Forehead—
How could I hurt you? You're a fox. I'm human. Our models don't even match biologically!
Leorio's face flushed. He quickly released the ferocious fox mother's ankle.
Apparently, he'd gotten a bit too excited and unconsciously grabbed her leg. He laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.
"Sumi masen~"
"Hmph." But the fox mother didn't accept the apology at all. She turned her face away and barked at the fox father:
"Why are you still standing there?!"
"Ah! Y-Yeah, right, let's go… let's go…"
The vicious fox father nearly jumped out of his fur. He snapped back to his senses, shrank his neck, and hurriedly took off with Gon in tow.
"Uncle, I'll wait for you ahead~!"
Gon was so excited he waved hard at Roy as he was carried into the sky.
Roy nodded slightly, watching as Leorio and Gon disappeared into the clouds. Then his sightless gaze met Kurapika's sharp eyes. They exchanged a silent look.
The blond boy gave a small nod, his expression complex.
Every time Kurapika thought this must be the limit of Roy's power, the man would calmly tear that ceiling apart and leave him in the dust. It felt like staring at a mountain eternally shrouded in mist—unreachable, unknowable.
"Hula~"
The fox wings beat through the air, catching the moonlight.
One by one, the others faded into the night, swallowed by the moonlight.
Roy stood alone, hands behind his back, hair stirring gently in the breeze. Then, he stepped forward.
Thanks to his steadily growing physique, Roy had mastered movement techniques similar to the "Six Powers" of another world.
This "Moon Step" — a refined form of Tiyun Zong — allowed him to kick off the air itself, maintaining altitude with bursts of foot power.
Although technically short-ranged, for someone like Roy, whose body pushed the edge of humanity, that limitation was irrelevant.
Especially with the help of the Gravity Fruit—he'd negated the gravitational pull on his body entirely.
Even without "Moon Step", just a light push off the ground could launch him skyward.
Fwoosh~
Roy ascended like a divine crane, soaring beneath the stars.
The moon hung overhead like a lantern. The ground beneath shrank into a painted scroll of misty forests and silver lakes.
Chiiirp—!
A flock of birds sliced through the darkness. The land below whispered serenity.
[System Prompt: The host has sensed the world. +5 Experience.]
Hmm?
The familiar panel pinged inside Roy's mind, tossing a ripple into his otherwise tranquil heart.
"Huh…"
Roy actually laughed aloud.
He hadn't expected that simply feeling the world could reward experience. But now he understood—training wasn't just about grinding stats or drawing manga or swinging a sword.
Sometimes, honing the heart mattered just as much.
There is a monk who sits for a thousand years, and a woodcutter who splits rivers with a single axe…
Skill must be tempered. But the heart must also be hardened.
This is why, once you reach the limit in physical stats, to break through further—
—you need clarity, understanding, insight.
"What a shame… this kind of moment can't be forced."
Roy sighed, accepting the five EXP like a man starving for scraps.
Still, his mood lifted. He chuckled and pushed onward, stepping into the void like walking across glass.
Buzzbuzz
Each step left ripples behind him as Roy vanished into the moonlight.
After a long night's journey—
They arrived.
Saba City.
"PAK!"
A loud slap echoed in front of the gate.
The ferocious fox mother slapped her husband across the face, grabbed her son, and stormed off in a huff.
"Don't just stand there and stare! You've got a reputation to keep!"
The fox father hastily pulled his hood down to hide the handprint swelling across his cheek.
Smiling stiffly at Roy and the others, he said,
"Follow me."
Without waiting for them to react, he pulled out a slip of paper, muttering:
"No. 2-5-10, Saba City…"
They followed him to a towering, ornate castle.
"This is the Hunter Exam venue."
"Whoa—what the hell—it's so tall!"
A team of white pigeons flew past overhead as Gon shielded his eyes from the sun.
"As expected of the official test site!"
Leorio added, arms crossed.
"Even the entrance is dramatic."
Kurapika nodded solemnly.
"It makes sense. This is where elite applicants from all over the world gather."
But—
Roy didn't even glance at the castle.
With his stick blade hanging at his side, he walked calmly past everyone and pushed open a small side door, stepping inside without hesitation.
"Hey, Teacher Roy! That's not the entrance! It's over here—!"
Kurapika called out.
Clink—
The door opened.
The fox father casually pointed to it.
"He's not wrong. That's the real entrance."
"EH?!!!"
Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio froze, expressions shattered.
Their enthusiasm about the grand castle vanished in an instant. The wind in their sails was gone.
"Does the Hunter Association not care about appearances at all?!"
With zero dignity left, the three reluctantly said goodbye to the majestic castle and followed Roy and the fox father through the unassuming back entrance—into a restaurant.
"Ossan! Steak set!"
The fox father shouted at the owner, who was busy at the bar.
The old man recognized him and grinned knowingly.
"How do you want it grilled?"
"Low flame."
"Large portion, right?"
"…No. Small one this time."
The bar fell quiet.
The boss raised an eyebrow.
"You usually go large. What's the deal?"
The fox father winced, adjusting his turban to cover his still-red cheek. He gave Roy a resentful side glance and sighed.
"Tight on money lately. Help a brother out."