Chapter 60: The Great Stamp (Part 2)
Leorio glanced around frantically, sweat beading on his forehead. The forest was thick, the ground uneven — and worst of all, there was nothing nearby he could use. The hulking boar charging at him was getting closer by the second.
"Think, think—!" he muttered, eyes darting.
"Leorio, there!" Osren shouted, wiping the sweat from his brow and pointing ahead. Not far from where Leorio stood, a tangle of thick green vines peeked out from the forest floor.
He remembered this part of the story — in the original events, Leorio had tripped on vines and, with Gon's help, figured out how to use them to take down the boar.
But this time, Osren intended to make things a little smoother — fewer bruises, same results.
Leorio followed Osren's gesture, his eyes lighting up as soon as he saw the vines. "Got it!"
He sprinted forward, grabbed hold of the vines, and waited. The Great Stamp snorted furiously, picking up speed, its massive tusks plowing through the dirt like plows through soil.
Then, just as it lunged —
"Now!"
Leorio yanked the vines upward with all his strength. The boar's front legs caught instantly, sending the beast tumbling forward in a spectacular face-first crash.
Before it could recover, Leorio hefted his metal briefcase, roared, and brought it down hard on the creature's head.
"WHAM!"
The impact was brutal — the boar let out one last muffled grunt before collapsing, completely still.
"I did it! Hahahaha, I actually did it!" Leorio cheered, dragging the enormous boar toward Gon and Osren, grinning ear to ear like a kid who'd just won a prize at a fair. "Alright, let's get this roast going!"
---
Killua, meanwhile, wasn't nearly as talkative.
He stopped running altogether, letting the pursuing boar charge straight at him. Calm, focused, and completely unfazed, he stood still in the center of the clearing.
"Killua, be careful!" Leorio yelled, alarmed. Despite their short time together, the bond between them had grown fast — seeing Killua just stand there made his heart leap.
He dropped the boar he'd been dragging and took a step forward, ready to help.
But Osren's voice cut through the air, firm and sure. "Leorio, don't. Killua's got this."
"Yeah," Gon added with a bright grin, "Killua's really strong."
---
And then it happened.
The Great Stamp thundered toward Killua — one final, monstrous charge.
Killua didn't move until the last possible instant. Then, like a flicker of lightning, his body tilted just slightly to the side.
A blur — a twist — a dull thud.
The boar barreled past him, staggered two steps, and collapsed in a heap.
---
"Huh?" Leorio blinked, completely baffled. "Wait—what? He didn't even do anything! Did the pig… pass out on its own?"
He hadn't seen a thing — the movement was too fast, too sharp for the untrained eye to follow.
Osren, however, had caught every detail.
He exhaled slowly, his expression mixed with admiration and disbelief. "As expected of the heir to the Zoldyck family," he murmured. "That timing… that precision… flawless."
In the brief instant when the boar had brushed past, Killua had driven a perfectly placed punch straight into the side of its skull — an impact so well-timed it looked effortless.
---
"That was awesome, Killua!" Gon said, eyes sparkling with genuine excitement. "You're amazing!"
Killua turned his head slightly, pretending not to care, though the corner of his mouth betrayed the faintest hint of a grin. His ears even twitched a little at the praise before he casually grabbed the boar by its leg and started dragging it back toward the others.
Leorio, now closer, squatted beside the fallen creature, squinting. He noticed a small, concave dent on its forehead — just enough to tell him what really happened.
"So that's it…" he muttered, whistling low. "One punch, huh? Guess I really don't wanna make that kid mad."
Osren chuckled quietly, watching the group regroup with their respective prey.
"Not bad, kid," Leorio said, giving Killua a grin that was equal parts impressed and disbelieving. "Didn't expect you to be such a quiet little monster."
Killua shrugged, smirking. "You're not so bad yourself, old man."
It was meant as a compliment — his version of "thanks" — but that smug tone didn't exactly make Leorio feel appreciated.
Before Leorio could argue, a sharp squeal echoed through the forest.
"SQUEEE!"
The group turned toward the sound and saw Kurapika standing over his fallen target.
Kurapika had lured his boar between two massive boulders. The moment it got wedged between them, he seized a rock the size of a washbasin and brought it down again and again on the beast's skull until it went still.
The horrifying screech they'd heard moments ago, it turned out, was the boar's last cry — not Kurapika's.
---
"Alright," Osren said, dusting off his hands as he surveyed the group's work. "We've all got our pigs. Let's head to the river and start cleaning them. These things are huge — they'll take ages to roast, and time's not on our side."
"Got it, Osren!" Gon called out, already dragging his boar toward the riverbank.
The others quickly followed, realizing that the sooner they cooked, the better. None of them wanted to fail the Hunter Exam because they undercooked dinner.
---
At the riverside, Osren took charge. He worked with efficient precision, cleaning the thick-skinned beasts and preparing them for roasting. Nearby, the other examinees were finally regaining control of the chaotic scene — now that they knew the boar's weak point, knocking one out was a lot easier.
Some had even gotten… creative.
Hanzo, for instance, had found a large canvas sheet from who-knows-where, draped it over a boulder, and lured a boar straight into it. The boar charged, smashed headfirst into the rock, and crumpled instantly.
The Amori brothers, on the other hand, went with the more "traditional" method — sneaking up and knocking their pigs out cold with blunt force. It wasn't elegant, but it worked.
---
Soon, the scent of roasting meat filled the forest.
"Crackle, crackle."
The flames flickered and danced, casting golden light over the riverbank. Five enormous boars — cleaned, spiced, and mounted on sturdy tree trunks — sizzled over the fire.
Osren had coated them with a special blend of herbs and seasonings, and now, the rich, smoky aroma drifted on the breeze, making even the nearby examiners' stomachs growl.
Compared to the burnt mess the original story's group had made, this was a feast fit for royalty — golden skin, dripping fat, and the irresistible smell of perfection.
---
The five roasts lined up together made for a breathtaking sight — like something out of a legend, not a cooking exam.
Gon and the others watched in awe as the flames licked at the glistening meat, the firelight reflecting in their eyes.
"Next round's gonna be Menchi's," Osren murmured thoughtfully, flipping one of the spits to roast evenly. "If she follows the pattern, she'll probably test everyone on sushi. Best to get ahead of it and catch some fish now. Saves us time later."
He knew well enough that Menchi's standards were brutal. Even knowing how to make sushi didn't guarantee passing — her taste was that refined.
But if he played his cards right, maybe he could impress her. Maybe even earn a reward — or at least, a bit of favor.
"Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, Killua," Osren said, glancing over his shoulder. "I'll watch the fire. You guys head to the river and catch a few fish. We might need them soon."
"Need them? You mean for the next test?" Kurapika asked, eyebrow raised.
Osren smiled knowingly. "Think about it — first we cooked something from land. Naturally, the next logical step is something from the water. Fish are the easiest choice."
His calm, confident tone made even Killua pause for a moment.
There it was again — the so-called Prophet Osren routine. Half logic, half intuition, all confidence.
---
"Alright," Leorio said, grabbing a makeshift spear. "Let's go fishing then. Better safe than sorry."
The others nodded, running off toward the water as Osren tended to the fire, the light flickering across his focused face.
In that moment — surrounded by the scent of roasting meat, the rhythm of the river, and the quiet excitement before the next challenge —
it almost didn't feel like an exam anymore.
It felt like the beginning of an adventure.
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