Gon POV:

My name is Gon, Gon Freecs. My last name is just there for traditions. Other than knowing it was given to me by my biological parents, I don't have particularly strong ties to it.

I'm not an orphan, no. I don't know who or what my biological mom is doing, but my father is a hunter. He abandoned, uh, sorry "left me" to his cousin's and grand aunt's care when I was a baby. We haven't heard from him ever since, and now it's been eight years.

Hunters are people that look for adventure, discoveries, treasures, and hunt or raise wild animals for different purposes. They're the official guardians of nature, ancient or lost knowledge, and the advocates of freedom. Another reason why hunters are famous and revered is that they arrest criminals and cooperate with armed forces to take care of terrorists.

This kind of profession is exceptionally hazardous, and besides being fiercely trained and informed, hunters get handsome compensations.

When talking about hunters, money is one thing they don't need to fuss over. Hunters deal with elite politicians, celebrities, and corporate magnates daily. First-class hunters are not just physically mighty, but they also have a terrifying influence on a political or financial level.

Nonetheless, according to rumors, hunter licenses, once obtained through the exam, cannot be revoked. People even say that some hunters solely seek to use their powers to their advantage and commit atrocious evils.

According to my aunt, my father, despite being a bit irresponsible *cough* "unpredictable" has never shown anything to make her think he could be one of the bad guys, so that's one thing...

It makes me recall again that besides knowing what kind of games he played with and saved my aunt from getting lost countless times during their childhood, I don't know anything of substance about him or his character. But that's okay, no, it has to be okay..." sigh"...being a hunter just must be that impressive, right? I guess I don't have any other choice but to find out myself.

I mean, if I don't, how could I ever meet and ask this question to Ging in the future? Not that Whale Island isn't a neat place, but my father hasn't come back even after almost a decade. Either he is dead, or the things that he's doing out there are so cool that he completely forgot about us.

I'm not naive, but a sage once said: "Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books." I have to experience the same things he did before making my last verdict concerning Ging Freecs.

I don't know many proverbs. It is probably the only proverb I know since I don't like books. As for why I know of this proverb, let's leave it for another time, I got more pressing matters at hand, literally.

"Heave-ho"

I expired one last gasp before stirring the line of my fishing road. The activity looked strenuous, and it was. Recently, I have been battling with one of the fishes in this foggy marsh. I think I have been doing this for almost a month. Given the fish's strength, I think it might be safe to assume that it is the monster all the fishers like to talk about in town. The "lord of lakes."

According to them, Ging caught one of those when he was twelve. I'm only eight right now, so If I ever pick one, it's an excellent way to try and keep up with the Old man. I'm only planning to take the hunter exam in a year, but I like competition, so I don't see why I wouldn't try.

"Crack!" The tree branch on which I sat began to feel the fish's weight.

"Oh, you're not getting the better of me today!" I said as I stood and gathered all my strength to resist the monster. If you're wondering why neither the wire or my fishing road isn't broken just yet, well, neither do I.

My father left it to my aunt Mito so here's a clue. The guy is just a mystery. I don't know whether he made it himself or if he found it somewhere else.

"Splash!" With one last savage pull, the fish was out of the water. The creature crashing down on the bank was colossal. It was at least five times bigger than me. Its open mouth could probably hold ten percent of the water in that pond.

"Guess who managed to catch you, at last, great sport!"

I then rushed and took care to impair, then wrap up the fish with the rope that was in my bag before it could desperately plunge back in the water.

"Well, it took me such a long time, but now I can finally brag to aunt Mito about this feat, haha."

"Sorry, little lord, but you're going to be our dinner today." I bowed to the fish in apology before following:

"Thanks for all these battles, I feel like my strength grew a bit during this month." I smiled and talked again to the fish, not sure if it could understand me. Showing praise to a worthy opponent was a mark of respect, even if it would ultimately end up in my stomach tonight.

"Hehe, what is better? Soup or fish barbecue." I was pondering happily inside. "Well, let's go back and ask Grandma Abe."

"Oh-hiss!" I heaved while dragging the fish back home with satisfaction.

........................................................

"Finally, back! Haha. Pfiuu..."

"Mito-San!" I pushed through the door and entered the living room. "I brought back a big one today, let's cook it together with Grandma."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Gon? You're back already?" A short elder came out of the kitchen and asked me curiously. Her eyes bridled, and the years seemed to have taken their toll on her frame. She emitted wisdom but also loneliness; it was not surprising since she was widowed for a long time now. This woman was called Abe Freecs and was aunt Mito's grandmother, as well as Ging's grand aunt.

When Mito had to care for me, she was the witness. Despite her old age, she provided her home and helped her unwedded descendant in raising me.

"Yes, grandma, I won!"

"What do you mean you won?" She asked cluelessly.

"The lord of the lakes! I won, I fished him out."

"Oh, lord, you mean that big fish?" 

"I'll show you, let's go outside grandma Abe." I grabbed her hand, dragged her outside in a hurry.

"Okay." Grandma Abe smiled and said.

.............................................................

"This is delicious, and I'm so glad I asked you, grandma, the soup was the best way to cook it. So fragrant."

"I'm back, Gon, grandma." A short red-haired middle-aged woman entered the living room with groceries and said to us.

"Aunt Mito, welcome back."

"Welcome back, Mito. Here grab a bowl and dig in." Grandma Abe said calmly.

"What is this smell? Fish soup...sounds good." Mito sat down as she said.

I explained to her again how I caught the fish in detail. Mito listened to me with rapt attention, pride, but also a tinge of melancholy in her eyes. Having spent so much time together, I knew what, or more precisely who she was reminiscing about, so I just left the discussion there. After I ate my fill, I headed upstairs, brushed my teeth before taking a bath then going to sleep early.

Aunt Mito was worried because I started to have a series of nightmares every night recently. My sleep quality had suffered due to this. Every time I was going to sleep, I was worried I would reencounter those.

In those nightmares, I killed weird creatures and watched someone I didn't know lying dead on the floor of a strange and dark place. It seemed so distant but also familiar for some reason, yet I always woke up screaming at the same parts.

Either when I was going to see the man's face or when that weird cat was about to tell me something. It was almost as if my mind was trying to prevent me from discovering what the dreams were. There was a missing but critical element to my existence in those nightmares, and I was sure of it.

However, today, I was so exhausted and satisfied that in less than an hour, I fell asleep.

.................................................

Dimensional rift activated, Memory transfer engaged, start in less than 20 seconds.  

"What's that sound? More like, where am I?"

I was entirely conscious of my dreams for some reason, finding myself in the expanse of stars. When I turned to look back, there seemed to be a planet that looked like a red, yellow, and white marble. I only knew that our world was called Jupiter, but I didn't know what it looked like since I rarely opened books.

"Am I in space? also, what was that automated voice?"

It didn't take long for the place to shift. I panicked as it took me inside some sort of black hole. What greeted me next were a bunch of familiar pictures. 

"What is happening to me, and who are those people?" I asked myself as I looked at a middle-aged looking guy arguing with a feminine looking blondie on a boat.

"This seems so surreal! Why do they look so familiar? Ughh!" My head began to hurt as the pictures started to gather and shine.

Memory transfer engaged. Dimensional chaperone: Hisoka Morow,

Baptism loading, 1%. Title and Class not acquired yet

Memory transfer ready, Transfer starting!

9 minutes, 59 seconds until transfer completion

"09:57" Time left

"What the heck, is this some kind of farce?! Rather why is this dream so vivid?"

"Dimensional? Hisoka?"

"Aargh!" The pictures floating shone even more fervently before they were guided inside me by the mechanical voice.

I screamed and punched the nothingness. "Help me; Dad, aunt Mito!" I thought I was going to die. The ache had become unbearable as the memories started to fuse in my mind.

"0:01" time left

Memory transfer complete.

Dimensional Baptism is loading 75%.

Ten minutes went by, but to me, and it sounded like an eternity.

As the pain finally decreased, I gained back control over the information in my brain. Despite the situation, what appeared on my face wasn't confusion.

I grinned as I recalled back who I was. I mean, who I was before. Having lived those eight years on Whale Island pretty much the same way as beforehand, I more or less understood what was going on.

"Time travel exists!

I don't know what's going on, but Hisoka played a part in this."

I was so excited as I looked again at my body. My emotions were difficult to express.

I was the same innocent Gon that went to sleep, but I was also the Gon that died at the hands of Neferpitou, unfearing, experience, and even stained with the stench of battle and death.

I tried to keep calm in the face of this mysterious reality. I recalled back the memories of my friends, the hunter association, and the Chimera ant war.

"Apart from Hisoka and that strange floating box, I don't know who or what is involved in this unusual event.

But since I was reborn, I got to make the best of it."

I thought out loud as I finally accepted what was happening. Since I was back into the past, there was no reason to go and die again. My plan to get revenge on Pitou might have been a bit suicidal...But I was only risking my nen, not my life.

"I need to get answers but I can't provoke that crazy guy the way I am now.

Still, that strange box called Hisoka a guardian. I guess he is going to be helpful at some point."

Dimensional Baptism loading complete.

Baptism Start!

"Well, here we go. Let's just sit back and watch. I don't think that weird box wants to harm me in any case."

Dimensional ID: A58

Name: Gon Freecs

Baptism result:

Innate Title: The Fisherman

Innate Class: Gambler

Status Open!

Name: Gon Freecs

Titles: The Fisherman

Classes: Gambler

Statistics:

Strength: 3

Fitness: 3

Wisdom: 2

Dexterity: 6

Perception: 9

Versatility: 4

Composure: 2

Charisma: 3

Bloodlines:

N/A

Titles Increments:

The Fisherman: Rank F

DEX+1/WIS+1/PERC+1

Classes Buffs:

Gambler: Level 1

CHA+1/PERC+1/DEX+1

Skills:

Enhancement Nen: Level 0

Fishing: Level 1

DEX+1/PERC+1

"What does this bunch of complicated words mean?"

I tried to rack my brains around the whole situation when the strange voice sounded again:

Dimensional Baptism complete! Profound sleeping state resumption in 4,3,2,1.

"Wait, does this mean I go back to sleep now? I can't even wake up if I want to. Hey you, who are you, and what do you want from me?!"

I tried to communicate with the voice, but there was only the sound of the countdown to greet me back in the white space.

 ....10. Sleeping state restoration. Phase 1 Complete. Commands transfer to host loading, 1%  

Before I could ponder more, My stellar body left from that curious place, and I went back to sleep.