Chapter 4: Data Collection
Last night, Osren hadn't been idle. First, he spent time recalling the basic information about this new body. From the residual memories, he learned that the body's original owner was a complete loner — no special background, no connections. Aside from a Jenny card with over a hundred thousand in funds, there was nothing of note.
Having no family was actually a relief; he wouldn't have to deal with any emotional complications.
Next, Osren systematically reviewed the plot of the Hunter x Hunter anime. To avoid forgetting key events, he made it a habit to mentally go over the story every morning.
As for the Face-Fruit Nen Ability, he had only grasped a bit so far. To activate the second ability — "The Authority of the Face-Fruit User" — he needed a dining table and plate setup. Only then could he compel someone to approach and eat unconditionally.
Back to the present — to meet Gon's friend, the "Foxbear," they had to travel a fair distance through the forest. Despite being in a Nen-capable body, Osren was already exhausted. No wonder Gon was so fit; trekking through rugged terrain seemed like a daily routine for him.
Suddenly, Osren stopped in his tracks and stood still for a moment.
Gon noticed and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Osren?"
Osren shook his head. "It's nothing." But his eyes drifted toward the thing Gon was dragging behind him — the King Carp.
Apparently, Gon planned to release it back into the wild. Most people release birds or turtles… Gon was releasing the lord of the swamp. That's like releasing a shark into a local pond. Seriously, some respect was due here.
After another half-hour of walking, they reached the water's edge. Gon gave the King Carp a mighty toss.
SPLASH!
The fish dove into the water with a flick of its powerful tail and vanished almost instantly. Maybe it had understood that Osren wanted to eat it? Then again, it was impressively resilient for surviving this long.
Gon even shouted into the water, urging the King Carp to stay hidden and avoid being caught again.
Osren was speechless. That King Carp had only ever been caught by two people — Gon and his father, Ging. What kind of karmic debt did that poor fish owe the Freecss family?
While Osren was mentally roasting this absurd situation, the ground suddenly began to rumble.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
A large beast burst through the trees — something between a bear and a fox, nearly three meters tall. Standing before it made you feel incredibly small.
The creature joyfully bounded over to Gon and poked him gently with its paw. Then it opened its hand, revealing several red fruits, each about the size of a pearl. They shimmered beautifully in the light, looking like rare jewels.
"Osren, come here! This is my friend Kon the Foxbear!" Gon shouted, beaming. "Look at these fresh fruits it picked — they're super tasty!"
"…Hey there!" Osren forced a greeting at the massive, grinning creature in front of him, pretending it was a person.
The Foxbear bared its teeth again, seemingly in an attempt to smile and express friendliness — but honestly, it just looked even more menacing.
Osren stared at the beast, which was clearly trying to be nice but only succeeded in looking more terrifying. Words failed him.
Still, this was a great opportunity. He needed to test a theory, and the Foxbear might be able to help. Before the Hunter Exam began, he had to figure out the basic mechanics of the Face-Fruit power. Otherwise, surviving in one of the three most dangerous fictional worlds would be a cruel joke.
"Kon, here! Try some fruit!" Osren offered some wild berries.
The Foxbear sniffed them, let out a loud sneeze, turned its nose up, and then deliberately showed Osren its backside.
"…Did I just get rejected? I got rejected by a Foxbear… utterly rejected."
In his mind, big bold subtitles scrolled: REJECTED.
Osren was stunned and slightly wounded.
Gon chuckled, "Osren, Kon usually only eats the fish I roast for him. He doesn't really like fruit — well, except for those red pearls in his paw. But if you're hungry, we can just grill some fish!"
Well, if the Foxbear liked fish, that tracked.
"Gon, you go catch a few fish. I'll gather some firewood. Let's get started!"
Osren took charge, sending Gon off to the lake while he disappeared into the forest in search of kindling.
On the way, he found a few wild herbs that smelled suspiciously like cumin and peppercorn. Probably local spices. He picked a bunch to stash for later — just in case.
Although he worked in IT, he was an avid fan of outdoor shows and a regular visitor on forums about wild camping and picnics. When it came to theory, his knowledge was rock-solid.
By the time Osren returned, Gon had already finished cleaning all the fish. Kon, the fox-bear, squatted nearby, clearly proud of the towering pile of fish in front of it—obviously its personal catch.
He remembered from Animal World that bears catching fish looked easy enough: just stand downstream and, when the fish swim by, swipe with a paw—voilà, dinner on the shore.
"Osren, you're back! Look, the fish are mostly cleaned already," Gon said with a grin, holding up a fish.
"Let's get them skewered for grilling. I want you to try my cooking in a bit," Osren replied.
He quickly got a fire going, fashioned a simple grill, and prepped some spices he'd brought back. With practiced hands and a professional stance, he began roasting the fish.
His posture was textbook-perfect, and the seasonings were spot-on. The fish Gon had caught weren't the kind Osren was used to—long and torpedo-shaped with big heads, they reminded him of chunky-headed carp.
Everything was going smoothly. Based on his usual cooking skills—which were just enough to whip up tomato-and-egg stir-fry or egg-and-tomato stir-fry—there shouldn't be any issues. And as someone who often browsed food forums, Osren had full confidence he could pull off a grilled fish.
Sure enough, under his focused attention, the first fish emerged golden-brown and fragrant.
Gon and the fox-bear stared at it, wide-eyed and mesmerized.
He handed the first one to Gon and began grilling a second for Kon. Only after they both had theirs did he start cooking for himself. It wasn't the most technical dish in the world, but the rich, wild flavor of the roasted fish explained why so many people loved wilderness cooking—there really was something different about it.
"Osren, you're amazing! What was that herb you added? It smells incredible," Gon asked between bites, full of admiration.
Osren smiled without answering. Honestly, with his knowledge, he could probably become a gourmet hunter—he had a knack for inventing seasonings that didn't even exist in this world.
In the original storyline, becoming a three-star hunter required notable contributions—like Gon's father, who had discovered countless ancient ruins to earn the title of Three-Star Ruin Hunter.
Shaking those thoughts away for now, Osren turned his attention to the scene before him. One person and one foxbear were scarfing down fish like their stomachs were bottomless pits. Toward the end, they were roasting five fish at a time just to keep up.
Hours passed, and eventually, the two of them and Kon lay back against a tree, bellies full and round.
"Kon, you're always running around this forest. You know it best. Do me a favor—go find the rarest fruit in the woods and bring me some," Osren said, narrowing his eyes as he made the request.
Gon, knowing the foxbear better than anyone, warned him: "Kon never wants to move after he's eaten. If you want fruit, I'll go look for you."
Honestly, even humans wouldn't want to move after eating that much.
But before Gon even finished his sentence, the foxbear suddenly jumped up, let out a bark, and bolted into the forest at full speed.
As expected—the power of the "Face Fruit" wasn't limited to humans. Even animals responded to it.
A small smile crept across Osren's lips.
Gon, on the other hand, was completely stunned.