Swassh
The sound of raging waves crashed against the wooden ship, stirring Qitian awake.
His eyes fluttered open with the skittishness of a startled rabbit. Everything was tilted. No—everything was upside down.
He blinked a few more times.
It took him a moment to realize that he wasn't dangling from the ceiling or tied to a mast—he was slung over someone's shoulder, view completely inverted. That explained the pounding in his head and the blood rushing to his face.
He tilted his neck slightly. In front of him, standing upright—or rather, upside-down from his angle—was a man with a rounded nose red from years of drinking, a classic captain's hat, and a smoke pipe clenched in his mouth.
The guy looked vaguely familiar. Qitian squinted, trying to place him—he was sure this was a character from the anime—but the details were fuzzy, his memory too scrambled from everything that had happened. What made the man seem downright surreal was that, from Qitian's point of view, he looked like he was standing on the ceiling.
Or rather, Qitian was the one upside down.
Groaning, he glanced to his sides and spotted three more upside-down figures.
One was a small boy with spiky black hair and a faint greenish tint—Gon, the main protagonist.
The second was a blonde, elegant guy dressed in traditional-looking robes that resembled a mix of tunics and ponchos—Kurapika.
And beside him stood a tall man in a suit, complete with a pair of thin glasses perched on his nose—Leorio.
As a Hunter x Hunter fan, Qitian recognized all three immediately. Though he couldn't help but mutter internally,
"Goddamn… Leorio looks like he's got five kids, a mortgage, and a generational gambling debt."
"Wow, you're not even an examiner, so what's with the third-degree?" Leorio pointed an accusing finger at the captain.
"Just answer the question, dumbass," the captain replied casually, puffing his pipe.
"I will! Because my dad was a Hunter. Becoming a Hunter was everything to him. That's why I left Whale Island!" Gon spoke cheerfully, eyes bright with excitement.
The chain of dialogue struck Qitian as oddly timed and way too energetic for how he felt. He must've woken up right after a question had been asked.
He tried to piece it together, reconstructing it from Gon's answer and Leorio's reaction.
"Something like… 'Why do you want to be a Hunter?' Yeah, sounds about right. Damn, if I had photographic memory, I could've nailed a cool answer. Maybe even buttered up the cast and made connections. Gotta network early."
"And I guess… I want to become a Hunter to support and follow in my brother's footsteps," said a voice he unfortunately knew all too well.
Qitian groaned softly.
It was Tsukihi—the very same woman who had dragged him here like a sack of grain over her shoulder, all because of a stupid promise they made as kids. A promise she still apparently took seriously.
"We don't have to tell this old guy anything," Leorio muttered defensively.
"Huh?" Tsukihi blinked in confusion.
"But he asked why I'm here," Gon replied, still unbothered.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's us versus him. I'm not telling him anything," Leorio said, pressing his finger into Gon's forehead like an annoyed older brother.
"I agree with Leorio," Kurapika added flatly.
"That's Mr. Leorio to you, brat. Show some damn respect."
Kurapika barely glanced at him. "Why not lie with a plausible reason and misdirect the man? But I won't lie. It's shameful. Still, I can't reveal my real reason… not yet. Some secrets are meant to be kept."
The captain, unfazed, blew out a long stream of smoke.
"So, two refusals, huh?" he muttered. "Hey, Kastso—get the Hunter Committee on the line. Looks like we've got two dropouts and one unconscious flunky."
He turned back to them with a smirk. "So, none of you realize yet, huh? The Hunter Exam's already started."
"Wait—why am I being dragged into this?! I didn't refuse anything!" Qitian finally shouted, still slung over Tsukihi's shoulder like a sack of rice.
Everyone turned to him, surprised he was even conscious. For the last two days, he'd been knocked out cold, murmuring nonsense, occasionally screeching in his sleep. It was fair to say they hadn't expected him to wake up anytime soon.
"You would've been disqualified with the others who couldn't handle the sea," the captain said. "Seasick, weak, useless. But thanks to your friend here—" he jabbed his pipe toward Tsukihi—"you got this far."
"Well, hear me out, Mr. Examiner," Qitian began, voice dry. "One: I wasn't seasick—I was unconscious for unrelated reasons. Two: I literally just woke up. Look, I know you've got the authority to disqualify me, and I respect that. But if I don't at least make it to the actual exam... I'll be killed by a certain ogre."
Leorio and Kurapika blinked as the realization hit—this captain was an examiner. A pre-exam filter. Sneaky bastard.
The captain chuckled and leaned forward.
"Alright then, I'll ask you again. Think carefully before you answer."
Qitian sighed. "Well... I'm being dragged into this against my will, but if I had to give a reason... it's so I don't die."
The room fell quiet.
He continued, voice steady:
"Dying is a pain in the ass. But it's inevitable. So I'd rather die rich than poor. I'd rather die doing what I want than starving. If I have to go out, I'd rather it be quick—bullet to the head—not slow, like getting eaten alive by rats. Call it practical self-preservation."
A strange silence took over the cabin.
Kurapika finally broke it. "I..I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. I wish to take vengeance on the Phantom Troupe… to reclaim what was stolen. I will become a Hunter to hunt the spiders."
The captain raised a brow.
"Quite the suicidal goal. At least the lad over there—being dragged like luggage—had the sense to want to avoid dying. You? You don't fear death?"
Kurapika's eyes glinted a bright, menacing red for the briefest second. "I do not fear death. Only that this rage in my heart will wither before it's satisfied."
Leorio crossed his arms. "You don't need to be a Hunter to settle a score."
"That's the stupidest thing you've said today,Leorio" Kurapika snapped.
"That's Mr. Leorio to you," he retorted.
"There are places only Hunters can access. Knowledge only they can attain. Actions only they can perform. And those are just three of many. You can barely grasp those."
Leorio's eye twitched.
"Well? Why do you want to become a Hunter, Mr. Leorio?" Gon asked cheerfully.
Leorio grinned. "That guy"—he jabbed his thumb at Qitian—"had it right. It's the money. You get rich, you get everything—booze, food, cars, mansions. Being broke sucks. Simple."
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "If only money could buy class.tch tch oh poor Leorio"
Leorio's face darkened.
"That's strike three. Guess I'll have to beat the smug outta your dirty Kurta bloodline," he said coldly, striding toward the cabin door.
"Take that back, Leorio," Kurapika said sharply.
Leorio ignored him, pushing the door open and stepping into the rain.
"I said take it back!"
Kurapika stormed after him.
"Where are you two going?!" the captain called after them, only to be ignored.
"Damn drama queens," Qitian muttered. "Can't they just take it easy?"
Both Gon and the captain turned to look at him.
"And can't you stand on your own damn feet?!" Tsukihi snapped, finally slamming him down onto the floor like unloading a sack of potatoes.
"Ow! That's not very ladylike, y'know…" he mumbled.
Tsukihi didn't dignify him with a reply and marched out after the others. The captain followed, puffing his pipe as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
"You okay, mister?" Gon asked, helping Qitian up.
"Qitian. Shíhou Qitian, kid."
"I'm Gon Freecss!"
Gripping Gon's hand, Qitian stood and followed him out. Rain pattered against the deck outside, wind howling as the storm rolled in. On the slick wooden surface, Kurapika and Leorio stood face to face, the tension between them crackling louder than the thunder.
Something was about to go down.