Chapter 61 — Buhara's Bottomless Stomach (Part 1)
"Sounds reasonable. Might as well give it a try — it's not like we'll lose anything," Killua said. Osren's analysis was solid, and Killua had nothing better to do anyway. After nearly knocking an entire boar into the fire and turning it into charcoal, Osren had banned him from touching the spit. So yes… he was bored.
"Exactly. Being a step ahead can make all the difference. Worth a shot," Kurapika agreed. There were risks, of course — everything had risks. If you wanted zero risk, you might as well go home and curl up under a blanket.
"Then let's go!" Gon was already itching to fish. If not for the exam, he would've jumped into the glittering river the moment he saw it. Thinking about fishing brought back warm memories of Whale Island.
"Osren's share of fish is on me," Leorio declared. Since Osren seemed confident, the old man figured the prediction was probably right. And since he wasn't good at roasting pigs anyway, catching fish sounded like a much better task.
As for why a forest park river had saltwater fish in it?
Osren's expression said: This is the Hunter world. Don't ask stupid questions.
Earlier, while washing the pigs, he'd spotted fish leaping out of the water — bright, tropical colors, glinting beautifully under the sun. Some looked like freshwater carp; others were unmistakably ocean species. It made absolutely no sense, like Mars colliding with Earth… but whatever.
The river itself stretched far and wide, winding endlessly. For all he knew, it might connect to the sea somewhere.
And if anyone was born to fish, it was Gon. Putting the job in his hands meant there would almost certainly be a bonus catch.
Soon, the four were fully immersed in their task — Gon splashing around happily, Leorio wrestling with fish using brute strength, and Kurapika calmly selecting techniques…
Meanwhile, Killua simply stood by the riverbank without moving — and fish jumped out of the water onto the shore all by themselves.
"This kid's pretty fast…" Hanzo muttered as he carried his pig to the river. He'd caught a glimpse of Killua's afterimage and nearly dropped his pig in shock.
"What are these brats doing? Think this is playtime? We're here to make roast pork — what's with the fishing?" a burly man sneered, glancing dismissively at the group.
A few others noticed the unusual behavior too, but kept their comments to themselves. After all, they had all used Osren's discovery of the pigs' weakness as a shortcut — it felt wrong to mock him too loudly.
Far away, Hisoka observed them, eyes gleaming with hunger — but not for food.
"What adorable little fruits," he murmured, licking his lips. Gon, Kurapika… both growing nicely, ripening with potential. Imagining how sweet they'd taste at maturity sent a thrill through him.
Then Hisoka paused, frowning.
Was he forgetting something…?
…Probably nothing important.
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"Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, Killua — time to head back!" Osren called out at last. Most examinees had already finished hunting their pigs and moved on to the final roasting stage.
More importantly, the pigs were nearly done. Roasting something that big wasn't a simple task — you couldn't leave it unattended for long.
Hearing this, the four boys gathered the fish they had caught and hurried back toward the campfire, ready for the next step.
The real cooking battle was about to begin.
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Although in the original story Buhara was the kind of monster who'd eat anything placed in front of him—perfectly roasted, burnt to a crisp, or half-raw—it didn't matter…
Osren was different.
Even if his cooking skills weren't at the level he dreamed of yet, he would never allow anything made by his own hands to be "just passable." That would be an insult to his future status as the greatest gourmet hunter in history.
Before long, Leorio and Gon came back, each carrying an armful of fish—so many that extras were dangling from their elbows.
"Osren! We caught tons! And Killua even snagged a really unusual one." Gon trotted over proudly, clutching fish like they were trophies.
…Tons was an understatement.
Most were common river fish—like the ones Leorio once "borrowed" on Whale Island, with shiny blue scales.
But there were also two long, red, salmon-like fish around a meter each—species Osren didn't recognize, though they looked tender and fatty.
Then Osren spotted two that made his eyes narrow.
One was half silver, half black, its body divided cleanly down the middle, like yin and yang. About half a meter long.
That was the Octa-Star Fish, a rare sea species named for the octagonal shape of its head. As for the "star" in its name… that came from the dreaded Gululu Star, an ill-omened celestial sign in their world.
These fish only appeared when that star was visible.
Since the Gululu constellation was considered a terrible omen—sailors seeing it would immediately turn their ships around—no one ever risked catching the fish beneath it.
Nobody but Osren would even dare to cook it.
The second rare fish was shorter, completely crimson, its body thin and flat.
Osren recognized it after a moment.
This must be the legendary Scarlet River Treasure Fish—the delicacy the old red-nosed captain had once mentioned with reverence.
All of Osren's knowledge of fish came from that captain, while his plant knowledge came from the foxbear. And now… he had two rare ingredients sitting right in front of him.
Blue-scaled fish, silver-headed swordfish, white-headed fish—Killua and Gon had somehow pulled in a miniature aquatic treasure trove.
"Great haul." Osren's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected them to find both the Scarlet Treasure Fish and an Octa-Star Fish. This exam forest was looking more and more like a lucky paradise.
"The river's loaded," Leorio said as he handed the fish over, though his gaze was glued to the roasting pigs instead.
"So good…" The moment he returned, the smell hit him—stronger, richer than before.
The pigs were golden brown, their skin crisping and sizzling perfectly. Just looking at them made one's stomach growl uncontrollably.
If these weren't part of the exam, Leorio would've already torn off an ear or a leg.
Even Kurapika, normally composed, looked tempted. Seeing that expression, Osren knew: he'd improved again.
One step closer to his dream.
"Let's go. Otherwise we're going to be late," Osren said. A few examinees were already beginning to present their dishes.
The group hurried forward, each carrying a whole roasted pig on their shoulders as they rushed toward Menchi and Buhara.
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