Rebirth in HxH World With Gardevoir

Menchi crouched down, carefully inspecting the scorpion. Its sheer size alone was already alarming—easily twice as large as a typical Pale Fang Scorpion. What really stood out, however, was its golden tail stinger. Ordinary Pale Fang Scorpions had white stingers, but the golden hue indicated something far rarer. Menchi's voice was filled with awe. "This is a Pale Fang Scorpion King."

Larry's eyes widened. "King?"

Menchi nodded. "Pale Fang Scorpions are already difficult to find, but a King? This is on another level. It's almost as rare as an A-rank ingredient!"

Looking at the unconscious scorpion, Larry's mind wandered to theories about its behavior. The scorpion had surfaced at night, which made sense given the desert's extreme temperature fluctuations. During the day, the surface was blistering hot while the deep layers remained cool. At night, the surface cooled down, drawing the scorpions closer to the top. "Smart creatures," Larry mused. "They probably avoid the heat by burrowing deep during the day."

Looking at the unconscious Pale Fang Scorpion King lying before them, Menchi couldn't help but feel her eyelids twitching. She had clearly underestimated Gardevoir's strength. Larry might not fully grasp the significance, but as a professional Gourmet Hunter, Menchi understood just how formidable their target was.

Ordinary Pale Fang Scorpions were already a nightmare to catch due to their incredible speed. But as the king of its kind, the Pale Fang Scorpion King was not only faster but boasted considerable combat strength. The enormous, ferocious pincers still glowed faintly under the moonlight, and the golden tail stinger hinted at its deadly potential. Yet Gardevoir had captured it effortlessly, and what was even more impressive—alive.

Capturing prey alive was far more challenging than simply eliminating it, a fact that made Menchi's heart race with admiration and a tinge of disbelief. Meanwhile, Larry stood beside her, completely unfazed, staring at the scorpion with an expression of mild curiosity. "Is this thing's venom edible?" he wondered aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Menchi blinked at him in disbelief. 'Seriously? That's your first concern?' Before this journey, she had always known there were people stronger than her, but she had taken pride in being a leader among her peers. After all, she held the record as the youngest one-star hunter in the Hunter Association. But since meeting Larry, her confidence had been repeatedly shattered. She couldn't help but question herself—'Was I ever that impressive to begin with?' Compared to Larry, who could summon such powerful Nen beasts with astonishing abilities, what did she really have to offer? Cooking?

Larry, oblivious to Menchi's inner turmoil, simply assumed she was deep in thought about how to handle the scorpion. If he knew what she was thinking, he would probably just pat her on the shoulder and say, "Geniuses and prodigies don't mix."

After a moment of self-doubt, Menchi shook off her thoughts and replaced them with determination. 'I can't let myself get distracted. I'm a Gourmet Hunter—this is my passion, and I need to focus on what I do best!' She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and turned to Larry with newfound confidence. "You can relax for now and leave the preparation to me!" she declared, rolling up her sleeves with an eager smile.

Larry raised an eyebrow, noticing the sudden boost in her energy but shrugging it off as excitement. "Alright, I'll leave it to the expert," he said, plopping himself down on a nearby sand dune, ready to watch and learn.

Menchi moved with precision, spreading her arms wide as a transparent platform of Nen energy rose from the ground, lifting the Pale Fang Scorpion King to an ideal working height. With a flick of her wrist, a pair of gleaming silver knives materialized in her hands—perfectly sized for the massive scorpion.

The scorpion's tough carapace made it difficult to cut through, so Menchi expertly targeted the softer gaps between the plates, swiftly working her way through the creature's body. To Larry, watching her work was like witnessing an artist conducting a symphony. Her knives danced gracefully through the air, slicing with both precision and elegance. Within moments, the once imposing scorpion was cleanly disassembled into neatly categorized parts, each piece carefully placed onto a floating preparation table.

Menchi classified the parts with an experienced eye, explaining her process to Larry as she worked. "The belly meat is the most tender and flavorful," she said, holding up a thick slab. "It's best for soups and stews." She gestured to the tail section. "This area has a slightly stronger scent but offers a crispy texture when braised." "The claws," she continued with a grin, tapping them lightly, "are packed with firm, juicy meat. They're perfect for steaming to preserve their original taste."

Larry listened intently, absorbing the knowledge as he watched her sort through the scorpion with practiced ease. Menchi's voice carried a newfound warmth—explaining everything to Larry made her feel like she was doing something meaningful.

Once the scorpion was fully processed, Menchi's Nen abilities truly shone. Larry had always known she could materialize kitchen utensils, but seeing it in action was another story entirely.

In a flash, a row of kitchen appliances, all made from aura, appeared before them. A large preparation table stood in the center, holding the sorted scorpion parts. To the left, a steaming boiler, and to the right, a braising pot atop a flame-producing stove that emitted a controlled aura. Larry's mouth twitched slightly at the sight. "So... you basically carry an entire kitchen with you at all times, huh?"

Menchi smirked. "Pretty much."

Larry finally understood the limitations of Menchi's ability. The tools she materialized were just that—tools. They couldn't preserve ingredients over long periods, as storage required a spatial Nen ability, which Menchi lacked. The reason she couldn't materialize a working refrigerator was likely because it involved an element of spatial manipulation—something outside the realm of basic materialization. Instead, her ability focused entirely on the cooking process, turning any location into a fully functional kitchen. Despite this limitation, there were impressive aspects—such as the self-sustaining stove flame, which clearly didn't fall within the scope of pure materialization.

Her ability to generate flames fell under the Enhancement and Transmutation categories, allowing her to push her cooking techniques to an even higher level. As a materialization-type user, she could utilize up to 80% of transmutation's power, which was more than enough to achieve the perfect balance of heat and precision.

Under her focused control, a powerful yet steady flame roared beneath the cooking pots, far stronger than the small flickers they had encountered before. Finally, after putting her heart and soul into the process, three dishes and a soup were ready—steaming hot and radiating an irresistible aroma that filled the desert night. As Larry stared at the mouthwatering spread, he could have sworn he saw a faint golden shimmer rising from the food. 'Am I imagining things, or is this food literally glowing?' He couldn't help but wonder if taking a bite would bring him to tears from sheer bliss.