Whale Island Town Square.
The entire village had gathered, forming a concentric sea of bodies three layers deep. Shock and awe were painted on every face.
"Unbelievable! Ten years... I never thought I'd see this creature on land again!"
"The last one to land this beast was Ging! And Ging was a Hunter!"
"They say five grown men couldn't haul the Master of the Swamp out of the water, yet a boy did it..."
"But look at Mito. She doesn't look happy. I heard she still refuses to sign his application."
"Can you blame her? Being a Hunter pays well, but it's a death sentence. A peaceful life on Whale Island is worth more than gold."
In the center of the whisper-filled storm stood Gon Freecss. With his gravity-defying spiky black hair and eyes shining with innocent determination, he looked like a force of nature wrapped in a child's frame.
"Aunt Mito! I did it! I caught the Master of the Swamp just like we agreed! You have to keep your promise now!"
Gon pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket—the Hunter Exam application.
His dream was singular: to become a Professional Hunter. To walk the path his father walked. To find Ging Freecss and ask him the one question that burned in his heart: What is so amazing about being a Hunter that you would leave your own son behind?
Mito stood opposite him, her orange hair framing a face torn by conflict. She wore a red blouse and a white skirt, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles were white. She bit her lip, hesitating.
She had made that promise specifically because she believed the task was impossible. The Master of the Swamp was a monster. Gon wasn't supposed to catch it. She couldn't bear to let him follow in Ging's footsteps.
Hunter... It wasn't a job. It was a curse.
But looking into Gon's eyes, she saw the same fire that burned in his father. Once a Freecss set their mind on something, not even the gods could stop them.
"Ryker! You're here!" Gon shouted, spotting the familiar figure pushing through the crowd. "I need a favor! Can you butcher the Master for me? I want to hold a feast for the whole island—for Aunt Mito, the uncles, and everyone!"
Gon was already planning his farewell party.
Ryker stepped into the clearing, nodding at the boy. His gaze, however, was magnetically drawn to the behemoth lying on the cobblestones. Even for a man who had slaughtered fish for a decade, his heart hammered against his ribs.
Species: The Master of the Swamp (Leviathan Class)
Traits: [Longevity Species] (Gold), [Monstrous Strength] (Gold), [Scale Armor] (Purple), [Hyper-Regeneration] (Purple), [Aquatic Respiration] (Purple)
It's magnificent.
This was, without a doubt, the apex predator of Whale Island.
"Deep breaths... success or failure depends on this one cut," Ryker muttered to himself. "Please, give me a good roll."
He drew his filleting knife—a long, slender blade that gleamed cold in the sun. The crowd instinctively parted, giving him room to work.
All eyes fixed on the Master of the Swamp. Its scales were pitch black, glistening like tempered steel. Most fishmongers wouldn't even be able to scratch its hide.
Ryker's eyes narrowed, focusing. His arm moved in a blur.
Schwing!
The blade sliced into a gap beneath the gills with surgical precision.
As expected, the scales were as hard as iron plates. But Ryker was a grandmaster of his craft. Ten years of repetition had turned anatomy into instinct. Combined with his own hidden superhuman strength, the knife didn't just cut; it flowed.
He bypassed the impenetrable bone, sliding the steel through soft cartilage and connective tissue. With a fluid, singular motion, he traced a perfect line down the creature's flank.
The giant fish fell open, perfectly dismembered.
The crowd erupted into applause. "Look at that skill! Ryker is the best blade on the island, no contest!"
However, the monster's vitality was absurd. Even cut in half, the System didn't trigger. It wasn't until Ryker systematically broke it down into distinct cuts of meat that the death finally registered.
Then, the sweet sound of victory arrived.
[You have killed The Master of the Swamp. Plunder Successful.]
[Acquired: Monstrous Strength (Gold). Detecting existing trait "Titanic Strength" (Purple)... Fusing... Complete. Current Status: Monstrous Strength (Gold) (74%)]
[Acquired: Longevity Species (Gold). Effect: Natural lifespan extended to 400+ years.]
[Acquired: Hyper-Regeneration (Purple). Effect: Rapidly heal non-fatal wounds; fatal damage resistance increased.]
Ryker nearly staggered as a rush of warmth flooded his veins. It was indescribable—like his very DNA was being rewritten, every cell bathed in golden light.
He opened his status panel.
Host: Ryker
Traits: [Longevity Species] (Gold), [Monstrous Strength] (Gold), [Fatal Poison] (Gold), [Endless Stamina] (Gold), [Godspeed] (Gold), [Aquatic Respiration] (Gold), [Hyper-Regeneration] (Purple), [Camouflage] (Purple), [Iron Defense] (Purple), [Potent Lineage] (Blue)...
It was a panel worthy of a boss monster.
[Longevity Species] (Gold).
A guaranteed lifespan of four hundred years.
Ryker now had the capital to truly play the long game. Even Isaac Netero, the Chairman of the Hunter Association and allegedly the strongest human alive, was only rumored to be around a century or two old. Four hundred years gave Ryker enough time to stack traits until he became a god.
[Monstrous Strength] (Gold).
Ryker flexed his hand. The upgrade was percentage-based. Monstrous Strength on an ant is negligible. Monstrous Strength on a human who already has maxed stats? It was terrifying. The Swamp Master grew this strong simply by living a long time. Ryker was achieving it in an instant.
He could probably lift the entire carcass of the fish with one hand now. But he wouldn't. Not yet. It was too shocking.
And [Hyper-Regeneration].
The description claimed it could resist fatal damage. It was a second life in a world filled with monsters who could kill you in a blink.
White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold.
He had reached the current peak. But Ryker knew the world was vast. There might be tiers above Gold—Dark Continent tiers. But Whale Island had nothing left for him.
He looked at the butchered meat, then at the cheering crowd, and finally at the worried woman standing near the edge.
Ryker wiped his blade and walked over to her.
"Aunt Mito," he said, his voice steady. "Gon has grown up. Let him go."
Mito looked up at him, startled.
"Besides," Ryker added gently, "I'm leaving Whale Island too. It's time."
He looked her in the eye. "You and the village saved my life when I was nothing. I can never repay that debt completely. But I promise you this: I will watch over Gon. I'll make sure he comes back in one piece."