Chapter 44 The Life of a Hunter

Kite was a chill, laid-back guy with a slender frame and long hair that made it hard to guess his gender if seen from the back. Despite this, It only took a few moments to understand that he was stronger than the three of them combined.

What gave away the difference in ability was Kite's skill in observation. The moment he saw them, Rayleigh felt that his entire existence had been accurately weighed, measured, and cataloged. He didn't know all of Ray's secrets, but he likely made a number of inferences that would have been relatively close to the truth.

It wasn't just Ray either. Killua, Gon, and everything around them were perfectly observed by this Hunter, and the threat status of each was recognized at all times.

This sounds simple, but it is not. Rayleigh doubted the man's physical senses were actually superior to their own, especially Gon's, but Kite's experience and comprehension allowed him to accurately use his observations to a far greater degree than even Rayleigh could use the Force. This was not a matter of ability, but skill, and Kite's was simply higher than their own. Not that it mattered. Kite was a friendly sort and would have taken well to them even if they had not been his mentor's son and that son's friends. But seeing as that was the case, he automatically treated them like close friends without visibly raising his guard.

According to Kite, they were in a forest in the country of Kakin, in the middle of the Asian continent. Kakin had been doing a large number of industrial expansions in the last few decades, and it had caused noticeable changes in the surrounding environment. Kite and a few others were being paid to discover any new species that had arisen due to these changes and study the behavior of the new species. The information gathered would be used to create a predictive model of the forest to determine possible future changes.

Rayleigh was the only one who understood the actual syntax of Kite's explanation, while Gon and Killua just understood that Kite was looking for new species.

Kite's team had already found more than the minimum number of required specimens and still had a month left on their contract. If they found just a few more species, then they would actually get paid double the original contract as the higher number of species would grant a far more accurate model.

When the team asked if the trio of kids wanted to look for new species with them, all three eagerly agreed.

Rayleigh used the chance to ask for pointers from Kite. Since they were working for free, they needed some compensation, right? Kite easily saw through this but had no problems with it and gave them a few lessons.

Rayleigh felt that the skill to process your senses and obtain accurate and detailed information was probably the cornerstone of being a Hunter, and Rayleigh wanted to learn everything he could from Ging's student before the end of the month. As for what to do after the end of the month, Rayleigh already had an idea.

Rayleigh always kept the Hunter Chat open and knew that several of his fellow Players were having trouble with Nen because they either didn't find a teacher or because the teacher was a jerk. It was time to speed things up a bit.

[Swordsman: In one month, I'll give a crash course in the Hunter Power System to anyone who is interested. As for the cost, you'll owe me a favor.]

[Lightning Lord: That sounds suspiciously like a trap.]

[Dragon Chef: I'll show. I'll also vouch for Swordsman.]

[Justice: Isn't Swordsman the first guy who told everyone about the Tutorial Mission?]

[The Invisible Man: I want to learn! But I have nowhere to stay! I'm broke!]

[Glitter: Aren't you just stealing food and sleeping in mansions you've snuck into?]

[Poison King: He should name himself Invisible Pervert.]

[Swordsman: I'll rent out a Hotel that serves breakfast and dinner and a bunch of rooms for a month for anyone who is coming.]

[Demon Hunter: You're really gonna teach them, huh?]

[The Invisible Man: Hey! Don't try to talk him out of it! I don't want to wait until next year to try that stupid Hunter Exam again just for a license.]

[Dragon Chef: As long as you don't make me bow to you and call you master. The last three guys I've found to teach me Nen all insisted that I call them master. I told them to f* off and the pansies refused to teach me.]

[Lightning Lord: The only guy I found keeps saying I'm not ready. That jack a* is a weak piece of s* and knows I'll be able to kick his a* once I learn the power system! If you really teach me, I promise I'll make it up to you.]

[Swordsman: Alright. It will start on May 7th and last until June 30th, so an eight-week course in the city of Yorknew. I'm telling the General Chat too.]

Rayleigh wondered why he didn't hear anything from Armory, White Knight, or Springheeled Jack. Were they not logged into the chat or were they no longer in the Hunter World?

[Swordsman has signed in.]

[Swordsman: Hey guys with the Hunter Class. I'm giving an 8-week course on the Hunter Power System from May 7th to June 30th. Everything you need to know about what it is and how to use it.]

[Lord of Madness: Yes! I'll be there!]

[Book worm: How much?]

[Pacifist: I'll see if I can get that time off from my Master.]

[Immortal Beauty: Are you serious?]

[Swordsman: The cost is a favor in the future. I'll be renting out a Hotel with breakfast and dinner served daily, so you won't even need to pay for an ID or money.]

[Dark Lord Skullcrusher: No matter how hard you train, you stand no chance against my invincible power.]

[The Spiffing Brit: Two can play at this game. I shall also freely divulge the great and powerful secret to becoming an overpowered warrior.]

[Kung Fu Panda: It's just back-to-back limit-breaking training.]

[Ninja Lord: Be careful. A favor owed is not a simple thing.]

[Immortal Beauty: Aren't you the guy offering everyone on your continent free lessons so that they will owe you a favor?]

[Miracle: Not anymore. He left the Ninjas and is in Wizard School with us now.]

[Ninja Lord: I still return every summer.]

[Immortal Beauty: You want every Ninja to owe you a favor but you are trying to stop every Hunter from owing Swordsman a favor?] [Book worm: I remember that Ninja Lord was one of the first to try the Tutorial Mission but never told anyone about it, unlike Swordsman.]

[Lord of Madness: That's right! Who in their right mind would trust an untrustworthy ninja!?]

[Ninja Lord: Fine. Ignore my advice. Your funeral.]

Rayleigh honestly didn't care how many people showed up. He just needed a few to help him develop his Hatsu. He also wanted to spar with some of the players and bounce ideas off them. The fastest way to learn what you don't know about something is to try teaching it to someone else and letting them ask questions. Even if you can't think of a question you don't know the answer to, someone with a different perspective might be able to.

The reason he said to start in Yorknew on May 7th was that the group had already agreed to return there before May 5th. Everyone left their valuables in safe deposit boxes in Yorknew before going to Greed Island, so going back to retrieve things like their Hunter Licenses was a must. They technically should have gotten them before using the magic Accompany Card, but Gon was too excited and didn't want to wait. Besides, Killua had his new Hunter License with him, so he could take care of things if they got weird.

The other reason was that Gon's 13th birthday was May 5th and they wanted to celebrate in Yorknew as there were many places in the big city to have fun.

Ray, Gon, and Killua did their best to learn everything they could from Kite while putting their new skills to the test by searching for new species. The actual searching part was not that difficult. It was the research part that was complex. Anyone can take a picture of an unfamiliar species. Actually observing the species to determine their behaviors was something entirely different.

Kite explained, "The trick is not to obsess over every detail, but to figure out which details are important. The size and shape of the feet tell us the terrain the species usually travels through. The placement of the eyes shows if it hunts or is hunted. The length of the limbs shows dexterity and movement speed. Color determines the most common environment. But it's not just about the physical species itself. Pay attention to the debris on the species, such as dust, mud, foliage, pollen, fur, etc. Did you notice that the winged rabbit you saw earlier had bits of fur near its mouth that were not it's own? That fur matched a species of climbing rat in the area, so we can tell that the flying rabbit probably hunts and eats climbing rats."

His lessons were incredibly useful and precise. Even Gon and Ray who lived in a forest for years were learning new things every day. His lectures didn't just include animals. He gave precise lessons on plants and details on how to tell what food was edible and what was not. They were quite far from civilization, and every meal was plucked from the forest itself.

When Ray showed off his Force Cooking, Kite showed him multiple tricks on how to cook some of the more unfamiliar things. Although Force Cooking could direct him to the best flavor, that was only if he could reach it. Out in the wild, he could only boil or roast foods, but Kite taught him how to use some means to quickly dry foods, different ways of using rocks as makeshift pans or utensils, and how some raw foods mixed to produce memorable flavors.

Rayleigh's dishes became very popular, and the group asked on multiple occasions if he could just stay with them forever. He declined, of course. Cooking was just a hobby for him.

It was a very good month for the trio since, for the first time, they got to experience what it was to be a Hunter. To explore and discover. To use their talents and abilities to make their place in the world. Of course, it only took half a day for it to become a competition among the three. This was because the name of the species' they discovered would be recorded with the species, so every species they discovered would literally leave their mark on the world, something any child would be incredibly excited over.

Gon got ahead quickly, but Rayleigh's use of Force Enhance could be used to enhance his senses to match or even exceed Gon's own, so he quickly caught up. Killua was in last place, but he was very good at finding insects and small creatures that hid since his natural observation skills leaned more in that direction.

At the end of the month, Gon and Rayleigh both found seven new species, while Killua found six. Killua actually found three in the last week and looked like he would catch up, but time ran out. Gon had Protagonist Luck, so Rayleigh wasn't upset that he only tied, even though Rayleigh should technically be better than Gon at this kind of thing due to the Force.

They also learned about hundreds of different plants and animals, their environments and habits, and how everything worked together to form their ecosystems.

Overall, it really was a great month. The group eventually returned to civilization and drove to Kakin's National Environmental Agency to hand off the collected data and receive their payment.

The man who collected everything was ecstatic. "Great work! Really great work! This is worth more than what our agency has collected in the last two centuries! I only wish we could pay you more."

Kite amiably replied, "It doesn't matter. It was fun doing it."

"Hoho, but I can at least recommend you to the agencies of other countries that need similar projects done. I know for a fact that there are plenty of them who have not updated their own ecological records in decades."

He passed over the documents that were signed to confirm payment and completion of the job. Kite took the papers with a smile, but the man then added thoughtfully, "You know, I heard something you might be interested in. The Southern Peace Auction House recently announced they had a part of some amazing life forms. It seems to be from a creature no one has ever heard of before, and they are offering a reward to any Hunter who catches the specimen the piece originates from so they can sell it."

Kite hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we are on our way to Yorknew. Can you tell them we want a look at it?"

"Of course, no problem at all. And it's been a pleasure doing business with you."

The pair shook hands before everyone headed out.

Although the Asian continent was quite far from the continent Yorknew and the Southern Peace Auction House were located on, getting transportation from anywhere to just about anywhere was too easy for a licensed Hunter, and they arrived at Yorknew on May 3rd before entering the same site the trio had once entered to watch the sale of Greed Island.

Gon and the rest retrieved their belongings from their safe deposit boxes, including Ging's Hunter's License, which he apparently left with Kite many years ago. Kite had told Gon to just return it to Ging himself when he found the man, since Ging claimed he didn't even need it.

Since four members of their group had a Hunter's License and they had been recommended by a reputable government, the auction house had no qualms about showing off the acquired specimen. In fact, they hoped the experienced Hunters would tell them more about it.

The piece itself was contained within a sealed case and appeared to be the forearm of a creature that had an exoskeleton. It resembled a bug limb.

Due to weight and oxygen limitations on Earth, creatures with exoskeletons could never reach above a certain size unless submerged in water. But this was not Earth, and this forearm was longer than a human's, implying the creature it originated from should be larger as well.

As everyone made their observations, Kite asked, "Do you think you could give us a small part to analyze?"

The employee considered it for a moment before answering, "We aren't supposed to give it to strangers, but since you came so highly recommended, we can hardly refuse. Oh, and if you get your hands on an albino ponytail cat, please let us know."

Rayleigh spoke up, "I can read its past if you let me hold it."

Everyone turned to Rayleigh for a moment, clearly surprised that such a young kid had such a coveted ability.

Gon spoke up, "He can do it! He was able to tell us all kinds of things about Ging just from holding his Hunter's License."

Kite could tell they weren't lying, so he looked over to the man as if to ask if it was okay. The employee replied, "Very well, but only for a few minutes, and you must tell us what you discover."

Rayleigh nodded, and the man left for a moment to get a key to the arm's case to open it. Two finger-like segments were removed to be further analyzed, and the arm was handed to Rayleigh to use psychometry on.

Rayleigh held the arm for a few seconds and heavily frowned. To those watching, it was obvious he did not like what he was seeing.

After a few tense minutes, Rayleigh sighed and returned the arm to its place in the glass case before asking, "Give me two rolls of paper, two meters by three meters, an ink pot, and an ink brush. I'll draw exactly what this thing looks like for you."

The employee replied, "Oh? Wonderful. Please wait one moment."

For a place that sold the most unusual items in the world, some big pieces of paper and a brush were mundane things to ask for.

A large roll of paper was carried out by an employee with a massive physique, and a brush and an ink pot were set next to it. Rayleigh unrolled the paper until he had enough and started drawing. Considering his skill in calligraphy, making an ink portrait was an easy task.

After a few minutes, an imposing-looking insect was drawn onto the paper. He drew two images of it, one from the front, and one from the side. Unlike most insects that had three segments, one after the other, this insect's third segment jutted out from the back, creating a balance that seemed to allow the creature to walk upright. And unlike other insects, it had two arms and two legs in addition to the thorax jutting from the back. Kite asked with audible concern, "Is this life-sized?"

Rayleigh answered, "Yep, one-to-one ratio. She was in the ocean for a while before she washed up on some coast, where her arm fell off. I don't know where, though, since the arm was taken back by the tide before it made its way to the coast off Yorknew. That was about four weeks ago."

No one recognized the creature's species, and Rayleigh didn't know what to call it either. It wasn't like the creature knew the name humans had assigned it or something.

Rayleigh asked, "Can I buy that arm for 350 Million? You can have the paintings to use as references, but I'd like the arm myself."

The employee looked over the ink painting with interest. It was actually very elegant and fearsome and seemed a lot more interesting than a severed bug arm. They were looking for the whole species anyway, they couldn't sell an arm. That was why they were offering a reward to Hunters who could find the rest of it.

The man countered, "350 million isn't enough."

Rayleigh upped the offer, "How about 950 million."

"No, we expect to get more than that if the arm were auctioned on its own."

Rayleigh shook his head and said, "The creature this fell from was heavily wounded. There is no guarantee that it hasn't already died and been eaten elsewhere. Anything you could do to preserve the arm would degrade its value, and without preservation, it will rot on its own anyway. 1.5 billion. Final offer."

The man was more than a little surprised at Ray's negotiation skill, but the offered price was far greater than they had already spent and if the artwork was left, they'd still have something to show those interested in searching for the specimen. Compared to the longshot chance of obtaining the creature, this was a far more reasonable deal. "Very well, I'll bring up the paperwork."

As the man left, Gon asked, "Why'd you want that thing? Is it that interesting?"

Rayleigh shook his head, "Not really. But it might be useful later."

Kite could tell there was something he wasn't sharing, but decided not to ask about it for the moment. Bringing up information that increased the item's value while still inside the auction house was not a wise move.

The arm was soon packed up, and the payment was received. Once the group was out of the Auction House, Killua directly stated, "So spill, what's with the arm?"

Rayleigh answered, "The arm itself has no value at all. What I'm interested in is where the arm came from."

Kite asked with interest, "Where did it come from?"

Rayleigh stopped, looked Kite dead in the eye, and answered with a single word. "Outside."

Kite's eyes visibly widened at that. As Ging's student, he knew more about the unknown than many others would.

Seeing that Kite knew what Rayleigh was talking about, Ray asked, "Are there any parties that should be notified?"

Kite answered, "The Hunter Association for a start."

Rayleigh replied, "I'll write up a report on the relevant details and give it to you later so you can escalate it."

Kite nodded seriously. This was a much larger matter than he initially thought.

Killua picked up on the verbal clues, but it was Gon who directly asked, "What are you talking about?"

Ray answered, "The bug came from what is essentially another world."

Kite added seriously, "And the presence of that world is not generally known to the public, so it's best to keep quiet about it."

Rayleigh nodded and had a sudden urge to just leave the Hunter World. How else could you feel when you discovered you essentially lived in a fishbowl? The bug came from outside that fishbowl and lived there for a long time before being tossed inside by the guys who took care of the fishbowl. Ray didn't know why. Before this, he didn't even know there was an outside world. He doubted anyone would tell him if he asked, so Rayleigh wanted this arm since his psychometry let him learn a lot about the outside world from it without needing to ask anyone.

The samples taken from the arm showed that the closest match was from something known as a Chimera Ant Queen. Though, apparently, a normal Chimera Ant Queen is about ten centimeters long and looks like a really big, really ugly termite. The problem is that Chimera Ants change greatly depending on their diets, so they usually look similar to the insects around them. The queen incorporates the traits of those she eats into the next generation, so Chimera Ants tend to be the strongest insect in any area after just one or two generations and are considered a Class One Dangerous life form to be quarantined or eliminated if discovered.

All of this information, including pictures taken of Ray's drawing of the Chimera Ant Queen, was escalated to the Hunter Association, which took the initiative to locate the specimen and make sure it didn't start eating humans.

On May 5th, they celebrated Gon's Birthday and Kite and the rest of the crew were invited to the party. Ray rented a room out of a fancy arcade with plenty of games that even Hunters would have fun playing, and they had a feast and cake. Presents weren't needed, they just had fun.

After taking a day off, they got back to work. According to the tide data, they guessed a few locations that the Chimera Ant Queen arm might have been washed up from and checked to see if there were any sightings of a giant bug in any of those locations. There were none, but one of the possible locations, a country called NGL, was a place where there was not the tiniest bit of technology, so they received no reports from there. What was worse was that said country claimed to live together with nature, so if there was a giant bug that was eating people, it would not have been a crime to report, since that was basically just another aspect of nature.

As the only location they could not get any reports from, and since there were no reports in any other area, a simple process of elimination deduction could be used to guess the Queen was there. Due to this, Kite and his crew elected to head to said country to investigate, and Gon and Killua volunteered to come along as well.

Rayleigh, on the other hand, said, "I have some stuff I need to do here for two months. I'll meet back up with you guys in July."

Gon complained, "What, no way."

Killua asked, "What kind of stuff?"

Rayleigh answered, "To be honest, a bunch of stuff I've been putting off for too long related to my sword. Plus, no tech is allowed there, right? I'd get in trouble if I brought out my Lightsaber, and I've been needing to modify it for a while using stuff I don't have on me."

Before Gon could complain anymore, Killua held him back and said, "Alright, you gotta do what you gotta do."

Rayleigh also looked back at Gon and said, "We'll spar when I get back, so if you slack off, I'll kick your butt."

Gon replied with a confident smile, "No way, I'll definitely beat you."

To that, Rayleigh turned to Killua and asked, "Please look after him and make sure he doesn't get any more head injuries, he's delirious enough as it is."

Killua laughed, and Gon shouted, "I'm not delirious!" which caused Ray to laugh.

Kite watched this scene from afar with a smile before their group headed out to the airport to fly to the country closest to the NGL.

Rayleigh made his way to a 5-Star Hotel, where he had already rented out three whole floors, each with ten rooms. Each room included a complimentary breakfast and dinner that could be ordered whenever and delivered to the room. They'd have to figure out lunch for themselves. He also rented out a large conference room they could all gather in so he could teach them together.

He was looking forward to meeting whoever showed up.

*Author's Note*

Sorry for the wait. To prevent plot holes, I had to make sure certain events naturally happen on certain dates so I needed to write a big timeline for my version. The Chimera Ant Arc relied on a lot of coincidences to make sure no one important died and throwing another variable without killing everyone is not easy, but I have it down now and will try to release more chapters faster.