Chapter 54: Osren's Brand of Motivation
"It's like this, Osren," Kurapika began, keeping his explanation brief but detailed. He described everything that had happened — Hisoka masquerading as an examiner, the sudden ambush, and Leorio being taken away.
Osren listened quietly, arms folded, nodding from time to time.
"I see," he said at last, tone calm and unhurried. "If that's the case, Leorio shouldn't be in immediate danger. Let's catch up and confirm, but I doubt Hisoka's killed him."
Gon blinked. "Huh? How can you tell?"
His gut told him Leorio was still alive, but he hadn't been able to explain why. Hearing Osren say it so matter-of-factly only deepened his curiosity.
Kurapika, meanwhile, looked drained. The tension from their earlier standoff with Hisoka had clearly worn him down — his usually sharp mind still fogged by fatigue.
Osren glanced between the two of them, then began to explain.
"Think about it," he said evenly. "If Hisoka really wanted to kill Leorio, he could've done it instantly. He doesn't need to drag him away to do it — that's unnecessary effort. From what you told me, he declared you all 'qualified' afterward, right? That means he's finished his so-called test. For now, he's done playing."
Gon and Kurapika exchanged looks, absorbing his logic.
"Hisoka's unpredictable, sure," Osren continued, "but he's not without purpose. You can't analyze a madman like a normal person — their logic doesn't follow ours. But they do have patterns. For someone like Hisoka, everything he does serves his own twisted sense of order."
He smiled faintly. "He said he was an examiner, not a killer. And until that role stops amusing him, he'll stick to it."
Kurapika stared at him for a moment — impressed, though he didn't show it. Gon, meanwhile, visibly relaxed.
"Haaah…" both of them let out long breaths, the tension in their shoulders finally easing.
Osren's reasoning wasn't just logical — it was reassuring. His words carried a strange calm, the kind that steadied even a stormed heart.
Still, somewhere deep down, both Gon and Kurapika had the same thought:
Osren sure knows a lot for someone his age.
Osren clapped his hands lightly to break the silence. "Alright. That said, we shouldn't waste time. I'm betting this swamp crossing has a time limit. Otherwise, anyone could stroll through whenever they want — and that's not how the Hunter Exam works."
"Right!" Gon's eyes lit up again. "If that's the case, we've gotta move fast!"
Without another word, he tightened the straps on his backpack and sprinted ahead, full of energy again.
Kurapika followed with a quiet sigh, glancing once at Osren. "You're quite the motivator, aren't you?"
Osren shrugged with a grin. "Call it… mental training. Sometimes, people don't need strength — just direction."
And with that, he adjusted his pace, following his friends deeper into the mist, where danger — and destiny — awaited.
---
Kurapika silently quickened his pace.
After a while, Gon suddenly spoke, his voice thoughtful:
"By the way, Osren… before Hisoka left, he said something strange. He said Leorio and I were both qualified. What do you think he meant by that?"
Osren tilted his head slightly, keeping his usual calm tone. "Remember, Hisoka called what he was doing the Examiner Game. That means he wasn't just killing for fun — he was testing you."
Kurapika nodded. "That's my guess too."
Having Osren nearby seemed to steady him; his mind, once clouded by tension, now regained its usual clarity.
Gon frowned. "Testing us? But… he didn't even fight me. He just kept staring at my face."
Kurapika looked over. "Didn't you strike him with your fishing rod?"
"Well, yeah," Gon said, scratching his cheek. "But Leorio got beaten half to death, and he still passed too."
Kurapika's expression darkened. "Hisoka's not like ordinary people. He's got a body and mind beyond human — a true prodigy with an obsession for combat. For him, fighting isn't survival — it's instinct. A real fighter can sense his opponent's essence long before the first blow lands: their aura, strength, their will to fight.
"I think Hisoka saw something in you and Leorio — something that resonated with him. A spark, maybe. The same fighting spirit he lives for."
"The same… kind of feeling?" Gon repeated softly.
"Exactly. Maybe he thought killing you now would be a waste." Kurapika's tone was calm but heavy with meaning, imagining Hisoka's perspective.
But Gon's expression darkened — confusion and unease flickering in his eyes.
Kurapika noticed immediately and stopped. "Sorry, Gon. I didn't mean to say something that would upset you."
Gon shook his head. "No… it's not that. It's just… Killua said something similar once. He said people of the same kind can recognize each other — just by instinct, like a scent."
Kurapika clenched his fists. "You and Hisoka are nothing alike. That man's cruel — too cruel to be called a Hunter."
"Is that so…?" Gon's voice trailed off. His gaze drifted to the mist ahead, unreadable.
"Gon?" Kurapika called softly.
Gon took a deep breath. "When Hisoka was walking toward me… I was terrified. My legs wouldn't move. I thought… that was it — I was done for."
He paused, voice trembling slightly. "But right at that moment… when I knew I might die… I felt something else too. Just a little. A kind of… excitement."
He looked down, bewildered by his own confession. "I've never felt that before. I don't even understand why."
Kurapika fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Osren watched quietly. So it begins, he thought. The awakening of the hunter's instinct.
He stepped closer and placed a steady hand on Gon's shoulder.
"Gon," he said gently, "battle has many levels — and many meanings. You don't need to fight to be tested. Sometimes, it's not about fists, but about spirit. You and Hisoka share one thing — an instinct for combat. But that doesn't make you the same."
He smiled faintly. "You'll surpass him one day — because you don't fight for bloodlust, you fight for purpose. That difference is what your father passed down to you. You inherited his will — and that means you'll grow stronger, much stronger than Hisoka ever could."
Gon looked up, eyes wide, the heaviness in his chest slowly lifting.
"As for what Killua said about 'scent' — that's different," Osren continued, his tone soft but certain. "You'll understand someday. For now, just know that the path you're on is yours, not his."
He gave Gon's shoulder a light pat, like an older brother offering reassurance.
"You've just been through your first real fight. It's normal to feel shaken. But remember — fear isn't weakness. It's proof that you're alive. And you'll get stronger every time you face it."
Gon stared at him for a long moment… then smiled again — bright, fearless.
"Yeah," he said, eyes burning with renewed resolve. "You're right! I'll work even harder!"
And just like that, he broke into a run. "Come on, Osren! Kurapika! Let's go!"
Kurapika exhaled softly, smiling for the first time in a while. "He really bounces back fast."
Osren chuckled, jogging after him. "That's what makes him dangerous — and remarkable."
Side by side, the three of them ran toward the mist-veiled horizon, the second testing site awaiting ahead.
The fog thinned as the air grew drier — a sign they were close.
Osren's steps felt lighter than ever. No burning lungs, no fatigue, not even a tremor in his stride.
So this is progress, he thought, quietly satisfied. Not bad at all.
Because this time, he didn't need luck, tricks, or powers to keep up.
This time, he was running on his own strength.