Bab 29: Chapter 29: New Hunters's Briefing
'Here it is. The last event of the original story that I wanted to secure before the exam ended. With Gon's predicted appearance occurring before my eyes, a burden on my shoulders is lifted knowing that I won't have to worry about the future development of the protagonists I hold dear.' I think with a sense of accomplishment as I watch Illumi turn his attention to Gon.
"Apologize? For What?" Illumi asks in response.
"You don't even know what you did wrong?" Gon asks.
"No." Illumi answers, making Gon even angrier.
"You're not qualifed to be his older brother:" Gon says.
"I wasn't aware I needed to qualify."
At Illumi's detached comment, Gon grabs him by the arm and flips him into the air before he lands. "Friends don't need to qualify either!" Gon exclaims as he squeezes Illumi's arm tighter.
"Don't bother apologizing. Just take me to see Killua." Gon demands.
"And after that, what will you do?" Illumi asks in response.
"It's obvious. I'll bring him back."
After Gon's declaration of intent, the situation unfolded more or less the same as in the original story, with the exception that Kurapika's defense was based on the fact that Killua didn't kill anyone thanks to my timely intervention, and that he therefore didn't deserve to be disqualified.
Faced with this defense, Netero along with the other examiners declared that they gave Killua the opportunity to continue in the exam, but that he felt too regretful for what he had done to me, voluntarily deciding to fail the exam and leave when given the opportunity to overlook it.
After Pokkle's argument with Kurapika, and Illumi trying to stick a needle into Gon as well, it was chairman Netero time to talk again.
"Hmph. Very well gentlemen, we can continue." Netero starts talking again after the small dispute between the candidates is settled. "Gon is right. It's up to each of you if you decide if you truly deserve your license. You can complain all you want, but we won't overturn our decisions."
"Killua failed the exam of this year, and everyone of you here passed it."
Following his statement, Beans begins his briefing about Hunter licenses and the privileges they grant. During the ceremony, I could see Nicholas standing beside me, holding his license with a mix of disbelief and joy, and once the the meeting was adjourned, all of the newly appointed Hunters left the room, ready to take on the world.
'Now that I have my Hunter's license, I feel a newfound sense of freedom. Now I can pursue anything without much restriction. Well, not entirely, but it will make things a whole lot better. The Hunter Exam may be over, but my adventures have only just begun.' I think walking alongside Nicholas.
Seeing how Gon continues to confront Illumi about Killua's location, I decide to head with Nicholas to talk to several of the new Hunters. The first being Ponzu, who was also looking for me.
"Congratulations on getting your license, Ponzu. I'm really happy that you did it." I say with a smile full of joy. "Now that you're officially a Hunter, what plans do you have for the future?"
"Are you going on a trip to begin a study of endangered animal species? Or are you looking to build a collection of exotic plants? Or maybe you'll try both at once during your trip? Remember, you shouldn't settle." I say trying to show my full support for the girl who had originally failed the exam.
However, she coyly clutches one of her arms with a sad expression. "Everything you've said sounds really good. And I want to try to do it. But, I don't think I'm ready yet."
With that behavior, it becomes clear to me what Ponzu's current situation is—She feels powerless.
Over the course of the fourth and final phase, Ponzu has been constantly outmatched by the foes she has faced, unable to overcome the challenges presented to her on her own, always having to rely on my help to keep her going, depriving her of the feeling of personal accomplishment. While not at the level Nicholas was before, she must now lack the confidence to face the new reality she has witnessed during the Hunter Exam. This being the case, I know what I must tell her now:
"Ponzu, you should train to use Nen." I say, getting a confused look from Ponzu and Nicholas.
"Nen? What's that?" She asks rasing an eyebrow.
"It is the ability to use and manipulate your own life energy. While all living beings possess this energy known as aura, very few people can use it or even recognize it. Those who learn to use it are known as Nen users, and in addition to being able to develop parapsychological abilities, they receive such an increase in their combat capabilities that they are recognized as superhumans." I explain in details.
"Why didn't you inform me then of something so convenient much earlier?" Ponzu asks me narrowing her eyes.
However, I stand firm as I continue. "As I've already said there are very few people who know how to use Nen, so it's not known to the general public. The abilities that one can create with their own will range from manipulating people like puppets, passing through walls, and of course, killing people without even being present at the place. Do you think that kind of knowledge should be shared with anyone just like that?" At my question, Ponzu's expression of annoyance fades.
"B-But you're telling me this now. And you also know about this power." Ponzu adds, trying to defend her position.
"That's because you're now an official Hunter. It's a requirement for all Hunters to know how to use Nen, so I'm no longer obliged to hide it from you. As for the other thing, even though Nen isn't publicly acknowledged, there are many ways for normal people to be involved with it, either by being trained by a third-party as is my case, or by awakening it spontaneously as is Nicholas's case."
At my statement, Nicholas points to himself with a blank face. "Mine?"
"Do you remember when you felt that sudden boost of power when you faced Pokkle in the tournament? Since then, I'm sure you must have been seeing streams of light coming out of some applicants and examiners, right?" I ask pointing at him.
"You mean the reason I'm seeing those things is because I've acquired Nen?" He asks trying to process my words.
"To be precise, what you have done is awakened part of the nodes in your body, making you aware and sensitive to the aura of others. However, you are not yet a proper user. Not only have you not practiced controlling your aura, but you have not yet unlocked all the aura nodes in your body. If not, you would have already fainted from exhaustion from not being able to control your aura output. There are still many steps you need to take before you can become a true Nen user." I answer him.
"So, if you were to train me in the use of Nen, I would be able to become much stronger than I am now?" Ponzu asks with a glint of excitement in her eyes.
"I'm afraid that wouldn't work for now. Even though I know about Nen, I only have the information at a theoretical level. I haven't even mastered the basics, so I'm not qualified to be a teacher in the subject." I reply, making Ponzu feel down again.
"Oh, but don't worry! The person who introduced me to the exam informed me that Hunters not initiated in Nen receive training from Hunters deployed by the association. At some point, you'll end up running into one of them." I say nervously waving my hands, bringing color back to Ponzu's face.
"Getting to master and reinforce the basics can take you several weeks, even longer if you decide to create a particular ability. So, once we've both mastered the basics of Nen, let's meet again to see how much we've grown and how we can improve our abilities. Okay?" I ask raising my hand in front of her with a friendly smile.
However, contrary to my expectations, Ponzu does not shake my hand—She rushes to hug me directly. "I'll be waiting impatiently for that moment to come, so you better not forget this promise. Okay?" She says with a warm smile as she cradles her face into my chest.
"A-Ah... Yes, of course." I reply abashedly as I place my hands on her back in an attempt to hug her back.
After a while, Ponzu breaks the hug, greeting us with his cute smile. "Alright. With that out of the way, I think I'll be traveling a bit to try and make some contacts until a Nen teacher shows up to teach me. Let me know when you're done with your training so I can decide the place and date of our reunion. See you later."
With those last words, Ponzu runs away excitedly, leaving me with my head fluffy while my cheeks show a faint blush.
"Boss, you're quite the player." Nicholas says besides me trying to tease me.
"Shut up! We have more people to talk to, so we have to hurry up!" I exclaim, starting to walk away while trying to ignore my embarrassment.
I quickly searched for Pokkle, Bodoro, and Hanzo in hopes of getting their contact information. I found Pokkle first, who I quickly hit it off with after mentioning that I was planning on becoming a Beast Hunter. After he gave me his contact information, and we agreed to contact each other when we found a particular specimen, Pokkle left with a smile on his face.
"Boss, didn't we agree to work together as Blacklist Hunters?" Nicholas mentions with some disappointment as I wave goodbye to Pokkle.
"Yes, of course we will. But I'm also going to pursue the Beast Hunter profession, and maybe some other specialization that I find interesting. Unlike other Hunters, I don't plan to stick with just one." I respond.
Nicholas looks at me in contemplation before switching to excitement with shining eyes. "That's my boss, always exceeding my expectations! That being the case, I too want to try more of a specialization like you!"
"Great. I hope you find something that motivates you." I kindly reply.
The second person I looked for was Bodoro. After going to the trouble of saving his life, the least I could do next was try to partner up with him (even if he didn't have much potential).
The second person I looked for was Bodoro. After going to the trouble of saving his life, the least I could do next was try to partner up with him (even if he didn't have much potential).
It was a little more difficult to talk to him, as I had apparently made a bad impression on him by leaving him stranded in the fourth phase without taking his badge, so I had to spend half an hour trying to reason with him.
Defending that it would be beneficial to both his profession as a Hunter and his growth as a martial artist to make me his associate, Bodoro finally gave me his home code and phone number, giving me a respectful bow that belied his still-existing displeasure before trying to leave.
"Bodoro!" I exclaim, making him stop in his tracks. "Before you go, could you tell us what Hisoka said to you to make you give up?"
Although it wasn't something relevant at the moment, it was something that had never been explained in Hunter x Hunter, and as a fan I couldn't help but want to know it.
With a doubtful look on his face, Bodoro took a moment of silence before deciding to answer. "He told me that if I didn't forfeit, he would go to the city and kill 100 people, including defenseless women and children."
This revelation left me stunned. I already knew Hisoka was a psychopathic bastard, but to think he would make such a threat to win. And knowing him, I can assure you he wasn't bluffing. And I guess that's how Bodoro felt too.
"Even though I wanted to become a Hunter, I couldn't do it at the cost of the lives of innocent people unrelated to this. That's why I forfeited. Goodbye." He says turning around and leaving for real this time.
'If he has told me the truth, then this Bodoro is really a good guy. I already want to know what Nen category he belongs to. Maybe an Enhancer.' I think as I head towards my last target.
The last and most important person I want to partner with, Hanzo, is standing in the hotel gardens, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.
"Well, it was about time." Hanzo said opening his eyes as I approached him with Nicholas.
"Yeah, sorry for the delay. I didn't want the others to leave before I got their contact information, and I knew you would wait me to respect our agreement." I answer, scratching my head somewhat nervously.
After this scene, Hanzo proceeded to tell me how I had proven to be a truly trustworthy man, and that he would be more than happy to become my ally. In addition to his contact information, he also gave me an invitation to a tour of his home country just like he had done with Gon and his group, and we both said goodbye with a manly handshake before he left the place.
"Kai!" Before I could continue with my unfinished business, I hear a familiar voice call my name behind me.
"Gon. I thought you'd be gone by now. What are you still doing here?" I ask the casted protagonist as he approaches us.
"Thank you so much for stopping Killua!" Gon shouts giving a respectful bow, surprising both Nicholas and I. "You stood in Killua's way because you didn't want him to kill anyone, and as a result you were badly injured and had to rest until recently. You really are a very kind person. Thank you for protecting Killua from his older brother."
I am confronted by Gon's pure smile and gaze, and despite my cautious and doubtful nature, as a fervent Hunter x Hunter fan, I can't help but ask, "Gon... Do you consider me your friend?"
Gon tilts his head in confusion before answering. "Of course I do. Why?"
With those simple words, my heart that was beating with anticipation suddenly calms down, and my eyes twinkle with a mixture of accomplishment and joy, feeling a sense of truly belonging to this world.
"I see. In that case, when you go see Killua, do me a favor and tell him I'll be happy to give him a rematch whenever he's ready." I say to Gon with an exuberant and huge smile while giving him a thumbs up.
Gon also gives me a pure and innocent smile before answering. "Yes, I'll go look for him on Kukuru
Mountain and tell him! I'm sure he'll be very happy to hear that!"
"I'm happy to think that it'll be like that. Take good care of him and yourself, and make sure you have fun together on your journey as Hunters." I say it.
"Yes. You too. Goodbye!" Gon says to us with his usually cheerful attitude.
As I watch the spiky black-haired boy run away, I become much more aware of the reality of my situation: The world I find myself in now is no longer the world behind the pages of a manga. It is not a fictional world whose events have no relevance to society.
This is a real world, with real people. I already knew that it was like this, but I guess in some way I hadn't been able to truly internalize it until Gon showed me. Being part of this world, and knowing what's going to happen, I'm destined to change the future of many people in this world. Because of that, I can't be complacent anymore, and I have to get serious about steering all these changes in the timeline to the best possible outcome.
"Hey, boss. Now that we've finished establishing connections with the Hunters in the exam, we should think about our next steps as Blacklist Hunters. We should opt to look for jobs to track and arrest criminals and book an airship travel accordingly." Nicholas says looking forward to starting our professional career as soon as possible.
"That sounds like a good plan, but I still have something to do before starting our career, and I think you should come with me."
"And what's it, boss?" Nicholas asks.
"I'm going to ask chairman Netero to assign me a master." I answer, leaving Nicholas with a dull look.
"Huh? Why would you do that? We already passed, which means we can go whenever we want, and you also said that the association deployes Hunter to search for us. Why bother going directly to ask for one right now?" He asks in confusion.
Narrowing my brow and changing to a much more serious attitude, I point at him with my finger. "I'm going to ask you, do you think you'd stand a chance in a fight against Killua or Hanzo?"
Nicholas, looking shocked, answers nervously. "N-No, I wouldn't stand a chance."
"Well, out there are far more dangerous things and far more powerful people than those two. As Blacklist Hunters we're going to have to deal with them eventually, whether they're criminals to arrest or criminal organizations to dismantle, and I'm telling you this in all honesty, neither of us are nearly strong enough to do it."
"If we want to prosper in this industry, we have to master Nen and become much stronger, and to do that we have to get a teacher and start our intensive training as soon as possible so we don't end up dead. Do you understand?" I ask, causing Nicholas to look down reflecting on my words.
"You're right, boss. I was just too excited that we actually passed and I let my momentary confidence to blind me. The truth is that if it weren't for your help, I would have remained a cowardly, broken and whiny loser who would never have amounted to anything." Nicholas bows deeply.
"It's because you offered me your help that I have managed to become a Hunter, and I thank you with every fiber of my being! Thank you! I promise I will follow you wherever you decide to go no matter what!" Tears well up in his eyes as he smile broadly. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little emotional right now."
"It's alright as long as you understand." I say smiling at him and putting my hand on his shoulder. "We're friends after all, Nicholas, and you can count on me as I can count on you. So, are you willing to trust and follow me to become the strongest we can be?"
He wipes his tears before answering with unwavering confidence. "Yes, sir!"
"Then let's search for that crazy old geezer before he leaves the hotel." I say before starting to run through the hotel with Nicholas in hopes of finding Netero or, failing that, one of the examiners.
Point of view switch to Reader:
Unnoticed by Kai due to his lack of training, Illumi was hiding in corner, watching the the two of them with an intense, empty gaze. However, his black eyes drift to the side as he senses a presence just as ominous as his own.
"I don't think I need to repeat it to you, but don't get involved with him." Hisoka says appearing from behind him.
"He has stood in the way of my plans. Because of him, Killua didn't kill the martial artist. I really would like to resolve this right now to avoid him standing in the way of Killua's destiny of becoming an assassin." Illumi says holding three needles in his hand.
However, the sudden release of Hisoka's malicious aura stops him. "As I have already told you, don't touch my prey. If you try make a move before I settle accounts with him, you'll have to face the consequences. Understood?" Hisoka says in a voice that sounds like it's coming from the very depths of hell.
The eldest of the Zoldyck sons stands in contemplation for a few seconds before answering. "Okay. I'd like to get rid of him now, but I'd rather not have to face your retaliation. Even though we've only known each other for a short time, I know your tastes, so I'll leave both Gon and Kai alone." He says putting away his needles.
"Hisoka, what will you do now?"
"I'll wait patiently. And when the fruits are ripe, I'll pluck them." Hisoka responds wit a creepy and disgusting smile adorning his face while Illumi leaves the place. "Gon... Kai... Which of the two will have the best flavor?"
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
David_Arenas
David_Arenas The Illumi and Hisoka part is a bit forcibly included. Tell me if you like it or if you prefer it removed in the comments.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone