The storm had passed, leaving behind a sky bruised with fading clouds and an ocean that still rolled uneasily beneath the boat.
The deck glistened wet, ropes coiled like sleeping snakes, and the air smelled clean—sharp with ozone and salt.
Akira leaned against the railing, watching the water slide past in dark, glassy sheets.
His body ached in that pleasant, earned way: muscles remembering the kick that had stunned the sea serpent, aura channels still tingling from the reckless burst of Ren.
He felt… different. Not invincible. Not yet. But awake in a way he hadn't been since the first system ping in his old life.
Toru emerged from the wheelhouse, wiping his hands on a rag. The old captain's face was lined deeper than usual, but his eyes held something like respect.
"Never seen anything like that," Toru said, voice low. "You didn't even flinch."
Akira shrugged. "Had to be done."
Toru grunted. "Most kids your age would've frozen. Or screamed. You moved like you'd fought sea beasts before."
Akira didn't answer. He couldn't exactly say he'd spent years watching anime battles in his head, or that a cheat system had just fed him the serpent's own movement pattern in real time.
Toru studied him a moment longer, then jerked his chin toward the horizon.
"Mainland by nightfall if the wind holds. First stop is Dolle Harbor. From there, you'll catch a train inland to the exam site. Word is it changes every year—keeps the cheaters guessing."
Akira nodded. He already knew that from the lore database. The Hunter Exam's location shifted constantly; applicants never knew exactly where until the last moment.
"Any advice?" he asked.
Toru snorted. "Don't trust anyone. Not the other applicants, not the examiners, not even the guy selling you water. Hunters live by their own rules. Most of 'em ain't nice ones."
Akira filed the warning away. He didn't need it—he had the Analysis Scanner—but hearing it from someone who'd seen the world felt grounding.
Gon appeared at the cabin door, hair still damp, carrying two tin mugs of hot tea. He handed one to Akira and leaned beside him.
"Toru says we'll see land soon," Gon said. "I can't wait.
The city! The people! The exam!"
Akira took a sip. The tea was bitter and strong—exactly what he needed.
"You nervous?" he asked.
Gon tilted his head. "A little. But mostly excited. What about you?"
Akira stared at the water. "I'm ready."
It wasn't bravado. After the serpent, after feeling his aura flare like a living thing, he believed it. The system had given him tools most people spent lifetimes chasing. Now it was just a matter of using them.
Status check.
Level: 6
Stats:
Strength: 31
Agility: 39
Endurance: 35
Intelligence: 27
Aura Control: 43 (Steady Improvement)
New Function Active: Environmental Adaptation (Basic)
→ Resistance to extreme weather, minor toxin immunity, quicker acclimation to new terrains.
Pending Mission: Reach the Exam Venue Intact – Reward: First Custom Hatsu Generation Unlock
Custom Hatsu.
The words sent a thrill through him. He'd read enough about Nen in his old life to know how rare true originality was. Most Hunters spent years refining one ability.
The system promised to hand him something broken right out of the gate.
He pushed the thought aside. Focus on the now.
The day passed quietly. Gon practiced casts off the stern, trying to hook imaginary fish in the rolling waves.
Akira joined him for a while, adapting the boy's wrist flick until his own casts were smoother, longer. Then he retreated to the bow alone.
He sat cross-legged on the deck, closed his eyes, and practiced.
Ten first—enveloping his body in a thin, even shroud. The aura felt warmer today, less like a blanket and more like a second skin.
Then Zetsu—pulling it all inward until he felt almost invisible. The world sharpened: the creak of wood, the slap of waves, Toru's low humming from the wheelhouse.
Ren came harder. He pushed outward in controlled bursts, letting the blue flame flare for five seconds, ten, fifteen before cutting it off. Each time the drain lessened slightly.
[Ren Mastery: 38% → 41%]
He was getting there.
By late afternoon the coastline appeared—a hazy line of green hills and white cliffs. Dolle Harbor resolved slowly: a busy port town with fishing boats crowding the docks, cranes swinging cargo, gulls screaming overhead.
Toru eased the boat in beside a weathered pier. Dockworkers shouted greetings; ropes were tossed and secured.
Gon vaulted over the railing before the gangplank was even down.
"Land!" he shouted, arms wide.
Akira followed more slowly, boots hitting solid wood for the first time in days. The ground felt strange after so long at sea—too still.
Toru clapped him on the shoulder. "Safe travels, kid. And watch your back."
Akira nodded. "Thanks for the ride. And the warning."
Toru waved it off. "Just don't die out there. Mito'd never forgive me."
With that, the captain turned back to his boat.
Gon was already bouncing toward the town square, pointing at everything: street vendors selling grilled squid, kids chasing a stray dog, a massive bulletin board covered in wanted posters and job listings.
Akira caught up. "We need to find the train station. The exam instructions will be there—or a clue to where it is."
Gon nodded. "Right! Let's go!"
They wove through the crowd. Akira kept his aura on low Ten—enough to sense threats without drawing attention. His scanner pinged occasionally:
[Scan: Average civilian – No threat]
[Scan: Pickpocket approaching – Minor threat]
He sidestepped the hand reaching for Gon's pocket without breaking stride. The would-be thief cursed and vanished into the throng.
Gon didn't even notice.
The train station was a squat stone building at the edge of town. A single ticket window. A bored clerk chewing on a toothpick.
"Two to the Hunter Exam," Gon said brightly.
The clerk didn't look up. "Exam changes location every year. You got the passcode?"
Gon blinked. "Passcode?"
Akira stepped forward. He'd already pulled the lore database.
"'The gate to the hunter opens only for those who seek it,'" he recited quietly.
The clerk's eyes flicked up. He studied them both—two kids, soaked, carrying nothing but small packs and fishing rods.
Then he slid two tickets across the counter.
"Platform 3. Train leaves in twenty minutes. Don't miss it."
Gon grabbed the tickets. "Thank you!"
Akira pocketed his, senses alert.
They had twenty minutes.
Outside the station, the crowd had thinned. Evening shadows stretched long across the cobblestones.
Akira stopped suddenly.
He felt it—a prickling at the back of his neck. Not killing intent exactly. Something colder. Watching.
Scanner.
[Alert: High-Level Aura Signature Detected. Distance: 80 meters. Nen User. Threat Level: Extreme.]
Akira turned slowly.
Across the square, leaning against a lamppost, stood a tall figure in a jester's outfit. Magenta hair. Sharp smile. Cards fanned between pale fingers.
Hisoka.
The clown tilted his head, eyes locking onto Akira's. The smile widened.
Interesting… Hisoka mouthed, silent but clear.
Gon followed Akira's gaze. "Who's that?"
Akira kept his voice low. "Trouble."
Hisoka pushed off the post and vanished into the evening crowd like smoke.
The train whistle blew.
Gon tugged Akira's sleeve. "Come on! We'll miss it!"
Akira lingered one second longer, aura flaring briefly in Ren—just enough to send a pulse outward.
A faint ripple answered from the shadows.
Message received.
They boarded the train.
As the cars pulled away from Dolle Harbor, Akira sat by the window, watching the lights blur into streaks.
The Hunter Exam was close now.
And so was the first real test.