X-Rank Hunter

Chapter 1: Jim Jabat

"Father..."

Walking alone deeper into the woods, Jim Jabat didn't know where to go.

Beasts and wind were suppressing their howl from all around and no beast dared to approach this child.

Even trees and tall grasses and vines were as if giving way on his path.

"Why did you leave me..."

Mutterings of sorrows echoed in the silent night. The moon was as if grieving as it hid behind the dark clouds. As if it couldn't stand watching the sorrows from this child.

The trace of being left was painted on his eyes but as if he was already tired to cry, the source of tears had already dried up.

Walking alone in the much deeper parts, a giant gorilla finally approached this child with a mischievous smile surfacing on its lips.

Seeing the beast in front of him, Jim looked up in nonchalance for a moment as he asked, "Did you see my father?"

The gorilla grinned widely as it licked out its tongue and said, "I ate him whole hehe so..."

But the gorilla was still yet to finish what it was saying when it found that the surrounding plants and trees were withering for unknown reasons.

A moment later, it found that there was a huge diagonal cut on its chest down to its belly.

Blood squirted out from its wound as the gorilla helplessly fell on the ground.

After which, Jim stepped on its huge temple as he spoke in utter coldness, "I hate liars."

After saying those words, Jim stepped out from its huge temple and continued his journey into the much deeper parts of the woods.

The withered plants and trees grew back to their original state as Jim left the area.

"Father..." Desiring to see his father already, Jim muttered as his tears kept themselves at bay.

"Father..."

****

"Father!"

Jim opened his eyes as he was hardly gasping for air. There was a slight tear leaking out from the edge of his eyes as he muttered to himself, "This dream again?"

The sun was already hung up high above as its rays pierced through the window. A couple of clouds were blended into the sky as the fresh wind breezed into the slightly opened glass window in his room.

"Am I in my room?" Jim who just awakened tried to stand up from his bed only to be seated weakly on it. "Ugh... This is... Bandages?"

As Jim sat on his bed he immediately noticed the bandages wrapping his entire body. Though he felt that there was no wound behind the bandages, Jim could still feel an aching pain.

"Mom just partially healed me again?" Jim muttered to himself as if he already expected this to happen.

"But that damn gorilla! Why is it that in my dreams, I could cut it to death in one swing of my hand but here, in reality, I was always beaten to a pulp." Gritting his teeth, Jim who just recalled how he got his injuries started to complain about his current condition.

He didn't know how he ended up here in his room or who brought him here but the last thing he remembered was that he was trying to escape away from the gorilla with his life on the line!

He was just strolling inside the forest at that time, looking for some weaker beast that could match his strength.

But just like his socks that would only reveal themselves when not needed anymore, the giant gorilla appeared when he didn't expect it to.

Never did he realize that he wandered pretty far inside the woods that resulted in him meeting the gorilla again.

As the gorilla caught sight of him, it frenziedly chased him down.

Jim frenziedly tried to run as well to escape. He even used his illusions that he learned from his mother to distract the beast.

But as if the beast was already accustomed to his tricks, the beast had managed to find the real him and continued to chase him down.

He desperately ran but sadly, he was caught by the gorilla's huge fist and was sent flying. It went without saying, he didn't know what happened next.

"I will become stronger! All I need is some fortuitous encounter." Jim who was craving to become stronger exclaimed in hope.

He already gave up on his talent because there was nothing he could find. The same went for his hard work, no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't become stronger.

So the only choice for him was luck!

He was thinking that if he was just a little stronger, the same thing would never happen to him again...

Jim Jabat was 10 years old this year and he was an F-rank Hunter or in other words an Unofficial Hunter.

His low grasp of World Energy made it hard for him to become a Hunter. His peers had already become an E-rank or above that could be considered as an official Hunter but he sadly remained as an F-rank.

At least he became a Hunter.

Though Jim had a small and thin body constitution and always lacked the World Energy that a Hunter was using for their abilities to be executed, one could say that his body was quite special for some reason and was incredibly lucky to survive from many dangers and near-death experiences.

It was as if death was his friend!

The very reason why he wanted to become a Hunter was that every member of his family was an incredible Hunter. He didn't want to tarnish the name of his family so he tried his best to at least become one.

Although the best he could do was what others deemed as the worst.

He could only do some kind of illusions taught by his mother but it seemed like it had no great effects against the beasts at all.

Except as a distraction for his escape.

But at least he was a Hunter now and was able to use the World Energy of which only about 20% of humanity was able to.

Jim forcefully tried to stand up despite his weakness. After which, he walked slowly to the door of his room to look for his mom.

But just after he opened the door, his mom obstructed his view, standing next to the doorway with her arms crossed.

"And where do you think you're going?" Charley, Jim's mother, asked with her eyes narrowed. Her glare pierced through Jim making his body shiver in fear.

Immediately, Jim kneeled and hugged his mother's legs as he cried out, "Mom please heal me, I felt that I'm going to die now from this severe pain that I am suffering!"

Charley immediately found her eyebrows twitching as a punch landed on Jim's head.

"What severe pain are you talking about!? Do you want to feel the pain you are looking for?" Charley spoke in frustration.

Meanwhile, Jim found himself crying. Lumps sprouted on his head as he couldn't help but hold it to ease the pain.

Are you really my mom?

Why is it that you can stand watching your son suffering from pain?

Seeing her son who was just about to lose his mind, Charley could only sigh deeply as she snapped her finger and warned, "Don't wander again inside the woods or I won't really heal you next time."

Even she herself didn't know how many times she had already said such words only to end up healing her son over and over again.

Just after she snapped her finger, Jim felt some kind of energy shrouding his entire body making him felt warmth. With that, it didn't take long for him to regain his vitality.

Right after when he felt that he was healed, he stood up and tried to feel the sudden increase of energy running throughout his body.

"Thank you, mom!" Jim couldn't help but let out a wide smile as he tried to run past his mother in excitement.

But as if he bumped into a towering boulder, Jim found himself completely stuck before her.

"And who said that you're allowed to leave in your room?" Charley's eyes were flashing with a cold glint and her voice was icy.

She then raised her hand as Jim floated in the midair and was thrown on his bed like garbage!

Bagsak!

Jim really felt that the world had gone insane!

Are you really my mother?

Why are you treating me like this!?

After he was thrown down, the door in his room was tightly closed. Even an angry bull wouldn't be able to barge into his room now.

Charley knew that despite her warnings, her son would still stubbornly go to the woods and fight some wild beasts. So as for now, she locked up her son for a moment just to be safe.

Well, she knew that her son would still go to the forest in the future when he was given a chance but still, it was best for him to not push himself too far.

She knew that a Hunter must be strong and he must overcome his weak self through dangers. Or else he would only grow weaker, couldn't even protect himself.

But still, there was a limit to how far he could go. And Charley knew full well how hard her son was pushing himself only to fail in becoming stronger. So Charley forced her son to rest for now and let him wait for the next time.

Besides, if your desire was obstructed by others, it would only grow stronger the more you itch for it.

"Damn it!" Jim grumbled. He was yet again locked up in his room, how could he remain happy with that?

Jim went beside the window and opened it but to his frustration, an invisible barrier greeted him.

The barrier would not block anything except Jim. Wind, birds, trash, or anything else could go pass through the barrier but Jim knew that he was the only exception.

It was the barrier designed by his mother only for him!

"Damn it!"

Since he was helpless, Jim could only go back to his bed and think about whatever he could think.

As there was nothing that wanted to approach his mind, he lazily removed all the bandages wrapping his body and cleaned himself instead. It didn't take long for it to be done.

"I am still yet to eat, why am I..." Jim who sat on his bed was just about to complain about him for not having breakfast when he caught sight of a glass of water and a plate of newly cooked food that suddenly appeared on the table beside his bed.

It was two cups of rice with his favorite fried chicken!

There was also some kind of paper with it and a short message was written on it, "Eat well."

"Ugh..." Seeing this, Jim's stomach immediately grumbled. "Fine! I will feed you now, so will you please shut up you, stomach!"

With that, Jim unhesitatingly dug in and it didn't take long for him to finish eating.

Burp.

Thank you, Lord!

As he finished eating, there was nothing else he could do anymore. He then lied down on his bed and let the time kill itself.

"Weekends really are so boring!" Jim muttered to himself as he closed his eyes.

Time ran slowly as he could only lie down on his bed and waited for his lunch and dinner to appear on the table.

It was now night time and he had done nothing but to lie on his bed in boredom.

"How can I become stronger like this?" Jim grumbled yet again. Even he himself didn't know how many complaints he let out for the past few hours he was lying on his bed.

It was now already midnight and Jim was frustratingly waiting for the drowsiness to visit him already.

But as if he was waiting for love life, nothing had come!

The moon was full and the sky was full of stars. Its brightness illuminated the surroundings as it pierced through the window of his room. The moonlight reflected on the wings of the Night Butterflies outside, producing a glim light flying all around as if dancing amidst the darkness.

As Jim was frustratingly waiting to fall asleep, something like a blue light, a will'o wisp perhaps, entered his room through the window. Jim immediately caught sight of it and his heart beat wildly in restlessness.

He got up from his bed and sat on it as he watched the blue light with great wariness.

The blue light that was about the size of the fist of an average adult human flew around his room as his gaze was following it in curiosity and caution.

Finally, it stopped encircling the room as it slowly approached Jim and floated just in front of him.

Jim slightly tilted his head as he slowly reached his index finger towards the blue light in curiosity. But to his shock, it rushed towards his forehead.

At that moment, he immediately felt an unimaginable amount of pain throughout his body as if there was some sort of force pinning him down to death.

The force pushed him down as he helplessly fell on his bed.

He wanted to shout to call for his mother but no voice managed to escape from his mouth!

He thought that he was now going to die, he thought that that was his end.

"Damn it! I am not yet ready to die! Why is this happening to me?"

"..."

Arghh!

Gnashing his teeth in agony, he was trying to endure the pain only to feel his consciousness gradually fading and his sight was becoming more blurry.

"I still want to become a High Ranker and become the strongest!" Jim thought as he desperately gripped his hand on the beddings.

But just a little while more had passed, he couldn't endure the pain anymore, he then finally passed out.

At last, the sleepiness that he waited for so long, visited him.

It really was just like a love life, it arrived in the most unexpected way.

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