Chapter 3: The Exiled One

There is one matter that must be clarified in advance.

Heather did not casually traverse into the Hunter world by picking up some strange old trinket at a street stall or by clicking on some forbidden option with a mouse.

He was expelled from his original world—what is known as "banishment."

From childhood, Heather had always felt out of place among those around him.

His strength kept increasing, his agility and explosive power surpassed that of adults, he had never fallen ill, his skin appeared delicate yet was exceptionally tough and resistant to injury, his dynamic vision was absurdly sharp, he could learn almost anything with ease, and he had a face that often invited trouble.

All these abilities only grew stronger as he aged.

Before the age of ten, while flipping through Superman comics, Heather often wondered if he was an alien left behind on Earth, perhaps with an extraterrestrial name like Joe Hale or something similar.

And if so, wouldn’t there be a secret base or a Superman suit waiting for him?

Excitedly, he asked his parents, but all he received were eye-rolls—“Can you fly? Do you have heat vision? Are you invulnerable? Don’t be silly, sweetheart, you’re our biological son, just a little more developed than normal kids.”

Though they said this, Heather’s parents well understood the saying, "The tallest tree gets the strongest wind." Their son was not just an ordinary strong tree but a Sherman General tree towering in a thicket! So from a young age, they taught Heather to hide himself, to disguise his true nature.

He became reclusive, had few friends, was a four-eyed, awkward otaku, terrible at sports, average academically, somewhat good-looking but with terrible hairstyles, and had a questionable sense of aesthetics...

This was the fixed impression people had of Heather.

He hid his true self for so long that he genuinely became an academically uneven otaku.

He had no interest in cute or useless anime but loved old-school manga like Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya. He could name every model and weapon configuration of Gundam, was a fanatic of the Super Robot Wars series, knew every superhero from DC and Marvel (especially the heroines) by heart, had max-level characters in every class on both factions of World of Warcraft, and was well-versed in internet memes...

If there was any difference between Heather and other otakus, it was that he could kill a rhino with a single punch, while others had to rely on sliding tackles and intense rage.

In recent years, Heather began to sense something was amiss.

First, his own luck deteriorated severely. Were it not for his superior physical constitution, he would have long since perished in various accidents.

Then, his parents started experiencing bad luck a few months ago, and if the trend continued, it wouldn’t be long before they fell victim to typical mishaps like being hit by cars or struck by falling objects.

Just as Heather began to suspect he might be a fated outcast like those in novels, the unexpected finally happened.

It was a Saturday morning.

Heather woke up, sleepily slipped into his slippers, and shuffled into the bathroom. While brushing his teeth and humming a tune, he pondered what birthday gift to give his father.

Suddenly, he froze.

On the mirror’s surface, a line of frost-like white text appeared.

“Sorry to disturb your good mood, but you must leave.”

“Huh?”

What the heck? After hiding his superhuman identity for eighteen years, was he finally encountering the mysterious forces of this world?

Enthusiastically, Heather used toothpaste to scribble a few words beneath the frosty writing—“Fairy? Monster? Psychic organization? Justice League?”

“Could you stop smearing with toothpaste? It damages the mirror surface and is hard to clean! Just talk directly!!!”

Five exclamation marks indicated that the mysterious presence behind the mirror was a bit of a neat freak. Then, another line of frost text appeared rapidly.

“You really should leave, or your parents won’t survive past this Sunday.”

Heather frowned. It wasn’t that he was gullible, but deep down, he had already realized—his misfortune was dragging his parents down with him. Yet he had never found a good solution. Just yesterday, he had decided to wait until after his father’s birthday and then leave the city to seek a livelihood at the southernmost point of his homeland.

“Why? Why is my luck getting worse and even affecting my parents?”

Heather voiced his biggest question.

“To be born a lion is not to cower in a rabbit’s den. No matter how much you hide, the world begins to reject your existence.”

“I just want to be an ordinary person!” Heather felt a bit resentful. “What if I leave my parents on my own? I’ll go now, far away from them!”

“As long as you exist in this world, everyone close to you will gradually be rejected and die. It’s unavoidable.”

“...Just say it straight.” Heather saw through the mirror’s indirect lead.

“Leaving this world is the best choice—for you and your loved ones.”

Heather grew angry. “Easier said than done! How do I leave? Are you going to give me a little boat to row into outer space?”

“I have my ways. The problem is you. Are you sure you want to leave this world or stay here to await your inevitable death with your loved ones?”

“As long as you can help me leave, I choose to go.” For the sake of his parents, Heather did not hesitate.

“Then... have a pleasant journey!”

“Wait, who exactly are you—” Before Heather could finish, a sudden black mist engulfed him. The frost writings on the mirror, including the toothpaste words, were wiped away by an invisible hand, leaving the mirror spotless.

The bathroom was empty, except for a toothbrush that had fallen into the sink.

...

Darkness.

Nothing could be seen. Pure and absolute darkness.

Then came a suffocating sensation, a choking feeling deep within the soul.

It was as if he were naked, diving deep into an icy sea. The biting cold and crushing pressure from all directions tormented both soul and body.

Unable to move even a finger, all Heather could do was endure the engulfing cold and suffocation.

After what felt like a hundred years, a speck of light suddenly appeared in the endless darkness.

Almost instantly, the dot expanded rapidly into an ocean of light, and Heather was swept up by the tide, plunged into the sea of radiance.

Without any protection, his soul was suddenly embraced by the "world’s" safeguard. The suffocation and oppression vanished; warmth once again permeated his entire being.

Then, Heather felt himself falling headfirst into a thicket.

Dewdrops on the leaves soaked his face, but he could not move a single finger, only lie there helplessly.

His consciousness gradually blurred...

When he awoke again, Heather saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Sitting up, he realized he was on a somewhat worn but clean bed.

Beside the bed, a short, stout old man sat with folded arms in a chair, nodding off.

This was how Heather first met Old Jack.

Though the universal language of this world bore no resemblance to any language of his original world, inexplicably, he could understand and speak it—just unable to read the writing. In other words, he was illiterate here.

If this was his "golden finger," it was a pretty lousy one, he thought. Did the monkey version have universal language skills? Every time he pondered this, Heather couldn’t help but disdain the "mirror" that had sent him here.

Besides the universal language, this world also used pure English, Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, and even Chinese characters—though the latter was very rare in use, making the whole thing feel quite patchwork.

What Heather never expected was that he had actually crossed into the Hunter world.

He had imagined a farming life story starting from a supermarket in a strange realm, eventually becoming the world’s wealthiest.

Instead, it was a fanfic about fighting for survival in the Hunter world—a huge difference! On a novel site, that would be the difference between ten thousand average subscriptions and just a hundred.

And he was just an ordinary Earthling, only slightly better developed than others. How did Izanabi turn that into being a naturally gifted Nen user? Had he, as an outsider, conformed to local customs upon entering the Hunter world?

Standing at the doorway of a grocery store, Heather waved farewell to Old Jack, carrying his canvas luggage bag, then followed Izanabi toward the train station.

It didn’t matter anymore; at least someone was willing to teach him Nen now, meaning if he didn’t waste his early days, he could at least achieve basic self-defense.

In the Hunter world, ordinary people were notoriously powerless; the strong could crush civilians at will, and Hunters even had licenses to kill. To survive here, Nen ability was indispensable.

Heather had also begun to form some ideas about how to return to his original world.

As they walked, Heather chatted casually with Izanabi, eavesdropping on Hunter world trivia, while Izanabi answered every question. Their relationship was amicable.

Near the train station, Izanabi led Heather into a roadside restaurant.

They ate while waiting for someone.

“All new Hunters must learn Nen to truly complete the Hunter exam—this is known as the ‘final test.’”

Sitting at a table by the window, Izanabi spooned some seafood fried rice into his mouth and mumbled indistinctly, “After all, this is a brutal world ruled by strength. Without Nen, it’s impossible to get anywhere in the Hunter world. This applies to you as well, Heather.”

Heather, sitting opposite, twirled the bright red tomato meat sauce pasta with his fork repeatedly.

“Because I’m only a half-baked Nen user?”

“You’re not even half-baked, kid.”

Izanabi picked up a large shrimp from the seafood rice, squeezed some lemon over it, then popped the whole shrimp, shell and all, into his mouth, crunching loudly.

“Although your physical abilities are quite good, true Nen abilities are incredibly diverse, many with bizarre, illogical effects. I’ll explain all this in detail when you formally start training... Ah, here they come.”

Following Izanabi’s gaze, Heather looked out the restaurant’s window and saw the figure walking along the street outside.