Survival in the Ruins: I can make everything evolve infinitely

Chapter 10: Retest x Conditions x Identity

“I’m full. The test is over. The second stage of the Hunter Exam—one person passes!”

Menchi’s impulsive declaration echoed loudly.

“What?”

“How is that fair?”

“My dish is almost ready!”

The candidates erupted into chaos, many panicking at the sudden announcement.

Having achieved his objective, Lorraine had returned to the audience, quietly watching the drama unfold with amusement.

The most flustered group, however, were those who had understood the test’s true intent but hadn’t had enough time to prepare their dishes.

Compared to the others who were obliviously disqualified, they felt an even greater sense of injustice.

“When I say the test is over, it’s over. Are you dissatisfied?” Menchi snapped, glaring at the frustrated candidates.

“You lot mocked the examiners from the start, then proved too dense to understand the test’s intent. You didn’t even take the cooking seriously. Now that you’re disqualified, you have the nerve to complain?”

“Well, isn’t that a bit too harsh?”

A voice filled with gentle humor suddenly came from above.

Everyone froze and looked up to see an airship hovering overhead, its speakers broadcasting the voice.

“That’s… the Hunter Association emblem!”

“It must be someone from the Hunter Examination Committee!”

Excitement spread among the candidates, many believing that the committee had arrived to ensure fairness.

“Buhara, you meddled, didn’t you…” Menchi turned to her partner, visibly displeased.

Although the Hunter Association’s airship was nearby, its arrival so quickly could only mean it had set out in advance.

“Heh, things were getting out of hand. We needed a way to de-escalate,” Buhara chuckled sheepishly, lowering his voice.

“Hmph,” Menchi snorted but refrained from arguing further.

At that moment, the airship’s hatch, still dozens of meters above the ground, opened.

A figure leapt out, plummeting toward the candidates below.

With a loud boom, the figure landed in their midst, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Who’s that old man?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Jumping from that height without a scratch?!”

The candidates were stunned, glancing between the airship above and the unscathed man before them.

Jumping from such a height without a parachute was beyond belief.

“That’s Netero, Chairman of the Hunter Examination Committee and the ultimate authority on the Hunter Exam,” Menchi explained to the candidates.

“Ultimate authority, huh? Truthfully, I’m just here to handle situations like this,” Netero said with a hearty laugh.

“Now, Menchi, if I recall correctly, your report stated that this test was meant to evaluate the candidates’ courage to challenge the unknown. Your conclusion was that everyone except one person failed. Is that right?”

Netero maintained a serious demeanor… while sneakily admiring Menchi’s figure.

“No, that’s not it.”

Feeling both ashamed and guilty, Menchi lowered her head and admitted, “I got angry when some candidates mocked Gourmet Hunters at the start. Then, when someone revealed the cooking method, I got frustrated. Later, I overreacted to their complaints and handled things poorly.”

Hearing this exchange, many candidates froze.

Courage to challenge the unknown?

Wasn’t this test about cooking?

Realization dawned upon them. Netero had made the test’s purpose so clear that only a fool wouldn’t understand.

One by one, their faces turned red with embarrassment.

“Oh ho ho!”

“So, you admit your judgment was unfair,” Netero said, still laughing.

“Yes. The moment cooking was involved, I lost sight of everything else. I’m unfit to be an examiner,” Menchi said solemnly.

“I voluntarily resign from my position as a Hunter Exam examiner. Please nullify the results of this test,” she added.

Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Netero.

“Chairman Netero, there is one candidate who passed. Could their result remain valid?”

“The one who passed, huh?”

Netero’s eyes scanned the crowd, landing on Lorraine. He flashed a wide smile.

“No.”

Menchi blinked, stunned that Netero denied even this small request.

“But what I meant was, you’re not allowed to resign,” Netero clarified with a chuckle. “You’ll stay on as an examiner and create a new test. However, this time, you’ll participate as a candidate as well. That way, the candidates will respect the results.”

“Do you agree?” Netero asked, his smile unwavering.

“No problem!” Menchi agreed without hesitation.

“Hold on, Chairman Netero!” Lorraine suddenly raised his hand, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Oh? You disagree?” Netero turned to him, still smiling.

“Of course. If there’s no retest, I’d be the only one to pass and would automatically earn my Hunter License. A retest puts me at a disadvantage,” Lorraine said, shrugging nonchalantly despite the glares of other candidates.

“Ah, I see your point… You deserve some compensation,” Netero mused, stroking his beard with a thoughtful expression.

“How about this: I’ll grant you special eligibility to officially join the Hunter Exam,” Netero offered.

“Special eligibility… to join the exam?”

Lorraine paused, then realization hit him.

He hadn’t officially registered for the Hunter Exam!

Indeed, Lorraine had never signed up for the exam. From the moment he appeared in the elevator, he’d been swept into the events without any formal registration—or even a documented identity in this world.

His system, it seemed, wasn’t the type to babysit its user by handling such formalities.

Netero’s offer confirmed Lorraine’s suspicion.

But now, it also validated his participation.

“Well, thanks, old man!” Lorraine said with a grin.

“Oh ho ho! Then it’s settled. Menchi, give them the next test!” Netero said cheerfully.

Menchi, still processing the exchange, snapped to attention and nodded quickly.

“R-right!”

“Chairman Netero, may I borrow the airship to transport the candidates to that mountain?” Menchi pointed to a distant, dome-shaped peak.

“Of course,” Netero said, glancing at the mountain and smiling knowingly.