"I'm really sorry."
Ging Freecss, with a rare serious look on his face, said: "I will report everything truthfully about this to the Hunter Association."
He even imitated Luke's solemn tone: "After all, if the Two-headed Wolf reproduction problem is truly solved… This is no small matter, nor is it a minor achievement. It will definitely cause a sensation!"
"Although I'm not interested in any of this empty fame, I will absolutely not allow anyone to be denied the honor they deserve!"
"So, rest assured!"
Ging Freecss said word by word: "Everything that happened here, your presence and actions, including the efforts and methods you put into capturing the two poachers from the Kute Gang of Thieves…"
"I will report everything, word for word!"
"What's yours is yours. Even if you're not a professional hunter, no one can take it away!"
At this point, Ging Freecss turned and looked at Ginta.
"Isn't that right, big guy?"
Ginta: "..."
Who are you calling a big guy?!
"Um, my name is Ginta..."
Ginta replied weakly at first, then looked at Luke apologetically: "I'm sorry, Luke. When we report back after completing our mission, professional hunters will come to check the records."
"They all have the Nen ability to detect lies. Even if I did what you said, they definitely wouldn't believe it, and it might even cause you trouble..."
Well, considering Ginta's rich emotions and his lack of ability to lie…
It's really a bit difficult for him to cover up for Luke.
Luke knew this, so he didn't push him.
Instead, Ging, on the other hand…
"That's right, that big guy Ginta is right."
Ging Freecss nodded affirmatively.
Ginta: "..."
You could just call me Ginta…
"Then it's up to you."
Luke didn't really care. He believed it was only a matter of time before he'd have some contact with the Hunter Association.
He just didn't know what kind of identity that would be.
"..."
Ginta then came up with a good suggestion: "Luke, you could get a hunter's license and become a full-fledged hunter."
"With a hunter's license in hand, it would be very convenient for you to move around in this world."
Luke had thought of this himself.
For instance, entering this Daragas Forest Wildlife Park wasn't even possible without a license.
And that's just one of many privileges; it also grants access to countless conveniences and permissions.
Plus, the association generally doesn't force hunters to do much.
On the contrary, it often provides support for them in various ways.
You could say that getting a hunter's license is a guaranteed win.
However…
"Wait until next year."
Luke said with a smile: "Next year, I'll consider taking the exam."
Yes, every year the hunter exam is held in the first days of the calendar year.
This year's Hunter Exam has already concluded.
"I'm really looking forward to the day when you, Luke, and I become fellow hunters!!"
Ginta nodded repeatedly, his face gleaming with anticipation.
"Even though I'm not a professional hunter yet..."
Luke smiled while saying: "That doesn't stop us from being companions."
Ginta: "... That's right!"
He replied again with passion.
Ging Freecss: "..."
Sure enough, this big guy really looks like he's easy to fool. However, if Luke could truly become a hunter…
Ging Freecss's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Then this Hunter Association would become quite interesting.'
In Ging Freecss's opinion, the current Hunter Association seemed completely lifeless.
Even though there were occasionally a few enthusiastic young people determined to achieve great things, they were either lacking in ability or intelligence.
A few of them caught his eye.
Especially after his repeated collaborations with other hunters, his belief was further confirmed.
Well, when Ging Freecss worked with so many hunters, it wasn't just for the sake of cooperation.
He was also selecting like-minded companions. But such people were far too rare to the point that he no longer limited himself only to professional hunters. He even began evaluating some vicious criminals.
Just as not everyone in respectable circles was truly good, not everyone among criminals was necessarily bad. Of course, the ratio leaned heavily toward the former.
And one thing that is easy to judge is any criminal who has been sentenced to a very heavy punishment.
Regardless of their own character, at least their ability to break the law and cause damage has been verified and tested.
With this preliminary legal authority, after the selection, it would be easy for Ging to choose those with relatively good character.
At first, Ging Freecss had little hope in this, but then he received an interesting bit of news. A convict named Razor was said to be rather unusual, not exactly the bloodthirsty, savage type.
From there, everything followed naturally: Ging brought Razor to the Greed Island.
In truth, Razor's situation was the same as Bopobo's, the one who later played sumo with Killua and was executed by Razor for inciting rebellion.
They were all death row inmates, allowed to live only because of Ging Freecss's special guarantee.
Instead of cold imprisonment and torment, they enjoyed relative freedom on the island.
The fact that Ging even dug up murderers showed just how short of manpower he was at the time…
Ging Freecss's mind raced, his gaze turning to Luke, who was chatting with Ginta.
He subconsciously stroked his untidy beard.
"Are you up to something sinister again?"
Luke suddenly raised his head and met Ging Freecss's gaze.
"Why do I feel like you have some ill intentions towards me?"
"That is just your imagination."
Ging Freecss said calmly: "I was just thinking that your Nen ability seems to be quite good. And coincidentally, I'm working on something."
"From what I see, your ability might suit that project very well..."
Something he was working on? That could only be the development of Greed Island.
By the timeline, it should only be a few years away, probably next year or the year after that, when Marilyn Inc. would produce and sell the game.
Meaning that even if Greed Island wasn't complete yet, it had already entered late production. The groundwork and framework were likely finished.
So if Ging brought it up now…
"I have a very good hunter circle."
Ging slid his hand into his coat pocket.
"If you're interested and want to learn more, once you're somewhere with internet access, you can contact this person. "
"As for what the internet is, if you've been paying attention to the outside world, you should know it's the tide of the next era. In fact, it will become the mainstream of the next era, something no one can live without."
Finally, he pulled out a business card.
"From what I know, this guy's understanding of the internet is at the forefront of everyone in the world, bar none."
"If you're interested in the internet, or in this hunter circle..."
"Just contact him."
Ging Freecss pushed his business card toward Luke, and Ginta curiously leaned over to take a look.
"Ickshonpe, huh?"
Ginta recognized the name: "Didn't he pass the hunter exam only in the past two years? And after getting his license, he completely vanished. Even his teacher, who wanted to teach him Nen, couldn't find a single trace of him. It's as if he disappeared from the world."
"But during the hunter exam, he seemed to display faint signs of Nen. Considering that, the Hunter Association assumed his disappearance was likely due to his Nen ability and filed it as such. They didn't investigate further."
Well, when even the association and Nen instructor couldn't find him anywhere in the world, this became a hot topic among professional hunters at the time, making people remember this prominent figure.
And Luke, who happened to have a vague idea of who this guy was, happened to be familiar with this name.
Looking at it this way, the business card that Ging Freecss handed him seemed perfectly fine.
But… Luke didn't reach out to take it.
"Let's be clear up front."
He looked at Ging Freecss and chuckled. "If I were to join, what would you expect of me?"
"For example, what kind of help would I need to provide for your project? I always prefer putting things upfront..."
"What do you mean by putting things upfront?!"
Ging rolled his eyes. "It's just a circle of capable hunters who help each other out. "
"If anyone needs help, they can call on others in the group. Of course, the compensation for that help has to be negotiated individually. Whether a deal works out depends entirely on you all. I only provide the platform."
Ging Freecss said frankly: "Even for me, if some later work requires hunters with special abilities to help, I would ask for them."
"Of course, I'll definitely offer decent compensation."
Isn't this just like a job agency platform?!
It just replaces those job seekers with talented hunters. Essentially, it hasn't changed!!
Ging Freecss has specifically organized this hunter community. These so-called connections and networks are here, right?!
"So, can I understand that..."
Luke smiled at him: "You're really optimistic about me, so you specifically invited me?"
"Nonsense."
Ging Freecss said unhappily: "Even if an ordinary professional hunter joins, they won't be able to play any role at all."
"Take this big guy, Ginta..."
Ging Freecss gave an example. "Although I do have high hopes for him, he's not qualified at this point."
"So I won't give him a business card just yet."
"Let's talk about it later."
He said matter-of-factly to Ginta.
Ginta: "..."
Thank you so much! But you didn't have to say it so bluntly.
"So, do you want it?"
Ging Freecss lifted the card in his hand. "If you don't, then I'll have to put it away..."
Swoosh!
"If that's the case..."
Luke quickly took the card and put it away.
"I can't let your kindness go to waste."
Luke's lips curled slightly. "It's all for the advancement and development of the Hunter Association, to bring a better era and environment to this world!!"
Ging Freecss: Suddenly, he felt that this guy, Luke, might actually share a lot of common ground with that disgusting fellow, Pariston.
He always liked to find plausible reasons and excuses to conceal his true intentions and thoughts.
Of course, there were differences between the two.
Pariston was the type who always had a smile on his face, and no one knew what was hidden behind those smiles, which made people extremely wary.
Whereas Luke, although he covered things up too, gave more of a sense of, you know, exactly what I'm doing, but there's nothing you can do about it.
Of the two of them, one is in the spotlight, the other in the shadows. Strictly speaking, they might even clash.
Ging Freecss began to speculate again.
But now that the business card had been handed out, his goal had been achieved.
At once, he began showing his plan: "I'll be staying here for the time being, until I've sorted my thoughts and solved the problem with these two-headed little guys."
"By then, I expect you, Luke, will have blended in with the others and will know what work I'm doing."
Talking about his project, Ging Freecss grew visibly confident: "When that time comes, you'll be astonished and see me in a whole new light!!"
His mouth stretched into a wide grin, and his once-lazy eyes suddenly blazed with brilliance.
He held his head high, his gaze radiant, as if this was his true, spirited self.
After all, he was only in his early twenties!
That confident posture left Ginta dumbstruck.
Even Luke could feel Ging Freecss's overwhelming charisma.
Well, while this guy was certainly a bit of a jerk in some ways,
One couldn't deny that his charisma was enough to make many people see him as a comrade worth entrusting their lives to.
For now, the relationship between Luke and Ging Freecss hasn't reached that level.
He wonders if they will have another opportunity to work together in the near future.
But now…
"... Well, the game you developed, Greed Island, is indeed a groundbreaking work."
Luke looked at Ging Freecss and praised it sincerely: "I'll definitely give it a try after you release it."
Ging's smile froze.
Luke wasn't deliberately trying to piss off Ging Freecss.
He truly believed Greed Island was a revolutionary masterpiece.
It allows real people to enter the game and collect cards to clear the game.
Take Luke's world as an example.
In his previous world, a game where people's consciousness entered the game world existed, the most iconic example being Sword Art Online.
That series had taken the entire world by storm.
In this world, it was an era where the internet was just beginning to emerge.
It was the 1980s!!
At such a point in time, this was a milestone for all of gaming.
Truly unprecedented, and perhaps never to be replicated.