And amidst the macaw's curses and the howling of the drum howler monkey, countless insects in the forest continued to chirp incessantly, creating a never-ending white noise.
Beneath this lies the silence of predators. The silvery pads of a silver leopard tread silently on the soft mud, and the ripples as the man-eating sea anaconda slides into the water, but then are quickly smoothed out by the current.
Ginta and Luke witnessed the most primitive and wild side of this forest.
Hunting and being hunted, reproduction and inheritance, together they composed the symphony of life in this forest.
Life here is also played out in the most extravagant and cruel way.
"I'm a Poacher Hunter, not a Beast Hunter."
Ginta explained as they walked: "So no matter what happens here, no matter how cruel it is, I will not interfere."
"This is the law of nature: survival of the fittest. This is their own way of life."
"But if poachers come here and disturb these lives..."
Ginta's massive figure paused.
"I will absolutely not let them go!"
He slightly bared his wide mouth, and a flash of bloodlust glinted in his enormous eyes.
As a Poacher Hunter, what he hated most was naturally poachers.
"Just now, when we were outside, you mentioned Two-headed Wolf, right?"
Luke mentioned something he had been particularly concerned about.
"That's right."
Ginta nodded with some distress.
"Two-headed wolves are an endangered species in the world. According to current records, there are only a handful left, and they only live in this area."
"Even though their numbers have dwindled to the point of near extinction, they don't seem to have a strong desire to reproduce."
"Sometimes, even their two heads often fight with each other, let alone mate with other Two-headed wolves."
"Their reproduction problem has become one of the great unsolved issues for biologists, naturalists, and zoologists worldwide."
"And it's remained unsolved for over two hundred years, almost becoming one of the world's top ten problems."
A Two-headed Wolf, as the name suggests, is a wolf with two heads.
And it's not just that simple. Their complex traits and unpredictable habits make them difficult to study.
The biggest headache and annoyance for scholars studying them is their reproduction.
For two hundred years, countless scientists, biologists, and even reproduction specialists have come forward to help the Two-headed Wolf solve this problem.
But unfortunately, their numbers have only decreased over the years, and their numbers are even getting smaller and smaller.
This shows that their reproduction problem persists and has even become an incurable problem.
Many experts are at a complete loss, leaving them sighing in despair.
Except… for that man.
"If I remember correctly, the Two-headed Wolf first appeared in..."
Ahead, Ginta's figure paused.
Luke also stopped, his thoughts pausing for a moment.
"What's wrong?"
Luke's vision was blocked by Ginta's massive figure, and he could not see the scene ahead. He sped up his pace slightly, passing Ginta.
The view opened up, and naturally, the scene ahead came into sight.
"Woo!"
Four or five bizarre, wolf-dog-like creatures with two heads were frolicking in a field ahead.
Seeing these distinct features and the two heads above their necks, it was clear they were Ginta's primary target.
The extremely endangered, precious species: Two-headed Wolf.
Of course, Luke admitted that Two-headed Wolf was indeed quite eye-catching.
But, unfortunately, they weren't the focus.
Luke's gaze lingered on them for a fraction of a second.
Then, he turned to the figure standing among the Two-headed Wolf.
The man who, in the original timeline, had solved the problem of the Two-headed Wolf's reproduction.
"Huh?!"
The man, seemingly noticing the approaching figures, breaks from his train of thought and raises his head.
At first glance, he looked more like an ordinary homeless man or adventurer.
He wore a dark, somewhat dirty hooded jacket, topped with a slightly worn cap and loose trousers, as if designed for easy movement in any terrain.
His clothes gave off a dusty, travel-worn look, as if freshly unearthed from some ruins, stained with dirt and vegetation.
He was short and lean, though not frail.
Rather, like a seasoned mountaineer or explorer, his muscles were firm, practical, filled with beastlike explosive power.
His stance and movements were casual, even a bit relaxed, with none of the airs of a powerful warrior roaming the Daragas Forest Wildlife Park.
Yet beneath this looseness seemed to lie sharp alertness and hidden strength.
On his head was a wild mess of thick, coarse, jet-black hair. It looked like it had never been properly groomed, sticking out in all directions like it had just been through a typhoon.
Up close, it resembled a spiky hedgehog cut.
This hairstyle was very familiar.
And his identity was almost unmistakable.
"Ging... Freecss?"
Luke stared at the man who, simply by appearing in their field of vision, had become the focus of everyone's attention.
The legendary Ruins Hunters, who could solve the problem of the Two-headed Wolf's reproduction, and one of the world's five strongest Nen users.
The man who would one day become one of the Hunter Association's Zodiac Twelve, and the man whose abandonment of his son sparked this world's storyline.
Ging Freecss.
Luke still remembered when Kite first met Gon; he had once explained his father's feats, how Ging, while adventuring outside, accomplished great deeds.
At 12, he took the hunter exam and became the only one of the 267th batch to successfully pass.
After becoming a professional hunter, Ging participated in the restoration of the ancient ruins, using his own funds to renovate the ruins and build facilities in and around them to facilitate public access.
He later developed a method for breeding the Two-headed Wolf, a feat that later became a benchmark.
At 15, he founded a nonprofit organization to investigate and restore the king's tomb. Through the internet, he connected with like-minded individuals and secured funding to uncover the truth behind the tomb.
He even personally eradicated the notorious Kute Gang of Thieves and other criminal organizations.
He left a legacy of historic achievement in numerous fields, and later, Kite and Satotz considered him the greatest hunter.
Although he eventually earned the qualifications of a Triple-Star Hunter, he found the paperwork troublesome and never bothered to apply.
He possessed presidential-level power and vast financial resources, and his online presence was classified as top-secret.
Chairman Netero stated that Ging was undoubtedly one of the world's top five Nen users.
However, due to his frequent disappearances, eccentric personality, and tendency to act alone, the other members of the Zodiacs did not like him very much.
And now, in 1986, Ging Freecase was only 21 years old.
He hadn't yet matured into the giant he would become.
His hair, still uncut, standing freely and proudly, and his youthful face, all spoke volumes about Ging Freecss at this moment.
He was in the prime of his life, at the peak of his powers.
Those large eyes always held a brilliant glint.
They were filled with the instincts of a beast, the curiosity of a child, and the wisdom of seeing through everything.
But at this moment, Ging Freecss just stood there silently…
"I smell the scent of the wild."
Ginta whispered, his gaze filled with wariness and fear as he looked at Ging Freecss.
He was like a wild animal in the forest, exuding a primal and dangerous aura.
"Are you a hunter?"
The young Ging Freecss only glanced briefly at Luke and Ginta, then lowered his head again in thought.
But soon, he raised a hand and pointed to the side: "The Two-headed Wolf's range of activity, I've temporarily assigned it over to that area. They won't run off."
"If you're here to observe and study their biological habits, it's best not to disturb them."
"Of course, if you're only here to protect them during this special period, that would be best."
"Don't approach them. They're quite restless at this time of year, with nowhere to vent their fury."
Well, they're in mating season, yet unable to reproduce successfully.
This pent-up, unresolved anger is naturally quite serious.
However, Ginta wasn't concerned with that. After hearing Ging Freecss's words, he was stunned.
"You said... You defined a range of activity for the Two-headed Wolf?"
How could such a volatile animal, one that basically wouldn't obey the orders of anyone or anything else, obey you so obediently and not venture beyond your designated area?
Just now, you clearly said they were very restless and shouldn't be provoked.
But you're acting this way...
Ginta subconsciously glanced at the Two-headed Wolf nearby, unable to comprehend their actions.
They were walking around, seemingly having fun, but every time they seemed to reach a certain boundary, they would shrink back and keep their movements within what looked like a circled perimeter.
Ginta: "...?"
He stared at the scene before him with his mouth wide open, feeling bewildered.
Why did he feel that the biological knowledge he had learned was so different from reality?!
Luke wasn't surprised; he even found it quite reasonable.
Well, it was because that man was Ging Freecss.
No matter how illogical or beyond reason something was, if it happened with him, it became normal.
Some people are destined to be beyond the reach of ordinary people and common sense.
Ginta came to his senses and scratched his head.
He didn't quite understand the scene before him, but he knew it was probably a good thing... Right?
"So what should we do next, Luke?"
His intelligence wasn't enough to solve the problem at hand, so Ginta began to activate his external brain, seeking the wisdom of others.
"Wait."
Luke glanced at him. "What's your main purpose for coming here?"
"Uh, to prevent poachers from capturing the Two-headed Wolf."
At this point, Ginta grew indignant.
"There are always those damned people in this world."
"They don't care how endangered these rare creatures are."
"They just hunt them to satisfy their own selfish desires, whether it's collecting them or selling them for profit. They don't care at all."
"If I saw them, I'd smash their skulls one by one..."
"Stop making noise!"
Ging Freecss, standing nearby, raised his head again with a serious expression on his face.
"Could you please shut up and stop interrupting my line of thought?!"
After that, he stopped paying attention to Ginta and Luke.
He even felt they were too noisy and worried they would disturb his thoughts again.
He turned his head away, leaving Ginta and Luke with his back.
Then he lowered his head and fell into deep thought again.
Oh no, I got scolded…
Ginta immediately felt a little wronged.
He was just expressing his opinions and views, and shouldn't those damn poachers get the punishment they deserve?!
He came here specifically out of concern for the Two-headed Wolf's safety, to protect them and do good things.
Why is this guy so mean to him?!
But he saw Ging Freecss lowering his head again, not giving him a chance to speak, as if he were once again lost in a deep thought…
Forget it, he doesn't hold grudges, so he'll just forgive him for such a small matter.
Of course, Ginta would never admit that he was a little intimidated by the other party's serious expression.
"..."
Ginta's massive body huddled beside Luke, crouching down and whispering softly: "This guy doesn't look like a good person."
Luke: "..."
This guy isn't a good person, really.
But strictly speaking, he's not a bad person either.
It's just that when it comes to serious matters, Ging Freecss became very serious.
He also always acts on his own, doing whatever he wants, without any regard for others' feelings, and is quite willful and reckless.
So many people have a love-hate relationship with him.
"But at least, he has not done anything excessive to the Two-headed Wolf, right?"
Luke spread his hands slightly. "If he were a poacher, he would have captured the Two-headed Wolf long ago."
"He wouldn't have gone so far as to mark off this area to let them roam freely. Strictly speaking, that counts as protecting them."
Ginta smacked his lips upon hearing this.
Indeed, he could sense that this seemingly obnoxious, pensive fellow before him had no ill intentions towards the Two-headed Wolf.
In fact, he seemed to be considering their well-being.