Chapter 15: The Monkey of the Himalayas
Matthew suddenly bolted away on the rhino he'd stolen—so fast that everyone, except for Osren, was caught off guard.
"We're supposed to be teammates, Mr. Matthew. We should stick together," Gon said.
"Teammates? With you? Don't be so naïve, kid," Matthew scoffed without looking back. "You really believed there's such a thing as 'teamwork' in the Hunter Exam?"
He waved mockingly as he rode off. "Anyway, thanks for the rhino, Osren. Once I pass the Hunter Exam, I'll be sure to properly thank you!"
Matthew cackled wildly, clearly pleased with himself. An infuriated Leorio took off running after him.
Osren, however, didn't show any anger. He simply watched Matthew's shrinking silhouette.
Matthew didn't look back, and unsurprisingly, Leorio failed to catch up. Did he really think two legs could outrun four?
Frustrated, Leorio returned, muttering, "Damn it. That scumbag totally got the upper hand."
"It's fine," said Osren evenly. "At least now we've seen his true colors. How about I tell you a story to lift the mood?"
Leorio pouted and grumbled, "Not in the mood…" But Gon perked up and nodded eagerly, even though Matthew's betrayal had briefly dampened his spirits.
Osren began—
"At the foot of a great mountain lived a group of villagers. They worked hard from dawn to dusk, yet their harvests were always poor.
One day, a traveler from outside the mountain came to them and said, 'I know a magic chant. If you silently repeat it while facing the mountain, piles of Jenny will appear before you. I'll teach you the chant—but first, you must pay me some Jenny as a fee.'
So the villagers scraped together their savings and paid him. They sat on the ground, eager to learn. The traveler taught them the chant and warned them: 'While reciting this chant, do not think of the Himalayan monkey. If you do, it won't work.'
The villagers promised earnestly, 'Of course! Who would think about a Himalayan monkey?'
But as soon as they began the chant, the damned monkey kept appearing in their minds. The more they tried not to think about it, the clearer the image became.
In the end, not a single person saw any Jenny appear.
'He was right,' they thought. 'The chant didn't work.'"
Despite claiming he wasn't interested, Leorio's ears perked up the moment he heard the word "Jenny."
"These villagers were fools—that was clearly a scam," Leorio snorted.
"Then why not give the chant to someone who doesn't know the whole backstory?" Gon asked. "See if they can make the Jenny appear. If it still doesn't work, then you can call the traveler a fraud."
Gon's thoughts were always so simple, yet kind-hearted. His words offered a surprising insight. It made Osren pause and think. Most people, including himself, would've dismissed the whole thing outright as a psychological trick—reverse psychology at play. But Gon had a point: What if it was real?
Kurapika, too, was impressed. That small tale, told by Osren, captured the flaws of human nature perfectly. And Gon's pure-hearted response only deepened Kurapika's appreciation for him.
—Back to the main plot—
Matthew, riding the rhino, darted swiftly through the forest. With such a powerful beast beneath him, no wild animal dared stand in his way. His speed was unmatched.
"That kid's trick really works. Even a beast like this listens perfectly," Matthew muttered smugly. "But what was that chant I wasn't supposed to say…? What did it really mean?"
He quickly shook his head and cast the idea aside.
Before long, the outline of the town came into view. Matthew was visibly excited.
"It's just a bunch of kids! I'm the smart one here. Got here without even breaking a sweat—this year, I'm definitely getting my Hunter license!"
They continued walking for a while longer.
High on self-praise, Matthew seemed to be getting carried away.
"Hmph, just because some brat says something doesn't make it true. Thinks too highly of himself. I, Matthew, don't buy into your spooky nonsense. What's the worst that could happen if I say a few words?" he muttered under his breath.
"Hi-ma-la... No, wait, I shouldn't say it now."
He suddenly stopped, swallowing the rest of the words mid-sentence.
Just when victory seemed within reach, a new possibility occurred to him.
"What if the words he told me not to say are actually the secret chant for that mysterious beast-taming technique? That little brat is crafty—probably made it up to keep me from figuring it out! Yeah, that must be it."
Beast-taming was basically a divine skill. Even if he didn't pass the Hunter Exam, mastering it could make him a fortune.
With that tempting thought in mind, Matthew decided to give it a try.
"The monkeys of the Himalayas… no, no—what if it's a trap?"
In the end, his desire to become a Hunter outweighed his greed for beast-taming. He stayed silent, riding the white rhino all the way to the town.
There were several moments when he almost blurted it out, but each time, he clenched his teeth and held back. It took every ounce of willpower.
"Hahaha, I made it! Matthew's here!" he cheered, glancing at the calm, quiet rhino.
Thinking back to how he had already half-said the phrase earlier and nothing happened, he grew even more convinced it had all been a bluff.
Finally, he gave in—drawn in by the hope of having it all, and an overwhelming curiosity.
He leaned in close to the rhino and whispered:
"The monkeys of the Himalayas."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the calm and steady rhino suddenly let out a loud "Moo!"
It went berserk—its legs kicked off the ground like a speeding off-road vehicle.
Matthew instinctively tried to dodge, but the attack came so fast it barely missed him.
Smack!
Even that glancing blow came with a terrifying crunch. A sharp crack rang out as bones snapped, and Matthew coughed up a mouthful of blood.
His face turned pale as the strength drained from his body.
Even if he wanted to regret it, he didn't have the energy—he could only collapse, half-dead, in the middle of the road at the edge of town.
The white rhino snorted twice and then turned, galloping back into the forest.
—
Meanwhile, Osren and the others were setting out.
"Come on, Gon! Leorio, Kurapika—get up here! Let's get moving. It's getting late," Osren called, climbing onto the rhino's back and motioning to the others.
"Coming!" Gon cheered as he nimbly hopped up onto the rhino.
"Thanks," Kurapika said, not far behind. He landed on the rhino almost at the same time as Gon.
The rhino, sensing everyone was aboard, stood up straight and immediately started trotting forward.
"Wait for me! I haven't climbed up yet!" Leorio called out, flustered.
"Why is it always the older ones who get left behind? Just 'cause I'm a little slower…"