11 years later.
The cold sea wind hit my face as I stood on the dock, my huge duffel bag slung over one shoulder. It was finally time.
I had been waiting for this moment for more than a decade, training, bleeding, pushing myself every single day. And now, at age twenty, I was ready. Ready to face the 287th Hunter Exam. Ready to stake my life on it.
The dock creaked beneath my boots as I boarded the ship. It was an old fishing vessel, weathered and rust-covered at the joints, with seagulls screaming above and the scent of salt and oil thick in the air. This was no pleasure cruise. It wasn't meant to be. The moment I stepped onto the deck, I recognized the atmosphere, tense, quiet, eyes measuring one another. Strangers from all walks of life boarded with me, all with one goal: become a licensed Hunter.
I wasn't nervous. I had trained too hard, suffered too long to let doubt creep in. I had muscles from hauling nets, and legs strengthened by working at the docks. For five years, I worked aboard fishing boats to earn money, build strength, and experience real hardship. Ran miles on my days off, and even after that, i was just a fit 20 year old.
The Hunter Association didn't waste time on formalities. They were ruthless. the boat was the first test. If you couldn't survive the storm, you weren't even worthy of reaching the real exam site. And so, when I stepped aboard, I adjusted my duffel bag on my shoulder and made my way toward the side of the deck. That's when I saw them, him. A kid with spiky black hair and a green jacket, eyes wide with wonder, as if the world was his to explore. Gon Freecss. Behind him was a tall young man with piercing eyes and long blond hair, Kurapika. And lagging behind was a loud, slightly awkward guy with a briefcase, Leorio.
I approached casually. "Hey," I said with a small wave, "Name's Bob."
They turned to me. Gon smiled instantly.
"Hi! I'm Gon!"
Kurapika nodded. "Kurapika."
Leorio blinked at me, clearly sizing me up. "Leorio. You here for the exam too?"
"Yeah," I said, dropping my bag to the deck with a heavy thud. "Been training for years. I'm ready."
We exchanged a few words, but it was clear everyone was sizing each other up in their own way. That was fine. I didn't care about competition yet. The storm would come soon, and it would thin the herd. I'd already survived worse.
The sun sank into the sea as the boat pulled away from the dock, casting long shadows over the deck. That night, as expected, the storm arrived. Furious winds screamed across the deck, lashing rain onto the wooden planks. The boat rocked hard, violent, throwing unprepared applicants to the ground. One guy puked and slid across the deck like a ragdoll. Others gripped the rails, shaking, unable to keep their footing.
Not me.
I planted my boots wide, knees bent just slightly, my arms out for balance. This was nothing. Compared to the squalls I'd worked through, this was almost familiar, like the sea was saying hello again, but louder this time. I let the rain hit me, blinked against the wind, and focused on breathing through my nose, mouth shut tight. I caught a few glimpses of others struggling, panicked faces, people clutching anything solid.
Gon, of course, was smiling, enjoying the wind like a kid on an amusement ride.
Of course he is.
The crew didn't help anyone. That was part of the test too. If you needed help just staying upright, you weren't Hunter material. I held my position through the night, muscles tense, soaked to the bone as a man was about to fly out of the boat, i hold him down , in the end i was wet as a dog but fine. When dawn finally broke and the sea calmed, only the 4 of us remained upright.
I wasn't surprised when the ship's captain called those who'd endured to the upper deck and congratulated us on passing the first hurdle.
After docking, the real journey began. But as everyone disembarked, I reached for my duffel bag, my only lifeline for the journey ahead. I knew it would raise eyebrows. It was big, heavy, and… unconventional.
The first item I pulled out was my roller skates, custom-fitted to my size, worn and scuffed but well-maintained. Next came my taser gun. It wasn't standard issue military or anything fancy, just a handheld, high-voltage civilian model. It didn't shoot darts like some models, but it had twin prongs and a rechargeable battery, and I'd practiced with it enough to be fast. It couldn't kill, but it could paralyze someone for a crucial few minutes. In a test full of unpredictable enemies, that was worth its weight in gold. Then, my pepper spray, small, discreet, and extremely effective. I had modified it slightly, adding a wrist strap and reinforcing the nozzle to handle stronger pressure. It wasn't much in the world of Nen users, but if someone tried to ambush me without protection, a face full of capsaicin would level the playing field.
And then, finally, my weirdest piece of gear, my one-handed power drill. Most people would laugh at it. I didn't care. It was battery-operated, with detachable drill heads, and it had more utility than anyone realized. Need to break through a locked door? Drill. Need to tunnel through soft rock or collapsed walls? Drill. Need to fake a weapon? It made enough noise to intimidate. I even once used it to climb a tree by embedding the drill in the trunk and climbing it like a climbing axe. It had saved me in more than one situation during my "training".
And that was it. Nothing else.
No tents. No food. No weapons beyond my taser and makeshift tools. I traveled light, moved fast.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and caught up with the others as we headed toward the next phase. Gon and the others chatted casually, amazed by the diversity of applicants in the city. I stayed quiet, enjoying the walk.
My fingers itched with anticipation.
I wasn't born a genius. I wasn't like Gon with his instincts or Kurapika with his intellect. But I had grit. And a lifetime ahead of me. And boy will it be so much fun.
I am Bob.
And I didn't come to play games[lies].
I came to become a Hunter.