MTLNOVEL Chapter 145: Plot Begins!
A few days later, Xiang Nan and Manman registered for the 287‑th Hunter Exam.
Gon, meanwhile, was still trying to land the Master of the Swamp because of his bet with Mito.
Xiang Nan secretly observed Gon's entire fishing process.
He never intervened or revealed himself—there was no need.
He simply wanted to see with his own eyes how Gon would haul that Master of the Swamp ashore.
Although the original story described the scene, there were details that ink and panels could never convey.
To catch the Swamp King, one must hide every trace of one's presence to the extreme.
Otherwise, with a creature as wary as a Master of the Swamp, even the faintest movement on the surface will spook it.
Gon's success relied on far more than the fishing rod left by Ging Freecss and the raw power of his body with a tree branch for leverage.
The real test lay in the long, quiet wait beforehand—reducing his aura until it was almost imperceptible, a task of extraordinary difficulty.
This "skill" is nothing like Nen techniques.
It is an innate gift.
The aura is not truly erased; rather, it melds perfectly into the surrounding environment—another form of invisibility.
That confirmed the judgment Xiang Nan had made when he first met Gon.
"What an enviable talent," Xiang Nan thought as he lounged on a branch, shielding himself from the sun with a broad leaf while staring calmly at Gon on the water's edge.
The next moment, he vanished.
…
The following day, the entire populace of Whale Island was abuzz.
On the small plaza by the pier, residents clustered around the enormous Master of the Swamp laid on the ground, pointing and marveling, glancing in disbelief at Gon, who stood nearby answering questions with modesty.
Clearly, like his father Ging at the same age, Gon had caught the Master of the Swamp.
Everyone present was exhilarated—though not exactly shocked; they had half‑expected this outcome.
After all, he was Ging's son…
While most people rejoiced, only Mito looked worried, her expression plainly saying, "I have to keep an eye on him."
Everyone congratulated Gon; understanding Mito's feelings, they tactfully left her alone, save for a few elderly women who offered her comfort.
By their agreement, Mito now had to let Gon leave, and as his guardian she naturally felt reluctant.
The others all understood.
"Tsk, tsk… that fish is ridiculously huge. Even on land I doubt an ordinary kid could handle its weight," Beishi remarked from the edge of the crowd, craning his neck for a better look.
The Master of the Swamp was hideous—several cows in size, its blue‑green scales covering a body that, while fish‑shaped, sported crustacean‑like legs under its belly.
"Ugly thing," Manman muttered in disgust after a glance.
"Let's go—nothing more to see."
Xiang Nan turned and led them toward the pier.
He intended to depart with Gon, while Beishi, Orban, and the others would escort Manman straight to Zaban City.
"If we skip the preliminary tests, will that be a problem? I thought examiners had to record each stage," Beishi asked Xiang Nan, nodding toward Manman.
"As long as you're registered with the Hunter Association it's fine. The early trials are just a screening process; from the Association's standpoint they're trivial. If you make it to Zaban and receive a number badge, no one will question the blanks in your record. Anyone lacking the strength will get eliminated at the venue anyway," Xiang Nan replied blandly.
"Makes sense," Beishi conceded.
"The Association has only a few hundred Hunters altogether; if they handled everything themselves, they couldn't manage the workload. Millions attempt the exam each year. During the Chairman election there were only 661 licensed Hunters total. Without outside staff—the so‑called examiners—the Hunter Exam wouldn't run even once," Orban added with a shrug.
"So there's no need to stop in Dolle Harbor; we'll head straight to Zaban."
"Exactly."
Soon Xiang Nan saw Manman and the others off, waving goodbye before heading back to Zaban himself.
Though Manman felt a little reluctant, she followed his arrangement.
…
After seeing them off, Xiang Nan opened his system interface.
A notification flashed: the main‑world storyline had officially begun, and all players were informed!
There were just over 300 players left.
The placement matches in the Dimensional Reincarnation had apparently killed off some high‑level players.
What mattered more was that, now the story had begun, both veterans and newcomers had lost the system's "shielding" effect—in other words, the grace period was over.
For future arrivals this was terrible news: no more beginner benefits.
At Extinction 6 himself, Xiang Nan knew how crucial that protection had been; without it, he would likely have died to Illumi long ago.
"With the closed‑beta buffs gone, survival is about to get a lot tougher," he mused. Without the shield, players blended fully into the world; even story characters could no longer tell them apart—unless players volunteered their identities, they might not recognize one another at all.
He headed back to his inn.
On the plaza, the crowd had already begun to disperse.
Islanders had left time for Mito and Gon to talk privately; only a few visitors still gawked at the Master of the Swamp.
Xiang Nan didn't seek Gon out or visit the tavern again; he simply waited at the pier for the ship's departure.
Besides him were seven "stranded" players on the island—mostly low‑level newbies, only one of whom could use Nen. Unable to reach Gon or Mito before, they now flocked to Gon, eager to curry favor.
Shortly, Gon and his family approached, escorted by nearly every islander. The send‑off was grand indeed: some fishermen even stayed ashore, skipping work just to bid Gon farewell.
Clearly, the Freecss family was beloved on Whale Island.
Right on cue, the Hunter Association's chartered ship—a large, old‑fashioned sailing vessel—glided into the harbor.
When it docked, Xiang Nan boarded first.
Those players had already crowded around Gon, trying to cozy up while he and the villagers exchanged farewells—utterly oblivious to the moment's solemnity.
Fortunately, Gon and the islanders were kind‑hearted folk and didn't mind.
Had this been any big city, such tactless behavior would have earned them a shower of spit.
There wasn't much time for good‑byes. After a brief parting, Gon and the players boarded, and with the whole island waving and shouting encouragement, the ship slowly left Whale Island behind.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!