Gon stood face-to-face with the menacing man, his gaze steady and fearless.
The surrounding trees seemed to hush, letting slivers of moonlight filter through, bathing the scene in a soft glow.
"You're one of the criminals on this island, aren't you?" Gon said calmly, though his senses were on high alert.
The man grinned, amused by the boy's composure. "You've got guts, kid," he said, hands on his hips. "But you're still just a kid."
'Even with my bloodlust unleashed, he didn't flinch. I can't underestimate him.'
With that thought, the man squared up. "Alright, kid, let's get started."
"Sorry, but I don't want to fight you," Gon replied, bowing slightly.
He was following Kurapika's advice, which meant avoiding criminals. Fighting here would only waste time and energy.
The man blinked, caught off guard. "What did you just say?" he asked, thinking he'd misheard.
"I said I'm not fighting you. I'm not interested in criminal tattoos like yours," Gon clarified. "I—"
Before he could finish, his instincts screamed, and he leaped back several steps. In a swift, violent motion, the man had lunged, slamming a powerful fist into the ground where Gon had stood moments ago. It didn't take a genius to imagine what would've happened if Gon hadn't dodged.
"Where do you think you are, kid?" the man growled, pulling his fist from the small crater his attack had left. "You never had a choice. Be smart and let me scan your badge without a fuss, or I'll have to break a few bones."
'He's strong,' Gon thought, glancing at the pulverized earth where he'd been standing. 'But in a straight fight, I've got a shot. Problem is, it'll tire me out, and I won't gain anything since his tattoo's worthless to me. Speaking of which…'
Cutting his thoughts short, Gon checked his watch.
"Where are you looking, kid?"
The man's voice was suddenly right in front of him. Though Gon's senses caught the incoming attack, the short distance and the fist's speed left no room to escape. As he raised his head, the blow crashed into his face, sending him hurtling through the woods. He slammed into a massive tree trunk, the impact making it shudder briefly.
"I warned you, kid," the man said gruffly, approaching the spot where Gon had landed.
'This kid's no ordinary brat,' he thought. He recalled the punch he'd just thrown, packing nearly half his strength—enough to reduce a mountain bear to pulp. At that speed, blocking it should've been impossible.
Yet it wasn't. Just before impact, the man had seen Gon shield his face at the last second. 'Still, it doesn't matter. That punch killed a bear, so a kid like him…'
His thoughts froze as his stunned eyes landed on Gon, who he'd assumed was dead, standing upright. Though his clothes were tattered and his left arm swollen, his stance was firm and proud.
"Impossible," the man sputtered.
Ignoring his opponent's shock, Gon raised his right hand, showing his watch's screen to the man. It displayed a frozen countdown.
"The test hasn't started yet, so why'd you attack me?" Gon asked, more puzzled by this than his trembling, swollen arm.
'What's he talking about? The test hasn't started?'
The man was baffled. 'Before we were dropped on this island, they told us the test began the moment the first candidate landed. Wait a second…'
A realization hit him. "Hey, kid, did they tell you when your test starts?" he asked.
"Well, I don't think so. All I know is it begins when the countdown does," Gon replied, scratching his head.
'I see. Unlike us, the candidates can't start yet. And based on the rules about actions before the test begins, they're likely bound by the same restriction—except for us, the test started ages ago. This is interesting.'
A wicked smile spread across the man's face. "So, you see, there's no point trying to get my badge now," Gon said, slipping his watch back onto his left wrist. 'Good thing I took it off in time, or it'd be toast,' he congratulated himself.
"You're wrong, kid. Sounds like you're the ones in deep trouble," the man said, still advancing, his grin stretching ear to ear.
"Huh?" Gon frowned, confused.
"Your examiners are nuts," the man sneered. "You've gotta be twisted to pull something like this. And they call us monsters—what a joke."
"I don't get what you're saying," Gon complained.
"Here's the deal, kid. For us, the test started the second the first of you set foot on this island," the man said, stopping inches from Gon. "But you? You're stuck waiting for your countdown to begin. I'm guessing any offensive moves before then are off-limits for you, right?"
He leaned forward, his face level with Gon's, locking eyes with a malicious grin. "Get it now, kid?"
Instead of answering, Gon's figure vanished, leaving the man stunned for a moment. 'He's fast,' he thought, looking up to see Gon bounding from branch to branch, trying to escape.
'But I'm not letting you get away. With this new info, it'd be a waste not to take advantage.'
With that, the man gave chase. Gon swung through the branches like a chimpanzee, his speed and agility remarkable. The man, initially confident he'd catch up, soon realized he'd misjudged.
"Where'd this kid come from? Are all the candidates like this?" he grumbled. "At this rate, I'll lose him or get my prey stolen."
Minutes later, exhausted, he muttered, "Damn it, just my luck to run into a little monster like him. Is it even humanly possible to be that agile?"
He stopped, worn out, unsure how long Gon had been leading him on a wild chase. 'I can't waste time on him. There have to be easier targets. The longer I dawdle, the more those twins will snatch up.'
Deciding to abandon the pursuit, he turned to hunt new prey. But then, a familiar voice called out, "You're done chasing me?"
It was Gon, who'd doubled back.
"Don't get cocky, kid," the man growled. "I just don't want to waste time chasing a monkey. Consider yourself lucky for now, but watch your back."
Eager to move on, he started running in another direction, only to be stopped again by Gon's voice. "Hey, I think the examiner mentioned something about this, but I forgot. What do you get for scanning our badges?"
'Is this kid missing a screw?' the man wondered. Though tempted to keep hunting, unsure when the candidates' countdown would start, he paused and turned to face Gon. For reasons he couldn't pinpoint, he felt oddly accommodating. "Guess I've gone soft with age," he mocked himself. "To answer your question, kid, scanning one of your badges cuts 10 years off our sentence."
"I see. How many years are you serving?" Gon asked, curious.
"What's it to you?" the man snapped.
"Just wondering. You don't seem like a real criminal to me," Gon said.
"Oh? And why's that?" the man asked.
"It's just a feeling. When we met, you could've ambushed me. With your strength, knocking me out would've been easy. But you chose to face me head-on. At first, I thought you were underestimating me, but after your punch, I got it."
Gon's words left the man momentarily speechless. "And what'd you get?" he said. "I didn't use full strength, but that punch could've killed a bear, kid."
"It was an insane hit," Gon admitted. "If I hadn't guarded my face, I'd probably be out cold—my left arm's still shaking. But it wasn't the punch that tipped me off. It was when you came to check on me. As I got up, I saw it in your eyes. I don't know why, but it was like you were relieved I was okay, like you were glad I wasn't dead."
The man burst out laughing. "You're dreaming, kid. I don't know if this is some trick to stop me from chasing you, but it's pointless. You're too fast for me in this jungle. I'm off to find easier prey, so save your nonsense." After his chuckle, he spat, "Goodbye, kid. Hope you make it out." He resumed running.
Then, Gon dropped from the branch he was perched on, landing on the ground. The man noticed and paused to glance back. Gon reached into his shirt and pulled out a white circular plate with the number 768 etched on one side—his badge.
The man's eyebrows shot up.
"I don't know what crimes landed you here, but I trust my gut. And it's telling me to let you scan this," Gon said, holding out his badge.
"You serious, kid?"
The man was floored. An hour ago, he'd been ready to kill for that piece of metal, and now the kid was handing it over like it was nothing. A trap? Impossible—he couldn't see what Gon would gain.
His fists clenched. He wanted to refuse, but an image flashed in his mind: a young woman in loose clothes, her belly swollen. He couldn't let pride guide him. This was a chance he had to take, not just for himself but for two others.
He approached Gon slowly, stopping beside him. After a moment's gaze, he took the badge with a hesitant hand, scanned it with his watch, and handed it back.
Gon's watch lit up, displaying -100/1000. "Oh, so that's the penalty for getting scanned, huh? Sorry, Kurapika, I couldn't follow your rules," he said, taking back his badge. Though surprised, his tone held no regret.
The man's watch also lit up, showing +10 ♥️ in red on a black background.
Gon checked his countdown. "Still frozen."
He tucked his badge back into his shirt and crossed his arms. With a penalty, he'd need to rethink his strategy.
As he pondered, he heard a "Thanks." It came from the man, who hadn't left yet. His face no longer radiated menace but a hint of warmth.
Gon flashed a warm smile. "You're welcome!" he chirped. Remembering something, he added, "Shoot, I forgot my fishing rod where we fought. I gotta find it."
"Need help, kid?" the man offered.
"Nah, you've got other stuff to do. I'll manage," Gon replied, sprinting toward his landing spot. He turned back, waving. "Good luck out there! See ya!"
With that, he vanished into the woods.
Alone now, the man stood still, staring where Gon had disappeared, then glanced at his watch. "Yeah, see ya," he murmured. Turning in the opposite direction, he melted into the forest.
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