[Copy Successful.]
[Acquired: Scarlet Eyes (Red).]
[Note: This is a Bloodline Ability. As the Host does not possess Kurta blood, the ability will manifest without the physical trait of red irises. The effects remain identical.]
The notification chimed in Ryker's mind like a choir of angels.
It was a jackpot. A lottery win of astronomical proportions.
Ryker couldn't believe it. A mere 10% chance? The odds of pulling a Red-tier trait—the highest rarity he had ever seen—should have been microscopic. One in a million.
Yet here it was. The Scarlet Eyes.
In the Hunter world, this was the pinnacle. When activated, it allowed a User to utilize all six categories of Nen at 100% efficiency. It was the cheat code that allowed Kurapika to hunt down Uvogin—a master Enhancer—and bury him. It was the Hunter x Hunter equivalent of the Sharingan, but without the emo baggage.
And the best part? No glowing red eyes. He could use it in total secrecy.
This changes everything, Ryker thought, suppressing a grin. If sparring yields drops like this, I need to farm everyone.
Gon had some insane potential too. And Leorio... well, maybe Leorio had something useful hidden away.
BOOM!
A rogue wave, massive and dark as a mountain, slammed into the ship. The vessel groaned, tilting dangerously.
Kurapika, still reeling from Ryker's punch and disoriented by his loss, lost his footing. The slick deck offered no purchase.
"Whoa!"
He tumbled over the railing, vanishing into the churning black abyss below.
At the same time, Katzo—the clumsy "rookie" who was secretly an examiner—also slipped. Gon and Leorio lunged, grabbing Katzo by the ankles just in time.
"No! Kurapika!!" Gon screamed, his voice tearing through the wind.
But before Gon could even move, a blur shot past him.
Splash!
Without a second of hesitation, Ryker vaulted over the railing, diving headfirst into the storm-tossed sea.
The Captain and the crew froze in horror. Jumping into the ocean during a squall like this was suicide. No one survived these waters at night.
"Ryker!!" Gon's scream was swallowed by the thunder.
Under the waves, it was chaos.
Kurapika thrashed, the cold water filling his lungs. It was dark, freezing, and violent. The ocean spun him around like a ragdoll.
Is this it? he thought, his vision fading. I'm going to die here? Before I even find them? Before I avenge my clan?
Despair clawed at his heart. He sank deeper, the light from the surface fading.
Suddenly, a hand clamped onto his arm. Iron-strong.
Kurapika's eyes snapped open. Through the murk, he saw a face.
Ryker?!
Shock made him inhale water. He coughed, choking on brine.
He's crazy! He jumped in? For me?
He just humiliated me. He mocked my resolve. Why would he risk his life for someone who challenged him?
Ryker didn't give him time to think. He yanked Kurapika upward, kicking powerfully against the current. They broke the surface, gasping for air.
But the waves were relentless. A wall of water crashed over them, burying them again.
To keep Kurapika's head above water, Ryker shoved him up, using his own body as a buoy.
"Let me go!" Kurapika choked out, tears mixing with the seawater. "You'll drown! Why are you doing this?!"
Ryker just spat out a mouthful of water and swam harder.
"Ryker! Let go! It's my fault! Don't die because of me!!"
Kurapika was sobbing now, the guilt crushing him. He felt Ryker sinking with every wave, sacrificing his breath so Kurapika could live.
"Shut up... and breathe!" Ryker growled, surfacing for a split second before diving again to push Kurapika up.
Please. Just live.
Ryker, of course, was fine.
He possessed [Aquatic Respiration] (Gold). He could stay underwater for two months if he wanted to. He was basically Aquaman. The storm was annoying, but hardly lethal.
But he couldn't let Kurapika die.
And definitely not because he wanted to farm more traits from him later. Absolutely not. It was purely altruism. 100%.
Thirty minutes later.
The storm broke as quickly as it had arrived. The sea calmed into a gentle swell.
"Ryker!!"
Gon broke free from the sailors holding him back and sprinted to the railing.
Leorio and the Captain stood behind him, hats in hands, expressions grim.
"I'm sorry, Gon," the Captain said softly, his eyes red. "Nobody survives that. He was... he was a brave kid. A true Hunter."
"We should search for the bodies," Leorio muttered, his voice cracking. "At least give them a proper burial."
"It's no use. The currents..." a veteran sailor started, shaking his head.
"Ryker!! Ryker is alive!! And Kurapika too!!"
Gon's joyful shout cut through the mourning like a knife.
"Impossible..." The Captain sighed. " kid, denial is part of grief, but..."
He looked over the rail. And his jaw hit the deck.
There, clinging to the side of the hull, was Ryker.
Soaking wet, shirt clinging to his sculpted frame, he looked less like a drowning victim and more like a sea god emerging from his domain. He held Kurapika—coughing and sputtering but alive—in one arm, while hauling himself up the hull with the other.
"Hey," Ryker grinned, spitting out a final stream of water. "Anyone got a towel?"