Chương 20: Chapter 20: Lucky Encounter
Date: January 13th, 2011
Point of View Switch: Kai
I find myself sitting on the floor of the chamber, training control of my aura while keeping my mind calm; improving the flow, projecting it out of my body, shaping it, imbuing it into stones... Anything I can think of to improve and know what I'm good at.
I pass the time like this because I've decided to wait until noon to go out and meet up with my comrades. Gon will probably have taken Hisoka's badge by now, but I'd rather not take any risks by leaving early. After a while of practicing, I check my watch which reads 12:07, and with the time confirmed, I get up ready to leave.
After leaving the cave, I check my surroundings to make sure that no one is around, and after hiding the entrance with the foliage again, I quickly climb to the top of one of the trees in order to locate the meeting point, just like Gon had done while following Hisoka.
'Searching for my prey like this would be boring, and that's why I preferred to walk through the woods. But now I have to plot the route to the rendezvous point and make sure there are no canon characters in the way.' I think as I survey the landscape and plot the quickest mental route.
After observing the landscape well, I return to the ground, and with the badges in hand, I quickly make my way back towards the starting point. The forest seems a bit less menacing now, the thrill of victory and the feeling of security giving me a renewed sense of energy. I can't wait to meet back up with Nicholas and Killua, eager to hear about their own hunts and to prepare for the remaining days of the phase.
After about 10 minutes of running at full speed, I return to the rendezvous point, where Nicholas and Killua are already waiting. We catch up and start talking about what went down during the competition. I tell them about the fight I have faced along the way, and they tell me about how they tracked the Amori brothers and their skirmish with Hanzo.
While they detail their experiences, Nicholas looks somewhat downcast, but I decide to let it be for the moment. Between talks, we soon decide that we will hide for the remaining time on the island, so I tell them about the cave I found and start leading them there.
Once we arrive, I clear the hidden entrance to the cave for them, and when we reach the inner chamber, we sit comfortably on the floor illuminated by a lamp.
"I admit, you guys really are a bit peculiar. I had more fun with you than I expected." Killua says with a satisfied smile.
"Now that all three of us have 6 points, we can wait hidden here for the phase to end." Nicholas adds.
"No, no yet." I say, gaining a look from both of them. "I still have issues to resolve at this phase."
"Boss, you've already earned enough points to get through. What could be so important that you'd risk going out?" Nicholas asks worried.
"There's someone I want to help pass the exam, and I know they won't be able to pass if I don't help them. That's why I need to hunt down another examinee and give that person the points they need." I say while displaying badges number 103 and 107 in my left hand.
"Dude, are you serious? That's a lot of nonsense. Here everyone has to get through on their own merits. So just forget about that person." Killua says disdainfully.
"I'm not asking for permission Killua, I'm just letting you know what I'm going to do. I will do it even if I have to face you." I say throwing a determined and slightly aggressive look at Killua.
"Fine, whatever you say." Killua says rubbing the back of his neck. "Then, if you're so set on getting out, wouldn't it be better if we went with you? The more of us there are, the more chances we'll have of getting out." Killua adds with a detached tone.
I respond by shaking my head, "I'm afraid that's not a good idea. If you were to accompany me, there would be many factors that could cause this mission to fail. In order to ensure success, I need to go alone." I say taking out my and Kenmi's badges and placing them on the ground in front of Nicholas. "You two protect here my 6 points while I go outside." I say while I stand up and grab my bag to leave.
"Wait!" Nicholas yells hurriedly standing up and grabbing my shirt. "Please, boss, think about it. We've passed the fourth phase. Surely there shouldn't be much time left before the exam ends and we can become Hunters. If you go out and take unnecessary risks, you not only run the risk of failing the exam, but also of being killed by someone. Please, stay and wait with us."
I turn around, facing Nicholas an putting my hand on his shoulder. "Nicholas... This world is not that easy." At my reply, Nicholas shows some surprise.
"Unknown weapons and creatures, dangerous individuals, extreme situations, complicated circumstances... The amount of dangers that encompass this world is unquantifiable, and even more so if you are a Hunter. Every day is a battle, and if you lack confidence, then you are destined to lose. To face those adversities, you must not allow fear to stop you from doing what is necessary to achieve your goals."
"But why? Why do you have to help that random examinee? What is the reason that drives you to put yourself in danger for a person you barely know?" Nicholas asks still worried and not convinced to let me go.
"None. I just want to help that person, so I do it. On this occasion, there is nothing more to it than that. In my opinion, you don't need a reason to help someone in trouble." I reply, causing Nicholas to be shocked by my answer. "Let me ask you a question now, Nicholas: Do you trust me?" I ask.
"Of course I do." Nicholas answers without vacilation.
"Then trust this: I will find that person, help them pass the phase, and come back to you. I promise you that, and I intend to be the kind of person who when promises to achieve something, always get it. Always without exception." I reply giving him a big smile with a thumbs up. "You just have to wait with Killua until I get back. Okay?"
Nicholas stares at me for a moment, his thoughts racing as he tries to take in my words. After a while, with his face still showing his concern, he looks down and nods at me, to which I respond nodding as well and heading into the chamber tunnel.
"While we're at it, can you tell us who that person is that you want to help?" Killua asks with an unamused expression.
I stop my march before answering. "Does it really matter who it is? The only thing that should matter is that it's someone I'm willing to risk my life for. See you later." I say passing through the tunnel.
Once I get out of the cave, I start running through the woods while looking for my targets and planning my next steps. 'First I must find the remaining badges that are not targets of anyone relevant: #76 Cherry and #89 Shishito.'
'The second thing is to find Ponzu or Leorio, and offer them the points needed to pass the fourth phase. I think it would be better to find Ponzu first, to make sure that the Bourbon badge is enough for her.'
'Finally, after securing the points, I'll take Ponzu to the cave and try to reason with her. If she ends up getting involved with the Chimera Ants anyway, I'll at least make sure she's prepared.'
With my goals clear, I continue running through the trees and their roots looking for examinees. After several minutes of running, I am able to see the sunlight shining through the trees, like the light that marks the exit of a tunnel. Crossing the threshold, I reach the clearing where I had fought with Kemi. However, someone had already arrived early.
At the stream, I see the figure of a woman with long, aqua-green hair, washing her body, completely exposed and humming without any concern at all. It doesn't take her long to turn around and catch sight of me, staring at her completely paralyzed and with wide eyes.
"¡¡¡Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!" Ponzu screams embarrassed as she hides her naked body in the water with her face as red as a tomato and her eyes closed. "What do you think you're doing, spying on a woman while she's bathing?! You perverted degenerate!"
After these cries fueled by embarrassment, Ponzu opens his eyes to see me kneeling on the ground, covering my mouth and nose, which are gushing blood like a fountain. "Oh my god, are you okay?!" Ponzu asks changing her tone to concern.
"Please don't misunderstand the situation. I'm not here to spy on you or hurt you. Just listen to me for a moment." I say raising a hand to calm her down while trying to stop myself from bleeding out with the other.
However, I don't have time to explain how I hear a buzzing sound approaching. I quickly start running away from the bees trained by Ponzu that have come out ready to attack at hearing her screams.
After a good while of being chased, Ponzu finally gets dressed and calls back her bees, allowing me to stop running around the clearing. However, she keeps her bees close to her, sporting an expression that seems to say <You're a disgusting pervert, so be careful what you say next>. She is obviously wary of me for what happened.
I try to get a few steps closer to her with my hands up. "Speak," Ponzu says dryly with her arms crossed.
"I have not come to cause you any harm. I have been looking for you to propose a deal." I say with my face still red and with blood.
'I was actually hoping to meet up with some of my remaining targets first, but I'll stick with this path for now.' I think to myself.
"What kind of deal?" She asks, still frowning.
"Your target in this phase is number #103, Bourbon, right?" I ask to confirm, receiving a nod from a surprised Ponzu.
I then slowly begin to lower one hand while signaling Ponzu with the other to show that I have no bad intentions. Once I take the badge out of my pocket, I flip it over to show the number, surprising Ponzu once again.
"Badge 103. So you're the one who killed Bourbon and took his badge." Ponzu says starting to sound worried.
"I killed him because he tried to attack me with his snakes while I was sleeping. If it hadn't been absolutely necessary, I would have let him live." I say trying to justify my actions. "I have come here to propose an alliance with you."
"An alliance?" She asks raising an eyebrow.
"I'm currently in a group of examinees. Each of us has already earned the 6 points needed to pass, and since there's still time and there are still participants with their badges, I've decided to go out and help those I like the most. You're one of them." I say.
Ponzu looks surprised for a moment before covering her chest with her arms. "I knew it, you're after my body." She says embarrassed with a blush on her cheeks.
"I'm telling you it's not that!" I shout flustered for her words. "Listen, we spent over 50 hours together inside the Trick Tower. I've been able to observe you up close, seeing how you acted under different stimuli, and I know that deep down you're a good girl. And that's why I want to help you." I clarify with a serious but warm tone.
"Of course my help wouldn't be free. In exchange for providing you protection, you'll help me find the people I'm looking for. There are more examinees I want to help besides you, so you'll accompany me and assist me to locate them so I can help them as well before we go to my hideout."
Despite all of this, Ponzu still looks unconvinced of my intentions. "Why should I believe you? I barely know you, and this is a phase where we hunt each other down. I can just tell my bees to attack you and take off your badge while you wince in pain from the stings." She claims.
"If you want the badge, you can take it freely. I won't resist. But..." I stop the sentence to quickly cover the badge with Shu and throw it, passing besides Ponzu's head and sinking into a tree, "you are very wrong if you think that you are the one in control of the situation." I say to Ponzu in a more serious tone as she slowly turns her head back to see the badge nailed to the tree.
"Maybe my performance earlier gave you the wrong idea, but it's not like your bees pose any threat to me. The truth is, if I wanted to, I could easily knock you out or kill you right now, and your little bees wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
"I think the other applicants would not be as generous as I am though. And I can tell you for sure that some of them are much stronger than me."
"You can take the badge and try to hide, but you can't be sure that another applicant won't find you. If you agree to come with me and help me, I'll not only show you the way to our hiding place, but I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure you're safe. So what you say? Will you continue to go on your own on this island full of enemies, or will you risk trusting me to help you get through this phase?" I ask, extending my hand with a confident smile.
Ponzu looks at my hand, the contempt and anger in his eyes replaced by fear and insecurity. 'Saying that she needs help to overcome this challenge may have been a serious blow to her pride, but I know she isn't a fool who would prioritize her pride over her objective, so this little performance should be enough to convince her.' I think waiting her response.
"F-Fine. I'll follow you for the rest of the phase." She says relenting and shaking my hand.
I can see in her face that she still feels some dissatisfaction with the current development of the situation, but at the end of the day she has accepted my offer of her own free will, so I will have to comply with what was agreed.
Once we have formed our collaboration, I instruct Ponzu to follow me back into the forest and start using his bees to search for the examinees I need to find. Although at this point in the story Ponzu can't move her bees too far away, it still increases the chances of finding our targets.
Point of View Switch: Reader
The two continue searching through the island until the sun begins to set, to which Kai says they should prepare to camp. While Ponzu keeps watch with his bees, Kai inspects the vegetation and hunts down a wild rabbit.
As night falls, the two find themselves sitting across from each other eating the rabbit Kai hunted, with Kai's lamp illuminating the place and a tent ready for them to sleep under cover. As they eat, Ponzu can't help but watch Kai, puzzled and skeptical by the tanned man's strange behavior.
'He is indeed a strange man. During the third phase, he struck me as an outstanding candidate. Despite his obvious lack of experience, he had a strong and deterministic mindset, perfect for a Hunter.' Ponzu start thinking as he bites into his portion of meat.
'And yet, he seems to always be aware of me. He kept staring at me in Trick Tower, and he started bleeding like a fountain when he saw me naked while I was bathing in the stream. Even though I am partly responsible for not resisting the temptation after a whole week without bathing, it still bothers me.'
'On top of that, instead of hiding until the end of the test, he'd rather put himself at risk by helping participants he barely knows like me get through. I really can't understand what this guy is thinking. But hey, he's willing to help me and protect me until the end of the phase, so I'll play along for now.' She thinks shrugging and finishing the dinner.
Ponzu instinct tells her that Kai doesn't mean to do her any harm, but he's not a man she can handle either. So rather than losing her life here for being driven by pride, it would be better to play along and take advantage of his incredible strength until she gets what she needs.
Finishing his meal, Kai stands up. "Fine, I'll keep watch tonight. You can sleep in the tent I brought and gather strength for tomorrow."
Ponzu in response taps her hat and calls out her bees. "My bees can watch the area in alternating periods of 4 or 5 hours, attacking anyone who comes close to our perimeter. If you're not rested, you won't be able to protect me properly like you said, so sleep too and leave the guarding to them."
Kai wants to counterargue, but decides to concede, nodding and sitting down leaning against one of the giant tree roots. "Remember... Don't you dare do anything wrong during the night, or you'll have to deal with my entire swarm of bees." Ponzu says picking her head out of the tent with a judicious look.
"Don't worry. Laying a hand on someone you've promised to protect is an intolerable shame." Kai nonchalantly states.
"Funny coming from the guy who looked at me naked." Ponzu responds with an annoyed look as she goes back into the tent.
Although her last comment annoys him, Kai decides not to fuel the fire and closes his eyes to pretend to sleep. 'I don't think she's planning anything against me, but it's best not to take any chances. Besides, if someone strong comes, her bees will do little to protect us. With the training I endured on the island for years, one or two sleepless nights won't affect my performance.'
For the rest of the night, Kai remains on guard, opening his eyes when the bees stop buzzing around him, and focusing his senses on trying to pick up on even the slightest anomaly in the shadows, including any bloodlust directed his way. Though he's never tried to sense it from a distance, he believes he might be able to pick up on it.
Date: January 14th, 2011
Point of View Switch: Kai
As the sun begins to rise, I take out my travel stove and a frying pan, and with the eggs and sandwiches I got at the Truco Tower, I begin to prepare breakfast. Soon after, Ponzu emerges from the tent, attracted by the smell, stretching her body after a good night's sleep and preparing to eat with me.
After breakfast I pack up all my things, and start exploring the island once again with Ponzu. During the next few hours, apart from the background of trees and roots, we also find some cleared areas, a river, and a meadow with some very cute furry animals popping out of it. Normally I would have continued on my way without being distracted, but seeing Ponzu's sweet and excited expression as the little animals gathered around her made me mellow out and rest for a while to enjoy the seemingly peaceful little creatures alongside Ponzu.
'I must be a good Nen user if animals are so friendly to me.' I think as I play around with these little furry animals.
Some time after that, as we climb a slope into the forest, a group of Ponzu bees that were ahead of us returns. According to her, they have found the individuals that I had informed her about earlier. We hurry through the shrubbery and trees, and when I see who the participants are, I stop Ponzu from advancing any further.
In front of us, we can see applicants #76 and #89, Cherry and Shishito, fighting fiercely under a tree in a clearing. "What a stroke of luck. The two applicants I needed to hunt together in the same place. Good job finding them. Now stay hidden here and don't come out until I've dealt with them." I whisper to Ponzu, and when she nods, I start walking towards the confrontation site.
As I approach, Cherry's attention (who had Shishito under control) falls on me, his eyes widening in shock and terror and releasing his grip on Shishito.
"Kai! What are you doing here?!" Cherry asks scared, taking a couple of steps back.
"Isn't it obvious? I came here to take your badges." I say in a calm tone as I continue to slowly approach.
"You know him?" Shishito asks Cherry as he stands up.
"He helped me through the first phase at Milsy Wetlands. And I can tell you for sure... He is strong." Cherry says without taking his eyes off me.
However, neither of them have time to do anything else before I disappear from my position, hitting both of their necks and causing them to fall unconscious to the ground. I sigh in regret for having to act like this, "I would have liked to see how you would handle yourself in combat Cherry, but I know you would have tried other escape strategy like with Hisoka."
I bend down to inspect their pockets, confirming that they only have their respective badges, which I take and put into my bag. As I do so, I see a leaf fall, and looking up I crack a smile at the sight before me.
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