Chapter 68 New Life 01 The Lost Kitten
Endless darkness and cold.
Consciousness was like being submerged at a depth of 10,000 meters, fragmented and blurred.
I don't know how much time has passed; it may have been a moment, or it may have been eternity.
A faint ray of light pierced through the heavy darkness and penetrated Ayana's dormant consciousness.
What followed was a strange pulling sensation.
She struggled to gather her scattered consciousness and tried to open her heavy eyelids.
At first, there was a hazy halo before my eyes, which then gradually became clear.
Ayana found herself lying on a soft, damp patch of moss.
Above her head was no longer the distorted and eerie sky of the Dark Continent, nor the perpetually gray dome of Meteor City, but a natural roof interwoven with giant leaves and vines.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting dappled patterns of light.
The air was fresh, carrying the scent of earth and plants.
Where is this place?
Ayana struggled to sit up, but felt as if her body had been hollowed out, and every movement required tremendous effort.
She looked down at herself; her clothes were tattered and covered in moss and dust, but she seemed to be unharmed, only unusually tired.
My mind went blank; the system's voice vanished completely, leaving only a deathly silence.
She is still alive.
But how did they survive, and where is this place?
Just as Ayana was looking around blankly, a clear voice, slightly wary, came from not far away.
"Hey, you're awake?"
Ayana looked in the direction of the sound and saw a silver-haired boy of about twelve or thirteen years old standing on the branch of a strange big tree a few meters away, looking down at her.
The boy had extremely delicate features, fair skin, and a pair of large, cat-like blue eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of scrutiny.
He was dressed in simple casual clothes, his movements light and graceful. He held a skateboard in one hand and half a piece of chocolate in the other, taking small bites.
Ayana paused for a moment.
The silver-haired boy leaped down from the tree, his movements silent, and landed lightly a short distance in front of her.
He tilted his head, scrutinizing Ayana closely, a hint of confusion flashing in his cat-like eyes.
“My name is Killua,” he introduced himself, then pointed to the glowing moss where Ayana had been lying. “I was passing by and saw you lying there, seemingly unconscious. Are you alright?”
"I'm fine." Ayana supported herself on the ground and managed to sit up straight.
“Ayana…” Killua repeated the name, his brow furrowing slightly. He took a few steps closer, maintaining a safe distance, but his curiosity deepened. “Strange…”
Killua stroked his chin, took another bite of chocolate, and mumbled, "You look kind of familiar. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"
As he spoke, he himself found it somewhat absurd and shook his head: "Maybe I remembered it wrong."
Ayana blinked.
Although Killua no longer recognized her, she still remembered the boy.
But isn't this boy an NPC? Why is he appearing in front of her?
Has she returned to the game world?
But the system isn't there either.
Moreover, this place didn't feel like a game world to her.
Countless questions flooded her mind in an instant, but Ayana quickly suppressed her astonishment.
Whatever the situation, you must not reveal that you know Killua, and you must not mention the system or the so-called game world until you have figured it out.
She feigned perfect confusion, tilted her head slightly, and replied with a hint of weakness and bewilderment, "You've seen me before? I don't think so. I don't remember seeing you before, Killua."
Her voice was still a little hoarse, but her tone was natural, and there was no flaw in her words.
Killua stared at her for a few more seconds, the sharp scrutiny in his cat-like eyes slowly fading, replaced by an indifferent laziness.
"Well, I guess I misremembered." He shrugged, popping the last bit of chocolate into his mouth. "You don't seem to have anywhere to go. How about we go somewhere interesting together?"
"An interesting place?" Ayana asked, following his words, secretly on guard but also aroused by curiosity.
Following this familiar stranger might be the fastest way to understand your current situation.
"Hmm." Killua shook the skateboard in his hand, a slightly smug smile appearing on his lips. "Hunter Exam, ever heard of it? I'm about to take it."
"The Hunter Exam sounds amazing." Ayana's expression was a mix of longing and uncertainty. "Can I go with you? I don't know where to go right now."
Killua sized her up, seemingly assessing her strength.
Ayana did look weak at the moment, but the look in her eyes and the momentary alertness she showed when she woke up made him realize that this girl was not simple.
Having another companion doesn't seem so bad.
"Whatever," Killua said nonchalantly. "But the exam is dangerous, and I won't protect you."
"Yes, I will take good care of myself." Ayana nodded, struggling to stand up. Although her steps were still a little unsteady, her eyes had regained their firmness.
*
Led by Killua, they quickly left the wetlands and took a vehicle to the Hunter Exam venue.
Along the way, Ayana silently observed the world, and everything seemed so real.
This made her even more confused and cautious.
Upon arriving at the crowded exam venue, Killua quickly became friends with a boy with spiky hair wearing a green jacket.
"This is Gon," Killua casually introduced to Ayana.
"Hello, my name is Ayana." Ayana smiled slightly at Gon.
"Hello, Ayana!" Gon's smile was infectious. He looked at her curiously. "Are you friends with Killua?"
“We’re just acquaintances on the same path,” Ayana replied cautiously.
Gon seemed to have no reservations about her and quickly started chatting with Killua.
Ayana quietly followed beside the two, observing the various examinees around her, sensing the tension, excitement, and the varying degrees of intensity of the spiritual energy permeating the air:
The exam started soon.
The first event was a marathon. For Ayana, whose body had not yet fully recovered, this was undoubtedly a challenge.
She gritted her teeth and persevered, summoning the last of her strength to barely keep up with the middle and rear of the group.
Killua and Gon were clearly handling the situation with ease, and would occasionally turn around to look at her.
Just as she was concentrating on dealing with the physical exhaustion, an extremely sticky and malicious "thought" suddenly coiled around her like a cold, venomous snake.
This pressure was powerful and familiar, carrying a cruel and amusing quality, like toying with prey.
Ayana suddenly looked up, following her instincts.
In the midst of the running crowd, a man dressed as a clown, with tears and stars painted on his face, was looking at her with an indescribable gaze.
His golden pupils narrowed slightly, and he lightly licked his lips with the tip of his tongue, as if he had discovered an extremely delicious dessert.
Ayana remembers him.
Hisoka.
Her breath almost stopped.
Hisoka has completely shed his immaturity and become a mature man, exuding a dangerous aura from the inside out.
He squinted at Ayana, as if he recognized her too.
Hisoka blew her a suggestive kiss across the running crowd.
The action was provocative, but deeper within it lay an undisguised hunting desire.
A fleeting, almost hallucinatory electronic voice flashed through Ayana's mind, too fast for her to catch.
Is it a system?
Or was it just her imagination?
A cold sweat instantly broke out on Ayana's back.
Compared to Killua's familiarity, Hisoka's almost blatant recognition sent chills down her spine.
She forced herself to look away, pretending not to see, and ran faster forward, but her heart was pounding uncontrollably.
Ayana forced herself to focus on the track beneath her feet and Killua and Gon in front of her, trying to ignore the piercing gaze behind her.
But Hisoka's sticky, malicious gaze lingered around her like a leech.
She gritted her teeth and used all her remaining strength to run. She compressed the [Powerful Amplification] to the point where it could only maintain basic speed, and each use made her feel exhausted.
Physical exhaustion and mental tension left her barely able to breathe.
"Hey, are you alright?" Killua had slowed down at some point and was running alongside her, a hint of concern barely perceptible in his cat eyes. "You look terrible."
"It's nothing," Ayana forced a smile. "I'm just a little tired."
Xiao Jie turned around, his sunny face showing concern: "Ayana, do you want to rest for a bit? We can slow down."
Looking into the sincere eyes of the two boys, Ayana felt a slight warmth in her heart, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper sense of vigilance.
She couldn't be a burden to them, and she couldn't reveal any more abnormalities to Hisoka.
"No need, I can manage." She shook her head, took a deep breath, and quickened her pace.
The first long-distance race finally ended amidst chaos and the elimination of a large number of candidates.
Ayana almost made it to the finish line by sheer willpower. She nearly collapsed as soon as she arrived, but luckily she managed to grab the wall for support.
She leaned against the cold wall, panting, deliberately avoiding crowded places, especially in the direction where Hisoka might be.
But she could sense that the dangerous gaze hadn't disappeared; it had simply become more concealed.
The next exam will begin.
The Shimeile Wetland was shrouded in a thick fog, the air filled with the pungent smell of earth and the sweet fragrance of some kind of plant, and visibility was extremely low.
The eerie atmosphere was further amplified by the occasional screams of the examinees and the roars of unknown creatures.
Ayana followed closely behind Killua and Gon, not daring to relax for a moment.
Her strength had not yet recovered, making it even more difficult for her to move in this environment. And what she feared most was exactly what happened.
At a crossroads shrouded in thick fog, after a chaotic shoving and hurried footsteps, Aiana realized she had become separated from Killua and Gon.
The thick fog swallowed their figures and voices, leaving only her own heavy breathing and the pounding of her heart.
"Killua, Gon?"
She called out in a low voice, but the only response was a faint scream in the distance and the pattering sound of water droplets sliding off a leaf nearby.
A strong sense of isolation and helplessness gripped her.
Ayana forced herself to calm down and tried to figure out her direction, but the thick fog and similar terrain made her completely lost.
Just then, a lazy and magnetic voice, with a sickeningly sweet laugh, rang out very close behind her.
"Hmm~ Lost little kitten~ Found you~"
Ayana's blood seemed to freeze instantly.
She turned around abruptly and saw that Hisoka was already standing behind her, so close that she could almost feel his warm breath.
His exaggerated clown makeup looked particularly eerie in the thick fog, and his golden pupils locked onto her like a predator.
Ayana was startled and took a step back, her back hitting a slippery tree trunk.
"Why are you avoiding me?" Hisoka took a step closer, a playing card subtly twirling between his fingers, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Your sudden departure has made me search everywhere for you~"
Ayana's heart pounded. She suppressed the gasp that almost escaped her lips, biting her lower lip hard and forcing herself to feign fear and confusion: "Who are you? I don't know you! Don't come any closer!"
"Don't you recognize her?" Hisoka tilted his head, his smile deepening and becoming more dangerous. He extended his hand, the one not holding the cards, his fingertips almost touching Ayana's cheek. "That stubborn look, exactly the same as back then~ Such a deliciously nostalgic, youthful look~"
Just as his fingertips were about to touch them, several menacing figures emerged from the thick fog and surrounded them.
"Take care of this woman first, then deal with that freak!"
One of the men, with a face full of scars, brandished a dagger and charged toward Ayana, who seemed to be the weakest.
Ayana's pupils contracted, and just as she was about to fight back desperately, a chilling sneer escaped Hisoka's throat.
"Oh."
The next second, Ayana felt a blur before her eyes.
Several sharp, cold lights flashed past at a speed that was impossible for the naked eye to detect, and bursts of dazzling blood flowers exploded in the air.
Screams rose and fell in waves.
In the blink of an eye, the students who had attacked them all lay in pools of blood, each with a playing card piercing their throat or heart, their faces still showing disbelief and terror.
The strong smell of blood instantly filled the air, overpowering the earthy odor of the wetlands.
Hisoka stood still, as if he had never moved, except that the edge of the playing card he was playing with was stained with a bright red.
He didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground; his golden pupils remained fixed on the pale-faced Ayana, a cruel yet satisfied smile curving his lips.
"You blind fool," Hisoka said slowly, his voice carrying the lingering echo of a murderer, magnetic and dangerous, "You dare touch my property?"
He emphasized the word "ownership" heavily, with a twisted possessiveness in his voice.
He approached Ayana again, step by step, the blood-stained playing card gently lifting her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.
The cold edges of the cards pressed against my skin, carrying the aura of death.
Hisoka leaned down, his warm breath brushing against Aiana's ear, his voice like a devil's whisper: "Now there's no one in the way, little kitty, are you still going to pretend you don't know me?"
His eyes were filled with mockery, inquiry, and an almost perverse desire.
The intense killing intent and possessiveness mixed together, creating a suffocating sense of oppression.
Ayana's body stiffened, and her mind went blank.
Pretending to be stupid seems to have lost all meaning.
This pervert tore apart all her pretense in the most direct and bloody way.
He knew that Ayana recognized him.
The cold edge of the playing card pressed against her chin, and the heavy smell of blood mixed with Hisoka's sweet yet dangerous aura almost suffocated Aiana.
Under extreme fear and pressure, the brain unexpectedly revealed a strange calmness.
Ayana took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in her throat, and was forced to look up at those golden eyes that seemed to suck away souls. Her voice was hoarse with a sense of desperation: "What exactly do you want, Hisoka?"
They stopped using stupid phrases like "I don't know you."
She called out his name.
Hisoka's pupils dilated slightly, and then an intense light of pleasure and excitement burst forth from them, his lips curling into a huge, twisted smile.
"Hmm~" He made a satisfied sound, his hand holding the playing cards gently stroking Ayana's jawline, the gesture carrying a chilling intimacy. "Finally admitting it, huh? My dear little kitty~"
"I'm actually very angry that you left without saying goodbye."
His voice was deep and magnetic, each syllable like a tiny hook, scraping against Ayana's nerves.
“Tell me~” Hisoka leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers, their hot breaths mingling. “Why did you suddenly disappear? Hmm? Don’t you think it’s cruel to leave me alone in that boring place?”
His tone was aggrieved, but his eyes held only the probing and interest of a hunter.
Ayana's heart clenched painfully.
She can't tell the truth.
The system, the missions, the world travel—these secrets must never be exposed.
“I had no choice.” Ayana downplayed the issue, her eyes trying to convey genuine pain and a hint of vulnerability. “Something happened that I couldn’t control.”
Hisoka narrowed his eyes, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of her words.
His abnormal intuition was terrifyingly sharp.
"Uncontrollable?" He chuckled, his fingertips sliding down her chin to her neck, feeling the rapid throbbing of her arteries. "Like now, falling into my palm, you can't even control it?"
His touch sent shivers down Ayana's spine. A surge of intense humiliation and fear welled up inside her, but even more so, a desperate anger.
"Let me go!" Ayana suddenly turned her head, trying to break free from his grip, her voice filled with suppressed anger.
"Heh~" Hisoka didn't let go; instead, he pressed the playing card against her even harder, and with his other hand, he gripped her wrist so tightly it hurt her bones. "Your temper's gotten stronger, huh~ But the way you struggle is even more delicious~"
He imprisoned her firmly between the tree trunk and his own body, creating an inescapable cage.
"Why did you leave without saying goodbye?" Hisoka asked again.
Ayana remained silent, even avoiding his gaze.
"Not going to talk?" Hisoka wasn't angry; instead, his smile widened, and his fingers tightened around her wrist, sending shivers of pain through her. "It's alright~ I have plenty of time to savor you until you're willing to speak~"
His gaze swept across her face, licking her features as if they were physical objects, finally settling on her lips, which trembled slightly with anger and fear.
His voice suddenly turned cold, filled with chilling murderous intent: "I will personally turn you into something like the trash on the ground."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hisoka abruptly released her.
Ayana's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground, barely managing to stay upright by leaning against a tree trunk.
His cold touch and immense force still seemed to linger on my wrist and jaw.
Hisoka took a step back, as if the extreme oppression and perverse possession he had just experienced had never happened.
He elegantly flicked the bloodstains off the playing card, his face regaining that nonchalant yet all-knowing clown smile.
“Well then…” He gestured to Ayana with an invitation, his eyes filled with the determination of a hunter, “I look forward to your guidance in the upcoming exams, my dear little kitty.”
After Hisoka finished speaking, he turned around, humming an off-key song, and leisurely stepped over the corpses on the ground. His figure slowly disappeared into the thick fog, as if he had just completed an impromptu performance.
Ayana leaned against the cold tree trunk, breathing heavily, her back soaked with cold sweat.
Driven by a strong will to survive, Ayana leaned against a tree trunk, calibrated her bearings, and staggered off in the opposite direction from where Hisoka had gone.
Ayana tried to avoid fighting and used all her saved energy to travel, running forward as fast as she could.
After an unknown amount of time, the fog ahead suddenly cleared, and the faint sound of human voices could be heard.
Ayana was overjoyed and quickened her pace, finally breaking free of the oppressive wetlands. She saw the examiners waiting there, as well as the scattered candidates who had arrived.
"Ayana!" Xiao Jie was the first to rush over, his face full of worry.
Killua quickly approached, his cat-like eyes scanning her to make sure she wasn't seriously injured before he snorted, "So slow."
The sense of security of being back with her companions almost made Ayana collapse.
She simply explained that she got lost and was lucky enough to avoid any major trouble, deliberately concealing her harrowing encounter with Hisoka.
Ayana barely passed the subsequent roasted pig and sushi tests with the help of Killua and Gon.
However, before she could even catch her breath, the venue for the third exam was already standing in front of her.
When the group arrived at the tower's top platform in the airship, the figure leaning against the wall at the entrance instantly chilled Ayana's blood once more.
It's Hisoka.
He seemed to have anticipated her arrival, his gaze locking onto her precisely, a playful smile curving his lips, and the playing card between his fingers gently waving at her.
The examiner reappeared and announced the rules: choose different entrances, form groups of three, and reach the destination 100 floors underground within 72 hours.
The test takers began to get restless, each looking for team partners.
Killua, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and the others naturally stood together, their eyes fixed on Ayana.
"Hmm~" Hisoka's lazy voice slithered into her ears like a venomous snake. He had somehow gotten very close to her from behind, almost touching her back, his hot breath brushing against her neck.
"Little kitty~" he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, with an unquestionable tone, "You're in my group."
Ayana was stiff and unable to move.
"Hey, Hisoka! What do you want to do?" Killua immediately sensed something was wrong, stood in front of Aiana, and stared sharply at Hisoka.
Gon clenched his fists, watching Hisoka warily.
Hisoka didn't even glance at them, his golden eyes fixed on Ayana, his smile widening: "What's wrong, don't you want to?"
“I’ll team up with you.” Ayana looked at him, took a deep breath, and then turned to Killua and Gon with difficulty, her eyes filled with apology and helplessness, “Be careful.”
Killua wanted to say something, but Gon stopped him.
Gon looked at Ayana, then at Hisoka who exuded a terrifying aura, and nodded vigorously: "Ayana, you should be careful too!"
Ultimately, due to the examiner's almost perverse arrangement, Ayana, Hisoka, and an unlucky bespectacled male examinee were forced to become members of Group 16 and fell into the tower.
The heavy stone door closed slowly overhead, isolating the passage from the outside world. The passage was dimly lit, with only faint emergency lights on the walls providing illumination.
The air was filled with the smell of dust.
The bespectacled man was so frightened that he huddled in the corner, wishing he could embed himself into the wall.
Hisoka seemed to be in a good mood, leisurely playing with his playing cards as he walked ahead.
Ayana followed behind him without saying a word.
"Well then~" Hisoka suddenly stopped and turned around.
In the dim light, his smile looked particularly eerie: "Our sweet journey begins, little kitty~"
He reached out and gently brushed away a stray strand of hair that was stuck to Ayana's forehead with sweat.
"What will the first challenge be?" Hisoka's golden eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. "I really hope it's interesting, so I'll have more opportunities to take good care of you~"
Ayana bit her lower lip tightly, staring at Hisoka without saying a word.
The bespectacled man huddled in the corner, looking at Hisoka in shock, then at Ayana, feeling as if his life was over.
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