Get comfortable, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🔥 ✦ Wright was a Blacklist Hunter with ambition and a strong sense of self-interest.
Once he confirmed a target, he would do everything in his power to complete the hunt.
After setting his sights on the infamous Ian Archer, he gathered information from every channel he could and tracked Ian all the way here.
During that process, his Hunter License provided him with considerable convenience.
For example, the police call Monica had made while fleeing through the mountain forest had ultimately become useful intelligence, pointing Wright toward a specific direction.
So Wright took over the police response.
He could have asked the police for assistance and had them send a large force in as cannon fodder to draw Ian out and lock down his position quickly.
But Wright was not that deranged.
In front of a qualified Nen user, ordinary people would be helpless.
Even Killua, before learning Nen, would have had to turn around and run.
Wright simply believed that if he brought the police with him, it would be the same as personally pushing them into a fire pit.
He refused to do that.
He only had the police establish a cordon around the scenic area, then came alone.
The reason he had been delayed until now was that he had spent some time studying the area.
The terrain.
The environment.
And the old temple on the mountain, along with the father and son who lived inside it.
He had already learned all of that.
So when he followed the scent of blood to the outside of the temple, his first judgment was that the poor father and son living here had already been murdered.
He used Zetsu to hide his presence and slipped quietly into the temple to investigate.
Instead, he saw Ian’s corpse in the courtyard.
While surprised, he also immediately realized that he had been discovered.
‘A master.’ That was Wright’s judgment at the time.
His first thought had been of the middle-aged monk in the information he had collected.
He had never expected that the Nen user who killed Ian was not the father in the temple, but the son.
Even so, he still judged the boy before him to be a master.
After all, someone who could kill Ian and notice his Zetsu could not possibly be weak.
That was why, after seeing Kieran’s crude Ten, Wright instinctively assumed Kieran was hiding his true strength.
It left him feeling rather helpless.
His original hunting target had been Ian.
Since the target was already dead, Wright had no motive or reason to fight Kieran.
It was not as if he had nothing better to do.
He showed sincerity because he wanted Kieran to understand that he was not an enemy, but a Blacklist Hunter whose job was tracking criminals.
Kieran did not buy it.
Then Wright realized he had guessed wrong again.
‘How is that possible?’ A newly initiated Nen user who only knew Ten had killed a Nen user who had skillfully mastered the four major principles and had already developed a Nen ability?
Only Nen users understood how absurd that sounded.
So how exactly had the boy in front of him done it?
Shocked beyond measure, Wright immediately developed a deep curiosity.
He wanted to know every detail of how Kieran killed Ian.
And at that instant…
Kieran moved.
He picked up the Hunter License as fast as possible and threw it hard toward the ceiling in front of Wright.
“Hm?” Wright’s expression changed.
Without hesitation, he leapt into the air and caught the license.
‘No way!’ In a certain sense, a Hunter License was more important than his life.
After seeing Wright protect the license, Kieran narrowed his eyes, tightened his grip on the small knife he normally used to sharpen pencils, and charged straight at Wright while the man was still airborne.
Before acting, Kieran had already imagined two choices.
If Wright ignored the Hunter License he threw, he would decisively escape through the window.
If Wright reacted, Kieran would attempt an attack.
That was exactly what he was doing now.
Sprint.
Stop.
Kieran drove the small knife toward the space between Wright’s thighs.
“!!!” Seeing Kieran try to stab him there with a knife, Wright stiffened from head to toe.
His closed aura nodes snapped open, releasing a large amount of aura that wrapped tightly around every inch of his body.
This was Ken, an advanced Nen application.
Then…
Kieran decisively withdrew his hand and backed away.
Wright landed steadily, his whole body wrapped in dense aura, without showing any intention to attack.
Even though Kieran had just tried to stab a wildly unpleasant target, Wright only defended and did not counterattack.
That behavior finally convinced Kieran that Wright held no malice.
There was no helping it.
Against an opponent who could use Ken that quickly, he did not even have the chance to struggle.
“I believe you.
You really are a professional Hunter.” Kieran dropped the knife and put on an obedient expression.
Wright silently looked at him.
The corner of his eye was still twitching.
This kid.
This unbelievable kid.
Wright took a deep breath, slowly forced out a strained smile, and said, “I believe you too.
You really only know Ten…” Through that brief clash, Kieran saw that Wright truly meant no harm.
Wright, in turn, saw from that knife-to-the-rear attack that Kieran truly only knew Ten.
So…
How in the world had Kieran killed Ian?
Beyond curiosity, Wright felt a heat kindle in his heart.
No matter how he looked at it, this boy was absolutely a terrifyingly talented genius.
If he could take Kieran in, his future attempt at becoming a Two-Star Hunter would have a guarantee.
Thinking of that, Wright was ecstatic.
He no longer cared at all about the fact that Kieran had tried to stab him in the rear with a knife.
“Let me introduce myself properly.” Suppressing his wild joy, Wright put away his Hunter License and said seriously, “I am Wright Bulwer, a licensed Blacklist Hunter.
I am currently pursuing Ian Archer, the man outside whose neck you broke.” “Oh.” Kieran nodded.
Wright looked at him, apparently waiting for him to continue.
But after that one word, Kieran went silent.
The two of them looked at each other.
Monica, curled up in the corner of the bed, was completely lost.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The room became especially quiet.
“?” Slowly, a question mark seemed to appear over Wright’s head.
His voice sounded as if it were being forced through his teeth.
“Are you…
not planning to say anything?” “Hm.” Kieran thought for a moment, then raised his index finger and said calmly, “I have a question for you.” “Fine.
But before you ask, did you forget something?
For example, introducing yourself first?” Wright stared straight at him.
The information he had gathered before coming here included the names Kieran and Hawk.
But Wright believed that in this situation, exchanging names was a necessary step.
Because he wanted to make a deal with Kieran.
“My question is…” Kieran ignored the reminder and asked directly, “Since you have already confirmed Ian Archer’s death, why make the situation more complicated?” “…” Wright looked at him silently.
After a moment, he sighed.
“You are really not likable, you know that?
How do I put this…
explaining it is troublesome.
Basically, I want to make a deal with you.” Hunters had ranks.
From low to high, they were amateur Hunters, licensed Hunters, One-Star Hunters, Two-Star Hunters, and Three-Star Hunters.
Only after receiving a license from the Hunter Association could someone officially become a licensed Hunter.
After becoming a licensed Hunter, one could raise their star rating through achievements.
Within the Hunter Association, stars represented status, authority, and honor.
That was why increasing one’s star rating was one of the lifelong pursuits of most licensed Hunters.
Wright was one of them.
As a Blacklist Hunter, his path to achievements naturally lay in tracking down criminals.
Wright was currently trying to reach One-Star status.
That was why he proposed a deal to Kieran.
“Oh?” Kieran raised an eyebrow.
Surprised by Wright’s words, he followed the topic and asked, “What do you want to trade with me?” “I need the achievement for capturing Ian Archer.
For that, I am willing to pay you five million Jenny.
Of course, Ian Archer’s bounty will also go to you in full.
How does that sound?” Wright stated his need frankly.
He had tracked Ian for more than half a month to obtain this achievement.
Now that he was at a crucial point in his attempt to become a One-Star Hunter, he truly did not want to give it up.
So the only thing he could do was shamelessly obtain the achievement for killing Ian from Kieran through a trade.
Hearing the details of Wright’s offer, Kieran’s gaze gradually turned strange.
Willing to pay five million Jenny for the achievement attached to Ian’s death.
That meant Wright needed this achievement badly.
But with Wright’s strength advantage, he could have simply taken Ian’s corpse away, announced that he had killed Ian himself, and gained the achievement without spending a single Jenny.
If he were ruthless enough, he could even kill Kieran and Monica here, turning the whole matter into a secret no one would ever know.
But Wright had not done that.
This guy…
Was a good person.
Kieran fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Wright, you are an Enhancer, right?” “Yes.
Why?” Wright admitted it without hesitation.
The condition for advancing from One-Star to Two-Star was personally training a One-Star licensed Hunter.
He had already regarded Kieran as the key to his future attempt at Two-Star status, so naturally he would not hide this from him.
If he were not afraid of putting Kieran off, he would have already brought up the idea of taking him as a disciple.
“Nothing.” Kieran shook his head and said calmly, “Back to the deal.
I have no objection to Ian Archer’s twenty-million-Jenny bounty belonging to me.
As for the achievement, I have different requirements.” “…” Wright’s eyes flickered slightly.
He had deliberately avoided mentioning the exact bounty amount because he wanted Kieran to accept the five-million-Jenny trade for the achievement without hesitation.
He had not expected Kieran to know Ian’s exact bounty.
“Let’s hear it.” Wright looked at him.
Kieran raised three fingers and slowly said, “I have three requirements.
First, five million is too little.
Double it.
Second, serve as my sparring partner for ten days.
Third, owe me a favor.” He stated all three demands without so much as blushing.
Of course, he did not expect the achievement attached to Ian alone to make Wright agree to all three.
What he truly wanted was for Wright to become his sparring partner.
As for doubling the five million and adding a favor, those were only there to make Wright more easily accept the second condition.
“Those three requirements of yours…” Wright looked serious, but inside, he was already shouting with joy.
Ten days of sparring!
This was a pillow delivered at the exact moment he felt sleepy.
He could already imagine showing Kieran his teaching ability during those ten days, making Kieran admire him, and then having Kieran ask him to become his teacher.
Kieran calmly watched Wright and waited for a response, already prepared to remove the other two requirements.
However…
Wright solemnly said, “Very reasonable.
I agree.” From hearing the demands to accepting them, the entire process contained not a single moment of hesitation.
“???” Kieran froze.
This was not how things were supposed to unfold.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS EmberHollow Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you deeper into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.