Chapter 138: Abaki Never Gets Skunked
During the early parts of the manga, Kurapika once noted that the passing rate
for the Hunter Exam was so low that sometimes only one rookie made the cut every
three years.
With Abaki's status as an experienced Nen user, the physical and mental hurdles
of the exam would be trivial. As long as the examiner wasn't a culinary
eccentric like Menchi or a bloodthirsty psychopath like Hisoka, she was
practically guaranteed a license on her first try.
Wait, Ronin thought, could Abaki be the person Kurapika was referring to in the
original timeline?
The dates matched up. Ronin had already registered for the upcoming exam as
well, so their paths were destined to cross again regardless.
"Pardon the bluntness, but regarding your ability," Kurapika said, his voice
taking on the tone of a professional analyst. "Can you only hook things you are
familiar with or can see? Or can you cast your line into the void and fish for
random objects?"
It was a bold question. A Nen user's Hatsu was their most guarded secret.
But Abaki answered with refreshing honesty. "Both. I can 'target-cast' to a
coordinate I've pre-set, or I can 'blind-cast' and just see who's hungry for the
bait."
"And what do you find when you blind-cast?" Ronin asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Anything and everything," Abaki said with a grin. "I've pulled up trash bags,
diamonds, bars of gold, ancient skeletons from forgotten underground tombs...
the list goes on. The one rule of my Hatsu is that I never get skunked. I always
pull something out of the void. Honestly, I live for the surprise of the catch."
"What is your maximum range?" Kurapika pressed.
Ronin could already see the gears turning in Kurapika's head. He knew exactly
what the strategist was thinking.
"Two kilometers," Abaki provided the data. "That's roughly three times my
current physical casting distance."
"So the range can be extended?"
Abaki nodded. "Technically, yes. But it's difficult. It depends on two factors:
the quality of my physical gear and the output of my own aura."
Kurapika nodded slowly, then asked the million-jenny question. "If we put you in
a fixed position, could you fish for a specific item without seeing it?"
"A random cast is... well, random," Abaki said, first shooting down the easy
route. But seeing the flicker of disappointment on Ronin and Kurapika's faces,
she added, "However, if I use a Specific Bait—an item related to the target—the
probability of hooking the intended object increases significantly."
The logic was sound. It followed the standard "Sympathetic Magic" rules often
found in Nen abilities.
"And if we shrink the search area?" Kurapika asked. "Could you systematically
'clear' a fixed radius, hooking every object inside until the target item is
found?"
Kurapika's target was obvious: the Scarlet Eyes. He was looking for a way to
steal them without a frontal assault.
"I could," Abaki confirmed. "But clearing a high-density area one hook at a time
would take weeks, maybe months."
"Tell me about the bait," Kurapika said.
Abaki tilted her head. "That depends on what we're fishing for. I need to know
the 'prey' before I can choose the lure."
"Scarlet Eyes."
"Wait... those are inanimate objects, right?" Abaki frowned. "I've never tried
to bait something that doesn't have a biological drive to eat. I'm not sure what
kind of 'lure' would attract a preserved eyeball."
"If a lure won't work, what about the hook itself?" Kurapika asked.
He knew that for inanimate objects, baiting was a stretch, but he was probing
for any mechanical loophole.
"I don't know," Abaki shook her head, looking genuinely stumped. "I've never
thought about it that way."
Ronin watched the exchange from the sidelines. Abaki was a classic Emitter
archetype—powerful, specialized, but incredibly rough around the edges. She had
developed a "signature move" based on instinct and feeling, but she had never
performed a deep, clinical deconstruction of her own Hatsu's potential.
She was a raw talent that had stopped at the "surface level."
To Kurapika, this was better than finding a master. It meant Abaki had massive
room for growth. If they could refine her Hatsu and provide the right strategic
framework, she could become the ultimate phantom thief.
We could use her to ghost the Kakin Palace, Kurapika thought. We wouldn't even
need to fight Tserriednich. We could just 'fish' the eyes out of his collection
from two kilometers away.
"Would you be interested in traveling with us for a while?" Kurapika offered.
"We're all heading for the Hunter Exam anyway."
It wasn't a formal recruitment—more of a "trial period" to see if her character
matched her utility.
Ronin had no objections. He liked her vibe, and her ability was too unique to
pass up.
Abaki hesitated. "The Glas Clan has a bounty on my head. Sticking with me will
only bring a private army to your door. Are you sure you want that headache?"
Ronin laughed. "Don't worry about that. If anything, you should be worried about
the people we've offended. My enemies are a lot scarier than a few city-state
aristocrats."
Abaki blinked. She hadn't expected that perspective. She had always worried
about being a burden to others; she hadn't considered she might be joining a
group that considered her a "minor risk."
"I... see."
"Don't sweat it," Kurapika added. "The places we're going next... most bounty
hunters won't be able to follow."
Abaki looked at Ronin's face again. She didn't hesitate this time. "If you don't
mind the company, I'm in."
"Deal," Ronin said, finalizing the arrangement.
As they left the cafe, Ronin caught a glimpse of a crumpled piece of paper
sticking out of Abaki's pocket. It was a corner of a promotional poster from
Heavens Arena—the one featuring his fight with Hisoka.
So she recognized me from the start.
He wondered if she joined because of him, or because of the hidden connection to
Hisoka and the old troupe. Regardless, the team was growing.
Ronin had already fused the latest pair of Scarlet Eyes. With the mission in
Gram Gasland complete, the team vanished into the night, leaving the city of
indulgence behind.
☆☆☆
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