful tone. Just as he finished speaking, an orange figure appeared in the distance, rapidly closing in. It was Larry and Menchi, riding on a Dragonite.

Linne's cloudy, out-of-focus eyes locked onto the two figures flying toward them. Her gaze, much like an old camera lens struggling to adjust, reflected a mix of curiosity and recognition.

"Hmm?" Larry, sitting atop Dragonite, also took note of the three referees. He had already expected to see Linne, but what caught him off guard was the presence of Netero. Then again, upon thinking it through, it made sense. 

A major competition among gourmet hunters would naturally warrant the presence of the Hunter Association's president. As for the bald referee, Larry didn't recognize him, but he assumed the man was a high-ranking executive of Gourmet Paradise.

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Larry focused on the moment. Dragonite had already begun its descent, smoothly landing at the designated cooking venue. With all the contestants using the same standardized kitchen utensils, Menchi wasted no time picking a spot and preparing to cook. 

If Larry was the one leading the hunt, then this was her moment to shine. With nothing else to do, Larry turned toward Netero and greeted him with a smile. 

"Hoo ho ho ho..." Netero chuckled, waving his right hand in response. It had been a while since their last meeting. 

The last time Larry saw Netero in person was during the Hunter Exam, though he knew Netero had caught glimpses of him afterward, particularly during the Sky Arena broadcast.

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Larry turned his full attention to Menchi, eager to watch her work her magic in the kitchen. First, he called out Gengar to bring out the ingredients. Linne, who had been watching with half-closed eyes, widened them slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her aged face. 'A spatial ability…'

From Larry's shadow, a dark, misty figure emerged, its grinning face eerily distinct in the shifting shadows. Then, one by one, ingredients began spilling from Gengar's mouth, piling neatly onto a prepared mat. Even after spitting out a substantial amount, Gengar continued, revealing a storage capacity far larger than expected.

Linne's mind raced. As someone who had ventured into the Dark Continent, she was acutely aware of how invaluable an ability like this was to a food hunter.

Larry's telekinetic powers were remarkable enough, but this… this was on another level. Recalling the events from the food area earlier, she sighed inwardly. It was no wonder they had managed to gather such incredible ingredients.

Menchi, fully focused, worked swiftly and methodically. Her meal was structured with precision: an appetizer, a main dish, a salad, a dessert, and a drink. To ensure efficiency and allow multiple dishes to be judged at the same time, she had already planned the order in which to prepare them.

First up was the appetizer, crafted from the rare White Caviar obtained in the icy regions. After delicately balancing the seasoning and side dishes, she quickly plated it.

Next came the salad, featuring white cabbage and carefully selected condiments. For dessert, Menchi used a variety of vibrant fruits, extracting their juices before crafting them into an elegant pudding.

The soup was made from Dream Tuna, accompanied by additional ingredients gathered from the food area. But the real highlight was the main course, a dish featuring three top-tier ingredients: Diamond Meat, Star Mushroom in sauce, and Rose Rock Salt.

Linne, who had been watching quietly, couldn't help but be stunned. She had expected them to have good ingredients, but this was beyond her imagination. White Caviar, Dream Tuna, Diamond Meat from a Jeweled Mammoth…

These were all the finest ingredients the food section had to offer. Most contestants would be lucky to obtain even one of these, yet Larry and Menchi had effortlessly secured them all.