Chapter 39: Care X And X Curse

"Well, let's take a break then," Bisky said all of a sudden. "It's a little early, but we can have a party?"

"A party?" Gon asked, confused about what she was trying to say. We all looked at her, curious about what she meant by those words. I don't know if she wanted to celebrate our discovery of our Nen techniques. Is that even a thing?

"In the outside world, it's almost New Year's. Time flows at the same speed inside the game as outside." She answered. We finally understood what she meant but suddenly, Gon and I came to the realization, and both turned around to Killua at the same time.

"The Hunter Exam!" We both shouted simultaneously as I placed a worried face at him. We totally forgot that Killua was not a Hunter like us at all since that happened.

"The deadline to apply for the Hunter Exam is coming up!" Gon said as he was worried about what we're gonna do to bring Killua to the exam area.

"And our training was just starting to get fun..." Killua complained as he rested his head between his arms. I guess he's really not that worried about being a Hunter at all. After all, he just joined the exam out of boredom.

"I believe you're required to apply before the end of the year," Bisky said which made Gon even more worried. I knew that the deadline for the application will be at the end of the year since the captain is a trimmer of the applicants.

"We need to hurry." Gon said, who is more worried about Killua than me. It's not like I don't want him to be a Hunter, but since he wasn't really that enthusiastic to finish the exam, I guess I don't have to worry anything.

"But how do we get outside?" I asked all of them. I don't think we can just go back to the starting point and enter that little hut. In video games, there is always this 'quit' button, but I don't think there's any of those in this game.

"I'm guessing there are spell cards to leave the game?" Killua answered my question, but at the same time, unsure of he guessed it correctly or not. When you think about it, it's possible that they are also spell cards to leave.

"In that case, let's head to Masadora," Bisky suggested.

"Agreed!" All of us shouted at the same time, excited to go back to the City of Magic.

We finally went to Masadora in just a short amount of time using Accompany and finally started our hunt for the information to go outside. Now that we don't have enough time, we have to worry about searching.

We first went to the storekeeper to ask questions on how to go outside in exchange for some game money.

He said that in order for us to go outside, we must go to the island's only port and the other way to go is to use a Leap card, but that card is rare and it's not easy to find one of those. If we look for the card, we might be run out of time, so we decided to go to the port.

But Killua didn't bribe the man in the dock at all, and instead, he used violence to catch him. As expected of him, he always chooses quicker things. Sometimes, I admire that side of him, just in some cases.

Ever since we met, he always ignoring and insulting me, but now, we're officially friends and I couldn't have been happier than that.

"Well, I'll go past the test real quick and hurry back," Killua said as he showed us the card to get him out of the game.

"There are monsters called Kiriko that live beneath a cedar tree on the mountain behind Dolle Harbor. If you tell them you're our friend, they'll take you to the exam area." Gon explained how we went to the Hunter exam. I remember those fox-like things who faked an attack from us before when it's just actually a test for us to determine if we're qualified to go to the exam. I couldn't believe that it was already that long since that happened. And that's the time when I met Gon and the others.

"Okay. See you." Killua said and about to start walking away from us with the card when suddenly, he stopped from his tracks. Curious, I stared at him for a long time since I don't know why he did that. Did he forget something?

"And Secco..." He called for me. I stood straight to correct my posture all of a sudden. I don't know what he was about to do, but when he called my name, I was surprised and couldn't be able to do anything than just to stand straight. Then, he turned around and smiled at me warmly, like any other time. "Take care of Gon while I'm gone."

I was shocked and at the same time, happy whether he smiled at me with those warm face or the fact that he was trying to rely on me to Gon. Even so, I am so happy that he said that. Before, he only sees me as a burden to the group, but now, he's relying on me for the first time.

"Okay.~" I answered with a warm wide smile on my face, couldn't let go of the idea in my head.

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Gon shouted between us and started to brag about him being mature enough to take care of his own. I chuckled at them both as Killua didn't even care and just walked away.

I guess I'll see him next time.

"Then, let's get back to training," Bisky said to bring us to the reality. Gon and I both looked at him with enthusiasm.

"Okay!"

We went back to our training ground and started our training with our Transmutation abilities. Bisky also said that she can help me to train my healing technique with my bandage.

"When you can form the numbers from 0 to 9 in one minute, you'll clear this stage," Bisky instructed us as we ran continuously in the forest.

I tried to separate my mind by focusing my Nen in my finger to form various shapes, and the other to watch out for any obstacles in my front.

I didn't know that it was so hard to form shapes from our aura, and I only did a circle, and not the whole of the zero yet.

As I tried to do that with great focus while dodging obstacles, I heard Gon shouted in pain. Bisky and I both stopped to see him, and I'm almost worried about him at that time. Since Killua depended on me to take care of Gon while he's gone, I couldn't help but be overprotective.

"That hurt!" Gon shouted as he tried to massage his forehead while laying on the ground, stopping the pain. In what I'm guessing, he bumped into a tree while trying to focus his mind on making numbers.

I approached him and helped him to get up. I know he is determined to make his Nen technique, but he must calm down.

"What are you doing?" Bisky said as she watched the clumsiness of Gon.

But all of a sudden, a light in the sky came crashing towards us. When it landed in front of us, a player showed up. He has a curly short hair and his skin has a darker color. He was wearing a blue and white suit with somewhat tribal patterns.

I was thinking deeply since his face was familiar until I remembered that he was one of the new players who just joined the game like us. He joined the group of those persuading people back then who Gon denied.

He explained something from us about the Bomber. The Bomber was actually a man named Genthru, and he was one of those persuading people. So he is the one with the sunglasses back then. I knew he was something fishy, since his eyes were like a dead fish, and I don't trust dead fish eyes.

He also said that he went for us because we're the ones who he can most rely on. That's kinda fishy for me since we only just met for just less than an hour in total and he already trusted us. And besides, we're just kids who happen to join in the game. Why would he trust us with this important information?

My suspicion grew every time but I just kept quiet for him to not notice me.

As he tried to explain about the Bomber, he suddenly stopped in the middle of his explanations and turned around to see me with widened eyes and cold sweats. I tilted my head to question him about why he was staring at me. Is there something he saw to me that he doesn't like?

"Umm... sir?" I asked him with a fake smile, trying to find out his strange behavior. Why is he looking to me like that? Like I just did something dangerous. Don't tell me, he can read my mind and scared that I found out about his hidden motives?

He went back to reality as soon as I asked him those words. He continued explaining as nothing happened about the Bomber.

"And if possible, I would like you to avenge us! If not, could you at least promise that you won't let him clear the game?" He said as he tried to be a pity for us to grow compassion to him.

"Understood," Bisky said as she tried to get her calm face when she is actually troubled about this Bomber.

"Sorry... I'll use what time I have remaining to tell as many as I can about the Bomber." The man said and finally went away from our training ground.

***

That girl gave an intense dark Aura, specifically in her other arm.

There might be a curse attached to her.

And it won't be easy to get it off of her.

I wanted to help her, but it seems like she doesn't know it yet.

She doesn't know the curse and the threat it's carrying.