HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

"You guys are professional biological researchers, so you must have seen that kind of bird before, right?" Cyr asked bluntly.

To his surprise, six out of the seven shook their heads. "Nope, never seen it. That bird might as well be a legend."

Even the dog whimpered and shook its head.

"…A bird no one's ever seen?" Cyr's face fell, his expression drooping in visible disappointment. He looked dejected and unmotivated.

If even these hunters, specializing in biological research, hadn't seen it, just how rare could it be?

"If you're determined to find it, I suggest heading to the southwestern depths," Kite said quietly, his hat brim and long hair casting shadows over most of his face, leaving only his sharp jawline visible.

"That area has the most poisonous creatures, so your chances of finding it are higher there. If you stumble across a snake nest, your odds go up even more."

His detailed explanation made him seem like a kindhearted and helpful person.

"Southwest, huh… Got it," Cyr raised one brow thoughtfully before giving a small nod.

"Oh, right, Kite, did you manage to catch the people responsible for their extraction?" the pink-haired woman suddenly asked, seemingly to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"When I got there, the place was already empty," Kite shook his head.

"This time… they ran… so quickly?" The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses nervously.

"They probably got tipped off," the dog's owner chimed in.

Everyone knew exactly why the extraction team had bolted so quickly.

It was clearly because of that massive disturbance caused by the red flash of energy.

If even the animals in the vicinity had fled in silence, it was no surprise that intelligent humans had done the same.

No one spoke further after that. Occasionally, members of the seven-person team would lean toward each other and whisper quietly.

After finishing the meal, Cyr stood up, ready to leave.

"Well then, we'll be on our way."

What? Let these two suspicious people act alone?!

The man with the explosive hairstyle immediately stood up, extending a hand to stop them. "Wait, why don't we go together?"

Hearing this, Cyr's gaze turned toward him, tinged with a strange look.

"We're planning to head southwest too," the man said firmly.

"Right?" He turned to his teammates, seeking confirmation.

"…That's not wrong."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Uh-huh."

His teammates were quick to back him up, each giving some form of agreement.

They genuinely had plans to head southwest, or else they wouldn't have coincidentally bumped into Cyr and his companion, who were heading south.

"Alright then," Cyr replied nonchalantly.

With that, the tall, bear-like man hoisted the camping gear onto his back, and the group packed up their belongings and began their journey.

…

In the forest, many animals are active only at night. As a result, Kite and his team often stayed hidden during the day and ventured out at night. Occasionally, they would work around the clock, spending entire days searching for new creatures.

Walking under the cover of night, the group felt a sense of calm.

Suddenly, the dog dashed toward a spot and began pawing at the soil, turning its head repeatedly to signal something.

"This is… fresh dung," Banana crouched down to inspect it, her nose twitching slightly. "There must be a large carnivore nearby." She concluded and warned the group.

This wasn't surprising—this forest was teeming with life.

For them, the hope was always to encounter a species that had never been documented before.

They continued forward for a while until faint flickers of firelight became visible in the distance.

"Is it people?" The group halted momentarily.

But no, it wasn't.

Still, the sight ahead was, in its own way, quite shocking—like waking up the day after the dog refused to eat your terrible cooking, only to find it had stayed up all night to prepare a full four-dish meal.

Cyr scratched his cheek with his fingertip, realizing that maybe his worldview was still a bit too limited.

Meanwhile, Kite and the others crept closer, hiding behind low bushes, and used binoculars to observe the creatures within a cave not far away.

Inside were two fully grown tiger-like creatures along with a few cubs. One of the cubs, however, looked completely out of place compared to the others. Unlike the typical orange-and-black stripes, it had white fur with black stripes, as if it had undergone some sort of genetic mutation.

The rest of the tiger family had the usual orange fur with black stripes, but they all had a single horn on their foreheads. Apart from that feature, they resembled ordinary tigers.

However, these tigers were making a fire. Using a burning tree branch, they ignited another pile of sticks.

What's more, they were roasting their prey, skewering it on branches and cooking it over the fire.

So, really, how different were tigers that could start a fire and grill meat from dogs that could cook a full meal?

Cyr crossed his arms and covered his mouth with one hand, trying to hide his amazement at the bizarre scene. Yet, the spark of curiosity and fascination was evident in the corners of his eyes and the slight upward tilt of his brows.

"New species," one of the team members said as they pulled out specialized equipment to take photos and record their observations.

"Tigers that can make a fire and cook… I'd say we call them Camping Tigers," the man carrying camping gear suggested tentatively.

The aroma of the cooked prey filled the air. The two adult tigers tore off the tenderest pieces of meat and placed them in front of their cubs. Only after watching the cubs nibble at the food did they begin devouring their own portions.

The cubs surrounded the meat on the ground, wolfing it down ravenously. However, the white cub seemed unable to squeeze in.

It wasn't just excluded—it was also visibly smaller than the others.

If no unexpected circumstances had occurred, these cubs should have been siblings from the same litter.

"The white cub won't grow up," the pink-haired woman said calmly, as if she had seen this scenario countless times before and could no longer feel sad about it.

In the wild, very few cubs survive. The law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—reigns supreme everywhere.

Whether it's humans or beasts, the rule is the same.

The white cub was visibly smaller than its siblings. It clearly wasn't the first time it had failed to get food, and the two adult tigers made no effort to intervene.

With its striking appearance and weak constitution, it seemed the adult tigers had already decided to abandon it.

The group continued their observations, staying hidden until dawn broke. The two adult tigers eventually led their cubs out of the cave. The white cub staggered along, struggling to keep up.

As the group followed at a distance, they watched as the gap between the white cub and its family widened.

The two adult tigers glanced back once but didn't stop, continuing on their way without hesitation.

Left behind, the white cub stopped following. It wandered in circles for a while before changing direction—heading toward the group's hiding spot.

Before it could get too close, Cyr stepped out and picked it up.

The cub curled up its limbs, its black-striped forehead forming the faint outline of the character for "king." Its light blue eyes sparkled, clear and bright like liquid gemstones.

As it locked eyes with the white-haired boy, for a brief moment, the group felt as if they were seeing two white tigers—one big, one small.

"White fur…" The pink-haired woman glanced at the tiger.

"Black markings…" The man with the wild, curly hair looked at Cyr.

"Blue eyes…" The bespectacled man nervously shifted his gaze back and forth between the two.

The resemblance wasn't just slight—it was uncanny.

Compared to the other tiger family members, this boy and the cub looked more like relatives.

"It's mine now," Cyr declared after staring at the white tiger for a long time. He rubbed its ears with an expression of sheer delight.

If given the chance, who wouldn't want to raise a majestic silver-white tiger?

Back in his previous life, he could only see these creatures in zoos. If he'd wanted one to pet, he would have had to travel abroad.

After all, his place at that time didn't allow the keeping of white tigers.

But now, the opportunity was right in front of him. How could he pass it up?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, two thunderous roars suddenly erupted behind him.

"Roar—Roar—"

The sound was deafening, like rolling thunder. The powerful shockwaves caused nearby trees to tremble violently, leaves raining down in a flurry. The ground itself shook, with large patches of grass uprooted.

The two adult tigers had returned.

°°°

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