Chapter 13 Journey to the Hunter Exam
The reaction of most of the ship's new arrivals to the brat's explosive fist was to keep away. Rayleigh, on the other hand, walked directly up to the kid and said, "Hey, I'm Swordsman."
Even in the Tavern, they only introduced themselves using their Chat Room names.
The blonde kid's eyes widened in recognition before he started laughing, "Ah, you're the guy who got here yesterday. I'm Dyna Might!"
Rayleigh glanced over to the girl next to him. She barely turned her head and said, "Glitter."
Figuring he wasn't going to get much of a conversation out of her at the moment, Rayleigh asked Dyna Might, "Is your build based on Bakugo from My Hero Academia?"
"That's right. I can do even more shit than he can. Even my breath is explosive! Hahaha! What about you?"
"Samurai Jack and Rurouni Kenshin. With a laser sword."
The explosive blonde thought about it for a few moments before nodding. "If you want to become a good swordsman, you need to come to Pirate World. The best swordsmen are there. If you join my crew, I can introduce you to some good ones."
The less-than-cheery girl gave an unladylike snort at his statement. The blonde reeled back and shouted, "Shut Up!" before throwing his fist at her face.
Rayleigh backed away from what was obviously going to be an explosion, but he noticed the girl had raised her arm to catch the fist.
Another explosion shocked the ship's crew, louder than the one before, but when the smoke cleared, the girl was still standing there and hadn't moved an inch. Her slender arm, on the other hand, had turned into a sparkling crystal. No, diamond. Her entire arm had become solid diamond.
Dyna Might sneered, but took his fist back and acted as if nothing had happened. This obviously wasn't the first time this has occurred. Rayleigh couldn't tell if these two were friends or not.
Glitter then stated, to Dyna Might's annoyance, "He can't really do all the same things as Bakugo. He is immune to the shockwave from explosions, so he can't use explosions to fly or throw himself forward."
Before Dyna Might could shout again, she changed the topic and asked, "Is this your first time on a boat? You don't have any sea legs at all."
"Yeah, but I'm a quick learner. Hopefully, I won't get seasick."
Dyna Might laughed and added, "If you did any proper training, you won't. Only little bitches who aren't used to moving around get seasick."
Rayleigh asked Glitter, "Do all pirates talk like that, or is it just him?"
Dyna Might slammed his fist into his hand and made a small boom and shouted, "Hey! I'm right here!"
Ignoring him, Glitter answered, "No. None of the Pirates I've sailed with put in the effort to deliberately swear in every other sentence."
Rayleigh smiled. Outside of the Tavern, this was the first time he'd ever talked to a Player. In fact, this was the first time he'd ever talked to a kid his own age.
Dyna Might sneered at the pair and tried to start another conversation, "Hey, have you met the Main Character of the Jedi world?"
Rayleigh shook his head, "Nope. The Jedi were going to send me to some farm planet, so I ran away and trained on my own. I stayed out of the Jedi Chat Room, so I don't know any more about that guy than you do."
Glitter asked, "What can the Jedi actually do? I heard they were psychic swordsmen. "
Rayleigh nodded, "Pretty much. Some telekinesis, being able to see a step ahead during an intense fight, and using their minds to make their bodies move way faster than normal."
Even though Rayleigh was much faster than a human could be without the Force, a Jedi could use the Force to increase their speed to faster than the eye could follow without relying on their muscles. Muscles didn't help their speed at all, so even when he used the Force, he was only at a fraction of Master Dyanameez's full speed. That was fine with him; he was only eleven years old, after all.
Rayleigh then asked, "What about the Pirate power system? I haven't heard anything in the General Chat about it yet."
Dyna Might declared, "It's a secret!"
Glitter rolled her eyes and stated, "We don't know either. I haven't heard of anyone who has learned it yet. We're too weak."
Dyna Might continued, "I'll learn it after I get the Hunter Power System! I heard that there are Admirals who can destroy entire countries and Pirates who can destroy the whole world! Our Power System won't lose out to yours!"
Rayleigh chuckled and said, "I heard there was a Force User who could kill entire planets in the past. He'd just go to a planet, and absorb the lifeforce of the entire thing, killing everyone on the surface and turning the whole thing into a lifeless shell."
Glitter gave Rayleigh a skeptical look and asked, "Do you know how to do that?"
"Nope, not a clue. Besides, I think that guy was more of a ghost than a living person. No way someone can do that and still be alive."
Dyna Might shouted, "Fuck! You're actually trying to scare us?! There are Pirates who can eat your Soul! There are Marines who can't be hurt by any weapon!"
Rayleigh asked, "Yeah, but is that your power system or a fruit thing?"
Dyna Might gritted his teeth and Glitter laughed.
The trio discussed random, mundane, and crazy things as the ship left the port and sailed to the next one. Jappon had a number of ports for people going to the Hunter Exam, and the next one was the last.
"Hello, I am Hanzo the Ninja."
At the last port, a bald young man with feather-shaped eyebrows approached the trio after boarding and introduced himself. He was wearing jet-black non-reflective armor that would benefit stealth, but he seemed to be an idiot. If it wasn't for the fact that he was clearly an adult, he could have passed for a Player.
Dyna Might shouted, "What the hell? What kind of Ninja introduces himself as a Ninja?!" This was a running joke among the Players that the Ninjas from the Ninja world usually didn't act like Ninjas.
Hanzo answered confidently, "It's okay. It's a secret."
Rayleigh asked, "And why did you come over here and talk to us?"
The self-declared Ninja answered, "Easy, I hate to be bored, and you three look like the strongest on the ship."
The trio tensed up slightly at that. This guy had just gotten on, so if he hadn't seen Dyna Might's explosive fist, he wouldn't know how strong they were. The fact that he could tell how strong they were meant he wasn't weak either.
Rayleigh had another thought. Did he not think the captain of the ship was strong?
Dyna Might, on the other hand, nodded and replied, "It's good that you know. Which of us looks like the strongest?"
The Ninja contemplated for a moment before pointing at Dyna Might, "It seems to be you, but..." He then looked at Rayleigh, "My gut tells me it's you. Do you have any kind of strength-hiding abilities? You feel weaker than my gut says you should be."
Rayleigh smiled, but didn't answer. He certainly practiced Force Stealth to suppress his presence. If he went all out with it, it was difficult to even notice him. It was the skill he practiced the longest in the Temple of Force Skills and the Temple of Martial Arts since he needed to avoid getting attacked by animals when he went to get water with his buckets.
Rayleigh could also sense the strength of someone's lifeforce through their Midichlorians, but this guy didn't feel all that different from a normal human. Did he also have a way to suppress his strength?
Dyna Might looked outraged, but instead of yelling at the Ninja, he turned to Rayleigh and said, "Hey! I thought Jedi don't exercise! How can you be stronger than I am?!"
"I ran away from them and practiced on my own. So I'm not really a Jedi."
Hanzo asked, "What's a Jedi?"
Rayleigh shrugged and answered, "A kind of swordsman monk."
Hanzo nodded, "That explains it," though he didn't elaborate on what it explained.
Instead, Rayleigh asked, "You a local here?" Though a bit blockier, he had the skin tone of a native of Jappon and he did just call himself a Ninja.
"That's right! I am a disciple of the Cloud-Hidden School." He then fished out three cards from his pocket and handed one to each of them.
[Hanzo
Master of Dissapearance
Cloud-Hidden School]
Below the title was a cartoonish picture of a smoke bomb and a cloud.
"If you ever come back, I can show you the best tourist spots."
Glitter asked, "What kind of training does a ninja do?"
"That's a secret."
Rayleigh guessed, "Balance training, strength training, speed training, weapons and hidden weapons training, along with stealth, information gathering and probably... torture tactics."
Hanzo looked shocked and asked, "How did you know that?!"
Rayleigh replied, "It's in the book, 'Everything You Need to Know About Being a Ninja.' It's on sale in most book stores in Jappon." He'd lived here for four years, after all, and he'd read more than one book written by a local.
Dyna Might shouted, "What the hell kind of secret is that?!"
Along with the new addition to the group, they chatted and argued for the next two hours as the ship got further from Jappon and closer to the mainland continent. The Players avoided certain Player related topics, but didn't bother to hold too much back. Hanzo was an idiot, but a good source of local information.
It seemed that a Ninja of the Cloud-Hidden School was required to reach a Jounin before he was allowed to take the Hunter's Exam. Every Jounin who took it passed, which implied that a Jounin did have the minimum required strength for the Exam. This made the trio curious about how strong Hanzo actually was, but even Dyna Might didn't take the initiative to fight him.
Rayleigh paid the extra for a safe journey to the Hunter Exam, at least one that did not guarantee death, so he was caught off guard when a massive eel-like snake popped out of the water and started ramming into the ship.
The captain shouted, "All Hands on Deck! Raise the sails! Don't let them get torn up by that sea monster!"
Dyna Might and Glitter took one look at it and shouted, "Sea King?!"
For a moment, Rayleigh thought they were talking about the Pokemon, but then he realized it was two words and figured it was how the pirates called their sea monsters.
Rayleigh peaked over to Dyna Might and saw something he really wasn't expecting. The kid was picking his nose. A moment later, he found a nugget and then flicked it towards the massive, building-sized eel.
The nugget missed and exploded in the water. Glitter saw this and sighed. It seemed his Nugget Flicking accuracy needed work.
Rayleigh looked over to Hanzo to see what the trained Jounin was going to do and once again saw an unexpected sight.
"We're gonna Die! We're Gonna DIE!!!" Hanzo had tears streaming down his face and was running around in circles.
"You gonna do something, brat?"
Rayleigh was caught off guard by the man who got behind him without notice, the ship's captain.
Rayleigh asked, "Do you want me to?" It was his policy not to meddle in matters where he wasn't needed. The exception was if he was in danger or if he was asked.
The captain answered, "If you don't, I'll have to, and I don't feel up to it today."
Rayleigh nodded and replied, "Alright."
Rayleigh then shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear, "STOP!"
Everyone on the ship halted what they were doing, but it wasn't the crew he was yelling at.
The massive eel that was just about to ram the ship once more slowed its swimming speed and raised its head out of the water. It met Rayleigh's gaze and felt a connection.
Rayleigh shouted once more and used the Force to make sure he was understood. "This place belongs to you. We should not have come here."
Talking to animals was not how Dr. Dolittle and most literature described it. You could not ask a dumb animal a question and get an answer. Questions required a higher level of thought, so an actual conversation with a normal animal was basically an argument of back and forth statements.
To Rayleigh's comment, the eel made something of a growling noise. Rayleigh registered it as anger and protectiveness along with agreement. Piecing together the clues, Rayleigh figured this monster had just given, or was about to give birth, and had declared this region its territory. No wonder it was provoked by the ship.
Rayleigh shouted back, "I will tell the ship. The ship will tell other ships. Let us go, and others will stay away.
He used basic concepts the monster was familiar with for a simple negotiation.
The eel growled again, this time with less anger but more protectiveness, along with a stronger sound of agreement. It then dipped beneath the water and left.
To the stunned silence of the crew, Rayleigh casually walked back to the Captain and said, "That eel is a mother and its babies are in this area. Please tell the other ships if you can."
The Captain quickly recovered from his silence and started laughing. Rayleigh seemed completely calm, which was why he asked, but he didn't expect that the brat would just talk with the beast. It wasn't that rare, but it wasn't common either. After he stopped laughing, he shouted, "Alright, lower the sails. Let's catch the wind and get the hell out of here!"
The crew was quick to follow those orders and get to work.
Glitter was the first to approach Rayleigh and even had some admiration in her eyes. "Woah, I didn't know Jedi could talk with Sea Kings!"
Rayleigh nodded, "Yeah, its connecting from one life to another." He didn't use the word Force since Hanzo was still listening in.
Glitter asked, "How long does it take to learn that?"
"Not that long. Depending on talent, a few weeks, months, or years. It depends on empathy." Animal Friend was an unofficial Force Skill all Padawans were taught. The fact that Padawans could use it meant it wasn't a difficult skill to master.
Dyna Might looked over at Hanzo. The Ninja's ears seemed to have increased in size as he tried to eavesdrop on their conversation. Dyna Might shouted, "Go Away you damn Ninja!" He then glanced over to Rayleigh and Glitter and said, "Let's go to the lower deck."
The pair of Players followed him down where Dyna Might had apparently paid for a private cabin. Just to be safe, though, Rayleigh used Force Muffle on the door to prevent further eavesdroppers.
Dyna Might asked, "I heard you need a Master to learn the Force, is that true?"
Glitter also asked, "I heard the Jedi Masters don't take anyone who isn't a kid."
Ray nodded. Both were technically true. He was an exception due to his high talent and better Code.
Rayleigh explained, "The Jedi power system takes too long to get stronger in. If you get a Master, you can accelerate your growth using your Master to reach your Master's level of power. Doing it on your own would take decades without a Master."
Dyna Might stated, "Dufuq? Doesn't that mean everyone who didn't start over there is screwed?"
Rayleigh shook his head, "Not necessarily. Once a Player reaches that level, they can take another Player as an Apprentice. You'd have to stick with that Player for a few years, but it would let you raise your Jedi Powers without needing a Jedi Master."
This was something many Jedi Players had discussed in the General Chat and Jedi Chat. Having Players form a Master-Apprentice Force-Bond with other Players was a neat little way of giving the Jedi Temple the finger. Several Players with the intention of training in the Dark Side already discussed this with other existing Jedi Players.
Dyna Might nodded, "So if I transfer to the Jedi world to unlock the Jedi Power system, return home, and get a Jedi on my crew, I can use him to raise my Jedi power to his level?"
"Pretty much." Though that was only applicable in theory. In practice, it would not be as simple.
Glitter asked, "When are you coming to the Pirate World?"
"Umm, probably after I learn the Hunter Power System. A few years, perhaps? Maybe I can use some Mission Points to get an identity as the apprentice of one of those Swordsman you were talking about."
Dyna Might said, "No way, that would be too expensive. You should just join my crew."
Rayleigh asked, "How good are the swordsmen on your crew?"
"They're... good enough!"
Glitter and Rayleigh gave him identical disbelieving looks, neither under the impression that he even had a crew yet.
The group chatted for another hour, mostly about the Jedi Power system and the Pirate World. Now that the pair had an idea for an easy way to get Force powers, they were a lot more interested in the Force than they were in the beginning. Most Players had three classes, even if they weren't going to use them, so at least 40 Players could learn to use the Force and none of them would turn away free superpowers.
An hour before the ship was set to arrive, they returned to the upper deck to look for the horizon.
A shout of 'Land-ho!' brought everyone to a cheer as they were finally at the continent.
After making port, the captain approached Rayleigh and gave him a piece of paper. "Go here if you want the quickest way to Zaban City."
Rayleigh unfolded the paper to reveal an address and thanked the Captain before leaving. Dyna Might and Glitter saw the exchange and followed. Hanzo came too.
The port city had dozens of buses, taxis, and even horses, all giving rides to Zaban City, but the address led to the edge of the city to the strangest shop Rayleigh had ever seen. On the sign post was written in purple letters, [Paul's Discount Poisonous Camel Rentals.]
Rayleigh didn't really care about the appearance and entered, followed hesitantly by the trio behind him.
A dirty looking old man woke up from what appeared to be a nap and looked ecstatic at the customers. "Welcome travelers! Can I get you a Poisonous Camel to ride? Best Deal of the Year: Four Rides for the Price of Three!"
Everyone looked to the side to see a half dozen camels that all looked to be dying. None of them were standing up, and some looked to have already kicked the bucket.
Rayleigh asked, "Is this the fastest way to get to Zaban City?"
The camel renter shouted, "Of course it is! Zaban City is on the other side of the Black Forest and the Purple Swamp. Getting there quick and safe is as easy as can be on the back of a Poisonous Camel!"
Hanzo asked, "What about all those buses?"
The camel renter scoffed, "Those have to go all the way around the forest and swamp through the winding mountain roads. Trust me, the quickest way is none other than the back of one of my beautiful camels."
Rayleigh nodded, "Sure, I'll rent a camel."
Dyna Might shouted, "What?! This guy is obviously a con artist! On which planet is a camel faster than a taxi? I'd rather get a horse!"
Glitter looked disgusted by the state of the shop and the camels, so she shook her head and turned around to leave the shop.
Even Hanzo said, "There are other ways to Zaban than going through the Forest and Swamp. I'll try my own path." He then left too.
Rayleigh shrugged and said, "It's fine. To each our own."
Dyna Might shook his head and left the shop to find a more reliable means of travel.
Rayleigh didn't tell the others that the Captain was probably stronger than Hanzo, so his advice was worth taking. He wondered why the Ninja couldn't tell, but it might have been because the Captain didn't show off to the Ninja. If Rayleigh wasn't there, the Captain probably would have dealt with the giant eel. Rayleigh did pay for a ship that wouldn't kill him after all, so something would have happened.
Rayleigh paid for his Camel and a map through the Black Forest and Purple Swamp.
Although it looked incredibly feeble and sickly, the Poisonous Camel was actually quite sturdy. On his way through the woods, he sensed a number of animals looking at Rayleigh and his camel before turning around. If a Poisonous Camel died, its poison-filled hump would create a toxic cloud. They were common in the Purple Swamp, so the local creatures all knew this wasn't a meal they could consume.
Because of the safety provided by the camel, the journey through the forest ended quickly, and soon they had entered the swamp. The Poisonous Camel's feet did not sink into the swamp and he was granted a smooth ride through its stinky depths. Rayleigh was very pleased with the camel and gave it treats and a break when he felt one was needed. The Camel showed its appreciation by going faster when it could, making up for the break times. The Hunter Exam began at 7 AM the next morning, so as long as he made it through the swamp before sunrise, he'd be fine.
Rayleigh kept the Hunter Chat open and, unsurprisingly, it included line after line of Players trying to get to Zaban City. Rayleigh's ship was actually one of the earlier ones to arrive, many would not even reach the continent until the evening while his had gotten there at noon. For those who showed up late and took too long to reach the Exam Site, then sorry, better luck next year. Because of this, all the Players were trying to get to Zaban as fast as possible.
Near the outer edge of the Purple Swamp when they were back on solid ground, Rayleigh spotted an injured old traveler surrounded by poisonous beasts. He did not, however, sense a lot of danger. Still, just to be on the safe side, Rayleigh asked, "Hey, you need any help?"
If he didn't, then Rayleigh would let him be. He refused to be a meddler.
"Yes! Please help me!" the old man shouted back.
The purple-striped wolves surrounding the man looked over to see Rayleigh and his Poisonous Camel and showed signs of hesitation.
Rayleigh got off his camel and looked over the situation for a few moments. He then opened his backpack and walked over to the side before placing a half dozen containers of food on the ground. He opened each, let the scent into the air, and closed them before walking away.
The wolves caught the scent of the Force Cooked food and unconsciously drooled. Rayleigh then walked over to the side of the pack and motioned between the traveler and the food. The message was simple. Give up on the man, and the delicious food is yours.
The wolves were smarter than most animals and quickly ran over to the containers, each picking up one with their mouth before leaving without looking back.
"Oh, thank you, young man." Rayleigh nodded and placed a hand on the man's shoulder to check his vitals. What he discovered, however, made him back a step away.
"Why are you faking an injury?"
The man looked over at Rayleigh and blinked in surprise. Then he laughed. "Hahaha, wow, that's a first. How'd you tell?"
"I just can. Who are you?"
The man got up and removed the fake bloodied rag from his gut and said, "I'm a Guide. Even if you get to Zaban, without a Guide you're probably not going to find the Hunter Exam site. You were really impressive. I can't believe those wolves didn't attack you."
Rayleigh shrugged, "I didn't look like food, so why would they attack me?" Rayleigh's posture, demeanor, and voice were not that of a prey animal, so the wolves didn't even think about attacking him. Animals were simple things, after all. They don't eat rocks, so if you have the bearing of a rock, they won't eat you.
This made the man laugh even louder. After an introduction, he walked over to where a sturdy-looking horse was tied up and escorted Rayleigh to Zaban city. It took most of the night to travel through the Forest and Swamp, but the morning sun had yet to peak over the horizon so it was only about 5:30 or 6 AM.