Remedy for the Tedium

by escapism3

Getting reincarnated is quite boring. But perhaps - you (Erisu Adashino, er, Kaiya Ryuukawa now, you suppose) could make it fun. You've already died once, and the thought of experiencing it again didn't bother you as much as it should've. Hm, maybe death really has messed you up in the head. OC-insert.

6. Chapter 5

Ch. 5 - Your x Amazing x Cooking

January 7th, 1999
Visca Forest Preserve, Kukan'yu Kingdom

Making your way to the Phase 2 site alone wasn't a difficult feat for you. You'd managed to avoid most of the remaining beasts wandering around by sprinting up amongst the trees, flitting from branch to branch rather than running. The fog was also considerably thinner up high, so you could vaguely see the direction of where you needed to go. After all, you'd come to the exam prepared; memorizing a map of the area between the Wetlands and Forest Preserve was one of first things you did.

Though for a second, you'd considered following Hisoka back to the group instead. But on second thought, approaching the magician so soon after your previous exchange was likely not a good idea if you wanted to avoid dancing around cards getting thrown at you. From the little time you've known him (if you ignore your prior knowledge), you can tell he's no doubt in some sort of a trigger-happy mood. Rest in peace - or pieces - to anybody he came across, you suppose.

But now, you've just made it back to the main group in front of the Preserve gates. You wave at Satotz as you pass by him to join the others, and he returns the gesture with a nod before resuming his watch for more lagging applicants. With a glance, you note that everyone else important, minus Gon and Kurapika, are all here. Seems like you have a bit of time to kill before they arrive and Phase 2 begins.

Though before you make your way to an inconspicuous corner to wait in, you decide to approach a certain white-haired kid who's looking around for someone in disappointment. Killua pauses and looks up at you once he senses your approach from a few steps away.

"Looking for someone?" You tilt your head curiously.

The boy huffs and stares at you for a moment, shifting the yellow skateboard under his arm. "Maybe. Why do you care?"

"Oh, sorry, but does that someone happen to be about your age and carry around a fishing rod?"

His eyes narrow, wondering where you're going with this. You quickly continue before he can jump to any unsavory conclusions.

"I saw him and the yellow-haired boy on my way here. You guys seemed like good friends, so I thought I'll let you know." Sheepishly, you smile.

"...hmph. Okay." Killua turns away after squinting at you, and you notice the slightest relaxation in his shoulders. Understandably, he doesn't completely take you at your word.

"They weren't too far away, so they should be able to make it back soon. I'll get going now, sorry to bother you. Make sure to be careful though, kid."

At that, you turn and go find an empty stretch of wall to lean on. No need to extend that conversation beyond what's appropriate. The boy is sharp, and would probably get a bit suspicious if you'd tried to continue the conversation. After all, adults typically don't start a chat with a kid when there's plenty of other people to talk to.

Also, you'd noticed Gittarackur - or should you say, Illumi Zoldyck - close by and no doubt watching Killua's interaction with you. Hmm, you wonder if Hisoka has already told him that there's another Nen user present or not.

Well, that's something for later. Your eyes close and let out a faux sigh of exhaustion.

---

December 26th, 1980
Jappon Island

Nen is the life energy of all living beings on earth, and those who learn how to manipulate it are granted near-supernatural abilities. Mastery of this control can raise one's status, constitution, and power to truly inhuman levels. For this reason, the existence of Nen is hidden from the public at large. It's potential is limitless - depending on who wields it, it can either become a tool of mass destruction, or a force of good.

For you to truly live and survive in this world, you have no choice but to learn how to control it and become one of those people. Everything you know about the Hunter x Hunter world and its inhabitants force you to feel the need to have your own ability - whether it be to protect yourself and the ones you care about - or go out and explore the vast world and meet interesting people. How can you not? Knowing such a major secret, not using it to its full extent would be incredibly foolish of you.

By now, it's almost been a year since you fully realized your situation. Since then, you've been almost nonstop training in Nen once you opened your aura nodes. That alone took four months, and then another eight to fully master Ten. In that regard, you could actually be considered a real talent. After all, it took Zushi three months to open his nodes and six to master Ten - and this was with his mentor, Wing,'s guidance. You managed it all by yourself (though, to be fair, you can easily recall the explanations and teachings given on the topic).

It's still unexpected. You are, by all technical accounts, still a normal girl living in a rural village in Jappon. Even with your abnormal memories, you are still physically a young child, so it was genuinely surprising that you could handle and manipulate Nen to this extent. Not that you're complaining. Wing had called Zushi a one in a one-hundred-thousand talent, so you are indeed lucky. You don't plan on taking this boon for granted, and will definitely use it to your full advantage.

You dig around the kitchen in search for a glass cup. Tomorrow is the anniversary of your arrival in the world - your birthday - and your parents have gone out to purchase things for a small celebration. You suppose it's appropriate for you to do something special for the occasion as well. So, you've decided it's finally time: find out your Nen classification.

In your free time, you'd been thinking about which category you'd want to be in most. Each one has their own strengths, and the fighting style and tactics you'll develop will have to revolve around them. Enhancement seems to involve a bit too much direct combat for you, and Manipulation tends relies too much on other people for your taste...so perhaps Emission, Transmutation, or Conjuration? Those seem the most flexible in your opinion. As for Specialist, the chances of you being one is incredibly low. The statistic was about 0.033%, if you recall correctly. As funny as it would be, you don't have high hopes.

Now, everything has been perfectly set up for Water Divination. On the wooden dining table stands a clear glass filled to the brim with water, with a lone, green leaf floats on top.

Taking a deep breath, you kneel on the chair and raise your hands on either side of the glass. You can't help but be excited, but you calm yourself and steady your rising heart rate and trembling hands. Focus. Forcing yourself into a state of calm, you activate your Ren.

Nen has an interesting feeling. For you, it's like a warm, weightless cloth covering your entire body, as if you've become a newborn again, swaddled safely in a blanket. Even now, you feel a slight awe at the sensation that courses around your body.

Shaking your head, you concentrate, increasing your Ren output slightly and focus on the glass, careful to observe any changes.

For a moment that feels like an eternity, nothing visible happens.

Until - the glass shatters.

It was as if the material lost its ability to maintain its integrity - like it could no longer handle the weight of its own existence.

The cup had collapsed on the spot, leaving behind a pile of shards and fine dust where it once stood tall. Water with no more container to hold it spills across the table, and the leaf drifts aimlessly across the surface.

Oh.

You're a Specialist.

You have mixed feelings about this, you think, hands frozen in the same position. Being a Specialist is crazy lucky of you, but if it's a net positive or negative thing for you is to be seen, depending entirely on what Specialist Ability you get.

This... is thrilling.

Though, looking down at the absolute mess on the table, you wince and wonder how you're going to inform your father that his favorite cup has been reduced to nothing but a pile of glass shards.

---

January 7th, 1999
Visca Forest Preserve, Kukan'yu Kingdom

Cooking has never been one of your strong suits. Well, you think that it's less that you're genuinely terrible at it, and more that you had never taken the time nor effort to learn the skill in both of your lives. All the dishes you've made could be considered edible, at least. But unfortunately for you, cooking is the entirety of the Hunter Exam's Second Phase.

You watched in the distance as Gon and Kurapika had returned and reunited with Leorio and Killua. Soon later, Satotz had said his goodbyes and sauntered off into the distance, just as the gates to the Preserve opened up for the applicants. Sitting up on the stage inside is Buhara, the huge man with a comically large belly, and Menchi, the scantily dressed green-haired woman. They are the Gourmet Hunter examiners for the Phase.

They explain the task - to create a pork dish that satisfies both their palettes - and murmurs of disgruntled confusion fill the air. Seems like applicants clearly didn't expect a mundane task like this for the next stage of such a prestigious exam. Honestly, it was understandable; if you'd just run over eighty kilometers, exhausted and mentally preparing for whatever challenge is next, just to be told it's just cooking pork, you'd be a bit taken aback, too. But you aren't, since you already knew this would happen. You stretch, glancing around. Nothing really interesting occurs in the first half of this phase, so you don't bother paying much attention.

Anyways, seems like its time to hunt some carnivorous pigs.

.

You are the first to make it back to the area with a dead Great Stamp in tow. Not wasting any time, you'd given the first one you saw a swift stab to their weak spot - the area of the forehead hidden behind their large nose - and instantly killed it. A few applicants nearby, including Gon, had seen this and the information quickly spread.

The deceased animal hits the grill at your cooking station with a heavy metallic bang. While you know no one will be able to fulfill Menchi's expectations and pass the round, it doesn't mean you aren't going to try to make something decent.

Hm, but you wonder if this will follow the anime or manga's events. If it's the manga's, they'll be a second round for sushi. So far though, it seems like things have been going with the anime's plotline more.

Shaking your head, you focus back on the dead pig on your grill. More applicants have begun dropping their bounty on their respective cooking stations. Either way, you need to figure out how to turn this pig into a good dish...grabbing a potato, you stare at it.

.

With two plates in your hands, you head up to the stage. Considering you hadn't even actually tried making something that tastes good in several years, you think you did pretty well. The meat is tender and the sauce slathered on top is warm, and you even made a small side of potatoes and cheese.

Hey, maybe you aren't a completely incompetent chef.

You approach the two examiners and place the plates down in front of them respectively. The green-haired woman eyes the dish with a little less venom in her eyes than she did for the previous ones she's judged so far.

"Thank you for your time, Hunters. Please judge my dish; I do hope it meets your expectations." You smile politely. Honestly, this whole thing makes you feels like you're on one of those reality cooking competition shows.

Menchi sighs. "Finally, something other than a whole roast pig!"

Buhara immediately picks up the plate and slides everything on it into his mouth and munches contentedly, quickly giving you a pass. As for Menchi, she carefully stabs a cube of pork with a fork and places it in her mouth thoughtfully. You wait patiently as she eats it for a moment.

"Hm...urgh! What the hell is this?" She coughs.

"..."

And there go your hopes and dreams.

Menchi promptly slams her hands on the table, sending your hard work flying up in the air where Buhara intercepts it with his mouth. She scowls, evidently pissed off again.

"Why is the pork so gamey?! It's incredibly undercooked! The sauce is horribly paired and the two flavors don't go well together at all!" She growls. "And don't even get me started on the presentation! What are these cubes?! A ten year old could do better!"

"FAIL! The only point I can give is that an attempt was made, as poor as it was. Now whose next?" The woman turns away with a disappointed sigh.

Your smile has become quite strained. She didn't even this dig that harsh on the people who gave her the whole charred pig...with a defeated shrug, you do your walk of shame off the stage and back into the crowd.

From somewhere on your right, you hear a laugh and look to see Hisoka. Again.

There's no way he of all people is laughing at you. The clown had been one of the many to simply smack down a full pig to be judged and call it a day.

"...Can you really be laughing? You failed as well."

He grins. "But that's exactly why I am. Even with all that effort you put in, we've ended up in the same position."

Your eye twitches, but you can't help but sigh. Unfortunately, he's not wrong. While you'd expected to fail, knowing the female examiner's strict reputation and your own substandard cooking abilities, it still would've been nice to not have your poor dish flamed publicly like that and rejected all the same. You guess you'll take it as a learning experience to not pair that sauce with pork next time.

You narrow your eyes.

"By the way, your killing intent has become quite obvious."

Ever since the beginning of the Phase, the magician beside you has been silently challenging the two Hunters up on stage with an intense aura. At the very least, it seems like he's shifted his focus away from immediately targeting you or Gon, but it still affects you since you can feel the annoying intent from afar - it's one of the reasons why Menchi is being particularly aggressive with the judging.

Hisoka glances at you.

"But it's getting boring ... and those examiners seem like enough fun to play with. Why, are you jealous, Erisu-san?"

You give him a dry smile. "Certainly not. Hm, though would you like for me to be?"

"Oh? And what if I do?"

A beat passes as you both stare at each other. He must really be bored if he's decided to start flirting with you, and woefully, you can relate to that feeling.

"Then you'll be sorely disappointed, Hisoka-san. No sane person would want to be on the receiving end of your bloodlust."

You have to admit that you probably can't be considered sane at this point - but he doesn't need to know that. However, from the way his yellow eyes sharpen in amusement, it seems like he suspects as much. You break the eye contact.

Back up on stage, it's finally Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika's turn. The former two each submit a whole roast pig with varying decorations, and of course get promptly failed. Kurapika hands in a layered tower of meat, lettuce, and tomato, which you think looks pretty good. But naturally, his still gets rejected by an extremely irritated Menchi.

"Appearance is important, but only if it also tastes good! You're no better than #403 or #63!"

Hearing that, you cough. You can't tell if you should feel bad for his dish or yours at the comparison. Kurapika also looks a bit fazed at that.

But now, it seems like everyone has been failed. Satotz should be calling the Hunter Exam Chairman by now...

Buhara pats his full belly pleasantly. "Man, I'm stuffed!" A huge pile of Great Stamp bones lie picked clean behind him.

"Yeah, so am I. So, nobody passes. We're done here!" Menchi announces quickly and disdainfully, getting up with a hand on her hip. A wave of indignation and frustration rolls over the crowd.

"What? It's over? Just like that?"

"The hell?!"

"Does she really mean it?"

"I absolutely refuse to accept this!" Todo, one of the most vocal applications against this Phases' task, slams his fist down on one of the cooking stations and crumples it. A sad waft of smoke puffs from the destroyed metal.

"You asked for pork and we gave you pork! We're here to be Hunter, not chefs or gourmets!"

The chorus of agreement echoes his sentiment. Many applicants look on in offence.

"I said to prepare pork in a manner that both of us find delicious. None of you made anything remotely close to that." Ouch.

"You all did almost the same thing. There was just about no effort made! There were two that I thought actually tried, but one only changed the appearance and the other was so bad it barely even counts!"

You sweatdrop. Whoa there, there's no way it was actually that horrible, right?

"I'm positive that none of you took cooking seriously!"

"Pork dishes are all the same..." Hanzo mutters bravely, shrugging his shoulders in exasperation. Foolish move, since the ninja's red collar is instantly yanked by a angry Menchi.

"Oi! Say that again I dare you! Any more shit from you and I'll shove my arm up your ass and knock your teeth out!"

Everyone looks away, sweating as the bald-headed man is verbally abused by the examiner. You glance to your left and feel the steady rise of Hisoka's bloodlust.

"In other words, you people don't have the guts to try anything new - other than #63, I guess. Maybe I'll just pass her since she's the only one that tried to change both the taste and appearance, unlike the rest of you!"

...you're flattered, and also getting mixed signals. But did she have to call you out like that in front of an angry mob? Some applicants whip around in search of #63, and they glare at you once they spot your badge.

Todo refuses to back down. "Shut up! My goal is to be a Black List Hunter, and I'm definitely not going to let a stupid Gourmet Hunter like you decide my fate!"

Menchi cooly tilts her head. "Well then, too bad you got stuck with a stupid Gourmet Hunter as an examiner. Better luck next year!"

"Why, you...!" Todo turns red and charges at her, fist pulled back. "Don't fuckin' mock me!"

Before anyone can react, the man is sent flying through the air and rebounding off the Preserve wall by Buhara. A blanket of silence falls over the area at the scene.

"Buhara, that was uncalled for."

The large man looks down at the woman and speaks frankly. "...well, if I hadn't interfered, you would've killed him."

Menchi tsks. "Probably."

She stands up, four carving knives suddenly in hand as she steps down the stage.

"Let me make this clear. We Gourmet Hunters frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, in search for the best ingredients. Every one of us Hunters know some form of martial art." She tossed the blades up in the air and spins them in a circle, each knife becoming a whirlwind of silver. Quite an impressive and mesmerizing sight. You also take the moment to appreciate her style: the mesh top and bows on her heels are cute.

"You all lack the focus and willingness to experiment. That alone disqualifies you from becoming Hunters!" The final statement is punctuated with all fours blades falling into her left hand and pointed at the crowd.

"Oh dear, Hisoka-san. We might really all be failed." You smile and glance see that he's already raised a playing card, taking the Hunter's declaration as a challenge to fight.

"Hmm~"

Before any move can be made, a loud, crackly voice suddenly reverberates from speakers above.

"That said, isn't failing every single applicant a bit excessive?"

People look up in surprise to see a huge airship with the Hunter Association logo plastered on the side, hovering about sixty feet above their heads. Just as they grasp the sight, a small figure leaps from the ship and grows larger and larger as it approaches the ground. It slams square in the middle of the area, sending rubble and dirt blowing into the air from the heavy impact and forcing people to raise their arms in defense from the debris.

The cloudy dust clears to reveal an old man wearing white and blue robes with a ponytail, long beard, and four ear piercings, looking reminiscent of a Buddha.

"Who-Who is this old geezer!?" Some random applicant sputters, coughing up dirt.

Menchi steps forward, much calmer and composed now. "The Chairman of the Selection Committee. He's in charge of the Hunter Exam...Chairman Netero."

Issac Netero. You look at the elderly man with a level of respect. One of the most proficient *Nen* users of all time and one of the few to make it back from the Dark Continent alive. His determination and dedication alone is enough to impress anyone. Pity he dies, but at least we went willingly.

The man is someone you have to be careful of, though. Netero wields enough power politically and physically to end or capture you swiftly if you act a tad too knowledgeable. It would only be amusing for about 0.1 of a second if you expose your knowledge of Beyond Netero or the Dark Continent. Not that you have much desire to anger him, anyway.

Netero strokes his beard. "Well, I usually work behind the scenes. I only take action when there's an issue, like now."

The old man allows Menchi to explain her actions, and she offers to resign. He rejects easily, saying it would be too difficult to find another examiner on such short notice. Instead, he proposed she continues serving as an examiner and instead create another test, one that she also has to participate in. You didn't miss the quick peek he takes at the woman's chest as she speaks. So he's slso a bit of a pervert...

"Is that acceptable? I'm certain that will help the applicants accept the results." The Chairman chuckles.

"That's true...then the new challenge will be..."

"Boiled Eggs!"

"Eh?!"

.

Everyone arrives on Mt. Split-in-Half (the person who named this place truly lacks creativity) on the airship and crowd around the edge of the imposing ravine, located along the middle of the rocky plateau. Mutters of nervousness erupt as people glance down into the incredibly deep split in the mountain.

"Now, everyone...look down there." Menchi points, excitement evident in her voice.

The bottom cannot be seen, drowned out in the foggy dark shadow. But above that are thousands of webs, cross crossing strands of white suspending clumps of large eggs.

"See those? They're Spider Eagle webs."

"Whoa! They build webs down there?" You hear Gon exclaim in amazement. Looking down the edge, you note that this sight would definitely give the average person a wave of vertigo. A burst of updraft ruffles your hair and send a few people stumbling back.

"Look below the webs. Those are Spider Eagle eggs."

"They build their webs in deep ravines like these to protect them from land predators. This makes them one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain." Netero steps forward, his geta clogs hitting the rocks.

"They're also known as dream eggs."

"W-Wait a minute, you don't mean-?!" Todo stutters.

"I sure do!"

Without adieu, Menchi leaps into the ravine, falling before catching a thick strand of web to hold herself up. The people around you gasp and let out nervous yells at the sudden jump.

You watch as she pauses, before letting go all of a sudden. As she falls, she grabs an egg.

"Hey, she let go...! Is she trying to kill herself?!" Leorio exclaims, hand on his head. His cheek is still swollen from Hisoka's punch.

"No, she's not." Kurapika mutters.

"Huh?"

Before long, another strong updraft bursts, sending Menchi back into sight and soaring back above the ravine, causing cries of astonishment and amazement. She floats there, egg firmly in her grasp with a wide grin.

"That looks fun!" The kids exclaim.

Menchi lands safely behind the group, raising the egg up high. "All that's left is to boil it!"

"You've got to be kidding me, n-no reasonable person would do that!"

You can't help but agree with Todo. This is real adrenaline junkie behavior. Just as he says that though, the main four launch themselves into the ravine with a shout of excitement.

With a helpless shrug, you join them and take the leap, wind whistling past your ears as you fall. The sensation feels oddly familiar.

.

The white portion of the boiled egg seems to melt in your mouth, leaving behind a sweet creamy flavor. Damn, they really are delicious.

The slowly sun sets in the sky, casting a warm glow on everybody around eagerly feasting on their hard-earned prize. You admire the sight as you nibble your egg and let the taste sit in your mouth.

Turning around, you watch Gon kindly offer Todo a bite of his egg. The man has a change of heart as he chews, and apologizes to Menchi while admitting he's been outclassed this year.

What a wholesome ending, you think, smiling as you sink your teeth into the egg again. Another Phase down.

.

Up on the Hunter committee's airship, you stand beside Hisoka, Gittarackur, and the remaining applicants as you listen to Netero and Beans reintroduce themselves.

"I was originally going to make my appearance during the final phase but as I'm already here..." Netero 's eyes narrow in delight. "I'm loving the tension in the air, so I think I'll stick around for the rest of the trip, haha!"

Beans raises his hand. "We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning, at 8 AM. You'll find dinner waiting in the dining hall. You are also welcome to get some rest. In other words, you're free to do as you please until you are contacted."

At that, you see the kids dart out of the room, intent on exploring the airship. Kurapika and Leorio head out to go get some rest, but are accounted by Tonpa again.

You turn towards the two men beside you. "So, Hisoka-san and er, Gittarackur-san, what are you two going to do?" You take a stretch as you ask. Those two have been subtly sticking together so far whenever the red-headed magician isn't off harassing someone. You also haven't formally met Illumi yet, so you thought you might as well greet them.

"Probably going to go get some rest. It's been a long day, after all." Hisoka smiles.

Really? You can't help but really doubt that.

"Ah, but you haven't met Gittarackur-san yet, right? Gittarackur-san, this is Erisu-chan. Erisu-chan, meet Gittarackur-san!"

Your eye twitches at the demeaning honorific and you fix the clown with a deadpan look. He's reallu putting in the effort to tick you off in front of Illumi.

"...nice to meet you, Gittarackur-san." You turn back to the tall, purple man with golden pins sticking out of his head and give him a neutral, pleasant smile. You suppose such an uncanny disguise is most effective for keeping people away and certainly prevents anyone from recognizing him. Too bad you already know.

He only stiffy nods in response, clicking strangely from the movement.

"Ne, Erisu-chan, how about you?"

You hum and think for a second. "Probably going to check out what food they're offering, before getting some rest. Well, I'll see you two around. Try not to murder anyone, Hisoka."

With a wave, you leave the room and head towards the dining hall. On the way there, you run into Gon and Killua, both of whom just get kicked out of the kitchen from the looks of it.

You raise an eyebrow at the food in their hands as they skid to a stop in front of you. "So, did they have anything good in there?"

Gon sheepishly smiles after blinking at your for a moment. "Uhm, the meat they're cooking is tasty!"

Killua nods, still chewing on the big drumstick he's holding.

"Sounds good. Try to get some rest, you two."

Here ends day one of the Hunter Exam. Things have been going fine so far. You lean against the wall with your eyes closed, hoping to get some sleep before Trick Tower. Depending on your luck, you'll either be able to clear it alone or be forced to actually collaborate with other people.

"..."

Fucking hell, why did the room you choose have to be right next to Hisoka's? You restrain the urge to stab a blade though the paper-thin walls. With a budget as large as the Hunter Association's, you'd assume they could afford sound-insulation. But no, you can hear the sound of the clown's moaning as he knocks down his card towers.

"Hmmm~"