Three months had passed since the Pre-Exam Trial, and dawn found Gustav in the Celestial Grove—a sacred, high-altitude forest hidden in the mountains north of Yorknew, where Bren had arranged for advanced Nen and gourmet training. The air was thin and crisp, carrying the scent of pine, starlight, and a faint, almost metallic sweetness. Around him, ancient starwood trees towered toward the sky, their bark glowing with soft silver light under the morning sun.
Bren stood beside a small clearing, holding a leather-bound book filled with notes on Starroot Bulb—Gustav's new training target. "The Starroot grows only in the grove's heart, where the convergence of solar, lunar, and earth aura is strongest," Bren explained, his voice quiet as if respecting the grove's sanctity. "It's not just an ingredient—it's a catalyst for refining Nen. Your goal today is twofold: harvest the bulb without damaging its energy, and use it to formalize your Nen ability into a structured technique. For a Gourmet Hunter, your ability should tie to what makes you unique—your connection between food, aura, and life."
The Starroot Bulb and Grove's Guardian
Torvin's advanced ingredient lore described the Starroot Bulb as a round, silver-flecked tuber that grew beneath the roots of starwood trees, its energy capable of weaving multiple aura types into a single, cohesive flow. Harvesting it required more than just skill—it demanded that the harvester's aura be in perfect balance with the grove's, or the bulb would turn bitter and useless.
Gustav closed his eyes, letting his Gastronomic Aura spread outward. He'd spent weeks practicing with Bren to refine his control: focusing on weaving the Enhancement and Manipulation aspects of his Nen into a fluid, adaptable force. Now, he could feel the grove's energy like a symphony—solar aura warm and bright, lunar aura cool and calm, earth aura steady and deep.
Following the compass's soft silver glow, he made his way to the grove's heart, where a cluster of starwood trees formed a circle around a small, moss-covered mound. Beneath it lay the Starroot Bulb, its aura pulsing in time with the trees. As he knelt to dig, he felt a shift in the air—a massive presence emerging from behind the trees. A celestial stag, larger than any he'd seen before, its coat shimmering like stardust and antlers crowned with small, glowing flowers.
This was the grove's guardian, known to allow only those with pure intent and balanced aura to harvest the Starroot. Instead of reaching for his tools, Gustav sat back and closed his eyes. He channeled his Nen into a "flavor signature"—mixing the warmth of Sunwood Fruit, the coolness of Ice Crystal Fruit, and the steadiness of Aura-Nut paste—projecting it toward the stag as an offering of respect. The creature approached slowly, sniffing the air, then bowed its head slightly before stepping aside.
With careful hands, Gustav dug around the bulb, using his aura to loosen the soil without disturbing the roots. He lifted it free—a perfect sphere of silver and white, glowing with faint light—and placed it into a padded, aura-sealed pouch. "Well done," Bren said, appearing beside him. "You didn't just take the ingredient—you communicated with the land that nurtures it. That's the core of a Gourmet Hunter's Nen ability."
Advanced Nen Training: The Gastronomic Weave
Back at the training camp—a small shelter built from starwood branches and insulated with blizzard leaf fibers—Bren laid out a set of tools: a mortar and pestle carved from moonstone, a pot forged from volcanic glass, and a cutting board made from ancient ironwood. "Today, we'll turn the Starroot into a dish that becomes the foundation of your Nen ability," Bren said. "We'll call it the Gastronomic Weave—a technique that lets you infuse multiple aura types into food, granting temporary enhancements to those who eat it, while strengthening your own control."
Gustav began by grinding the Starroot into a fine paste, mixing it with glacial pearlweed for clarity and tidepool pearl dust for balance. He added a handful of sunwood fruit pulp for warmth and sandbloom cactus juice for focus, then poured the mixture into the volcanic glass pot. As he heated it over a fire made from starwood branches, he closed his eyes and focused his Nen.
Slowly, he wove his Enhancement aura into the mixture to boost its potency, then used Manipulation to guide each ingredient's energy into a cohesive pattern. He could feel the different aura types twisting together like threads in a cloth—warm and cool, bright and calm, steady and fluid—forming a single, harmonious whole. The dish, a thick, silver-colored porridge, glowed with soft light, its aroma a blend of all the ingredients that had gone into it.
When he tasted it, he felt his Nen surge—his perception sharpened, his body felt lighter, and he could sense the aura of every tree and creature in the grove. "This is it," Bren said, smiling. "The Gastronomic Weave isn't just about enhancing others—it strengthens your own Nen by teaching you to balance and control multiple energies at once."
A New Threat: The Iron Harvest Guild
As they cleaned up, Kael arrived at the camp, his face grim. "There's a new group causing trouble—the Iron Harvest Guild," he said, handing Gustav a scrap of cloth marked with their symbol: a hammer and sickle crossed over a fork. "They're not like Black Spoon—they claim to be 'restoring order' by taking over rare ingredient sites and 'managing' them for profit. They've already seized control of the Mistmarsh and are planning to move into the Celestial Grove next week."
Lena and Zara arrived moments later, Lena carrying a map marked with the guild's positions. "They're using heavy machinery to clear land and harvest ingredients en masse," Zara said, her jaw tight. "They don't care about the ecosystem—they're just in it for money. We tried to talk to them, but they attacked us."
Gustav looked at the Starroot Bulb in his pouch, then at the grove around him. "We can't let them destroy this place," he said firmly. "But fighting them head-on won't work—they have more men and better equipment. We need to use our strengths."
Bren nodded. "The guild prides itself on 'efficiency,' but they don't understand that rare ingredients can't be harvested without respect. We'll use the Gastronomic Weave to show them what they're losing—and if that doesn't work, we'll expose their tactics to the Hunter Association and local communities."
The Confrontation at the Grove's Edge
Three days later, the Iron Harvest Guild arrived at the Celestial Grove's edge, their trucks and machinery rumbling over the mountain road. Their leader, a large man named Hargrove with a scar across his cheek, stood at the front, shouting orders to his crew. "Clear the trees within a hundred-foot radius," he commanded. "We'll set up a processing plant here—this Starroot will make us rich."
Gustav and the alliance emerged from the trees, with Sora, Taro, and a group of other Pre-Exam candidates at their side. "You can't do this," Gustav called out. "The Celestial Grove is a protected ecosystem—harvesting the Starroot this way will make it useless."
Hargrove laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Kids and their fairy tales," he said. "We've harvested ingredients all over the region—efficiency is all that matters." He gestured to his men, who began moving toward the trees with chainsaws.
Instead of fighting, Gustav stepped forward and held up a bowl of the Starroot porridge he'd made. "Taste this," he said calmly. "Then decide if your 'efficiency' is worth destroying what makes this ingredient valuable." Hargrove hesitated, then took a spoonful—his eyes widened as the porridge's energy washed over him. He could feel his body strengthening, his mind clearing, and for a moment, he could sense the grove's aura all around him.
"What… what is this?" he whispered.
"This is what the Starroot can do when it's harvested with respect," Gustav explained. "Your machinery would crush the bulb's energy, leaving you with nothing but bitter pulp. But if you work with us—if you learn to harvest properly—we can help you create a sustainable trade that benefits everyone."
One by one, Hargrove's men tried the porridge, their skeptical expressions softening as they felt its effects. Even Hargrove had to admit: the difference between their mass-harvested ingredients and Gustav's carefully prepared dish was night and day. "We… we didn't know," he said quietly. "We thought rare ingredients were just about money."
Zara stepped forward, holding up a copy of Torvin's ingredient lore book. "There's more to this than profit," she said. "These ingredients keep communities healthy, help Hunters protect people, and maintain balance in nature. We can teach you how to harvest sustainably—if you're willing to change your ways."
Hargrove looked at his men, then at the grove. "Alright," he said, lowering his head. "We'll stop the machinery. Teach us—show us how to do this right."
Training Log and New Horizons
That evening, back at the camp, Gustav updated his training log: "Today marked a major milestone in my Nen development—formalized my ability as the Gastronomic Weave, which lets me weave multiple aura types into food to enhance both the dish's potency and my own control. Harvested Starroot Bulb from the Celestial Grove with the guardian's blessing, and used the dish to convince the Iron Harvest Guild to abandon their destructive practices and work with us on sustainable harvesting. The alliance has grown stronger, now including former guild members who are eager to learn. One year and seven months until the Hunter Exam—planning to focus on mastering advanced Nen techniques (including Emission to send aura through food over distance), mapping more rare ingredient sites across the region, and organizing a training program for new foragers to ensure responsible harvesting."
Bren handed him a small wooden box as he finished writing. Inside lay a Gourmet Hunter's Badge—a provisional emblem given to those who show exceptional promise in both skill and integrity. "This doesn't make you a Hunter yet," Bren said, clapping him on the shoulder. "But it means you're on the right path. The Hunter Exam will test every part of you—your strength, your intelligence, your heart—but I know you're ready to face it."
Gustav held the badge in his hand, feeling its weight. He thought about the journey ahead—the dangerous stages of the Exam, the friends he'd made, and the dream of exploring the Dark Continent to find ingredients no one had ever seen before. The road was long, but with the Gastronomic Weave at his command and the alliance by his side, he was ready to take on whatever challenges came next.