"What the hell is this black thread?! Why is it tougher than my claws?!"
As a monster, the fierce fox knew its own strengths. Born with a body tougher than most humans, its claws weren't quite steel, but they were certainly not something ordinary swords could break…
Yet, faced with the strange "Armament-Type Thread" that Roy flicked out with just his fingers, it barely resisted for a moment before one of its claws snapped off. Then—whoosh!—it was dragged straight onto the boat.
Thud! It hit the deck face-first, landing like a dog eating dirt.
"Damn! What a big-ass fox!" Leorio yelped, increasing his rowing speed. After the chaos with the boa constrictor earlier, he had no interest in dealing with another freak!
Kurapika gave him a side glance, slapped his own forehead, and sighed. Then he turned toward the fox's father, recalling the piece of driftwood floating earlier—No, he corrected himself, a monster in disguise.
And this fox-like beast…
Kurapika's crimson eyes narrowed as he suddenly recalled something: just after disembarking from the Poseidon, Roy had casually asked Gon whether he could smell a fox.
Wait…
A realization hit Kurapika like a brick.
So he already knew—before we even reached the island—that we'd run into a fox-type monster?!
"Scary… Seriously scary…"
And I thought I had caught up to him.
Turns out, I'm still way behind…
Kurapika's eyes flickered slightly, then he exhaled, regaining composure.
"Gon, listen carefully," he said in a low voice. "There should be three foxes nearby."
Roy had previously "prophesied" that there were four in total.
"Eh? Really?" Gon rubbed his nose and sniffed again—only to be startled by a sudden shout.
"Stop sniffing! I'm the only one!"
The fox's father scrambled up from the boat in a panic.
He stared at Kurapika, alarmed by the boy's statement.
Shit! They already figured out my whole family's here? Before even reaching Mount Shanshu? Could one of the examiners be leaking info?
But after a moment of suspicion, the fox ruled it out. With Chairman Netero at the helm, who'd dare disgrace the Hunter Association?
Still… something wasn't right.
How did they know the exact number?
Unless… one of the candidates had awakened Nen abilities related to precognition?!
Who is it?
His eyes swept across Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio—finally locking onto Roy.
Roy was still casually pinching the black thread tied to his ankle—the one that had dragged him aboard.
"Hey, blind guy. Let me go," the fox growled. "Or don't blame me for making you pay for my claw!"
He raised his arms, spreading the thin membrane-like wings on his back.
"You threatening me?" Roy frowned.
Without another word, he pinched his nose and—BANG!—kicked the fox straight into the lake.
"Ugh, you're way too flamboyant to be that close to me. Don't you have any sense of self-awareness?"
…
Kurapika and Gon exchanged glances.
Did he go too far?
They peeked over the boat's edge and saw the poor fox thrashing in the lake, coughing and choking.
"Bastard! Blind bastard! Pull me up!" the fox roared, gulping lake water.
"I'm your damn tour guide for this stage, you hear me?! You wanna make me mad? Huh? You think I won't take you to the Hunter Exam venue?!"
"Tour guide?" Gon blinked. "It said it's the tour guide!"
Even Leorio froze, paddle mid-air.
"Uh… Roy, did you hear that?" Gon pointed nervously at the struggling fox. "He says he's the examiner…"
Crap. Did we just treat the guide like a stray mutt? Are we even gonna pass now?!
Leorio cleared his throat. "Maybe… we pull him up?"
Roy snorted. "Then row faster. Let's go for a walk."
This flamboyant mutt thinks it can talk back to me?
Without another word, Roy crossed his arms and closed his eyes, ignoring the fox entirely.
Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio: "…"
Under Roy's intimidating aura, Leorio had no choice but to start rowing again, dragging the fox by the thread like a leashed animal.
"You bastards! You insane lunatics! I'm the examiner!" the fox wailed, coughing up more lake water. "I'm calling it! I surrender! I was wrong! I swear I won't get that close again!"
A proud male fox had now resorted to sniffling pitifully, water dripping from his face—it was hard to tell what was lake water and what were tears.
Gon couldn't bear to watch anymore and looked at Roy quietly.
Still expressionless, Roy flicked his finger and pulled the fox back onboard.
"I'll give you a number. One hundred million."
"H-Huh?!" the fox choked.
"Pay up, and we'll go to the venue."
"If not, you can keep swimming."
"I may be blind," Roy said with a cold smile, "but I've got plenty of patience."
The fox stared blankly.
Why'd you even pull me up if you're just gonna rob me?!
"One hundred million?! Are you seriously extorting a monster? You humans have no shame?!"
Choking on lake water, the fox finally surrendered. "Fine! I'll transfer it when I get home!"
"You're learning." Roy turned to Leorio. "Head to shore."
Leorio and Kurapika both let out a long sigh.
"Aye-aye," Leorio nodded and quickly rowed toward land.
Roy stepped off first, shaking the "leash" in his hand.
The fox father sighed in defeat, then grumbled and led the group—Roy, Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio—toward a cedar-covered mountain, where his home awaited.