EPISODE CONTEXT

Sitting at episode 10 of 62, this installment resolves the contentious cooking exam arc where Menchi failed every single examinee, a cliffhanger that left the entire Hunter Exam in jeopardy. Chairman Netero's intervention here marks the first appearance of a figure whose influence will extend far beyond this moment, signaling that the exam operates under a hierarchy with its own checks and balances. This episode serves as a bridge, closing out the early-phase exam challenges and setting the stage for the increasingly complex and dangerous trials that define the arc's second half.