Okay, so the last chapter also didn't upload quite right, but hopefully this one will. I know the first phase was pretty short, and this one will be too, but that's because all the interesting things start happening during Trick Tower.

"Excellent work everyone! The second phase will take place here in the Visca Forest Park." Satotz addresses the now dwindled crowd.

"I shall now take my leave." He glances over to Adella. "I wish you all the very best of luck."

She smiles, nodding slightly to him. Ryn looks between the two as Satotz once again walks into the forest. "Well, he was weird. What do you think phase two will be?"

As if on cue, the gated doors swing open, revealing the inner courtyard of the park house.

"Will all the applicants who passed the first exam please enter?"

Adella grins. "I don't think it will be what you expect."

Ryn wants to ask more questions, not happy Adella is being so cryptic, but the brunette merely wanders inside with the crowd, leaving Ryn to jog to catch up.

The grounds are set up with stations for each applicant, a small table with utensils for cooking laid out next to them.

"Welcome all! I am Menchi, your examiner for the second phase."

The woman sitting on the steps of the grand house is tall, her blue hair piled on her head in multiple rolls. Behind her sits a large man, rising well above her height.

"Likewise, I am Buhara."

The applicants look over the two examiners, clearly surprised by them, as well as the surroundings.

Ryn leans over to Adella. "Cooking?"

"Gourmet Hunters are still Hunters. I wouldn't want to face the beasts they do."

Buhara interrupts them, stomach rumbling. As Menchi confirms the second phase will in fact be cooking, Adella leans over to Ryn. "Something tells me the overwhelmingly male applicant pool won't be too happy about this."

Adella chuckles, agreeing as Buhara steps up to list the one rule other than cook a good meal. "Today's required ingredient will be pork. Feel free to use meat from any species of pig in Visca Forest."

Adella sighs, turning to Ryn. "I have a bad feeling these pigs won't be so easy to find. Or catch."

Ryn just smiles, turning towards the gates. "Where's the fun in that?"

As the two take off, sprinting into the forest to look for said pigs, Adella spots a flash of pink. The magician was back. She hadn't noticed him earlier but felt slightly relieved to see a familiar face amidst the rabble.

While the other applicants stayed in a clump, Adella and Ryn split off from the group.

"All that noise will scare them away. It would be better if…"

"Hey!"

Adella and Ryn look up, just in time for Gon to slide into them, knocking them over.

All three tumble to the ground in a heap, and Killua, who was right behind Gon, trips over them, landing on top. "Baka! You can't go running into people like that!"

Adella laughs, trying to untangle herself from the group. "Well, hello to you too, boys! Find any pigs?"

Killua shakes his head. "Not yet, but…"

"Uh, guys?" Gon points through the trees just behind them. "I think I did."

The pigs are huge, taller than them, and nearly reaching halfway up the tree trunk. "Oh no."

"Oh no?" Ryn and the boys look at Adella, who surveys the scene with trepidation.

"The Great Stamp. I've heard about them before. They like eating meat and do not go down easily. I can't remember how to…"

The pig closest to them stops chewing on the bone in his mouth, looking around at his fellow pigs. As he does so, he catches sight of the four watching him and lets out a nasty squeal.

"Run!" Adella grabs Gon and Killua, pushing them in front of her so they have a head start.

"Hey!" Ryn complains.

"Oh, please! You can handle yourself. They're kids!"

"I thought we were friends! You're just gonna leave me to die at the snout of a pig?" Ryn whines, clearly enjoying Adella's panic, and preying on her more emotional friend.

"We are friends!" Adella turns, pulling a knife from her back pocket. "We won't get far with those snouts in the way. Try to get above them!"

Ryn nods, splitting from the group to scale a tree. Adella slides to a stop, trying to lure one of the pigs away towards her friend. "Hey! Wilbur! Over here!"

The pig squeals in annoyance, lowering its head so its snout can ram into her. "Yeah, that's right! Come on!"

It charges, ready to impale her, when Ryn drops down, hitting its forehead with her own knife.

The pig cries out, immediately rolling onto its belly, dead.

Adella sighs, grateful that had worked. "Well, one down. Do we need another?"

Ryn raises a brow, looking between her friend and the downed swine. "Have you seen this thing? It's huge."

Adella shrugs, reaching to grab their kill. "Grab the other side. We can share. Besides, who would roast an entire pig and call it done?"

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Everyone. The answer is everyone.

"They can't be serious." Ryn groans as yet another applicant approaches Menchi and Buhara with a burnt pig.

"Well, we can't all be intelligent. Guess we are in charge of the group braincell for now." Adella finishes plating her own meat.

Adella had of course made her favorite dish- ramen, the pork belly inside tender and melt-in-your-mouth good.

Ryn on the other hand had gone for tonkatsu, a deep-fried pork cutlet breaded in panko crumbs. Both were a far cry from the other dishes so far.

"Shall we?" Ryn motions for Adella to lead the way, both grabbing their plates and slowly making their way to the two examiners.

"And what is this?"

Adella sets down her bowl, stepping back. "Pork belly ramen. I thought you could use a break from the 'roasted' pigs."

Menchi looks from the bowl up at its creator, startled when she sees the woman. But she doesn't say a word, merely nodding and reaching to try it.

Buhara, however, smiles, pointing at her. "Hey, Menchi! It's…"

Menchi throws an elbow back into Buhara's stomach.

"Shut up and eat! It's pretty standard fare, nothing too exciting, but it does taste good. I'd be willing to eat it. I suppose you pass."

Buhara slurps down the rest of the bowl, humming in delight. "Very tasty! You pass."

Adella grins, bowing to the two examiners. "Thank you. I hope one day I too can have such discerning palates."

Menchi smiles softly, waving her away for Ryn to step up.

Ryn does just as well; Menchi just happy to have at least two applicants step up. "Buhara and I are both full. This phase is over. Two applicants have passed."

The group begins murmuring, clearly unimpressed with her decision.

"I will not accept this!"

Adella rolls her eyes, cleaning up the station she and Ryn had shared. "Here they go, talking about what is and isn't fair."

Ryn hums. "And it isn't even the boys who are complaining."

Adella chuckles, glancing over at the two men who had told them to keep their distance during this exam. "Still, they look rather put out."

The man from earlier is still yelling about Gourmet Hunters; Menchi clearly unimpressed.

"Let's get this straight. We frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts in search of the finest ingredients. And every hunter is proficient in at least some form of martial art."

Menchi pulls her knives from their holster, beginning to twirl them expertly. "You lack focus and the will to experiment with new things. That alone disqualifies all but two from becoming hunters."

The applicants go silent, even Ryn and Adella, who do not want to provoke them further. As unfair as it was, Menchi would not be backing down from this, not without intervention, which came in the most unlikely of forms.

"Well, that said, it seems a bit excessive to fail almost every single applicant."