Chapter 7: The Final Phase: Bizarre Brawls
The Final Phase was held in a single room, a battle royale in a tournament format. Adam took one look at the bracket and felt a thrill of morbid excitement. This was a gold mine of skills. And a potential minefield of permanent death. He spotted Gittarackur (Illumi) on the board and immediately made a mental note: Do not engage. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 200 Jenny. Just forfeit.
" Alright, Adam, this is where the real fun begins. Or the real pain. Probably both. My goal: acquire a solid defensive skill, avoid Illumi like the plague, and generally make a nuisance of myself. This is my kind of party. "
His first match was against a rather stoic, burly man named Borga, who specialized in a strange, body-hardening technique. Borga wasn't particularly fast or flashy, but he hit like a truck, and his skin seemed to repel basic attacks. Perfect, Adam thought. Skin Hardening is exactly what I need.
"Greetings, my formidable opponent!" Adam announced as they stepped onto the fighting platform, addressing Borga with an exaggerated bow. "I must say, your aura of 'I could punch through a brick wall' is truly inspiring. Is that a natural talent, or did you just spend a lot of time head-butting trees?"
Borga merely grunted, getting into a defensive stance. He clearly wasn't one for witty banter.
"A man of few words, I see," Adam continued, undeterred. "That's fine. More airtime for me. So, what's your secret, Borga? Are you part armadillo? Or is it just a really good moisturizer?" Adam feigned a casual jab, which Borga easily blocked with a seemingly impenetrable arm. The impact reverberated painfully through Adam's hand. "Ooh! Solid! Impressive! Does it hurt when I do that? Because it certainly hurt me. A lot."
Adam tried a few more feints, dancing around Borga, trying to get him to engage fully with his hardening ability. He didn't want to die to a basic punch; he wanted to die to the skill.
"You know," Adam mused, circling Borga, "I've always wondered about the practical applications of turning your skin into concrete. Can you use it to… you know… iron shirts? Open stubborn pickle jars? The possibilities are endless!"
Borga finally lost patience. With a guttural roar, he lunged, his entire body rigid and dense. He aimed a powerful, hardened fist at Adam's chest. This was it.
" Yes! That's the stuff! Go for it, Borga! Give me that sweet, sweet 'Skin Hardening'! I promise to use it for good. Or at least for very entertaining pranks. Probably pranks. "
Adam stood his ground, a determined gleam in his eye. He didn't move an inch. Borga's hardened fist connected with a sickening thud, right over Adam's heart. The force was immense, crushing. He felt his ribs splinter, his lungs collapse. Pain flared, blinding and all-consuming, then mercifully, faded to black.
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: UNIQUE DEATH DETECTED. SKILL ACQUISITION INITIATED. ** ]
[ ** SYSTEM MESSAGE: ACQUIRED SKILL: [B-RANK SKILL] SKIN HARDENING (KOFTA). ** ]
" Oh, HELL YES! Skin Hardening! A B-Rank skill! Now we're talking! Take that, random mugger and your pathetic knife proficiency! I can finally withstand a decent punch! Well, not 'withstand' exactly, more like 'die to it once and then magically get the ability to maybe withstand it later'! Still, progress! "
Adam jolted awake in his inn room, a triumphant grin on his face. He pressed his hand against his chest. Nothing. Not a single bruise. But he felt a subtle, solid density beneath his skin, like his very atoms had just gotten a significant upgrade. He flexed his arm. It felt… stronger. More resistant. This was going to be fun. He was now at 8/20 unique deaths.
He reappeared at the exam site, just in time to see Gon's fight against Gittarackur approach. Adam felt a chill. He knew who Gittarackur was. He knew his needles. And he knew that a second death to the same killer meant permanent deletion. He had to be smart. He couldn't risk it.
When his name was called for his match against Gittarackur, Adam stepped onto the platform, walking with a newfound swagger. Gittarackur, with his unsettling, expressionless face and array of pins, stared at him. Adam met his gaze, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Gittarackur, is it?" Adam said, his voice unusually calm, devoid of its usual sarcastic edge. "You know, I've always admired your… dedication to personal grooming. Those pins? Truly a statement. Very avant-garde." He paused, then sighed dramatically. "However, I must confess, I have a debilitating allergy. To… well, to people who look like animated mannequins. And also, to permanent death. So, I'm afraid I'm going to have to forfeit."
A ripple of confusion went through the crowd. Gon gasped. Killua's eyes narrowed. Illumi, through Gittarackur's persona, seemed to tilt his head almost imperceptibly.
"Are you serious, kid?" Satotz asked, his voice echoing.
"As a heart attack, sir," Adam replied, bowing deeply to Gittarackur. "It's not you, it's me. Or rather, it's you, and my overwhelming desire to not cease to exist. You understand, I'm sure. It's a very niche phobia. Involving needles. And… you know… that whole thing." He gestured vaguely at Gittarackur's face. "Just promise me you won't use those pins to poke out your own eyes. It's a bad habit."
With a final, slightly manic grin, Adam stepped off the platform. He watched Gon's fight, the whole time feeling a profound sense of relief. He had successfully dodged a permanent bullet. This meta-knowledge thing was really paying off.
He passed the exam, as did Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika. The Hunter Association was probably wondering what to make of the oddball who deliberately died multiple times and then forfeited against a clearly beatable (for some) opponent. Adam didn't care. He was a Hunter. And he had a new, cool defensive skill. He also had a burning desire for money. Lots and lots of money. Because that system upgrade wasn't going to pay for itself. He was at 8/20 unique deaths, and he still needed 10 Million Jenny. That sounded like a lot of imaginary chicken dinners.