Hunter X Hunter: Grounded

Chapter 57



Title: Revival...



….
*one minute before*

-Sub POV-


I can't help it, I can't defeat this monster by myself. I must use a monster to beat a monster.

Instead, I meditate and concentrate on my mind. Immediately I appear in a place of darkness, the caterpillar with a woman's face appears in front of me. Its strange smile is still on its face. 


"Quite the strong enemy you have outside." It says, with a happy tone in its voice. 


I know that it already can predict what I am about to do. I have no other options. It doesn't ask anything, it just smiles as if mocking me. It might be for all I know… I don't remember the last time I felt that everything was so out of control. Was it in my first life when my family died? 


"Kekekekeke." The creature openly laughs at me now. This brings me up to my nerves a little, but I can't do anything.


"I chose to spend the rest of the time with my family. You can take over, my wish is to be able to survive no matter what." I tell the creature, waiting for it to say something. But in the end, it doesn't say anything. It instead just smiles at me creepily like always. 


Honestly, I am getting a little angry at it. But I don't express that, even if it can probably read my thoughts.


"Hey!" I yell at it. "Get in with it!"


"Sure~ sure~" Says the centipede-like creature. Slithering away as I am covered in light, and then…


…
I am sitting with my family at a dinner table. My memories get hazy, I… can't remember much. But, I will need to go back soon.


Go back where? I am home now. 


"Bro, is everything okay?" Asks my little brother, bringing me out of my thoughts. 


"Hm? Oh yeah, everything is okay." I tell him, unsure why I feel so strange. 


What is going on? Why do I feel just so… strange… I feel like I am forgetting something important. 



"This is not real!" I scream out suddenly out of nowhere. None of my family seemed concerned about this. How is that?


Immediately I understood what was going on and a cloud over my head disappeared. I instantly remembered everything that was being suppressed. 



"Heh, it was easier this time." I say out loud.



I now understand how this centipede's ability works. It is a coercive type that one can agree to take or be forced into a happy memory in your life, also it can suppress memories, but not emotions, my stress, panic, and general feelings before being trapped inside my mind were not erased. So instead of having a relaxing dinner with my family, I was panicking, nervous, and stressed.


But this ability is not absolute, and the more I break out of it the easier it will become the next time. Since this time I broke out as soon as I came in… also I already figured out that the ability will try to complete the user's wish. If someone wants to not be seen, it will turn them into a permanently invisible monster, someone wants to be fast, their leg muscles will become monstrous, allowing them to move at march speeds.


I get out of the living room and as I am about to do so I suddenly stop. Since I am inside my mind, it means that I am in a dream-like state. Meaning I can do anything I want here.


I just think about it hard enough and the scenery around me disperses into the darkness with a bed appearing out of nowhere. I lie down on it and close my eyes, immediately as I do so, I get some view from my body. It seems like I am getting destroyed by Bambina. 


Regeneration… it seems like I got my biggest desire at that moment. I would like to say that I wanted strength at that time, but my biggest desire was survival.


Baam!  


That is when I get a headache due to half of my brain being blown off. Hmm… it seems like I will still die if I leave everything up to this stupid centipede.


Even though the creature had access to my memories, it can't plan for shìt. I guess it was more like a movie to it, you can't learn martial arts just by watching movies. It doesn't have access to my experience.


Still, now I also know that this ability has a major weakness and it is not absolute. I try to gain control of my body and the centipede's voice rings in my head. "Oi!! Stop it!! Don't try to get control back now or you will kill us both!!"

I smirk maliciously after hearing his panicked voice.

So it is afraid of death after all. It works like a parasitic virus, or more correctly… a Nen Beast.

"Move over a little." I tell the creature, and it screeches, but I continued and manipulate my body inside this fleshy armor. I move my brain to my stomach, I still didn't have too much control. 


Pow!


Bambina destroyed my head, but it didn't matter. Though my body is still dead due to the heavy stress put into it. After piercing Karla through the chest and the monster walking away, I decided to activate Angel's Breath in my pocket.


The centipede appeared in front of me and its eyes are red with saliva leaking out of its human lips. 

"You seem agitated, rest will do you some good." I tell it and it is engulfed by a coffin. Encasing it, and then metallic stakes pierce it. 


This is my mind, here I am God. No insect is going to be able to do anything. Especially someone so agitated, now I also have an idea on how to deal with it. 




….
-General POV-


Sub's dead body is rejuvenated as a translucent angel appears and breathes at his headless mangled body.


Sub's body returns to its perfect condition, together with its fleshy armor retreating into his body. Bringing Sub back to his human form.


Something strange happens though… as his Nen explodes out of his body. With such strength that seems many times stronger than before.



This is Post Mortem Nen, or also known as Nen after death. Sub has died in every sense of the way, so his Nen has become stronger. 


He opens his eyes suddenly and takes a deep breath. A look of happiness appears on his face, while he had planned for him to bring himself back to life in a situation like this. It wasn't always guaranteed and he could have died. 


He looks at Karla and sees her bleeding on the ground. Immediately, he appears to her side. 

"C'mon now Karla, you can't die on me." Says Sub, his face a little worried. But in the end, he goes through Karla's pockets and pulls out another Angel's Breath card. Since they cleared Greed Island, the game is still open, so he and Karla have had some people under their control win the game a couple more times too. So Sub has quite a bit of life-saving cards on him.


…
After Karla is fully healed she opens her eyes and sees Sub's smiling face looking down on her. Immediately tears of happiness come out of her eyes.



Sub also feels happy inside, he truly doesn't want to lose her. And for the first time, he asks for someone else's opinion. "What do you think, Karla, should we go home?"


He asks this for he truly doesn't want to put her in any more danger. Usually, he wouldn't care what Karla wants, he only expects her to follow. But this time… he is unsure if they should continue deeper in the Dark Continent.




….
A/N: Though the manifested monster is from desire, it cannot be something like limitlessly strong, as strong as one's desire.