Leorio the Shadow Monarch - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Hunter License & Shadowed Horizons
The immediate aftermath of Netero’s abrupt declaration was a strange cocktail of emotions. Shock rippled through the handful of survivors who hadn’t already mathematically passed. Relief, potent and heady, washed over those who had been uncertain. Confusion lingered, especially around the circumstances of Killua’s disqualification and the anticlimactic end to the tournament format. Leorio himself felt a dizzying mix of all three, plus a healthy dose of lingering fear thanks to Illumi’s parting death stare.
Netero, however, beamed as if this chaotic outcome was exactly what he’d intended. “Well now! With the formalities concluded in such… decisive fashion,” he chuckled, ignoring the palpable tension still radiating from the Zoldyck situation, “let’s proceed to the best part!”
Secretary Beans stepped forward, holding a tray laden with small, card-like objects. Hunter Licenses.
“As newly licensed Hunters,” Beans announced in his precise monotone, “you are granted access to restricted information, facilities, and territories unavailable to the general public. You gain immense freedom, but also shoulder significant responsibility. This license is proof of your status. Guard it well – its value on the black market is astronomical, though selling it is, of course, highly discouraged and illegal.”
One by one, Netero called the names of the seven passers: Gon Freecss (awake now, arm hastily bandaged, looking subdued but determined), Kurapika, Hanzo, Pokkle, Bodoro, Gittarackur (who accepted his license with unnerving impassivity), and finally, Leorio Paradinight.
Leorio stepped forward, his heart doing a strange, unfamiliar flutter that wasn’t entirely fear. Netero handed him the card. It felt solid, cool plastic, embedded with intricate anti-counterfeiting measures Leorio couldn’t begin to decipher. His name, number (#403), and photo (a surprisingly decent one, likely taken during registration) were displayed clearly.
He held it. His Hunter License. Tangible proof. He, Kenji Tanaka, the mundane salaryman, was dead. In his place stood Leorio Paradinight, a licensed Hunter in a world he had previously only experienced through a screen. It was a moment of profound, almost disorienting triumph, a culmination of weeks of terror, pain, and unbelievable transformation.
And right on cue, as the weight of the license settled into his palm, his internal system exploded with notifications, a cascade far more significant than any level-up chime.
`[MAIN SCENARIO QUEST COMPLETE!]`
`[Quest: Survive the 287th Hunter Exam]`
`[Status: Success!]`
`[Calculating Final Rewards Based on Performance, Survival, and Objective Completion…]`
`[Reward Granted: 10,000 EXP!]`
`[LEVEL UP!] x 7`
`[You have reached Level 55!]`
`[Reward Granted: New Passive Skill Unlocked – Longevity!]`
`[Reward Granted: 1,000,000 Jenny Currency Added!]`
`[Reward Granted: +10 Bonus Stat Points!]`
Leorio felt the familiar, potent surge of power accompanying the level-ups, settling deep within him, reinforcing his already formidable physique. Level 55. The EXP jump was massive. The Jenny – one million Jenny! He wasn’t broke anymore! He quickly checked his [Currency] tab: `1,000,000 J`. He briefly peeked at the [Mall].
He immediately purchased an apple, which appeared in his hand, and he started to eat.
He could finally buy things, albeit basic ones for now. Then the Stat Points – 10 bonus points, plus the 35 from leveling up, meant 45 points waiting for allocation. Excellent.
But it was the new passive skill that made his blood run cold, then hot, then cold again. He focused on the notification, reading the description with wide, disbelieving eyes.
`[Longevity (Passive)]: Host’s natural aging process has ceased. Physical maturation stops, cellular degradation halts. Host is now biologically immortal and cannot die from old age or natural causes. Host retains the ability to biologically alter physical age appearance through conscious effort. Vulnerability to death via external factors (injury, poison [if Detoxification fails], disease [if HP reach zero], etc.) remains.`
He read it again. And again. No natural aging? Biologically immortal? It wasn’t just enhanced regeneration or resilience; this was… fundamental alteration. He, Leorio, Level 55 Shadow Monarch, would not grow old. Barring a fatal encounter (which seemed depressingly likely in this world), he could potentially live for centuries, millennia, perhaps indefinitely. The middle-aged man inside him recoiled in shock, while the part of him embracing this new reality felt a dizzying vertigo.
“Immortal?” His internal monologue was a frantic scramble. “Seriously? I’m stuck looking like… well, granted, Leorio’s not bad-looking, but forever? Unless I figure out this ‘biological altering’ thing? Do I have to level up to look older? Or younger? Can I give myself wrinkles on command? What about hair dye?” A wave of dark humor washed over the existential shock. “Great. Just great. Now I have to worry about outliving literally everyone I might ever care about. And finding a tailor who does eternal suit fittings. This system has a terrible sense of irony.” The weight of endless time felt heavier, somehow, than the threat of sudden death he’d grown accustomed to.
Shaking his head to clear the temporal whiplash, Leorio forced himself to check his updated status window, incorporating the level gains.
—
Name: Leorio Paradinight
Level: 55 (16%)
Affinity: Emission
Job: Shadow Monarch
…
HP: 3000/3000 [Recovery: 177 HP/min (5.9%)]
AP: 61000/61000 [Recovery: 3416 AP/min (5.6%)]
Fatigue: 0%
…
STR: 82
AGI: 55
VIT: 59
INT: 56
SEN: 55
…
Passive Skill: Detoxification (MAX), Will to Recover (MAX), Tenacity (MAX), Longevity (MAX)
Active Skill: Spirit Lv2 (83%), Observe Lv2 (24%), Ten Lv3 (16%), Zetsu Lv2 (14%), Ren Lv3 (2%)
Job Skill: Shadow Extraction Lv1 (11%), Shadow Preservation Lv1 (18%), Shadow Exchange Lv1 (0%), Monarch’s Domain Lv1 (0%)
…
[Stat Points: 10 (Unallocated)]
[Shadow Dimension: Shadow Centipede Lv6 (x2), Shadow Viper Lv7 (x2) | Total: 4/20]
[Currency: 1,000,000 Jenny]
[Quest: Path to Strength, Visit Killua]
[Inventory: Hunter License (#403), Badge (#246), Wallet (Loaded!), First Aid Kit, …]
[Mall]
—
The numbers were staggering compared to where he started. Stats firmly in the 50s and 80s. Massive resource pools. Incredible passive survivability (`Will to Recover`, `Tenacity`, `Longevity`). He felt leagues stronger than even just a week ago. But the memory of Hisoka, the chilling presence of Illumi… they kept his feet firmly planted in reality. Power was relative.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden escalation near the center of the room. Gon, his face thunderous despite his injuries, was confronting Illumi.
“Apologize to Killua!” Gon demanded, his voice ringing with righteous fury. “Take back what you said! Killua has the right to be my friend!”
Illumi stared back, his face impassive, those large, empty eyes chillingly calm. “Killua doesn’t need friends. He is an assassin. A puppet. He will come home.”
“He is NOT your puppet!” Gon roared, and lunged. Leorio watched in stunned silence as Gon, fueled by sheer willpower and loyalty, somehow grabbed Illumi’s arm and twisted. There was a distinct, sickening crack. Illumi didn’t even flinch, merely looked down at his clearly broken or dislocated arm as if observing a mildly interesting specimen.
“Hmm,” Illumi stated flatly, his voice devoid of pain or anger. “That hurt. Now I have a valid reason to kill you. But first, I need my Hunter License to do it legally.” He turned to Gon. “Consider yourself warned. Stay away from Killua.” He then simply… walked away, retrieving his license from Beans and disappearing without a backward glance, leaving a trembling but defiant Gon and a room full of deeply unnerved new Hunters.
Leorio felt cold sweat on his brow. Gon had broken Illumi Zoldyck’s arm and lived. Gon’s potential was terrifying. But Illumi’s reaction, his casual acceptance of grievous injury and immediate calculation regarding murder licenses… that was infinitely more frightening. The Zoldycks operated on a different plane of reality.
After Illumi’s departure and a brief, awkward closing statement from Netero, the finalists began to disperse. Leorio found himself standing with Gon (who was now being properly tended to by medics summoned by Beans) and Kurapika.
“That was… insane, Gon,” Leorio said, still slightly shaken.
Gon looked up, his earlier fury replaced by grim determination. “I don’t care. Illumi is wrong. Killua is my friend. We have to get him back.”
Kurapika nodded, his expression resolute. “I agree. Killua is not his family’s property. We will go to Kukuroo Mountain. We will bring him back.”
Leorio looked at them – Gon, radiating unwavering loyalty; Kurapika, calm resolve burning in his eyes. He thought about Killua, trapped under Illumi’s thumb. He thought about his own power, his new license, his near-immortality. His internal conflict about his future path seemed less important right now. His friends needed him. And just as that thought solidified, his system pinged.
`[New Main Scenario Quest Added: Bonds of Friendship]`
`[Objective: Accompany Gon Freecss and Kurapika Kurta to the Zoldyck Estate on Kukuroo Mountain. Ensure the safety and support the free will of Killua Zoldyck.]`
`[Reward: Unknown]`
Leorio let out a quiet sigh. Seems the system agreed. “Kukuroo Mountain, huh?” he said, forcing a grin. “Sounds like a charming vacation spot. Alright, count me in. Someone needs to make sure you two don’t get yourselves killed trying to knock on the front door of the world’s deadliest assassin family.”
He looked down at his Hunter License, then back at his friends. He was Leorio Paradinight, Hunter. Level 55 Shadow Monarch. Biologically immortal (apparently). And his next mission wasn’t finding a hospital to work in or grinding levels in some dungeon. It was storming assassin mountain for a friend. The Hunter Exam was over. His bizarre, shadowed, unpredictable journey was truly just beginning.