Humans are humans, magical beasts are magical beasts... each has its own territory.
Land and cities belong to humans; jungles and swamps belong to magical beasts. But at some point, humans began to multiply faster and faster, starting to invade the magical beasts' territory. They hunted them, using their meat for food, their pelts for clothes, and their heads as trophies... This forced the magical beasts into a corner, their living space shrinking ever smaller.
The Kiriko, as humanoid magical beasts capable of transforming into humans, once fantasized that with their special "half-human, half-fox" identity, they might be able to mediate the conflict and secure more living space for the magical beasts, even if it was just a protected habitat.
But, reality is often cruel... In human eyes, their "half-human" status was no different from any other magical beast. On the contrary, their attempts to "mediate" brought disaster upon them. They were hunted down in large numbers, driven to the brink of extinction.
Fortunately, "Biological Protection Hunters" stood up and spoke some good words for them. Only now, under the protection of the Hunter Association, can they have a habitat to live in properly, occasionally helping the Hunter Association with tasks to earn some extra money.
At the top of the mountain, under the tall fir tree that pierced the clouds.
The Kiriko family was in their wooden house rehearsing the "script." It was time for the annual Hunter Exam again.
The Kiriko's daughter would act as the scout, monitoring the examinees' tracks.
The Kiriko father would play the magical beast, the son would be the hijacked human, and the mother would ambush in the forest to draw attention... all waiting for the examinees to arrive.
They would be tested on their "observation skills," "character," "ability to react to emergencies," and "combat strength."
"Ever since that guy named Ging recognized us last time, years have passed, and still no interesting examinees have shown up..." The Kiriko son, his head wrapped in bandages, sat by the fire, sharpening a knife.
He recalled the young man who wore a tattered hood and carried a fishing rod on his shoulder. Back then, that guy not only identified them at a glance, but his strength was also... Any attack that hit him once, he would learn it and hit you back. He was simply unbeatable.
"Stop complaining." The Kiriko mom was in the kitchen simmering a pot of curry. She ordered the Kiriko dad to add more firewood to the stove.
Her husband stood up without a word. While adding firewood, he said: "Ging was the only examinee from that round who passed the test."
"It's not surprising he had that kind of strength. But our daughter... she's been gone for so long, why isn't she back yet?"
"Son, go out and see..."
"Okay, Mom."
The Kiriko son grabbed his knife and opened the door. A gust of mountain wind, carrying a scorched smell, hit him in the face. The knife in his hand, "Clang," fell to the ground.
"What's wrong?"
"It's... it's on fire..."
"?!"
The Kiriko father poked his head out, followed by the Kiriko mom... The whole family stood dumbstruck at the door, watching the nearby mountain forest burn with a towering fire, the blaze faintly turning half the sky red... They forgot all about the curry in the pot. They all transformed into their original forms and frantically dashed towards the forest...—
"Swish... swish... swish..."
The branches bent under their weight. Soon, the foxes' nostrils twitched. They smelled their daughter's scent and relaxed slightly. They flashed to her side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her on the treetops, each on a large tree, gazing into the distance... Their small, narrow fox eyes immediately widened, their mouths agape in shock!
"What is that thing?"
"It looks like a... bird? It's way too big!"
The gilded great bird spread its wings, kicking up a fierce wind... In the next instant, it shot straight into the clouds, its wings wreathed in gilded flames. Wherever it passed, the wind was torn, and the clouds were burned through, until it overlapped with the blazing sun overhead...
Only then did it turn and fly back down, rushing towards the young man in the center of the lake!
"Daughter, what exactly happened?" The Kiriko father watched intently for a while, his expression grave. He turned his head and asked his daughter: "Don't tell me that boy in the lake is the examinee we're supposed to test today."
"What... what if he is." The Kiriko daughter swallowed, on the verge of tears. "I don't know what happened either. That guy noticed I was peeking, so he caught me and asked me some things... I took a chance when he wasn't paying attention, jumped into the lake, and escaped... But then he got angry..."
The Kiriko family: "..."
A sudden sense of impending doom washed over them. Even... the usually steady Kiriko father was already beginning to wonder if he should call the Hunter Association in advance, pack up, and get the hell out....
'That giant bird wreathed in gilded flames... with one flap of its wings, it could blot out the sky... That thing is terrifying enough.
'As its master, how frightening must he be?'
The Kiriko family couldn't imagine.
"Tss-zz..." In the forest, a hidden camera finally gave out, burnt to a crisp.
On the airship with the giant Hunter Association logo.
Netero and Zeno were silent, watching a corner of the monitor screen go dark and turn to static. For a long time... neither made a sound.
When they finally thought of something to say, they turned to each other at the same time and asked: "Have you ever seen that?"
"What species is that?"
The two old men were stunned, not expecting to say the same thing. They both fell silent again for a long time, desperately digging through their life's experience, trying to find a single trace of information about that "gilded great bird"... Unfortunately, they couldn't find even a single feather.
"It can only be a product of the Dark Continent." In the end, Netero came to a conclusion. In his experience, if a corresponding species couldn't be found in the known world, it could only be in the Dark Continent, or some unknown, unexplored ruins.
Zeno frowned. "Impossible. Let alone going... just the thought of it... if the old man knew, he would break his legs."
Thanks to his father, Zigg, the "Dark Continent" had already become a taboo topic in the Zoldyck family.
Unless...
Zeno suddenly thought of a possibility, his voice gradually weakening...
"Unless the 'game' this child is playing isn't the same 'version' as the 'game' Silva and I are playing..."
Netero's eyebrows twitched. He clearly knew something about this. He asked nonchalantly: "The old man let him contact Zigg?"
Zeno didn't answer.
'Just as I thought,' Netero said to himself. Now, that unidentifiable "Nen Beast" giant bird made sense.
Netero, relying on the "residual heat" from the remaining cameras, watched as the giant bird sank into the young man's head, shrinking in an instant to become a fat crow with a single golden ahoge on its forehead. He narrowed his eyes. "[The Game of the Dead] is far more than just a game. The old man probably doesn't even know if Zigg is dead or alive."
"That kid Roy was most likely chosen by Zigg. It's not strange that he's playing a different version from you and Silva. After all..."
Humanity's strongest sighed faintly, his tone filled with boundless reminiscence. "He's just that kind of unconventional, free-thinking person."
"Tss-zzla—"
The monitor feed completely disappeared.
Having lost sight of the young man, the training room once again fell into a long silence...
Beside the sofa, Beanman dug his toes into the floor, stuck in the middle, afraid to speak loudly. He wanted to go out for some air, but was afraid of "startling" the two pensive figures. For a moment, he couldn't leave, but he couldn't stay. He simply pretended to be a piece of furniture, rooted to the spot.
"Whirr" The propellers churned the air, pushing the airship gradually closer to the exam site.
The Kiriko family's territory.
In the center of the lake.
The gilded giant bird shrank in an instant to become a crow with a silly tuft of hair, perching on Roy's head. With a thought, the young man withdrew his "Nen." The tide of red "Nen" receded...
It revealed a ten-li radius of mountain forest burned through by the surging flames, and... a dry lakebed.
"Young Master..." At that moment, Gotoh's concerned voice came from the shore.
The young butler adjusted the glasses on his nose and quickly arrived at his side, followed by Kurajing, who still couldn't hide her shock.
'This is "Nen"... This is a "Nen user"...'
'If she had this kind of power, even if the Kurta Clan was active in the world, probably no one would dare to covet them!'
The girl couldn't help but think, her steps becoming even more determined as she followed Gotoh.
"Hoo" As the "Nen" that had been roaming free returned to his body, Roy suddenly felt as if his body had been hollowed out. His legs went weak, and he quickly grabbed Gotoh's shoulder to steady himself.
At that moment, his panel popped up, reminding him:
[Tip: "Nen" is excessively consumed, urgent replenishment needed]
[Tip: "Nen Beast" panel activated]
[Three-legged Golden Crow (Awaiting name)]
[Status: Larva (100/100000)]
[Rank: S+]
[Manifested Aura: D+ (964/10000)]
[Potential Aura: ?]
[Racial Talent: Chase the Sun (To be activated).. Control Sunflame: lv1 (25/1000).. Drive Chariot (To be activated)]
[Evaluation: Growth-type Nen Beast, infinite potential]
'What is this, because of "infinite" potential... it nearly sucked me dry?'
Roy leaned on Gotoh, catching his breath. He reached up and stroked the crow's small head. "From now on, I'll call you 'Xiao Jin,' okay?"
The fat golden crow chomped down on his finger, as if expressing dissatisfaction.
Roy insisted: "It's Xiao Jin."
His head immediately throbbed with pain as the fat crow pecked him again... which made Kurajing cover her mouth and giggle secretly....