"It seems that this year, I'll have to join you for the Hunter Exam," Illumi said, turning his head to look at Hisoka, who was squatting nearby, stacking a pyramid of playing cards.
"Is that so? Well, that means the exam won't be as lonely and boring as last time," Hisoka replied nonchalantly.
In a secluded and tranquil area in the mountains, a handsome bald ninja stepped out of his hometown. "Betting on the name of the elite ninja of the secret group Yun Yin Liu, I must become a Hunter and find the legendary Dream Scroll!!" However, the first rule of being a ninja is to keep one's mouth shut, and judging by his incessant chatter, he clearly hadn't mastered this skill.
December 30th, on Whale Island. "Caught it!!" exclaimed a spiky-haired boy wearing a strange hat. After waiting for a long time, he finally reeled in a large fish with peculiar claws from the water. "I caught the King of the Swamp!! I've fulfilled my promise and can now take the Hunter Exam!!" His voice, full of genuine joy and energy, echoed through the forest sky.
On the last day of the agreement, which was also the final day for Hunter Exam registration, he had fulfilled his promise to his foster mother and was about to embark on a path that would deeply influence his destiny. The gears of fate in this world began to turn slowly, and everything was about to unfold.
The Poseidon, a ship specially equipped by the Hunter Association, was used to transport candidates from various islands outside the continent. It would stop at each island with registered candidates for a period of time. Afterward, it would depart on schedule to the next location. Once all locations were visited, it would take the candidates to the place where the guide awaited them. Whale Island, a remote small island, was the last stop for the Poseidon to pick up candidates.
"Did you do it on purpose? You did it on purpose, didn't you?!" On a large tree by the dock, two figures sat cross-legged on a branch. One of them, still as scruffy as ever with a stubbly beard, was Ging, who looked at Morin with a face full of resentment.
"You knew Gon was going to take the Hunter Exam this time, so you chose to apply this year, didn't you?!" At first, Ging didn't think much when Morin said he wanted to get a Hunter license. But soon, he realized something was off. It seemed, possibly, maybe, perhaps, his son Gon was also going to take the Hunter Exam this time, right?!
He calculated the time; Gon was just twelve years old, the same age he was when he left Whale Island to take the Hunter Exam. This meant that under his arrangement, Gon should also be setting out this year. And Morin, he just happened to choose this year to get his license...
Ging didn't believe for a second that Morin had no ulterior motives. He hurriedly put down what he was doing and rushed to Whale Island. After a little investigation, he indeed found Morin there.
"You're overthinking it," Morin waved his hand slightly at Ging, smiling, "Do you think I'm the kind of person with such a boring and malicious sense of humor?"
"Heh!" Ging snorted lightly, his mouth twitching, and his eyes turned into dead fish eyes as he glanced at Morin. I don't believe you at all; you're a real troublemaker!!
"Don't worry, I won't bully the younger generation," Morin chuckled, making a promise to Ging. "After all, I held him when he was a baby and even gave him one of my gadgets as a gift."
Is bullying the younger generation what I'm concerned about? If you want, I even hope Gon gets more tempered...
Ging remained silent, just continuing to look at Morin with those dead fish eyes.
"Alright, I get it~" Seeing Ging like this, Morin didn't keep him in suspense any longer. "I won't tell Gon where you are, nor will I use any gadgets to help him find you directly, and I won't reveal the arrangements you've made for him. Are you satisfied with such a promise?"
Ging smacked his lips. Although it wasn't entirely what he hoped for, having such a promise was better than nothing, and Morin had basically assured him of the essentials. He could only reluctantly nod.
Ging was now slightly annoyed. He had calculated everything, planned for everything, but completely overlooked the fact that Morin would choose to take the Hunter Exam in the same year as Gon. No, or rather, Morin's displayed strength had subconsciously made him regard Morin as a true Hunter, ignoring the fact that he hadn't yet obtained a Hunter license.
But the situation was set, and no matter how annoyed he was, it was of no use. "Do as you please, just don't go overboard," Ging sighed, standing up as he saw the spiky-haired boy in green running towards the dock.
"Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion," Morin said with a smile, emphasizing the words "sense of proportion."
As Gon approached, Ging's figure disappeared from the spot. Meanwhile, the Poseidon had already sounded its horn, gradually pulling up its anchor.
"Wow! The ship is leaving! What should we do?!" At this moment, beside Gon was a man with a briefcase, looking like an uncle. Seeing the Poseidon raising its sails, he shouted anxiously. They had been delayed for some time helping the magical beasts in the circus escape.
"Well..." Gon looked around and quickly locked onto a relatively tall tree nearby. "We can use that tree to fly over... huh? There's someone in the tree!"
Gon's big eyes quickly noticed Morin sitting in the tree. "Excuse me, sir, could you please move aside? We plan to use this tree, and it might hurt you. Please!"
He politely greeted Morin and explained the situation. Morin didn't say much, just smiled at him, then slowly stood up.
Whoosh! His figure vanished into thin air.
"Disappeared?!" Gon and the uncle-like Leorio were both stunned. Then, they felt someone grab the back of their necks.
"Are you planning to board that ship?" Morin asked, holding one in each hand, estimating the distance between the departing Poseidon and the dock. "Let me give you a lift then."
With a flick of his shoulder, Morin, in the bewildered state of Gon and Leorio, threw them with force! "Off you go!!"
He tossed them directly into the sky!!
Instantly, two beautiful parabolas appeared in the sky, like two meteors streaking across the horizon.
"Ahhhhh!!" Among them was a voice full of energy, shouting after realizing what was happening. "I'm afraid of heights, I'm afraid of heights!!"
Leorio was crying and sniffling, while Gon gradually came to his senses. After that person disappeared, he felt that the smile seemed to have a different meaning. And now~
Gon tried to look back at the original shore with the corner of his eye. He found that the dock was already empty. "Disappeared again?!"
Gon thought to himself, and at the same time, their bodies were in free fall, approaching the Poseidon, about to land on the deck. Newton could breathe a sigh of relief; at least, for now, his coffin lid wouldn't be disturbed.
"Safe landing!!" Gon, who had trained his physical fitness and flexibility to an excellent level in the mountains and forests, casually adjusted his position in the air and landed on the deck with a rather graceful posture.
Hmm, he didn't go out of bounds or step outside the ship's edge. If it were a Japanese judge, they wouldn't give Gon high marks, as only stepping out of bounds with a big foot could win a championship.
Leorio, who landed with Gon, wasn't so lucky. Overcome by his fear of heights, he couldn't adjust his posture and ended up face-planting on the deck. Fortunately, his head was well-trained, and he didn't break his neck or suffer facial fractures.
Their unusual landing drew a lot of attention, including from the ship's captain and a blond boy in traditional ethnic clothing. "So many people," Gon observed, looking around. He noticed many fierce-looking individuals with bulging muscles, exuding an intimidating aura. But to Gon, they just looked a bit scary, with nothing noteworthy about them. Whether it was their bodies or their aura, they seemed weak and could be described with one word: hollow.
After scanning the crowd, Gon no longer paid attention to them. Until~
"Huh?!" He suddenly exclaimed softly, his bright eyes focusing on a certain spot on the deck.
I'm struggling to find a good hxh fanfic to translate. Even something mid like this one is so rare to find. If you have any suggestions drop them in the comments, if your suggestion is translated you will get the patreon for free.