Chapter 41
The airship landed smoothly on the summit of Split Mountain.
The cabin doors opened, and a cool breeze carrying the crisp scent of the surrounding forest rushed inside, sweeping away the stale air.
The applicants filed out and looked around curiously.
There was no vegetation anywhere in sight, only bare rock.
Many of them could not help wondering whether this barren place truly contained the "eggs" they needed.
Menchi led everyone to the edge of the ravine and pointed into the seemingly bottomless chasm below.
"All right, everyone. Take a look over the edge."
The applicants carefully leaned forward and peered into the depths.
Countless silvery-white strands stretched across the ravine, anchored firmly into the steep rock walls on either side.
Together, they formed an enormous web.
"W-what is that?"
Confusion filled the applicants’ faces. Clearly, none of them knew anything about Spider Eagles.
Haruto alone remained calm, his eyes filled with anticipation.
"This is a Spider Eagle nesting ground," Menchi explained.
Then she added, "Look carefully beneath the nest."
The applicants focused their attention and followed her instructions.
The strands crisscrossing the ravine were not arranged randomly. Instead, they formed two clearly separated layers.
The upper layer consisted of thick, incredibly durable strands embedded deep within cracks in the rock, supporting the entire structure.
The strands below were much thinner.
Hanging from those finer lower strands were clusters of eggs, each one slightly larger than an adult’s fist.
Their shells were a pure milky white, smooth and glossy like polished jade.
Dozens of eggs hung together in each cluster. From a distance, they truly resembled bunches of plump white grapes.
These were the ingredients they had come to collect—Spider Eagle eggs.
...
"Those are the Spider Eagle’s eggs," Menchi said, her voice carrying clearly to everyone present.
Standing nearby, Chairman Netero stroked his white beard and slowly added, "To protect their eggs from predators, Spider Eagles produce exceptionally strong strands and suspend their nests across remote ravines such as this one."
"They are considered among the most difficult ingredients in the world to obtain, earning them the name ’Dream Eggs.’"
Many of the applicants found that explanation perfectly convincing.
Haruto, however, discreetly curled his lips.
Out of curiosity, he had already searched for information about Spider Eagle eggs online.
Everything Netero had said was true only from the perspective of an ordinary person.
For a Hunter capable of using Nen, obtaining the eggs was not particularly difficult.
As long as someone could accurately sense the rising air currents within the ravine and possessed sufficient physical ability, collecting them was fairly straightforward.
Most Hunters simply had no interest in doing so.
Even Gourmet Hunters who specialized in seeking rare ingredients rarely came here for Spider Eagle eggs.
Reaching this place required crossing the dangerous Visca Forest and climbing Split Mountain.
Then, after all that effort, they still had to spend a considerable amount of time waiting for the right air current—all for a few eggs.
The return on that investment was simply too low.
In the same amount of time, they could obtain ingredients that were far rarer and more valuable.
Ordinary people could not reach them, while Hunters could not be bothered.
Naturally, very few Spider Eagle eggs ever entered the market.
That was the real reason they had gained the exaggerated reputation of being "among the hardest ingredients in the world to obtain."
The title sounded impressive, but it was not something anyone should take too seriously.
Haruto mocked the claim inwardly, though his gaze never left the clusters of Dream Eggs hanging beneath the web.
Whether their reputation was exaggerated or not, Spider Eagle eggs were still excellent ingredients.
...
As the applicants listened to Netero’s leisurely explanation, they recalled Menchi’s new challenge—boiled eggs.
They immediately realized that the Spider Eagle eggs were the eggs they would have to boil.
"W-wait... You can’t possibly mean..."
Todo was the first to lose his composure. He staggered backward several steps before falling onto the ground.
"Oh, I mean exactly what you think," Menchi replied with a glance in his direction.
Then she leaped straight into the ravine.
"Whoa!"
The applicants cried out in alarm.
Dozens of gazes followed her falling figure, their hearts rising into their throats.
"Is she insane?! If she jumps from this height—"
Before anyone could finish, Haruto leaped after her.
Now that Hisoka had already discovered his strength, there was no longer any reason for Haruto to keep hiding what he could do.
At this point, his priority was collecting as many Spider Eagle eggs as possible.
They were the most valuable ingredients available during this Hunter Exam.
Missing this opportunity would make returning for them much more difficult later.
Under the horrified gazes of the other applicants, Menchi and Haruto fell through the ravine before each catching one of the thick strands forming the upper layer of the web.
The strand easily supported their weight, leaving them suspended high above the abyss as the mountain wind gently swayed their bodies.
The applicants at the summit finally released their held breaths, only to frown again in confusion.
The Spider Eagle eggs hung from the lower strands, and there was nothing beneath them to stand on.
How were Menchi and Haruto supposed to reach the eggs?
More importantly, how would they climb back up afterward?
...
"Hey, why did you jump down too?"
Menchi stared at Haruto with an exasperated expression.
She had not even begun her demonstration yet.
"Don’t worry about me."
"I’ve heard about Spider Eagles before, so I know what to do," Haruto replied casually.
More importantly, Menchi was right beside him.
He could simply follow her example.
Menchi raised an eyebrow, uncertain whether he was telling the truth.
Then she remembered the Fruit-Scented Roast Great Stamp he had prepared earlier.
The crisp exterior, tender meat, and refreshing fragrance of fruit remained vivid in her memory.
She had a favorable impression of such a talented young chef like him, so she gave him a deliberate warning.
"Since you’ve already jumped, follow my movements carefully. Don’t try anything reckless."
Haruto nodded, though his attention had already shifted toward the plump clusters of "grapes" hanging from the lower web.
Menchi said nothing further.
She steadied her breathing and focused on the wind rising from the depths of the ravine.
The currents within the chasm changed constantly.
Only by precisely sensing their rhythm could they identify the perfect moment to move.