"My na's Tonpa, and I'm a veteran of this Hunter Exam," the man said with a big, enthusiastic grin. His round face and honest deanor gave off the impression of a kind, simple-hearted man—soone trustworthy and easy to befriend.
But beneath that facade was none other than Tonpa, infamous among participants as the "Rookie Crusher"—a veteran who delighted in sabotaging newcors.
Morin watched Tonpa's performance with interest. He had to admit, the guy's acting skills were top-notch—worthy of an award.
"As a newbie, you might not know this, but the Hunter Exam is much harder than you think. I've got more experience than anyone here," Tonpa said, puffing out his chest proudly.
"I've been participating since over twenty years ago. This is my twenty-third attempt!"
He bead, clearly proud of his dubious achievent.
"If you're confused about anything, feel free to ask . I'll help you out!"
While Tonpa hadn't yet reached his later status as the legendary repeat participant of thirty-five failed attempts, his current twenty-three tries still made him a seasoned "repeater among repeaters."
"Oh, right! You must be thirsty after rushing here," Tonpa said suddenly, as if rembering sothing important. With exaggerated enthusiasm, he pulled two bottles of juice from his bag.
"Here, this is from outside. It's pretty good. Want to try?"
He held out a bottle to Morin, smiling warmly, as if he had no ulterior motives. His harmless deanor would have fooled anyone.
"Well, thank you," Morin replied calmly, taking the bottle without hesitation.
Under the amused, mocking gazes of the other participants—many of whom recognized Tonpa's tactics—Morin casually opened the bottle with a sharp pop.
"Go ahead, give it a taste," Tonpa encouraged, his innocent smile unwavering.
However, his expression faltered as he saw Morin suddenly produce a small bottle filled with fine powder.
"I have a habit of adding this whenever I eat or drink anything from outside," Morin said, shaking the container gently.
Item: [Essence of Flavor]
Effect: No matter how bad sothing tastes, just a sprinkle of this powder turns it into a delicious masterpiece that's utterly irresistible.
This was one of many random items Morin had obtained through his Sign-In rewards over the past months. Most were bizarre and borderline useless, like the [Essence of Flavor], which could even make Fat Tiger's cooking taste divine.
Under the confused gazes of Tonpa and the surrounding participants, Morin sprinkled a small amount of the powder into the suspicious juice bottle—one that was undoubtedly laced with a laxative.
Almost instantly, an intoxicatingly delicious aroma wafted from the bottle, captivating everyone present.
"Glug…"
Morin could clearly hear the sound of several people swallowing their saliva.
Even Tonpa himself couldn't help but gulp, his throat bobbing noticeably.
"Thirsty, are you?" Morin asked, seizing the mont. He pushed the drink back toward Tonpa.
"Why don't you have it first?"
"No, no!" Tonpa stamred, quickly refusing. "This is for you… it's for you…"
He tried to reject it, but Morin sprinkled a little more [Essence of Flavor] into the bottle.
Tonpa's voice trailed off, his gaze now glued to the bottle in his hands. He swallowed hard again, visibly struggling with his temptation.
Finally—
Under the astonished eyes of the other participants, Tonpa tilted his head back and chugged the entire drink himself.
"Wow, I didn't think the [Essence of Flavor] would be this powerful," Morin mused as he tucked the bottle back into his pocket. "Even I almost couldn't resist."
Satisfied, Morin leaned back, watching Tonpa, who had just emptied the bottle.
Not long after, the effects kicked in.
Tonpa's face twisted in horror as he realized what he had done. Clutching his stomach, he lowered his head and hurried out of the hall without a backward glance at Morin.
The other participants, now wary, cast guarded looks at Morin.
Anyone who could turn the tables on Tonpa, the Rookie Crusher, was clearly not soone to be underestimated. They ntally marked Morin as a formidable opponent in the challenges to co.
With Tonpa's codic misfortune behind him, Morin felt a little less bored.
He found a random seat, pulled out so comics and novels from this world, and imrsed himself in reading.
For him, this Hunter Exam wasn't a serious challenge—just a rare opportunity to relax.
As ti passed, more participants trickled in.
By the ti the hall began playing soothing music, signaling the official start of the exam, over 500 people had gathered.
The last participant to enter bore the number "555" on their chest.
"Huh, 555? They could totally be a Kan Rider with that number," Morin thought, chuckling to himself.
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