[Deep Jungle]
A body lay on the jungle floor, clutching a spear. A playing card was embedded in his forehead, and another protruded from the back of his skull.
Hisoka stood over the corpse, shuffling his deck.
Suddenly, the ground nearby shifted.
Hisoka raised an eyebrow, then smiled.
"Ah. Illumi."
"I need to rest," a muffled voice came from beneath the earth.
Illumi was in bad shape. Both his arms were broken, and his chest was scorched.
Ryker's final punch had felt like a meteor impact. If not for his immense Nen defense, his organs would have been liquefied.
Worse, there was poison in the wound.
"Oh?" Hisoka sniffed the air. The scent of charred flesh and ozone lingered.
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
Shick! Shick! Shick!
Three cards flew from his hand, embedding themselves in the ground around the hidden Illumi.
"What are you doing, Hisoka?" Illumi's voice sharpened with irritation.
"You touched my fruit," Hisoka purred, his aura flaring with twisted excitement. "And judging by your condition... the fruit has ripened beautifully. Hehehehe!"
His face flushed with pleasure, then instantly turned cold as ice.
"This is the last time. If you touch my toy again before I'm ready... I will kill you."
"..."
Illumi didn't respond.
"Now then, rest well," Hisoka chuckled, walking away into the darkness.
[The Shore]
Ponzu paced nervously on the sand.
Where is he? Did he lose?
"Oh? You're still here?"
Ryker emerged from the tree line. His right sleeve was shredded, revealing a muscular, unblemished arm.
Ponzu gasped.
He was unhurt.
That meant Illumi—the terrifying needle man—had lost.
So strong!
Ponzu's heart fluttered.
Ryker placed a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to pat her head, but the giant bee-hat made that difficult.
"Can you track Gon and the others?" he asked.
"Y-Yes! I put tracking bees on Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika! But Killua... he noticed and swatted them away."
"That's fine. From now on, you're my tool. Send your bees out. Find nearby candidates. If anyone comes close, tell me. I'll handle the cleanup."
"U-Understood! But the range is limited..."
"Just do your best."
Ryker led her into the jungle.
One man, one girl, one island.
Let the survival game begin.
[The Beach Camp]
Zevil Island was huge. With only 24 candidates (minus Illumi who was hiding underground), the encounter rate was low.
Most candidates were hiding, terrified of running into the monsters like Hisoka or Ryker.
It was a smurf game. Challenger-tier players stomping Bronze lobbies.
"Ryker-sama... shouldn't we go hunt for badges?" Ponzu asked anxiously.
Ryker was currently fishing.
He had already caught three large fish.
Next to him, a fire was crackling. Two roasted rabbits and a wild chicken were sizzling on spits.
Their traits were trash (White), so Ryker just crushed them for XP.
"We have seven days. Why rush?" Ryker yawned, lying back on the warm sand. "This is a vacation. The environment is nice."
Ponzu busied herself with the roasting spit, acting the part of the maid.
She wanted to be useful. She was terrified of dragging him down.
"But... the badges are limited. If others get them first..."
"Even better. We let them collect the badges, then we take them from the winners on the last day. Efficiency."
Ryker closed his eyes.
"Just keep an eye on Gon's group. If they get in trouble, let me know."
He had promised to look after Gon. But he wasn't a babysitter. He would intervene only if necessary.
His main goal was the Final Phase.
And hunting Hisoka.
I need to beat that clown and take his badge. Just to prove a point.
Soon, the smell of grilled fish filled the air.
Ryker's cooking skills (from years as a fishmonger/bachelor) were top-notch.
Ponzu swallowed, her stomach rumbling.
"Ryker-sama... it's ready. Should I... feed you?" Ponzu blushed.
I'm supposed to be a Hunter, not a waitress!
But being safe by his side felt... nice.
"Let's just eat. Then rest. Expand your perimeter."
They ate in the twilight.
It felt less like a death match and more like a camping trip.
[Nightfall]
The sun set. The jungle came alive with nocturnal sounds.
Ponzu sat close to Ryker by the fire. She accidentally brushed his arm and didn't pull away.
They had built a small shelter.
Others are fighting for their lives, and we're having a beach party, she thought.
Suddenly, Ryker stood up.
He stared into the dark forest.
"So annoying," he growled. "Middle of the night and you're peeping? What the hell are you looking at?!"
Read ahead with 30+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Authorizz