Fallen Dicker

About 95% of the surface area of Hunter's Island was covered by its huge forest, and most people avoided venturing inside without purpose for fear of getting lost. Even still, as a nearly naked man covered in blood, running at high speed, Alexandre still wanted to reduce the risk of anyone seeing him.

Thankfully, when he moved at top speed, Alexandre knew he could reach the other side of the island in less than half an hour. His objective was simple: avoid running into another Hunter at all costs. Eventually, he saw bright light through the treeline and skidded to a stop, emerging from the forest at the edge of a huge cliff at least 30 meters high.

Alexandre stopped and took deep breaths as he looked out. The breeze was icy cold against his skin, and it felt refreshing. Below him and stretching to the edge of the horizon, the sea stretched out gloomily, and there were imposing, jagged rocks at the base of the cliff.

All in all, it seemed that there wasn't a sign of life for several kilometers. Now that Alexandre was out of danger, he decided it'd be a good idea to try out what Jack Blades had taught him.

For most novice Hunters, Alexandre assumed that the weapon binding would be a very difficult task. From what Jack Blades had demonstrated, it required the skill of kneading one's Hunter energy and concentrating it at certain points where it exited the body. Though Alexandre was only now learning the proper terms for much of this, he'd realized while reading the academy encyclopedia that he was no novice in this area. Indeed, after years of his body growing accustomed to being a Hunter, Alexandre could knead his energy as well as any Hunter veteran.

Kneading energy allowed a Hunter to shape and form their energy within and surrounding their body. It didn't necessarily have a direct use in combat, but it could allow one to form their Aura around their body with precision and stability. This would make it clear that the Hunter had great control over their energy and that they likely also had great control over their abilities.

In short, when a Hunter displayed an impressive Aura, it was a signal that they were a predator with lots of combat experience.

Alexandre removed his two gauntlets and then repeated Jack Blades's movements exactly, kneading his energy into exactly the same shape and form.

According to the teacher, Alexandre would need to create a sort of magical seal that would serve as a password or signature. For the sake of the experiment, he didn't bother with anything fancy or complicated—he could always come up with a more intricate one at a future date if necessary, he decided.

For now, at least, he'd go with something simple. Because of his Jewish heritage, Alexandre decided to use the Star of David, the main religious symbol of Judaism. With that in mind, he condensed his Hunter energy at the tip of one finger, then drew the six-pointed Star of David on the surface of his gauntlet. With a flash of light, the path engraved itself into the weapon.

Alexandre received a notification.

╔════════Aurora Tactical System V0.23.1══════════╕ 

╟─╼[Log]: You have successfully linked [Powerful Black Steel Gauntlet]. 

╚══════════════════════════════════════╛ 

Alexandre gasped as a feeling that was simultaneously hot and cold surged through him and into the gauntlet. It was the movement of his Hunter energy, circulating through the object as though it was truly a part of his body!

Alexandre tossed the gauntlet high into the air. Instead of falling back down, it disappeared in a beam of blue light. To his surprise, the second gauntlet, which he hadn't yet marked, also disappeared. He immediately realized that some part of the Hunter crafting process caused the pair items to share some kind of innate identity, making them effectively the same item. What other secrets did Hunter crafters hold? 

Though he wanted to learn more about crafting later, Alexandre was thoroughly satisfied for now. He'd quite easily linked his weapon to his Hunter energy, showcasing how easily he could already control his energy.

However, he still had a problem to deal with… namely, being covered in blood. He looked down toward the foot of the cliff several dozen meters below him, where the waves crashed brutally against jagged rocks.

Then he smiled. "Thank God for immortality!" he said, then stepped off the cliff. In midair, he activated [Steel Bones], then closed his eyes and waited for the impact.